Garmin has been doing wearables since wearables were just called “watches.” But nowadays, we demand more from our wrist-worn computers than just telling the time, downloading golf courses, or even just having built-in GPS.
So building on its general purpose activity trackers, the Vivofit and Vivosmart, the company is adding a smartwatch to its lineup called the Vivoactive. Vivoactive is designed for fitness-minded people who also want glance-able smartphone notifications on their wrist and an always-on watch face. It’s GPS enabled and can track activities like cycling, running, swimming, or golf, but not with as much fine-tuned data tracking as something like the Forerunner 920XT. You can, however, download third party apps, watch faces, and widgets through Garmin’s Connect IQ platform, like a smart calendar app from Tempo.
The form factor is pleasantly thin compared to other chunkier smartwatches, and you can dress it up or down with different watchbands. It has a full color touchscreen display that lets you check your notifications, the calendar, the weather, and to perform activity tracking. In GPS mode, it gets 10 hours of battery life; in watch mode, up to three weeks. The Vivoactive goes on sale in the first quarter of this year for $250, or $300 with an included heart rate monitor.
For those who like their activities off the beaten path, Garmin is also updating its rugged Fenix multisport GPS watch. The new Fenix 3 tracks activities like alpine skiing, climbing, hiking, and trail running, and is water resistant up to 100 meters. It also has internal and external temperature sensors, which are especially useful for mountain climbers keeping tabs on safe ice conditions, and GLONASS satellite positioning, so you don’t get lost backpacking in the wilderness. Like the Vivoactive, you can customize it with third party apps, and get your smartphone notifications onboard.
It comes in gray or silver for $500 in Q1, $550 if you want a heart rate strap bundled in too, or you can upgrade to a scratch-resistant Sapphire model for $600.
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