First thing's first, from Fellrnr's own review..."Garmin devices are set to 'smart recording'. I did try an informal test with the 620 using 1-second recording, but it appeared to make no difference." This is the wrong way to approach these reviews. Smart recording is terrible. 1-second recording is extremely accurate. To say that he did an "informal test" with 1-second recording is already setting up his test for failure. I got the 620 because my old Garmin used smart recording & it had issues.
I trust DC Rainmaker's reviews on technology because his field tests are more thorough & include multiple different scenarios. He makes a good point in the comments section of his 620 review that Fellrnr only does his tests on a single stretch & while that stretch includes different variables (i.e power lines & bridges), it is the same course. Ray (DCR) tested the unit on different routes & conditions & he found the GPS to be pretty accurate. Ray also understands the merits of 1-second vs smart a lot better than Fellrnr.
I have had the 620 since it was released & I have run multiple races & tons of training runs with it, including two marathons. I have found the GPS to be very accurate. I'm sure if you hyper-analyze the details, you can find flaws in every watch, but not once has the watch reported me to be as wildly off course as Fellrnr's results had him.
Plus, Fellrnr states that the iPhone 4S is more accurate than most watches he tested, and I completely call BS on his results based on that fact alone.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/11/garmin-forerunner-review.html#comment-416157
I trust DC Rainmaker's reviews on technology because his field tests are more thorough & include multiple different scenarios. He makes a good point in the comments section of his 620 review that Fellrnr only does his tests on a single stretch & while that stretch includes different variables (i.e power lines & bridges), it is the same course. Ray (DCR) tested the unit on different routes & conditions & he found the GPS to be pretty accurate. Ray also understands the merits of 1-second vs smart a lot better than Fellrnr.
I have had the 620 since it was released & I have run multiple races & tons of training runs with it, including two marathons. I have found the GPS to be very accurate. I'm sure if you hyper-analyze the details, you can find flaws in every watch, but not once has the watch reported me to be as wildly off course as Fellrnr's results had him.
Plus, Fellrnr states that the iPhone 4S is more accurate than most watches he tested, and I completely call BS on his results based on that fact alone.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/11/garmin-forerunner-review.html#comment-416157