Not sure what the F3 battery life is like, the battery life on the F5 is phenomenal. For me that was worth the upgrade from a 920Xt alone. Much battery satellite locking too. Often within 5s.

Switched from Fenix 3 to 5X. Originally bought/retuned the Fenix 5, tons of reviews noting ANT/Bluetooth connection issues. I didn’t realize the 3 is the same size as the 5X. Found the 5X at the same price as the 5 sapphire. 1st run today. Power up was noticeably faster, gps lock time was about the same, screen a bit easier to see. Don’t care for the quick release bands, will switch out for regular bands. Overall I like the 5X over the 3, jury still out if the price of the upgrade is worth it, but did get it for $485.

Fenix 5 is smaller than the 3, does not support wifi and has quick release straps - the rest is the same
5X has the awesome map function ,same size , wifi connectivity and quick release straps , which will fit a 3 as the bands are the same size
As mentioned the battery life is very good on the Fenix 5

I have the 3 as well. Holding out on upgrading mainly due to

1) Release cycle - F5 was released March 2017/ F3 Jan 2015 / F3HR Jan 2016
- so perhaps 2018 would see a new watch release? (but march is already over)
2) The Maps feature on the 5x is awesome(i think) esp for trail runners, but I don't do as much trails as I wish to
3) I read that the 5x still has some antennae issues w/ regards to Power meter ANT+ signals. (My PM - TeamZwatt Zimanox PM drops a lot of power indoors).

I'll wait it out.

I'm in the same camp. I have a 3 and want to upgrade mostly for the HR as I always seem to forget my strap when I travel. I figure I waited this long, might as well see what the new one will pack in. Although I think they will probably just add music and garmin pay...both of which don't seem to have much value to me. If the new one is not a huge upgrade, I'm sure the 5x will have an even better price then. And FWIW, I heard the 5x does not have the connection problems that the 5 has.

TL;DR Wait if you can, a new one will probably be out within the next 6 months and you can either get that; or get an even better deal on the 5x.

I upgraded from 3 to 5s just because of vertical height. I enjoy the smaller one a bit more, as the big dial always gets caught on backpacks!. The synchronization and speed is noticeably faster, but not worth the upgrade unless you want maps (i dont).

The new wrist straps are sweet! I would preferably wait for the 6 if came in the larger diameter but equal height the 5s... if I knew that were to be a thing...

Ya.. i would like the HR as well (but mainly for Resting HR stuffs like that. Not really for exercise. Will still use strap for that. In any case, when on the bike, the watch will be on the handlebar)

Also, agree.. 5x gets a lower price when the 6 comes out hopefully. I'm holding out even if the 5x doesn't have the ANT+ PM connection problem.

Don’t forget the 935- identical to the 5 except:

Plastic body instead of metal
1/2 the weight
Standard with WiFi
Same size as 5 except 2 mm thinner (smaller than 5x or 3)

I chose this as an upgrade to my 3 over the 5 and 5x for the size - while it’s not a huge difference, definitely easier getting wetsuit off without snagging, the weight is light enough to not notice it on your wrist, I had no issues with plastic bodies on my prior Garmins, AND Ray Maker says the connectivity is better than the 5/5x

Btw- + 7 hours of battery life (24) even with the optical HR! This is a big deal :-)

THIS.

I upgraded from the F3 to the 935, while I preferred the look of the beefier 5/5X I just couldnt get myself to shell out all that extra dough for basically the same functionality. The 935 has been nothing short of excellent, certainly the best reception (GPS / ANT+ / Bluetooth) quality of any Garmin I have have owned.

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AV8 | Team Wattie Ink Elite 2019

With the current sale on REI, the 5X is 550$ and the 935 is 500$ so not a significant difference ...

No significant difference in price, but other than the 5X mapping, the 935 is the same or better in every functional way, so even if the 935 was the one that was $ 50 more, I would pay it :-) (BTW- is a teeny tiny map really of any use?)
I do agree that the 5 and 5X look better, I just can’t quite bring myself to considering that “functional”.

my F3 battery life is deteriorating, but still very usable. I'm holding out for another product cycle or two before upgrading.

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Brian
“Eat and Drink, spin the legs and you’re going to effin push (today).” A Howe

I just pulled the trigger on a 5-sapphire. Same price as the 5X...not as thick. I have a Fenix 3 (non HR) and the additional weight/height made me wonder how unwieldy it would be every day/racing/training. My Fenix 3 has been a trooper for 3 years...

About the only negative on the 5 (not X) is that the 22mm band seemed a little small compared to the 26 which I'm already used to.

I decided to take advantage of that $100 off and get a Fenix 5 after my Vivoactive battery finally bit the dust a few weeks back. The 5x looks like it has some neat features, but I couldn't justify spending another $100 on top of all that. At 6' and 195lbs, I don't want a bigger watch than the F5 either.

It seems like Garmin is sticking to their 2 year cycle on the Fenix series (except for adding in the HR on the 3 when it was expected of a premium watch to have OHR) so I really doubt anything *better* will be announced until Q1 2019 and the Wahoo watch I had been waiting to see was delayed several months. If you want a new watch, I don't think there's going to be anything much better in the near future.

If you have a local running store that sells Garmin devices, they can do the same sale price too. There's a great little running store nearby that called Garmin, got the discounted price and had it in the store 3 business days later.