When I published my review of the Coros Vertix 1 GPS adventure watch, about six months ago, I was impressed by the new features still being added to the device. At that time, almost two years on from the initial launch, the Vertix 1 was already feature rich; it offered a plethora of tracking modes, acclimatisation analysis, breadcrumb trail navigation, and structured workouts. In fact, the only feature that could have prevented the Vertix 1 from going head-to-head against the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro was better map support.
Fast forward to August, and Coros announced the Vertix 2. Boasting a new processor and dual-frequency GNSS chipset, the Vertix 2 also added support for new maps—both topographic (topo) and landscape. True to form, Coros also announced that some of these new mapping features would be coming to the Vertix 1 and Apex Pro later in the year.
Coros Vertix 1 and Apex Pro: Topographic and landscape maps
Well, it’s now later in the year, and Coros has delivered…in fact, over-delivered. Initially, the plan was to just release topo map support, due to the hardware limitations of the Vertix 1 and Apex Pro. But, thanks to some clever coding and file compression from the Coros engineers, I’m stoked to share that both watches now have support for topo and landscape maps—just like the Vertix 2!
In terms of what ‘map support’ actually means here, the maps serve more as ‘backgrounds’ that routes are traced upon. At this stage, you can’t route directly on the device and it won’t re-route if you go off track. Though, the watch will of course alert you, as with breadcrumb trail navigation. Still, this is a great step for Coros on the way to full routing capability. And it’s fantastic to see these features being added to older devices.
I mentioned in my Vertix 1 review that Coros is a special company. I mean, what other brand do you know of that updates an old product to match features of a new product? With Coros, it’s simple: if something can be improved or added in a software update, then it will be. It’s clear that Coros cares about its user base. Which, in my opinion, is a key reason why this fledgling brand is doing so well, competing against the heavy hitters of the GPS watch space.
How to install topographic maps on the Vertix 1 and Apex Pro
The firmware update for the Vertix 1 and Apex Pro went live on Monday (22 November). So, once you’ve updated your watch, you’re ready to download a map and install it. To do so, head over to the Coros maps site, where you’ll be able to select the topo and landscape maps for your region, sourced from the OpenStreetMap project.
Landscape maps currently provide information such as streets, major road networks, natural features, and waterways. While topo maps are a detailed record of a land area, giving geographic positions and elevations for both natural and man-made features.
One thing to note is that the storage capacity of the Vertix 1 and Apex Pro is just 4GB, as opposed to the 32GB of the Vertix 2. So, you won’t be able to install the entire world. For example, the landscape map for Europe is about 3.5GB, so it just about fits on the device—without the topo data.
Thankfully, you can create a custom clip of your geographical area to save on space. To do this, simply hold the shift key and drag your cursor over the desired region on the map. I created a clip of the UK and Ireland region which generated a 114MB file for the topo data and a 275MB file for the landscape data.
After downloading a map, you simply need to unzip the file and transfer it to your watch via the USB cable. For my map of the UK, the whole process took about 15 minutes.
Coros bringing landscape maps to the Vertix 1 and Apex Pro, instead of just topo maps, will make a huge difference to the overall user experience. For many use cases, street, road, and natural feature information is far more useful than elevation and contour data. And, for times when you need to utilise both sets of data, it’s great to see that Coros was able to carry over the Vertix 2’s hybrid mode as well.
Coros Vertix 1 and Apex Pro update: Wait…there’s more
Full map support was not the only treat packed into this latest Vertix 1 and Apex Pro firmware update. So, here’s a quick rundown. FYI, some of these extra features will also be available in upcoming updates for the Vertix 2 (November 29), Pace 2 (November 24) and Apex (December).
Galileo satellite support
Support for the Galileo satellite constellation has been added. Users can now select between using GPS only, GPS+Glonass+Galileo+QZSS, or GPS+Beidou+Galileo+QZSS. Based on the coverage of Galileo satellites, this is particularly good news for those of us in the UK and the rest of Europe.
Watches: Vertix 2, Vertix 1, Apex Pro, Apex, Pace 2
Walk mode
Despite the extensive list of tracking modes that the Coros Vertix 1 offered, at the time of my Vertix 1 review, there was no specific walk mode—only hiking. It seems that I was not the only one to point this out, so Coros has added this new function with a unique ‘steps’ data field. Using steps during a walk allows users to use step count as a lap target (rather than mileage), with a default auto lap at 1000 steps.
Watches: Vertix 2, Vertix 1, Apex Pro, Pace 2
ANT+ power meter calibration
Users are now able to auto calibrate connected power meters. This feature will not be available in the Vertix 2, due to the removal of ANT+ support.
Watches: Vertix 1, Apex Pro, Pace 2
Camera control
Back in August, Coros introduced Insta360 camera on the Vertix 2. Now, this feature has been added to other Coros watches and extended to work with the latest GoPro cameras, including the GoPro 9 and GoPro 10.
Watches: Vertix 2, Vertix 1, Apex Pro, Pace 2
Workouts rest lap ‘distance’ option
Adds ‘distance’ as a rest option while creating a new workout in the Coros app. This modification accommodates the need for interval training with specified distances, where some athletes prefer rest intervals to be measured by distance rather than time.
Watches: Vertix 2, Vertix 1, Apex Pro, Pace 2
Komoot route sync
Last month Coros added the ability to sync routes directly from Strava—a highly requested feature that will take advantage of the new map capabilities. Now, the Coros app integrates directly with Komoot too. Once you connect your Coros account, the server will automatically sync routes from Komoot planned tours to the Coros navigation route library. Meanwhile, all Coros workouts will be synced to Komoot.
Watches: Vertix 2, Vertix 1, Apex Pro, Apex
Reduced Coros Vertix 1 packaging and price
Even after the release of the Vertix 2, these new features mean that the Vertix 1 is still a fantastic option for anyone looking for a versatile GPS adventure watch. It’s slightly lighter and smaller, which is ideal for those with smaller wrists, and it’s cheaper too.
On that note, Coros has also fixed my only real gripe with the Vertix 1, getting rid of the over-the-top flight case packaging. Now shipping in a simpler cardboard box, the Vertix 1 is better for the environment and costs £100 (UK) / $100 (US) less. That’s right, you can now pick up a Vertix 1 for just £449 (UK) / $499 (US).
So, what do you think about the new features added to the Coros Vertix 1 and Apex Pro in this latest firmware update? Do you have any thoughts on how Coros could split maps for individual countries in Europe? Let me know in the comments below.
Featured image: Coros
Comments