The Coros Apex 2 is a multisports watch that’s cheaper than a Pro model but has most of the same features
Coros has emerged as a strong rival for established sports watch players Garmin and Polar and with the Coros Apex 2, it’s aiming to have another watch that will lure people to track their indoor and outdoor workout time with it.
Landing alongside the Apex 2 Pro, the Apex 2 promises all of the same features as the original Apex along with new skills like the ability to follow Topographical maps, take ECG readings and it’s had a boost in smartwatch skills as well.
Runners are definitely the biggest beneficiaries of those new features, but there’s things here as well that should give it serious adventurer appeal as well too.
The Coros Apex 2 looks less like the original Apex and more like the cheaper Coros Pace 2. It’s now got a 43mm case putting it between the two sizes of the first Apex. Coros lets you pick up the Apex 2 in your choice of black, grey or coral looks.
That case cover is made from a nicely weighted titanium alloy with a grade 5 titanium bezel layered up with a more protective PVD coating. You’ve got your pick of smaller 20mm nylon or silicone bands and you can remove those bands via a simple pin mechanism on the back of the strap. Pairing it up with a silicone band gets you a setup that weighs 53g and the lighter nylon band drops things to 42g. Either way, this is not a super heavy watch you’re going to have to strap on.
Coros uses a mix of physical and touchscreen controls, but it’s your choice just how much that touchscreen plays a part in your interactions with it. There’s three physical buttons with two flatter buttons flanking a twisting crown, which you can twist to scroll through screens.
That twisting crown also packs electrodes, which enables HRV measurements to assess recovery needs via ECG. The top button activates the backlight and holding the bottom physical button will get you into the menu screen where you can tinker with things like navigation support, turn on the Night mode to keep the backlight on during evening workout tracking sessions and also dig deeper into watch battery status.
The touchscreen functionality is new to the Apex and can be used to scroll through menus, maps and used with music controls. If you’re happy with just using the buttons, you can turn off the touchscreen support or save it for when you need to get around maps.
You’ll be viewing those maps on a 1.2-inch, 240 x 240 resolution memory LCD screen, which is a lot like the transflective displays you’ll find on most Garmin watches. That means visibility over big splashes of colour is the priority here. While it’s not the biggest screen it was perfectly fine to use on land and in the water and absorb metrics on the move.
Around the back is your optical sensor array, which does include a heart rate monitor and now an optical pulse oximeter to offer a way to measure blood oxygen saturation when using the Apex 2 at altitude. Next to those sensors is your charging port, which is identical to the one used on the original Apex so you’re getting the same proprietary charging cable here.
Coros says the Apex 2 can work at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Centigrade or as hot as 50 degrees Centigrade. If you want to go swimming with it, it’s got a 5 ATM rating, which means it’s good to be dunked in water up to 50 metres depth.
Like other Coros watches, it’s a multisport watch first and everything else after. Sports tracking has been very good in general on Coros watches and whether you run, swim or want something to track a triathlon, this watch is fully capable of doing all of those things.
