We live in the day and age of technology, and today's good news for gadget lovers is that Skycaddie has just revealed its latest SX400. So, what's an SX400 you may ask, right? To make it real simple, if you're already familiar with the award-winning SX500 model, the new SX400 makes for a more compact version of the legend. Basically, the SX400 is a mini SX500, but the company made zero compromises regarding tech specs and functionality. So, if you're shopping for a compact size golf GPS gizmo, the SX400 was designed to fill the respective niche.

Both the SX500 and SX400 boast ultra-fast micro CPUs to help you play faster and save time on the golf course; due to the high technology employed in their construction, the SX range from Skycaddie is arguably the fastest in the GPS industry as well as the fastest golf measuring device money can buy. While the SX500 has a 5 inches wide touchscreen, the SX400 is a little downsized, standing at 4 inches HD. However, the display is large enough to provide you with a comprehensive view of every hole on the golf course. It's important to note that the SX400 offers WiFi connectivity, just like its bigger brethren, and that means a lot in terms of freedom, as you can download Skycaddie's software updates and the latest course maps without having to connect your GPS device to a computer or laptop. And yes, you can do that right before you play your favorite game, provided you have an internet connection available.

If you're wondering about legal issues, Skycaddie's SX400 and SX500 are 100 percent kosher, as they comply with the R&A's rules and guidelines, i.e. they can be used in competition. You should learn that earlier in 2019 distance measuring devices are allowed in competitive golf after Rule 4.3a(1) was changed. So, unless measuring devices are prohibited by a local rule, you can safely bring the SX400 with you on the course. To give you a little bit of history, the SX500 was introduced back in 2018, making for a feature-packed premium golf GPS device, boasting the best battery life in the industry and the largest and highest quality display in golf.

Yes, it sounds impressive, because it is, and according to SkyCaddie’s General Manager James Holmes, but let’s quote the man himself:

“We have included all of the SX500's advanced stroke-saving features in the SkyCaddie SX400, for golfers wanting a more compact version of this game-changing device. To get an incredible multi-round battery life, you charge the SX400 through the latest USB-C cable, which is reversible and easy to locate. The graphics and interface of the new SX400 are stunning to look at and intuitive to use, and it gives you the same information that tour pros get from their caddies. After four wins and dozens of top ten finishes for the SX500 so far on the European senior Staysure Tour, a growing number of elite golfers are now telling us that the features provided by SkyCaddie’s new GPS devices mean that they no longer need their laser or even a yardage book. All a golfer has to do is try a single round with the SX400 or SX500, and they will grasp instantly why the Tour golfers are now using them.

“The true clincher, for serious golfers, is that the SX400 and SX500 both have the ability to show today’s pin positions. This most appeals to golfers who previously relied on the limited-vision, single-yardage option which a laser provides. The new SX400 and its bigger brother the SX500 both provide all the information the best players in the game need, in a faster and easier way, so they can focus on playing their best golf. We believe that SkyCaddie’s SX400 and SX500 are the best-priced, easiest to use, and most features-packed distance measuring devices on the market today.”

The “compact version” of the SX500 comes with a plethora of proprietary technologies and game-enhancing features developed by the company to help regular golfers play like Tour pros. For example, the SX400 comes with SkyCaddie's Pin Position feature, also available on the SX500, which is great for approach shots on the green, and renders lasers obsolete by offering the possibility to get instant distances to current pin positions, while including all the benefits and features of SkyCaddie's detailed IntelliGreen and IntelliGreen Pro maps.

The Pin Position feature available in the SX400 allows you to customize pin settings by entering the necessary data into your device (pin zone information or the day's pin sheet), in order to have access to accurate yardages in real-time. After processing all the data, the SX400 is then able to give you accurate intel which until now was available to tour caddies only. Basically, the SX400 is perfectly capable of delivering instant details of the depth, shape and major contours on green regardless of where you are positioned on the golf course, thus boosting confidence immensely and allowing you to play to the best of your abilities. The Dynamic HoleVue technology makes for yet another game enhancement high tech feature available in the latest SX400 golf GPS, and it works by automatically showing you exact yardages to every carry, lay-up point and hazard on each hole, thus helping you save precious time with aiming.

Basically, all Skycaddie's SX golf GPS devices will allow you to have a comprehensive view over the entire hole in real-time, from your precise point of view, which is amazing, to say the least. Moreover, both the SX400 and SX500 feature the company's patented IntelliPath Technology, which shows you instantly the relevant run-out distances and carry, so you won't have to aim, not to mention the fact that you have immediate access to distances to targets along and beyond your target line.

Unlike lasers, which waste time with multiple measurements, the SX series from Skycaddie doesn't suffer from blind spots and also gives instant yardages to relevant hazards, with everything being already planned for the next shot by the device's smart AI-based software. The high-quality HD touchscreen display delivers excellent course map graphics, which are available exclusively to Skycaddie customers, as the company doesn't share its super-detailed golf course maps to other companies.

And speaking of maps, the SX400 comes preloaded with more than 35,000-course maps, just like the SX500, all of them being exclusive for Skycaddie clients, error corrected and ground verified. It's worth mentioning that other GPS companies use aerial/drone-based photography, which is highly inaccurate and sometimes years out of date. On the other hand, Skycaddie updates frequently and creates its course maps on foot, which means you'll benefit from highly accurate data, i.e. sub-meter precision. Just to enumerate some of the main features available in the new Skycaddie SX400, we must mention the Mark Ball, which helps with tracking how far you hit with a particular club, the Target List View, Big Number View for Middle, Front and Back readouts, Gender Selection, Tee Box selection, Dual Green Support, Stat Tracking and, finally, a North Indicator. There are also Digital Scoring options for Strokeplay and Stableford, both offering handicapping adjustments, and you can also track fairways hit and total putts via the digital scorecard available in landscape mode.

Several features are completely automated, such as Auto-Course, Auto-Hole Advance, and Auto-Zoom, which make the SX400 literally touch free from the car parking lot to the 18 th green. Speaking of compact design, this baby is the definition of versatility and ergonomy, boasting a sleek and compact water-resistant chassis, that's comfy to hold or to strap to your golf trolley or golf bag. The autonomy of the device is exceptional, as the Skycaddie SX400 boasts more than 20 hours of battery life. Connectivity-wise, the SX400 is built to benefit from the SkyGolf 360 platform, which is nothing short of legendary, so, if you're looking for a premium device from the most trusted brand in golf in regard to distance measurement, and also for the biggest and best display in the industry, well, you've just found it.