BROOFMEILD, Colo. — A plane landed safely at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) in Broomfield over the weekend using automated technology after the pilot was incapacitated minutes into the flight, the first time such technology has been used in a real-world emergency situation.
The Beechcraft Super King Air 200, operated by Buffalo River Aircraft Services and equipped with Garmin’s Autoland system, left Aspen-Pitkin airport at 1:43 p.m. Saturday and landed safely a little over 30 minutes later at RMMA without incident, according to FlightAware.
“Garmin can confirm that an emergency Autoland activation occurred at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, Colorado. The Autoland took place on Sat., Dec. 20, resulting in a successful landing,” said Garmin International spokeswoman Mikayla Rudolph, adding this was the first activation and landing of Garmin’s Autoland system.
Per the company’s website, the Garmin Autoland system “takes complete control of the flight to land the airplane in an emergency where the pilot is unable to fly” finding an optimal airport for landing, while considering runway length, distance and fuel range, among other factors.
Though it was not clear how the pilot was incapacitated, air traffic audio obtained by Denver7 can be heard communicating that there was “pilot incapacitation” and relaying how many miles out to the airport the plane was and which runway it intended to use to land safely.
In a statement, Sydny Boyd, a spokeswoman for RMMA, said they were aware of the situation and had nothing to report as the plan landed safely without incident.
The flight was able to resume its path Sunday morning and landed in Oklahoma City at 12:24 p.m. CST.
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Strava’s big attack on Garmin didn’t last long. On Tuesday, the former filed paperwork to dismiss its patent infringement lawsuit against the latter, according to DC Rainmaker. The battle, which included a “Setting the record straight” Reddit post from Strava’s chief product officer, lasted all of 21 days.
The lawsuit accused Garmin of infringing on patents related to heat maps and segments. Strava asked the court to halt all sales of infringing Garmin products, which, according to its characterization, would have been, well, most of them.
Strava Chief Product Officer Matt Salazar escalated the fight with an October 2 Reddit post. He said his company’s legal maneuver was in response to Garmin API guidelines that “required the Garmin logo to be present on every single activity post, screen, graph, image, sharing card, etc.” Salazar wrote that Garmin “wants to use Strava and every other partner as an advertising platform — they told us they care more about their marketing than your user experience.”
Those are fighting words, and Strava appeared to be digging in for a righteous and bitter battle against its partner. But now, it’s essentially, “Eh, never mind.”
Why the quick reversal? We reached out to Strava for comment, and we’ll update this post if we hear back. But closed-door discussions between the companies, possibly including threats from Garmin to counter-sue, seem likely. Garmin has a stacked patent library and a strong record defending them in court. Besides, DC Rainmaker says Strava’s case (especially the parts related to heat map patents) didn’t appear to hold much water in the first place.
Strava’s initial move was all the more bizarre, considering how much its business model depends on activity data from Garmin devices. The two companies have a longstanding relationship, which you can imagine isn’t so healthy at the moment. Losing access to Garmin’s legion of devices could have been catastrophic to the San Francisco-based Strava, which plans to file an IPO next year.
Fitness tech appears to be having a strange spat. Earlier this week, Strava filed a lawsuit alleging that Garmin infringed on its patents for two features related to tracking exercise routes: segments and heatmaps. It’s also claiming that Garmin violated a Master Cooperation Agreement by developing its own heat map feature. The complaint (via The Verge) is seeking a permanent injunction to stop Garmin from selling any items with segments or a heat map features, which would amount to a majority of Garmin’s hardware products as well as its Connect tracking program.
The lawsuit on its own is a surprise. Strava and Garmin are two major players in fitness tech that have worked together for about a decade, the pair have a number of integrations between their platforms. It also seems unlikely that Strava will make much headway with the case. DC Rainmaker, which first picked up on the lawsuit, has a thorough timeline of the companies’ patent filings that strongly suggests the arguments won’t hold water in court. It’s also strange that these alleged infringements, by Strava’s own assertions, began a long time ago and yet the company is only taking issue with them now.
But the situation got even stranger when Strava Chief Product Officer Matt Salazar took to Reddit today to give some insight into why the company is taking such aggressive action against a frequent partner. According to Salazar’s , Strava is invoking the lawyers because Garmin is adopting new developer guidelines for API partners “that required the Garmin logo to be present on every single activity post, screen, graph, image, sharing card etc.” Although he frames it as a move to protect users’ data, the argument sounds more like a petty complaint that Garmin is putting its brand on the data its products are used to collect.
It’s a weird lawsuit, and hopefully one that won’t cause any disruptions for either company’s customers.
Garmin has unveiled the Instinct Crossover AMOLED, a bold refresh of its rugged hybrid smartwatch line. By blending traditional analog hands with a vivid AMOLED display, the new watch delivers a mix of timeless aesthetics and modern smart features. Built to endure harsh environments while keeping style intact, this model caters to adventurers who demand both toughness and clarity.
Classic Analog Meets AMOLED
The defining trait of the Instinct Crossover AMOLED is its combination of mechanical watch hands and a brilliant, colorful screen. The hands dynamically move away when users check detailed data, ensuring uninterrupted visibility of notifications, fitness stats, or maps. Enhanced with Super-LumiNova® coating, the hands remain readable in the dark, while a sapphire lens protects the display from scratches.
Adventure-Ready Design
This hybrid smartwatch is engineered to military-grade standards (MIL-STD-810) for thermal and shock resistance. A dual-layered metal bezel reinforces the watch’s structure, and the built-in dimmable LED flashlight adds practical utility for night use. With RevoDrive™ auto-calibration, the watch maintains accurate time even after impacts during outdoor activities.
Smarter Tracking and Health Insights
The Instinct Crossover AMOLED supports multi-band GPS with SatIQ, giving reliable navigation even in demanding environments. Through the Garmin Connect™ app, users can log lifestyle habits—like caffeine or alcohol consumption—and see how these affect sleep, stress, and heart rate variability. This integration highlights Garmin’s push toward holistic wellness, beyond just performance metrics.
Tactical Edition for Special Operations
For mission-driven users, the Tactical Edition introduces specialized features: stealth mode, night vision goggle compatibility, and an applied ballistics solver. Available in black, it stands as a no-compromise tool for demanding tactical conditions. Meanwhile, standard models come in charcoal or bronze/sunburst finishes, balancing adventure-readiness with urban appeal.
With battery life reaching up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and 18 days in saver mode, the Instinct Crossover AMOLED ensures fewer charges and more action. Pricing starts at $649.99, with the Tactical Edition at $749.99. These models reaffirm Garmin’s reputation for engineering durable yet stylish wearables. Whether hiking rugged trails or navigating city nights, this hybrid smartwatch delivers reliability and sophistication in one package.
Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED Technical Specs
Feature
Details
Display
AMOLED with mechanical hands, sapphire lens
Visibility
Super-LumiNova coated hands, dimmable LED flashlight
Durability
MIL-STD-810, dual-layered metal bezel, shock & thermal resistant
Navigation
Multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology
Battery Life
Up to 14 days (smartwatch), 18 days (saver mode)
Health Tracking
Sleep, stress, HRV, lifestyle logging in Garmin Connect
The new Garmin Venu 4 is here, bringing a fresh wave of innovation to the smartwatch world. Garmin, well known for pushing the boundaries of fitness and lifestyle tech, has packed this model with advanced health insights, fitness coaching, and accessibility tools—all wrapped in a stylish metal design. With up to 12 days of battery life, the Venu 4 makes continuous health monitoring more practical than ever.
Smarter Health Tracking
The Venu 4 offers a more complete picture of well-being with features like health status monitoring, advanced sleep metrics, and lifestyle logging. Users can now log custom behaviors such as caffeine or alcohol intake and see how those choices influence sleep, stress, and heart rate variability. Sleep alignment and consistency tools help track circadian rhythm balance, giving users better insight into their body’s natural cycles.
Personalized Fitness with Garmin Coach
With the addition of the new Garmin Fitness Coach, workouts are smarter and more adaptive. Covering over 25 fitness activities—including HIIT, rowing, cycling, and more—these workouts adjust daily based on recovery, sleep quality, and training history. For those who enjoy varied routines, the mixed session profile can track multiple activities in a single workout session, avoiding fragmented logs.
Accessibility and Everyday Convenience
The Venu 4 is designed with inclusivity in mind. Its spoken watch face can announce the time and health stats aloud, while adjustable color filters improve readability for users with color vision deficiencies. Built-in LED flashlight, speaker, and mic bring more everyday utility, allowing quick calls and voice commands directly from the wrist without reaching for the phone.
Design and Premium Features
Garmin’s attention to detail extends to design: the watch is available in two sizes (41mm and 45mm) with swappable leather or silicone bands. Color options like lunar gold, light sand, silver, and citron give a stylish edge. Beyond looks, the smartwatch supports Garmin’s core features such as HRV status, Body Battery, ECG app support, women’s health tracking, Garmin Pay, onboard music storage, and enhanced safety tools. Starting September 22, 2025, the Venu 4 will retail from $549.99. For more details, visit Garmin.
Garmin Venu 4 Technical Specifications
Feature
Details
Sizes
41mm and 45mm
Design
Metal body, interchangeable silicone/leather bands
Battery Life
Up to 12 days in smartwatch mode
Health Tracking
HRV status, Body Battery, advanced sleep metrics, lifestyle logging
Fitness
Garmin Fitness Coach with over 25 activity profiles, mixed session tracking
Accessibility
Spoken watch face, color filter modes, LED flashlight
Connectivity
Speaker and mic for calls, smart notifications, Garmin Pay, onboard music
Special Features
ECG app support, women’s health tracking, safety and tracking features
Price
Starting at $549.99 (available September 22, 2025)
Garmin just announced a refresh of its and the big headline is the exorbitant price. It costs $300, which is twice the cost of the previous generation and $50 more than an Apple Watch SE.
The Bounce 2 still offers tracking and communication features, both powered by an LTE connection. The exterior has been completely redesigned, with a rounded 1.2-inch AMOLED display. The original model was square-ish, resembling an Apple Watch.
Communication is better here, which is good as this is a smartwatch intended for parents to keep track of kids. Voice messages sent to the watch will be transcribed and can be read or listened to. It also allows for actual phone calls, which the original did not. The Bounce 2 offers GPS tracking and the battery lasts two full days between charges.
It can play music, but only with an Amazon Music subscription. Also, all communication features require a subscription to one of Garmin’s in-house smartwatch plans. These cost $10 per month or $100 annually. The Bounce 2 is available to order right now and comes in three colors.
A few months ago, Google debuted a feature in Google Photos that lets you convert your existing photos into short videos using generative AI. These videos introduce slight synthetic movements to your stills, so a person may appear to slightly shift around in the frame, or a picture of your sleeping pup could gain a leg twitch. This week, the company upgraded this feature with its Veo 3 video generation model, which boosts the quality of the results.
To play around with it, head to any photo in Google Photos, tap the three-dot button at the top right, and tap Create. Choose the Photo to Video option, and then pick between Subtle Movement or I’m Feeling Lucky, which will be a little more creative. I tried it on a photo of my wife and it had her raise her arms to make a heart sign. (The fingers looked surprisingly realistic, though my wife exclaimed that her hands looked massive.) Google says you can even combine its Photo to Video tool with other Create tools, like Remix, which can change the style of the photo to a sketch or 3D animation.
The Veo 3-powered version of the feature is now available in the US.
Garmin Finally Launches Watches With Satellite Communication
Courtesy of Garmin
As Taylor Swift and Tom Jones have both observed, “It’s been a long time coming.” Garmin, manufacturer of our favorite outdoor fitness trackers and hands down the best satellite messenger, finally added satellite and cellular communication to a smartwatch. The new Fenix 8 Pro has Garmin’s inReach technology inside, which means you can send messages over satellite or cellular networks to Garmin’s Response team. Not only can you trigger emergency alerts, but you can also send texts, make calls, and check the weather forecasts. It also has a MicroLED screen that can deliver up to 5,000 nits of brightness, making it not only visible in your tent at night but everyone else’s. (That’s a joke.)
There are two versions of the watch. The AMOLED screen comes in 47- and 51-mm sizes and gets up to 27 days of battery life per charge, while the MicroLED version comes only in a 51-mm size and gets up to 10 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. The Fenix 8 is already our favorite outdoor sports watch, and the ability to easily use satellite communication when you need it only makes it even more useful. It almost makes you overlook the sting of its enormous price—the MicroLED version goes for a cool $2,000, which seems less expensive when you consider that you previously may have had several devices to cover your bases before (a smartwatch for work, a fitness tracker for working out, and a satellite communicator for off-grid shenanigans). The AMOLED version is only $1,100. Both models will be available for purchase on September 8. —Adrienne So
Polar Made a Whoop Band
Courtesy of Polar
Fitness tracker company Polar announced the Polar Loop this week, its first screenless tracker that, well … there’s no way to get around it: The Polar Loop looks remarkably similar to the Whoop band, a black, bracelet-style screenless tracker. However, unlike Whoop (which requires a $199 yearly subscription to use), every feature is available on the Polar Loop from day one, with no added fees. Polar’s bracelet is designed for 24/7 wear. Its suite of fitness metrics is more limited—it doesn’t track blood pressure and can’t detect Afib—but it does have auto-activity tracking, sleep tracking, and a few training tools, like Training Load and Fitness Test. Everything is accessible through the Polar Flow app.
I’ve tested many Polar fitness trackers, and Polar’s heart rate monitor is our top pick. While I appreciate the accuracy and beauty of the hardware, I’ve found its app and metrics very difficult to use and parse. As the popularity of the Whoop band and the entire smart ring product category has shown, there is a real hunger for what Polar CEO Sander Werring calls “discreet, screenless experiences.” You can always layer a watch in front of it! —Adrienne So
JBL Is Down to Party
JBL debuted a trio of new Bluetooth speakers, including two large boombox-style party speakers and a cool portable go-anywhere model. The new Boombox 4 and PartyBox 700 may have hilariously on-the-nose names, but they will also offer appropriate amounts of power. The former kicks out 210 watts of power and two additional woofers for more bass than the previous model, with up to 30 hours of play time and a life-proof IP68 rating. The PartyBox 700 is the largest JBL party speaker that runs on battery, with a hilariously loud 800 watts of power and 15 hours of playback; this thing is meant to replace a PA at your next block party. At $550 and $1,099, respectively, these are meant for folks who need seriously loud models.
Courtesy of JBL
The most exciting speaker for most people will be the new JBL Grip, a $100 speaker that has a cool integrated rope hook and a nightlight for in-tent (or under-blanket) reading. Its battery can provide up to 14 hours of playback, and the speaker features JBL’s now-standard Auracast—also available on the above speakers—to allow you to pair multiple speakers together. —Parker Hall
ExpressVPN Mixes Things Up
Courtesy of ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is overhauling its subsription offerings and phasing out the single, streamlined plan the company has offered for 16 years. In its place are three new plans priced at different tiers, each with different features. It’s a clear hit back at rivals like Surfshark, Nord, and Proton, each of which has built out robust security suites that go far beyond a VPN.
Even with the new options, ExpressVPN’s core service remains intact. The new Basic tier ($13 per month) replaces the subscription ExpressVPN previously offered, with the only difference being a bump from eight simultaneous connections to 10. The next tier is Advanced at $14 per month, and above that is Pro at $20 per month. You can score a discount on any plan by buying an entire year at once.
The new Advanced and Pro tiers include a lot of extras, so it’s worth looking over the list published by ExpressVPN. Some highlights include Keys, ExpressVPN’s password manager, identity theft monitoring on the Advanced plan, and a dedicated IP and data removal services on the Pro plan.
Garmin has redefined the smartwatch category with the launch of the fenix 8 Pro series. For the first time, inReach satellite and cellular connectivity is built directly into a watch, letting explorers leave their phone behind while staying in touch. To top it off, the fenix 8 Pro – MicroLED variant introduces the brightest smartwatch display ever made, pushing outdoor readability to a whole new level.
Satellite and Cellular Connectivity on the Wrist
With built-in inReach technology, adventurers can exchange text messages, share location check-ins, and even place phone calls. The cellular connectivity opens up options like voice calls, 30-second voice messages, LiveTrack links, and real-time weather forecasts. This is a leap forward for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who want freedom from carrying a phone but still need to stay connected.
Safety Powered by Garmin Response
When the unexpected strikes, the fenix 8 Pro supports SOS activation via satellite or LTE. This alert connects to the dedicated Garmin Response center, which coordinates with emergency contacts and rescue teams worldwide. With experience managing over 17,000 incidents in more than 150 countries, Garmin Response brings peace of mind to every adventure.
Next-Gen MicroLED Display
The fenix 8 Pro – MicroLED is a breakthrough in wearable displays. With over 400,000 LEDs producing up to 4,500 nits of brightness, it’s the brightest smartwatch display to date. The result is sharp detail, vivid colors, and flawless readability—even in direct sunlight—making maps and metrics clearer than ever.
Rugged Design Meets Advanced Features
True to Garmin’s DNA, the fenix 8 Pro is dive-rated, crafted with leakproof metal buttons, titanium bezels, and features like an integrated LED flashlight. The watch also packs Garmin’s full suite of performance and health tools: endurance score, hill score, ECG app, sleep coach, Garmin Pay, preloaded TopoActive maps, safety tracking, and more. Whether training for an ultra or navigating remote trails, it’s engineered for the toughest challenges.
Both AMOLED and MicroLED editions will be available starting September 8, 2025. The AMOLED model offers up to 27 days of battery life, while the MicroLED version balances stunning brightness with up to 10 days of usage. Pricing starts at $1,199.99 for AMOLED and $1,999.99 for MicroLED.
Garmin fenix 8 Pro Technical Specs
Feature
fenix 8 Pro – AMOLED
fenix 8 Pro – MicroLED
Display
AMOLED touchscreen
MicroLED touchscreen
Sizes
47mm, 51mm
51mm
Brightness
High visibility AMOLED
Up to 4,500 nits
Connectivity
inReach satellite + LTE
inReach satellite + LTE
Battery Life (Smartwatch mode)
Up to 27 days
Up to 10 days
Safety
SOS via Garmin Response
SOS via Garmin Response
Materials
Titanium bezel, metal sensor guard
Titanium bezel, metal sensor guard
Extras
LED flashlight, TopoActive maps, ECG app, Garmin Pay
LED flashlight, TopoActive maps, ECG app, Garmin Pay
Garmin has announced the Lily® 2 series — its next generation of petite and fashionable smartwatches that offer new health, wellness, and connected features. Available in two models, Lily 2 and Lily 2 Classic, both feature an elegant, refreshed design with metal watch cases, plus hidden displays with unique patterned lenses and new, fashion-forward color options. And with up to five days of battery life in smartwatch mode, users have plenty of time to enjoy new features like sleep score and dance fitness activities.
“The Lily series is known for its petite and elegant design elements, and we’re pleased to introduce even more health and connected features to this fashionable lineup. Not only is Lily 2 stylish enough for anything from a day at work to a night out, but it can keep you connected and track your wellbeing with popular features designed for any lifestyle,” shares Susan Lyman, Garmin vice president of Global Consumer Marketing.
Small, stylish design
Blending a classic look with modern technology, the Lily 2 series features a metal watch case and unique patterned lenses that, with a quick tap or turn of the wrist, reveal a bright touchscreen display. It also features beautiful colorways—like Cream Gold and Coconut or Dark Bronze and Mulberry—plus Italian leather, nylon or silicone bands that can easily be swapped out to complement any look. Customers can purchase additional straps separately, allowing them to easily change the look of their Lily 2 smartwatch.
Reasons to love the Lily 2 series
Body Battery energy monitoring: Monitor energy levels throughout the day to help find the best times for activity and rest.
Sleep score: Receive a score for last night’s sleep quality, plus insights on how to do better. Also keep track of different sleep stages, heart rate1, stress, Pulse Ox2 and respiration.
Fitness tracking: Keep track of steps, calories burned, intensity minutes and more.
Sports apps: Switch up a workout with built-in sports apps for cardio, yoga, strength training and more. And use the new dance fitness activity to track various dance styles, including Zumba®, Afrobeat, Bollywood, EDM and hip-hop.
Connected GPS: When walking, biking or running outdoors, connect to a compatible smartphone’s GPS to get accurate activity tracking stats.
Move alert suggestions: Receive reminders to move after being sedentary for a while and get a variety of suggested movements to try, like neck rolls, side bends, squats and more with options for seated motions.
Health essentials
Designed for any lifestyle, the Lily 2 series is ready to keep up with essential health and fitness stats. Day and night, keep track of heart rate, respiration, Pulse Ox, and stress. Upon waking up, the morning report provides users with an overview of their sleep, daily calendar, weather, and more. In times of stress, the meditation activity guides users through meditation practices, while the breathwork activity provides different breathing techniques to follow right from the watch. Lily 2 also includes women’s health tracking features, letting users track their menstrual cycle and pregnancy while also getting exercise and nutrition education.
Stay connected
For life on the go, the Lily 2 series is compatible with Apple or Android smartphones, so users can receive emails, text messages, and alerts right on their watch. Safety and tracking features can help provide peace of mind; for example, when Lily 2 is paired to the Garmin Connect smartphone app, a message with the user’s name and location (if available) can be sent to pre-selected emergency contacts if an incident is detected. When paired with the Garmin Connect app, users can also see their health and fitness data, connect with friends, and participate in challenges—all for free.
The Garmin Lily 2 series is available now in all official Garmin brand stores, Nifty Megamall, Nifty Ermita, and online through Kinetic and the official Garmin stores on Lazada and Shopee. The Garmin Lily 2 series starts at PHP15,490, which comes with a silicone strap watch. Meanwhile, the Lily 2 Classic is available at PHP16,990 for the nylon strap, and PHP18,490 with the leather strap.
Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionized life for runners, cyclists, swimmers and athletes of all levels and abilities. Committed to developing technology that helps people stay active and elevate performance, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday. Visit the Garmin Philippines’ website or Facebook page for more information.
In certain circles, the word “Garmin” is less a brand name than a category definer, like Q-Tip or Band-Aid. From casual hikers to nationally ranked professional athletes, anyone who loves outdoor sports can glean useful information from the bevy of sensors, safety features, and sophisticated software that come with every Garmin watch. A few other fitness trackers have come close to replicating Garmin’s durability, wearability, and reliability, but the company remains the industry standard. Unlike, say, an Apple Watch, Garmins also work with both iPhones and Android phones. (Also unlike an Apple Watch, Garmin watches still have a blood oxygen sensor.)
Many features that only recently debuted on other fitness trackers, like sleep tracking, blood oxygen measurements, and fall detection, have been on Garmin watches for years. Over a half-dozen years, the WIRED team has tested dozens of Garmin watches. Let us help you decide which Garmin is best for you.
Updated April 2024: We added the Forerunner 165, the Lily 2, and the Index S2 and added more information about Garmin Connect and the Apple Watch. We also updated links and pricing throughout.
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Even the most advanced fitness trackers can’t catch everything. While testing the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music, I got a severe case of food poisoning and spent two days in bed. There’s nothing more irritating than your cheery fitness tracker notifying you that you’ve gotten tons of sleep and your Body Battery is at 100 as you’re struggling not to throw up water. It’s almost as irritating as your children shouting to ask if you’re still trapped in the bathroom.
When I finally got back to working out, the watch counseled me to build up my base with long, slow runs. This pace is insanely slow, particularly since I live next to a college campus full of long-legged teenagers, humiliating me with their vigorous strides, youthfulness, and hope. Nevertheless, I persist. My legs feel great. The Forerunner has allowed me to graduate to tempo runs, and my heart rate is lower than ever. Amazing!
The Forerunner 165 is the latest entry in Garmin’s Forerunner series, but there are no duds in the Forerunner lineup. If you’re a beginner runner who can find the barebones Forerunner 55 for under $200, that one is perfectly fine! However, the Forerunner 165 has enough additional features that, to me, it justifies the extra cash.
A Few More Features
The Forerunner 165 looks like your standard technical Garmin. It has the familiar five-button layout—three on the left and two on the right—with a chemically reinforced screen, a polymer bezel, and a silicone strap. Note: You will need to wash the strap every two to three days if you don’t want to get a wrist rash. It now also has a new, bright AMOLED display that I had no problem seeing in bright, direct sunlight.
Photograph: Adrienne So
It’s also a touchscreen, so instances where I spectacularly fail at navigating the button system have decreased dramatically. Same with times where I accidentally call my emergency contacts from holding the wrong button down for too long. (It’s the Up button on the left side. Don’t hold that button unless you’re in trouble.)
The higher-end Forerunner models are aimed at multisport athletes, but the Forerunner 165 is pretty explicitly aimed at runners. In addition to personalized, adaptive training plans, you can also now see metrics like running power and cadence on the screen on your wrist, as well as some of Garmin’s more esoteric proprietary metrics, like Training Effect, which helps you determine how impactful each workout was on your overall performance.
The reason you get a Forerunner 165 over a Forerunner 55 is that in addition to a nicer display, you also get more sensors. In addition to the now-standard multiband GPS positioning systems—GPS, Glonass, and Galileo, which lets you position yourself precisely for accurate workout metrics—the Forerunner 165 has the pulse oximetry blood oxygen sensor, as well as a barometric altimeter, compass, and ambient light sensor.
to celebrate the start of the spring season, Garmin is holding a sale on various gadgets and accessories—including a few WIRED-approved smartwatches. Whether you’re a novice runner or a seasoned hiker, we’re confident that at least one of the discounted smartwatches below will make the perfect companion for your next outdoor adventure.
These deals aren’t just at Garmin either—we’ve also linked to other retailers like Amazon and Target. Don’t see anything you like here? Check out our buying guides, like the Best Fitness Trackers, the Best Sleep Trackers, or the Best Camping Tents.
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Garmin Smartwatch Deals
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar Smartwatch
Photograph: Garmin
WIRED senior associate reviews editor Adrienne So says this is currently her favorite smartwatch. The second-generation version (9/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with a high-resolution display, improved solar charging, and an insanely impressive 21-day battery life (even when tracking multiple activities per day), all packed into a compact 40-mm case. (You can also choose a 45-mm or 50-mm size.) It’s a great option for tracking outdoor workouts or activities like camping, trail running, and more. The price has dipped as low as $300 back in November, but this is still a great deal.
Forerunner 255
Photograph: Garmin
The Forerunner 255 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) holds the title of Best Running Watch in our Best Fitness Trackers guide. It packs a ton of great features, including multiband GPS support, a compass, a barometric altimeter, Bluetooth compatibility with a variety of heart rate monitors, and improved sleep tracking. It has excellent battery life, too—WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson says he got about 30 hours of continuous use. You’ll also have access to useful features like Morning Report (which includes a daily greeting, weather, and more) and Body Battery (which measures your energy throughout the day, based on other metrics like activity, sleep, and VO2 Max). It dipped slightly lower to $239 earlier this month, but it’s still a good deal.
Garmin Venu SQ
Photograph: Garmin
The Venu SQ (8/10, WIRED Recommends) was released back in 2020, but Garmin wearables are known for their longevity. This is still a great entry-level fitness tracker. It has an always-on LCD touchscreen that’s both responsive and bright, along with high-end features like energy level monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, and sleep tracking—in addition to tracking basic metrics like step count, calories, workouts, and more. The Venu SQ often dips to this price at Amazon and reached as low as $116 in January, but this is still a solid deal.
