Garmin has announced the vivoactive, fenix 3, and epix, three new smartwatches that feature GPS and fitness tracking. These three are designed to survive active lifestyles and the epix, is even equipped with a built in GPS navigator with map display.
The Garmin vivoactive is a thin, lightweight smartwatch which is intended to follow the user around no matter where they go. It has the usual GPS for fitness tracking, and a range of apps that put it to use. Garmin is also featuring a golfing feature into the wearable with a golf app that calculates distance to greens, measure shots, and allows users to digitally track their scorecard.
Water-resistant to 50m, the vivoactive has three weeks of battery life; although that drops to 10 hours when the GPS is active. It will begin shipping in Q1 and will have a suggested retail price of US$249.99, or US$299.99 with the heart rate monitor bundle.
The Garmin fenix 3 is a rugged design meant for a variety of outdoor activities, most of which appear to be quite rugged from what the press release implies. It has a stainless steel bezel and buttons, and the housing is reinforced with glass fibre. GPS capabilities are enhanced with GLONASS and EPO for more accurate positioning.
When paired with a heart rate monitor, the fenix 3 is capable of evaluating the user’s fitness level, estimating race times, and even calculate rest times between intense workouts. The GPS system can also be used to mark locations in case users needs to find their way back to important places like campsites or while running a trail.
It will run for 20 hours in GPS mode, 50 hours in Ultratrac mode, and six weeks in regular watch mode. Garmin fēnix 3 will be available for purchase in Q1 2015 with an SRP of US$499.99 for the grey and silver versions ($549.99 for the HRM-Run bundle); while the premium fēnix 3 Sapphire will have a SRP of US$599.99.
Finally, the Garmin epix is a hands free satellite navigation system; which is another sign the future is here. It displays maps and other navigational information on a 1.4-inch colour touchscreen and comes pre-loaded with a worldwide shaded relief basemap. It also has 8GB of internal storage for downloading additional maps and geographical information, and comes with a one year subscription to Birdseye Satellite Imagery.
It also features a built in altimeter and barometer for better awareness of surroundings, while also packing a 3-axis electronic compass for extra navigation. This was not meant for the usual jog around the local park, even if it still has the same health and fitness applications as the other two Garmin smartwatches.
Epix will be available for purchase in Q1 of 2015 with an SRP of $549.99.
