Garmin has announced its next-generation wearable series for sports enthusiasts marketed as the fēnix 5 Plus lineup. As is often the case with sports watches, these aren’t typical smartwatches at all. Instead, the focus has been placed on durability and a ton of features to help users get through a workout or track fitness metrics. Wearers can even customize their own data fields to be tracked. Unlike most sports wearables, however, the fēnix 5S Plus, 5 Plus, and 5X Plus are also intended to perform a variety of more standard smartwatch tasks, placing them toward the upper end of the wearables market. That includes a variety of watch face customizations, apps, and widgets. As a result of all the features Garmin has managed to pack in, these are set to be sold at a suggested retail of between $700 and $1,150. The devices will become available for orders and start shipping later this month.
Ranging in size from 42mm to 51mm, where these watches generally differentiate themselves is in terms of battery, size, and build materials. However, the larger fēnix 5X Plus also ships with a wrist-band Pulse Oximeter so that athletes, climbers, and others can keep tabs on their oxygen saturation levels. Each watch can be put into an ultra-low power mode called UltraTrac but the largest of the watches extends battery life out to 20 days in smartwatch mode and 13 hours in GPS and Music mode. In the middle, fēnix 5X Plus has battery range that’s a bit shorter at 10 days and 8 hours, respectively. Finally, the base model 1.2-inch fēnix 5S Plus can go for 7 days in smartwatch mode or 4 hours in the other modes. All of the fēnix 5 Plus sports watches, meanwhile, are built to be as rugged as possible without losing the premium feel. That means they sport either a PVD-coated stainless-steel bezel with silicone watch band or a titanium bezel with a brushed titanium bracelet. Conversely, they can survive at up to 100-meters depth for waterproofing and feature a full-color LED backlight to ensure screen visibility in direct sunlight.
In the meantime, on the software side of things, Garmin’s latest wearables aren’t taking any shortcuts either. GPS, calls, texts, and emails are all available via a connected smartwatch. On-device storage allows for as many as 500 songs to be stored without a connected device and Bluetooth allows for easy listening. What’s more, Garmin Pay is included on the connectivity front for tap-and-go payments wherever the technology is supported. For sports, the watches feature on-watch navigation, mapping, and location tracking with trip-setting for running or walking routes. Enhanced training features and common smartwatch functionality round out the package. That includes smart tracking of physiology metrics and intelligent suggestions to prevent over-training or inadequate training. It also includes modes for various sports to help users get the most out of whatever sports or fitness activities they prefer.