Garmin launches new smartwatches

On Monday Garmin launched three new smartwatches –the Fenix 3, Epix and Vivoactive . These are sure to be among the most popular new wearables on the market.

The Fenix 3

 

The Fenix 3 is a “smart multi-sport GPS watch”. With a built in GPS the watch can report metrics for running, biking, swimming, skiing and snowboarding. It can track pace and stroke as well as distance in the pool. On the slopes, it measures speed, distance and vertical drop for skiers and snowborders. You can also set up a customized daily step goal if you want to track daily activity as well. The watch will also hook up with heart rate monitors, calculate your recovery requirements and measure extra data such as VO2 max.

The watch has a daylight-readable color display and supports Garmin’s new app platform Connect IQ. LiveTrack will allow Fenix 3 owners to take part in collaborative workouts by sending your data to friends via Garmin Connect.

The Fenix 3 will be available in multiple versions including silver with a red band or grey with a black band ($499.99 USD) or $549.99 USD with a wireless heart rate monitor strap.

The Epix

 

This map on your wrist is, according to Garmin, the“first-of-its-kind handsfree navigation device.” A touchscreen makes it extremely user-friendly. With 8GB of on-board storage, mapping features, a digital compass, altimeter and a barometer inside, the Epix is really like a desktop computer on your wrist. It is water resistant to 50-meter, supports heart rate measurement and uses the Connect IQ platform, so adding additional apps is easy. It will connect to your smartphone for notifications via Bluetooth.

The Epix will be available this quarter for $549.99 to $599.99 USD.

 

The Vivoactive

 

At $249.99 to 299.99 USD the Vivoactive is the value version of the three. It’s an ultra-thin GPS smartwatch and its colour display allows for easy apps installation the Connect IQ platform. It pairs with your smartphone and vibrates/ displays alerts from your phone.