Garmin reorganizes the entire Forerunner family, new smart watches starting at $ 199

Garmin is slowly updating its smart watches and fitness tracking systems in recent years. 2019 seems to be the year of the Forerunner. Today, Garmin has announced three new types of Forerunner smart watches: the Forerunner 45 and 45S, the Forerunner 245 and 245 Music and the Forerunner 945, which will replace all existing Forerunner lines, except for 39, only one. The remaining device is the Forerunner 645 Music, worth $ 449, released about a year ago and was the first Garmin portable device to have built-in music storage.

The new devices that make up the new range have slightly new designs and many new features. However, the Garmin name system does not really differentiate one smart watch from another, so let's break down the devices here. The most affordable of the group are the Forerunner 45 and 45S, both from $ 199. The "S" stands for a smaller case size, so users can choose between the 42mm Forerunner 45 and the 39mm Forerunner 45S.

Garmin explains that these are designed for novice runners or those starting a new exercise program, and that this thinking has probably led to its affordable price and its many features. Like most Garmin smart watches, the Forerunner 45 and 45S monitor your activities and sleep all day long, issue smartphone alerts on your wrist, and are eye-friendly with a sun-screen. Although the Forerunner 45 watches are the most affordable in the group, they still have a heart rate monitor and built-in GPS so users can go out in the open air without the help of a computer. a smartphone.

Other workout profiles are also available on watches, such as elliptical and yoga, and it will calculate the Garmin Body Battery score, which will tell you how to schedule sessions. workout and rest periods based on your current lifestyle. The Forerunner 45 and 45S should last a week with a single charge in smart standby mode and up to 13 hours in GPS mode.

If you take everything the Forerunner 45 watches can do and add music, pulse and dynamic tracking, you get the Forerunner 245 and 245 Music (starting at $ 299 and $ 349, respectively). This device is designed for runners who have a little more kilometers under the belt but do not train yet for triathlons. The 245 Music can hold up to 500 songs from different partner platforms, including Spotify, Pandora and Deezer, as well as the personal tracks of the user. The sensors inside the Forerunner 245 watches measure the VO2 max, the effects of aerobic and anaerobic training, and the pulse of the ox, or how your body absorbs oxygen in the blood.

It can also connect to external sensors, such as a dynamic pod and chest straps at the heart rate, to capture more data during training. The Forerunner 245 watches have the same one-week autonomy as the Forerunner 45 watches in smartwatch mode, but they will last up to 24 hours in GPS mode or six hours if you simultaneously use GPS playback and reading. music.

The Forerunner 945 at $ 599 can do everything the Forerunner 245 can do and more. It can hold up to 1,000 songs and will have even more workout profiles to follow, including skiing, hiking, golf and more. The 945 will also have NFC technology for Garmin Pay, so users can pay for coffee, shopping and other things on the way home after a race without having their wallet.

Garmin has also added a new measure to this watch: the application of the training load, it will classify your recent activity into different training categories based on the structure and intensity of these activities. In addition to on-screen color maps and traceable measurements that will appeal to triathletes, the Forerunner 945 should last up to two weeks in smartwatch mode, 36 hours in GPS mode or 10 hours in use. simultaneous GPS and music playback.

The Forerunner family already had six cameras and will continue to have six with this new version, but the new smart watches have a modern design that will appeal to fans of the Vivoactive series. They also fall more clearly into the categories listed on Garmin's website: teammate, mentor and expert. It is possible that more runners want to try the Forerunner series and that more users are using it now that it is better designed and that all the new portable features of Garmin are represented in all areas.

In addition to new devices, Garmin has announced a significant change in the Garmin Connect mobile app: monitoring women's health. Now, users can enter information about the menstrual cycle and symptoms in a dedicated section of the Connect mobile app to track their cycles. I have not yet had the opportunity to test the new features, but the screenshots provided by Garmin show a follow-up of the menstrual cycle similar to that of Fitbit and that of the apps dedicated to monitoring the health of women. Garmin's technology will also provide training and nutrition suggestions based on information provided by users. Garmin users who can wear a portable garment will be able to get cycle information and reminder alerts on their wrists if they wish.

Fitbit introduced last year the monitoring of women's health in its mobile application. If the Fitbit app has always been more user-friendly than Garmin Connect, the addition of women's health monitoring has made it even more inclusive. Now that Garmin has a similar feature, female users have more options in terms of smartwatches and fitness trackers with complementary apps that allow them to track every aspect of their health.

Menstrual cycle monitoring will soon be available in the Garmin Connect app via an update. The Forerunner 45 and 45S will be available in May, while the Forerunner 245, Forerunner 245 Music and Forerunner 945 are available today on the Garmin Web site. Keep an eye on Ars for the Forerunner smartwatch reviews in the coming weeks.

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