5S Plus is part of the same generation. I had one before and they are just as good other than weaker battery life due to the smaller case. S models used to be 42mm bezel, no letter was 47mm and X models are 51mm but huge - too big for me to wear comfortably.
Something like a 5 Plus (maps and MP3), maybe a 5X for battery. I wouldn’t write off the Forerunners, Vivoactive or Venu watches. 5 series aren’t getting updates I believe but they work and pretty solid.
Have you considered normal smartwatches, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro can be had under £50 now and top build quality.
My first Garmin was the Forerunner 10 back when I first started running and before “smartwatches” were a thing! From there, I had the Forerunner 230, Fenix 5s (was way overkill for what I needed and it was confusing to use), Vivoactive 4s, Venu 2SQ and I currently have the Venu 3s. I upgrade every couple of years and buy them directly from Garmin’s website. They have a side by side comparison tool which is very helpful when you are trying to decide between watches.
For years I wore a Fenix 5s and then 6s in rose gold. I have an Epix Pro Gen2 now which has a nice amoled display like the current Fenix 8 series. The Epix 42mm (same size as the Fenix s series) came in soft gold which is also attractive for women. I almost got that but I wanted a little more battery life so I went with a 47mm this time around. But the 42mm would been just fine and if I had a job where I have to dress more professionally I would have gone with that one.
The Epix pro gen2 is the last generation and while not cheap, is an excellent deal since it does almost everything the current Fenix series does (certainly everything your wife wants) including the current gen HR sensor and has an amoled display. The Venu watches are okay but are more lifestyle and not true sports watches. I briefly had one and it wasn’t near as durable as the Fenix/Epix.
All of these had sapphire glass because I’m not the most girly girl and am tough on my watches.
You're gonna love Garmin. But I would add the Fenix to the list. It's the best quality.
I've had my Fenix 5s for 8 years and it still works as it did out of the box. Tons of data and metrics over the years, still has a ton of battery life and charges quickly.
Best of luck in your search
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