Garmin is definitely not resting on its laurels at IFA and announced not one, not two, but THREE new fitness smartwatches in quick succession. Our best running watch list is already chock full with Garmin Forerunner devices, but looking at the below offerings, we might have to update that list soon.
- IFA 2019 news: Sony Xperia 5, Garmin fitness watches, Samsung Galaxy Fold, 8K OLED TVs, Amazon Fire TV upgrades – everything announced at the tech expo
The new special edition Garmin Legacy Hero Series smartwatches will make Marvel fans shed tears of joy
The Garmin Legacy Hero Series is a collection of two special edition GPS smartwatches inspired by Captain Marvel and Captain America: The First Avenger. Even if you aren't into the whole superhero business, you might want to take a look at the features of these smartwatches, because they might make you change your mind.
Both Garmin Legacy Hero smartwatches track heart rate 27/4 as well as monitor other body metrics and activities like sleep and respiration. They also feature Body Battery energy monitoring, abnormal heartrate alerts, menstrual cycle tracking, stress tracking with relax reminders, new hydration tracking, new breathwork activities and more.
On-screen workouts are also part of the repertoire of the Legacy Hero smartwatches: these are wrist-based animated workouts for strength training, cardio, yoga and Pilates.
Smart notifications are also supported, along with storage to download songs or playlists from third-party music services like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer. Garmin Pay is also supported (the smartwatches are NFC enabled).
The Captain Marvel smartwatch has up to a 7-day battery life in smartwatch mode, features a 40mm display, and comes with an additional “Danvers blue” silicone band in the box.
Surprisingly, the First Avenger themed smartwatch has up to an 8-day battery life in smartwatch mode, features a 45mm display, and comes with an additional midnight blue silicone band in the box.
The new Gamin Venu tracks your bodily functions 24/7
If you liked the specs of the Legacy Series smartwatches but you aren't sure about the Marvel-theme, the Venu will be right up your alley. It comes with an up to six day battery life and rapid charging as well.
The Garmin Venu sports essentially the same specs as the Legacy Series smartwatches, including the 24/7 health monitoring features like advanced sleep tracking with Pulse Ox, new respiration tracking, abnormal heartrate alerts, menstrual cycle tracking, stress tracking with relax reminders, new hydration tracking, new breathwork activities and more.
It also has the on-screen workout feature with more than 40 different workouts. The Garmin Venu compatible with Garmin Coach, where you'll find free training plans adapted to your running goals and performance, complete with a virtual personal trainer for added motivation.
And of course, you'll find all the usual smartwatch perks in the Garmin Venu too, like smartphone notifications, music storage and third-party app support, NFC payments powered by Garmin Pay and more.
The Venu features a 1.2” screen and is available in black with gold hardware, light sand with rose gold hardware, granite blue with silver hardware, and black with slate hardware.
Garmin Vivoactive 4/4s for all the fitness lovers out there
The new Garmin Vivoactive 4 and 4s will help you better understand your fitness needs with features such as:
- Advanced sleep with pulse ox sensor
- New respiration tracking
- Body Battery
- Energy monitoring
- Abnormal heartrate alerts
- Stress tracking with relax reminders
- New hydration tracking
The Garmin Vívoactive 4 (45mm) has a battery life of up to 8 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 6 hours in GPS + music mode. The smaller Garmin Vívoactive 4S (40mm) has a battery life of up to 7 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 5 hours in GPS + music mode.
-
Garmin Watches get a great free music upgradeThere's a new source for your workout soundtracks in the Connect IQ Store
-
I used the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Coros Pace 3 to see which is betterWhat's the difference between Garmin's and Coros' entry-level running watches? I tried them to find out
-
Garmin Forerunner 165 review: the perfect fit for beginner runnersGet ahead in your running journey with Garmin's affordable Forerunner 165
-
Forget the Samsung Galaxy Ring, I want a Garmin Smart Ring insteadWith all the smart ring announcements from big brands, I can't wait for Garmin to launch its own take on the concept
-
9 mistakes everyone makes with smartwatchesHow to avoid the common pitfalls of smartwatches
-
Garmin simplifies Connect smartwatch app so we mere mortals can finally understand itEasier navigation and a customisable dashboard are just two of the changes coming to Garmin Connect
-
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Polar Vantage V3: stat-tracking giants go toe-to-toeHow does Polar’s contender stack up against Garmin’s undisputed king of the multi-sports smartwatch?
-
You can now see Garmin stats on your Insta360 action cam footage – here's howInsta360 becomes the first action camera brand to integrate with Garmin devices
