Garmin simply introduced solar power to its Forerunner line, a cult-favorite amongst runners.
Together with another gadgets, the corporate took the wraps off its new Forerunner 995 Solar right this moment. The $600 running watch packs a brand new touchscreen show, bodily buttons, as much as 20 days between prices by way of its “Power Glass” charging lens, multiband GPS and a brand new coronary heart fee variability characteristic, amongst different issues. Garmin can also be promoting a normal 955 (sans solar), which shaves $100 off of the value and 5 days off of the efficient battery life.
Towards the decrease finish, Garmin additionally introduced the Forerunner 255. As the Verge identified, it isn’t all that completely different from the sooner Forerunner 245. The $350 gadget provides multiband GPS, contactless funds and some new software program options. It is available in two sizes, every with non-obligatory music options that’ll set you again one other 50 bucks. The entire new watches can be found as of June 1.
Garmin’s Forerunner 995 Solar. Picture Credit: Garmin
Solar-powered digital watches date again to at the least the early 70s, so this isn’t what you’d name a groundbreaking launch. Garmin launched its first GPS watch with solar power again in 2019 and expanded its solar lineup a yr later. However it’s nonetheless fairly thrilling to see solar on new feature-packed watches, partially as a result of maintaining them charged remains to be a ache.
Although specialised watches like Garmin’s can go lots longer than generalist smartwatches between prices, by no means having to plug one in once more is the dream. Plus, wearables usually require proprietary cables to juice up — the type that may simply get buried in a drawer someplace. It’d be good to lose these, too.
Sadly, you’ll nonetheless want a cable in the event you resolve to snag a 955 Solar. In Garmin land, solar power merely stretches out every cost by just a few days. For the 955 Solar, Garmin says the additional $100 for the charging lens can enhance its life by as a lot as 5 days, with caveats: It assumes the wearer will spend three hours in 50,000 lux circumstances per day — that’s about three hours spent exterior in oblique daylight. Workplace-bound metropolis dwellers gained’t hit these numbers yr spherical, at the least not in locations like New York.
