Coros make some of the best GPS smartwatches that compete favorably with the likes of Garmin and Polar GPS smartwatches. The Pace 2, Apex, and Apex Pro are some of the best Coros GPS smartwatches that vary to a great extent with slight differences in design, prices, battery life, and activity tracking features. Each of these three is durably built with some of the toughest materials and is well equipped with lots of sensors that enable activity tracking for lots of activities. Featured in today’s comparison is Coros Pace 2 vs Apex vs Apex Pro – which is right for you? Compare the differences to find out.
Note that Coros Apex is available in two sizes; 46mm and 42mm, however, featured in this comparison chart is the 46mm size. The 46mm Apex is slightly bigger than the 42mm. It also weighs less and has a more durable Grade 5 Titanium Alloy bezel compared to the stainless steel bezel of 42mm.
Coros Pace 2 vs Apex vs Apex Pro: Full Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Coros Pace 2 Full Specifications, Features and Price |
 Coros Apex (46mm) Full Specifications, Features and Price |
 Coros Apex Pro Full Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.99 | - | - |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Coros Pace 2 | Coros Apex (46mm) | Coros Apex Pro |
| Device type | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex | Men |
| Release date | August, 2020 | August, 2018 | September, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Coros Pace | — | Coros Apex |
| Successor | — | Coros Apex Pro | — |
| Versions | — | — | — |
| BODY | BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 42 x 42 x 11.7 mm | 46 x 46 x 11.9 mm | 47 x 47 x 13.4 mm |
| Weight | 29g (nylon), 35g (silicone) | 45g (nylon), 55.3g (silicone) | 49g (nylon), 59g (silicone) |
| Shape | Circular | Circular | Circular |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Nylon, Silicone | Nylon, Silicone | Nylon, Silicone |
| Bezel material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Titanium | Titanium |
| Strap size | 20 mm | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Interchangeable strap | 20mm, Yes | 22 mm, Yes | 22 mm, Yes |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Sapphire glass | Sapphire glass |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Durability test | — | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Black, White | Black, Gray, White | Black, Silver |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.2 inches | 1.2 inches | 1.2 inches |
| Display type | Memory LCD | Memory LCD | Memory LCD |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 px | 240 x 240 px | 240 x 240 px |
| Pixel density | — | — | — |
| Always on | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 2 Physical buttons | 2 Physical buttons | 3 Physical buttons, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No | No |
| GPS | BEIDOU, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS | BEIDOU, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS | BEIDOU, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS |
| NFC | No | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | No | No | No |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | — | — | — |
| ROM | — | — | — |
| Memory card slot | No | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None | None |
| Band | — | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reply to Notifications | - | - | - |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | — | — | — |
| Bluetooth music | No | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | No | No | No |
| Microphone | No | No | No |
| Camera | No | No | No |
| Radio | No | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light | — | — | — |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | No | No |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | No | No | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | No | Yes |
| Other sensors | — | — | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | No | No | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle | No | No | — |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On-screen workout | No | No | No |
| Sport modes | 200+ | 200+ | 200+ |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | non-removable Lithium-polymer | — |
| Battery capacity | — | — | — |
| Battery life | GPS Mode: 30 hours, Regular: 20 days | GPS Mode: 35 hours, Regular: 30 days | GPS Mode: 40 hours, Regular: 30 days |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar charging | No | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | — | — | — |
| CPU | — | — | — |
| GPU | — | — | — |
| Operating system | Proprietary OS | Proprietary OS | Proprietary OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Coros App | Coros App | Coros App |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Payment system | None | None | None |
| Voice command | No | No | No |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Coros Pace 2, Manual, Straps | Charger, Coros Apex, Manual, Straps | Charger, Coros Apex Pro, Manual, Straps |
Coros Pace 2 vs Apex vs Apex Pro – Design
As you can see from the table above, all three smartwatches have very durable build, decent battery life, and are loaded with lots of activity tracking features, especially for outdoor workout lovers.
Apex Pro which is the most expensive of the three no doubt has the most durable build. It has a titanium bezel, aluminum case, and silicone straps with sapphire glass covering the screen. Apex follows up with a stainless steel bezel, aluminum case, and silicone or nylon straps with sapphire glass covering the display. Pace 2 on the other hand, is also durably built with a fiber-reinforced polymer case and bezel, silicone straps, and corning gorilla glass covering the screen.
Looking at the display, all three smartwatches have an always-on LCD display which isn’t so colorful when compared to AMOLED, but easy to read outdoors. However, only Apex Pro is equipped with touchscreen support in addition to three physical buttons, while Apex and Pace have two buttons each. The additional button on Apex Pro is a dedicated backlight button which the other two lack.
While Pace 2 is rated 5ATM, Apex Pro and Apex are both rated 10ATM which represent a 100meter waterproof rating. So, these two will allow you to dive even deeper and comes in handy for pro swimmers (Note: diving from a very high height will subject the device to intense pressure which can damage the device).
In other words, Apex Pro has a more sophisticated design than both Apex and Pace 2.
Coros Pace 2 vs Apex vs Apex Pro – Fitness Tracking
When you look at the fitness tracking features present in all three smartwatches, you’ll notice that Apex Pro has the most fitness tracking features. Although, all three smartwatches are well equipped with inbuilt GPS, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and barometer that enable any of these three to track your steps, calories, routes, locations, training effect, training load, threshold pace, floors climbed, elevations and more. All three smartwatches are also equipped with preset sport modes and can also track your heart rate while swimming.
However, Apex Pro is equipped to measure your blood oxygen which Apex and Pace 2 cannot. It also features route back navigation which can help you find your way back especially when the GPS signal is weak.
Coros Pace 2 vs Apex vs Apex Pro: Battery Life
It is good to note that all three smartwatches will allow you to go long from a single charge. With each of these three, you can get weeks-long battery life. Apex Pro however has the longest battery life, it offers about 30 days on normal usage compared to 30 days of Apex and 20 days of Pace 2. With continuous GPS tracking, Apex pro can last up to 40 hours compared to 35 hours of Apex and 30 hours of Pace 2.
Coros Pace 2 Features
- It comes with a 1.2 inches always-on memory LCD display that is bright and colorful. Navigation is via 2 physical buttons.
- The case is made of fibre reinforced polymer with Corning Gorilla Glass protection for the screen. The 20mm interchangeable straps come in silicone or nylon with the latter being lighter.
- The watch face can be customized.
- Keeps you connected to all that matters to you, so you never get to miss important notifications you receive on your phone.
- Rated 5ATM, waterproof up to 50meters makes it swim-proof and ideal to wear to the pool or ocean.
- You can get up to 20 days battery life on regular usage and up to 30 hours with continuous GPS tracking.
- Features a night mode that leaves the backlight on for the entirety of your workout. This turns off automatically when you finish your workout.
Coros Pace 2 Fitness Features
- Tracks your heart rate continuously to enable you monitor your heart rate in real-time.
- Tracks your complete sleep cycle.
- Inbuilt GPS enables you track your outdoor activities such as locations, distance and route.
- Has a compass that enables you to find your orientation and direction.
- Over 200 Preloaded workout exercises.
- Features triathlon and multisport mode.
- Records your heart rate, SWOLF, calories and more while swimming.
- Features advanced training analysis such as VO2max, training effect, training load, threshold pace, etc.
- Download, create custom workout plans and share with your loved ones and friends with the touch of your finger in the COROS app.
- Tracks floors climbed, elevation, cadence, stride length, steps, etc. You can also track elevation and weather information.
- Supports third-party integration for services such as Strava and TrainingPeaks.
- Added: Muscle heatmap that allows you to see which muscle groups saw the most action in a daily, weekly, or monthly view to help you target the right muscles.
Pros
- A lightweight and durable smartwatch.
- 20 days long battery life.
- A comprehensive fitness tracker.
Cons
- Lacks loudspeaker and microphone.
- No music storage.
Coros Apex (46mm) Features
- It comes with a 1.2 inches always-on memory LCD display that is bright and colorful. Navigation is via touchscreen support with 2 physical buttons.
- The case is made of aluminum with Grade 5 Titanium Alloy for the bezel and Sapphire Glass protection for the screen. The 22mm interchangeable straps come in silicone or nylon with the latter being lighter.
- The watch face can be customized.
- Keeps you connected to all that matters to you, so you never get to miss important notifications you receive on your phone.
- Rated 10ATM, waterproof up to 10meters makes it swim-proof and ideal to wear to the pool or ocean.
- You can get up to 30 days battery life on regular usage and up to 25 hours with continuous GPS tracking.
- Features a night mode that leaves the backlight on for the entirety of your workout. This turns off automatically when you finish your workout.
Coros Apex (46mm) Fitness Features
- Tracks your heart rate continuously to enable you monitor your heart rate in real-time.
- Tracks your complete sleep cycle.
- Inbuilt GPS enables you track your outdoor activities such as locations, distance and route.
- Has a compass that enables you to find your orientation and direction.
- Over 200 Preloaded workout exercises.
- Features triathlon and multisport mode.
- Records your heart rate, SWOLF, calories and more while swimming.
- Features advanced training analysis such as VO2max, training effect, training load, threshold pace, etc.
- Download, create custom workout plans and share with your loved ones and friends with the touch of your finger in the COROS app.
- Tracks floors climbed, elevation, cadence, stride length, steps, etc. You can also track elevation and weather information.
- Supports third-party integration for services such as Strava and TrainingPeaks.
- Added: Muscle heatmap that allows you to see which muscle groups saw the most action in a daily, weekly, or monthly view to help you target the right muscles.
- Allows you to upload routes which is displayed on grid as a bread crumb trail with real time information on heading and elevation and alerts to help you get back on course.
Pros
- A premium and sturdy smartwatch.
- 30 days long battery life.
- A comprehensive fitness tracker.
Cons
- Lacks loudspeaker and microphone.
- No music storage.
- Limited access to apps.
Coros Apex Pro Features
- It comes with a 1.2 inches always-on memory LCD display that is bright and colorful. Navigation is via touchscreen support with 3 physical buttons.
- The case is made of aluminum which makes it very lightweight. This is paired with a Grade 5 Titanium Alloy bezel, while the screen is protected by Sapphire Glass. The 22mm interchangeable straps come in silicone or nylon with the latter being lighter.
- The watch face can be customized.
- Keeps you connected to all that matters to you, so you never get to miss important notifications you receive on your phone.
- Rated 10ATM, waterproof up to 10meters makes it swim-proof and ideal to wear to the pool or ocean.
- You can get up to 30 days battery life on regular usage and up to 40 hours with continuous GPS tracking.
- Features a night mode that leaves the backlight on for the entirety of your workout. This turns off automatically when you finish your workout.
Coros Apex Pro Fitness Features
- Tracks your heart rate continuously to enable you monitor your heart rate in real-time.
- Tracks your complete sleep cycle.
- Inbuilt GPS enables you track your outdoor activities such as locations, distance and route.
- Has a compass that enables you to find your orientation and direction.
- Over 200 Preloaded workout exercises.
- Features triathlon and multisport mode.
- Records your heart rate, SWOLF, calories and more while swimming.
- Features advanced training analysis such as VO2max, training effect, training load, threshold pace, etc.
- Download, create custom workout plans and share with your loved ones and friends with the touch of your finger in the Coros app.
- Tracks floors climbed, elevation, cadence, stride length, steps, etc. You can also track elevation and weather information.
- Supports third-party integration for services such as Strava and TrainingPeaks.
- Muscle heatmap allows you to see which muscle groups saw the most action in a daily, weekly, or monthly view to help you target the right muscles.
- Features SpO2 blood oxygen tracking that allows you to measure blood oxygen. This will help you see how your blood utilizes oxygen and can also come very handy when hiking.
Pros
- Premium smartwatch with durable design.
- 30 days long battery life.
- A comprehensive fitness tracker.
- 100 meters waterproof rating.
Cons
- Lacks loudspeaker and microphone.
- No music storage.
Coros Pace 2 vs Apex vs Apex Pro – Final Thoughts
Apex Pro is no doubt the best choice out of these three, it has the most sophisticated design. it also features more activity tracking features and the longest battery life. It however will cost you more. It’s followed up closely by Apex which also has a premium design, lots of features, and a decent battery life.
On the other hand, Pace 2 is a cheaper alternative. It’s very lightweight, has a very long battery life, lots of fitness tracking features, and a durable build.
