Garmin have not traditionally been known as a company who produce fashionable devices. But their latest wearable device is causing a stir for many reasons. The latest entry into their Forerunner series, the Garmin Forerunner 35, looks fantastic and has some brilliant features. One of the features that people are very excited about is the introduction of heart rate monitoring. The Garmin Forerunner 35 is one of the best looking running watches on the market.
Is the new Garmin Forerunner 35 as good as it seems? Read on to find out more.
What’s So Great About the Garmin Forerunner 35
Technology firm Garmin, who have traditionally been known for their SatNav devices, have become a very big player in the new wearables market. Garmin have been very prolific with their wearable releases this year with a new device hitting the market almost every month. Over the last few months new Forerunner, Vivomove and Vivosmart devices have hit the market. Quantity doesn’t always mean quality though – so it’s a good job that quality is something Garmin care about!
The Garmin Forerunner 35 is technically an upgrade to the Forerunner 25, but it’s more than just a simple upgrade. In terms of looks the Garmin Forerunner 35 looks much, much sleeker than the previous incarnation of the device. It comes in a number of different colours, has a fantastic high definition display, is waterproof to 50 meters which appears to be a massive upgrade and a claim of a much better battery life. The Garmin Forerunner 35 is expected to have a battery life of 9 days in “Watch Mode” and 13 hours in “GPS Mode”. This is important, as battery life is very important with smartwatch owners who have been very disappointed with other devices like the Apple Watch which have had very disappointing batteries.
The most exciting upgrade is the addition of Garmin Elevate, the heart rate monitoring system produced exclusively by Garmin. This is very impressive as Garmin Elevate is used in their higher end GPS watches and is not usually used in their mid-to-lower range devices. This addition makes the Garmin Forerunner 35 a perfect device for runners and cyclists who don’t want to break the bank with a top of the range device.
The device also comes with a range of smartwatch-lite features for users to enjoy. You can connect the device up to your smartphone using the Garmin Connect mobile app which is available on Windows, Android and iOS devices. The app allows you to receive message notifications from almost all messaging apps and control music from your wrist, asking the question… who needs an Apple Watch?
When Can I Get One?
The release date for the Garmin Forerunner 35 has not been announced, but it will be available in the Autumn. The price has been announced at £169.99, making it less expensive than other Garmin devices which come with Garmin Elevate heart rate monitoring. Competing devices from other manufacturers like the Samsung Gear Fit are available at similar prices, but the Garmin Forerunner 35 may just have the advantage in terms of features.
If you’re looking for a wearable device which looks good and is feature-rich at a good price you can’t go wrong with the Garmin Forerunner 35. Keep an eye out for it when it hits shelves in Q3 2016.
Images: Business Wire, Garmin
