BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Garmin has released info on three new wearables. The Fēnix is a GPS sport watch; the Epix has detailed mapping; and the Vívoactive is a GPS smartwatch with built-in sports and activity tracking apps. All three ship with cycling modules and can track performance and fitness as well the standard watch function (you know, tell the time).
The Epix features a 1.4” high-resolution colour touchscreen, and comes preloaded with Recreational Map Europe, a shaded relief basemap, a free 1-year subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery plus 8 GB of built-in memory for additional maps, such as City Navigator for turn-by-turn navigation. As well as GPS and other advanced sensors there are altimeter, barometer and compass functions on the watch. The Epix can also be paired with a smartphone to provide email and text notifications, weather forecasts and more. Epix is also compatible with ANT+ sensors.
“For the first time, we’re able to pack the punch of an outdoor handheld GPS into a wearable device,” said Martin Resch, EMEA Product Manager for Outdoor.
With different profiles for running, cycling, swimming, skiing, trail running and indoor training, Epix can record distance, pace, speed, and calories burned
The £419.99 Epix can also act as a wireless remote for the Garmin VIRB Elite action cam. Using ANT+™, users can start and stop recording and take stills right from their wrist.
The Fēnix 3 has a new, slimmer design, a high resolution colour display and smart-watch features. When paired with a smartphone, Fēnix 3 provides smart notifications, weather forecasts and much more.
For everyday wear, the GPS-equipped £369.99 Fēnix 3 has activity tracking functionality, which provides a customised step goal each morning, then counts steps, calories and distance throughout the day. It also features a vibration move alert after one hour of inactivity and sleep mode to monitor quality of rest at night.
Fēnix 3 can also act as a wireless remote for the Garmin VIRB® Elite action cam.
The Vívoactive is an ultra-thin GPS smartwatch with built-in sports and activity tracking apps. Vívoactive has GPS-enabled running, cycling, golfing, swimming and activity tracking apps. The £200 smartwatch features a sunlight-readable, high-resolution colour touchscreen and can be accessorized with interchangeable bands. The cycling app measures time, distance, speed and calories for training rides or a daily commute.
The watch can be paired with Bluetooth-enabled smartphones. With a gentle vibration it alerts users of incoming smart notifications including caller ID and missed call information for incoming calls, sender information and message for text messages, email messages with sender and subject, calendar reminders, and notifications from social media and other mobile apps. Vívoactive also lets users play, pause or skip a song on their smartphone’s music player, and can send an audible alert to help users locate their smartphone.
Garmin is working with several app developers to bring a range of vívoactive apps to the Connect IQ store. Tempo, for example, is creating a smart calendar app that will let users see their upcoming events, and send an email from their watch if they are running late. LifeLine Response is creating an app that allows users to alert LifeLine to send their exact GPS location to the nearest first responders in the case of an emergency.
