Garmin has introduced several mid-tier watches aimed at mainstream consumers, a short time after refreshing one of its more expensive specialty sports models.
The new devices include the Venu 4, a $550 smartwatch that adds more advanced health features including more personalized sleep tracking and improved pattern recognition for metrics like heart rate and skin temperature. The company also announced the $649 Instinct Crossover AMOLED, a more rugged-looking model, and a $299 watch for kids called the Bounce 2. The products are available for purchase now.
Garmin, which started out making GPS systems for the aviation industry, has more recently found success offering a collection of smart and sports watches at a range of prices. That strategy has paid off in recent quarters, with sales in Garmin’s fitness division consistently on the rise, even as rival Apple has seen a slump in its wearables business.
Apple has updated its full range of smartwatches, from its lower-end SE model to the high-end Apple Watch Ultra line. Garmin is similarly refreshing some of its middle-tier products after earlier announcing $1,200 and $2,000 watches.
The Venu 4 is $100 more expensive than the previous-generation Venu 3, which cost $450 when it debuted two years ago. The newer model’s expected battery life is also slightly shorter — as much as 12 days in smartwatch mode, compared with a maximum of 14 days on the Venu 3.
In addition to more sophisticated health metrics, the Venu 4 lets users log lifestyle choices like caffeine and alcohol intake to see how they can impact sleep, stress and heart rate variability. That — alongside the ability to detect changes in health-metric trends — brings Garmin’s software offerings more in line with other fitness-focused wearables, including Whoop’s line of wristbands.
The Venu 4 also offers new accessibility features, including a speaking watch face that can read metrics aloud, as well as a filter that helps people with color blindness choose different display options. It will be sold in two sizes with several color choices.
The rugged Instinct Crossover AMOLED combines the experience of a digital sports watch with mechanical watch hands. It builds on previous models in the series with a built-in dimmable LED flashlight and multiband GPS for connectivity in more remote conditions. Battery life can run as long as 14 days in smartwatch mode or 18 days in battery saver mode. There’s also a $750 “Tactical Edition” with additional features that include compatibility with night vision goggles, meaning the user can still make out the watch’s screen while donning that eyewear.
Meanwhile, the Bounce 2 kids watch offers real-time location tracking, two-way calling and voice messaging, texting, voice message transcription, activity tracking, some voice commands and the ability to listen to downloaded Amazon Music songs. The battery is rated to last as long as two days.
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