Garmin watches get a huge free feature upgrade to make life so much simpler

If you're a smartwatch lover, you really are spoilt for choice right now. Gone are the days when you had just a handful of options – the market is absolutely jam packed with different models and styles.

That includes everything from cheap and cheerful fitness trackers, right through to the new trend of rugged smartwatches. While the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra have had the headlines recently, they certainly aren't the only competitors in the space.

Garmin watches have long been considered some of the best in the space, offering a brilliant blend of software and hardware which makes it a top pick for outdoorsy types. Now, it's software has gained a significant upgrade – and it should help to keep it ahead of the growing pack.

The update centres around the Connect IQ store. That's Garmin's app store, and has previously been a fairly sparse and frustrating affair.

That's all set to change now, though, as users can finally use their Garmin Pay to make purchases on the store. That's going to be a welcome addition for users, who have previously had to navigate a fairly haphazard system for purchasing apps.

That's not all, either. They've also added a whole range of cool new watch faces and apps to the system. Those watch faces come from a range of sources, including Disney, TaylorMade and Porsche.

As for apps, the most exciting addition seems to be the new GoPro Camera Control app. That allows users of a GoPro camera to control the starting and stopping of their recordings from their wrist.

It certainly feels like a move towards the likes of Apple and Samsung. It's no secret that those brands have been slowly encroaching on Garmin's share of the market, and Garmin has clearly seen a need to make their approach more familiar.

There is a downside though – each of the faces and apps have an RRP of $4.99 (approx. £3.93; AU$7.61). That's pretty darn steep – particularly when a lot of their rivals offer faces and a range of apps free of charge. Still, it's a positive move overall, and will certainly appeal to their core user base.