The tech king moved beyond its fitness-navigation niche and firmly into the wearables genre Monday at the with the debut of three new products.
The flagship device, Fenix3 ($549), looks a lot like its predecessors in the 鈥攚ith a few major upgrades. At its core, it鈥檚 still a 100-percent waterproof GPS performance watch that can track your movements, provide cadence, distance, and pace data, and it comes with a built-in altimeter and barometer. Garmin has improved on the Fenix3鈥檚 tracking abilities by opening its antenna to GLONASS signals鈥攁 satellite system that serves as an alternative to GPS鈥攎aking the Fenix3 more precise and quicker to hold a position fix than previous iterations.
But what really sets the Fenix3 apart鈥攁nd makes it a true wearable鈥攁re the new features designed to make the device an everyday companion. We鈥檙e talking an amazing six-week battery life (if you ditch the GPS function); steps and activity tracking; compatibility with other ANT+ devices; heart-rate monitoring (via an included chest strap); and ability to display texts and emails, and serve as a camera remote for Gamin鈥檚 VIRB. The Fenix3 will even be able to run third-party apps (think ), a first for Garmin. The watch has a ski mode, which tracks vert and speed, and bike and swim modes.
Our verdict: This seems like the ultimate merger of smartwatch and fitness device, but we鈥檒l need to actually test one to determine all the pros and cons.
The Epix ($549) looks a lot like the Fenix3, with an emphasis on live mapping. Think of the Epix as Google Maps on your wrist鈥攂ut with topography and off-the-grid, rather than StreetView, routes.听It comes with a year-long subscription to satellite imagery, much like the standalone GPS units of pre-smartphone days.
It’s small with a high level of mapping detail. It has many of the same capabilities as the Fenix3 (camera remote, talk and text features, heart-rate monitor, ANT+ and third-party apps compatibility). Because it doesn鈥檛 offer activity tracking, the Epix is the better device for a backpacker or climber who needs serious GPS muscle, and cares less about measuring daily fitness goals.听
Vivoactive ($250, $300 with HRM strap) merges a high-performance fitness wearable with a less athletic, plastic-y look. Out of the three, it鈥檚 the wearable we鈥檙e most interested in, and the one we鈥檙e most likely to buy as it鈥檚 less expensive and just as functional for everyday use.
It has many of the same features as the Fenix3鈥攎inus the latter鈥檚 exceptional waterproofing and ultra-strong GLONAS satellite capabilities. Like the Fenix3, it forwards text and emails from your phone, tracks activity by sport, and easily pairs with a heart-rate strap. It鈥檚 also thin, light, and uses a touchscreen instead of the typical button controls.听It lacks the moving color map of the Epix, and it’s not as rugged as the Fenix3, but it’s thinner and more like a traditional smartwatch than the other two.听
All three products will go on sale in March.