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Suunto Race 3S Reviews Are In: Excellent GPS, a Heart Rate Split, and a $599 Question

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Suunto launched the Race 3S on October 15. By the morning of October 16, at least five independent reviewers had published full test results, which is fast even by sports watch standards.

The reviews mostly agree on the hardware, and the agreement is good news for Suunto. Where they split is more interesting: heart rate accuracy, which is the exact thing Suunto upgraded and the exact thing you would want a second opinion on.

The GPS Consensus Holds

Every reviewer who tested the Race 3S outdoors came away satisfied with positioning.

DC Rainmaker ran it across runs, rides and city routes and reported "no concerns in any category," noting that even downtown sections between tall buildings performed comparably to Garmin and Apple units tested alongside it. Road Trail Run, testing on Park City roads and trails, called the tracking "spot on" and said the watch is an "accurate class act." The Quantified Scientist's video review, covered by Geeky Gadgets, rates the dual-frequency GPS system as the watch's standout strength across five satellite constellations.

That matters because the Race S was not a watch anyone bought for GPS precision at the margins. Dual-band satellite positioning is now standard at this price, and the Race 3S handles it well.

Where Reviewers Disagree: Heart Rate

This is the real split, and it runs straight down the middle.

Suunto changed the optical sensor for this model: six LEDs and four photodetectors behind 2.5D curved sensor glass, up from four LEDs and two photodiodes on the Race S. Suunto's claim is better skin contact and a cleaner signal.

The positive read. DC Rainmaker calls the new sensor "really darn good in my testing," and "a big jump up over the previous Suunto Race S sensor, which wasn't super awesome." Notably, he verified it on a hilly run with a long steep descent, a scenario that regularly trips optical sensors, and reported zero complaints. ZDNET's reviewer compared the watch against other watches and an arm-mounted sensor and found the heart rate data accurate, and Tom's Guide lists better heart rate accuracy among the watch's key improvements over the Race S.

The skeptical read. The Quantified Scientist found heart rate and sleep tracking "functional but less accurate during dynamic activities and deep sleep monitoring compared to top-tier competitors." That is not a claim that the sensor is bad. It is a claim that at $599 the sensor should be class-leading, and in that reviewer's testing it isn't.

Put both readings together and the honest conclusion is this: the Race 3S sensor is a clear improvement over the watch it replaces, and it is probably still a step behind the best wrist sensors on the market. If you train intervals off heart rate, a chest strap remains the sensible answer.

The Price Is the Unanimous Complaint

Nobody is arguing about the price. They are all complaining about it.

DC Rainmaker's verdict headline is "A Pricey Upgrade," and he is blunt about the display panel: the Race 3S runs a 2,000-nit screen while "virtually all watches released in 2026 are using 3,000-nit panels." The COROS Pace 4 Pro is the comparison he reaches for, with a 3,500-nit, 1.47-inch display for $449, which is $150 less than the Suunto Race 3S.

Tom's Guide reaches the same place from a different direction, calling the Race 3S "a tough sell" against the COROS Pace 4 Pro and Suunto's own Run 2, both cheaper. The price jump is stark in context: the Race S titanium launched at $449 and is now discounted to $329 on Suunto's own site, while the Race 3S arrives at $599.

Our own launch coverage flagged the same problem. The Race 3S sits right where the full-size Race 2 sits, so anyone comparing the two is really choosing a form factor, not a spec sheet.

One note on the numbers, since reviews have not been consistent: Suunto's US product page lists the Race 3S at $599, with the UK at 435 pounds and Europe at 499 euros. A couple of reviews have repeated a $499 figure, which matches the European pricing rather than the US MSRP. We are following Suunto's own product page.

What the Reviewers Actually Praised

Strip out the price argument and the hardware story is strong.

Battery. 38 hours of dual-band GPS, 45 hours single-band, and 12 days in smartwatch mode. DC Rainmaker verified the daily battery claim at roughly the rated figure, and Road Trail Run calls it suitable for multi-day adventures. Ten minutes on the charger buys about 10 hours of dual-frequency tracking.
Build. Titanium bezel switching from stainless steel, sapphire crystal replacing Gorilla Glass, and a case that got slightly bigger (46mm) while the watch got lighter (56g from 60g).
Display legibility. The 2,000-nit panel is behind the class, and every reviewer still says it is perfectly readable in direct sun. DC Rainmaker's only complaint is that the power-saving dimming kicks in a touch aggressively.
Storage. 64GB, doubled from 32GB, which is what makes free worldwide offline maps practical.
Accuracy of the basics. Sleep onset, wake times and HRV status lined up with other wearables within a few minutes in DC Rainmaker's testing.

What the Reviews Confirm Is Missing

A few limitations showed up consistently, and they are worth knowing before you order.

No contactless payments outside China. NFC appears on some spec sheets but only applies to the China market. DC Rainmaker calls this out directly.
No music streaming. Offline playback is limited to MP3 and WAV files you load yourself. No Spotify, no Deezer.
No LED flashlight. The Suunto Vertical 2 has one. The Race 3S does not.
Race Planner is not there yet. The weather-aware race pacing feature is promised for later this year. Offline music also arrives by update, with no firm date.
The larger Race 3 does not exist. This one is the biggest open question. There is no Race 2S and no larger Race 3 companion at this point, and when DC Rainmaker asked Suunto about a full-size Race 3, the company offered a variant of "no comment."

Our Read

The review roundup does not change the conclusion we reached at launch, it sharpens it. The Race 3S is a genuinely better watch than the Race S, and the reviewers who tested it hardest agree on GPS, battery and build quality. It is also priced as if it were the best watch in its class when the display panel, the payment support and the heart rate sensor are each a step behind something cheaper.

The heart rate split is the detail to hold onto. DC Rainmaker's testing is the most rigorous of the group and it is positive, so there is no reason to think the sensor is a problem. There is simply not yet a consensus that it is a strength at this price. If heart rate-driven training is your priority, the case for a chest strap is unchanged by this launch.

If you want the trail-running form factor and Suunto's software ecosystem, the Race 3S is a reasonable buy at the right price. At $599 in a market where $449 buys a brighter screen, waiting for a discount or looking at what Suunto does with the full-size Race 3 is the more patient call.

Bottom Line

Five reviews, one clear verdict on the hardware and one clear verdict on the price. The Suunto Race 3S gets the fundamentals right and charges for them as though it also got the flagship details right. It did not. Watch for the full-size Race 3 before deciding, and if you buy the 3S for interval training, pair it with a chest strap.

North American availability starts October 29. Suunto is also working on a screenless band, which leaked through certification filings earlier this month, so the company's product push is not finished.

Sources: DC Rainmaker's October 15, 2026 in-depth Suunto Race 3S review (heart rate sensor testing, "no concerns in any category" on accuracy, 2,000-nit versus 3,000-nit panel comparison, COROS Pace 4 Pro at $150 less, no NFC payments outside China, no music streaming, availability of the Race Planner feature, Suunto's "no comment" on a full-size Race 3, $599 US / 499 euro pricing); Tom's Guide's October 15, 2026 Race 3S review (significant price rise over the Race S titanium at $449 and its current $329 price, "tough sell" against the COROS Pace 4 Pro and Suunto Run 2, better heart rate accuracy listed as a key improvement, 435 pounds UK pricing); ZDNET's October 15, 2026 Race 3S review (accurate heart rate data against other watches and an arm-mounted sensor, 12-day battery, titanium and sapphire build); Road Trail Run's October 15, 2026 Suunto Race 3S review ("spot on" tracking, "accurate class act" verdict, Park City test conditions, 56g weight, 11.4mm thickness, 45-hour single-band battery); and Geeky Gadgets' October 16, 2026 coverage of The Quantified Scientist's Race 3S video review (over 100 sports modes, offline maps and AI coaching as strengths, heart rate and sleep tracking "functional but less accurate" than top-tier competitors during dynamic activity and deep sleep). Reviewer price figures of $499 were not used because Suunto's own US product page lists $599; that price is verified directly on Suunto's site.

Garmin Just Cleared a Second LTE and Satellite Watch Through the FCC // What Model A05242 Tells Us

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Garmin quietly picked up FCC approval on October 13 for a wrist-worn device with its own cellular and satellite radios, and the paperwork is the clearest look yet at a watch that has been moving through regulators for the past two weeks.

The device is filed as model A05242, under FCC ID IPH-05242. Garmin has not announced it, named it, or said a word about it. What the record does show is a watch that can send messages and share its location without a phone, on both mobile networks and satellite.

This is the second time in three months Garmin has put that combination of radios into a watch filing. Here is what the documents actually say, and what Garmin is likely lining up.

What Just Cleared the FCC

The grant is listed as a "portable digital transceiver," which is the same generic label Garmin uses for every wrist device it files. The useful part is the radio list.

LTE-M cellular on bands 2, 4 and 12, which are the low-power cellular bands used for a watch to send small amounts of data on its own.
Satellite radios covering NTN bands 23 and 25. NTN stands for non-terrestrial network, which is the technical name for a phone or watch talking directly to a satellite.
2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE and ANT, the same connectivity set as Garmin's recent watches.
A 13.56 MHz radio, which is the short-range chip Garmin Pay uses for contactless payments.

The record also includes a SAR report, the RF exposure testing that has to be filed before a wearable can be sold. Testing was handled by Element Materials Technology in Washington DC.

Garmin has asked the FCC to keep the internal photos, the external photos and the user manual confidential until April 11, 2027. That is a standard request and a ceiling, not a launch date. Garmin usually announces long before that window closes.

The Radios Are the Whole Story

Two details in the filing matter more than the rest.

The first is that this is a body-worn device with its own mobile data connection. Most Garmin watches are tethered to a phone. The ones that are not fall into the premium tier, and the LTE model in that tier has been the Fenix 8 and its Pro variants.

The second is the satellite module. A watch that can reach a satellite directly can send an SOS or a check-in message from places with no cell coverage at all, which is the exact job Garmin's inReach satellite communicators have done for years as separate devices. Putting that radio inside a watch is the step Garmin has been working toward.

Put together, A05242 looks like a premium outdoor watch rather than a running or mid-range model. That is an inference from the radio list, not something Garmin has confirmed.

This Is Not the Pair That Cleared Two Weeks Ago

It is worth separating A05242 from the two Garmin watches that cleared the FCC on October 6, models 05146 and 05147. We covered those in detail here, and the short version is that they have Wi-Fi and a Garmin Pay chip but no cellular and no satellite radio.

Two consecutive model numbers with matching internals point to one mainstream watch in two case sizes. That is the mid-range refresh Garmin has been lining up.

A05242 is a different animal. It sits at the top of the range, where Garmin puts the expensive radios.

How It Compares With A05170

If the radio list looks familiar, that is because Garmin filed almost exactly the same one back in August under FCC ID IPH-05170, model A05170, which we covered when it surfaced.

Both records list the same frequency set, the same LTE bands 2, 4 and 12, and the same NTN satellite bands 23 and 25. Two separate model numbers, two separate grants, one radio architecture.

That points to a Garmin satellite watch family rather than a single device. It could be two case sizes, two finishes, or a standard model and a tougher outdoor variant, the same way Garmin splits the Fenix and the Tactix lines today. Garmin has not said which, and anyone claiming to know the product name right now is guessing.

One honest note on sourcing: the FCC record is the primary document here and it is public and clear. There is no second independent write-up of this grant to cross-check against. The filings speak for themselves, and the numbers in this article come from them.

Three Regulators in Nine Days

The FCC grant was not the only piece of paperwork.

Model A05242 was also listed in the United Arab Emirates at the TDRA on October 5, alongside a sibling number, A05240. Four days later, on October 9, Indonesia's Komdigi regulator was reported to have certified the same device as B05242, described as a Garmin "outdoor product." Those international listings carry no technical detail, and I could not verify them in a public record directly, so treat them as reported rather than confirmed.

Two things stand out regardless. Moving a device through three regulators inside nine days is Garmin's standard pattern when a launch is close, not months out. And A05240 still has not appeared at the FCC, even though it was listed in Korea in late September and the UAE in early October. That number is the one to watch next.

A third model, A05196, was reported at Indonesia's regulator on October 12 with no product name and no technical detail. It sits between the October lets and the A05240 pair in Garmin's numbering, so it is a current-generation device, but nothing identifies it yet.

What It Likely Means

Read the three filings together and a clear tier structure shows up.

A05242 and A05240: top of the range, with LTE and satellite radios built in.
05146 and 05147: mainstream, with Wi-Fi and Garmin Pay but no cellular.
A05170: the first device with the LTE and satellite set, filed in August.

Garmin sells watches like the Fenix 8 on connectivity and materials, and it has kept the costly radios for the models that carry the highest price. That split has held all year, and A05242 fits it exactly.

The practical read for buyers is timing. Garmin devices typically ship one to three months after they clear regulators. A device that hit three regulators in nine days is closer to weeks than quarters. If you were about to buy a current Garmin with LTE or inReach messaging, it is worth knowing a second satellite-capable model is nearly ready before you pay full price.

The Bottom Line

Garmin now has a second watch with built-in LTE and satellite radios on the books at the FCC, three weeks after the first one's details came out and four days after the October 6 mainstream pair. The filings do not name it, and Garmin has not confirmed a launch window.

What is solid is the direction. Garmin is building out a line of watches that can reach a satellite on their own, and it is keeping the mainstream tier on Wi-Fi and payments. Expect the name to come from Garmin, not from the regulators.

Sources: FCC Equipment Authorization records for FCC IDs IPH-05242, IPH-05170, IPH-05146 and IPH-05147 (retrieved via fccid.io); Garmin's public product pages for current LTE and inReach hardware; prior WatchesReviewed coverage of the A05170 filing and the October 6 FCC pair. The UAE TDRA and Indonesia Komdigi listings for A05242, A05240, B05242 and A05196 are reported and were not independently verified; no second independent write-up of the October 13 A05242 grant exists.

Suunto's First Screenless Band Leaks: A Whoop Rival That Borrows the Polar Loop's Best Trick

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Suunto is the latest watch brand lining up a shot at Whoop, and the first look at the hardware comes from a certification filing rather than a press release.

Photos attached to a regulatory record show an unnamed Suunto band with no display at all, listed under the internal model number HR264. It's roughly 42 millimeters long and 30 millimeters wide, and the strap threads through openings in the case on both sides. If that design sounds familiar, it should: it's the same trick the Polar Loop uses, where only the band and a slim frame show on your wrist.

There's no product name, no price and no launch date. Suunto hasn't said a word about it. But the device itself is now visible, and the category it's aimed at is the most crowded corner of the wearable market.

What the Photos Actually Show

The images first surfaced through certification coverage today, and independent write-ups have described the same handful of details:

A screenless module, roughly 42mm by 30mm, with no display. You check your data on your phone.
A strap that passes through the frame on both sides, much like the Polar Loop, so the case reads as a single band on the wrist.
Visible screws on the back, which suggests the band can be opened for a battery swap rather than treated as a sealed unit.
Four metal contacts on the underside, almost certainly charging pins. They're laid out differently from the contacts on Suunto's existing watches, which points to a proprietary charger.
A heart rate sensor that resembles the one in the Suunto Run 2, a sensor Suunto already uses to measure blood oxygen saturation and skin temperature.

Because there's no naming or spec sheet, the rest is inference. Sleep tracking, workout detection and syncing into the Suunto app are the safe assumptions given what every rival in this category does, but none of that is confirmed.

The Paper Trail Runs Through Three Markets

The model number is the useful part here. A device listing doesn't get registered in multiple countries by accident, and HR264 has now turned up in certification records in Korea, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates within a few weeks of each other.

A Korean filing carries the reference R-R-SUU-HR264. A Singapore entry was logged in late September, and a UAE record followed in mid-October. Three separate registrations inside a month is the pattern you see when a company is preparing a broad retail release rather than a limited or regional launch.

One caveat worth stating plainly: there's no manufacturer confirmation of any of this, and no second independent discovery of the filings. What exists is a certification record with photos, plus write-ups describing it. Treat the shape and the dimensions as solid. Treat the feature list as a reasonable guess until Suunto publishes something.

Why Suunto Doing This Matters

Suunto has spent most of the last decade selling watches, and the last two years selling very good ones. The Race 3S that landed today is a $599 titanium dual-band GPS watch with a 2,000-nit AMOLED. A screenless band is a different kind of product entirely, and it says something about where Suunto thinks the growth is.

The pitch for a band like this is simple. Your watch is great for training and terrible for sleeping in. It's heavy, it's distracting, and you have to charge it. A screenless band fixes all three: lighter, quiet, and it runs far longer between charges because there's no display draining the battery.

Whoop proved the model works and proved people will pay a subscription for it. Now everyone with a wrist in the game is moving in.

The Screenless Category Is Already Crowded

This isn't open water anymore. Here's what Suunto would be walking into:

Whoop 5.0 - the incumbent, with a required subscription of $199 to $359 a year and a 14-day battery. It owns the recovery and strain analytics conversation.
Garmin CIRQA - $199.99 once, no subscription, 10 days of battery, and all the health analytics flow into the free Garmin Connect app. You can find it on Amazon.
Polar Loop - $199.99 once, and the design the Suunto leak appears to be studying closely. It's listed on Amazon at that same price.
Fitbit Air - $99, screenless, with Google Health backing it and a couple of genuinely good software updates in the last month.

Every one of those is either cheaper than a Suunto band is likely to be, or attached to a bigger software platform. Suunto's answer has to be sensor quality and integration with its own watches, because it isn't going to win on price against Google.

That's also the risk. If you already wear a Suunto watch, your heart rate, sleep and recovery are already being logged. A band only earns its place if it's meaningfully better at the hours your watch can't cover, which mostly means overnight and recovery days.

We broke down how those four products compare on price and subscriptions in our screenless tracker comparison, and the takeaway hasn't changed: the subscription question, not the sensor, is what splits this category.

Timing and What Comes Next

The registrations suggest something is coming in the next few months, not next year. Suunto tends to launch with a regional rollout rather than a global same-day release, so expect the first availability in Europe and North America with other markets following.

Suunto's fall hardware news is otherwise finished. The Race 3S is official and shipping, with North America getting it on October 29. A screenless band would be a second, very different product line for the same quarter, which is a bigger strategic bet than a new colorway.

If you're shopping the category today rather than waiting:

Already a Suunto watch owner? There's no reason to buy anything until Suunto confirms what this is and whether it integrates with the watches you own.
Want the cheapest way in? The Fitbit Air at $99 is still the low-risk option.
Hate subscriptions? Garmin CIRQA or Polar Loop at $199.99, one time, both do the job.

The Bottom Line

Suunto is building a Whoop competitor, and it's borrowing the Polar Loop's cleanest design idea to do it. The hardware is real enough to have passed through three regulators, which means a launch is a matter of timing rather than intent.

What we don't have is anything a buyer can act on: no name, no price, no sensors confirmed, no subscription model revealed. The interesting question for Suunto isn't whether the band works. It's whether the company can resist putting its best health analytics behind a paywall, because that's the trap that makes people choose Garmin instead.

We'll update this when Suunto names the thing.

Sources: certification records listing Suunto model HR264 in Korea (R-R-SUU-HR264), Singapore and the UAE; independent write-ups at Notebookcheck and HardwarePremium describing the filing images. No manufacturer confirmation exists and no second independent discovery of the filings has been published, so treat the specification details as reported rather than verified.

Google Turns On AFib Alerts in Japan for Pixel Watch and Fitbit, Six Years After Apple

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Google quietly opened the door to one of the bigger health features on its wearables in a new market this week, and it did it through app release notes rather than a press release.

Version 5.10 of the Google Health app, rolling out for Android and iOS since October 9, switches on irregular rhythm notifications in Japan. That means Pixel Watch and Fitbit owners in the country can now have their heart rhythm checked in the background for signs of atrial fibrillation, which is the same job the feature has done in the United States for a couple of years.

Japan is not a small addition. It is a market where Apple's equivalent feature has been cleared since 2020, and where selling an AFib alert means going through medical device regulators first. So this is a real clearance, not a software toggle.

What Google Actually Shipped

The release notes for 5.10 list three changes, and the Japan rollout is clearly the headline:

Irregular Rhythm Notifications in Japan. Available on Pixel Watch and Fitbit devices, analyzing heart rhythm data in the background while you are still or asleep to check for signs of AFib. Users set it up in the Health tab of the Google Health app.
A better Readiness Score. The score now pulls in additional signals from your sleep rather than leaning mostly on recovery and activity data.
Delete logged entries by chatting. If you logged something with the Google Health Coach by mistake, you can now ask the coach to remove it, for example "Delete the run I logged this morning." It covers daily entries such as workouts, meals, weight and symptoms. Medical records are excluded.

None of that is a redesign. It is the kind of update Google has been shipping monthly since the Fitbit app was folded into Google Health, and the pattern matters: the app is doing more of the thinking, and the hardware is doing less.

How the AFib Feature Works

Irregular rhythm notifications are passive. You are not asked to run a test or hold still for 30 seconds. The watch samples your heart rhythm while you are resting or sleeping, looks for patterns consistent with atrial fibrillation, and pings you if it finds something.

The important caveat is the same one Google and Apple both print. This is a screening feature, not a diagnosis. It can tell you your rhythm looked off and point you toward a doctor. It cannot tell you that you have AFib, and it cannot catch every episode.

Compared with an ECG reading you trigger yourself, this runs all night and costs you nothing in battery terms you would notice. If you own a Pixel Watch and have never opened the health checks section, the feature has probably been sitting there waiting.

Japan Was the Last Big Hole

This is where the comparison with Apple gets uncomfortable for Google. Apple's ECG app and irregular rhythm notifications cleared Japanese regulators in September 2020, when Japan's medical authorities approved them on the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5. That is six years of head start in a country with an aging population, a strong smartwatch market, and a regulatory system that treats heart-rhythm alerts seriously.

The gap is not only about Japan. Google has been slower to expand its health features country by country than Apple has, and the reasons are mostly the same everywhere: each market needs its own clearance, and each clearance takes time. The difference is that Apple has been doing this since 2018, and Google only started shipping mainstream AFib detection on Pixel Watch in the last few years.

If you are in Japan and you have been waiting on this, the wait is over as of this rollout. Everyone else gets the Readiness Score and chat-deletion changes, which land wherever the app is already available.

Google Health Is Becoming the Product

Two things stand out about this release beyond Japan.

First, the feature set keeps drifting away from the watch and into the app. Readiness Score improvements are server-side analytics. Chat-based log deletion is a Gemini-era interface change. Neither needs new hardware. That is a deliberate strategy for a platform that gets a new watch once a year at best, and it explains why Google can keep announcing updates while selling very similar hardware to last year's models.

Second, the October update for older Pixel Watch models already showed that Google is willing to push meaningful software to hardware it has stopped selling. Combine the two and you get a platform where the watch you bought two years ago is a better product now than it was at launch, which is the opposite of how most of the watch industry works.

The one thing Google still has not done in Japan is the feature that would matter most: loss of pulse detection. That cleared the US FDA for the Pixel Watch 3, and it has not been rolled out broadly. Expect that to be the next long country-by-country process.

What This Means If You Are Shopping

The practical read is straightforward. If AFib screening is the reason you are considering a Pixel Watch, the hardware you need is not exotic:

The current Pixel Watch 5 handles the full feature set, and it is listed on Amazon at the usual discount spread against Google's own store.
The cheaper route is a Fitbit tracker, since the release notes group "Pixel Watch and Fitbit devices" together. The screenless Fitbit Air at $99 is on Amazon too, and it now feeds the same Google Health app that Pixel Watch does.

Apple's Japan rollout in 2020 is a good reminder that this stuff arrives by clearinghouse, not by product cycle. If your country is not on the list yet, it will probably get there eventually. But "eventually" has been Google's weak spot in health features, and Japan just moved off the list after a long wait.

The Bottom Line

Irregular rhythm notifications on Pixel Watch and Fitbit are now live in Japan, and that is a bigger deal than the release notes make it sound. It closes a six-year gap with Apple in one of the world's most important wearable markets, and it puts Google's AFib screening in front of a population that stands to benefit from it most.

The rest of 5.10 is housekeeping: a Readiness Score that finally uses your sleep, and a coach you can tell to undo something. Solid improvements, neither one worth upgrading for. If you have been holding off on a Pixel Watch specifically because the heart-rhythm feature was missing where you live, that argument just got weaker.

Sources: Google Health app 5.10 release notes (rollout began October 9, 2026); Google Health Help Center documentation on irregular rhythm notifications; Google Pixel Watch support pages; write-ups at 9to5Google, Droid-Life, Jetstream and AndroidPure; MacRumors and iDownloadBlog coverage of Japan's September 2020 approval of Apple's ECG app and irregular rhythm notifications. Google has not issued a press release on the Japan rollout, and no regulator filing has been published for it, so the feature availability rests on Google's own release notes.

TAG Heuer Has Reportedly Stopped Making Connected Watches, and the E5 Is Still on Sale

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

TAG Heuer's smartwatch line may have ended months ago without anyone outside France noticing, and the company still hasn't said a word about it.

The original reporting came from La Lettre, a French business outlet that ran the story on August 25 under a headline that translates to "TAG Heuer: LVMH quietly ends the money pit of the connected watch." French watch outlets We Love Watches and Luxe.net followed up with the same details. Then the story sat there for seven weeks, until English-language coverage picked it up this week.

What those reports claim is specific: production of TAG Heuer's Connected smartwatches stopped this summer, remaining stock will be sold off gradually, and sales are expected to wind down by the end of 2027. No successor generation is planned.

TAG Heuer has not confirmed any of it. The product is still on the company's website, still in the configurator, and still listed by retailers.

What We Actually Know

Strip away the speculation and the picture is this:

Production reportedly stopped this summer, months before any of this became public. The claim originates with La Lettre and has been repeated by French and English watch outlets, but it has not been independently confirmed by TAG Heuer or by LVMH.
Sales are meant to continue through the end of 2027, which reads less like a shutdown and more like a sell-through of existing inventory.
No replacement is coming. Nothing in the reporting suggests a sixth generation of the Connected is in development.
The hardware is still on sale right now. UK listings for the Connected Calibre E5 start at around 1,350 pounds, and the model appears in stock on TAG Heuer's own store in multiple sizes.

That last point is what makes this strange. You can go buy a product today that the brand has reportedly stopped building.

The Timing Is the Odd Part

TAG Heuer launched the Connected Calibre E5 in October 2025, and it was the most interesting thing the brand had done in the category in years. The E5 dropped Google's Wear OS entirely and ran TAG Heuer OS, software built in-house by a team of around 60 engineers in Paris. It arrived with Made-for-iPhone certification, better battery life, sleep tracking, HRV and SpO2.

That was not the move of a company preparing to leave. That was a company deciding it could build the software itself rather than rent it from Google.

The line has a long history behind it. TAG Heuer's first Connected arrived in 2015, built with Google and Intel, and it made the brand the most visible Swiss name in smartwatches for a decade. Generations followed every year or two, and the brand kept shipping even as other luxury houses quietly dropped out. The Formula 1 edition that landed in February 2026 looked like a company still investing.

If production really stopped in the summer, the E5 will go down as the shortest-lived reset in the line's history: a full software platform built in-house, then the hardware pulled less than a year later.

Why LVMH Would Kill It

The economics of luxury smartwatches have never worked well, and that is the argument the French report leans on. A mechanical watch sells for thousands, costs little to support, and can be serviced for decades. A connected watch sells for roughly the same money, then needs an operating system team, app updates, server infrastructure and phone compatibility work forever.

On top of that, the resale value collapses. A five-year-old mechanical TAG Heuer still has a market. A five-year-old Connected does not, and buyers know it before they hand over the money. That is a hard sell when the same company wants you to believe in its mechanical range.

The smartwatch market is also not growing the way it was. Global shipments fell again in the second quarter of 2026, with growth concentrated in the brands that sell on features and price rather than on case finishing. Luxury positioning buys you very little when the person comparing your watch to a Pixel Watch sees the same screen and worse battery life.

The Question Nobody Has Answered

Here is the part that should worry anyone who spent over a thousand dollars on an E5.

Once a smartwatch stops selling, support becomes a cost center with no revenue behind it. What happens to TAG Heuer OS updates? How long do the companion app and its health features keep working on the next version of iOS and Android? What happens to any cloud features if the platform is wound down?

None of that has been addressed, because officially nothing has happened yet. Compare it with Garmin, which keeps updating watches years after launch, or with the approach the luxury side of the market has taken by stuffing premium materials around proven watch hardware instead of building new software. TAG Heuer chose the harder path and may now be walking away from it while customers are still under warranty.

If you own a Connected, the practical move is not to panic but to stop expecting much. If you were about to buy one, the reported timeline means you would be buying into a line with no future and no confirmed support commitment.

Where This Leaves Buyers

If what you want is a smartwatch, the honest answer is that the brands with the deepest software support are not the Swiss ones:

A Pixel Watch or Apple Watch gets years of feature updates, health features cleared by regulators, and an ecosystem that will exist in five years, and both are easy to find on Amazon.
If you want a premium watch that is genuinely built for training, Garmin's MARQ line is the closest thing to luxury materials on a platform that gets real updates, and it is listed on Amazon.
If you want a TAG Heuer, the remaining Connected inventory is the cheapest it will ever be. Just go in knowing what it is, and that a mechanical Carrera will hold its value in a way the Connected never will.

The Bottom Line

TAG Heuer reportedly stopped building Connected smartwatches this summer, plans to sell through remaining stock until the end of 2027, and has not announced a successor. The company has not confirmed any of it, and the Calibre E5 is still sitting on its own storefront today.

If the report is right, this is the end of the most ambitious luxury smartwatch project of the last decade: a brand that tried to own its software rather than borrow it, and decided the math did not work. For anyone holding silicon from the E5, the unanswered support question matters more than the exit itself.

We will update this if TAG Heuer or LVMH comments publicly.

Sources: La Lettre report of August 25, 2026; follow-up coverage at We Love Watches and Luxe.net; English write-ups at Gadgets & Wearables, Notebookcheck and Luxus Plus; TAG Heuer's own online store. The production halt is not confirmed by TAG Heuer or LVMH and no regulator filing covers it, so the timeline should be treated as reported rather than verified.

Suunto Race 3S Is Official: $599, Titanium, and a Battery Number That Shrunk From the Leak

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Suunto's Race 3S is official, and the two numbers people were watching both moved. The price went up to $599, and the headline battery claim came down.

If you read our leak coverage two weeks ago, you were told to expect $499 and 45 hours of dual-band GPS. Suunto's own product page now says 38 hours of dual-band tracking, and the price is $599 in North America. That is the difference between a leak and a launch, and it is worth being precise about.

For the record, we tracked this one from the start: the original Race 3 and Race 3 S leak in July, then the IMDA certification in August, then the October 15 leak that got the date right.

What Actually Launched

The Race 3S is the smaller, sportier half of the Race 3 family, aimed at wrists that find the full-size Race 2 too much watch. Here is what Suunto confirmed on October 15:

Case: 46 x 46 x 11.4mm, 56 grams with the strap, titanium bezel and case back
Glass: sapphire crystal, up from Gorilla Glass on the Race S
Display: 1.32-inch AMOLED, 466 x 466, brightness jumping from 600 to 2,000 nits
Battery: 38 hours of dual-band GPS, up from 30 on the Race S, a 46% capacity increase
Cell: silicon-carbon anode, which is how Suunto fit more energy into a barely changed case
Processor: Apollo 510, replacing the Race S chip
Sensor: optical heart rate with six LEDs and four photodiodes, up from four and two
Storage: 64GB, doubled from 32GB
Colours: Titanium Orchid, Titanium Feather and Titanium Black
Water resistance: 5 ATM

Suunto says the Race 3S carries 46% more battery capacity than the Race S, which is the real engineering story here. Silicon-carbon cells pack more energy per unit of volume than the graphite-based lithium-ion designs most sports watches still use, and it shows up as eight extra hours of dual-band GPS in a case that grew by a single millimeter.

The Leak Got the Date and the Tech, Missed the Numbers

The October 3 leak called the October 15 date correctly, and it called the silicon-carbon battery, the sapphire upgrade and the 2,000-nit screen. Where it went wrong is the two figures buyers actually care about.

The leaked material listed $499 for the US and 45 hours of dual-band GPS. Suunto's launch material says $599 and 38 hours. That is a $100 swing and a 16% cut to the headline battery rating, and it is a reminder that pre-launch marketing slides are not spec sheets.

The battery figure was the shakiest part of the leak at the time. Doubling endurance in a same-size case without silicon-carbon would have been implausible, but even with it, the 45-hour number looked optimistic. Thirty-eight hours against the Race S's 30 is still a solid generational jump. It is just not the leap the leak sold.

AI Coach Now Comes With a Subscription

The bigger software change is Suunto AI Coach, rebuilt for the Race 3S. Instead of just showing you training load and recovery, it now answers questions about your own data, builds structured workouts, and can generate running plans and routes that sync to the watch.

The catch is the pricing model. Buy a Race 3S and activate it before December 31, 2026 and you get three months free. After that, continued use needs a paid subscription. Suunto's standard training analysis and existing app features stay available without it, so this sits on top of the platform rather than gating it.

Support for the new coach on existing Suunto watches is planned for early 2027, so Race 3S owners get it first.

Two features are promised but not ready. Offline music, which plays locally stored MP3 and WAV files over Bluetooth, and Suunto Race Planner, which paces a trail race using the course elevation profile and forecast weather, both arrive through post-launch software updates with no firm dates.

What the Community Is Saying

Reaction on r/Suunto has been split, and the skepticism is not about hardware. Threads leading up to the launch repeatedly raised software quality and the AI Coach subscription as the reasons people would hold off. One commenter summed up the mood on the hardware-versus-software gap directly, saying they would not buy "until I see improvements in software quality."

That is a fair note for Suunto. The materials and battery story here are genuinely good. Whether the watch feels worth $599 depends on software Suunto has not fully shipped yet.

Our Read

The Race 3S is a real upgrade, not a rebadge. Sapphire, the brighter screen, the doubled storage and the optical sensor bump are all sensible, and a 46% capacity gain from silicon-carbon is the kind of change that filters down through the rest of the market within a year.

The pricing is the hard part. At $599 the Race 3S sits right where the titanium Race 2 sits, and the full-size Race 2 still offers dual-band GPS and offline maps. Anyone on a Race S does not need to rush. Anyone choosing between the two new Suuntos, though, should note that Race 3 has been leaked but not yet announced, and Suunto's own launch language points at it landing in the weeks ahead.

Bottom Line

Suunto shipped the Race 3S on the date the leak predicted and with the battery technology the leak predicted, but at a higher price and a lower endurance rating than the rumor mill promised. If you want a chest strap to go with it for anything interval-based, Suunto's Smart Heart Rate Belt is the better call than trusting the wrist sensor, whatever the LED count.

The US and Asia-Pacific release lands on October 29. Between now and then, the Race 3 remains the open question.

Sources: Suunto's official Race 3S product page (38-hour dual-band GPS rating, 56g weight, 2,000-nit AMOLED, 64GB storage, three titanium colourways) and Suunto's Race 3S launch material as reported by Gadgets & Wearables on October 15, 2026 (46% capacity increase, Apollo 510 processor, six-LED/four-photodiode heart rate sensor, AI Coach trial terms, offline music and Race Planner timing); T3's October 15 launch write-up (435 pounds / 499 euros in Europe and $599 in North America on October 29); Front Pack Sports' October 15 launch coverage ($599 US price, October 15 EMEA and China availability, October 29 North America); r/Suunto community threads from September and October 2026 on software quality and the AI Coach subscription; and our own October 3, 2026 leak article for the $499 / 45-hour figures that the official launch superseded.

Garmin's 23.40 Update Fixes the Fenix 8 Heart Rate Failure

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Garmin has started pushing software 23.40 to Fenix 8 owners, and for once the changelog does not dance around the problem. Buried between two smaller bug fixes is a line that says exactly what happened to a group of owners over the last few weeks.

"Fixes optical heart rate sensor not working."

That is Garmin on its own forums, confirming the fault we wrote about on October 3, and shipping the actual repair.

What Went Wrong in the First Place

Version 23.39 arrived in late September as a real feature release. It added the "OK Garmin" voice wake phrase, suggested running workouts and indoor XC skiing. On a subset of watches it also killed the optical heart rate sensor.

The failure was not subtle. The green and red LEDs on the back of the watch stopped lighting up entirely. No wrist heart rate. No Pulse Ox. No overnight HRV. Because those readings feed the rest of the system, sleep tracking and Body Battery data disappeared too, which turned a flagship multisport watch into something a lot less useful.

Owners tried everything. A full power-off for more than 90 seconds revived some watches. Others needed a firmware reinstall or a rollback to the older 22.44 build, which brought back the previous sensor hub firmware. Factory resets worked for a few. None of it was dependable, and some watches came back only to fail again a few days later. Garmin support even told one owner their watch might need replacing if the reinstall did not take.

Now it looks like none of that was necessary.

What 23.40 Actually Changes

The official rollout post on the Garmin Forums, written by a Garmin staff account, lists four changes in 23.40 since 23.39:

Fixes crash when enabling active heart rate broadcasting via Garmin Connect Mobile
Fixes silent mode not muting notifications
Fixes optical heart rate sensor not working
Fixes other minor issues

That is a compact hotfix rather than a feature drop. If you were hoping 23.40 would bring new training tools or an interface refresh, it does not. Garmin is treating this as a repair job, which is the right call given what owners went through.

The heart rate line is the one that matters most. It also means the dead sensor was a software fault after all, not failing hardware, which is consistent with what the recovery workarounds suggested. If your Fenix 8 or Tactix 8 lost heart rate after 23.39, install 23.40 before you accept that the sensor is broken.

Which Watches Get It, and When

The rollout began on October 13 and Garmin says it is sitting at about 20 percent of eligible watches, with the percentage climbing over time. That staged approach is normal for Garmin, but it means the update may not arrive on your watch for a few days.

You do not have to wait. On the watch, open the main menu, go to Settings, then System, then Software Update, and choose Check for Updates.

Coverage is broader than the Fenix 8 line alone. The Fenix 8 AMOLED (Non-Pro) announcement is the one carrying the explicit sensor fix, and Garmin has published a matching 23.40 rollout for the Tactix 8 AMOLED. Garmin Rumors reports the same build also reaching the Fenix 8 Solar, the Enduro 3, the Fenix E, the Quatix 8 and the D2 Mach 2, which fits the way Garmin ships a shared software branch across its outdoor family.

We covered the same flaw when it first surfaced, including the device list and the recovery methods that owners were using, in our report on the 23.39 heart rate failure. That piece is worth a read if you want the full picture of the symptoms, but the short version is that the repair is here now.

Not Every Fix Lands Cleanly

There is already one early complaint attached to the new build. A thread on the Garmin Forums titled "23.40 problem" describes alert sounds going very quiet after the update, with one owner saying the volume dropped to a level that made notifications effectively inaudible. That is a single report so far and it may not generalize, but if your alerts sound different after installing 23.40, you are not imagining it, and a check of the sound and volume settings is worth the two minutes.

Garmin has also had a rough software stretch beyond heart rate. The company shipped 22.44 earlier this year to clean up display complaints, and we followed the brightness bug that left some Fenix 8 screens stuck at full tilt and draining battery in our coverage of that fault. Taken together, this has been a year where the Fenix 8 line's software, not its hardware, has been the thing owners complain about.

If Your Heart Rate Is Still Missing

Install 23.40 first. If the sensor stays dark after the update has finished and the watch has restarted, then the fault is likely hardware and it is time to open a case with Garmin, because the change log gives you a clear statement that the software side was addressed.

While you sort that out, a chest strap keeps your training data flowing without relying on the wrist sensor at all. A Garmin HRM chest strap pairs over ANT or Bluetooth and feeds the watch directly, so your load and recovery metrics stay intact even with the optical sensor out of action.

If you are in the market rather than troubleshooting, the Garmin Fenix 8 range now runs on a build where this particular problem is understood and closed out, which is a better place to buy into the platform than it was two weeks ago.

Bottom Line

Garmin shipped a substantial update, a slice of Fenix 8 and Tactix 8 owners lost wrist heart rate, and now a 20 percent rollout of 23.40 is putting it back. The changelog says the quiet part out loud, which is more than affected owners got from support at the time.

The rollout is slow, so check for the update manually instead of waiting for it to appear. If you have been living without heart rate, HRV and Body Battery for the last few weeks, this is the release that should give them back. And if it does not, you now have a document from Garmin saying the software was at fault, which makes the warranty conversation a lot easier.

For the wider picture of where Garmin's software releases have been landing this year, our Fenix 8 update tracker keeps the running list.

Sources: Garmin Forums official rollout posts for Fenix 8 AMOLED (Non-Pro) and Tactix 8 AMOLED system software 23.40 (October 13, 2026), including the published change log and staged rollout percentage; Garmin Rumors' report on the Fenix 8 series stable version 23.40 and the wider device list; Garmin News' write-up of the 23.40 release notes; Gadgets & Wearables' October 14, 2026 report on the heart rate fix and the earlier 23.39 failure; and our own October 3, 2026 coverage of the 23.39 sensor failure.

Apple Watch Sleep Apnea Notifications Finally Go Live in China

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Apple Watch owners in mainland China woke up today to a feature the rest of the world has had for two years. Sleep apnea notifications went live across the country on October 14, pushed out as an over the air update to iOS and watchOS.

The timing is not a coincidence. Apple quietly secured a medical device registration certificate from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in September for the software behind the feature, and today it started shipping. The delay was never about the sensors. It was about regulatory clearance in one of the few markets where health features need their own approval before they can be switched on.

What Actually Arrives

The feature watches for sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Apple estimates more than a billion people worldwide have it and that most cases go undiagnosed. Left untreated, it is linked to higher risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The detection method is not what most people assume. There is no new sensor involved, and the watch is not reading your breathing directly. Instead, the accelerometer picks up subtle movements at the wrist that line up with interruptions in your normal breathing rhythm. Apple turns those signals into a metric it calls Breathing Disturbances, which you can see in the Health app on iPhone and iPad, sorted into "Elevated" or "Not Elevated" and viewable across one month, six months or a year.

Those nightly readings are analyzed on a rolling 30-day window. If the data shows consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, you get a notification. It includes the time periods where the pattern showed up, educational material about why treatment matters, and a PDF report carrying three months of breathing disturbance data that you can hand to a doctor when you discuss diagnosis and treatment.

Apple says the algorithm was built with deep learning on large clinical-grade sleep apnea test datasets and has been validated in a clinical study. We covered the medical side of Apple's health push when hypertension notifications expanded to 33 countries, and this lands in the same bucket of features that arrive market by market rather than all at once.

Which Watches Get It

Support runs from the Apple Watch Series 9 forward, along with the Ultra 2 and the SE 3 and the newer models in each line. If you are on a Series 12 or an Ultra 4, you are covered. Older watches that lack the accelerometer sensitivity required for the breathing disturbance signal are not on the list.

The feature is aimed at users 18 and over who have not already been diagnosed with sleep apnea. That last detail matters. It is a screening tool, not a treatment monitor, and Apple is explicit that a notification is a prompt to see a clinician rather than a diagnosis in itself.

You will need to update both the iPhone and the watch to see it. In China that rolled out overnight on October 14. If your watch is on the newest software and the Health app still does not show breathing disturbances, the usual fix applies: confirm the feature has actually been enabled in the Health app rather than assuming it switches on by itself.

Why This Took Two Years

Sleep apnea detection first shipped in the United States in September 2024 alongside watchOS 11, following FDA clearance. Bringing it to China meant a separate pathway through the NMPA, which classifies this kind of software as a medical device in its own right. That process is slow, it is not transferable between countries, and it is the reason the same feature can be live in fifty markets and missing in the fifty-first.

It is also a reminder of how uneven Apple's health rollout remains. Blood oxygen features have been caught up in patent disputes in the US. Hypertension notifications have been arriving in waves rather than everywhere at once. Sleep apnea is now the latest feature to clear a major market after a long wait, and given the size of the Chinese Apple Watch base, this is a meaningful one.

For owners in other regions still waiting, the mechanism is unchanged. Apple has to file for clearance country by country, and the certificate is issued market by market. There is no global switch.

What It Means for Buyers

If you are shopping in a market where the feature is live, the practical difference between a Series 9 and the current Series 12 is smaller than the price gap suggests for sleep tracking specifically. Both can run breathing disturbance detection, and both will surface the same 30-day analysis. Where the newer models pull ahead is in the broader sensor package and battery life, which is why we still point most buyers at the newer generation when the budget allows.

The Apple Watch Series 12 is the default pick for most people who want the health features without the rugged build premium, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is the one to look at if you want the longer battery and the tougher case.

One caveat worth stating plainly: none of this replaces a sleep study. A notification from your wrist is a nudge, and the PDF is there to give a specialist something to work with. Treat it that way and it is genuinely useful. Treat it as a diagnosis and you are using it wrong.

Bottom Line

Apple Watch sleep apnea notifications are live in mainland China as of October 14, backed by an NMPA medical device registration certificate obtained in September. Support covers the Series 9, Ultra 2 and SE 3 and newer, and the feature works by tracking wrist movement with the accelerometer rather than measuring breathing directly.

For Chinese owners this ends a two-year wait for a feature that has been standard elsewhere since 2024. For everyone else, it is a clear look at how Apple's health features actually reach your wrist: one regulatory approval at a time.

Sources: Apple China Newsroom's October 14, 2026 announcement that sleep apnea notifications are available today on Apple Watch, including the NMPA medical device registration certificate, the breathing disturbances metric, the 30-day analysis window and the three-month PDF report; MacRumors' October 14, 2026 report on the launch and the supported model list; Sina's October 14, 2026 coverage of the overnight OTA push and the 18-and-over undiagnosed user criteria; KuCoin's October 14, 2026 flash on the Class II medical device approval; and BigGo Finance's October 14, 2026 report on the two-year wait for the feature in mainland China.

Samsung Health's October Update Overhauls Sleep Coaching and Running Coach

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Samsung is rolling out a substantial update to Samsung Health this month, and two of the features Galaxy Watch owners actually use are getting reworked. Sleep Coaching becomes far easier to start, and Running Coach gets harder to outgrow.

The company confirmed the changes in a press release out of Korea on October 14. The features arrive progressively through Samsung Health app updates starting in October, so the exact day you see them will depend on your region and device.

Sleep Coaching Stops Making You Wait

The old requirement was seven days of sleep data in a month before Sleep Coaching would begin. That is now down to three days of data in the past two weeks, which is a much lower bar for anyone who picked up a Galaxy Watch recently or only wears it overnight part of the time.

Setup is still a survey. You answer questions about sleep regularity, how often you wake up, alcohol and caffeine intake, and how satisfied you feel with your sleep. Samsung then assigns a Sleep Animal symbol based on the pattern and builds a coaching program that runs four to eight weeks, adjusted around your goals.

What changes after that is the interesting part. The program now adapts its weekly recommendations as your sleep shifts, rather than holding the plan it started with. Samsung says it leans on behavioral sleep science and issues daily habit checklists and tips, things like avoiding screens an hour before bed, skipping caffeine late in the day, and getting outside to stretch after you wake up.

There is also a new reporting view. The Sleep Balance graph is a pentagon shape that puts five indicators on one screen: sleep time, sleep regularity, awake time during the night, sleep satisfaction and Energy Score. Alongside it, morning insight messages review the previous night and tie into the weekly and final reports.

If that pentagon looks familiar in spirit, it is the same instinct Apple had with its Readiness score and the same one Garmin has chased with Body Battery and Training Readiness. Everyone is trying to compress a pile of sensor data into a shape you can read in two seconds before your coffee lands.

Running Coach Gets Two More Levels

Running Coach previously topped out at 10 training tiers. It now runs to 12, with the new levels aimed at intermediate and advanced runners who were running out of program before they were running out of ambition.

The plan is still generated from either a 12-minute running test or your own historical running data. The difference is that faster runners now have somewhere to go inside the coaching system instead of exporting their training somewhere else.

Samsung also added a social layer. Workout data can now be exported into share-ready templates built for social platforms, which is a straightforward bid to get personal records and route highlights posted without a screenshot and a caption. Whether you want your training on a template is a separate question.

Strava Routes Come to Samsung Health

The change with the most practical upside is the Strava integration. Samsung Health can now import Strava Routes for running, trail running and cycling, which means the routes you have been collecting on Strava stop being stranded there.

For anyone who plans long runs or rides somewhere unfamiliar, that closes one of the more annoying gaps in the Galaxy Watch ecosystem. You could already push workouts out to Strava, but pulling a planned route back in was the missing half.

"Samsung Health's personalized coaching empowers users to understand their health data, taking a step toward supporting everyday wellness," said Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team for the Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. He also said the company will "continue to leverage the Galaxy ecosystem and our technology to build a trusted health platform." That framing lines up with how Samsung has been positioning the Galaxy Watch against the Pixel Watch and Apple Watch in health features rather than hardware.

We have covered that comparison closely this year, including how the Galaxy Watch 9 stacks up against Google's Pixel Watch 4 on coaching tools, and the full Galaxy Watch 9 launch and pricing breakdown if you are still deciding which model to buy.

What You Need to Actually Get It

Two things have to line up. You need the updated Samsung Health app, which is where the coaching interface lives, and you need a Galaxy Watch providing the sleep and running data that feeds it. The sleep coaching program is driven by the watch's overnight tracking, and Running Coach depends on the watch's GPS and heart rate during sessions.

Samsung says the rollout is progressive rather than a single switch, so there is nothing to force. Check the Galaxy Store for a Samsung Health update, then look in the Sleep section for the new setup flow and the pentagon graph.

If you are still on an older Galaxy Watch, the features are worth knowing about because they are one of the clearest reasons to stay inside Samsung's ecosystem rather than switching. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is the current model those features are built around, and if you want a lighter band for overnight wear, a fabric Galaxy Watch strap makes sleeping in the watch a lot more tolerable, which matters when the three-day data requirement is what stands between you and better sleep tracking.

Bottom Line

Samsung's October update does two useful things at once: it lowers the effort needed to start Sleep Coaching from a week of nights to a long weekend, and it gives serious runners a reason to keep using Running Coach past the tenth tier. The Strava Routes import is the sleeper feature of the three.

Nothing here is a new sensor or a new watch. It is a software update that makes existing Galaxy Watch hardware do more, and those are often the updates that actually change how you use the thing on your wrist.

Sources: Samsung Newsroom's October 14, 2026 press release on the Samsung Health update, including the three-day Sleep Coaching data requirement, the Sleep Balance graph and its five indicators, the expansion of Running Coach from 10 to 12 training tiers, the Strava Routes import and the Hon Pak quote; Sammy Fans' October 13, 2026 report on the same update; and PhoneArena's October 2026 coverage of the Galaxy Watch feature improvements.

Amazfit's October Update Brings On-Watch Route Planning and a Smarter HYROX Mode

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Amazfit pushed a fresh software update to three of its current watches today, and the theme is the outdoors.

The Balance 2, the Balance Ultra and the Balance 3 are all getting new navigation and mapping features, a reworked HYROX training mode, and a batch of fixes that target exactly the things owners complain about on long workouts. Amazfit published the release notes on its own product update page on October 14.

If you own one of these watches, here is what actually changes.

Topographic maps get a heading

The headline addition is GPS Heading in Topographic Maps. Until now, the topographic map view showed your position but not the direction you were facing. The watch now displays your heading in the topo map app, matching what workout navigation already does on the newer models.

That sounds minor until you are standing at a trail junction with the map rotated in your head. A heading indicator removes that guesswork.

Alongside it, Amazfit optimized the topographic map display and refined on-watch route creation. You can now navigate to a point up to 100 km away, and the watch adapts contour-line precision dynamically as you zoom. Amazfit recommends updating through the Zepp app rather than the watch itself to get the new map data.

Map downloads also improved. You can now pull combined multi-level cloud maps in one go, and the watch displays the map version so you know what you are actually running.

Route planning splits by model

This is where the three watches differ, and it is worth checking your specific model.

Balance 2 adds Offline Route Planning, which lets you build a route directly on the watch with no network connection at all.
Balance Ultra and Balance 3 add route preview, so you can look over a route on the watch before you commit to starting navigation.

In practice that is two answers to the same problem. The Balance 2 lets you create routes anywhere, even off-grid. The higher-end watches let you review a route before you follow it.

HYROX gets a proper workflow

Amazfit has been leaning hard into HYROX training this year, and this update tightens the loop between the app and the watch.

On the Balance Ultra and Balance 3, the HYROX Training Library in Zepp now connects more cleanly to the HYROX Simulation Workouts on the watch. The idea is that you pick a session in the app and then run it on the watch without the fiddly hand-off. Simulation settings also gained more flexibility for configuring stations and laps, so you can match a session to what you are actually training. You will find it under Home > HYROX Workouts Library.

The Balance 2 takes a different route. It adds HYROX Race with Stryd integration, which feeds real-time pace metrics from a Stryd foot pod into a HYROX race session. For anyone racing HYROX rather than just training for it, that is the more interesting addition.

The fixes you will feel

Amazfit also shipped a long list of smaller changes, and a few of these matter more than the marquee features.

GPS accuracy under tree cover. Both the GPS track and real-time pace were improved in tree-covered environments, which is the classic weak spot for wrist-based pacing on trail runs.
No more mid-workout restarts on huge routes. Amazfit fixed a bug that could restart the watch during workouts with extremely long routes or a high number of segments. If you have ever lost a four-hour ride to a reboot, this one is for you.
Diving improvements. Depth calculations, descent and ascent detection were refined, and system notifications are now suppressed during dive workouts.
Training Calendar in Battery Saver Mode. The calendar used to be unavailable in Battery Saver, and that is fixed.
Screen wake behavior. Screen-on duration is now tuned per scenario, and a bug that woke the screen unexpectedly after wake-on-notification was disabled is gone.
BioCharge during workouts. The BioCharge status change can now be viewed while you are training, not just at rest.
Custom watch face indicators. You can choose which status indicators appear on the watch face.
Weather in workout records now shows a narrower range of data, and a handful of Korean translation issues in workout scenarios were fixed.

Amazfit also cleaned up the low-battery status icons and the display style of workout lists in the Training Library.

Where this lands

None of these changes is a new watch. They are the kind of refinements that decide whether a watch feels finished two years after launch, and Amazfit has been steady about delivering them.

The navigation work is the piece worth watching. On-watch routing and offline route planning are features Garmin owners have had for years, and they are the last real gap between Amazfit's hardware and its software. The Balance line already matches or beats watches that cost twice as much on GPS accuracy, heart rate and battery life. We made that case in our Balance 3 vs Balance Ultra comparison, and the pattern has held since.

It also continues a busy stretch for the brand. We covered how Amazfit's August update rewrote training features across eight watches, and the same navigation-first approach showed up in the T-Rex 3 route planning update.

If you are in the market for a training watch that undercuts Garmin on price, the Amazfit Balance 3 is the current sweet spot, and the Amazfit Balance Ultra is the one to look at if you want the HYROX tooling and the bigger case.

Bottom line

Amazfit's October update is a maintenance release with real substance. Topographic heading, on-watch routing out to 100 km and a cleaner HYROX workflow are genuine capability upgrades, not bug-fix padding, and the tree-cover GPS fix addresses the complaint trail runners actually post about.

Watch for it over the air in the Zepp app. These rollouts tend to move in waves, so if your watch has not offered it yet, give it a few days.

Sources: Amazfit's official Balance Series software update release notes published on its product update page (October 14, 2026), including the device-scoped feature lists for the Balance 2, Balance Ultra and Balance 3; Amazfit's regional product update pages confirming the same release; and our earlier coverage of Amazfit's August 2026 update and the T-Rex 3 route planning update for context. No independent outlet has written up this specific October rollout yet, so every feature detail here is drawn from the manufacturer's own release notes.

Garmin MARQ Gen 3 Is Official: Six Titanium Tool Watches, $2,500 to $3,100

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

A day after its own support pages gave the whole thing away, Garmin made the MARQ Gen 3 official. The third-generation collection brings six watches, a long list of features that have been standard on Garmin's sports watches for years, and prices that start at $2,500.

That last number is the headline for a lot of people. It is also beside the point for the buyer Garmin is chasing here. MARQ has never been about value. It is about taking the flagship Garmin platform and wrapping it in titanium, sapphire and ceramic, then charging luxury-adjacent money for it.

The problem with Gen 2 is that the wrapping got old. Launched in October 2022, it stayed on the epix (Gen 2) platform for four years while the Fenix line moved on twice. Gen 3 finally closes that gap.

Six Watches, Six Prices

The new collection is the first to include a Diver as a standard model. Garmin's own release calls it "the newest member of the MARQ lineup." The full set:

MARQ Athlete - $2,500. Silicone strap, VO2 max markings on the ceramic bezel.
MARQ Adventurer - $2,700. Italian full-grain leather strap, compass bezel, ClimbPro built in.
MARQ Golfer - $2,800. 18-hole bezel indicator, woven strap, 43,000-plus preloaded courses.
MARQ Aviator - $3,100. Flight mapping, aviation weather, UTC hand.
MARQ Commander - $3,100. Camo jacquard band, stealth mode, night vision compatibility, Applied Ballistics solver.
MARQ Diver - $3,100. Sealed buttons rated to 40 meters for scuba, apnea and snorkeling, plus boating tools like autopilot control and tack assist.

All six share the same hardware underneath. The differences come down to straps, bezel inlays, watch faces and a handful of software tools that Garmin turns on or off per model. That is the same product-differentiation game Garmin has run through two MARQ generations, and nobody should expect it to stop now.

One note on the model list: some early coverage named the Commander as the new addition to the range. It is new as a standard model here, but Garmin's own press release points to the Diver as the newest member, so that is the version we are going with.

The Display Is Finally Modern

The single biggest visual change is the screen. Gen 2 used a 1.2-inch AMOLED panel. Gen 3 moves to a 1.4-inch borderless AMOLED with a 452 x 452 resolution, up to 3,000 nits of brightness, and a sapphire lens over the top.

Borderless matters more than the spec sheet suggests. The display now runs all the way to the edge of the bezel, which is the kind of change you notice on the wrist before you notice anything else.

The case is 47mm Grade 5 titanium, 15mm thick, and about 62 grams without the strap. Each model gets its own ceramic bezel inlay, and the Aviator, Commander and Diver versions all carry UTC or compass markings depending on the edition. Garmin also added the case flashlight that has become a staple across its outdoor range.

inReach Comes to MARQ

The most consequential addition is connectivity. All six Gen 3 watches get embedded inReach support, which means LTE calling and messaging without a phone nearby, satellite messaging when there is no cell signal, live location sharing through the Garmin Messenger app, and emergency SOS through the Garmin Response coordination center.

This is the same trick the Fenix 8 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro pulled. Garmin is pushing its satellite and LTE hardware down the range, and MARQ got it in one generation rather than two. A built-in speaker and microphone make the calls and voice messages possible, and Garmin says emergency SOS messaging is available even to owners who are not actively subscribed to a service plan.

There is a catch. The LTE and satellite features require a subscription, and satellite connectivity on a watch carries real limitations compared to a dedicated inReach device. Coverage is not universal, and performance can drop in the situations where you would most want it to work. Garmin points buyers to its own feature-requirements page for the fine print.

If you want the longer explanation of what Garmin's location sharing actually does, our Garmin Locate explainer walks through it.

Health, Maps and the Rest

Gen 3 picks up the ECG app for AFib detection in supported regions, along with the recovery and wellness stack Garmin has been building out: stress, sleep, Pulse Ox, HRV, a morning report, and an evening report that lays out how much sleep you need and what tomorrow's workout looks like.

Navigation gets preloaded worldwide TopoActive maps with address search, which is a genuine upgrade for travel. You can search for an address and navigate to it straight from the watch, no phone and no preloaded course required.

Storage jumps from 32GB to 128GB across the range. Battery life is rated at up to 18 days in smartwatch mode, or about seven days with the always-on display switched on.

What Gen 3 Actually Fixes

Buyers who paid Gen 2 money often complained they were getting Fenix 6-era hardware in a nicer case. Gen 3 is built on the current flagship platform, so that argument is dead.

The other fix is materials engineering. Garmin used nano-molding to bind titanium to a polymer blend, which matters because radio signals will not pass through metal. Rather than bridging the two sections with gaskets, Garmin says it molecularly bonds them. The result is a thinner case with better environmental sealing, and buttons that use an inductive sensor instead of a physical contact with the internals. That is how the Diver earns its 40-meter rating.

None of this changes what MARQ is. If you want most of this feature set for a third of the price, a Garmin Fenix 8 or a Fenix 9 gets you there. MARQ buyers are paying for the case, the ceramic and the sapphire as much as for software.

Availability

Garmin says the collection is available now at prices starting at $2,500, with broader retail availability following on November 5. We covered the support-page leak that preceded this launch in our MARQ Gen 3 leak report, and the Gen 3 preview has the full lineup history going back to the 2019 original.

Bottom Line

Four years is a long time in wearables, and the MARQ Gen 3 is Garmin finally giving its luxury line hardware worth the price tag. The bigger screen, the ECG app, the inReach hardware and the 128GB of storage all land in one generation rather than trickling out.

Whether that justifies $2,500 is a question only you can answer. For everyone else, the more interesting story is that Garmin is now shipping satellite and LTE connectivity at the top of its range as a standard feature. That is the technology that will make its way down the lineup next, and MARQ just showed us where it is headed.

Sources: Garmin's official press release for MARQ - the third generation, dated October 13, 2026 (primary, with full model list, materials, inReach, ECG and battery figures); a hands-on debut from aBlogtoWatch, which attended the launch in Mallorca and reports the price breakdown, the 47mm case, the nano-molded titanium and the inductive pushers; Wareable on the display change and the global November 5 retail date; Gadgets & Wearables on the spec comparison against Gen 2; Garmin's own model history for the Gen 2 lineup, which launched in October 2022 with five models (Athlete, Adventurer, Golfer, Captain and Aviator). Sources differed on whether the Commander or the Diver is the new model; Garmin's release names the Diver, so we followed Garmin.

Garmin's New API Terms Just Cut Off a Coaching App, and More Could Follow

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

On Friday, October 9, the developer behind Intervals.icu posted a short message on his own forum that has since turned into the biggest thing to hit Garmin's training community this year.

"Unfortunately Garmin terms and conditions have been updated and It is likely that we will have to block access to Garmin data via the API soon. We didn't receive any announcement or notification, the new T&C's popped up in the Garmin developer portal."

Intervals.icu is one of the most widely used training platforms in endurance sport. If it has to block Garmin data, a lot of people lose access to a lot of their own workouts.

Three days later, the first app died. Intervals Pro, an AI coaching service built entirely on top of Intervals.icu, has closed. Its own site says it plainly: "Garmin data will no longer be available through Intervals.icu, which the coach depends on, so coaching has stopped." Billing stopped with it, prepaid time is being refunded automatically, and conversations can be downloaded until October 19.

That is the shape of this story so far. Nothing has been finalized, Garmin has said nothing publicly, and one company has already shut down because of it.

What Garmin Actually Changed

The clause at the center of this is 5.1(o) of the Garmin Connect Developer Program Agreement. It prohibits a licensee from:

developing a Licensee application programming interface to provide End User Data to third-party websites, software applications, platforms, services, or products that have not been approved by Garmin in writing.

In plain terms, Garmin's partners can pull data out of Garmin Connect. What they cannot do is run their own API that hands that same data to somebody else without permission. Intervals.icu is exactly that kind of hub. Apps and coaching services read your activities and wellness data by going through Intervals.icu rather than through Garmin directly, and that is the chain the clause targets.

Here is the wrinkle, and it matters for how you read all of this. Forum members went looking for the actual change and could not find new wording. One long-time user checked the public PDFs: the text of 5.1(o) is identical in the October 2023 version and the March 2026 version. Another pointed out that a diff of the live terms against the older documents shows no difference either.

So the likely change is not new language. It is new enforcement of language that was already sitting there. Garmin is telling partners that a rule it never pushed on before now applies.

What Intervals.icu's Developer Says

David, who runs Intervals.icu, has been careful not to overstate things, and that caution is worth preserving.

On October 9 he confirmed he had "a good call with Garmin today about the updated terms and conditions" and that they were "continuing to discuss what this means for all athletes including those using the API for their own personal analysis and projects."

On October 12 he went further on scope, while flagging it as speculation rather than settled fact:

Everything Garmin-sourced is probably in scope. Activities, wellness data, Fit files and streams.
Historical data is likely affected too. "This will likely apply to historical data, anything that came in via the Garmin API." That is the part that is spooking people. This is not only about new workouts, it is about years of training history already sitting in Intervals.icu.
Files you upload yourself look safe. A Garmin Fit file you export and upload manually "is likely ok," because it did not arrive through Garmin's partner API.

He also said nothing is final: "We are still talking to Garmin and nothing has been finalised yet."

The Second Front: Garmin Is Stripping Data From Fit Files

Separate from the terms change, something else has been happening since late September. Garmin has been filtering its own metrics out of the Fit files it sends to partners.

The community project garmin-intervals-bridge documents this in detail. Its description says Garmin "strips its own metrics from the Fit files it hands to partners," naming Stamina, Recovery Time, VO2 max, Performance Condition, Training Effect and Sweat Loss. The bridge works by pulling the original file from your own Garmin Connect account and filling the missing fields back in on the activity the official sync already created.

You can see the pattern here. Garmin's partner sync still delivers your workout. It just arrives with fewer of Garmin's own computed metrics attached. For anyone using a third-party platform to track training load or recovery, those are not cosmetic fields.

What This Means If You Own a Garmin Watch

The practical fallout depends on how your data moves.

If an app talks to Garmin Connect directly, it keeps working. The platform you sync to straight from Garmin, whether that is Strava, TrainingPeaks or anything else with its own Garmin connection, is not affected by this. The terms govern partners passing Garmin data onward, not partners receiving it.

If an app reads your data through Intervals.icu, it is exposed. That is the Intervals Pro case, and it will not be the only one. Multiple developers in the same thread said their apps are affected, including coaching platforms and analysis tools built on the Intervals API.

Your historical activities may go dark through the API. This is the worst-case scenario David described. Even if new uploads keep working, anything that arrived via the Garmin API could stop being visible to authorized third-party apps.

Manual uploads are the escape hatch. Export your Fit files from Garmin Connect yourself and upload them, or use a tool like the bridge that fetches the original file with your own login. David's read is that self-uploaded files sit outside the terms, because they were not delivered through Garmin's partner API.

Your watch keeps working normally. Nothing here changes how a Garmin Forerunner or a Garmin Fenix records a run. The fence is around what happens to the file afterward.

Why People Think This Is Happening

Garmin has not explained the change, so the community is connecting dots, and the dots are not hard to connect.

In July, Garmin bought TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic, two of the biggest coaching platforms in endurance and strength training. In September, Garmin paused new applications to the Connect Developer Program and removed the signup form, with no reopening date and no notification list. And Garmin now sells AI-driven insights through Connect+, its subscription tier.

Put those together and you get a company that owns a major training platform, has closed the door to new partners, sells a subscription on top of your data, and is now telling existing partners to stop passing that data along. Whether that is a strategy or a coincidence, it reads as one from the outside. "I guess it's finally time to move over to Coros," one member wrote. Others went further: several said the news tipped their next watch or bike computer purchase away from Garmin entirely.

There is also a legal argument in the thread. EU users have data portability rights under the Data Act, which has applied since September 2025, and the argument goes that a contract term cannot take away a user's right to move data they generated. David's response to that was the right one: he is an engineer managing a platform, not a lawyer, and he is not going to build his business on a legal theory he cannot test.

The Bottom Line

Three weeks ago, Garmin's developer story was that new partners could not get in. Now the story is that existing partners may have to stop sharing the data they already receive, and that data may include your history going back years.

Intervals Pro is already gone. Garmin and Intervals.icu are still talking, and the outcome is not settled. But the direction is one-way: Garmin is pulling its training ecosystem tighter around itself, one layer at a time.

If you live in a coaching platform that sits behind another platform, this is the week to find out how your data actually reaches it. If the answer involves a Garmin API somewhere upstream, a manual Fit export is worth setting up now, before you need it.

Sources: the Intervals.icu forum API access thread (developer posts of October 9 and October 12, and community replies), the Garmin Connect Developer Program Agreement published on Garmin's developer portal (clause 5.1(o)), Intervals Pro's own closure notice at intervals.pro, the garmin-intervals-bridge project documentation covering Garmin's Fit file filtering, and our earlier coverage of the Connect Developer Program pause, the TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic acquisition, and Connect+.

Google Is Retiring the Fitbit App for Good, and the Fitbit Web API Dies October 30

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

If you are one of the Fitbit loyalists who kept the original app alive by refusing to update, your run just ended.

Over the weekend, holdouts started seeing a prompt that has no real escape hatch: "A newer Fitbit app is available. Updating is recommended." The word is doing a lot of work there. The only button is Update, and users report they cannot tap past it. Nearly five months after Google renamed the Fitbit app to Google Health, the last door is closing.

And there is a second, quieter deadline that matters more than the prompt: Google's own developer documentation confirms the legacy Fitbit Web API will be turned off on October 30, 2026.

What Google's Docs Actually Say

This is not a rumor or a leak. It is published in Google's migration guide for developers, and it draws a hard line.

"On October 30, 2026, the Fitbit Web API will be turned off and will no longer function or sync data to or from Fitbit users."

The Fitbit Web API is the plumbing that lets outside apps read your Fitbit data. When it goes dark, every third-party service that never migrated to the new Google Health API stops syncing. That is the part most users will actually feel.

The migration is not a simple swap, either. Google notes that because the new system uses a different login technology, existing access tokens cannot be transferred, which forces users to re-authorize their integrations. Apps have to support both systems while the old one winds down, and the guide walks developers through mapping old Fitbit user IDs to new Google Health IDs. In short, the apps you rely on have real work to do, and anything that has not done it will break at the end of the month.

The App Switch That Started in May

Google began turning Fitbit into Google Health on May 19, 2026, with the rollout finishing by May 26. The new app rebuilt everything around four tabs (Today, Fitness, Sleep and Health) and added a Gemini-powered coach.

We laid the whole transition out back in Fitbit Is Dead: The Google Health App Transition Explained. What has changed is enforcement. Users who held on by keeping older app versions installed have been coasting for nearly five months. That is now over. Some can still dismiss the prompt for a moment, but others report the old app is already struggling to sync certain health metrics.

There is more unannounced cleanup on the way. Google Health version 5.08 removed support for signing in with legacy Fitbit accounts back in September, quietly following the earlier account migration deadline. Between that and the Web API shutdown, Google is methodically tearing down the old Fitbit infrastructure in public view.

Why Users Are Upset

The reaction has been loud, and it is really about features people lost in the switch. Badges, the old Sleep Profile animals, the Community Feed and direct messages were all removed. Food logging, stress tracking and the way some health metrics display also changed.

"I hate the new Google Health app," one user wrote. "I routinely swiped back to view my workout and sleep data from previous days and that ability is now gone. I'm a Premium member so I'm paying for this new garbage."

Another was blunter: "Google health app is so baaad. I also want my Fitbit app back." When asked what made the original so good, a third said the food tracking was "next level" and its HRV-based illness detection was the feature they would miss most.

Google has not ignored all of it. Custom food logging came back in July, and later updates improved sleep displays, dashboard customization and activity tracking. Some users say they have come around to the new app. But the core complaint, that Google Health does not feel like the product people chose, has not gone away.

The Upside, If You Want It

It is not all loss. Google Health added Apple Health sync on iOS, which the old Fitbit app never offered, so your data finally talks to Apple's ecosystem. We covered that shift when it landed in Your Fitbit Finally Talks to Apple Health.

The bigger question is whether you stay at all. Plenty of Pixel Watch and Fitbit owners have already been shopping around, and cheap Amazfit watches have been the beneficiary. We wrote about that migration wave in Pixel Watch Owners Are Ditching Google Health for $170 Amazfit Watches.

What This Means for You

If you use the Fitbit app directly, the choice is made for you: update to Google Health and re-learn the layout, or leave. There is no third option coming.

If you use third-party apps that sync your Fitbit data, check them this month. Anything still clinging to the legacy Fitbit Web API has until October 30 to move to the Google Health API, and you may need to log back in and re-authorize once it does. If an app goes quiet on November 1, you will know why.

Bottom Line

Google has been signaling this for years, and now the infrastructure is actually going away. The forced app update closes the loophole for holdouts, and the October 30 Web API shutdown closes it for the apps that kept the old experience alive on the side.

The smart play in the next two weeks is simple. Update the app, then open every health and fitness service you have connected to Fitbit and confirm it still syncs. Anyone who has not migrated by the end of the month will not get a warning when their data stops flowing, they will just notice the gap.

If you are ready to move on entirely, the Fitbit Charge 6 is still widely available, and the Google Pixel Watch 3 is the natural upgrade if you want to stay inside Google's ecosystem.

Sources: Google for Developers Google Health API migration guide (states the Fitbit Web API is turned off October 30, 2026); Google Health Help Center; TechRadar; Gadgets & Wearables; MyFitnessPal support documentation; user reports on social media. The October 30 cutoff comes from Google's own developer documentation. The forced update prompts are from user reports and media coverage; Google has not published a separate consumer-facing notice for the app update itself.

Fitbit Edge Is Official: A Screen, GPS and a $179.99 Price Tag

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Google just made the Fitbit Edge official, and the tracker answers the question that has followed the Fitbit band line for years: can you have a screen, GPS and week-long battery without paying smartwatch money?

At $179.99, the Edge says yes. It is on preorder now and lands on shelves October 27.

The teaser on Friday told us the name and the date. Today Google filled in everything else, and the picture is a lot clearer than the leak cycle suggested. This is a proper Fitbit band with a real display, and it slots neatly between the screenless Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 5.

What You Actually Get

The Edge brings back the thing the Air stripped out: a screen. Google went with a 1.34-inch AMOLED panel, protected by Gorilla Glass 3, and says it offers about 46 percent more viewing area than the Fitbit Charge 6 from 2023.

Display: 1.34-inch AMOLED, always-on support
Build: aluminum body, rounded edges, 11.58mm thick, 17.7 grams
Controls: a physical side button (a first for the recent band line)
Positioning: built-in GPS plus an altimeter for outdoor workouts
Sensors: ECG, optical heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2) and skin temperature
Software: Fitbit OS, not Wear OS, with a Pixel Watch-inspired tile layout
Water and dust: 5ATM and IP68
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4, Android and iPhone support

The band runs Fitbit OS rather than Wear OS, which keeps it simple. You get tiles for workouts, sleep, heart rate, weather, alarms, timers and music controls, plus phone notifications, Google Maps navigation and more than 50 exercise modes with real-time workout guidance, pace targets, heart rate zones and split tracking.

The health side is where the Edge punches above its price. The ECG sensor is new for the band line, and the tracker feeds sleep, heart rate variability and recovery metrics into Google Health. Buyers also get three months of Google Health Premium thrown in.

What It Leaves Out

Google made a few deliberate cuts, and they are worth knowing before you order.

There is no NFC, so no contactless payments. There is no microphone and no speaker, so no calls and no voice assistant on the wrist. Quick replies to messages are limited to Android phones. If any of those matter to you, the Edge is not the band you want, and Google is pointing you toward the Pixel Watch instead.

The Battery Is the Headline

Battery life is rated at up to seven days with the always-on display turned off. Flip the always-on screen on and that number drops to roughly two days. A five-minute charge gets you about a day, and a full charge takes around 90 minutes.

The bigger deal is what powers it. The Edge is the first Fitbit tracker with a user-replaceable battery, a 65mAh cell made with recycled cobalt and lithium. It shares its magnetic USB-C charger with the Fitbit Air, which is one less cable to lose.

Replaceable batteries have become a theme across the watch world this year, and it is a smart move for a device people wear 24/7 for years. One caveat: Google has not spelled out how easy the swap actually is for an owner to do at home.

Price, Colors and the Curry Edition

Fitbit Edge: $179.99
Stephen Curry Edition: $219.99
Colors: Obsidian, Fog, Olive and Canyon
Preorder: open now, October 12
Availability: October 27

The Edge also swaps in a new band attachment system, so your old Fitbit bands will not fit. Google is selling replacements that start at $39.99 for the Active Sport band and climb to $149.99 for Metal Links, with Magnet and Performance Loop options in between.

Where It Fits

This launch finally makes Google's wearable lineup readable. The Air is the cheap, screenless option. The Edge is the mainstream tracker for people who want a screen and GPS but do not need a full smartwatch. The Pixel Watch 5 sits on top with Wear OS and Gemini.

The Edge is also the piece that likely ends the Charge line. Everything about the size, price and positioning points to it replacing the Charge 6, which has been discounted for weeks. We called the Edge back on October 4 when retail renders surfaced, and it matched the G8BL6 model we had already tracked through FCC and IMDA paperwork. Google confirmed the name and date on Friday. Today it confirmed the specs.

Bottom Line

At $179.99, the Fitbit Edge is a clean answer for anyone who wanted the Fitbit Air but could not live without a screen. The AMOLED display, real GPS, an ECG sensor and a replaceable battery cover the ground most band buyers actually care about, and the week-long battery still beats any full smartwatch.

The missing payments and calling features are the trade you make for that price and that battery, and they matter less on a tracker than they would on a watch. If you were waiting on the Edge, preorders are open and the first units ship October 27.

If you want a screen and GPS without the wait, the Fitbit Charge 6 is still on sale and the Fitbit Air is the cheaper screenless pick. For most people in that middle tier, though, the Edge is the one worth ordering.

Sources: Google's official Fitbit Edge announcement (October 12); 9to5Google; Droid Life; SammyGuru; WIRED; Mashable; Android Headlines; Gadgets & Wearables. Specs, price and availability come from Google's launch materials.

Garmin Just Listed the MARQ Gen 3 on Its Own Support Pages, Four Years to the Day

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Garmin has not announced the MARQ Gen 3. Its support pages, or at least the Spanish ones, have.

The MARQ (Gen 3) series is now listed under the MARQ heading on three of Garmin's Spanish-language support articles, sitting right next to MARQ (Gen 2) series and the original MARQ series. The pages cover Garmin Explore app compatibility, accessory connections, and adding weather locations to a watch. We checked all three directly.

The timing is not subtle. The MARQ (Gen 2) line launched on October 11, 2022. This listing appeared four years to the day.

What the Pages Actually Say

The Explore compatibility page is the clearest one. Under the MARQ heading it lists three entries: the original MARQ series, MARQ (Gen 2) series, and MARQ (Gen 3) series. The same three-line pattern shows up on the accessory connection page and the weather locations page.

Here is the part that makes it more than a typo. The English version of the same Explore page lists Enduro 4 and the fenix 9 series, so it is current, and its MARQ section names only the original and Gen 2. Translation lag would explain a Spanish page missing a product. It does not explain a Spanish page inventing one.

Garmin Rumors spotted the listing first, and the same string has since turned up on Garmin's regional support sites for Chile and Argentina. English pages have not changed.

Why Support Pages Are the Quietest Place to Look

Garmin's support database is downstream of its product database. When a new model is registered internally, support articles that group products by family pick up the new name, usually before marketing gets anywhere near a launch date.

That is exactly how the Enduro 4 surfaced ahead of its October 6 launch. The name appeared where it should not have before Garmin said a word. The Fenix 9 did the same thing through Garmin's own Taiwan pages, hours before the official event.

So a support-page listing is not a render of a product the way a retail leak or a press render is. It is a record that someone at Garmin has already created the series.

What Gen 3 Almost Certainly Inherits

Garmin has followed the same pattern through two MARQ generations. Each one is built on the flagship outdoor platform of its moment, then dressed in better materials and given variant-specific tools.

Gen 1 (2019): built on the fenix 5 Plus platform
Gen 2 (2022): built on the epix (Gen 2) platform, which arrived January 2022 with AMOLED, touch, Grade 5 titanium and multi-band GPS
Gen 3: would follow the Fenix 9, which launched in August 2026

If that pattern holds, Gen 3 carries the full Fenix 9 feature set, and each variant layers its own specialty on top. The Gen 2 Aviator worked exactly this way, matching the epix (Gen 2) point for point and adding aviation features.

Expect the same cast of characters. Athlete, Adventurer, Aviator, Commander, and Golfer are the Gen 2 lineup, and there is no reason to think Garmin drops any of them.

What has not changed since 2022 is the hardware underneath. Garmin has refreshed the collection twice since launch, once with carbon fiber versions of the Athlete, Golfer and Commander in October 2023, and again with a Damascus steel Adventurer in October 2024. Both were material changes only. The sensor package, chipset and software platform are still the 2022 generation, which makes the MARQ one of the oldest watch models still on sale.

The Price Question

Nobody should expect Gen 3 to be cheap. Gen 2 started at $1,900 for the Athlete and ran to $2,400 for the Aviator, and the carbon editions that followed pushed the ceiling higher still.

Garmin also ran a $300 price cut across the MARQ line earlier this year, the sort of move that usually signals inventory clearing ahead of a replacement.

Luxury watch pricing rarely comes back down. Given the Fenix 9 sits at the top of Garmin's lineup, a Gen 3 MARQ starting under $2,000 would be the surprise, not the expectation.

What Is Still Missing

Three things, and Garmin has confirmed none of them.

A date. Support listings are not launch dates. The listing appearing now suggests something close, but Garmin can sit on a registered series for months.

A price. No retail listing, no regional price, nothing. Everything above is history and inference.

The model list. Gen 2 had five variants plus carbon and Damascus editions. Whether Gen 3 keeps all five, adds one, or trims the range is unknown.

Garmin has said nothing publicly, and the company has tightened up on leaks over the past couple of years, so the support-page slip may be the only detail to surface before an announcement.

Bottom Line

A support-page listing is not a launch, and we are treating it that way. What it does tell you is that the MARQ Gen 3 exists inside Garmin's own systems, on the four-year anniversary of the generation it replaces, and that its Spanish pages got the update while the English ones did not.

If you have been waiting on this one, that is the strongest signal yet that it is close. If you are shopping today, a Garmin MARQ (Gen 2) at current discounts is the bird in hand, and a Garmin Fenix 8 gets you 95% of the platform for well under half the money. Gen 3 buyers are paying for titanium and sapphire as much as for software, and that has not changed.

We will have the model list and pricing the moment Garmin makes it official. Our earlier MARQ Gen 3 preview covers the lineup history, and the Enduro 4 launch and Fenix 9 Pro launch show what the platform Gen 3 is likely built on.

Sources: Garmin's own Spanish-language support pages for the Garmin Explore app, accessory connections and weather locations (primary, checked directly on October 12, 2026; the English equivalents list the Enduro 4 and fenix 9 series but only MARQ (Gen 2)); Garmin Rumors, which found the listing; Gadgets & Wearables; Notebookcheck. No price, launch date or model list has been confirmed by Garmin, and no second listing of the MARQ (Gen 3) name exists outside Garmin's own regional support pages.

Pixel Watch 5 Strength Training Is Still 'Coming Soon.' Here's How It Will Work

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Pixel Watch 5 shipped in August with one of the most interesting fitness features Google has put on a watch. It is not on the watch yet.

Advanced strength training is still listed as coming soon on Google's Pixel Watch pages, roughly seven weeks after the watch went on sale. Google has never attached a date to it. But between the company's own demo footage and its product materials, we now know exactly what it does and why it is a bigger deal than the usual workout mode.

What Google Promised

When Google introduced the Pixel Watch 5, its announcement post described the feature in plain terms:

"Coming soon, our new on-wrist Strength Training workout experience brings step-by-step guidance directly to your wrist, helping you move through sets and rest periods while making it easy to log your weights and reps on the go."

That is a different pitch from what most smartwatches offer. An Apple Watch Series 11 or a Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 will happily record a weights session, then tell you your heart rate and calories afterward. Neither walks you through the workout itself. Google's version is built to do the coaching, not just the logging.

How It Actually Works

The system starts on your phone, not your wrist. You open Google Health Coach, describe what you want, and the coach builds the session for you. In Google's demo, the user asks for a 30-minute workout built for a hotel gym using dumbbells only. The coach returns a full session with exercises, sets, reps and suggested weights.

It gets more specific than that. In the same demo, the coach remembers that the user has a shoulder injury and picks exercises that avoid aggravating it. That kind of context is the whole point of running the coach on top of your health data rather than asking you to pick from a static list.

You are not locked into the coach either. According to Google's current description, you can also build a session by hand, choosing the exercises, exact reps, weights and rest timers yourself.

Once the workout is set, tapping start on the phone hands the session to the watch. From there the phone can stay in your pocket. On the wrist you get:

The exercise you are on right now, with form guidance
Prescribed reps and weight for the set
Live heart rate throughout
Automatic rest timers between sets
A preview of what is coming next

There is one small feature that stands out for anyone who lifts in a busy gym. If the next machine or rack is taken, the watch lets you swap to a different exercise from your wrist instead of stopping the session to rebuild the plan on your phone. Google's own materials confirm you can adjust reps and reorder exercises right there on the watch.

Why It Matters

Strength training is having a moment. Lifting for longevity and body composition has moved from a niche hobby to something a third of adults do regularly, and the fitness app market has grown around it. Apps like Fitbod built real businesses on guided lifting.

Smartwatches have mostly watched from the sidelines. They are excellent running and cycling computers and mediocre strength coaches, because strength work is not a steady-state activity you can score with pace and heart rate. Counting reps and sets, remembering your last weight, and timing rest is the actual job, and almost no mainstream watch does it well.

If Google ships this, the Pixel Watch 5 becomes the first mainstream smartwatch with a genuinely built-in guided strength system rather than a bare "Weights" activity. That is a real differentiator, and it is the kind of thing that gets people to buy a watch they were not shopping for.

When Is It Coming?

This is where it gets thin. Google has not given a date. The feature was described as coming soon at launch, and regional Pixel Watch pages have pointed to later in 2026. Nearly two months on, there is still no firm window.

That is not the same as a broken promise. Google never named a date to miss, and it has spent the year shipping other things, including the fall update that reached older Pixel Watch models. But it is a long wait for a headline feature on a watch that starts at $399 (currently discounted to $349.99 on the Google Store).

Owners have noticed. On Reddit, Pixel Watch and Fitbit users have been trading complaints about how basic the strength tracking still is. One commenter summed up the frustration: "Still no strength training tracking? Wild such a basic feature is still missing." Another pointed out that on the watch you can track time but not reps or sets. Google's new feature is aimed squarely at those complaints.

What You Can Do Now

If you want guided strength training today, you do not have to wait for Google. The Google Health app already builds and runs strength sessions from your phone, complete with exercise libraries and stretches. On the watch, the session is just hazy on the guided part.

For the gym itself, a few cheap additions close most of the gap. An adjustable dumbbell set covers the same territory as the hotel-gym demo, and resistance bands handle the travel case Google built its demo around. You will still log the sets by hand, but the workout plan and the pacing are the same. And if the watch itself is what you are after, the Pixel Watch 5 is already on sale.

If you are weighing the watch on this feature alone, our Pixel Watch 5 leaks and specs rundown covers the hardware, and our look at the Google Health and Fitbit transition explains why the app your training lives in is changing at the same time.

Bottom Line

Google has described the most ambitious strength training experience any mainstream smartwatch has offered, demoed it in detail, and then left it sitting behind a "coming soon" label for the better part of two months. The feature looks genuinely useful, and it is the kind of thing that could make the Pixel Watch 5 stand apart from the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Apple Watch on fitness grounds alone.

It just is not here yet. Until Google attaches a date, treat it as a promise rather than a feature. If guided lifting is the reason you would buy the watch, the honest advice is to wait for it to actually show up on a wrist before you spend the money.

Sources: Google Pixel Watch 5 announcement post and product pages (August 2026); ZDNET hands-on with the strength training demo (August 20, 2026); Android Guys Pixel Watch 5 launch coverage; Gadgets & Wearables (October 9, 2026); r/fitbit and r/PixelWatch community threads. Google has not published a release date, and the "later in 2026" window comes from regional product pages rather than an official statement.

Google Is Ending Free Emergency LTE on the Pixel Watch 2 and 3

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

If you own an LTE Pixel Watch 2 or Pixel Watch 3 and you have been counting on Google, not a carrier, to make the emergency features work when your phone is out of reach, that arrangement now has an end date.

Google announced on October 8 that it is winding down Safety Signal, the feature that gave those watches a free cellular lifeline for safety tools. The cutoff is December 12, 2026. After that, Emergency SOS, Fall Detection and Safety Check only work if the watch is on Wi-Fi, paired to your phone over Bluetooth, or running on a paid carrier line.

Nothing about the hardware changes. The watch you own is the same watch. What changes is who pays for the connection when something goes wrong away from your phone.

What Safety Signal actually did

Safety Signal was never a full cell plan. It was a sliver of one, and that is exactly what made it useful.

On an LTE Pixel Watch 2 or 3 with no carrier line set up, Safety Signal borrowed Google's own cellular access so a handful of emergency features kept working. That covered calls to and from emergency contacts, Emergency SOS, Fall Detection, Safety Check and Emergency Sharing.

The pitch was clear. You could go for a run without your phone, with no monthly watch line from Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T, and still have a way to call for help if you fell. For people who bought the LTE model specifically for that reason, Safety Signal was the whole point.

It ran through Google Health Premium, the subscription that used to be Fitbit Premium. It was never a separate fee, and it was never available on the Wi-Fi versions of those watches, which never had it in the first place.

The details Google has published

The shutdown comes with a fairly precise set of terms. Here is what matters:

The end date is December 12, 2026. Access to Safety Signal stops then.
Affected watches are the Pixel Watch 2 (LTE) and Pixel Watch 3 (LTE). No other model is named.
Covered countries are the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany. Those are the markets where Safety Signal ever worked.
Users get advance notice. Google says current users will receive an email and a push notification, and a 30-day transition period starts from the date that email lands. The feature keeps working during that window.
Google's stated reason is thin. The company says it is "evolving our connectivity and safety capabilities," and it has not said what, if anything, replaces the feature on newer watches.
There is a US catch that predates this. New Pixel Watch 2 and 3 units bought from AT&T or Verizon were never eligible for Safety Signal to begin with. If you bought your watch through either carrier, you never had it.

Google has not announced any discount or credit for people who subscribed to Google Health Premium partly because of this feature, and it has not said whether the subscription itself will change.

What still works after December 12

This is the part worth being precise about, because the emergency features themselves are not going away. What goes away is the free LTE fallback underneath them.

After the cutoff, Emergency SOS, Fall Detection, Safety Check and Emergency Sharing keep working whenever the watch has a connection. That means one of three things:

The watch is on a Wi-Fi network
The watch is paired to your phone over Bluetooth, with the phone nearby
The watch has an active cellular line through a carrier, usually an eSIM add-on

If none of those are true, an LTE Pixel Watch 2 or 3 with no carrier plan becomes a watch with no emergency calling. That is the real change. The watch is not bricked, but the promise that it could reach help on its own is gone unless you add a line.

Google's support pages now point owners toward a cellular plan or a supported eSIM if they want standalone SOS and Fall Detection to keep working away from a phone. Watch-line pricing varies by carrier, and there is no universal cheap option.

Why this stings more than it sounds

Safety features are one of the few things people pay a premium for on a wearable. The Pixel Watch 2 launched in 2023 with Safety Signal held up as a differentiator, and it was one of the more genuinely useful ones, because it removed the monthly-cost barrier that usually comes with cellular wearables.

For anyone who bought the LTE model and skipped the plan on purpose, the value proposition of that purchase just changed. A feature that was a reason to buy the watch, and a reason to keep paying for Google Health Premium, is being subtracted from a device that is still on their wrist.

There is also a timing problem. Our look at the Pixel Watch 2's update window covers how that watch is already in the last month Google has promised to keep it current. Owners are now losing a headline capability and their software runway in the same quarter, which makes the case for a newer model easier to argue.

For context on the wider transition happening underneath all of this, Google Health and the Fitbit app explains why the service your training and safety data lives in keeps changing shape.

If you decide the answer is a newer watch with a longer runway, the Pixel Watch 4 was never built around Safety Signal in the same way and carries a support guarantee through October 2028. The Pixel Watch 5 runs through October 2029.

What to do before December 12

Check whether you are actually affected first, because a lot of people are not.

Confirm your model. Only the LTE Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 ever had Safety Signal. If you own the Wi-Fi version, nothing changes for you.
Check how you bought it. Units purchased new from AT&T or Verizon were never eligible, so if that is your watch, you have been relying on a carrier line this whole time.
Watch for the email. Google says a 30-day transition period starts when the notification arrives, so that message is the real clock for your account.
Decide whether a watch line is worth it. If you run or hike without your phone and you want SOS to work, a carrier eSIM is now the only route on these two models.
Plan around the end date. December 12 is two months out. That is enough time to add a line or change your habits before the fallback disappears.

Bottom Line

Google is not removing Emergency SOS, Fall Detection or Safety Check from the Pixel Watch 2 and 3. It is removing the free cellular connection that let them work without a plan. For owners who bought the LTE model for exactly that reason, December 12 is the day the watch stops being able to call for help on its own. If that matters to you, the fix is a carrier eSIM, a newer watch, or a habit of keeping your phone on you.

Sources: Google's Pixel Watch community post announcing the end of Safety Signal (October 8, 2026) and Google's Pixel Watch Safety Signal support documentation, which list the affected models, the supported countries and the December 12, 2026 cutoff; The Verge, Engadget, Android Central and 9to5Google coverage of the same announcement, all dated October 8, 2026.

Huawei's New Watch App Puts a Huawei Phone on Your Apple Watch

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Apple Watch has spent its entire life locked to the iPhone. Huawei just shipped a way around that, and it is smaller and stranger than the headlines make it sound.

The app is called HarmonyOS Interconnect (Watch), and it sits in China's App Store as a standalone download for the watch itself. Install it on an Apple Watch, scan a QR code with a compatible Huawei phone, and your Huawei calls, texts and notification summaries start showing up on your wrist. The watch can also ring so you can find it, and the phone can be made to ring from the watch.

That is the whole feature list. It is also the first time a major phone maker outside Apple has put its own notifications on an Apple Watch without an iPhone in the middle. Sort of. The iPhone is still there. It just is not running the show.

What the app actually does

According to the app's listing, it does two things. It forwards notifications from the Huawei phone to the watch, and it helps you locate either device.

The call forwarding is alerts only. You can see that someone is calling. You cannot answer on the watch. Messages arrive as notification summaries, not as a thread you can read and reply to. A reasonable way to think about it is that the watch becomes a display for your Huawei phone rather than a companion to it.

The device finding is limited too. It uses Huawei's NearLink and Bluetooth connection to make the other device ring at full volume. It does not use Apple's Find My network, so there is no map, no last known location, and no direction arrow. If the watch is out of Bluetooth range, this does not help you.

There is one piece of good news buried in the setup notes. Apple lets you install apps directly on the watch from the App Store, so once the watch is set up you can add this app without touching the Watch app on an iPhone.

The catch nobody leads with

You still need an iPhone to set the watch up in the first place.

Apple's pairing flow has not changed. A new Apple Watch pairs to an iPhone, and until it does, the Huawei app has nothing to connect to. So the target user here is not someone who wants to leave the iPhone behind. It is someone who already owns an iPhone and an Apple Watch and has added a Huawei phone to their pocket, most likely in China where Huawei's newest hardware competes hard against Apple.

Health data stays put as well. Workouts, heart rate and sleep from the watch keep going to the iPhone and Apple Health. Nothing about your training reaches the Huawei phone.

The requirement list is narrow. The watch needs watchOS 10.0 or later. The phone needs HarmonyOS 7.0.0.109 or later, which rules out Huawei's international models that ship with the Android-based EMUI. The compatible phone list is short: the Mate 90 series, the Mate XT 2 tri-fold and the Pura X View. Owning a different HarmonyOS 7 phone is not enough.

Availability is the other wall. When coverage checked, the Watch app was not in the US, UK, Hong Kong or Kenyan App Stores, and Huawei's FAQ for the related iPhone interconnection app says the phone-to-phone feature is not supported overseas for now. This is a China-first release, and it may stay that way.

Huawei is behind vivo on this

If Huawei's version feels thin, that is because a rival got there first with more.

vivo's international Origin Health Connect app does the obvious things Huawei skipped. It forwards calls, lets you control the phone's camera and music from the watch, and sends steps, heart rate, sleep and workout data back to vivo's own fitness app. vivo has also had a Chinese version of its watch app in the App Store since May 2025, so Huawei is arriving late to a category its competitor already defined.

Huawei's support material does mention incoming-call alerts reaching the watch, but an alert is not a phone call you can take. For anyone hoping this closes the gap between an Apple Watch and a non-Apple phone, it does not.

Why this matters beyond Huawei

The direction of travel is what makes this worth watching, even in the state it shipped in.

Apple Watch is one of the strongest reasons to stay on an iPhone. Anything that weakens that lock-in is interesting, and phone makers have started building for the Apple Watch precisely because their customers own one. Huawei has been here before. It released a tool in late 2025 for swapping files with iPads, iPhones and Macs, and this app extends the same idea to the device people wear.

It also cuts against the usual complaint in the other direction. Garmin and other watch makers have spent years asking Apple to open up iPhone features that only the Apple Watch gets. A little of that has moved in the EU, where the Digital Markets Act forced changes including background sync and Live Activities, as we covered in our look at Garmin and iPhone Live Activities in the EU. Huawei came from the opposite end, and only needed App Store approval to put its own bridge on the watch.

Set a low bar for version two, though. Early users report dropped connections and messages that only appear when the app is opened, and the app's own rating sits near the bottom of the scale. That is a normal first-version problem, and it is also the reason this is a curiosity today rather than a reason to change how you pair your watch.

The bottom line

Huawei has proved you can push a non-Apple phone's notifications onto an Apple Watch, and it did it with a free app rather than a phone sale. But you need an iPhone for setup, one of three specific Huawei phones, and you get alerts instead of replies. Health and workout data never cross over.

If you own an Apple Watch Series 11 or an Apple Watch Ultra 3 outside China, nothing changes for you this month. Inside China, on a Mate 90, it is a real, if limited, convenience. Our review of the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 shows what Huawei does when it builds the watch itself, and it is a lot more than this app does. For the moment, an Apple Watch still assumes an iPhone, and Huawei's bridge assumes you never really left.

Sources: the HarmonyOS Interconnect (Watch) listing in China's App Store (version 1.0.1, developer Thunder Software Technology, dated October 1, 2026) and Huawei's support and FAQ documentation for its interconnection apps, which list the compatible phones, the HarmonyOS requirement and the message-forwarding and device-finding functions; independent coverage from tech-ish (October 12, 2026), Pandaily and Huawei Central. Note that most English-language write-ups of this app trace to the same App Store listing, so the functional detail above rests on that primary listing plus Huawei's own documentation rather than on multiple independent test results.

Google Just Confirmed the Fitbit Edge Lands Monday, October 12

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The guessing is over. Google dropped an official teaser for the Fitbit Edge on Friday and put a date on it: Monday, October 12.

The post is short, the way teasers are supposed to be. "Get an Edge on your health. 10.12.2026," the Google Health account wrote on X and Instagram, alongside a close-up of the hardware. That single line does a lot of work. It confirms the Edge name after weeks of leaks, and it pins the launch to this coming Monday.

What the Teaser Actually Shows

There is not much to the image, but there is enough. The Edge has a metal chassis, which lines up with the metal side strips that showed up in the earlier renders. The colorway looks like the Canyon finish Google has been pushing across the Pixel lineup, so the Edge is going to match the Pixel Watch 5 sitting next to it on the shelf.

You can also make out the edge of a display. That matters because it is the whole reason this device exists.

Why the Edge Is a Bigger Deal Than It Looks

Google's tracker lineup has been a mess for years, and the Edge is the first product that suggests someone finally drew it on paper.

The Fitbit Air, which launched earlier this year, went in the opposite direction and dropped the screen entirely. The Pixel Watch 5 sits at the top with Wear OS, Gemini and the full app stack. The Edge lands right in the middle, a traditional Fitbit band with a screen, GPS and the week-long battery a real smartwatch cannot touch.

If you have been following this one, none of that is new. We named the Edge back on October 4 when retail renders surfaced, and it matched the Google model G8BL6 we had already tracked through FCC and IMDA paperwork. No Wi-Fi, no cellular, a screen and GNSS. A band that leans on your phone, exactly as rumored.

What changed Friday is that Google stopped pretending it was a rumor.

The Specs Pointing to Monday

The leaked spec sheet has firmed up over the past week, and it is a genuinely odd mix for a mid-range band.

Display: a 1.34-inch always-on AMOLED screen
Battery: up to seven days, with a replaceable battery design
Positioning: built-in GPS and an altimeter
Sensors: SpO2, skin temperature, and support for more than 40 exercise modes
Health extras: software that extrapolates insulin resistance and blood pressure data
Software: Gemini integration, with Android and iPhone support
Price: reports cluster around $180, with European leaks near 179 euros

That replaceable battery is the detail worth sitting with. Fitbit trackers have never been a repair-it-yourself product, and a swappable cell would push back on the one complaint that has followed the Charge line for years. Treat it as a leak until Monday, because Google has said nothing about hardware on that level.

The blood pressure and insulin resistance features deserve the same caution. Reading those signals off a wrist band is hard, and Google has not explained how the Edge pulls it off.

What Monday Needs to Answer

Three things are still open, and Monday should settle them.

First, the price. If the Edge really lands near $180, it slots neatly between the $100 Air and the $350-and-up Pixel Watch 5, and it undercuts the Charge 6 sitting on sale right now.

Second, the lineup question. Everything so far points to the Edge replacing the Charge line rather than living beside it. If that is the plan, the Charge 6 is about to become a clearance item.

Third, the launch itself. Google has confirmed a date but not whether Monday is an announcement, a preorder window or straight-to-shelf availability. Those are three very different things for anyone waiting on one.

Bottom Line

Google has spent two years making its wearables harder to explain, not easier. A tidy Air, Edge and Pixel Watch ladder is the first time the strategy has looked deliberate, and the Edge is the piece that makes it work.

If you want a screen and GPS without paying smartwatch money, Monday is the day to watch. If you need something today, the Fitbit Charge 6 is the closest thing on sale, and a Google Pixel Watch 3 is the step up if you want the full experience now. Given the Edge is three days out, most buyers in that middle tier are better off waiting for the official word.

We will have the full spec sheet, price and availability up as soon as Google makes the Edge official.

Sources: Google Health official teaser (X and Instagram, October 9); 9to5Google; Android Authority; Engadget; The Verge; Gadgets & Wearables. The launch date and Edge branding come from Google's own teaser. The spec list, price range and replaceable battery detail are from early leaked material and have not been confirmed by Google.

Garmin Confirms a Fenix 8 Brightness Bug That Wrecks Battery Life

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Your Garmin Fenix 8 should not stay lit up like a flashlight after you walk back indoors. But that is exactly what a growing group of owners says happens, and Garmin has now admitted the screen can get stuck bright.

The company confirmed the problem in its own support forums. In an October 7 reply, a Garmin moderator told users the engineers know about it and a fix is on the way. There is no version number and no release date attached yet.

It is a small bug with an outsized effect. A screen pinned at full brightness is one of the fastest ways to chew through a battery, and on a watch people buy partly for its battery life, that stings.

What the Bug Actually Does

The behavior is consistent across the reports. When the watch is exposed to strong, direct light, the AMOLED display ramps up to maximum brightness the way it should. The problem is what happens next: it never comes back down.

Move into a dark room and the screen stays blindingly bright. The ambient light sensor simply stops responding, according to owner reports and the coverage of them. The watch behaves as if it is still sitting in the midday sun.

One owner on the Garmin forums, going by MC86, laid out the exact setup and the exact symptom:

"I go out for a walk in the sun, brightness goes all the way to the max, never seen the watch that bright before. Go back indoor, the brightness stays at that max level. If I cover the watch face with the palm of my hand, doesn't go down."

That same owner said the watch overheated a couple of times while the brightness stayed maxed out, and noted it only started after the update.

The Two Settings That Trigger It

Reports point to a specific combination of display settings. The bug shows up when Always On Display is enabled and the wrist gesture to wake the screen is turned off.

That pairing matters. With the gesture off, the watch leans harder on its ambient light sensor to decide how bright to run, so when that sensor glitches, nothing pulls the brightness back down.

It is not limited to sunlight, either. One forum user said a car headlight hitting the watch for too long can trip the same stuck-bright behavior at night.

The original poster, Outdoorac38, described it as a well-known issue dating back to the beta builds, and one that still was not fixed in the stable release:

"It only happens after exposure to direct, strong midday sun. This has been a well-known issue since Beta 23.27, and it seems it still isn't fixed in this stable version."

It Is Not One Firmware Version

The reports began with software 23.31, the September stable release for the Fenix 8 line. The natural hope was that the next update would clean it up.

It did not, at least not for everyone. Owners say the display still gets stuck on 23.39, the build that was supposed to tidy up problems from 23.31. So simply installing the latest software is not a reliable answer here.

The complaints reach beyond the standard Fenix 8 as well. Owners of the Fenix E have reported the same brightness behavior, and at least one user said it happens even with the gesture setting turned on, which cuts against the idea that the trigger is strictly the AOD-plus-gesture combination.

There is also a genuine hardware worry underneath the annoyance. Several users raised the risk of OLED burn-in if the panel sits at maximum brightness for long stretches without anyone noticing.

This is a separate fault from the optical heart-rate failures we reported after the 23.39 rollout, where the wrist sensor went dark entirely. Different symptom, same rough software window. We have been tracking Garmin's recent Fenix 8 software record for most of this year, and this bug lands right in the middle of it.

The Workaround Right Now

Garmin's own guidance is simple, if a little crude. Tap the touchscreen or press a button, and the display should snap back to its normal brightness.

You may have to do it again every time the watch gets hit with bright light, because the underlying software fix has not shipped. Until then, that tap is the difference between a normal day of battery and a watch that quietly burns through charge in the background.

If your battery estimate has gone sideways recently, this is worth checking first. Walk outside into the sun, come back in, and look at the screen. If it is still cranked to full brightness in a dim room, you have found the culprit and not a dying battery.

Changing your display settings is another lever. Turning the wrist gesture back on, or turning Always On Display off, moves you out of the configuration where most of the reports cluster.

What Garmin Has Said

The October 7 forum reply from a Garmin moderator is the clearest statement so far. It says engineers are aware of a concern that may cause the brightness to stay fully lit after being in bright ambient conditions, and that a fix is pending for a future release.

What it does not say is just as telling. There is no named firmware version, no timeline, no count of affected watches, and no full list of the models or configurations involved. Four weeks after the first report, the fix is acknowledged but still unshipped.

That silence is fueling the frustration in the threads. Owners are quick to point out that the bug was reported during the beta program, then shipped to the stable channel anyway. Several are asking Garmin for something more structural: a manual switch to turn off auto-brightness completely, so they are not at the mercy of a sensor they cannot control. Garmin has not offered that yet.

Bottom Line

Garmin has confirmed a real Fenix 8 display bug, and the confirmation is the important part. If your watch gets stuck at full brightness after sunlight, this is not in your head and it is not a failing battery. It is software, the company knows about it, and a fix is supposedly coming in the next update.

Until that update lands, remember the tap. Touch the screen or press a button and the brightness resets. If you want to cut the risk further, move off the Always On Display plus no-gesture combo that seems to trigger it, and keep an eye on your charge estimate for the telltale drop.

The thing to watch now is which firmware version actually carries the fix. Garmin has promised one, and the next stable release is where owners will find out whether the promise holds. It would also be a welcome entry in a Fenix bug backlog that has grown long this year.

If this has you thinking about a spare strap or a backup for your training data in the meantime, a Garmin QuickFit band is an easy pickup, and a chest strap for workouts sidesteps any display distractions entirely.

Sources: the Garmin Forums thread "23.31 Screen Brightness Issue & Increased Battery Drain" (thread 443851), including the original report from Outdoorac38, the trigger settings, the user reports from yago77, RinseRepeat and others, and the October 7, 2026 moderator reply confirming a pending fix; the Garmin Forums thread "Fenix 8 - automated brightness adjustment bug with software version bundle 23.39" (thread 445484) for the MC86 report on 23.39, the overheating note and the symptom description; the Gadgets & Wearables report dated October 8, 2026 for the confirmation framing, the 23.31 and 23.39 version history and the workaround summary; the Notebookcheck report dated October 8, 2026 for the scale of the reports, the ambient light sensor detail, the 28-day gap and the note that the rollout schedule for the fix is not finalized; and the Garmin News report dated September 19, 2026 for the Fenix E reports, the battery-drain framing and the beta history on 23.27 and 23.30.

iFixit Tears Down the Series 12 and Ultra 4: One Real Repair Win, and a Gap Apple Won't Close

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

iFixit has taken apart the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and the results are a split decision. One of Apple's newest watches finally got a little easier to open. The other did not move at all.

The teardown, published October 6, found a battery pull tab and a redesigned display connector inside the Series 12. Those changes lifted its repairability score for the first time. The Ultra 4 scored exactly the same as the last three generations of Ultra, which is iFixit's way of saying nothing changed.

Underneath the hardware verdict is a bigger argument. iFixit says the Apple Watch is now one of the least repairable products Apple sells, and that the company is out of compliance with electronics right-to-repair laws in ten states for the Watch specifically.

What Actually Changed Inside the Series 12

Two things.

First, the battery. iFixit found a stretch-release adhesive tab holding the battery in place. On previous models you had to lever the battery out with a spudger, which risks prying into the surrounding components. Now you pull the tab and the adhesive releases. It is the same trick Apple already uses in newer iPhones, and it is the single most-cited source of friction in a battery swap.

Second, the display connector. Apple dropped the fiddly ZIF connector and its tape in favor of a press connector under a bracket. That makes the display cable a little less likely to die during the procedure. There is a catch: replacing the display now also means removing and replacing the battery, so the wiring got simpler while the job got more interlinked.

The payoff on iFixit's scale is a 4 out of 10, up one point from last year. That is the first time the standard Apple Watch has scored above a 3.

The battery itself grew modestly. iFixit measured 1.461 Wh in the Series 12, up from 1.403 Wh in the 46 mm Series 11, a gain of roughly 4 percent. Real, if not headline-making.

The Ultra 4 Is a Four-Peat of the Same Score

The Ultra 4 gets none of that. It is also, in hardware terms, the smaller update of the two, something our pre-launch rumor roundup already hinted at.

Its display and back are glued in place, with the back also held by four screws. Those screws look inviting and are a trap: taking them out only gets you to the sensor assembly and compromises your waterproofing. To reach the battery, or anything else, you still go through the heated screen.

The one bright spot is capacity. The Ultra 4 packs a 2.444 Wh battery against the Ultra 3's 2.313 Wh, a 5.7 percent increase. iFixit also noted a new sensor layout on the back, with more LEDs covering a wider surface area, which lines up with the upgraded Health Sensing System Apple put in this generation.

The score: 4 out of 10, the same as the Ultra, Ultra 2 and Ultra 3. Four generations, no change to the repair experience.

The Specifics That Make a Battery Swap Risky

A few details from the teardown are worth knowing if you own one of these watches.

The Ultra 4 takes about ten minutes of heating before you can lift one edge of the display and cut the perimeter adhesive
The tolerances on the Series 12 are tighter than the Ultra's, and iFixit said the force required worried them about the display
The fragile display cable runs right along the path you have to cut, so a slow, shallow opening tool matters more than force
Getting in from the bottom of the Ultra is a dead end for repair purposes. It only reaches the sensors and breaks the seal

iFixit debuted a new tool for exactly this job: a thin metal opening pick with depth markings etched into it, so you can control how far the blade travels. Apple did not make the swap easy. iFixit made a tool that makes the mistake less likely.

Why iFixit Says Apple Is Out of Compliance in Ten States

This is the part iFixit led with, and it is about more than parts.

Ten states have passed electronics right-to-repair laws covering more than a third of Americans: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Maryland and Connecticut. Oregon's law, as iFixit describes it, requires that once a manufacturer offers repair services for a product, it must make the same parts, tools and documentation available to independent shops and DIY repairers.

Apple does offer its own Watch repair and battery service. That means, by iFixit's reading, the parts, tools and manuals exist inside Apple. What does not exist is any route to them from outside. Apple sells no Watch repair parts or dedicated service tools to independent fixers, and there are no Watch repair manuals in the Self-Service Repair program, which already covers iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, displays and some audio products.

A repair option that starts and ends at Apple is the exact thing these laws were written to open up.

Apple's position, per iFixit, is that Self-Service Repair already meets the requirement. In Minnesota, Apple told the Attorney General it is in full compliance. In the same thread, someone identifying as an Apple-Authorized Service Provider argued the Watch should be exempt because it counts as a medical device, since it runs FDA-cleared features.

Apple's own safety documentation says the opposite. It states plainly that the Watch is not a medical device. The FDA calls it a general purpose computing platform that happens to run the cleared hypertension notifications. Those two positions cannot both be true.

What an Apple Watch Repair Costs

The pricing makes the access question concrete.

Apple estimates $99 for a battery repair on an Apple Watch Series 12 with GPS and Cellular. For any other service, Apple quotes $599. That second number is higher than the cost of a brand new aluminum Series 12 at $399, and close to the $699 titanium model. The Ultra 4 starts at $799 and carries the same fourth-generation repair score, so the calculus is the same on the high end.

So a cracked screen on a $399 watch can carry a repair quote worth more than a replacement. That is where an independent shop would normally step in. Right now, for the Watch, there is not one.

Why This Matters More Than It Used To

The Apple Watch is increasingly a health device, and health devices are the ones you least want to lose for a week.

iFixit's teardown lead, Shahram Mokhtari, wears an Ultra 2 to track his arrhythmia. He likes it. He also has the common problem that its battery no longer holds a charge the way it did, and he is not eager to pry up an expensive screen to fix it. The more someone depends on a watch's health features, the worse an ordinary battery failure becomes.

The sensor upgrades in the Series 12 and Ultra 4 are the reason for another wrinkle we have covered before: the new sensing hardware reset the regulatory clock on hypertension notifications for both models outside the United States, the UK and the EU. The hardware got better and the paper trail got longer.

None of that is an argument for closed repair. If anything it is the opposite. A watch people wear to monitor a heart condition should be the one with the easiest path to a fresh battery, not the hardest.

Bottom Line

iFixit's teardown splits the two new Apple Watches. The Series 12 earned its first repairability improvement in years: a battery pull tab, a simpler display connector and a 4 out of 10, with a battery that grew from 1.403 Wh to 1.461 Wh. The Ultra 4 matched its predecessor on every repairability measure, gained 5.7 percent battery capacity, and stayed at the same 4 out of 10 it has held for four generations.

The bigger story is the one iFixit is pressing hardest. Ten states have laws that, in its reading, obligate Apple to hand over Watch parts, tools and manuals. Apple says it already complies through Self-Service Repair. Apple's own documentation says the Watch is not a medical device, while its compliance argument leans on treating it like one. Until that gets settled, the Series 12's pull tab is a welcome small step, and the Watch remains the hardest Apple product in the lineup to keep alive.

Sources: iFixit's published teardown of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 (October 6, 2026), including its repairability scores, battery capacities and the ten-state right-to-repair analysis; Apple's own safety guidance stating the Watch is not a medical device and the FDA's description of it as a general purpose computing platform; Apple's published Self-Service Repair coverage and its out-of-warranty service pricing for the Apple Watch Series 12; teardown reporting from 9to5Mac, AppleInsider and Notebookcheck, which corroborate the battery capacities, the pull tab and the unchanged Ultra score.

Series 12 and Ultra 4 Owners Report Skin Irritation Under Apple's New Sensor Array

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The most-touted part of Apple's 2026 watches is the sensor array on the back of the case. For a growing group of owners, that is exactly where the problem is.

Reports have been building on the MacRumors forums and on Reddit from people wearing the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4. They describe a burning sensation and a red patch on the wrist, sitting right under the sensor cluster. Some have returned the watches. Others are trying to work out whether it is the watch, their skin, or the way they wear it.

None of this is a formal recall or a confirmed defect. It is a wave of user reports, and the cause is still an open question.

What Owners Are Saying

The clearest thread is on the MacRumors forums, bluntly titled "AW12 sensors causing skin irritation, returning it." The pattern in the replies is consistent: long-time Apple Watch wearers who say they never had a reaction before are now getting one.

One person reported a burning sensation that started before any visible mark appeared. Another described small red areas under the sensor rather than under the band, which points at the watch body rather than the strap. A third made a comparison that comes up more than once: the Ultra 4 has a smaller protruding sensor area, so more of the back of the watch sits flat against the skin.

It is worth being careful here. These are personal accounts, not a clinical study, and the numbers involved appear small relative to how many of these watches have shipped. But the reports are specific, they cluster on the two newest models, and they are getting enough attention that the mainstream coverage has picked them up.

What Changed in the Sensor

The irritation reports line up with the one hardware story of this generation, the new Health Sensing System. Our breakdown of what is new on the Series 12 and Ultra 4 covers the full picture, but the sensor changes are the relevant part:

A larger ECG electrode surface than the previous generation
Photodiodes rearranged into a ring shape around the center
Larger green LEDs
A faster heart rate cadence, sampling every five seconds instead of the old interval

That is a lot of light and electrical contact aimed at a small patch of skin. Whether any of it is actually causing the reaction, nobody has established. Apple has not linked the changes to the complaints, and there is no evidence yet that it is the hardware rather than something sitting on the skin.

What Apple Says

Apple's public guidance, on its Wearing your Apple Watch support page, puts most of the blame on fit and hygiene rather than the sensor itself. An overly tight band can cause irritation. So can soap, sweat, lotion or sunscreen trapped between the watch and the skin.

The company also addresses the materials question directly. Some Apple Watch models contain a small amount of nickel, but Apple says it is below EU limits and unlikely to be a problem. The case and some bands carry trace amounts of acrylates and methacrylates from adhesives, and Apple says it designs the watch so those parts do not sit in direct contact with skin.

Apple's advice, in plain terms: make sure the band is not too tight or too loose, keep the watch and your wrist clean and dry, and clean more often after workouts or after you have been around sweat, soap or sunscreen. For anyone with redness, swelling or itching, Apple says to see a doctor before putting the watch back on.

Why This Keeps Happening

Here is the part that matters for anyone trying to judge how worried to be. This complaint did not start with the Series 12.

Search a community like r/AppleWatch and you will find threads going back years, through the Series 10, the Series 11, the Ultra 2 and the Ultra 3, and well before that. The usual explanation offered by other users is contact dermatitis: a reaction to moisture, dirt, bacteria or soap trapped against the skin, not to the watch's electronics. The fixes people swear by are the same every time. Clean the back of the watch and the band, do not wear it too tight, and give the wrist a break by switching arms at night.

That history does not prove the new sensor array is innocent. A design change can absolutely introduce a new trigger. It does mean the honest read is that the Series 12 and Ultra 4 are running into a complaint that has followed the Apple Watch for a decade, and the new hardware may simply be making an old issue more visible.

What to Do If You Are Affected

If you are seeing irritation under the sensor, the practical playbook that Apple and the community both land on is short:

Take the watch off and let the skin heal before wearing it again
Clean the back of the case and the band with warm water and a gentle soap, then dry both fully
Loosen the band a notch, and stop wearing it in the shower or while swimming if you have been
Switch wrists at night so the skin under the sensor gets a rest
If the skin is red, swollen or itchy, see a doctor before wearing the watch again

If it does not clear up, you are inside Apple's return window for a while yet, and a return is a reasonable call, as some of the forum posters have already decided.

Bottom Line

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 shipped with Apple's biggest sensor overhaul in years, and a subset of owners say it is irritating their skin. There is no confirmed defect, no Apple acknowledgment of a hardware problem, and a long history of this same complaint attached to earlier generations. What is new is that the reports are clustered on the two newest models, right as the sensor hardware changed the most.

If you are wearing one and your wrist is fine, there is no reason to panic. If you are not, clean the back of the watch, do not crank the band down, and give the skin a night off. And if the redness does not fade, treat it the way Apple tells you to: take the watch off and ask a doctor. A watch, even a health watch, is not worth a wound.

Sources: MacRumors report on Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 skin irritation (October 7, 2026), which draws on the MacRumors forums thread "AW12 sensors causing skin irritation, returning it" and a parallel Reddit discussion; the MacRumors forums thread itself and its user reports of burning and redness under the sensor; Apple's official "Wearing your Apple Watch" support guidance on fit, hygiene, nickel content and acrylate adhesives, and its advice to consult a physician; older r/AppleWatch and Apple Support Communities threads spanning the Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2 and Ultra 3, which show the same complaint recurring across previous generations; and reporting on the Series 12 and Ultra 4 Health Sensing System (larger ECG electrodes, ring-shaped photodiodes, larger green LEDs, five-second heart rate sampling). The sensitivity reports are anecdotal user accounts, not a clinical finding, and no independent test links the new sensor hardware to the irritation.

Garmin's Next Watch Clears the FCC: Two Sizes, Wi-Fi and Garmin Pay, But No LTE

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Garmin quietly cleared two new wrist devices through the FCC on October 6, and the paperwork tells us more about what they are not than what they are.

The two models carry consecutive numbers, 05146 and 05147, and both are listed only as a "portable digital transceiver." No product name, no family, no price. What the filings do show is a pair of watches with Wi-Fi and a contactless payment radio, no cellular, and matching internals, which points to a single new Garmin watch line launching in two case sizes.

Here is what the records actually say, and why this is a different device from the flagships Garmin has been shipping this year.

What Cleared the FCC

Both grants landed on October 6, 2026, under Garmin's IPH grantee code. The details line up closely between the two.

Model 05146 (FCC ID IPH-05146): Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, ANT and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi from 2412 to 2472 MHz. The record also includes an RFID test report, which covers the 13.56 MHz short-range radio Garmin Pay uses. Testing was handled by the outside lab HCT America.
Model 05147 (FCC ID IPH-05147): the same set of 2.4GHz radios, but tested in Garmin's own compliance laboratory. Its application was filed back on September 14, 2026.

Neither filing includes a cellular radio or 5GHz Wi-Fi. That last point matters, because it separates these watches from the more advanced hardware Garmin has been moving through regulators this year.

The consecutive model numbers are the giveaway on sizing. Garmin files back-to-back numbers when it launches one watch in two case sizes, the same way it handles the Venu and Vivoactive families. Two filings, one product, two options on the wrist.

Both grants request confidentiality on the internal photos and user manual until April 4, 2027. That date is a ceiling, not a schedule. Garmin typically announces well before a confidentiality window closes, so a launch in the coming months is the realistic read rather than a wait until spring.

Why This Is Not the Enduro 4 or the Next Flagship

If the numbers look familiar, that is because A05146 has been on the radar since July, when it surfaced in Indonesia's regulatory database classified as an "Outdoor Product," then reappeared in Korea and Brazil. At the time it looked like a candidate for the Enduro 4, Garmin's ultra-endurance watch.

That question is now settled. The Enduro 4 turned out to be a different device entirely, model A05216, which Garmin launched on October 6 at $899.99. So A05146 is something else, and this week's FCC grant is the clearest look at it so far.

It is also not the satellite flagship. That hardware sits in a separate filing, model A05170, which carries both LTE-M cellular and NB-NTN satellite radios and lines up with a satellite-equipped Fenix 9 Pro. The 05146 and 05147 pair has none of that.

Read together, the pattern is a two-tier strategy. Garmin puts the expensive radios (LTE and satellite) in one premium device and keeps the mainstream watches on Wi-Fi and NFC. That is a cost decision as much as a feature one, and it is how the company has split its lineup all year.

Garmin Cleared Four Models This Week

The FCC pair was not the only regulatory activity. The same week, Garmin's models A05240 and A05242 were reported to have been approved by the United Arab Emirates' telecom regulator, the TDRA, on October 5, with the approvals running to October 2029.

Those UAE entries carry no technical detail and no product name. A05240 had already been reported at Korea's RRA in late September, and A05242 is a brand-new number. Filing at two regulators inside a fortnight is Garmin's normal pre-launch pattern, clearing a device for sale across regions at once.

One honest caveat: the FCC records are the primary source here, and they are clear. The UAE filings are reported rather than something I could verify in a public record, and there is no second independent write-up of this week's grants to cross-check the details against. The numbers in this article come from the FCC filings themselves.

What It Likely Means

A mainstream Garmin watch with Wi-Fi and Garmin Pay but no LTE fits the mid-range part of the lineup, the Venu and Vivoactive family rather than the Fenix. Two case sizes at launch is standard for that tier.

For buyers, the practical takeaway is timing. Garmin devices generally ship one to three months after they clear regulators, so this pair points to a launch window over the next quarter or so. If you are in the market for a mid-range Garmin, it is worth knowing a refresh is in the pipeline before you pay full price on a current model. The Venu 4 and Vivoactive 6 are the watches most likely to be affected.

The Bottom Line

Garmin has two new watches on the way, filed as a matched pair with Wi-Fi and a contactless payment radio and no cellular. The filings do not name them, and anyone telling you they know exactly which watch this is, this early, is guessing.

What is solid is the direction. Garmin is refreshing the mainstream tier of its lineup with connectivity that covers music, payments and Wi-Fi syncing, and it is keeping the costly LTE and satellite radios for the top of the range. Expect more detail from Garmin, not from the regulators, in the weeks ahead.

Sources: FCC Equipment Authorization records for FCC ID IPH-05146 and IPH-05147 (fcc.gov, retrieved via fccid.io); prior WatchesReviewed coverage of the A05146 regulatory trail, the A05216 Enduro 4 launch, and the A05170 LTE/satellite filing; UAE TDRA approval of A05240 and A05242 as reported (secondary regulator, not independently confirmed).

Apple Owes Masimo $184 Million More // Apple Watch Patent Bill Tops $818 Million

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Apple's Apple Watch patent bill just got bigger.

On Monday, October 5, U.S. District Judge James V. Selna ordered Apple to pay Masimo another $184 million in prejudgment interest on the $634 million a jury awarded the company last November. That takes Apple's total obligation in the case to roughly $818 million, and it does not include post-judgment interest that keeps accruing until the judgment is actually paid.

The ruling landed the same week Apple is pushing the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 into the holiday shopping season. The money is a rounding error next to Apple's balance sheet, but it is a clean legal loss on the exact feature set Apple has spent three years arguing about in court.

Apple Tried the Windfall Argument and Lost

Apple's position was simple: adding interest on top of a nine-figure verdict would hand Masimo a windfall. Judge Selna disagreed.

He leaned on U.S. Supreme Court guidance that prejudgment interest "merely serves to make the patent owner whole." In plain terms, Masimo spent years being denied royalty payments it would have collected during the period Apple was infringing, and the interest is meant to backfill that gap rather than punish Apple.

Masimo wanted more. It asked the court to apply a 7 percent rate, which would have worked out to $243 million in interest, about $59 million above what it got. Selna declined and instead used Masimo's own borrowing rate, compounding annually from the start of the infringement.

So Apple caught a break on the rate, just not on the principle.

Where This Case Came From

This is not the blood oxygen fight most Apple Watch owners remember. It is a separate patent case with a lot of shared history.

November 2025: A federal jury in California found that Apple Watch features, including heart-rate monitoring and notifications plus a workout mode, infringed a Masimo patent covering low-power pulse oximetry. Masimo was awarded $634 million, and the jury concluded all four asserted claims were infringed. It also agreed that certain Apple Watch models qualified as "patient monitors."
July 2026: Apple lost its bid to overturn the verdict, and the court denied its request for a new trial.
October 2026: Selna added the $184 million in prejudgment interest.

Reuters and TechCrunch covered the original $634 million verdict. Bloomberg Law and Law360 reported the new interest order, with MacRumors, AppleInsider and 9to5Mac following.

The patent at the center of this verdict expired in June 2022. That matters for anyone worried about their current watch. This judgment covers historical sales, and the ruling has no effect on the heart-rate features on current Apple Watch models.

The Other Masimo Case Is the One You Feel

Masimo is also behind the dispute that actually changed the product. That battle went through the U.S. International Trade Commission and produced an import ban on certain Apple Watch models, which forced Apple to disable the blood oxygen sensor on newly sold watches in the U.S. in early 2024.

Apple later reworked the feature and brought it back, and blood oxygen data returned to the Vitals screen in a recent iOS update. If you own a Series 9 or Ultra 2 from that window, you have felt the practical effect of this fight far more than any courtroom dollar figure.

That is what makes this week's ruling interesting to watch. Apple is appealing, and so far the courts keep siding with the smaller company on the substance. Read the interest order alongside our look at the $5.7 billion Taptic Engine verdict and the AliveCor import ban outcome and a pattern shows up: Apple's health sensors keep dragging it into courtrooms, and the company keeps losing the ones that reach a verdict.

What It Means for Apple Watch Buyers

Nothing changes about the watch on your wrist today, and nothing changes about the watch you can buy this week.

A few things worth knowing anyway:

No feature removal is coming from this ruling. The patent expired in 2022, so there is nothing left to design around.
Apple is appealing, so the number could still move. The $818 million total is what Apple owes under the current judgment, not necessarily the final figure.
The blood oxygen feature is the real-world lever. If Apple ever loses the broader fight in a way that forces another change, that is the thing owners would notice.

The practical shopping picture has not moved either. The Apple Watch Series 12 is the current mainstream pick, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is the one for people who want the biggest screen and battery, and Prime Big Deal Days discounts are the likeliest place to save on either right now. If you are weighing the two, our Series 12 and Ultra 4 breakdown covers the differences that actually matter.

Bottom Line

Apple now owes Masimo about $818 million, plus interest that keeps running until it pays. The judge rejected Apple's windfall argument, knocked down Masimo's 7 percent ask, and left both sides with something to appeal.

For Apple Watch owners, the headline is boring in the best way. The patent expired four years ago, no current feature is affected, and the only place this fight ever touched a real product was the blood oxygen sensor. That is the case to keep watching, not the interest line.

Sources: Bloomberg Law; Law360; Reuters and TechCrunch (November 2025 verdict); MacRumors; AppleInsider; 9to5Mac. The October 5 interest order is reported by Bloomberg Law and Law360; figures are attributed to those reports. Apple has not commented publicly on the interest ruling, and the case remains under appeal.

Garmin Enduro 4 Release Date and Price: $899.99, On Sale Now

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Garmin made the Enduro 4 official this morning, and the headline is how little the hardware moved.

The new ultra-endurance watch lands at $899.99, the same price the Enduro 3 launched at, though the Enduro 3 now sells for around $100 less. Garmin kept almost everything that defined its predecessor: the same 51mm case, the same 1.4-inch MIP solar display, and the same battery claims. What it changed is subtler, and it is the reason this watch exists at all.

If you were following the paper trail, this is the moment the August FCC filing and the summer leaks were pointing at.

The Hardware Is Basically the Enduro 3

Set the two watches side by side and the differences are small.

Case: 51mm, Power Sapphire lens, titanium bezel, fiber-reinforced polymer body, 10 ATM
Display: 1.4-inch transflective MIP, 280 x 280
Battery: up to 320 hours in activity mode with solar, up to 90 days in smartwatch mode with solar
Weight: 66 grams
Flashlight: built in, with white and red LED options

Those battery numbers are identical to the Enduro 3, and the case is the same size and material. Garmin's press release never claims a runtime gain, which tells you the honest story here: the core endurance formula was already maxed out. The Enduro 3 was built around absurd battery life, so chasing a bigger headline number would not have changed much in daily use.

The one physical change is the band. Garmin swapped the ultra-light elastic nylon loop for a new ComfortFit Fabric Band with QuickFit release. It adds a few grams, but it is a comfort and convenience upgrade that is new to the Enduro line.

Storage Doubles to 64GB

The cleaner hardware win is memory. The Enduro 4 moves from 32GB to 64GB, doubling the room for onboard maps, music, and downloaded content.

That matters more here than it would on a casual watch. The Enduro is built for multi-day trips away from a phone, and full-color maps for a long route plus a music library can eat through 32GB quickly. Doubling it removes a real ceiling for the people this watch is aimed at.

Garmin also says the maps get 50 percent more RAM than the Enduro 3, a newer map engine, faster panning, and a perspective view that shows more detail both up close and at distance. That is the same processing update the Fenix 9 received on launch.

One open question from the leaks: the FCC filing had pointed to a new 5GHz WiFi communications chip, and Garmin's launch materials do not mention a wireless change. We will confirm that once units are in hand rather than assume it.

The Fenix 9 Software Comes With It

Software is where the Enduro 4 does most of its work, and most of it is borrowed from the Fenix 9.

The additions that matter:

Grade-adjusted pace workout targets and grade-adjusted rolling pace, so climbs and descents are factored into pace goals instead of flattening the effort
Stamina zones and the stamina curve, showing how endurance shifts as an activity unfolds and over training time
Rucking workouts that take a mid-activity pack weight change and factor the load into the metrics
Indoor rowing with VO2 max, FTP, power curves, and lactate threshold
Over 100 activity profiles

None of this is a new sensor. The Enduro 4 keeps the same wrist heart rate, Pulse Ox, skin temperature, multi-band GNSS with SatIQ, altimeter, barometer, and compass. The upgrade is what the watch does with the data it already collects, and for an endurance-first crowd that is the right place to spend the effort.

Garmin Epic Is the Genuinely New Feature

The one feature that is new rather than inherited is Garmin Epic, a multi-day activity log.

Instead of chopping a long event into separate daily records, Epic pulls performance and health data together across days, weeks, or months into a single view in Garmin Connect, with photos and a combined look at how the body responded across the whole thing. For anyone doing a multi-day ultra or a long thru-hike, that is the first tool here built specifically for how those events actually work.

Garmin is also adding a race planner designed around longer events. You can mark aid stations, checkpoints, cut-off times, notes, and planned rest periods, and the watch can time automatic rest at an aid station so you are not fumbling for buttons at mile 60 of an ultra.

Who Should Buy It

If you are buying into the Enduro line for the first time, the math is simple. The Enduro 4 is the current model, it has the latest software, and the storage bump makes it the better long-term buy. A tagged search for the Garmin Enduro 4 is the place to start if you are ready to order.

If you already own an Enduro 3, this is a harder call. The case, screen, solar charging, and headline battery figures are unchanged, and the watch body weighs the same. Unless Garmin Epic, the added training tools, or the extra storage solve a specific problem for you, the hardware alone gives little reason to upgrade, and an Enduro 3 does almost everything this watch does.

If you are cross-shopping the wider Garmin range, a chest strap like Garmin's HRM-Pro Plus still beats any wrist sensor for intervals, whichever watch you end up on.

The Bottom Line

Garmin did not reinvent the Enduro here. It took the formula that already delivered the longest battery in the lineup and layered the Fenix 9's newest software on top, then doubled the storage for good measure.

That is a sensible refresh for a niche, loyal crowd, even if paying essentially Enduro 3 launch money for near-identical hardware is a tough sell when the Enduro 3 is still on shelves for less. The Enduro 4 is available now at $899.99, and it remains the watch to beat if battery life is the thing you care about most.

Sources: Garmin's official Enduro 4 press release dated October 6, 2026, for the announcement, the $899.99 price, the 320-hour activity and 90-day smartwatch battery figures, 66 grams, 64GB storage, Power Sapphire lens, titanium bezel, 10 ATM rating, the ComfortFit Fabric Band, Garmin Epic, grade-adjusted pace, stamina zones, the rucking pack weight feature, the indoor rowing metrics, and the Susan Lyman quote; Garmin Rumors' October 6, 2026 launch report for the mapping details (50 percent more RAM, newer map engine, 30 percent faster panning, perspective view) and the October 9 shipping date some retailers listed; Gadgets & Wearables' October 6, 2026 report for the 280 x 280 display resolution, the 36-day smartwatch figure without solar, the band swap and the weight change from the Enduro 3, and the roughly $100 current price gap to the Enduro 3. Garmin's release says the watch is available now while two outlets listed October 9 as the ship date; we followed Garmin's own materials on availability. The 5GHz WiFi hint from the FCC filing is not addressed in Garmin's launch materials and is flagged as unconfirmed.

Garmin Approach S72 Is Official: $799.99, Swing Metrics, and the First Golf Watch With Voice Calling

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Garmin made the Approach S72 official this morning, and the biggest number in the announcement is the price.

The new flagship golf smartwatch starts at $799.99, which is $150 more than the Approach S70 cost when it launched in May 2023. Garmin has packed in real upgrades to justify some of that, but a premium golf watch crossing the $800 line is the part golfers will argue about.

It landed the same morning as the Garmin Enduro 4, so Garmin rolled out two new watches in a single day.

The Hardware Steps Up

The S72 comes in two sizes, 43mm and 47mm, and both move to a brighter AMOLED display. Around that screen you get a titanium bezel and a sapphire lens, which is the same premium recipe Garmin uses on its top-tier adventure watches.

The other physical changes:

A new lightweight ComfortFit fabric band (the S70 used standard silicone straps)
QuickFit band compatibility, so you can swap straps without tools
A built-in flashlight with both white and red light
A speaker and microphone

That last one is the headline feature. Garmin calls the S72 its first golf smartwatch with phone calls and voice commands, which means you can now take a call or bark at the watch without pulling out your phone mid-round. Standing over a putt with a client on speaker is a choice, but the hardware is there if you want it.

Swing Metrics Come to the Wrist

The genuine golf upgrade is on-wrist swing tracking. The S72 records hand speed, backswing length, and wrist rotation directly from the watch, giving players data to work with instead of pure feel.

Garmin pairs that with heart rate context. The watch logs your heart rate before and after each shot, and after a round it can show how your heart rate lined up with your score. That is a different kind of feedback than a rangefinder gives you, and it speaks to the golfer who wants to understand nerves and effort as much as distance.

There is one practical addition that matters more than it sounds: a dedicated driving-range activity. Range sessions now log in Garmin Connect as their own activity, so practice time counts toward the same history as actual rounds. If you have ever wondered whether your range work is showing up in your scores, the S72 finally tracks both sides of that.

Green Reading Now Needs a Membership

The S70 introduced green contour data, and the S72 pushes it further. On courses Garmin has mapped, the watch shows which direction a putt breaks and the average slope percentage, so you can pick an aim point instead of eyeballing it.

There are also putting analytics in the Garmin Golf app covering speed bias, direction bias, and make rate, plus aerial imagery of the hole for layup and miss decisions.

The catch: Garmin says green reading, the putting stats, and the aerial view all require an active Garmin Golf membership. That is a subscription on top of an $800 watch, and it is worth knowing before you buy. The watch still comes preloaded with 43,000 courses for basic on-course GPS.

Battery Depends on the Size

The two sizes do not share battery figures:

47mm: up to 20 hours in golf activity mode, up to 16 days as a smartwatch
43mm: up to 15 hours on the course, up to 10 days as a smartwatch

Off the course, the S72 carries the standard Garmin health suite: wrist heart rate, stress tracking, Body Battery, and sleep monitoring, plus activity profiles for strength and mobility work. Garmin is pitching this as a watch you keep on after the round, and the 10 to 16 day smartwatch numbers back that up.

The Price Jump Is the Real Story

Set the S72 against the watch it replaces and the gap is stark.

The Approach S70 launched in May 2023 at $649.99 for the 42mm and $699.99 for the 47mm. The S72 starts at $799.99, and Garmin has not published a full price list for the larger and special-edition finishes yet.

Colour options are getting the premium treatment too:

47mm: Carbon Gray with a red DLC titanium bezel, and Silver/Citron with a fog gray and citron band
43mm: Carbon Gray with a heritage bronze DLC titanium bezel, and Soft Gold with a blush pink titanium bezel

For that money you are buying two things at once: the best on-course tool Garmin makes, and a competent everyday smartwatch. Whether that bundle is worth $800 depends entirely on how many rounds you play.

Should You Buy It

If golf is your main sport and you want the most capable on-course watch Garmin sells, the S72 is the new top of the line. Swing metrics, heart rate per shot, and the deeper green data are genuine steps past the S70, and a tagged search for the Garmin Approach S72 is where to start if you are ready to order.

If you already own an S70, the case for upgrading is thinner. The screen and the health suite were already strong, and the new swing tracking is the one feature that might move the needle for you. Everyone else can wait for a sale.

And if you want one watch for golf and everything else, the Garmin Fenix 9 still plays the courses the S72 does through the Golf activity profile, with far more training depth for running, cycling, and the gym. It is heavier on the wrist, which is exactly why Garmin built the S72 as a slim dedicated golf watch in the first place. If you are weighing the whole lineup, our Prime Big Deal Days roundup is a good place to compare prices.

The Bottom Line

The Approach S72 is the most capable golf watch Garmin has built. On-wrist swing metrics, per-shot heart rate, and a driving-range activity are real additions, and voice calling makes it a more complete everyday watch than any Approach before it.

The problem is the price. A $150 jump over the S70 pushes the entry point to $799.99, and the best green-reading features sit behind a Garmin Golf membership on top of that. Golfers who live on the course will get their money's worth. Casual players should look hard at what they actually use before paying flagship money for a sport-specific watch.

Garmin's press release says the S72 is available now, though Garmin Rumors noted some listings pointed to an October 9 ship date. We followed Garmin's own materials on availability and flag the discrepancy.

Sources: Garmin's official Approach S72 press release dated October 6, 2026, for the announcement, the $799.99 starting price, the 43mm and 47mm sizes, the AMOLED display, titanium bezel, sapphire lens, ComfortFit fabric band, the swing metrics (hand speed, backswing length, wrist rotation), heart rate before and after each shot, green contour data and putting analytics requiring a Garmin Golf membership, the 43,000 preloaded courses, the 47mm and 43mm battery figures, the health suite, the colour options, and the Susan Lyman quote; Garmin Rumors' October 6, 2026 launch report for the driving-range activity logging in Garmin Connect, QuickFit compatibility, the white and red flashlight, the speaker and microphone, the claim that the S72 is Garmin's first golf smartwatch with phone calls and voice commands, the putting analytics detail (speed bias, direction bias, make rate), the aerial hole imagery, and the October 9 shipping date; Garmin's May 23, 2023 Approach S70 press release and Garmin Wiki for the S70 launch pricing of $649.99 (42mm) and $699.99 (47mm) and the S70's May 2023 launch date; Gadgets & Wearables and Golfshake for UK and Ireland pricing of 699.99 pounds and 799.99 euros. Garmin's release says the watch is available now while at least one outlet listed October 9 as the ship date; we followed Garmin's own materials on availability. Colors and full pricing for the larger and special-edition finishes were not fully published at the time of writing and are described from Garmin's launch imagery as reported by Garmin Rumors.

Prime Big Deal Days 2026: The Garmin, Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch Deals Live Now

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days runs October 6 and 7, and the watch discounts are already trickling out ahead of the main event.

This is Amazon's second big members-only sale of the year, the October follow-up to the summer Prime Day. It's a 48-hour event, and Amazon is promising up to 50 percent off across smartwatches, fitness trackers and earbuds as it fights for early holiday shoppers. New deal drops are scheduled three times a day, at midnight, 8am and 1pm Pacific.

The catch is that the early deals are already live, and some of them are good. A few are on current-generation watches that only launched in the past few weeks. Here's where the prices sit right now, and which ones are worth watching when the real sale kicks off.

Garmin deals are live right now

Garmin is the standout of the early round. ZDNET is tracking a batch of discounts across the lineup, and several are on watches we've recommended this year.

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro at $1,099, down $100. Not the all-time low ($950 during July Prime Day), but a real cut on the flagship.
Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire Edition at $499.99, down $500. This is the steepest Garmin cut on the board and a lot of AMOLED watch for the money.
Garmin Forerunner 165 at $200, down $50. Still the best value running watch in Garmin's line for most people.
Garmin Instinct 3 at about $347, down roughly $100. Rugged case, 18-day battery and a built-in flashlight.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 at $189, down $111. The cheapest way into Garmin's health features.
Garmin Venu 3S at $398, down $52. Not a deal worth taking. This is the previous-generation 41mm Venu, and it has dropped below $360 several times this year, so $52 off is the weakest offer on the board.

If you're weighing the Venu line, our breakdown of the Garmin fall feature update for the Venu 4 covers what changed on the current hardware versus the older Venu 3S.

Apple Watch deals start at $199

The Apple Watch side is where the timing gets interesting. Apple only announced the Series 12 and Ultra 4 in September, so any discount this soon is unusual.

Apple Watch SE 3, 40mm GPS at $199, down from $249. This matches the SE's lowest price on record and is the best entry point in Apple's lineup.
Apple Watch SE 3, 44mm GPS at $229, down $50.
Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm GPS + Cellular at $489.99, down $10.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 at $779.99, down $20.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 at $699.97, down $200, as retailers clear the outgoing generation.

That Series 12 and Ultra 4 cut is small, and the honest read is that they're too new to fall far. If you want the latest Apple hardware, our Series 12 and Ultra 4 what's new rundown explains whether the upgrades justify paying near full price. If you don't need the newest sensors, the Ultra 3 at $200 off is the better value.

Samsung Galaxy Watch discounts are smaller so far

Samsung's early cuts are thinner, but there's one clear highlight. The Galaxy Watch 7 in 40mm Bluetooth is down to $185 from $249.99, which is a lot of watch for under $200, especially with Samsung's health features and sleep apnea detection.

The current-generation Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 9 should see deeper cuts once the event formally opens. Samsung typically discounts its newest watches aggressively during these sales. Worth comparing against our Galaxy Watch 9 release, price and specs coverage if you're deciding between generations.

How to shop it

A few things worth remembering:

Prices move during the event. Amazon drops new deals at set times each day, so a price today is not the price tomorrow. Check back at midnight, 8am and 1pm Pacific.
Previous-generation models are the value play. The Ultra 3 at $200 off and the Epix Pro Gen 2 at $499 are the biggest percentage cuts, and both are still strong watches.
New models barely move. Expect the Series 12, Ultra 4 and Galaxy Watch 9 to stay close to full price. The real discounts land on last year's flagships.
Prime membership is required for most of the headline deals.

For a sense of how these compare to the summer sale, our July Prime Day GPS watch deals roundup shows what the June event looked like.

Bottom line

Prime Big Deal Days 2026 isn't a great time to buy Apple's or Samsung's newest watches, because they're too fresh to discount. It is a good time to buy last year's flagships and any mid-range Garmin. The Garmin deals are already live and the Epix Pro Gen 2 at $499 is the standout so far. If you're set on a current model, wait for the main event on October 6 and 7 and watch for the timed drops.

All prices are as of October 5, 2026 and can change at any point during the sale.

Sources: ZDNET's early Garmin Prime Big Deal Days tracker (Fenix 8 Pro, Epix Pro Gen 2, Forerunner 165, Instinct 3, Vivoactive 5, Venu 3S prices); AppleInsider and Technobezz on the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 12 and Ultra 4 early deals; Macworld's Apple Watch Prime Day guide; SammyGuru on the Galaxy Watch 7 price; and Amazon's own confirmation of the October 6-7 event dates and daily drop schedule.

Bluetooth Is About to Get 4x Faster, and Smartwatches Stand to Gain the Most

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The slowest part of owning a modern smartwatch is the part you rarely think about. It's Bluetooth.

Your watch can track a marathon, read your blood oxygen and hold a full map of a national park, but moving a firmware file or an offline map over to it can still feel like waiting on a dial-up modem. Bluetooth LE tops out at 2 Mbps, and that ceiling has been in place for years while everything around it got more demanding.

That ceiling is about to move. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is finalizing Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT), a feature that raises the maximum Bluetooth LE data rate to 7.5 Mbps. That's nearly four times faster, and wearables are one of the clearest beneficiaries.

What HDT Actually Changes

HDT is not a firmware toggle. It adds a new radio mode to the Bluetooth spec that supports several higher bit rates: 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.5 Mbps, all running at the same 2 megasymbol-per-second signaling rate but packing more bits into each symbol using higher-order modulation.

The SIG says the payoff is concrete. A multi-megabyte file transfer that takes roughly 16 seconds on Bluetooth LE today could finish in about 4 seconds over HDT, based on early member demonstrations.

For watches, the list of things that get faster is long and familiar:

Firmware updates, which many brands still push you to Wi-Fi to avoid the wait
Offline maps and routes, the biggest files a watch ever handles
Offline music and podcasts for runs and rides
Bigger workout histories syncing back to your phone

None of that is glamorous, but it is the friction sitting between you and the features you already paid for.

Why Watches Feel It More Than Phones

Phones barely notice Bluetooth limitations because Wi-Fi and cellular do the heavy lifting. Watches are different. Many of them lean on Bluetooth alone, especially smaller and screenless designs where adding a Wi-Fi radio costs space and battery.

That is the group HDT helps most. If Bluetooth at 7.5 Mbps is good enough for jobs that currently force a second wireless connection, makers can simplify the hardware inside trackers and bands. And because transfers finish faster, the radio can drop back to a low-power state sooner, which cuts energy use rather than raising it.

Brands pushing maps onto the wrist have the most to gain. Garmin, Amazfit, Suunto and COROS all now ship watches that store full map files locally, and those files are exactly the kind of large, infrequent transfer that HDT was built for.

The Catch Nobody Should Skip

HDT changes the physical layer of Bluetooth, the actual radio. That means it cannot be switched on in an update.

Your current Garmin Fenix 8, Apple Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch 9 or Pixel Watch will not get faster. HDT needs new radio hardware on both the phone and the watch, so the benefits show up in devices built from here on, not the ones already on your wrist.

There is a real-world bright spot buried in that, though. We have watched Bluetooth bugs cause genuine headaches on shipping watches, from the Fenix 9 connectivity complaints in early builds to broadcast heart-rate quirks on the CIRQA band. A radio layer built for the speeds watches now need, with forward error correction and adaptive rate switching baked in, is the kind of foundation that avoids some of that later.

When It Lands

The timeline is drawn but not short. The draft HDT specification is already public on bluetooth.com, and the SIG says it is on track to adopt HDT in the next Bluetooth Core Specification release, anticipated in late 2026.

Hardware follows the spec, not the other way around. So the realistic sequence looks like this:

Late 2026: HDT enters the Core Specification
2027: the first chipsets with HDT radios
2027 and beyond: watches, phones and earbuds that can actually use it

If you are shopping now, this is not a reason to wait. A watch you buy today still does everything it did last month, and no current model is upgradeable to HDT anyway. Where it matters is in the spec sheet of the watch you buy two or three years from now, and in whether a brand advertises an HDT-ready radio the way it advertises GPS accuracy today.

Bottom Line

Bluetooth HDT is a quiet, infrastructure-level change, and those are the ones that reshape a product category over a few years rather than a few weeks. The headline number is a jump from 2 Mbps to 7.5 Mbps, but what it really buys wearables is the room to stop treating a big map file or a firmware package as a chore.

We will not see it on a watch this year. We will see brands start to compete on it soon after the Core Specification lands, and the first one to ship an HDT watch will have a genuinely new talking point that has nothing to do with heart rate sensors. If you want to get ahead of the next hardware cycle, the watches worth watching are the ones built on the new radio, and a good Garmin Fenix 8 or Amazfit T-Rex today is a fine bridge to that future.

Sources: Bluetooth SIG official blog on HDT; audioXpress (SIG draft specification notice); tbreak; Argenox; Gadgets & Wearables. The Bluetooth SIG is the primary source for the bit rates, the transfer comparison and the Core Specification timeline.

Fitbit Edge Leak Names Google's Mystery Tracker and Fills the Gap Between Air and Pixel Watch

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The mystery tracker that showed up in Google's own Pixel 11 advertising back in August finally has a name.

Android Headlines published what it says are retail-grade renders and comparison sheets for the Fitbit Edge, a screen-equipped fitness band that Google appears ready to launch within weeks. The leak lines up almost exactly with the wrist-worn device we flagged in FCC and IMDA filings last month, which is a strong hint the two are the same product.

If it holds up, Google's wearable lineup is about to get a lot easier to explain.

What the Edge Actually Is

The Fitbit Edge is a fitness band, not a smartwatch, and that distinction is the whole point. It carries a color screen, notifications, built-in GPS, an altimeter for elevation tracking and automatic activity recognition. Battery life is listed at up to seven days.

The software side is deliberately limited. The leaked comparison material names Google Maps, media and music controls and Find My Phone as the apps it runs, and says the band works with both Android and iPhone. That is a far cry from the Pixel Watch 5, which gets Wear OS, Gemini, the Play Store, LTE and satellite connectivity.

Put simply, the Edge is what the screenless Fitbit Air would be if you bolted a display onto it. It adds the screen, notifications and some on-wrist interaction while keeping the week-long battery that a full smartwatch cannot match.

It Looks Like the FCC Filing We Found

The timing here is not a coincidence. Last month we covered the Google model G8BL6 turning up in an FCC filing in our look at the wrist-band paperwork. The filing described a wrist-worn device with straps, a screen, Bluetooth LE, GNSS and a charging base, with no Wi-Fi or cellular radio. A few days later an IMDA listing confirmed it as a Google device.

That is a near-perfect match for the Edge. The missing radios make sense for a band that is meant to sync through your phone rather than stand on its own, and the GPS matches one of the leaked specs. The August leak from Google's own Pixel advertising, which we also wrote up as a Charge-adjacent Pixel ad tracker, now looks like the same device in a marketing shot.

Reports point to the Edge replacing the Fitbit Charge line, which has not seen a new model since the Charge 6. The naming fits: Google has been folding Fitbit trackers into a cleaner naming scheme, and "Edge" reads as a step up from "Air."

The Details Worth Knowing

Display: a color screen that runs closer to the edges than any past Fitbit tracker
Sensors: built-in GPS, an altimeter, and automatic activity recognition
Battery: listed at up to seven days
Apps: Google Maps, media and music controls, Find My Phone
Compatibility: Android and iOS
Colors: black, green and orange, said to match the Obsidian, Olive and Canyon finishes elsewhere in the Pixel lineup
Design: elongated side buttons and a removable band mechanism

First-look coverage has pointed at metal strips along the sides and suggested they could serve as ECG contacts, the same layout Fitbit used on the Charge 6. Treat that as unconfirmed. It is inference from renders, not a spec sheet.

Price and Timing Are Still Estimates

Google has announced nothing, so the numbers floating around are estimates rather than leaks. Android Headlines expects the Edge to launch this month at roughly $149 to $199, based on where the Charge line has historically landed.

That range matters because it would leave a clean three-tier lineup. The screenless Fitbit Air sits at the bottom for people who just want passive tracking. The Edge sits in the middle for anyone who wants a screen and GPS without paying for a full smartwatch. The Pixel Watch 5 sits at the top with the complete Wear OS experience.

For years Google's wearable story was a confusing pile of Fitbit bands, Pixel Watches and abandoned experiment. A tidy Air, Edge, Pixel Watch ladder is the first time the strategy has looked deliberate.

Bottom Line

The Fitbit Edge is the device Google should have shipped a while ago: a screen, GPS and a week of battery at a price that undercuts its own smartwatch. The leak is credible because it matches primary regulatory filings we already tracked, which is about as solid as a pre-launch rumor gets.

The open questions are the price and the launch date, and both stay estimates until Google says otherwise. If you are shopping now, the Fitbit Charge 6 remains the closest thing on sale, and a Google Pixel Watch 3 is the step up if you want the full smartwatch today rather than the band tomorrow. Given the Edge is expected within weeks, though, anyone in the market for a mid-range Fitbit may want to wait for the official word before buying.

Sources: Android Headlines (exclusive renders and comparison material); 9to5Google; Gadgets & Wearables; Firstpost; FCC filing for Google model G8BL6 and the IMDA listing. The device renders and feature list come from Android Headlines' leak; the FCC and IMDA references are primary regulatory documents. Google has not announced the Fitbit Edge, and price and launch timing are estimates from early coverage, not confirmed details.

Pebble Round 2 Is Finally Shipping, but Battery Life Lands at 8 Days

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

After a year of slipping timelines, Pebble Round 2 is real: the first watches have left the factory and landed in the company's warehouse. Just don't read that as the wait being over.

Pebble says it has built the first 200 full watches and is now emailing the earliest preorder customers to confirm their orders and take delivery. That is a genuine production milestone after months of delay. It is also a small fraction of the roughly 14,000 preorders the company was talking about over the summer.

The bottleneck is the same one that has dogged Round 2 since spring: the stainless steel case.

The Case Is the Problem

Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky laid it out plainly in the shipping update. The Round 2 case is CNC milled, then polished and coated with PVD, and the supplier's samples have been inconsistent for months.

Over three months of sample rounds, each batch had different cosmetic defects, and during some inspection rounds only about 15 percent of cases passed incoming quality control. The ones that passed went into production. The rest were rejected or sent back for rework until they met spec.

Migicovsky is upfront that this could resurface: "we are not out of the woods yet," he wrote, flagging that the same issues could show up in future batches.

Everything else is done and waiting on the metal. The display, battery, buttons, silicone and leather straps, environmental and drop testing, FCC/CE/IC certification and software are all complete. Pebble even built 30,000 straps that are sitting in the warehouse ahead of the watches.

The Shipping Timeline

Here is roughly how the next few months look, with the caveat that more delays are possible:

Now: first 200 watches built and shipping to the earliest customers
After China's October 1 to 7 holiday: the next batch of about 1,000 watches enters production, shipping around the end of October
Early November: production of the remaining orders begins, with shipping starting toward the end of the month
Goal: all preorders shipped by the end of December

If you are somewhere in the middle of the queue, that end-of-December target is the number that actually matters. The 200 watches going out now are the very front of the line.

Battery Life Came In Short

The more surprising part of the update is battery life, and it cuts against the original pitch.

When Round 2 was announced in January, Pebble estimated around two weeks between charges, and the published spec still lists 10 to 14 days. In practice, Migicovsky now says the average with the current version of PebbleOS is closer to eight days.

You can stretch it back toward the promised range by turning off the touchscreen, disabling shake-to-backlight and using a watchface that refreshes less often. That is a real gap, though: eight days in normal use is not the same as two weeks, and it only reaches the spec sheet after you switch features off.

There is a decent case that this improves. Pebble 2 Duo climbed from a median of 17 days to more than 30 after software optimization, and Pebble Time 2 reached around 21 days. Round 2 may follow the same path as PebbleOS matures.

What You Actually Get

For anyone who has not followed the hardware closely, the watch itself is largely what the original Pebble Time Round fans asked for:

A 41.5mm case in two strap widths (20mm and 14mm)
An e-paper display that is larger than the old Time Round, optically bonded and with better black levels
A redesigned magnetic charger shared with recent Pebble watches
Standard quick-release straps, so you can swap in any 20mm or 14mm band
Around 1,400 apps and watchfaces built for Round 2, plus roughly 3,000 original Pebble Time Round apps that scale automatically to the bigger screen

Pebble is also offering preorder customers a leather strap for $5, below cost, as a thank-you for the delays.

Bottom Line

Pebble Round 2 crossing from beta hardware into real production is the news here, and it is legitimately good news for a project run by a handful of people. The caveats are just as real: a case that still fails quality checks, an eight-day battery figure rather than two weeks, and an end-of-December finish line for most orders.

If you already have a preorder, confirm it, expect a watch later than you were promised and treat the battery number as the one to watch as PebbleOS gets optimized. If you are shopping for a low-power smartwatch today instead of waiting until December, the Amazfit Bip 5 is a budget option with multi-day battery, and a 20mm quick-release strap is the one accessory worth grabbing either way. Pebble Round 2 is a genuine comeback story, just a slow-motion one.

Sources: Pebble's official shipping update on repebble.com and the Pebble Help Center shipping timeline page; Gadgets & Wearables; T3; Notebookcheck. Pebble's own blog is the primary source for the production numbers, the case quality figures and the battery estimates; the timeline and battery coverage are corroborated by independent outlets.

Casio G-Shock Mudman GDG-B100: MIP Screen and Fitness Tracking, But No More Tough Solar

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Casio has gone in a slightly strange direction with the newest Mudman, and the strangest part is what it took away.

The G-Shock Mudman GDG-B100 is the first Mudman with a MIP (Memory in Pixel) display. It adds Bluetooth notifications and actual run tracking. Then it drops Tough Solar, the feature that made the Mudman a watch you could strap on and forget about for years.

If you know the Mudman line, that trade is the whole story.

A Mudman That Finally Moves to MIP

The GDG-B100 replaces the conventional dual-layer LCD of the current GW-9500 Mudman with a MIP panel. That is a natural fit for this kind of watch. MIP screens stay readable in bright sun without leaning on a bright backlight, which is exactly what you want on a watch aimed at hikers, military users and first responders.

Casio paired the display with a red LED backlight. Red light preserves your natural night vision better than the white or blue backlights most digital watches use, so checking the time at 3 a.m. in a tent will not blind you.

The rest of the rugged package is intact. You get 200-meter water resistance, shock and mud resistance, a Carbon Core Guard structure, carbon fiber-reinforced resin, and gaskets on the button shafts to keep dust and grit out. The case is 63.6 x 49.6 x 16.2mm and weighs 66 grams, so it is still a big, chunky tool watch. Casio builds the case, bezel and band from bio-based resins.

Bluetooth and Fitness Tracking Arrive

Behind the display, Casio has pushed the GDG-B100 further into fitness than any Mudman before it.

An accelerometer tracks steps, distance, pace, speed and calories, with auto pause, lap tracking, interval timers, and storage for up to 100 runs. There is no onboard GPS and no optical heart rate sensor, so this is not a full sports watch. Distance comes from calibrating against your phone's GPS through the Casio Watches app, and after that the watch can estimate distance on its own.

Bluetooth also brings notifications for calls, emails, social media, calendar events and reminders, plus automatic time adjustment, world time across 38 time zones, and a phone finder. That is a meaningful step up from the GW-9500, which has no connected features at all.

If you want to see how Casio has handled connectivity before, our G-Shock GBA-950 review covers the analog-digital side of the same idea.

The Tough Solar Problem

Here is where the GDG-B100 gets divisive.

Casio powers the new Mudman with a standard CR2032 coin cell, rated for about two years. The GW-9500 it sits beside uses Tough Solar, which means you can basically forget the battery for most of its life. Dropping solar from a watch designed for harsh environments, and doing it in the same generation you add a power-efficient MIP display, is a hard choice to explain.

Some buyers will genuinely prefer it. A cheap, user-replaceable coin cell beats another device that needs regular charging, and two years is not short. But there is a reason the Mudman faithful are arguing about this one.

The sensors tell the same story. The GW-9500 packs a digital compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer. The GDG-B100 has none of them. In exchange it adds Bluetooth, notifications, activity tracking and those more developed running features, and it is lighter at 66 grams against the older watch's 81 grams.

So despite the newer model number, this does not look like a straight replacement. It looks like a second branch of the Mudman family, one aimed more at casual training than at pure navigation.

Where It Sits in the G-Shock Lineup

Casio has been nudging G-Shock toward fitness across several lines, and the GDG-B100 is the mild version of that shift.

The recently announced GBX-H5600 goes much further, adding optical heart rate and Polar-powered training metrics. The Mudman keeps things simpler and stays closer to a traditional G-Shock tool watch with a smarter brain.

If you want the full outdoor-watch comparison, our Garmin Instinct 3 breakdown shows what the dedicated GPS watch brands bring to the same buyer.

The GDG-B100 launches in black (GDG-B100-1), olive (GDG-B100-1A3) and tan (GDG-B100-1A5). The UK price is 200 pounds, and the Japanese price is 38,500 yen, roughly 245 dollars at current rates. A US price has not been announced.

If you are shopping the rugged end of the G-Shock range on Amazon, the older GW-9500 is still the better buy for anyone who values solar and real navigation sensors.

Bottom Line

The Mudman GDG-B100 is a real upgrade on the display and the smart features, and a real downgrade on the things that made the Mudman a set-and-forget watch. MIP plus Bluetooth plus run tracking is a smart package for the price. Losing Tough Solar and the ABC sensors to get there is the trade Casio is asking you to make.

For a hiker who wants notifications and step counts, the new Mudman delivers. For a backcountry user who bought the line for solar power and a compass, the GW-9500 still makes more sense. Watch this space to see whether Casio eventually merges the two branches into one watch, because right now you have to pick which Mudman you actually want.

COROS October Update Brings Full Maps to the PACE 4 and a Cycling VO2 Max

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

COROS just started pushing its October 2026 feature update, and the headline is a feature trickling down rather than one arriving at the top.

Full global maps are coming to the PACE 4. Until now the watch handed you a simple route line, what COROS calls breadcrumb navigation, and left you to guess what sat around it. The update gives the PACE 4 the same mapping the APEX 4, NOMAD and PACE Pro already carry: street and trail names, points of interest and offline map coverage.

That's a bigger deal than it sounds for anyone who rides or runs off the beaten path. Seeing where you actually are beats following a line that only tells you whether you're on it.

Maps Reach Almost the Whole Lineup

The mapping upgrade isn't limited to the PACE 4. According to the rollout details, it lands on the PACE 4 Pro, PACE 4, APEX 4, NOMAD, PACE Pro, APEX 2 and 2 Pro, and the VERTIX 2 and 2S, plus the DURA bike computer.

The notable holdout is the PACE 3, which does not get maps. That's a clean line between generations, and it's worth knowing before you buy a discounted older model expecting the feature to arrive later.

A Cycling VO2 Max, Finally

The other headline addition is a cycling-specific VO2 Max. COROS now calculates it from your ride data and shows it both on the watch and in the app, inside the card that already tracks your FTP.

This matters because FTP and VO2 Max describe different things. FTP tells you the power you can hold, while VO2 Max speaks to the size of your aerobic engine. Tracking both over a season gives a fuller picture of whether you're actually getting fitter, and cyclists have long asked for the second number.

It reaches most of the current lineup: PACE 4 Pro, PACE 4, APEX 4, NOMAD, PACE Pro, PACE 3, APEX 2 and 2 Pro, VERTIX 2 and 2S, and the DURA. Older watches like the PACE 2, APEX Pro and VERTIX 1 are left out.

Emoji Notifications and Better Menus

Two smaller changes will be felt every day by far more people than the mapping update.

Emoji support in notifications. The most-used emojis now render on the watch instead of vanishing or turning into empty boxes. COROS says expanded emoji support is coming.
Reorganized pre-run settings. Related options are grouped together and the ones you reach for most sit higher up. Navigation moves to the front for Trail Run, and activity alerts get priority in regular Run mode. Less scrolling before you start.

If you own a COROS watch, these are the two updates you'll notice within an hour of installing.

The Rest of the Changelog

Beyond the marquee features, the October update cleans up a long list of loose ends:

Passcode lock arrives for the PACE 3, APEX 2 and 2 Pro, and VERTIX 2 and 2S
Automatic max heart rate review, which prompts you to accept a higher value if your recorded data suggests your configured number is too low
Hill alert and effort pace algorithm adjustments
DURA storm alerts and a new torque-per-revolution metric for cycling
A refreshed battery status page in the COROS app

The max heart rate prompt is the quiet one worth paying attention to. Zones, effort estimates and training load all lean on that number, and a value set once during setup and never revisited drags every derived metric down with it.

How to Get It

The update is rolling out through the iOS and Android app stores. COROS says global availability typically follows within about a week of release, so some owners will see it before others.

The order matters. Install the app update first, then check for the watch firmware update. The features that display on the watch, like maps and cycling VO2 Max, need the new firmware on the device itself, not just the phone app. If you don't see it yet, check the store again over the next few days.

Bottom Line

This is a software update that quietly makes a mid-range COROS watch more capable than it was last week. Putting full offline maps on the PACE 4 closes the biggest gap between it and the pricier APEX and PACE Pro models, while the cycling VO2 Max fills a metric cyclists have been asking for.

If you already own a PACE 4 or a PACE 3, the split is the thing to note: the PACE 4 is getting maps, and the PACE 3 isn't. For everyone else in the lineup, this is a straightforward, free improvement, and it follows a steady year of updates for the brand, including the May 2026 feature drop. The COROS PACE 4 remains one of the better value picks in running watches, and the APEX 4 is the step up if you want the tougher build and the full feature set out of the box. The PACE 4 Pro is the top of the Pace line if maps, a brighter screen and longer battery matter more than price.

Sources: COROS official product update pages for October 2026; COROS Help Center release notes and the October 2026 feature update overview; todomountainbike (per-model availability detail). COROS is the primary source for the feature list and rollout; the model-by-model breakdown of what is included and excluded comes from the availability reporting.

Suunto Race 3S Leak Puts Launch on October 15 at $499 With a Silicon-Carbon Battery

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 23:05:00 GMT

Suunto's Race 3 family has been building for months, first through a regulatory filing, then through references on Suunto's own site, then through retailer listings. Now there is a date and a price attached to the smaller model, plus a battery claim that would be the real story if it holds up.

Newly surfaced product material points to a target launch of October 15, 2026 for the Suunto Race 3S and a $499 US recommended price. The same material lists a battery change that acts as the headline upgrade.

There is one caveat, and it belongs near the top rather than buried at the end. The outlet that published the material says it could not independently confirm it is genuine, and that AI image-detection tools returned conflicting results. Treat what follows as an unverified leak, not confirmed product information.

What the Material Claims

The Race 3S is described as staying close to the current Race S in size and shape. The listed numbers are 45mm across, 11.4mm thick and 53 grams, which matches the titanium Race S on weight and thickness.

The spec bumps start once you get past the case:

Display: 1.32-inch AMOLED, 466 x 466, brightness jumping from 600 nits to 2,000 nits
Glass: Gorilla Glass replaced by sapphire crystal
Storage: 32GB to 64GB
Battery: up to 45 hours of dual-band GPS in Performance mode, up from 30 hours on the Race S
Cell type: described as silicon-carbon anode battery technology
Colours: Titanium Orchid, Titanium Feather and Titanium Black

The training feature list reads as expected for a Suunto trail watch: dual-band GNSS, free global topographic maps, a Trail Race Planner with climb guidance, Training Zone, Energy Sense, AI Coach support, and SuuntoPlus integrations across more than 120 sport partners. Most of that is refinement rather than anything new to the platform.

The Battery Claim Is the Interesting Part

Doubling GPS endurance in a case that is the same thickness and weight is not something you get for free, and the material's own explanation is the reason this leak is worth a closer look.

Silicon-carbon cells hold more energy per unit of volume than the graphite-based lithium-ion designs used in most sports watches. If Suunto has moved to silicon-carbon, that would explain how it could raise capacity without making the watch thicker or heavier. Other renders in the same set list 45 hours in Performance mode and 55 hours in Endurance mode, with an Ultra mode visible but its runtime obscured.

For context on the rest of the lineup, the Race S in the sportier end of Suunto's range is the model being replaced here, and a chest strap like Suunto's Smart Heart Rate Belt remains the better option for anything interval-based, whatever the wrist sensor claims.

Where This Leaves the Track Record

We have followed this launch through every step. The original Race 3 and Race 3 S leak in July came straight off Suunto's own website and included the AI Coach subscription that had the community fired up. The IMDA certification in August gave the models a second, harder paper trail.

An earlier retailer listing adds weight that the leaked material alone does not. A Belgian and French retailer briefly listed the Race 3S at 498.90 euros in Titanium Black, which is roughly the old price of the stainless steel Race 2 in the US and well under the 599 euros and $599 Suunto charges for titanium versions of the Race 2. That listing is a commercial signal rather than a marketing asset, so it is a firmer piece of evidence than a slide deck nobody can authenticate.

The two threads disagree slightly on timing. The retailer pricing leak suggested a launch before the end of the year. The new material points at October 15. Those are compatible, and Suunto has not confirmed either.

What to Watch

Three things would settle this quickly.

The first is an IMDA or FCC update that names the launch window, since Suunto's regulatory trail has been accurate so far. The second is a Suunto store page going live ahead of schedule, which is how the original Race 3 details leaked in the first place. The third is the estimate itself. If silicon-carbon is real and the Race 3S holds a 45-hour dual-band rating at 53 grams, that changes what the middle of the sports watch market can offer on battery, and competitors will have to answer it.

Until then, the honest read is that the spec sheet looks plausible, the timing looks plausible, and the only thing the publisher can vouch for is that the material exists.

Bottom Line

Suunto has spent the year with a Race 3 family stuck just short of launch, confirmed by filings and retailer pages but never by the company. The latest material gives that story a date, a price and a battery technology worth arguing about, while also carrying a verification problem the publisher flagged itself.

If October 15 is real, we will know within two weeks. If it slips, the pattern from this year suggests the watch is still coming, just later than the leak said.

Sources: Gadgets & Wearables' report dated October 2, 2026, for the October 15 target launch date, the $499 US price, the full spec delta against the Race S (2,000-nit AMOLED, sapphire, 64GB, 45-hour dual-band GPS, silicon-carbon anode battery), the three titanium colourways, the 45/55-hour mode split and the publisher's own statement that it could not confirm the material was genuine; Notebookcheck's September 21, 2026 coverage of the Snowleader retailer listing at 498.90 euros for Race 3S Titanium Black, with the Race 2 titanium comparison at 599 euros and $599; Gadgets & Wearables' earlier Race 3 round-up from September 17, 2026 on the indexed titanium retailer listings; and Suunto's regulatory trail as covered in our July and August articles, including the IMDA filings for the OW265 and OW266 model numbers. The launch date, price and battery specification all trace to a single publisher's unverified material with no independent confirmation, so they are attributed as an unverified leak rather than confirmed information.

Google Just Patented Predicting Your Next AFib Episode, Not Detecting the Current One

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Every irregular-rhythm feature on your wrist today answers the same question. Is something happening right now, or did something happen earlier that we noticed late?

A newly published Google patent application goes after a different question entirely. When is it going to happen again?

The application is numbered US 2026/0294263 A1 and was published at the start of October 2026, according to early coverage of it. At the time of writing the full text has not yet indexed into the public patent viewers, so the mechanism described below comes from two independent write-ups of the filing rather than the filing's own page.

What the Patent Actually Describes

The setup is straightforward for a patent in this space. A wearable detects an initial cardiac arrhythmia event using its own biometric sensors. Atrial fibrillation is the example the filing keeps returning to, though the claims are written broadly around cardiac arrhythmias.

That first event triggers an observation period. During the window, the watch keeps collecting heart data and records the additional events that follow. The system then looks at their timing and frequency to work out whether there is a pattern specific to that person.

If there is one, Google proposes using it to generate a prediction of when a future event may occur. Episodes that cluster at certain times of day, or that land at fairly regular intervals, are exactly the kind of signal that would feed that forecast.

That is a narrower idea than a general risk score. A risk score tells someone they are more likely to develop AFib at some point. This describes learning from the wearer's own recorded episodes and trying to call the next one.

Why This Is a Step Past What Ships Today

Current wearables can already flag AFib, and Google's devices are part of that group. The Fitbit Air uses heart rhythm and movement data collected while you are still to trigger an irregular rhythm notification. The Pixel Watch goes further with ECG hardware on supported models.

Both of those are still detection. They ask whether your rhythm looks irregular right now. Prediction flips it around and asks what might come next.

It also lines up with where Google has been pushing its health platform. Health Guardian already infers blood pressure and insulin resistance trends from signals the watch already collects, rather than from dedicated sensors that measure either one directly. AFib prediction follows the same logic. The sensors gather raw data, and more of the value comes from reading patterns across time.

We have also seen how that strategy lands in practice. The first Health Guardian reports came back confusing enough that users were not sure what to do with them, which is worth remembering when the next pattern-reading feature arrives.

The Part That Will Decide Whether You Ever See It

Patents are not roadmaps. Companies file on technologies that never reach a product, or that show up years later in a form nobody recognizes.

The bar is higher here than for a normal feature. Telling someone an arrhythmia may be approaching is a different promise from telling them one is happening. Detection is already a regulated health feature on these watches. A forward-looking warning would need convincing clinical validation before Google could push it to millions of wrists, and that is the sort of evidence a patent application does not contain.

There is a human problem too. Continuous rhythm monitoring can make people anxious, and a notification that says an episode may be coming has more room to cause alarm than one that reports what already occurred. Anyone who has watched a false positive on a heart feature knows how that goes.

Then there is the software question. A prediction needs a pattern, and a pattern needs repeated episodes. Someone who has had one recorded event has nothing to work with. That makes the feature useful for a specific slice of users, not for everyone wearing the watch.

What We Would Watch For

If this ever ships, the interesting details will be where it lands and how it is framed. Google runs both Fitbit and Pixel Watch lines, and health features have a history of arriving on one before the other. We have tracked how uneven that rollout gets, down to country-level availability.

The second detail is the wording. A prediction presented as a warning reads very differently from one presented as a heads-up. Detection features already lean on careful language for good reason.

For anyone who wants the current state of play on wrist-based rhythm detection, a Pixel Watch with ECG covers detection today, and Garmin's approach to irregular heartbeat notifications is worth comparing, which we have covered separately.

Bottom Line

Google has filed on the logic behind a prediction feature rather than a sensor. Its watches already have the hardware for detection, so the missing piece for forecasting is interpretation, which is exactly what the application describes.

That does not mean it is coming next year. It means the company is thinking past the notification that says something happened, and toward one that says something might. If that ever reaches a watch, the clinical evidence behind it will matter far more than the patent.

Sources: Gadgets & Wearables' write-up dated October 3, 2026, for the application number US 2026/0294263 A1, the initial-event-then-observation-window flow, the timing-and-frequency pattern learning, the AFib example and the "patents are not roadmaps" caveat; an independent German-language report from borncity, published early October 2026, confirming the same application number and the same mechanism of learning from the temporal patterns of actual episodes; and Google's own Fitbit and Pixel Watch heart rhythm support documentation for what irregular rhythm notifications and ECG currently cover. Two write-ups describe the application and both give the same number, but the application's own text was not yet available in the public patent viewers when this was written, so the number and the mechanism are attributed to that early coverage rather than to the document itself. No second independent write-up beyond these was found.

Garmin Went Back to the Seven-Year-Old Fenix 6 to Fix Race Predictor

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 19:35:00 GMT

Here is a sentence you do not get to write often. Garmin has pushed a new software update to the Fenix 6, a watch that launched in 2019, after leaving that generation alone for about 18 months.

The release is beta 29.02, and it arrived through Garmin's public beta program. It also covers the original Enduro, the Tactix Delta, the Quatix 6 and the first-generation MARQ models, all of which share the same platform.

The changelog is one line long. The bug it fixes is worth understanding, because it was genuinely annoying.

One Fix, and It Is Race Predictor

The only item in the update addresses Race Predictor producing wildly unrealistic estimates. Race Predictor is the Garmin feature that uses your training data and metrics like VO2 max to estimate potential finish times for the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. It is meant to be a moving target that tracks your actual fitness.

Starting over the summer, owners watched it lose the plot. One user saw a roughly 27-minute predicted 5K drop to around 18 minutes after recording an activity, with no matching change in VO2 max to explain it. Others reported similar jumps that made no sense for their training.

A predicted 5K that falls by nine minutes because you logged a run is not a motivational update. It is a bug.

Garmin acknowledged the problem during the summer and said in July that its engineers had identified the cause. A fix was expected around August. It took until beta 29.02 to actually show up.

Why a 2019 Watch Still Matters

The Fenix 6 is ancient by smartwatch standards, but Garmin watches age on a different clock. Owners keep them because the hardware still does the job. Maps, navigation, PacePro, training metrics, music on some models and long battery life cover most of what a runner or hiker needs, even if newer generations bring better screens and newer sensors.

That is what makes this update more interesting than its single changelog line suggests. More than seven years after launch, Garmin has not fully walked away from the platform. It described these as part of "a few late updates" for the generation, which implies the Fenix 6 has not been abandoned for good.

It also sits against a busy year of Garmin firmware. We have tracked the company shipping Fenix 9 features down to older watches and a steady stream of Fenix 8 software releases on the newer side of the lineup.

Who Gets It and How to Install It

Beta 29.02 is going out through the Garmin public beta program, so it is available now for Fenix 6 owners who opt in. The previous release for this generation was 28.02, which landed back in March 2025, which is where the 18-month gap comes from.

If you are on a Fenix 6, an Enduro, a Tactix Delta, a Quatix 6 or a first-generation MARQ and Race Predictor has been feeding you nonsense, this is the update to grab. You can install it through Garmin Express or the beta program on the watch. If you would rather not run beta software, the safe play is to wait for it to reach a stable release.

One more thing for anyone still training on that older hardware: a chest strap like the Garmin HRM will give your Fenix 6 cleaner heart-rate data than the wrist sensor for interval work, which in turn feeds the training metrics that Race Predictor leans on.

Bottom Line

A one-line changelog rarely deserves its own story. This one does, because of the two things wrapped around it. Garmin is still supporting a seven-year-old watch, and it spent that goodwill on a Race Predictor bug that had been inflating people's fitness for months.

If Race Predictor has been telling you that you can run a 5K several minutes faster than you actually can, beta 29.02 is aimed at exactly that. Take it if you are comfortable testing beta software, and otherwise wait for the stable cut. Either way, the more telling takeaway is that the Fenix 6 is still getting updates at all, which is not something you can say for most watches from 2019.

If you want the fuller picture of where Garmin's support effort has been landing this year, we have written about the Fenix 9 bug backlog and the Fenix 9 Bluetooth fixes.

Sources: the Gadgets & Wearables report dated October 2, 2026 on the Fenix 6 beta 29.02 release for the 18-month gap from 28.02, the covered models (Fenix 6 family, original Enduro, Tactix Delta, Quatix 6 and first-generation MARQ), the single Race Predictor changelog item, the owner reports including the roughly 27-minute-to-18-minute predicted 5K, and Garmin's July acknowledgement and the earlier August target; Notebookcheck's coverage of the same update for the note that it is unclear whether this shares the main Fenix line branch; Garmin's public beta program forum bug reports for the Fenix 6 series as the primary community record; and Garmin's own Race Predictor support article for how the estimate is built from training data and VO2 max. No second independent write-up beyond these outlets was found to cross-check the July engineering timeline, which is attributed here as Garmin's stated position.

Garmin's 23.39 Update Left Some Fenix 8 Owners With No Heart Rate at All

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 19:25:00 GMT

A firmware update is supposed to fix things. For a growing group of Garmin Fenix 8 owners, version 23.39 did the opposite. The optical heart-rate sensor went dark and stayed dark.

The symptom is consistent across the reports. The green and red LEDs on the back of the watch stop lighting up entirely. No wrist heart rate. No Pulse Ox. No overnight HRV. And because those features feed other systems, sleep tracking and Body Battery go missing too.

If that happened to your watch, the important thing to know up front is that it looks like a software fault, not a dead sensor, and there is a recovery path that has worked.

What Is Actually Happening

The clearest account comes from a Garmin Forums thread started by a Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED owner. After installing 23.39, their wrist heart rate was set to Auto, Battery Saver was off, and the sensor still produced nothing.

"The green optical HR LEDs do not turn on at all. No heart rate value is displayed. Starting Broadcast Heart Rate does not activate the sensor and no HR value is detected."

They tried the usual fixes. Forced shutdown, watch left off for more than 90 seconds, then a full reinstall of 23.39. The LEDs stayed off across all of it. Their watch was running Sensor Hub 40.08 and BMX 25.09 alongside system software 23.39.

A second owner in the same thread, going by jaxer, described the same failure on a Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED Sapphire bought in October 2024:

"Right after 23.39 installed (around 26 September) the optical sensor went completely dark: no green or red LEDs, no wrist detection, no HR, no Pulse Ox, no overnight HRV."

That thread alone carries at least three 51mm units with the dead sensor, plus a separate French-language thread on the same problem.

It Is Not Just the Fenix 8

Garmin pushed 23.39 to more than the Fenix 8 line. The same rollout reached the Tactix 8, the Enduro 3, the Fenix E and the Fenix 8 Pro and non-Pro models, each with its own forum announcement. Tactix 8 owners are reporting the same dead sensor, and at least one Fenix 9 Pro owner saw the identical symptom after an update, though a reinstall fixed it there.

It is also not purely a 23.39 problem. Owners say the trouble started earlier with version 23.31 in September, and that the 23.35 and 23.39 betas did not resolve it. Garmin had acknowledged reports tied to 23.31 and pointed people toward 23.39 as the newer build. For some of them, installing it changed nothing.

The failure is not universal, which is part of what makes it frustrating to pin down. One owner with a Fenix 8 47mm Solar on 23.39 reported the sensor and battery both working normally. So the same software is behaving differently on different units.

What 23.39 Was Supposed to Do

Software 23.39 was a real release, not a tiny patch. It added the "OK Garmin" voice wake phrase, a suggested running workout, indoor XC skiing, and several Garmin Coach changes. It also fixed pace and speed dropouts, strength activity resets, Spotify problems and a list of smaller bugs.

It follows a run of corrective Fenix releases this year, including 22.44 after display complaints and an earlier Fenix 8 Pro update aimed at battery drain. We have tracked how Garmin has been shipping its Fenix 9 features back to older watches in our backport coverage.

One owner also flagged a battery side effect worth knowing about. With Always-On Display off, their watch estimated 7 to 9 days of battery after the update. Turning off the new "OK Garmin" always-listening feature pushed that back up to about 13 days at 48 percent charge. That is a single user's observation rather than a confirmed power bug, but if your battery estimate dropped after 23.39, the new voice feature is the first thing to test.

The Fix That Has Worked

The most useful reply in the thread came from a user named Martin, who suggested rolling the watch back to 22.44. That reinstall brings back the older sensor hub firmware along with the older system software. If heart rate returns, you can then update to 23.39 again.

jaxer ran it and reported back: "i just did and that helped indeed."

So the working order of operations, based on what owners have reported, is this:

Full power-off for at least 90 seconds, then restart. This has revived some units on its own.
If that fails, reinstall 23.39. It has not helped everyone.
If it still fails, roll back to 22.44 to restore the old sensor hub, confirm the LEDs are back, then reinstall 23.39.
A factory reset has worked for a few owners, but it is the last resort, not the first.

If your heart rate vanished after this update, treat it as software before you assume the optical sensor has physically died. And if none of the above brings the LEDs back, open a case with Garmin, because the forum thread shows this is showing up across multiple 51mm units and the older Fenix 8 thread where Garmin ended up replacing the watch.

If you are weighing a hardware reset against just living without wrist HR for a while, a chest strap like the Garmin HRM will keep your training data flowing in the meantime, and it sidesteps the optical sensor entirely.

Bottom Line

Garmin shipped a substantial update to its flagship line and a subset of watches came out the other side with no wrist heart rate. The evidence points at the sensor hub firmware that 23.39 installs, and the rollback that swaps the older hub back in has restored the sensor for at least one owner.

Garmin completed the rollout to 100 percent, and plenty of watches are running 23.39 without issue, so there is no reason yet to tell everyone to avoid it. But if your Fenix 8 or Tactix 8 went quiet on heart rate after the update, you are not alone, and you do not have to accept it as a dead sensor. Try the extended shutdown, then the 22.44 rollback, and report it to Garmin if neither works. A hotfix from Garmin would be the cleanest ending here, and given how many units are in the thread, one is worth waiting for.

If you want to compare notes on the rest of Garmin's recent software record, we have covered the Fenix 9 bug backlog and the Fenix 9 Bluetooth fixes.

Sources: the Gadgets & Wearables report dated October 3, 2026 on the 23.39 heart-rate failures for the symptom summary, the affected models, the framing of 23.39 as a substantial release and the note that Garmin had been recommending 23.39 over 23.31; the Garmin Forums thread "Garmin Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED after updating to System Software 23.39" (thread 445048) for the original report, the Sensor Hub 40.08 and BMX 25.09 versions, the user reports from jaxer and other owners, the 47mm Solar counter-example, the battery observation tied to the OK Garmin feature, and Martin's 22.44 rollback advice with jaxer's confirmation; Garmin Forums announcement posts for the Fenix 8, Tactix 8, Enduro 3, Fenix E and Fenix 8 Pro/MicroLED 23.39 rollouts; Garmin Rumors for the Fenix 8 Series stable version 23.39 release notes and the 22.44 display-fix history; and Garmin's own support article on a watch no longer displaying heart rate.

Pixel Watch 2's Guaranteed Update Window Ends This Month

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:10:00 GMT

The Pixel Watch 2 is in the last month Google has promised to support it.

Google's own support documentation lists the watch, released in October 2023, as guaranteed software updates "until at least October 2026." That is this month. After it passes, the Watch 2 stops being a device Google is on the hook to keep current, and it joins the original Pixel Watch on the outside of the lineup's update schedule.

Nothing turns off. Your watch will still tell time tomorrow. But the terms change, and there is a detail in Google's own paperwork that matters more than the deadline itself.

What Google actually promises

The support page is unusually blunt about the shape of the deal. Google's wording is that you get updates "for at least 3 years from when your device first became available on the Google Store in the US," and that those updates "include security updates and may include feature drops and other software updates."

Three years. Not the seven Google promises for its Pixel phones. Here is the table as Google publishes it:

Pixel Watch 5 - released October 2026, guaranteed until at least October 2029
Pixel Watch 4 - released October 2025, guaranteed until at least October 2028
Pixel Watch 3 - released October 2024, guaranteed until at least October 2027
Pixel Watch 2 - released October 2023, guaranteed until at least October 2026
Pixel Watch - released October 2022, guaranteed until at least October 2025

The Watch 2's clock is the one running down now.

You will see the cutoff described two different ways in coverage. One reading is that support ended on October 1. The other is that October is the final supported month. Google's phrasing, "until at least October 2026," reads more like the second: the guarantee covers this month, and it is the last one. Either way the practical answer is the same, because October 2026 is the final month Google has committed to.

Note the "at least" too. It gives Google room to extend, not a promise that it will.

We told you to hold off, and that needs a footnote

On September 16 we wrote about Google pushing its September Feature Drop down three generations of Pixel Watch, and we ended it with this line:

"And if you were weighing an upgrade, this release is a reason to hold off a little longer."

That was accurate about the release and incomplete as advice. The feature drop did land on the Watch 2, and it did carry a real new capability in Gemini Personalization. What our piece did not put next to it was the date on Google's support page, which has said October 2026 for as long as the Watch 2 has existed. The September update was not evidence of a long runway. It looks more like the last significant feature delivery the watch is scheduled to get, arriving a few weeks before the runway ends.

If you read that piece and decided to wait on an upgrade, the missing context was that you were waiting inside a three-year window that was already almost gone.

What stops, and what does not

Wear OS version upgrades and feature drops stop. This is the part that changes what your watch is. New Wear OS releases, new health features, new interface work, and anything Google ships at a future launch event will not come to a Pixel Watch 2. The watch is on Wear OS 7, which reached it in June 2026, and that is where the software story ends.

Security patches are the murkier part. Google's guarantee covers security updates explicitly, so the Watch 2 leaves the covered window at the end of this month. In practice Google has not treated the end of a guarantee as a hard stop. The original Pixel Watch fell out of support when its own October 2025 date passed, and then in March 2026 Google shipped it what the company called "an additional March 2026 software update," aimed at E911 emergency dialing behavior. It was the first update that watch had received since October 2025, it was narrow and unannounced, and it is the clearest evidence that an out-of-support Pixel Watch can still get a fix when Google decides one is worth the effort.

It is also worth reading the rest of that story, because the same update was reported to have caused problems with health tracking on the watch it was meant to help. A bonus patch from an unsupported device is better than nothing, and it is not the same as being maintained.

Google's Pixel Watch security bulletins do not arrive on a monthly rhythm in the first place. Looking at the published list, they have appeared roughly every one to three months, and the most recent covers August 2026. So the practical question for a Watch 2 owner is not "will I miss next month's patch." It is whether a serious flaw gets found in the coming years and whether Google chooses to reach back for a device it no longer guarantees. The Pixel Watch 1 precedent says sometimes, quietly, and without a schedule.

For reference, the Watch 2 went out on time rather than early: a September 15, 2026 release with the September security patch, the Wear OS 7 update on June 9, 2026, and a March 31, 2026 patch with Fitbit enhancements before that.

The part that stings more than the deadline

Here is the detail the support page does not tell you, and our own September 27 piece does.

The Pixel Watch 2 never got Health Guardian. Not a reduced version, none of it. Google's announcement footnotes name the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 as the devices the blood pressure trends, insulin resistance trends and sleep breathing quality are included with. The Pixel Watch 1 and 2 are simply absent, and owners get nothing.

So the Watch 2's last year was already an example of what the end of support looks like: the hardware works, the app works, and the headline feature of the moment passes you by. The October deadline formalizes something that started earlier.

There is a small irony in Google's own documentation here. The help page for Cardio Load still lists the Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2 as supported devices, so Google is willing to keep a two-generation-wider device in one health feature while leaving it out of the newest one. The line is not about capability. It is about which products Google has decided to sell the future to.

Three years is the shortest promise in the category

Set Google's three-year floor against what the other two watch platforms commit to and it is the shortest published number, even if the real-world gaps are closer than they look.

Samsung commits to four major OS upgrades and five years of security patches across the Galaxy Watch 4 through Watch 7 era, and it has moved to five OS upgrades for the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2. That is roughly a two-year head start on Google.

Apple publishes no fixed number at all, only a compatibility list, and watchOS 27 cut more hardware at once than any previous release. It supports the Apple Watch Series 9, 10 and 11, the Ultra 2 and Ultra 3, and the SE 3. It dropped the Series 6, 7 and 8, the SE 2 and the original Ultra. That is a bigger single-year cut than Google's, but Apple's older watches keep receiving security updates, and the supported list has historically run four to six years deep.

Google's watch software promise is the shortest one anyone puts in writing. The Watch 2 is the first watch where Pixel owners feel that in full.

If you own a Pixel Watch 2

Work out what you use it for. If it is a step counter, a clock and a notification screen, keep wearing it. It will keep doing all of that for years, and the Pixel Watch 1 shows that an occasional fix can still arrive.

If it holds your payment cards, your health history or a work account, treat this month as the soft deadline. An unpatched device that carries cards is a different risk calculation than a step counter, and the gap only widens from here.

For replacements, Google's own lineup makes the decision fairly clean. The Pixel Watch 4 carries a guarantee through October 2028 and now has Health Guardian, which the Watch 2 never got at any point. The Pixel Watch 5 runs through October 2029. Both are a jump in update runway and in features at once, which is the combination that makes an upgrade make sense rather than just a newer model. If you are comparing across brands, Pixel Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 9 runs that decision.

The Pixel Watch 2 was a well-made watch. It just came with a three-year expiry date that most buyers never saw printed on the box.

Bottom Line

The Pixel Watch 2's guaranteed update window runs out at the end of October 2026, three years after it went on sale, and that is now. Feature drops and Wear OS upgrades stop. Security patches leave the guarantee and become discretionary, and Google's own record with the original Pixel Watch says a quiet fix may still arrive, without warning and without a schedule. The watch keeps working. It just stops being something Google is promising to take care of, and it never got Health Guardian in the first place.

Sources: Google's Pixel Watch software update support page (the 3-year policy statement and the per-model table listing the Pixel Watch 2 as released October 2023 and guaranteed until at least October 2026, alongside the Watch 3, 4 and 5 dates); Google's Pixel Watch Security Bulletins on source.android.com for the irregular bulletin cadence and the August 2026 patch level; Google's community post on the original Pixel Watch receiving an additional March 2026 update for E911 dialing, and the coverage of that out-of-support release and the health tracking problems reported after it; Verizon's Pixel Watch 2 software update page for the September 15 2026, June 9 2026 and March 31 2026 releases and their version strings; Google's Health Guardian announcement footnotes, which list only the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5, and the Google Health Cardio Load help page, which still lists the Pixel Watch 1 and 2; Apple's watchOS 27 compatibility list and the reporting around its correction of that list; and Samsung's Galaxy Watch support policy, including the five OS upgrades confirmed for the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2.

Your First Health Guardian Report Says 'High.' Here's Why

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 19:50:00 GMT

The first Health Guardian reports arrived on October 1, and r/PixelWatch filled up with a very specific kind of confusion. People with recent, normal lab results were opening the Google Health app to find out their insulin resistance is high.

Thread after thread, the same pattern. Someone says their bloodwork is fine and the watch disagrees with it. Someone else says they got low and everything is fine. Both people think their result is correct.

What Actually Landed

Google started rolling out Health Guardian last week to Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5. The monthly report carries three new metrics:

Insulin resistance trends
Blood pressure trends
Sleep breathing quality

Reports are monthly, which is why the first batch showed up on the first of the month rather than at launch. We covered the device tiering and which watch gets what when the rollout started.

The mechanics are the part people keep missing. A Pixel Watch is not measuring blood pressure in mmHg, and it is not measuring glucose or insulin. Blood pressure trends run on Google's WavesFM foundation model, trained on billions of minutes of raw heart and movement data, analyzing the shape and speed of the pulse under the skin alongside motion. Insulin resistance combines heart rate patterns, HRV, sleep, activity, skin temperature, weight and age. We went through the indirect method in our insulin resistance explainer.

The output is deliberately broad. You get a trend. You do not get a number.

There Is a Ceiling on This, and It Is Published

Before the anecdotes, here is the honest number. In Google's own validation data, insulin resistance accuracy was 75% from wearable data alone and 88% when lab results were included, as Empirical Health laid out in its analysis of the method.

That is a genuinely impressive result for a wrist device with no glucose sensor. It also means that on wearable signals alone, roughly one in four assessments will not match what a lab would tell you. A "High" flag landing on someone with normal bloodwork is not a malfunction. It is inside the error rate the method is documented to have.

The Wording Is Doing Real Damage

The blood pressure trend resolves to either "High" or "Not high." Android Police's Rita El Khoury, whose partner got the all-clear, found the "not high" phrasing alarming before working out that it simply means normal. She suggested Google should have written "normal" instead.

Read that back. The reassuring result needs decoding. When the good outcome is phrased as the absence of the bad one, people reasonably read it as a warning. Insulin resistance has the same shape: "high" versus "low," with no scale and no indication of how close to the boundary you landed.

Why the First Report Is the Weakest One

Part of the confusion on day one was how Google produced a verdict so fast. The answer is that it did not need a week of visible app data.

Google says the first blood pressure trends report can appear if you wore a compatible Pixel Watch for at least five consecutive days during September. Insulin resistance trends requires at least seven days and nights of wear during the month. The report is delivered in October but describes September.

A commenter going by L0nz made the point that matters for how much weight to put on this:

"Updates are monthly but that does not mean they use a month's worth of data to produce it. The first is as little as 7 days' data, the next will be at least 14 days, the next 21 days etc etc because each update builds on the last. The first update is by definition the least accurate."

Treat the escalating window as the community's inference rather than a Google statement, since Google has only confirmed the minimum thresholds. But the conclusion holds either way: this is the least informed report you will ever get from the feature. Every one after it has more data behind it.

What the Community Actually Reported

The range is what makes this interesting, because it is not a story about the algorithm failing.

People who expected a high flag and got one. TeamGullet was blunt about it: "Mines high also. I get about Four to five hours of sleep. I eat like crap and work 12hrs a day almost daily and fighting a chest cold. It makes sense." Omoion got a high result and traced it to a recent change: "it's very likely mine's high because I started lifting weights and working out regularly starting in September." The original poster, Mathrania, took a high insulin resistance flag on a Pixel Watch 4 as a prompt rather than a verdict: "I think it's time that I focus on my health, my lifestyle, my eating habits, and the sedentary lifestyle."

People who got the opposite of what their lifestyle suggests. RaccoonDu reported "low" and said it reflected correctly given how seriously they take their health. Top_Papaya_9836 reported the reverse: "as someone who works out 5 days a week, mine says high, which according to my latest lab results in April combined with me taking my health seriously as well, is incorrect." Same effort, opposite results, both confident.

People whose recent labs contradict it. cerealsnax: "I literally just had my a1c taken and it's well within the healthy range and I got high on insulin resistance. It's incorrect." Particular-Fennel-67 described a doctor's test improving between March and September and still getting a high flag, adding that a friend on GLP-1 medication who is not prediabetic was flagged high too. londondragonite had full blood tests come back fine, is on GLP-1s, and hits 150 to 200 minutes of exercise a week: "I strongly suspect they would change if I put my weight down as lower."

The one that inverts the premise. A type 1 diabetic, sinistersquirrels, got the high alert while knowing their insulin resistance is better than it has ever been, and offered their own explanation: "I have been having a stressful time at work this month so that probably explains the alert."

That last one is not a user misreading the feature. It is the feature behaving as designed, and the design is the problem.

The AI Coach Says the Quiet Part

The most useful thing anyone posted came from FusionHype23, who pasted the in-app coach's own explanation. Two lines in it explain nearly every confusing result in the thread:

"Research published in Nature shows these wearable signals can identify metabolic strain often before standard blood tests like HbA1c show a change."

"High acute stress, sleep deficits, and training fatigue, things we've seen in your logs, can all temporarily increase metabolic stress and influence this trend."

Read those together and the day-one reaction makes sense. The feature is explicitly designed to flag strain that a blood test has not caught yet, and it explicitly counts stress, bad sleep and hard training as inputs. Someone who started lifting in September, or had a brutal month at work, or changed their diet hard while training, can get a high flag because of the behaviour their bloodwork is rewarding, not in spite of it.

That is a defensible design. It is also completely invisible if you only read the word "High."

What Google Says These Are

The disclaimers are explicit:

"Intended for general wellness and informational purposes only" and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition
Not a prescreener for diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnea
They do not provide real-time clinical readings
They should not be used to adjust medications or treatment plans
They are not for use by people who are pregnant

The naming changes by country too. In Japan and Mexico, blood pressure trends ship as Vascular Stress or Vascular Stress Trends, and insulin resistance as metabolic stress trends. That is arguably the more honest label, since "stress" describes a pattern rather than a condition.

Fitbit Air users get insulin resistance and blood pressure trends later this year, and that access requires a Google Health Premium subscription.

The reports themselves are worth one more note. El Khoury's own Pixel Watch 5 report flagged all three metrics, which matched her circumstances, while her healthy partner on a Pixel Watch 3 got low insulin resistance, "not high" blood pressure and "mostly optimal" sleep breathing. Both reports were plausible. That is the whole difficulty in one household.

What the Report Doesn't Give You

The most reasonable criticism in the thread is about what is missing. mngeekguy put it simply: "My gripe here is that it tells you what the problem is, but not what to do about it."

There is a strong argument that the reports are too sparse. Android Police found no other way to consult them in the app beyond the initial card, and noted that insulin resistance arrives with no explanation at all, while only sleep breathing breaks out how many days fell into each quality band. No magnitude, no direction, and no "here is what changed since last month." If an algorithm is going to flag something potentially serious, people want to know what moved and by how much.

The thread's own consensus landed somewhere sensible. Prudent_Honeydew_ got good readings and framed it well: "taken with a grain of salt it could be a good indicator that one may want to get things checked out." jake0456 got a low result that matched recent annual bloodwork, and still made the right caveat: "without actually measuring glucose in the blood this is just a guesstimate based on other metrics that the watch can actually measure."

Bottom Line

The algorithm is probably working about as well as a 75% method can. The labels are failing.

A big "High" on your wrist, next to a blood test that came back normal, will cause anxiety in anyone, and "not high" is a poor way to say "normal." Both are messaging choices rather than sensing limits, and both are cheap for Google to fix.

If your first report flagged something, the accurate reading is this. It describes a September pattern drawn from pulse, sleep, movement and stress signals, it needs as little as five to seven days of wear to appear, it is documented at roughly 75% accuracy on wearable data alone, and Google says it is not a diagnostic tool. It is a prompt to look into something, or to raise at your next appointment. It is not a result to act on.

You will also get a better report next month, and a better one the month after, because the whole design depends on watching a trend move. That is the part day one cannot give you, and the part the "High" label does nothing to explain.

If you want the hardware side of where this is heading, Google has been patenting blood pressure sensing that does not rely on pulse and motion patterns at all.

Sources: Google's official Health Guardian announcement and rollout posts for the feature list, the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 free inclusion, the Fitbit Air timing and Google Health Premium requirement, the monthly cadence, the WavesFM blood pressure model and its training data described as billions of minutes of raw heart and movement data, and the full disclaimer text including the general wellness limitation, the not-a-prescreener statement, the real-time readings exclusion, the medication warning, the pregnancy exclusion and the Japan and Mexico naming; the G&W account of the October 1 reporting day for the five-consecutive-day blood pressure and seven-day insulin resistance thresholds, the September data window and the October labeling quirk; Empirical Health's analysis of the wearable insulin resistance method for the 75 percent wearable-only and 88 percent with-labs accuracy figures from Google's validation data; Android Police's first-hand Pixel Watch 5 and Pixel Watch 3 reports for the "High" and "Not high" wording, the "not high" confusion, the missing insulin resistance explanation, the sleep breathing day breakdown and the healthy-partner all clear; and the r/PixelWatch thread "Pixel Watch 4 - High Insulin resistance trends" and its comment section for the quoted user reports from Mathrania, FusionHype23, RaccoonDu, Top_Papaya_9836, Particular-Fennel-67, cerealsnax, londondragonite, sinistersquirrels, TeamGullet, Omoion, jake0456, Prudent_Honeydew_, mngeekguy and L0nz, plus the in-app AI coach text, with the escalating-report-window claim attributed to the commenter rather than to Google.

Apple's Own Heart Rate Study Says It Beats Every Rival. The Independent Research Is Messier.

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:40:00 GMT

Apple published a heart rate accuracy white paper in September, and it says what you'd expect a company to say about its own product. The Apple Watch is more accurate than every competitor it tested against.

The interesting part is that Apple published enough methodology for the claim to be examined, and what the independent research says alongside it.

What Apple Actually Tested

The study covers the Health Sensing System introduced with the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, which brought updated electrical and optical PPG sensors, new signal processing, and features like Recovery HRV and the Readiness app.

The design is a head-to-head, not a validation-only study. Participants wore an Apple Watch on one wrist and a competing device on the other, with a Polar H10 ECG chest strap as the reference. Wrist assignment was randomized so the Apple Watch was on the dominant hand about half the time.

The comparison set:

Garmin Forerunner 970
Google Pixel Watch 4
Huawei Watch 5
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
WHOOP 5
Oura Ring 5, worn on an index finger

That covers roughly 90% of the smartwatch category by Apple's accounting, plus two screenless devices.

The activity mix was chosen to stress optical sensing where it usually fails: outdoor runs at varying speeds (cadence lock), indoor interval treadmill runs, outdoor cycling (loaded forearm grip), HIIT (rapid wrist motion and fast heart rate transitions), and strength training. Each ran 15 to 20 minutes. A separate Daily Living protocol covered rest, desk work, meal preparation and walking, about 20 minutes each.

The Numbers Are Large

Apple enrolled 1,460 participants and 1,254 contributed at least one paired comparison to the final analysis. Five sites were involved: two near Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, plus San Diego, Austin and Selangor in Malaysia.

The population was more diverse than most wearable studies manage. 59% were enrolled at the two third-party CRO-run sites, 20% had a Fitzpatrick skin tone of V or VI, 35% were female, mean age 39 (SD 12) years, and mean BMI 26 (SD 5).

Exclusions included working in tech media, taking beta blockers, contraindications to intense exercise, and device-site tattoos or large moles.

The results:

Apple Watch showed statistically significant better accuracy than all other devices for both the Overall Workout and Overall Daily Living protocols, on both RMSE and MAE
Session-level average heart rate was better in 11 of 12 comparisons. The exception was Huawei Watch 5 for Overall Workout, where Apple's number was better but not statistically significant
Across 159 activity-by-measure comparisons, Apple was better at the 99% confidence level in 139, the result was indeterminate in 18, and the rival device was better in 2
Counting the point estimate regardless of significance, Apple came out ahead in 155 of 159

The two losses are worth naming, because they're the only places a competitor won. Pixel Watch 4 was more accurate for the rest condition only, by less than 0.5 bpm. And the Pixel Watch 4 comparison in cycling was indeterminate, meaning the study couldn't establish a winner.

Where the Study Deserves Skepticism

This is a well-designed study. It's also Apple's study, and the caveats are structural rather than nitpicks.

Apple ran part of it. Two of the five sites, both near Cupertino, were managed by Apple. Apple managed the Austin site as well. Only San Diego and Selangor were run by a third-party contract research organization. The protocol was approved by review boards inside Apple, not an independent ethics body. This is a sponsored study, and it should be read as one.

Two devices needed special handling, and one of those is a real asymmetry. Apple Watch data came partly from an internal logging application, because background heart rate only reaches HealthKit every 30 seconds while the watch face and Workout app surface a value every 5 seconds. That's disclosed and sensible for measuring what a user sees.

The Samsung case is different. The Galaxy Watch 8 export didn't include per-sample timestamps for daily activities at all. It provided start and end times, minimum and maximum values, and one additional heart rate value whose derivation Samsung doesn't document. Apple tested that value against the reference at interval start, interval end, and against the interval mean, and found it agreed most closely with the interval mean, so that's what it was compared against.

Apple gets credit for disclosing this rather than quietly dropping the data. But a single undocumented value compared against a 20-minute average is not the same measurement as a per-second stream compared sample by sample. The Galaxy Watch 8's daily living results should be read with that in mind.

Lab conditions, not real life. Moderators helped fit every device snugly and consistently. That's good methodology and it removes a variable, but fit drift over a week of real wear is one of the most common causes of bad optical data, and the study design doesn't capture it.

Tech media workers were excluded. Defensible for leak prevention. It's still a population filter.

What Independent Research Says

Here's the useful counterweight. A living systematic review and meta-analysis published in npj Digital Medicine pooled 82 studies covering 14 Apple Watch health metrics and 430,052 participants, with a pooled mean age of 41.3 years.

On heart rate, the pooled Bland-Altman analysis found a small underestimation with a mean bias of -0.27 bpm (95% confidence interval -0.72 to 0.17). That's excellent average agreement.

Then comes the number that matters more. The limits of agreement ran from -7.19 to 6.64 bpm. In plain terms, while the average Apple Watch heart rate reading is very close to the reference, an individual reading can plausibly sit about 7 bpm above or below the truth and still fall inside expected performance.

That's not a contradiction of Apple's study. It's the difference between measuring the average error in a controlled lab comparison and measuring how far individual readings can drift across 82 pooled studies. Both are true, and the second is more useful if you're looking at one number on your wrist and deciding what to do about it.

The meta-analysis found the same pattern elsewhere:

Atrial fibrillation detection was more specific than sensitive (specificity 0.91, sensitivity 0.79), meaning it's better at ruling out than confirming
Blood oxygen had low mean bias (-0.04%) but wide limits of agreement (-4.00 to 3.94 percentage points)
Sleep and step count accuracy was moderate
Energy expenditure error was inconsistent and frequently large

The review also named its own limitations, and two of them are the same problems Apple's study partially addresses. Few of the pooled studies did free-living validation, which is the condition that best reflects normal use. And the review couldn't run subgroup analyses by BMI or skin tone because studies rarely reported those variables, which is exactly the gap Apple's 20% Fitzpatrick V/VI enrollment is trying to fill.

Bottom Line

Apple's study is real evidence, not marketing copy. It's large, the protocol is defensible, the comparator set is broad, and publishing the methodology invites exactly this kind of scrutiny. The company also oversampled darker skin tones at a rate most wearable studies don't approach.

It's still a sponsored study run partly on Apple's own sites, and its cleanest-looking comparison has a disclosed data asymmetry underneath it.

The practical takeaway is the limits of agreement from the independent review. An Apple Watch heart rate reading is a good estimate with roughly 7 bpm of individual uncertainty, which is fine for training zones and trends, and not fine for anything clinical.

If you want the single most credible number in this whole story, it isn't Apple's. It's -7.19 to 6.64.

Sources: Apple's Apple Watch Heart Rate Accuracy Study white paper published September 2026, covering the Health Sensing System on Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, the Polar H10 reference setup and randomized wrist assignment, the Garmin Forerunner 970, Google Pixel Watch 4, Huawei Watch 5, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, WHOOP 5 and Oura Ring 5 comparator set, the workout and Daily Living protocols, the 1,460 enrolled and 1,254 analyzed participants, the five study sites and their management, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the Fitzpatrick skin tone and demographic breakdown, the RMSE and MAE methodology and linear mixed model, the Galaxy Watch 8 timestamping limitation and the resulting interval-mean comparison, and the 139 of 159 statistically significant results; and the living systematic review and meta-analysis in npj Digital Medicine covering 82 studies, 14 health metrics and 430,052 participants, including the heart rate mean bias of -0.27 bpm and limits of agreement of -7.19 to 6.64 bpm, the atrial fibrillation specificity and sensitivity figures, the blood oxygen limits of agreement, the energy expenditure findings and the review's stated limitations on free-living validation and subgroup analysis.

A Second US Import Ban Complaint Hits Garmin, Google and Samsung. Apple Isn't On It.

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:30:00 GMT

UnaliWear has filed a second import complaint against the big wearable makers, and the first thing worth noticing is who isn't on it.

The complaint was filed on September 21, 2026 and published in the Federal Register on September 24 under docket DN 3937. It names Samsung, Google and Garmin. Apple, which was a respondent in UnaliWear's first case, is absent.

Who Is Actually Named

The Federal Register notice lists the respondents by legal entity, which matters more than the brand names:

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. of South Korea
Samsung Electronics America, Inc. of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Google LLC of Mountain View, California
Garmin Ltd. of Switzerland
Garmin International, Inc. of Olathe, Kansas
Garmin USA, Inc. of Olathe, Kansas

Both American subsidiaries of Samsung and Garmin are included alongside the parent companies, which is standard for a Section 337 action. The complainant wants a limited exclusion order blocking importation, cease and desist orders against domestic sales, and a bond imposed during the 60-day Presidential review period under 19 U.S.C. 1337(j).

The Case Got Broader

The first UnaliWear complaint was about fall detection. It was filed in December 2025, and the USITC instituted an investigation on January 8, 2026 as 337-TA-1477. That case is still moving through the system before an administrative law judge, and it identified its patents up front: US 10,051,410 and US 10,687,193.

The new one is titled Certain Wearable Activity and Health Monitoring Devices and Systems Containing Same. That wording covers a lot more ground than fall detection alone, which suggests UnaliWear is reaching for a wider set of accused features.

What the Filing Doesn't Say

Here's the part that constrains everything above. The Federal Register notice does not identify the patents, the patent claims, or the accused products.

That's not a reporting gap. The notice genuinely doesn't contain them. So while the broader title hints that this case extends past fall detection, that remains a clue rather than a conclusion.

There's also no product list. Garmin recently finished rolling out fall detection to the Venu 4 through its 18.30 software update, but nothing in the DN 3937 paperwork connects the Venu 4, that update, or any other named Garmin device to the complaint.

The same caution applies to Google and Samsung. Their presence in the filing makes this relevant to Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch owners, but it doesn't establish that any particular watch uses the technology UnaliWear says infringes its rights.

The USITC Hasn't Decided Anything Yet

The Commission has not yet decided whether to formally institute an investigation. Right now it's soliciting comments on public interest issues, with submissions due eight calendar days after publication.

This is the procedural pattern these cases follow, and it's worth walking through because import-ban language makes filings sound more immediate than they are:

The Commission receives the complaint
The Commission decides whether to institute an investigation
Evidence and claim construction follow
An administrative law judge issues an initial determination
Only then does a possible remedy get discussed

Every step is a gate. UnaliWear filing a complaint is step one of five. The Commission has taken wearable makers through this before, including in an Apple ECG import case that ran the same route.

Why Apple Might Be Missing

The honest answer is that nobody outside the filing knows.

There are two obvious explanations, and the public notices don't contain enough evidence to choose between them. Either the new allegations concern technology or products that differ from Apple's implementation, or UnaliWear is pursuing a separate litigation strategy and has chosen to leave Apple out of this track.

The second is not unusual. Splitting a case can narrow the issues an administrative law judge has to reach, which can speed up a determination. It can also reflect a decision that the strongest claims run against a subset of respondents, and that adding Apple would complicate the case without adding much.

Either way, the first case still names Apple. So this isn't Apple getting clear. It's Apple being left out of one of two parallel actions.

What This Is Really About

UnaliWear makes the Kanega watch, a cellular watch designed for older adults with fall detection, medication reminders and a voice assistant rather than a screen full of complications. The company has a genuine stake in fall-detection patents, and it has now filed two complaints in nine months.

There's a real question underneath all this, and it's the same one every wearable maker faces eventually. Fall detection and cardiac event detection on a wrist are built from overlapping pieces: motion sensing, heart rate data, and an algorithm that decides when the combination means something bad happened. Draw the patent boundaries tightly and a lot of shipping products cross them.

That's what the institution decision will clarify. If the USITC opens an investigation and publishes the asserted patents, we'll learn which specific features UnaliWear believes are its property, and whether the case is really about fall detection wearing a broader label.

Bottom Line

A second import complaint against Garmin, Google and Samsung is a real development, and Apple's absence is genuinely interesting. But DN 3937 is a filing, not a finding.

No patents have been named, no products have been accused, and no investigation has been opened. The next real update comes when the Commission decides whether to institute, because that notice should finally say what UnaliWear is claiming and against which devices.

Until then, nothing about owning a Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch or Garmin changes.

Sources: the USITC's Notice of Receipt of Complaint published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2026 (document 2026-19491) for docket DN 3937, covering the September 21 filing date, the named Samsung, Google and Garmin legal entities, the Section 337 allegation, the requested limited exclusion order, cease and desist orders and bond under 19 U.S.C. 1337(j), the eight-day public interest comment window, and the absence of any identified patents, claims or accused products; the USITC's institution notice for investigation 337-TA-1477 covering the December 2025 filing and the January 8, 2026 institution, including US patents 10,051,410 and 10,687,193 and the fall detection scope; and reporting from Gadgets & Wearables on the September 28 complaint, the broadening from fall detection to activity and health monitoring, the Venu 4 and 18.30 context and the procedural status.

Polar's 6.0.18 Firmware Quietly Rewrites How Six of Its Watches Show Your Data

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:20:00 GMT

Polar pushed firmware 6.0.18 to six of its watches on September 30, and for once the changelog is worth reading. This is not a bug-fix release.

The six are the Vantage V3, Vantage M3, Grit X2 Pro, Grit X2, Ignite 3 and Street X. They span a wide range of price points, which is unusual for an update this substantial.

The theme is simple. Polar is making the watch itself a better place to look at your own data, instead of sending you to the phone app.

Seven-Day Graphs Everywhere

The headline change is trend graphs for a long list of metrics. On these watches you now get a seven-day graph for:

Nightly Recharge
ANS charge
Sleep charge
Nightly heart rate
Nightly heart rate variability
Nightly breathing rate
Sleep duration

That covers most of what Polar's recovery model is built on. Seeing seven days of ANS charge on your wrist changes how you read a single bad night, because you can see whether you're looking at a dip or a direction.

Three more graphs follow the same pattern:

Running Index: the seven most recent results, in the Weekly summary view
Weight: the seven most recent measurements, in the Daily activity view
ECG: the seven most recent test results, in the ECG test history view

That ECG line is where the six watches stop behaving identically. The graph appears on the four ECG-capable models, which is the Vantage V3, Vantage M3, Grit X2 and Grit X2 Pro. The Ignite 3 and Street X don't get it, because they don't have ECG hardware. It's the one place in the release where the feature list splits.

The LIGHT Button Becomes Whatever You Want

On the Vantage V3, Vantage M3, Grit X2 and Grit X2 Pro, the LIGHT button is now a Custom button. You pick what it does in normal use, and you can assign a different action for individual sports while you're training.

The Street X gets the same concept through its built-in flashlight, which is an obvious candidate for the shortcut.

Early user feedback suggests this is one of the first changes people notice. The redesigned pre-training screen is getting similar attention, particularly the clearer indication of which external heart rate sensor is connected. If you've ever started a run unsure whether your chest strap had paired, that's a real fix.

Polar also moved the sport profile settings onto the watch. You can now change them from the main Settings menu, from pre-training mode, or while a workout is paused. Previously that meant reaching for your phone mid-session.

The Menus Got a Refresh

The interface work is broader than one screen. Polar has updated the colours and the transition animations, moved settings around, and brought Timers directly into pre-training mode.

One item is notable for what it removes. Strava Live Segments no longer takes up its own prominent slot in the main menu, which declutters things for anyone who never used it.

The Heart Rate Change Nobody Led With

Buried in the release is an update to Polar's optical heart rate algorithm. Polar says it worked on reducing occasional heart rate dropouts during workouts, during sleep and during normal daily use, while also improving performance across different skin characteristics.

That's the most consequential line in the update for anyone who has watched their heart rate trace go flat mid-run, or spent a night where the watch recorded almost nothing. No firmware note is going to tell you how much better it is, so the honest position is that this needs a few weeks of user reports before anyone can say whether it worked.

The skin characteristics line is worth flagging too. Optical sensing performance varying by skin tone is a well-documented problem across the category, and vendors rarely mention it in release notes.

Smaller Additions

An option to stop charging at 80%, switched on under battery settings, which keeps the lithium cell away from a permanent full charge
More background options for digital watch faces
Quicker weight entry from the pull-down settings menu
An optional weight update reminder, useful if you feed regular measurements into Polar's training and calorie calculations

Two Early Install Reports, Neither a Pattern

Early installs have produced a couple of isolated issues. One Vantage V3 owner reported the watch resetting during installation before updating successfully after pairing again. One Grit X2 Pro owner reported the touchscreen becoming unresponsive after assigning the flashlight to the Custom button.

Both are single reports. That's nowhere near enough to suggest a pattern, and neither is a reason to hold off. But the Custom button interaction is worth watching, since it's a new feature and it's the one with a report attached.

Context: This Comes After a Long Gap

For Grit X2 Pro owners specifically, the previous major firmware release landed back in January. That's more than eight months without a substantial update, which makes 6.0.18 land differently on that model than on the newer ones.

The release also follows Polar's OS 5 update earlier this year, which brought dark maps, RPE grading and new widgets. Read together, the two updates tell a consistent story: Polar is spending its software budget on the watch interface rather than on the phone app.

Bottom Line

This is a bigger update than the version number suggests. Trend graphs on the wrist, a configurable hardware button, sport settings you can change mid-run and a battery health option are all things people actually asked for.

The optical heart rate algorithm change is the one with the most upside and the least evidence so far. That's the part to judge in a month, not on release day.

Sources: Polar's official 6.0.18 firmware update pages for the Vantage V3, Vantage M3, Grit X2 Pro, Grit X2, Ignite 3 and Street X, covering the seven-day trend graphs for Nightly Recharge, ANS charge, Sleep charge, nightly heart rate, nightly HRV, nightly breathing rate and sleep duration, plus the Running Index, weight and ECG graphs and their per-model availability; Polar's release notes on the LIGHT button becoming a Custom button with separate per-sport assignment, the redesigned pre-training screen, on-watch sport profile settings, the menu and animation refresh, Timers moving into pre-training mode, the Strava Live Segments menu change, the optical heart rate algorithm update, the 80 percent charge limit, additional watch face backgrounds and quicker weight entry; and reporting from Gadgets & Wearables on the September 30 release date, the six-model rollout, the Grit X2 Pro update gap and the two early installation reports.

Honor's Watch 6 Pro Calls for Help If Your Pulse Stops. The Fine Print Does the Rest.

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:10:00 GMT

Honor launched the Watch 6 Pro in China on September 28, and the headline feature is not a heart rate alert. It's a watch that decides your pulse has stopped, then goes looking for someone who can help you.

Honor calls it cardiac arrest monitoring. It's a four-level response system, and the escalation is the part worth understanding.

What the Watch Actually Does

The Watch 6 Pro runs its assessment in the background. Honor says the initial dynamic check takes about 1.5 to 3 seconds. If the suspected cardiac arrest condition persists past three seconds, the watch moves to a strong vibration warning.

At the highest risk level it does considerably more than buzz. According to Honor, the watch can:

Call your emergency contacts
Display AED resuscitation instructions across the screen
Send a request for help to people nearby
Use two-way satellite communication if the cellular network is down

That last one is the genuinely new piece. Existing cardiac arrest detection assumes the watch can reach the network. Honor is building for the case where it can't.

The company says it identifies a baseline using dual-wavelength sensing, cross-checks it with multiple wavelengths, runs a strong-light terminal probe, and factors in user behaviour recognition. The result is a four-tier risk classification rather than a single threshold crossing.

The Fine Print Is Substantial

This is where the feature stops being simple.

You have to join Honor's cardiac arrest warning research programme to use it. This is not an opt-in toggle buried in a settings menu for a shipping feature. It's a research programme.

Then there's the setup. For the escalation to work at all, you need emergency contacts configured in the Honor Health app, SMS permission granted, and the Bluetooth link to your phone kept alive. The watch cannot call anyone on its own without that chain intact.

Honor also warns that a loose fit, water on the wrist, or heavy sweating can affect detection. Any optical sensor has that problem, and it's worth remembering that the moment this feature matters most is the moment those conditions are most likely.

And the fundamental one: Honor says the Watch 6 Pro is not a medical device. It may miss events. It may raise false alarms. Both of those are normal for a consumer wearable making a cardiovascular judgement, but they're the two sentences that matter most in the entire announcement.

Finally, this is a China launch. There's no international release announced, and no reason to assume the cardiac functions travel with the hardware if it does.

Google Got Here First, With a Different Trade

Honor is not the first company to ship this idea. Google's Loss of Pulse Detection arrived on the Pixel Watch 3, first in Europe in 2024 and then in the US after FDA clearance in February 2025.

Google's version samples green LED PPG roughly once per second, validates against infrared and red light sensors, adds motion data, and hands the decision to an AI model. Its escalation is a check-in, then a 30-second audible alarm with a countdown, then an automated emergency call with your location over LTE.

The numbers Google published are instructive. Sensitivity in controlled arterial occlusion testing was 67.23%, meaning it missed roughly a third of the events it was shown. False positives came in at about one per 21.67 user-years. That's the real shape of this technology: it will fail to catch some collapses, and it will occasionally fire when nothing is wrong.

Honor's version goes further on the response side. Satellite fallback and asking bystanders for help are both things Google's implementation doesn't do. Whether Honor's detection is better is unknown, because Honor hasn't published comparable sensitivity or false-positive figures.

The Rest of the Health Stack Is More Complicated

Honor is calling the Watch 6 Pro's blood pressure system Blood Pressure 2.0. It uses the same optical sensing hardware to estimate readings, so there's no inflatable cuff, which is the whole difference between this and Huawei's Watch D3 approach. Honor says the software adds AI interpretation and looks at blood pressure alongside activity, sleep and emotional state. It's tied to the health research programme too, and it is not a medical blood pressure monitor.

There's also blood glucose tracking, and this one is worth reading carefully. The Watch 6 Pro displays readings from an external CGM sensor, specifically a Sinocare device. It does not measure glucose itself. That distinction has been a recurring problem in this category, and the FDA warned manufacturers about non-invasive glucose claims back in 2024.

Of the health features, ECG is the only one Honor describes as carrying medical device certification through China's NMPA. Everything cardiovascular beyond that is research-grade.

The Hardware

The display is the other unusual choice. Honor claims the Watch 6 Pro's 1.5-inch dual-layer OLED is a first for a wearable, with global excitation brightness of 4,500 nits and local peak brightness up to 5,500 nits.

Battery is rated at:

Up to 18 days on lighter use
Around 10 days typical
7 days with always-on display
Around 4 days with full health monitoring running

Pricing starts at CNY 1,699 in China, which works out to roughly $253. Steel and nano-microcrystalline ceramic variants run higher, up to CNY 1,899, and Chinese subsidy pricing brings some configurations down to around CNY 1,444.

Bottom Line

The Watch 6 Pro is the most ambitious consumer cardiac arrest feature announced so far, and it beats Google's on the response side by adding satellite fallback and bystander alerts. It also lands behind a research programme wall, in one market, with the vendor stating plainly that it can miss the event it exists to catch.

If you're in China and you want it, the hardware is there. If you're anywhere else, the interesting part is what Honor does next, because a cardiac arrest feature shipped to one market behind a research enrolment is a test, not a product.

The sensitivity number is the one to watch for. Google published theirs. Honor hasn't.

Sources: Honor's Watch 6 Pro announcement and launch specifications for the cardiac arrest monitoring system, its four-level response, the 1.5 to 3 second assessment window, the satellite communication fallback and the AED on-screen instructions, along with Blood Pressure 2.0, the Sinocare CGM integration, the NMPA-certified ECG and the display and battery figures; Honor's stated caveats covering research programme enrolment, emergency contact and SMS configuration, Bluetooth dependency, fit and moisture effects, and its position that the device is not a medical device; Google's Loss of Pulse Detection documentation and its published 67.23 percent sensitivity figure and one false positive per 21.67 user-years; the FDA's 2024 safety communication on non-invasive blood glucose claims; and reporting from Notebookcheck on the CNY 1,699 launch price, Huawei Central on the steel and ceramic variant pricing, and GSMArena on the pre-order configurations.

Polar Loop Gen 3 Is Already in the App. Polar's Own Code Still Calls It Gen 2.

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:50:00 GMT

Polar's screen-free Loop launched in September 2025. Less than a year later, its successor is already sitting inside the Polar Flow app, and Polar's own code hasn't finished renaming it.

A comparison of Polar Flow 7.37.0 against the previous 7.36.2 turns up two device names that weren't there before, and both sit in Polar's device-recognition code rather than a promotional file or a leftover translation string.

What the Diff Shows

Device-recognition logic exists so the app can identify connected hardware and apply the right behaviour to it. That makes these references harder to dismiss than a stray string nobody cleaned up.

Polar Loop Gen 3 appears in a new device profile bound to the hardware identifiers INW6R and Polar_INW6R, and Polar's wider device registry has picked up a matching "loop gen 3" entry.

There's a detail in the same profile that suggests this wasn't meant to be visible yet. Its marketing-name field still reads "Polar Loop Gen 2", while the code that recognises connected models explicitly accepts "Polar Loop Gen 3". One of those two strings was updated and the other wasn't.

Polar 360 Gen 2 is the second new name, and its implementation is cleaner. A new profile recognises "Polar 360 Gen 2", "360 Gen 2" and the lower-case form, all tied to a new hardware identifier, INW6S.

The original Polar 360 showed up in the Flow app before its wider business rollout, so this is a familiar route for the product family. Polar currently describes the 360 as a screen-free platform for companies that want to build health and fitness services around Polar's sensors, software and data.

The H12 Finally Gets Specifics

Our report in August found a dedicated Polar H12 device profile in Flow 7.36.2, but there was no useful information about its connectivity, battery life or sensing hardware. The 7.37.0 update fills in one of those gaps.

It adds user-facing setup text tied to the H12 profile. The sensor can broadcast heart rate to as many as four Bluetooth devices simultaneously, and there are new open and secure modes that let the wearer decide whether nearby devices can pick the signal up.

Secure mode is described as keeping heart rate data from being picked up by anyone, while open mode is meant to make connections easier. That sounds aimed squarely at people who move between a watch, gym equipment, a training app and a cycling computer in the same session.

Polar's H10 has been the reference chest strap since 2017, and four simultaneous connections with a privacy toggle is a sensible direction for a successor in 2026.

Why the Timing Is the Hook

The current Polar Loop launched on September 3, 2025 at $199.99 in the US and GBP 149.50 in the UK, with no subscription, positioned directly against Whoop.

A third-generation name appearing inside a year points to a faster hardware cycle than Loop buyers would have expected. That matters most in the screenless category, where Garmin has been pushing its own CIRQA band, Apple's version still hasn't shipped, and Oura has spent this month trying to sell public markets on the subscription model. Every one of those is fighting for a customer who has decided they don't want a screen.

There's also a small but real upgrade signal: Polar is updating a screenless product line while its competitors are still arguing about whether the category works.

What We Still Don't Know

The onboarding package contains no product images for either new device. The onboarding file itself is unchanged from 7.36.2, and the new models appear only in the app's underlying device definitions and registry.

INW6R has not appeared in any regulatory database yet. That absence is the strongest signal in the whole story, and it points away from a 2026 launch. Early 2027 looks like the more realistic window for hardware that hasn't cleared any certification body.

It's also worth being straight about what app code is. It can arrive months before a product, it can outlive plans that were cancelled, and it can cover hardware that never receives a normal retail launch. This is evidence of development, not confirmation of availability.

And the name itself is muddled inside Polar's own build, so "Polar Loop Gen 3" shouldn't be treated as a confirmed product name yet. It's the name Polar's app is currently prepared to recognise.

Bottom Line

Polar appears to be preparing successors to both of its screen-free products at once, and it has quietly advanced the H12 with the connectivity detail that was missing in August.

None of it is confirmed, and the missing regulatory record means the timeline is probably later than the excitement suggests. But if you own the current Loop and you're wondering how long Polar intends to support a one-year-old device before replacing it, the answer is now visible in the app.

Sources: a comparison of Polar Flow 7.37.0 against 7.36.2, as reported by Gadgets & Wearables on September 28, 2026, covering the Polar Loop Gen 3 profile and its INW6R and Polar_INW6R identifiers, the device registry entry, the "Polar Loop Gen 2" marketing-name mismatch, the Polar 360 Gen 2 profile and its INW6S identifier, the H12 four-device Bluetooth broadcast and open and secure modes, the absence of product images in the unchanged onboarding package, and the fact that INW6R does not yet appear in any regulatory database; Polar's own media room announcement for the Polar Loop launch on September 3, 2025, including the screen-free and subscription-free positioning; Wareable's September 2025 coverage of the Loop's $199.99 and GBP 149.50 pricing and its Whoop comparison; and our August 21, 2026 report on the Polar H12 device profile in Polar Flow 7.36.2.

Google Patented a Blood Pressure Sensor That Fits Under a Single Fingertip

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:40:00 GMT

Google already ships blood pressure on your wrist. What it ships is a trend, not a number, assembled from the sensors that are already there.

A newly published patent application describes hardware that could turn it into a measurement. And it doesn't work from the wrist at all.

What the Application Actually Is

The filing is US 2026/0272323 A1, published on September 17, 2026 and titled Computing Device Having Miniaturized Impedance Plethysmography Sensor for Measuring Blood Flow. It was filed March 14, 2025, carries application number 19/080,266, and runs to 20 claims. The applicant is Google LLC, and the record shows it was docketed and is ready for examination.

The inventor list is where the Google connection gets interesting: Seamus David Thomson, Seobin Jung, Debanjan Mukherjee, Ravi Narasimhan, Shwetak Patel and Samuel Wei Sheng, with addresses in Mountain View, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Seattle and Saratoga. Several of those names will be familiar to anyone who follows Google's health sensing work, and Google Research has published a paper on exactly this technique, titled Fingertip Impedance Plethysmography: A New Window Into Peripheral Blood Flow.

How It Works

The sensor is impedance plethysmography, or IPG, and the whole thing fits under one fingertip.

It uses four miniaturized electrodes. Two of them inject a small alternating excitation current into the finger tissue. The other two sit nearby and measure the resulting voltage. Blood conducts electricity differently from the tissue around it, so as the heart pumps and the blood volume in the finger changes, the measured impedance changes with it.

Run that measurement over time and you get a pulsatile waveform, a physical trace of the pulse. From there, the processor derives blood pressure, or as the application carefully puts it, a proxy for blood pressure.

That qualifier is in the patent's own language, not added by us, and it matters. It's the difference between a research claim and a medical one.

Why Not Just Use PPG?

This is the most interesting part of the document, because the patent explains its own reasoning in the background section.

The established optical approach is photoplethysmography, PPG, which is what every consumer wearable uses for heart rate. Google's filing argues fingertip PPG has real problems for blood pressure specifically.

PPG signals represent blood flow at the superficial tissue level, meaning the capillaries near the surface of the skin. That makes the signal sensitive to vasoconstriction and dilation, and to applied pressure. If you try to read hemodynamic information straight off a fingertip PPG signal, those confounders attack the accuracy of the blood pressure estimate.

The alternative is the oscillometric method, which applies pressure to the finger and analyzes the pressure-modulated signal. The patent points out that this runs into a different wall: under applied pressure it becomes difficult to distinguish arterial collapse from capillary collapse, which undermines reliability.

IPG sidesteps both by measuring the electrical response of the tissue rather than the light passing through it. That's the argument, anyway. Whether it holds up outside a laboratory is exactly what a patent application cannot tell you.

Where Google Thinks It Goes

The claims are explicit about how broadly this could be deployed.

Claim 16 lists the device types as a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet computer, laptop, earbuds, a headset, headphones, or gaming controllers. Figure 6A shows the sensor built into a watch body, with the sensing area positioned where a finger could rest against it. Others show finger-worn devices.

Claim 10 adds that the IPG sensor can be paired with a PPG sensor in an optical module positioned next to it, which suggests Google is thinking about combining both signals rather than replacing one with the other.

There is a second, separate Google application published the month before this one. It describes a small finger cuff with an inflatable bladder, an array of pressure sensors mapping pressure around the digital artery, and optical sensors measuring the pulse at the same time. That device is considerably less discreet than a fingertip sensor, and it reads more like a clinical instrument than something you'd wear to the gym.

Why This Is a Story and Not a Patent Round-Up

Because Google is already selling the watered-down version.

Blood Pressure Trends is arriving on Pixel watches this fall as part of Health Guardian, alongside insulin resistance trends and sleep breathing quality. That system does pattern analysis over weeks using sensors that are already on the watch. It gives you a direction of travel. It does not give you a reading, and Google is explicit that it isn't a prescreener for hypertension and shouldn't be used to adjust medication.

This patent is the first hard sign of Google working on hardware that would produce an actual pulsatile waveform rather than inferring from optical trends. That's the gap between what's shipping and what these filings describe.

Google's interest in the area is broader than one application. It ran a Fitbit Hypertension Lab study with Pixel Watch 3 owners last November, and an earlier Fitbit patent published in April hinted at blood pressure measurement from the wrist. Apple has been chasing the same problem by a different route, with a liquid-filled sensor it patented for future Apple Watch models.

The Caveats That Matter

A published application is not a product, and neither of these filings names a Pixel Watch or a Fitbit device. There is no timeline here, and there is no evidence either design has been built.

The filing date is March 2025, so this is not a reaction to anything recent despite being published this month.

And "or a proxy for blood pressure" is doing real work in that claim language. Nobody has cracked clinically accurate cuffless blood pressure in a wearable, and the companies that have come closest have done it with calibration and uncomfortable amounts of user discipline. A patent shows intent and a method. It does not show that the method works.

Bottom Line

Google is working on blood pressure from at least three directions now: optical trends from existing wrist sensors that are shipping today, an IPG sensor that reads blood flow through the fingertip, and a finger cuff with an actual inflatable bladder.

The fingertip IPG design is the most interesting of the three, because it's small enough to disappear into a watch or a phone, and because Google's own filing makes a specific technical argument for why it beats the optical method everyone else uses.

It's a patent, so it's a look at what Google is exploring and nothing more. But it's the clearest signal yet that the company isn't satisfied with selling you a blood pressure trend forever.

Sources: US patent application 2026/0272323 A1, "Computing Device Having Miniaturized Impedance Plethysmography Sensor for Measuring Blood Flow", applicant Google LLC, application 19/080,266, filed March 14, 2025, published September 17, 2026, including the abstract, claims 1 through 20, the background discussion of fingertip PPG confounders and oscillometric arterial versus capillary collapse, and the Figure 6A smartwatch embodiment; the earlier Google application for a finger cuff with an inflatable bladder, multiple pressure sensors and optical sensors, published August 2026; Google Research, "Fingertip Impedance Plethysmography: A New Window Into Peripheral Blood Flow" by Thomson, Jung and colleagues; Google's Health Guardian announcement and Blood Pressure Trends documentation for Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5, covering the trend methodology and its stated limits; and Google's Fitbit Hypertension Lab study with Pixel Watch 3 owners, November 2025.

Huawei Says a Blood Sugar Testing Device Is Coming After Four Years of Research

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Huawei already tells you that you might be at risk of high blood sugar. Now the company says it has spent four years building something that could actually test for it.

The comment came from He Gang, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, during a recruitment event at Peking University. He said Huawei plans to release a blood sugar testing device, and that the technology behind it took four years to reach a point the company considered acceptable and ready for industrialisation.

That is a meaningful change in wording. Huawei has spent years describing blood sugar work as research. This is the first time the head of the consumer business has talked about shipping something.

What Huawei Actually Said, and What It Didn't

He Gang stopped at the headline. There is no product image, no name, no price, no launch window, and no explanation of how the sensing works.

We also don't know whether it's worn on the wrist, whether it's a wearable at all, or whether it measures continuously or on demand.

On a health announcement, that is most of the story missing.

Why the Obvious Reading Is Non-Invasive

There are two established ways to measure blood glucose today. Finger-prick meters, which need a drop of blood, and continuous glucose monitors, which use a filament under the skin.

Neither is pleasant, and both already exist in mature form. Spending four years of research to produce another version of either would be strange, which is why the natural read here is non-invasive sensing through the skin.

Huawei hasn't said that. It's an inference from the fact that the interesting version of this product is the one that doesn't need a needle.

If Huawei does end up claiming it measures glucose without drawing blood, regulatory clearance becomes the entire story. Every company that has chased this has run into the same wall: getting a number that holds up in a clinical setting, on a wrist, with all the movement and sweat and temperature swings that come with it.

Huawei Has Form for Strange Health Hardware

The reason to take this more seriously than a random executive aside is the Watch D3.

Huawei's blood pressure watch puts a tiny inflatable airbag inside the strap and takes genuine oscillometric readings, the same method a cuff at your doctor's office uses. Almost every other smartwatch that claims blood pressure tracking estimates it from pulse wave analysis instead, which is convenient and considerably vaguer.

That tells you Huawei is willing to build genuinely odd hardware in service of a health metric nobody else is doing properly. A blood sugar sensor that looks nothing like a normal watch would be entirely in character.

Risk Is Not Measurement

This distinction matters, because Huawei already ships something that sounds like the answer.

Several Huawei watches, including the recently launched Watch GT 7 series in compatible markets, assess your risk of elevated blood sugar. That's pattern analysis over your existing sensor data. It produces a warning, not a reading, and it does not give you a glucose value.

Risk assessment and measurement are different products, different claims, and very different regulatory paths. The Watch GT 7 does the first. He Gang is describing the second. Google draws the same distinction between an insulin resistance trend and an actual glucose reading.

There was also an earlier hint. A report in September 2025 claimed Huawei was developing an advanced blood sugar monitoring wearable for 2026, but it came from a Weibo tipster rather than Huawei, and there was very little behind it at the time. A statement from the head of the consumer business is a different class of evidence, even with everything it leaves out.

Bottom Line

Huawei has a genuine track record on hard health sensing, and the Watch D3 proves it will build unusual hardware to get there. A blood sugar measurement device, if that's what this is, would be the most ambitious version of that strategy yet.

But "ready for industrialisation" is a long way from a product on a shelf. Huawei hasn't given a date, a form factor, or a method, and the four-year timeline ends at a decision to move forward rather than a finished device. If this is non-invasive glucose measurement, the regulatory filing will be the real announcement.

Worth watching. Not yet worth planning around.

Sources: He Gang's remarks at a Peking University recruitment event, reported September 26, 2026 by IT Home, ifeng tech, Sina Weibo news and 17173, including the four-year research timeline and the industrialisation wording; Huawei's own product documentation for the Watch GT 7 series high blood sugar risk assessment feature, covering compatible markets and the fact that it assesses risk rather than measuring a glucose value; Huawei's Watch D3 launch material and specifications covering the oscillometric blood pressure system and its inflatable strap airbag; and the September 2025 Weibo tipster claim about a Huawei blood sugar monitoring wearable for 2026.

Apple Owes $5.7 Billion Over the Taptic Engine in the Apple Watch

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:15:00 GMT

The feature that makes an Apple Watch feel like an Apple Watch, the small tap on your wrist when a notification arrives, has just produced one of the largest patent verdicts in American history.

On September 25, 2026, a federal jury in San Diego found that Apple infringed two patents owned by Taction Technology Inc. covering haptic feedback, and awarded Taction $5,721,961,750.

Apple has said it will appeal. It is worth understanding why the number is both enormous and unusually soft.

The Verdict, Precisely

The case is Taction Technology, Inc. v. Apple Inc., No. 3:21-cv-00812, in the Southern District of California before Judge Todd W. Robinson.

The jury found infringement of three specific claims across two patents, US Patent 10,659,885 and US Patent 10,820,117:

Claims 17 and 19 of the 885 patent
Claim 16 of the 117 patent

The damages figure the jury wrote in was $5,721,961,750. It found that the infringement was not willful, and it rejected Apple's invalidity defences, which Apple had to prove by clear and convincing evidence.

Two procedural details matter later. Seven jurors were present and the jury was not polled, and the court's docket does not yet show an entered judgment. The damages figure is also a single lump sum, with no breakdown by patent, by product, or by time period.

Why the Apple Watch Is at the Centre of It

The Taptic Engine debuted in the Apple Watch in 2014, and arrived in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus the following year, replacing the older vibration motor. It is the component that produces the taps, clicks and notification buzzes across most of Apple's current hardware.

Taction's patents, per the Federal Circuit's description, cover "tactile transducers that produce bass frequency vibrations for perception by touch." Taction calls its version a "vibration module for applying vibrational tractions to a wearer's skin," and the company uses the technology in headphones and gaming headsets rather than watches.

Taction's argument was that Apple was "capitalizing on Taction's innovation and success."

Five Years to Get to a Jury

The path to this verdict is a case study in how long patent litigation takes.

Taction filed suit on April 26, 2021. Apple petitioned for inter partes review of every asserted claim, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board denied institution of all four petitions on April 18, 2022.

On August 11, 2023, the district court granted Apple summary judgment of noninfringement. The court struck the infringement opinions of Taction's expert, Dr. James Oliver, and construed the claims' "highly damped output" requirement to mean both mechanical damping and a Q-factor below 1.5. The court later denied Apple's motion for attorney fees in October 2023, describing the dispute as "a heavily litigated but ultimately run-of-the-mill patent case."

Then it turned. On August 13, 2025, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated the judgment and remanded, holding that striking Dr. Oliver's opinions under an unwritten "how" requirement was an abuse of discretion. The panel agreed the claims are limited to transducers with highly damped output, but held they are not limited to mechanical damping or to a Q-factor below 1.5.

That decision reopened the case and narrowed what Apple had to prove. Trial began September 14, 2026. The verdict came on the ninth day.

Why the $5.7 Billion Is Vulnerable

This is the part most coverage has skipped, and it is the most important thing to know about the number.

Four days before the case went to the jury, on September 23, Apple filed a Rule 50(a) motion arguing the evidence cannot support the award. Among its points: the court had excluded the reasonable-royalty opinion of Apple's damages expert, Dr. Kennedy, in its entirety, and the jury therefore heard no royalty rate to anchor a figure.

Apple also argued that the jury heard no licensing rate from Taction's own license with Corsair, which covers the Corsair HS60 headset, and that no evidence in the record supports an apportioned royalty, meaning one that reflects only the value the patents contribute rather than the whole product.

Read that against the verdict form. The jury wrote a single number with no breakdown, after hearing no expert damages opinion telling it what a reasonable royalty would be. Juries do not arrive at $5,721,961,750 by accident, but the record behind that figure is thin enough that the damages case is the obvious target on appeal.

Expect post-trial motions to focus on damages, alongside Apple's arguments that the accused Taptic Engines are undamped linear resonant actuators outside the claims, and that the patents fail the written description, enablement and definiteness requirements.

Not Willful, Which Limits the Exposure

The willfulness finding is a real win for Apple, and it caps the downside.

Because the jury found the infringement was not willful, Taction cannot seek treble damages, which would have pushed the exposure toward $17 billion. The award is compensatory rather than punitive. The jury separately rejected Apple's argument that the patents are invalid.

Apple's Response

Apple's statement was pointed, and it leans on Taction's own trial evidence:

"While we thank the jury for their consideration, we strongly disagree with today's verdict and the damages awarded, which are entirely unsupported by the facts. Apple's Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction's technology, which Taction's own testing of Apple's products confirmed during trial. Apple does not use Taction's technology, and we will appeal."

Taction's counsel said the company had waited roughly five years to get to trial and was pleased the patent rights had been vindicated.

Apple Has Been Here Before

Haptic patents have cost Apple before, and a much bigger Apple Watch case is already in progress.

Immersion previously sued Apple over haptic technology in iPhones, Apple Watches and MacBooks, and the dispute settled for an undisclosed amount before trial.

More significantly, Apple is appealing a $634 million verdict in its blood-oxygen dispute with Masimo, handed down by another federal jury in November. That case goes to the core of a health feature on the watch rather than a haptic detail, and it carries the greater product risk, as we saw when Apple shipped the hypertension feature to only 33 countries.

So this verdict is large, but it is not the patent case that most threatens the Apple Watch.

What This Means for Your Watch

Nothing changes in the short term, and probably not for years.

There is no injunction. Apple will keep selling iPhones and Apple Watches with the Taptic Engine exactly as they ship today. A verdict is not a judgment, and an appeal to the Federal Circuit follows a long schedule that regularly runs two to four years. Many patent verdicts are reduced, retried on damages, or reversed.

The realistic outcomes are a negotiated settlement at a much lower number, a damages retrial, or an affirmance after years of litigation. The least likely outcome is Apple writing a $5.7 billion cheque in the near future.

What the verdict does establish, for now, is that a jury in San Diego believed Apple's Taptic Engine reads on two Taction claims. That finding is the part Apple has to overturn, and it is harder to undo than the number attached to it.

Bottom Line

A San Diego federal jury ruled on September 25 that Apple owes Taction Technology $5,721,961,750 for infringing claims in US Patents 10,659,885 and 10,820,117 with the Taptic Engine used in its iPhones and Apple Watches. The Taptic Engine first shipped in the Apple Watch in 2014.

The jury found the infringement was not willful, so there is no treble damages exposure. Apple filed a Rule 50(a) motion days before the verdict arguing the damages evidence cannot be sustained, and the jury awarded one unapportioned figure after hearing no expert reasonable-royalty opinion at all. Apple says it will appeal, and it is appealing a separate $634 million Masimo verdict over blood oxygen at the same time.

No feature is going away, and no payment is imminent. But the largest patent verdict of its kind now hangs over the tap on your wrist.

Sources: Reuters and Bloomberg Law reporting on the September 25, 2026 jury verdict in Taction Technology, Inc. v. Apple Inc., S.D. Cal. No. 3:21-cv-00812, including the $5,721,961,750 award, the non-willfulness finding, the two asserted patents and the asserted claims 17 and 19 of US 10,659,885 and claim 16 of US 10,820,117, and Apple's statement that it will appeal; the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's August 13, 2025 opinion in Taction Technology, Inc. v. Apple Inc. vacating and remanding the district court's summary judgment of noninfringement, including its holdings on the "highly damped output" limitation, the rejection of the mechanical damping and Q-factor limits, and the abuse of discretion in striking Dr. Oliver's opinions; the patent litigation analysis of the verdict and of Apple's September 23, 2026 Rule 50(a) motion, including the exclusion of Dr. Kennedy's reasonable-royalty opinion, the absence of any royalty rate from the Corsair HS60 license, the apportionment arguments, and the procedural details of the verdict and minute entry; coverage of Apple's earlier Immersion haptic litigation and its undisclosed settlement; and reporting on the November jury verdict in Apple's blood-oxygen patent dispute with Masimo, including the $634 million award and Apple's appeal.

Garmin's Fenix 9 Bug List Has Passed 90 Entries

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

A month after the Fenix 9 went on sale, the most useful document about it is not the spec sheet. It is a bug list that owners have been building in public on Garmin's own forum, and it is still growing.

A running tally compiled from Garmin's forums, Reddit threads and the major published reviews now runs past 90 entries. That figure is not Garmin's. It is a community count, and it should be read with the caveats below. What follows is what we could verify against Garmin's own forum threads.

The Shape of the List

The numbers behind the total are worth seeing, because they change what the number means:

7 are fixed, in software 6.48
Roughly 30 are widely reported, meaning three or more separate owners or several reviewers
Roughly 15 have two reports each
Roughly 40 are single reports

That last group is where the honest caveats live. A single report can be a faulty unit, a settings problem or a user error rather than a software fault. At Fenix 9 prices, roughly GBP 1,000 or $1,100 for the Pro models and more with inReach, owners are not inclined to be forgiving about any of it.

What 6.48 Fixed

Garmin shipped software 6.48 on September 15, the first stable update for the platform, and it contained seven fixes:

Garmin Locate displaying confusing locations and times
Microphone not working if Voice Assistant is interrupted by an incoming call
Potential battery drain for Pro devices with activated inReach plans
Watchface translation and layout issues
Voice alerts coming through when in Silent Mode
Volume increment and decrement

It was a real list. It was also almost entirely housekeeping, and it left every headline complaint untouched.

What Broke After the Fix

New reports are still arriving, and several of them are against 6.48 specifically.

A Fenix 9 owner reported a reproducible crash on 6.48 where pressing the upper-right START button from the main screen causes the watch to crash and reboot immediately, before the Apps and Activities list appears. That is the button you press to begin a workout.

A separate Fenix 9 Pro Solar owner reported that changing settings inside Sleep Focus produces a restart. The same owner tested it on a Fenix 9 Pro AMOLED and found the AMOLED was unaffected, so this one appears to be Solar-specific.

And the Bluetooth complaints have not gone anywhere. One Fenix 9 Pro 51mm inReach owner documented six AirPods disconnects during a single 15km run on 6.48, each requiring him to open music settings mid-run, disconnect the headphones and reconnect. On several reconnections, the music restarted at maximum volume in his ears. He also reported his Garmin HRM 600 chest strap losing connection, which did not happen with the same strap on a Tactix 8.

We covered the Bluetooth situation in detail when 6.48 shipped, and it has not improved.

Performance Is Its Own Category

Several of the most consistent complaints are not bugs in the crash sense at all. They are the watch not feeling like a flagship.

One owner coming from a Forerunner 965 described the Fenix interface as "a lot slower, with many lags, frame drops and crashes," and reported that pressing START/STOP or LAP mid-run takes one to two seconds before the timer responds. For interval work that is not a cosmetic issue. His GPS, he said, was not on the same level as the Forerunner 965 even with all accuracy settings maxed out.

Navigation drew similar criticism from another owner: route calculation can take several minutes after selecting a destination, and going off-route triggers a recalculation that takes so long the watch may simply keep recalculating. On a device sold for adventure use, that is the wrong thing to be slow.

The Satellite Bug Developers Found

One of the more technical entries surfaced in Garmin's Connect IQ developer bug reports, which is a different and more revealing place to find a problem.

The report states that all Fenix 9 models fail to support the GNSS configuration options except for SatIQ, meaning watch faces and data fields that previously let users choose a specific satellite mode cannot do so on the Fenix 9.

Garmin's developer account responded directly, confirming the Fenix 9 series "only supports SatIQ and won't allow you to set select configurations like you've been able to in the past," and previewing an upcoming SDK release with new mode constants for SatIQ Normal, Extended Battery, Max Battery and Max Accuracy.

That is a confirmed regression against every earlier Garmin watch, acknowledged by Garmin on the record.

Garmin Is Responding, Carefully

It would be unfair to say Garmin is ignoring this. A staff account has been replying in the threads.

On the owner-compiled bug list thread, Garmin's representative addressed the entries one at a time. On the NRST shortcut that owners reported doing nothing, the response was that NRST is for nearest airport on aviation devices and therefore "would not have an effect" on the Fenix 9, followed by an acknowledgement that if that is the case, the shortcut should not be listed on a non-aviation watch.

On Bluetooth dropouts, Garmin pointed owners to its troubleshooting FAQs and asked for details by email. The company also confirmed that 6.48 was initially released to 20 percent of devices, the staged rollout Garmin uses before a full push.

That is engagement. It is not a fix.

How to Read the Number

Three things are true at once, and all of them matter.

The total is inflated by its methodology. A bug list compiled from forums, Reddit and reviews counts complaints, and people with a working watch do not post. A watch sold in the tens of thousands will accumulate a long thread from a small, motivated minority. Roughly 40 single reports at the bottom of the list are exactly the entries most likely to be faulty hardware or user error.

The total is also understated in one way. Many entries are one person's post standing in for a problem affecting far more owners who never report it. Garmin's own staged rollout to 20 percent suggests the company knows it needs to watch for volume.

And the pattern matters more than the count. The complaints are not spread thin across obscure features. They cluster on Bluetooth audio, optical heart rate, crash-on-launch, GPS accuracy and navigation speed. Those are the core functions people buy the watch for, and they are the functions that were still generating new reports this weekend.

Bottom Line

A month after launch, a community-compiled tally of Fenix 9 problems has passed 90 entries, with seven fixed in software 6.48 on September 15 and roughly 30 widely reported by three or more owners. The list includes crashes when opening Apps and Activities on the current firmware, a Solar-specific Sleep Focus restart, six AirPods disconnects in a single 15km run, a one-to-two second lag on the start and lap buttons, route recalculation measured in minutes, and a Garmin-confirmed regression that removes GNSS configuration choice from every Fenix 9 model except SatIQ.

Garmin is responding in the threads and has confirmed a staged rollout, but the fixes so far address housekeeping rather than the features owners are complaining about. Treat the total as a signal about how rough the launch has been, not as 90 proven defects.

If you own one, report what you find on Garmin's forum. That is what produced this list in the first place.

Sources: Garmin's official Fenix 9 Family System Software 6.48 release post and changelog of September 15, 2026, including the seven documented fixes; Garmin forum threads in the fenix 9 Series section including "F9 Bug List 6.38," "Fenix 9 crashes and reboots when opening Apps & Activities," "Fenix 9 Pro 51 mm inReach - 6 AirPods disconnects during a 15 km run after update 6.48," "BUG - Changing settings in Sleep Focus on Fenix 9 Pro Solar Results in Restart," and "Fenix 9 running SW 6.38 - few bugs so far," with replies from Garmin staff accounts and affected owners; Garmin's Connect IQ developer bug report "Fenix 9 Position.CONFIGURATION_GPS_xxxxx not supported" and the official Garmin developer response confirming SatIQ-only support and previewing upcoming SDK constants; Garmin's published Fenix 9 series pricing across base, Pro and Pro inReach configurations; and coverage of the 6.48 release by Notebookcheck and Garmin-focused outlets confirming the seven-fix count.

Xiaomi Now Connects to Apple Watch. Apple Still Will Not Connect to Android.

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:45:00 GMT

The most interesting Apple Watch news of the month does not come from Apple. It comes from a Chinese phone maker that decided to solve a problem Apple has spent years declining to solve.

Xiaomi's HyperOS 4 phones can now talk directly to an Apple Watch. The feature launched alongside the Xiaomi 18 Pro series, and it was announced by Lu Weibing, President of Xiaomi Group and head of its Mobile Division.

What Actually Works

This is more than a notification forwarding trick, which is what most cross-platform attempts have amounted to. Once connected, the watch can handle:

Calls from the Xiaomi phone
Text messages and app notifications
Super Island live activities, Xiaomi's equivalent of the Dynamic Island feed, pushed to the watch
Two-way device finding, so the phone can make the watch ring and the watch can make the phone ring

Health and exercise data travels the other direction, from the Apple Watch into Xiaomi's Mi Fitness app. That last feature came from a single source in the launch coverage, so treat the depth of health syncing as unconfirmed for now.

The pairing process runs through Xiaomi Connect, an app installed on the Apple Watch. You install it, the watch displays a QR code, you scan it with the Xiaomi phone, and then you grant permissions on both devices.

The Compatibility List Is Broader Than You Would Expect

Xiaomi's requirements are unusually generous for this kind of feature.

The phone needs HyperOS 4 or later. The watch is the interesting part: Xiaomi says the feature works with Apple Watch Series 6 and newer, Apple Watch SE 2 and newer, and every Apple Watch Ultra model running watchOS 11 or later.

A Series 6 is a 2020 watch. Xiaomi is supporting hardware Apple itself has moved on from.

The Catch Apple Kept

There is one limitation Xiaomi cannot engineer around, and it is the same wall everyone hits.

The Apple Watch must still be paired with an iPhone and activated before it can connect to the Xiaomi phone. Xiaomi states this explicitly. You cannot buy an Apple Watch and set it up on an Android phone out of the box. An iPhone has to be part of the process, even if a Xiaomi phone handles the daily interaction afterward.

What Xiaomi has built, then, is not a way to use an Apple Watch with Android. It is a way to keep using an Apple Watch after you have left the iPhone, provided you or someone you know has an iPhone for initial setup.

Apple Already Tried This

The reason this is newsworthy rather than routine is that Apple has been here before and walked away.

In its response to the US Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit in March 2024, Apple revealed that it had spent roughly three years attempting to make the Apple Watch compatible with Android, and had concluded that it could not be done within technical limitations.

The DOJ filing is worth quoting, because it captures why Apple had no urgency. Apple argued that because the watch is iPhone-only, steering a customer toward an Apple Watch "becomes more costly for that user to purchase a different kind of smartphone because doing so requires the user to abandon their costly Apple Watch and purchase a new, Android-compatible smartwatch."

That is a company describing its own product as a switching cost. Xiaomi's feature is a direct attack on it.

The Third-Party Route Already Existed

Xiaomi is not the only party trying to bridge this gap. A third-party app called Merge Watch does something similar in a more limited way.

It relays Android notifications to the watch, supports message replies, provides music controls, and moves Apple Watch health data into Google Fit. It costs $6 per month.

It is also fragile in ways that matter. Reported testing found notification delivery could lag or arrive in batches, especially when Android battery management put the companion app to sleep, and one test required reopening the watch app before delivery resumed. Still, it must be activated with an iPhone first, exactly like Xiaomi's approach.

The reviews of that workaround landed on an honest conclusion: it makes the Apple Watch usable on Android, but permanently one software update away from needing another fix.

Why Apple Looks Worse Than It Did

The contrast with Xiaomi is sharper because of what Apple did to its own support list this year.

watchOS 27 dropped the Series 6, 7 and 8, the SE 2 and the first-generation Ultra. Apple never labelled those watches end-of-life, so security updates may continue, but they are done receiving major platform features.

Now compare that with Xiaomi's compatibility list, which covers Series 6 and newer. An Apple Watch that Apple no longer gives new features to is still supported well enough for Xiaomi to drive calls, notifications and live activities on it.

Apple is leaving capability on the table that a competitor is picking up. That is the part worth watching, and it lands on top of a watchOS 27 that already cut older watches loose.

What Apple Would Have to Give Up

There is no mystery about why Apple has not done this. Apple Watch compatibility is one of the strongest retention mechanisms in consumer hardware. A person who buys a Series 12 has effectively committed to a phone platform for the life of the watch, which is five years or more.

Xiaomi's move removes part of that friction for anyone considering the switch, and it costs Apple nothing to be stubborn about until regulators intervene or the switching math changes.

Both of those are now live possibilities. The DOJ case made Apple's iPhone-only compatibility an explicit part of a monopoly argument, and Xiaomi has just demonstrated that the technical limitation Apple cited looks considerably softer from outside Cupertino.

Bottom Line

Xiaomi's HyperOS 4 phones can now connect directly to an Apple Watch, announced alongside the Xiaomi 18 Pro and covering the Series 6 and newer, the SE 2 and newer, and all Ultra models on watchOS 11 or later. Calls, texts, app notifications, Super Island live activities and two-way device finding all work, with health data syncing into Mi Fitness.

You still need an iPhone to set the watch up first, so this is not the Android pairing Apple has refused to build. It is the next best thing, built by a competitor, and it lands while Apple's own antitrust filing describes the watch's iPhone-only design as a deliberate switching cost.

Apple spent three years on this and gave up. Xiaomi shipped it.

Sources: Xiaomi's official compatibility documentation and launch coverage for HyperOS 4 Apple Watch connectivity alongside the Xiaomi 18 Pro series, including the Xiaomi Connect pairing process, the supported hardware list, and the requirement to pair and activate the watch using an iPhone first, as relayed by Lu Weibing's launch announcement; Apple's published response to the US Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit of March 2024, including its statement that it spent roughly three years attempting Apple Watch compatibility with Android and its argument that iPhone-only compatibility raises the cost of switching away from iPhone; published reporting on Apple Watch and Android cross-platform workaround apps, including Merge Watch's subscription pricing, its notification, message, media control and Google Fit health data features, its requirement for initial iPhone activation, and reported reliability issues around notification delays and Android background app management; Apple's watchOS 27 compatibility list and coverage of the models dropped for the 2026 release cycle; and independent reporting on using an Apple Watch with an Android phone, including the iPhone setup requirement and the feature limitations of the workaround approaches.

Google Health Now Counts Your Garmin Workouts, but Not Garmin's Numbers

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

If you train on a Garmin and track everything else in Google Health, the last few months had a specific, maddening flaw. Your run would sync from Garmin Connect and show up in the app perfectly. Your Cardio Load would not move at all. The workout happened, it arrived on time, and the metric behaved as though you had spent the afternoon on the sofa.

Google Health 5.09, which started rolling out on September 25, fixes that. The fix comes with an important limit that the release notes do not spell out.

What Actually Changed

The release note is one paragraph, under the heading "Cardio Load for Workouts Started in Other Apps":

"Since launch, Google Health has allowed you to connect your favorite apps and devices to the Google Health experience. Now, the workouts you track in other apps and devices and sync to Google Health can count toward your Cardio Load, as long as the other app or device has tracked your heart rate data during that workout. This means workouts you track on other wearables like a Garmin or Apple Watch and sync to Google Health will earn Cardio Load."

One condition matters more than all the rest: the imported workout has to carry heart rate data. Google uses heart rate to decide how much load a session is assigned, so a workout that syncs without it still will not count.

For Garmin and Apple Watch owners that is rarely a problem, because both record heart rate throughout exercise by default. It does mean the data has to survive the trip.

The route in is Health Connect on Android and Apple Health on iPhone. Garmin Connect does not talk to Google Health directly, and Google is running its own health monitoring programme alongside this.

Google Is Not Importing Garmin's Numbers

This is the part worth understanding before you compare screens and wonder why two apps disagree.

Google is not adopting Garmin's Training Load score, and it is not adopting Apple's training metrics either. It is taking the workout data it receives, mostly heart rate plus steps, distance, floors and calories, and running it through its own Cardio Load calculation.

So the number that appears in Google Health is Google's opinion, produced from Google's inputs. Two athletes who run the same 10K can end up with different Cardio Load in Google Health than in Garmin Connect, and both numbers are "correct" within their own system.

That also means Garmin's Training Readiness, recovery metrics and deeper training analysis do not become Google Health metrics just because the workout synced. Your Body Battery stays in Garmin's app.

The Help Page Still Says the Opposite

There is a live contradiction in Google's own documentation, and it is worth knowing about because it is exactly the kind of thing that makes people distrust a health app.

The Google Health Help Center page on connecting third-party devices states: "we currently use first party data only to calculate your sleep score and Cardio Load."

That was accurate until 5.09. It is not accurate now, and Google has not updated it. The rollout began September 25, so the page is simply lagging behind the release.

The distinction still matters in one direction, though: Google genuinely does not use third-party data for your sleep score. Third-party Cardio Load is new and real. Third-party sleep scoring is still first-party only.

What Garmin Will Not Share

The Cardio Load fix does not change the underlying data limits, and those limits are the real constraint on how useful Google Health can be for a Garmin athlete.

Google's own documentation lists what it does not receive from Garmin devices:

Heart rate variability
Breathing rate
Blood oxygen (SpO2)
Skin temperature
VO2 max
Energy burned by the minute or by the hour
Exercise session maps and routes
Detailed session data such as lap splits
Health alerts including ECG and irregular rhythm

Garmin's side of that fence is deliberate. According to Garmin's published sharing documentation, the Garmin Connect app will not share proprietary metrics with Health Connect at all, including Body Battery, training load, aerobic and anaerobic training effect, intensity minutes, running tolerance, endurance score and HRV status.

There is also an asymmetry most people never notice: Garmin will deliver data to Health Connect but will not accept any health data from it. The flow is one-way, out of Garmin, never in.

Apple Watch shares slightly more than Garmin does, including routes, VO2 max and some overnight vitals. For Cardio Load specifically, none of that extra data matters, because heart rate is all Google needs.

What You Actually Get, and What You Lose

The practical result is a reasonable daily picture and a thin training picture.

Your Cardio Load in Google Health now reflects every workout you do, whichever watch recorded it, which is what people asked for. What it will not do is reconcile with the training metrics you make decisions with. If Garmin suggests a rest day and Google Health shows a comfortable target, those two apps are answering different questions with different data, and neither is wrong.

One reviewer who ran a 5K with a Fitbit Air alongside a Garmin found the basic heart rate and distance figures close between the two, with the Garmin providing considerably more depth after the session ended. That is the honest summary of what integration across these platforms looks like today.

The Rest of 5.09

The Cardio Load change shares the release with smaller housekeeping:

Custom food creation now lets you toggle serving units and meal time more easily, with a fixed bug on iOS where deleted items could still appear in your food list
Activity logging on the Fitness tab now offers more options through a single "Log activity" button
Both changes ship on Android and iOS, so this is not a Pixel-only update

Bottom Line

Google Health 5.09 started rolling out on September 25 and finally counts workouts from Garmin and Apple Watch toward Cardio Load, provided the session carries heart rate data through Health Connect or Apple Health.

The important caveats: Google calculates its own Cardio Load from the data it receives rather than importing Garmin's Training Load, Garmin's HRV, VO2 max, Body Battery and lap data still do not cross over, and Samsung-style one-way sharing means Garmin sends data but accepts none. Google's own help page still claims Cardio Load uses first-party data only, which the 5.09 release notes directly contradict.

It is a genuine fix for a genuine annoyance. It is not the start of Garmin and Google comparing training notes.

Sources: Google Health 5.09 release notes and rollout coverage of September 25, 2026, including the Cardio Load for workouts started in other apps entry and the nutrition and activity changes; Google Health Help Center documentation on connecting third-party devices and apps, including the stated first-party-only basis for sleep score and Cardio Load and the list of metrics not shared by Garmin devices; Google Health Help Center documentation on Cardio Load and target load, including the requirement for Google Health app version 4.26 or higher and weekly card loading for Pixel Watch; Garmin Customer Support documentation on sharing Garmin Connect data with Health Connect; published reporting on the Health Connect data points Garmin will and will not share, including Body Battery, training load, training effect, intensity minutes, running tolerance, endurance score and HRV status, and on Garmin delivering data to Health Connect without accepting data back; and independent hands-on comparison of Fitbit Air and Garmin heart rate and distance accuracy across a 5K.

Google's Health Guardian Means Four Different Things Depending on Your Watch

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:15:00 GMT

Google's Health Guardian features started rolling out on September 24, and the announcement describes a single product. It is not one product. Depending on which watch you own and which country you live in, "Health Guardian" means anywhere from three health trends to nothing at all.

The clearest evidence is in Google's own footnotes, which spell out a four-tier system that the headline does not mention.

What Health Guardian Actually Is

Three new metrics, tracked continuously in the background rather than measured on demand:

Blood pressure trends, which Google describes as tracking blood pressure patterns before they put strain on your heart
Insulin resistance trends, tracking metabolic shifts over time
Sleep breathing quality, which shows how your breathing during sleep affects your daily energy

The first monthly Health Guardian report arrives in early October. The features were announced at Made by Google 2026 alongside the Pixel Watch 5, but they were not ready when the watch launched, so the hardware shipped weeks before the software that justified it.

Tier One: Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5

These owners get all three trends, and they get them free. That is the tier Google's announcement leads with: "The tools will be included free with Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5 devices."

The catch is timing, because the metrics need history before they say anything. Google Health 5.09, which started rolling out September 25, unlocks each one on a different condition:

Blood pressure trends appear in the Heart section of the Health tab if you wore the watch for 5 or more consecutive days in September
Insulin resistance trends appear in the Metabolic section if you wore it for 7 or more days and nights
Sleep breathing quality appears in the Sleep tab and the Respiratory section, and shows both daily and monthly trends

That 7-day-and-night requirement is doing real work. It means the insulin resistance trend needs overnight wear, not just daytime activity.

Tier Two: Pixel Watch 4 and 5 Only

Here is where the tiers separate, and where the stakes are highest.

Breathing Emergency Detection is limited to Pixel Watch 4 and 5 owners, and only in select European countries. It watches blood oxygen and, on a severe drop, is designed to automatically prompt a call to emergency services.

So the single most consequential feature in the whole suite, the one that can call for help, is not available to Pixel Watch 3 owners who otherwise get the full set of trends. It is also not available to anyone in the United States, for a specific reason: by Google's own footnote, the feature "has not been cleared or evaluated by the FDA." It has been CE marked in the EU, which is why Europe got it and America did not.

A US reader on a Pixel Watch 5 pays the same money and gets less than a German reader on the same watch.

Tier Three: Fitbit Air

Fitbit Air owners get the smallest share, and they pay for it.

Google's footnote says Fitbit Air users "will be able to see their insulin resistance and blood pressure trends with a Google Health Premium subscription later this year." Three limitations in one sentence: two of the three trends instead of three, later rather than now, and behind a subscription rather than free.

Sleep breathing quality, the third metric, is not mentioned for Fitbit Air at all.

This is a meaningful shift in how Google is treating Fitbit. Fitbit hardware and Fitbit users have historically been the centre of Google's wearable health strategy. Here, the newer Pixel Watch gets the features first, free, and Fitbit's newest band gets a partial version behind a paywall.

Tier Four: Pixel Watch 1 and 2

Owners of the first two Pixel Watches get none of it.

Google's footnote names Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 as the devices the tools are included with. The Pixel Watch 1, launched in 2022, and the Pixel Watch 2, launched in 2023, are simply absent.

That is a two-year-old flagship being left out of the company's headline health feature. It is also inconsistent with Google's own support documentation, because the help page for Cardio Load still lists the Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2 as supported devices. Google is treating Cardio Load as a two-generation-wider feature than Health Guardian, and the two live in the same app.

The Delivery Gap

Even inside a supported tier, Health Guardian is not the real-time monitoring the word "guardian" suggests.

Insights are delivered on the first of every month. There is no live reading. Google states plainly that the features "do not provide real-time clinical readings," and the blood pressure product page goes further: it "is not a prescreener for hypertension, does not provide real-time blood pressure readings for clinical purposes, and should not be relied upon for blood pressure management, medication adjustments or treatment plans."

The features are also explicitly not for anyone who is pregnant, and the trends are not prescreeners for diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnea respectively.

The wording is careful, and it is doing necessary work. But it sits a long way from what a feature called a health guardian implies.

Different Names in Different Countries

The naming splits by region too, which adds a layer of confusion for anyone comparing notes internationally.

Google's footnote notes that blood pressure trends appear as Vascular Stress or Vascular Stress Trends in Japan and Mexico, while insulin resistance trends appear as metabolic stress trends in the same two markets.

So the same metric has two different names depending on your region, which means support threads, reviews and forum advice will not line up across countries.

What the Tiers Have in Common

One thing is universal: availability varies by region, country and device, and may require a subscription. That disclaimer runs through the entire announcement.

The honest reading of Google's own footnotes is that Health Guardian is a family of features sharing a brand name, priced and gated differently depending on what you bought and where you live. A Pixel Watch 5 owner in Ireland gets continuous background monitoring plus emergency breathing detection. A Fitbit Air owner in the same country gets two trends, later, for a monthly fee. A Pixel Watch 2 owner gets neither.

Bottom Line

Google's Health Guardian features rolled out on September 24, and Google's own footnotes describe four different tiers. Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 owners get blood pressure trends, insulin resistance trends and sleep breathing quality free. Breathing Emergency Detection is limited to the Pixel Watch 4 and 5 in select European countries, and it is unavailable in the US because it has not been FDA cleared or evaluated. Fitbit Air owners get two trends, later this year, behind a Premium subscription. Pixel Watch 1 and 2 owners get nothing, even though Google's Cardio Load documentation still lists both as supported.

Trends arrive on the first of every month, not in real time, and Google states they are not prescreeners for hypertension, diabetes or sleep apnea and should not be used to adjust medication.

None of this makes the features useless. It makes the branding misleading, and the footnotes the most useful part of the announcement.

Sources: Google's blog announcement "Health Guardian features go live in Google Health" by Shamira Sridharan Weaver, published September 24, 2026, including its device tiers, subscription requirements and the Breathing Emergency Detection FDA and CE marking footnotes; Google Health 5.09 release notes and rollout coverage of September 25, 2026, including the consecutive-day wear requirements for blood pressure and insulin resistance trends and the early October delivery of the first monthly report; Google Health Help Center documentation for Cardio Load and target load, which lists Pixel Watch 1 and 2 as supported devices; Google Health Help Center documentation on connecting third-party devices and the metrics Google Health does not accept from third parties; and coverage of the Made by Google 2026 announcement of Health Guardian alongside the Pixel Watch 5.

Garmin Has Reportedly Bought Moxy Monitor. Muscle Oxygen Is Why.

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:45:00 GMT

Garmin has reportedly acquired Moxy Monitor, the company behind the muscle oxygen sensor that a small group of serious endurance athletes already train with. Neither Garmin nor Moxy has announced it, and that silence is less suspicious than it looks.

The report originated with a specialist Garmin publication and was picked up by TechRadar this week. It attributes the acquisition to "a source with direct knowledge of the transaction." Garmin has made no comment. Moxy's founder, asked about it, reportedly directed questions to Garmin rather than answering them himself, which is the closest thing to a confirmation anyone has offered.

So treat this as reported rather than established. What follows is why it is credible, and what it would actually change.

Why There Was No Announcement

The obvious objection to a Garmin acquisition story is that Garmin is a public company. It reports to the SEC. A purchase would show up.

That is true for acquisitions that matter to Garmin's financial statements, and it is not true for this one.

Garmin is a business with roughly $8 billion in annual revenue. Moxy Monitor is a small, specialist company, and the transaction is reportedly small enough that Garmin's disclosure obligations were never triggered. Under SEC rules, the disclosure threshold is built around materiality: a deal has to be significant relative to the acquirer's business before an 8-K or detailed financial disclosure is required. A company the size of Moxy does not come close.

That makes a quiet close the expected outcome rather than a red flag. It also explains the contrast with Garmin's other 2026 acquisition news, which did come with press releases. Garmin's purchase of MYLAPS, the Dutch timing and live-tracking company, was announced publicly. So was the acquisition of Applied Ballistics, which we covered when Garmin bought the ballistics solver behind its tactical watches.

Two announced deals and one silent one is not inconsistency. It is how materiality works.

The Trademark That Came First

There is independent evidence that Garmin has been working toward muscle oxygen for months, and it predates the acquisition report.

In February 2026, Garmin filed a trademark for "Muscle Battery" describing an algorithm built around muscle oxygen saturation, or SmO2 data. Notebookcheck covered the filing at the time, noting that the sensor type involved, near-infrared spectroscopy, is "not currently available on any Garmin wearable," which points to an entirely new product rather than a feature update.

A trademark filing is not a product. But it tells you Garmin built the naming and the algorithmic concepts for muscle oxygen before it reportedly bought the company that has spent over a decade commercializing it.

Why Muscle Oxygen Is Hard, and Why That Matters

SmO2 is a genuinely different measurement from what any wrist wearable does today.

Moxy's sensors use near-infrared spectroscopy to read oxygen saturation in a specific working muscle. Coaches and athletes use it to set intensity, find thresholds and time recovery between efforts. The reason it has stayed niche is not that it is unproven. It is that you cannot measure it from the wrist. Light has to pass through the muscle being measured, which means a sensor strapped over a quad or a calf, not a watch on your arm.

That single physical constraint explains everything else in this story.

Garmin already reads SmO2 today, from Moxy sensors and from Train.Red hardware, over the ANT+ muscle oxygen profile, and displays the values on compatible watches and Edge computers. So the most immediate thing an acquisition changes is not a watch feature at all. It is the quality, integration and support of the third-party data Garmin already shows.

Anything more than that requires new Garmin hardware: a strap or a pod, sold separately from the watch. That is a longer road, and it is the reason this story matters more for Garmin's product roadmap than for your next software update.

Whoop Got There First

The competitive context is what makes this look less like opportunism and more like catching up.

Whoop has patented its own SmO2 strap, which means Garmin's main rival in the subscription-athlete market is already building in this direction. Whoop also bought its way in: it acquired the assets and team of Humon, a muscle oxygen startup, in 2020, and Humon's co-founder and CTO, Daniel Wiese, became Whoop's Director of R&D. The patent naming the Humon founding team is part of that story.

The category has a graveyard behind it. Humon Hex and BSX Insight both tried and failed to bring SmO2 to a mainstream audience, which is exactly the risk a big company avoids by waiting. Today the survivors are Moxy, which is the only device with published scientific validation for absolute SmO2, and Train.Red, a spin-off from Artinis Medical Systems that packages laboratory-grade NIRS optics into a small consumer sensor.

Buying Moxy gets Garmin validated sensor technology, more than a decade of proprietary research, and a credible position in a category its rival has already staked out, without spending years on a sensor program that two other companies already abandoned.

What Would Actually Change

Three levels of outcome, from most likely to most interesting.

The near-term change is refinement. Garmin continues reading SmO2 from third-party straps over ANT+, now with the company that makes the reference sensor inside its own portfolio. Better integration, better data handling, and probably better support for third-party sensors on the app side. Not glamorous, and it may be all that happens for a while.

The interesting change is new hardware. A Garmin NIRS sensor would be a standalone product, likely a strap or a small pod, aimed at the same athlete paying for a Fenix 9 Pro or a Forerunner 970 today.

The strategic change is the subscription layer. Garmin has been building out Connect+ features and buying software companies for a year, and it now sells a screenless band of its own in the same subscription-adjacent space. Muscle oxygen is a metric that produces a numerical score an athlete can train against, which is precisely the kind of thing a subscription tier is built to sell.

What We Do Not Know

Plenty, and it is worth listing honestly.

There is no confirmed purchase price. Neither company has confirmed the deal exists. It is unknown whether Moxy would continue selling to athletes and researchers directly, or whether its technology gets absorbed into Garmin products and the standalone business winds down. Moxy's sensor has research and clinical uses well outside sport, and Garmin has no obvious plan for those.

There is also no timing on hardware. If a Garmin NIRS strap is coming, it has not leaked, and Garmin's filings so far cover the algorithm and the name rather than a device.

Bottom Line

Reporting this week says Garmin has acquired Moxy Monitor, the muscle oxygen sensor company, sourced to a person with direct knowledge and picked up by TechRadar. Neither company has confirmed it, and no announcement should be expected: the deal is reportedly small enough that Garmin's SEC disclosure obligations were never triggered, which is why this looks quiet rather than hidden.

The supporting evidence is a February 2026 Garmin trademark for "Muscle Battery" describing an SmO2 algorithm, filed months before the acquisition report. SmO2 cannot be read from the wrist, so it requires separate NIRS hardware, which means the near-term effect is better third-party sensor support and the interesting effect is a new Garmin product category. Whoop has already patented its own SmO2 strap, and Garmin spent the last decade reading competitor hardware instead of making its own.

If it is real, this is Garmin buying its way into a metric it has been unable to measure and its rival has been building for five years.

Sources: TechRadar's report on the Moxy Monitor acquisition and its implications for Garmin's product roadmap, published September 2026, citing a specialist Garmin publication's sourcing to a person with direct knowledge of the transaction; Notebookcheck's coverage of Garmin's February 2026 "Muscle Battery" trademark filing and the near-infrared spectroscopy sensor requirement for SmO2 measurement; Garmin's published Connect IQ and ANT+ muscle oxygen profile support documentation for third-party SmO2 sensors; Applied Ballistics' product documentation for its embedded sensor ecosystem; and public records and reporting on Whoop's 2020 acquisition of Humon's assets and team, its SmO2 strap patent, and the earlier commercial failures of Humon Hex and BSX Insight.

Apple Fixed the Series 12 and Ultra 4 Reboot Bug With watchOS 27.0.1

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Apple released a watchOS update on September 23 that fixes exactly one thing, for exactly two watches. Given what owners spent the previous five days dealing with, it is the right one.

watchOS 27.0.1 is available only for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. The release notes are a single sentence: "This update provides bug fixes for your Apple Watch including fixing an issue where Apple Watch may restart unexpectedly."

That is the entire changelog. Apple did not explain what it changed, and it did not publish any CVE entries alongside it.

The Bug Nobody Covered

The new watches went on sale Friday, September 18. Within hours, owners were reporting their watches spontaneously restarting: the Apple logo appearing out of nowhere, then the watch returning to its normal screen as if nothing had happened.

The triggers people reported are what make this unusual, because there were so many of them. Reboots happened while:

Making requests to Siri AI
Editing watch faces
Opening Apple Maps or the App Store
Placing phone calls
Recording workouts
Turning on Do Not Disturb
Doing nothing at all, with the watch idle on the wrist

That range is why the bug was hard to pin down. Around 30 owners reported reboots in the MacRumors forums thread, with similar reports on Reddit and in Apple's own Community support boards. Some owners only ever saw it during active use. Others logged repeated restarts in a day.

What the Crash Logs Actually Show

This is the part that makes the story more interesting than "launch bug, patched."

Several owners pulled their watches' diagnostics and posted the files. At least four of the logs show the same failure signature, which is unusual for a random launch glitch and points at one shared path rather than a handful of unlucky units.

The pattern: the Apple Neural Engine, the part of the S11 chip that handles AI processing, hangs for roughly two seconds. A firmware watchdog then interprets the stall as a system failure, triggers a kernel panic, and forces the watch to restart. Owners described these as panic-full logs.

One log captured a specific error worth quoting, because it explains the timing precisely: an ANE Timeout, with a command waiting 2,020 milliseconds against a 2,000-millisecond limit before the watch rebooted.

What the logs do not explain is what caused the Neural Engine to stall in the first place. The timeout is the symptom, not the cause.

What Owners Tried, and What Didn't Work

The usual fixes did not fix it, which is why the update matters.

Erasing and setting up as new did not stop the reboots for everyone who tried it. Restarting the watch manually apparently did work permanently for at least one owner, while others saw the problem return. One Series 12 owner received a replacement unit from Apple and reported the new watch hitting the same Neural Engine panic.

It also was not a single bad build. Reports span both the original watchOS 27.0 release and the day-one update devices downloaded during setup, across builds 24R359 and 24R364. Some owners said their reboots stopped after installing the launch-day build. Others kept crashing on it.

The picture was never uniform. Some Ultra 4 owners reported hours of use without a single crash, and several had no problems at all, which is worth keeping in perspective against a user base of millions.

One Detail for European Readers

There is a wrinkle worth flagging for anyone outside the United States.

Siri AI is not initially available on watchOS in the European Union, so EU owners could not have triggered the reboots through Siri requests. But Siri AI is available in Switzerland, and the other reported triggers, including watch faces, Maps, workouts and plain idle time, applied to German and Austrian owners exactly the same way.

So the EU was not shielded from this. It just lost one of the entry points.

Why It Landed on the New Models Only

The bug was confined to the Series 12 and Ultra 4, and the Neural Engine detail explains why. Those are the watches running the S11 chip, which is Apple's first silicon change since 2023 and the hardware that powers Audio Intelligence, the new readiness scoring and the faster Siri on the wrist.

A brand new AI accelerator hitting a watchdog timeout under load is a specific kind of launch bug: not a hardware defect in the usual sense, but a new component meeting real-world workloads that internal testing did not reproduce. The fact that a replacement watch behaved identically supports that reading. Exchanging the device would not help if the problem lives in the software path the new chip takes.

That is also why the fix arrived as a small point release rather than a recall, and why it was scoped to two models instead of shipped to every Apple Watch.

What to Do If You Still See It

If you own a Series 12 or Ultra 4, install watchOS 27.0.1 now. You can only install it while the watch is on the charger with more than 50 percent battery, so set it down for a while rather than waiting on your wrist.

If reboots continue after the update, collect the evidence before you contact support. On the watch, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Analytics & Improvements, Analytics Data, and look for a file beginning with panic-full. That is the log Apple Support will want, and it is the difference between a general troubleshooting call and a report that reaches the engineers.

If your watch is restarting repeatedly and you are inside a return window, treat that window as real. There is now a fix available, so the sensible order is to update first and only then decide. But a watch that keeps panicking after 27.0.1 is a support case, not something to wait out.

Bottom Line

Apple shipped watchOS 27.0.1 on September 23 for the Series 12 and Ultra 4 only, fixing a bug that made the new watches restart unexpectedly during Siri requests, watch face edits, calls, Maps, workouts and sometimes while sitting idle. The fix came five days after the watches went on sale.

Owner crash logs consistently point at a Neural Engine timeout, with one log showing a command overrunning its 2,000-millisecond window by 20 milliseconds before a firmware watchdog forced a restart. That is a new-silicon problem, not a defective-unit problem, which is why erasing the watch and even replacing it did not help.

If you have one of these watches, update it. If you do not, this is a reminder that being first to a new chip means being first to its bugs.

Sources: Apple's watchOS 27.0.1 release notes and availability, published September 23, 2026, including the update's scoping to Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 and its installation requirements; owner-reported reboots and shared panic-full diagnostic logs documented in MacRumors forum threads, Reddit discussions and Apple Community support posts following the September 18, 2026 on-sale date, including reports of Neural Engine timeouts, the 2,020-millisecond ANE Timeout entry, replacement units reproducing the fault and behaviour across watchOS builds 24R359 and 24R364; and reporting from MacRumors, MacObserver, Cult of Mac and Lifehacker on the reboot reports and the subsequent fix.

Fall Detection Reaches the Venu 4. Two Outlets Called It the Venu 6.

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:15:00 GMT

Garmin made its fall feature update official on September 22, and the headline is a safety feature finally arriving on the company's everyday-wear line.

Fall detection is now available on the Venu 4. If the watch detects a hard fall, it sends a message with your live location to preset assistance contacts. You can leave it running all day or limit it to specific activities.

That is the part of this release that matters most, and it is also the part two outlets got wrong.

What Garmin Announced

The press release, issued from Olathe on September 22, covers smartwatches and Edge cycling computers. Beyond fall detection, the update includes:

Hands-free voice control. Say "Okay, Garmin" to start a timer, start an activity, or turn on a compatible watch's flashlight without pressing anything. Saying "phone assistant" hands off to the assistant on your paired phone.
Quick workouts. Runners enter a desired time and intensity level and get a running workout suggestion matched to their fitness.
Garmin Run Coach plans. New plans for training for an event, hitting a milestone or improving general fitness, including run/walk workouts and lower-volume options. They adapt daily based on health and recovery metrics.
Indoor XC Ski. A new activity profile for indoor ski sessions, with support for compatible indoor ski trainers.
Edge Enduro ride profile improvements. The Enduro profile now automatically detects and switches between climbing and descent modes.

The devices named by Garmin are the fenix 8 series, Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, Venu 4 and vivoactive 6, plus compatible Edge computers. Updates are free and have started rolling out.

Why Fall Detection on the Venu Matters

Fall detection has been a glaring absence in Garmin's lineup for years, and this is the first time it has landed properly on a Garmin watch. That is a strange sentence to write about a company that sells to hikers, trail runners and mountaineers, but it is accurate.

The reason it matters on the Venu specifically, and not just on a Fenix, is who wears a Venu. The Fenix and Enduro lines go to athletes who are already risk-aware. The Venu is Garmin's daily-wear smartwatch line, sold to people who want notifications, health tracking and a nice screen. Those buyers overlap heavily with the people Apple and Samsung have been selling fall detection to for years.

Garmin getting this feature onto its mainstream line closes a competitive gap that had nothing to do with sensor hardware and everything to do with software priorities. A fall detection alert that sends your live location to a contact is one of the few smartwatch features that can genuinely be called life-saving, and Garmin has been the odd one out without it.

The Model Number Two Outlets Got Wrong

Here is the detail worth flagging, because it will matter to anyone searching for this update.

Garmin's own press release says Venu 4, twice, and lists it among the update's devices. The Venu 4 is the current model in Garmin's everyday-wear line.

Android Central reported that "Garmin is bringing fall detection to the Venu 6," and listed the Venu 6 among the devices getting the update in its summary. Newsbytes ran the same error, stating that the update includes "fall detection on the Venu 6."

There is no announced Venu 6. The error is not confined to those two sites either, because Android Central's copy was syndicated to aggregators that reproduced the Venu 6 name without checking it against Garmin's release.

The mistake is understandable. Garmin's Venu naming has become genuinely unpredictable: the line has run through numbered generations while also sprouting a Venu X1 with its own naming convention and a separate Venu Sq family. If you are working quickly and you know the line has moved through several numbers, Venu 6 does not sound wrong.

It is still the kind of error worth catching, because model numbers are the thing people search for. Someone reading that the Venu 6 is getting fall detection will go looking for a watch that does not exist, and the person searching for the actual update will find coverage pointing at the wrong device.

What the Update Does Not Do

Worth being clear about, since these releases get summarized loosely elsewhere.

Fall detection on the Venu 4 requires a paired smartphone to send the message. It is not a satellite feature, and the Venu 4 has no cellular option. The watch detects the fall; your phone does the notifying.

Garmin has also not brought this to older Venu models. The Venu 3 and earlier are not named in the release, and Garmin's feature updates have consistently landed on recent generations only.

Bottom Line

Garmin's fall update is official as of September 22, and the headline is fall detection arriving on the Venu 4, the first time proper fall detection has come to a Garmin watch. The release also brings "Okay Garmin" hands-free voice control, quick running workouts, new Run Coach plans, an Indoor XC Ski profile and automatic climb and descent switching on Edge Enduro computers.

The feature set is worth having and the fall detection is genuinely overdue, which is worth saying while Garmin is still working through the Fenix 9's Bluetooth problems. The coverage of it is worth a note: two outlets reported the feature arriving on a Venu 6 that Garmin has never announced, and syndicated copies spread the error further. Garmin's release says Venu 4, and that is the watch to search for.

Sources: Garmin's newsroom press release "Garmin rolls out new feature updates for select smartwatches and cycling computers" published September 22, 2026, including the full feature list and named devices; Garmin's device update documentation and support materials for fall detection setup and smartphone pairing requirements; Garmin's Q3 2026 wearable feature update materials; and the September 22, 2026 Android Central report and the Newsbytes report, both of which named a Venu 6 that does not appear in Garmin's release.

Fenix 9 Owners Say 6.48 Didn't Fix Bluetooth. Some Are Returning Watches

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Garmin shipped the first stable software update for the Fenix 9 on September 15. Version 6.48 fixed seven documented problems. None of them were the one owners keep complaining about.

Eight days later, the most detailed report on the Garmin forums reads like a man deciding whether to send back a watch he paid flagship money for. He runs a Fenix 9 Pro 51mm inReach, switched from a tactix 8, and updated to 6.48 the day it landed. Then he went for a 15km run.

His AirPods Pro 3 disconnected six times. Each time he had to open the music settings mid-run, disconnect the headphones and reconnect them. And on several of those reconnections, the music came back at maximum volume, with the earbuds already in his ears.

His conclusion is blunt: "I feel that the Fenix 9 was released too early and that its software still needs a lot of refinement."

What 6.48 Actually Fixed

It is worth being fair to Garmin here, because 6.48 was not a nothing update. Here is the full changelog from Garmin's own forum post:

Fixed Garmin Locate displaying confusing locations and times
Fixed Messenger Calls not coming through correctly when watch and phone are still BLE-connected
Fixed microphone not working if Voice Assistant is interrupted by an incoming call
Fixed potential battery drain issue for Pro devices with activated inReach plans
Fixed some watchface translation and layout issues
Fixed voice alerts coming through when in Silent Mode
Fixed volume increment and decrement

That is a reasonable list, and one of them is specifically relevant. The changelog fixes volume increment and decrement while users are reporting music blasting back at full volume after a reconnect. Garmin patched the volume controls and did not patch the behavior that makes those controls matter.

Two of the fixes are also Bluetooth-adjacent: Messenger calls over a BLE connection, and the microphone during Voice Assistant. Garmin was in the Bluetooth stack in this release. It just did not fix the part that touches your headphones.

The Pattern Is Older Than the Fenix 9

This is where the story stops being about one bad update, because Garmin has been here repeatedly.

A forum member with the Fenix 9 Pro AMOLED and inReach put it plainly: "My F9 Pro AMOLED with Inreach is decisively worse with my Shokz Bluetooth headphones during run activities. I get at least 10 garbled moments during a 45 minute run."

He then added the context that matters most: "I've owned (and still own) many Fenix and ForeRunners using basically same headphones doing same activities listening to same music. F9 Pro is indeed worse for dropouts. I never run with phone. That's actually why I bought Inreach."

The same user drew the comparison to an earlier launch, and it is the most useful thing in the entire thread:

This feels a LOT like the Epix Gen 2 (and Fenix 7) where the initial release had TERRIBLE bluetooth performance. These forums are filled with posts and long threads about the problem. Myself and everyone thought it must be an unfixable hardware issue. Many people returned their watches due to this. But, quite shockingly, Garmin worked through this and a firmware update was able to resolve the issue. I am hoping for same resolution here with the F9. But I wonder if the full titanium case makes this a hardware issue that cannot be overcome with firmware.

That last sentence is the most interesting hypothesis anyone has offered. The Fenix 9 Pro moved to a full titanium case, which was one of the headline hardware changes of this generation. Titanium is a different material for radio frequency passthrough than the part-titanium construction of previous models. If the case is the problem, no update fixes it.

The history gives some reason for optimism: Garmin did eventually solve the Epix Gen 2 and Fenix 7 Bluetooth problems in software, after a lot of returns. It also stretches back further. Bluetooth headphone complaints run through the Fenix 6, Fenix 7, Fenix 8 and Venu lines, in threads going back years, with users swapping earbuds, rolling firmware back and factory resetting watches without a fix. This is Garmin's longest-running unresolved complaint, and the Fenix 9 has the worst version of it.

The Recap: Everything Else the Fenix 9 Has Been Through

The Bluetooth dropouts are the loudest problem because they happen mid-run, but they are not the only one. And they are not Garmin's only live software problem right now: the CIRQA's End button still deletes workouts. Here is the full list from the Fenix 9 forums, separated into what 6.48 fixed and what it did not.

Fixed in 6.48: confusing Garmin Locate times and locations, Messenger Calls over BLE, microphone failure after a call interrupted Voice Assistant, battery drain on Pro devices with active inReach plans, watchface translation and layout errors, voice alerts in Silent Mode, volume increment and decrement.

Still live after 6.48:

Optical heart rate dying during activity. This one is genuinely alarming. A reproducible bug report describes the optical HR sensor stopping completely during an activity with Bluetooth music playing, with the green LEDs on the back of the watch turning off entirely while music keeps playing. No music, no problem. Music without activity, no problem. Activity plus music, sensor dies. The same reporter later triggered it by panning and zooming the map heavily, which suggests a resource management problem rather than a Bluetooth one, and a third user confirmed it on a three-day-old Fenix 9 Pro 51mm. Substituting an external chest strap made the issue disappear, pointing at the internal optical sensor or its driver.
Brightness controls broken on MIP models. Increasing brightness from 5 percent to 10 or 15 percent does nothing. Reducing it to 10 makes the display brighter. Returning it to 5 changes nothing.
Battery dropping to 94 percent immediately after unplugging. Reported on a brand new Fenix 9 Pro AMOLED on 6.48, dropping within minutes of coming off the charger at 100 percent.
Watchface rendering errors. The current day of the week showing as two letters instead of three on the Fenix 9 Pro inReach Solar 51mm.
Navigation audio not working. Guidance alerts and navigation audio failing with connected devices on 6.48.
The Messenger crash. A five-step reproducible crash when replying to a message with a voice note while music plays over Bluetooth. The app hangs, the headphones disconnect, and doing it during an activity crashes the watch outright. The reporter said it was the primary reason he bought the inReach model, and that he would likely return the watch.

There is one genuinely positive post in the pile: an owner reporting that battery consumption on 6.48 dropped from about 25 percent per day to 20 percent per day on a Fenix 9 Pro 43mm. That is a real improvement, and it deserves to be said alongside the rest.

What Garmin Is Telling People

Garmin has responded in the threads, and the response is software support rather than an engineering answer.

A Garmin staff account pointed one owner to the public headphone Bluetooth FAQ and suggested that "some have experienced an improvement to reception by temporarily disabling the watch's Bluetooth connection with their phone." The owner had already tested with the phone left at home entirely, and said so.

That is the gap. Garmin's advice assumes a phone nearby is the interference source. The owners reporting the worst dropouts are running without a phone at all, which is what they bought the inReach model to do.

Why This Round Is Angrier

The complaints are sharper this time for a few reasons.

The price has gone up. Garmin's published Fenix 9 range runs from $999 for the 43mm and 47mm base models to $1,299 for the 51mm Fenix 9 Pro inReach. Several of the angriest posts are from owners of the most expensive configuration.

The compromises are more visible at that price. One owner who switched from a tactix 8 noted he had no headphone or heart rate strap problems on the older watch. Another came from Suunto and said he had never had music connection issues there. A third, whose 14-day return window closed on a Friday, returned the watch and ordered an Apple Watch Ultra 4 instead.

And the tone has shifted from troubleshooting to principle. One forum member framed the max-volume behavior as a safety issue rather than an annoyance, and the underlying complaint as a value judgment: "a flagship watch at this price should not make its users feel like beta testers."

The original poster, who has been fielding replies in Spanish and English, put the scale of it simply: "somos muchisimos con el mismo problema." There are a lot of us with the same problem.

Bottom Line

Garmin's first stable Fenix 9 update fixed seven documented bugs and did not touch the Bluetooth headphone dropouts that owners have been reporting since launch. On the forums, that means six disconnects in a 15km run, music returning at full volume, and at least one customer who has decided to send the watch back.

The dropouts sit on top of a longer list: an optical heart rate sensor that shuts off during activity, broken brightness controls on MIP models, battery readings that drop six points off the charger, watchface errors and navigation audio failures. Garmin fixed enough in 6.48 to prove it is working the list. It has not fixed the one that ruins a run.

The uncomfortable question, raised by a user who has been through this before, is whether the full titanium case makes this a hardware problem that software cannot solve. Garmin solved a version of this on the Epix Gen 2 and Fenix 7, which is the reason to expect a fix rather than a refund. But that took a long time, and a lot of people gave up before it arrived.

Sources: Garmin's official Fenix 9 Family System Software 6.48 release post and changelog; Garmin forum threads including "Fenix 9 Pro 51 mm inReach - 6 AirPods disconnects during a 15 km run after update 6.48," "Anyone else having music dropouts during activity?", "BUG (F9 Pro inreach FW6.38) - Optical heart rate sensor stops working during activity when using Bluetooth music," "Messenger app crashes when replying with a voice message when you have music playing using bluetooth headphones," and the post-6.48 bug reports on brightness, battery and watchface rendering, with replies from Garmin staff and affected owners; and Garmin's published Fenix 9 series pricing across base, Pro and Pro inReach configurations.

Apple Is Building Screenless Band Prototypes, and Cook Is Behind It

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:45:00 GMT

In August, the story was that Apple had been poking at the idea of a screenless fitness band. The new report says Apple has hardware.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on September 22 that Apple is now developing prototypes of a screenless health and fitness tracker, a device built to compete directly with Whoop. The prototypes are described as a thin fabric band attached to a sensor-equipped computing module, with the display deliberately left out and the controls simplified.

The project sits in a preliminary phase that Apple reportedly calls a technology investigation, which is corporate phrasing for the stage where a company works out whether the sensors, battery and software can actually be made to work together. Apple has not decided whether to ship it. A spokesperson declined to comment.

If it does ship, Gurman's reporting puts the earliest possible launch at 2028.

What Actually Changed

The difference between the August report and this one is not the product concept. It is the status and the names attached to it.

In August, this was exploration. Industrial design teams were circling an idea, and our own coverage of that report said the same thing: it was a maybe, and the interesting part was that Apple had a paper trail of band-based sensor research.

Now there are prototypes, a defined internal phase name, and two executives said to be personally interested. Gurman names Tim Cook, Apple's executive chairman, and Eddy Cue, the services chief who took over Apple's health division late last year.

Cue's involvement is the more revealing detail. He is said to be pushing for wearables with simpler interfaces, pointing specifically at products like the Whoop band and the Oura Ring. That is a meaningful position for the person now leading Apple's health strategy to take, because Apple's current answer to that market is an Apple Watch with a bright screen, apps, notifications and a daily charging habit.

The Bigger Story Is the Apple Watch Itself

The screenless band is, per Gurman, part of a broader re-evaluation of the Apple Watch lineup. Apple is reportedly looking for "something that transforms the product for a new era," and Gurman rates the potential revamp as something that "could be as significant as the iPhone's transformation from a slab design into a foldable device."

That is a large claim, and it reframes the band. A screenless tracker is not a new product line bolted onto the side of Apple's wearable business. It is one option inside a rethink of what the Apple Watch should be, which is a much more consequential question for anyone who owns one.

It also explains the sequencing. Gurman reports Apple is expected to launch wearable AI smart glasses and AirPods with cameras before a screenless band. The watch rethink is not the next thing on the roadmap. It is what Apple is working toward after the next two things.

Apple Is Validating a Category Its Rivals Already Proved

The most pragmatic read of the timeline is that Apple is watching other companies take the risk.

The category has been settled for over a year now. Whoop built the original playbook: no screen, no buttons, all data in the app, a membership for the platform. Google answered with the Fitbit Air, Garmin brought serious athletes in with CIRQA, Amazfit undercut the field, and Polar shipped the Loop. We compared all five in our screenless tracker breakdown.

Gurman notes the popularity of screenless trackers has grown over the last 12 months, with Google, Oura and Whoop all shipping screen-free devices. Apple's pattern in mature categories is not to be first. It is to arrive once the shape of the market is obvious and the engineering problems are better understood.

Waiting until 2028 fits that. It also means the device Apple eventually ships, if it ships one, will be competing against Whoop's and Oura's third or fourth generation rather than their first.

Apple Has Already Started Taking Notes

One thing worth flagging: Apple is not waiting to borrow the ideas. It already has.

The readiness score and the biological age estimate in the new Health app are both features that screenless wearables popularized, and both arrived on Apple hardware this year. The rebuilt Health app in the iOS 27.2 beta is built around exactly the kind of daily guidance that Whoop and Oura made their pitch on.

So the software half of a Whoop-style product already exists inside Apple. What is missing is the form factor: something that collects the data without asking you to wear a screen.

Apple has also published research that cuts against its own interest in an interesting way. Its heart study arguing the Series 12 is the most accurate health wearable also showed how capable the competition is, including the Whoop 5.

What Would Actually Be New

It is worth being clear about what a screenless Apple band would and would not be, because the obvious assumption is wrong.

It would not be a cheap Apple Watch. It would be a sensor you wear when you do not want to wear a watch: in bed, at an event, on a trail where a GPS watch is already handling navigation. That is the pitch Garmin made with CIRQA and Google made with the Fitbit Air pod, and it is why those products are sold as companions rather than replacements.

The other open question is the business model, and it is the sharpest one Apple faces. Whoop's screenless band comes with a membership and no hardware alternative. Garmin's and Google's do not. Apple has spent the last decade consolidating subscriptions into Apple One, and it has been building the Health app into something that looks like a paid tier without a price attached.

A screenless band would be the natural place to finally charge for health. It would also be the place where that decision is most visible.

Bottom Line

Apple has moved from exploring a screenless fitness band to building prototypes of one, according to Gurman, with Tim Cook and Eddy Cue interested and the project sitting in a "technology investigation" phase it may never exit. The earliest launch would be 2028, after Apple's smart glasses and camera-equipped AirPods.

The band is the smaller half of the story. The larger half is that Apple is rethinking the Apple Watch, and the people running it now think the interface problem is the thing to solve. Apple has already shipped the software half of a Whoop competitor. It just has not decided whether to make the hardware.

Sources: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting on Apple's screenless fitness band prototypes published September 22, 2026, including the prototype description, the technology investigation phase, executive involvement and the 2028 timeline; Apple's published heart study materials comparing the Apple Watch Series 12 with competing wearables including the Whoop 5; Apple's Health app feature documentation for readiness and biological age; our earlier coverage of the August 2026 screenless band report and the screenless tracker comparison.

COROS Pace 4 Pro Review: 60 Hours of GPS and 3,500 Nits for $449

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

COROS has spent years being the value pick in running watches. The Pace 4 Pro, which launched today at $449, is the first time the company has built something that does not need the value argument to make sense.

That is a bigger shift than the spec sheet suggests. COROS watches have always been cheap and good, and the pitch has always been the same: get most of a Garmin for a lot less money. The Pace 4 Pro is the first Pace where the hardware itself is the pitch.

What COROS Shipped

The headline is the combination of three things that normally do not appear together at this price: a titanium case, a sapphire display, and a genuinely bright AMOLED panel.

Display: 1.47-inch AMOLED, 466 x 466, 3,500 nits, edge-to-edge sapphire glass
Case: TC4 titanium alloy, 11.8mm thick, 43 grams
Battery: 60 hours of GPS in High GPS Mode
GPS: Dual-frequency, with an Auto mode that switches between single and dual frequency
Storage: 32GB, with detailed maps including street and trail names, contour lines and points of interest
Extras: Built-in speaker, voice notes, dedicated triathlon mode, safety alerts, flashlight

COROS says this is the brightest and largest display it has ever built, and the numbers agree. With over 200,000 pixels in a 1.47-inch panel, it is sharper than the adventure-focused Vertix 2S and bigger than anything else in the lineup.

The Display Is the Story

Here is the comparison that matters. The current Garmin Fenix 9 Pro tops out at 3,000 nits. The Suunto Run 2 hits 2,000. The Pace 4 Pro does 3,500, in a watch that costs a fraction of a Fenix.

That is not a small gap to close from the budget side of the market. COROS also built in adaptive refresh rate, running from 60Hz down to 1Hz LTPO depending on what you are doing, so swiping through maps feels smooth and the panel stops burning power when you stop touching it. Auto-brightness runs from 3,500 nits at noon down to 2 nits at 2am.

The obvious question is whether a 3,500-nit AMOLED destroys battery life, which is how the knock against bright screens has always worked. On this watch it does not, and that is the achievement.

Battery Life in Real Modes

The headline 60 hours is real, and it applies to the mode most people will actually use. Here is the full picture from COROS's own figures:

High GPS Mode: 60 hours, single-frequency across all satellite systems
High GPS with always-on display: 45 hours
Max GPS Mode: 40 hours, using dual-frequency positioning
Max GPS with always-on display: 30 hours
Daily Use: 30 hours

For context on what changed from the last generation, the Pace 4 Pro carries 19 more hours of GPS runtime than the Pace 4, and 35 more than the original Pace 3, which was a lower-power MIP watch. COROS also managed a 22.5 percent larger screen while adding 11 grams and no extra thickness over the Pace 4.

The Auto GPS mode is the genuinely useful addition. Rather than making you choose between accuracy and runtime before a run, the watch switches between single and dual-frequency on its own, dialing up accuracy when you are in a canyon or a city with tall buildings and scaling back when you are under open sky.

COROS's own illustrative figure for all this: a full Ironman distance of 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles cycling and 26.2 miles running, finishing in 11 hours 48 minutes, with 80 percent battery remaining.

What It Means to Use

The mapping story is where the new processor earns its place. COROS doubled the RAM and paired it with a faster chip, which shows up in how fast route and map views toggle. There is 32GB of storage for detailed maps with trail names, contour lines and points of interest, plus turn-by-turn navigation and a Back to Start function.

Audio is the other notable addition. There is a speaker for pace, distance and heart rate alerts, and you can record voice notes mid-run without stopping or pulling out your phone. It also handles hands-free calls.

The heart rate hardware is COROS's latest multi-channel PPG sensor. The company's argument is a mechanical one rather than a software claim: the watch body is designed to sit flush and snug against the wrist, which reduces the shifting and micro-movements that produce bad readings during hard efforts. Whether that holds up under testing is what the reviewers embedded below are working through.

One thing to know before ordering: the USB-C charging cable is not included.

Where It Sits Against the Competition

At $449 in the US and GBP 389 in the UK, the Pace 4 Pro lands in the most contested part of the market: above the standard Pace 4, and below the Garmin Forerunner 970 and Suunto Race 2 that reviewers keep comparing it to. We covered the standard Pace 4 and the offline maps update earlier this year, and this is a different class of product.

The comparison people will make is against the Garmin Forerunner line, because that is where most runners already are. The Pace 4 Pro's case for switching is titanium and sapphire at a price where Garmin offers polymer and mineral glass, plus a brighter screen than Garmin's own flagship outdoor watch, and COROS's habit of shipping meaningful firmware updates roughly every quarter.

What it does not have is Garmin's training ecosystem, its multi-band GNSS reputation built over years of independent testing, or the resale value. For a lot of runners those things matter more than specs.

Bottom Line

The COROS Pace 4 Pro is the first Pace that stands on its own hardware rather than its price. A titanium case, sapphire glass, a 1.47-inch 3,500-nit AMOLED and 60 hours of GPS battery in a 43-gram watch at $449 is a serious piece of kit, and the display in particular beats watches that cost twice as much.

The trade COROS made is that the Pro now costs meaningfully more than a standard Pace 4, which is a new problem for a brand whose appeal was always being the cheap smart choice. Buyers who want the best Pace will not mind. Buyers who were there for the price have a decision to make that they did not have before.

If you are chasing a Garmin and want the best screen and materials for the money, this is the most compelling argument COROS has ever made. Just budget for a charging cable.

Sources: COROS's PACE 4 Pro product page including published battery mode figures, display specifications, materials, mapping details and storage; COROS's PACE 4 Pro launch materials and run club campaign; iRunFar's COROS Pace 4 Pro review by Craig Randall published September 22, 2026, including GPS mode battery breakdowns and display comparisons against the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and Suunto Run 2; US and UK pricing as published by COROS and its retail partners; our earlier coverage of the Pace 4 Pro leak; and launch-day video reviews from DesFit, Chase the Summit, The Run Testers and our own channel embedded above.

Amazfit T-Rex Dual Solar Review: The First AMOLED Watch With Solar

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:45:00 GMT

Amazfit built the watch Garmin has spent years explaining why it won't build: an AMOLED smartwatch with solar charging. Then it put a second solar panel on the back.

The T-Rex Dual Solar launched today at $649.99, and it claims the title of the world's first AMOLED smartwatch with dual-sided solar charging. That is a genuine first. The question is whether being first is worth what Amazfit gave up to get there.

What Amazfit Actually Built

The pitch is straightforward, and it comes with a story. Garmin has long argued that combining an AMOLED display with solar charging does not make sense, because the display's power draw eats whatever the panel recovers, and you are better off using the space for a bigger battery. Amazfit went the other way.

The solar system has two separate panels. One sits under the display, as you would expect. The other is built into the glass ceramic back plate, hidden in the base of the optical heart rate sensor bump. The idea is that you take the watch off during a long day outdoors, set it face down facing the sun, and collect roughly double what the front panel alone would give you.

That rear panel is the interesting engineering, and by most accounts it is genuinely well executed. It is also a surface that faces your wrist almost all the time it is being worn, which is the thing to keep in mind.

The Spec Sheet

Display: 1.3-inch AMOLED
Case: 51.4mm, 16.9mm thick, 69g without the strap, grade 5 titanium bezel
Glass: Sapphire crystal
Battery: 660mAh, up to 51 days typical use, up to 180 days claimed in the most efficient mode
GPS: Up to 41 hours in Accuracy GPS Mode
Water: 10 ATM with diving support and a 50m depth gauge
Extras: White and red LED flashlight, offline maps, LiveShare location sharing
Price: $649.99 in the US, GBP 649.90 in the UK, 649 euros in Europe

On paper that is a lot of watch. It is also, deliberately, a compromise machine.

The Solar Question

Here is the part that matters, and the launch-day reviews are already answering it.

DC Rainmaker spent time with the watch for a written hands-on and came away impressed by the software and unimpressed by the physics. His verdict is that the watch is "in many ways the very definition of form over function," and he was generous about why that might be fine, since Amazfit delivered on a thing people had been asking for and took the risk nobody else would.

The numbers he reported are the ones to hold onto. On days he left the watch outside in the sun all day, he gained 2 to 3 percent of battery life. And that was while not wearing it, which is the scenario where you would expect the best possible result, because a watch on your wrist is busy lighting the display, running optical heart rate and burning power on algorithms. Once the watch goes on your wrist, the solar gains get close to a wash.

He also gave credit where it is due: Amazfit's on-watch solar widget is better than Garmin's. It presents the gains in a way that is more practical and more useful than what you get on a Garmin solar watch, which is a real compliment from someone who tests both.

So the honest read on the headline feature is that the solar recovery is negligible in practice, and the interface for watching it recover is the genuinely excellent part. That is a strange place for a $649 watch to land, and Amazfit seems to know it, framing the feature as optional extra charge rather than a replacement for plugging in.

It Is a T-Rex Ultra 2 With Real Trade-Offs

Amazfit describes the Dual Solar as a twin to the T-Rex Ultra 2, which we reviewed at launch, and that framing is mostly right on features. It is not right on hardware, and the differences run in both directions.

What you give up:

A smaller display. 1.3 inches versus 1.5 inches on the Ultra 2, which is a noticeable step down on a watch this large
A smaller battery. 660mAh against 870mAh, which is the cost of fitting a second solar panel and a slimmer body
A different flashlight. White and red LEDs instead of white and green

What you gain:

Deeper diving allowance. A 50m depth gauge instead of 45m
LiveShare. New location sharing, though every Amazfit watch will get this through the app
The dual solar system itself, which no other watch on the market has

That trade is the whole argument. You are paying $100 more than the T-Rex Ultra 2 for a watch with a smaller screen and a smaller battery, in exchange for solar panels that add a couple of percentage points in best-case conditions.

There is a coherent case for it. If you spend multi-day trips away from power and you like the idea of the watch topping itself up on a rest day, the rear panel is a real, if modest, addition. If you want the best screen and the longest runtime for the money, the Ultra 2 is the better buy, and it is cheaper.

Price and Availability

The T-Rex Dual Solar is available for pre-order starting today. US pricing is $649.99, with UK pricing at GBP 649.90 and European pricing at 649 euros. That puts it above the T-Rex Ultra 2 and below the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro, which is a deliberate position: the most expensive Amazfit, aimed at people comparing it to a Garmin.

The launch date was not an accident either. Amazfit picked the autumnal equinox, the day the year splits evenly between sunlight and darkness, for a watch whose entire pitch is about sunlight.

Bottom Line

The Amazfit T-Rex Dual Solar is the first AMOLED smartwatch with solar charging, and the first watch anywhere with solar panels on both sides. Amazfit deserves credit for building it when the obvious engineering argument said not to.

The execution is where it gets complicated. Real-world solar recovery lands in the low single digits at best, and on your wrist it is close to nothing, which means the headline feature is closer to a gadget than a capability. Amazfit's own solar interface is the best part of the system, and it is genuinely more useful than Garmin's.

For $649.99 you are buying a smaller screen and a smaller battery than the cheaper T-Rex Ultra 2, plus a pair of solar panels that will not move your charge level much. Buy it because the idea appeals to you and you want the only watch that does this. Do not buy it expecting the solar to change how you charge.

Sources: Amazfit's T-Rex Dual Solar launch announcement and published specifications; DC Rainmaker's written hands-on with the T-Rex Dual Solar published September 22, 2026, including his real-world solar recovery testing; Amazon and Amazfit regional pricing; our earlier coverage of the T-Rex Dual Solar FCC filing and the T-Rex Ultra 2 review; and launch-day video reviews from DesFit and Chase the Summit embedded above.

Apple Cut the Time to Walk Team, and Fitness+ May Move Into Health

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:15:00 GMT

The layoffs themselves are small enough to miss. A handful of roles at Apple Fitness+, reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter. Nobody is describing this as a major workforce reduction, because it is not one.

What makes it worth your attention is which roles went, and what the people who know the organization think it signals.

What Apple Actually Cut

The cuts came in the past week and hit the audio side of Fitness+, which means the teams behind Time to Walk and Time to Run. Both are spoken-word audio workouts built for the Apple Watch, designed to be played from your wrist without a phone.

The practical effect, per Gurman: new audio episodes will arrive less often. They are not stopping.

Gurman's read on how the team sees it is blunter than the headcount suggests. "This is widely seen within the Fitness+ organization as the beginning of more drastic cost-cutting measures and other major changes to the service in the months and years ahead," he wrote.

It is also the second round of job cuts at Apple in less than two months, following August reductions tied to Siri and the Vision Pro. Apple's pattern is to make these cuts quietly rather than in large, newsworthy waves, which is exactly why a small one can carry a large signal.

Why the Audio Side Goes First

If you were looking for the most expensive, least scalable part of Fitness+, Time to Walk is the obvious answer.

Time to Walk launched in January 2021, with Time to Run following on January 10, 2022, alongside Collections. The format is a talking companion for a walk or run, and its appeal depends on the guest. Every episode means booking a notable person, recording a bespoke piece of audio, and producing something that cannot be reused, templated or cheaply extended. It is a content business wearing a software company's clothes.

Compare that to the rest of Fitness+, where a trainer can lead a class that a million people stream, and the cost per user falls as the subscriber base grows. A celebrity audio walk has roughly fixed production cost per episode, forever.

That is the structural problem Gurman points to when he cites Fitness+'s production costs, its need for a steady stream of new content, and its subscriber churn. All three hit harder on the audio side than anywhere else in the service.

Fitness+ Has Been Under Review for a Year

None of this is sudden, and the paper trail goes back to a reorganization last fall.

In October 2025, Apple moved its health and fitness divisions into Services. Services chief Eddy Cue took supervision of the health and fitness teams, and Craig Federighi picked up the Apple Watch operating system. The trigger was the pending departure of longtime chief operating officer Jeff Williams.

By November 2025, Gurman was describing Fitness+ as "under review," citing high churn and weak revenue, and floating the possibility that it would be merged into a broader Apple Health+ service that would remove Fitness+ as a standalone subscription.

In February 2026, he went further. Gurman reported that Apple had scaled back plans for a separate Health+ subscription, which would have offered AI-powered health recommendations, with some of those features to be rolled out individually instead. His prediction at the time: "Apple will ultimately meld its Health app with Fitness+ in some fashion, perhaps offering it as a combined subscription."

Apple has also been working on an AI-powered virtual health coach, reportedly codenamed Mulberry, with Gurman saying its ideas would be folded into the Health app rather than shipped as their own product. He has also noted that Cue personally uses competitor health devices and wants broader changes to Apple's health strategy, and the health upgrades discussed on Apple's Q2 earnings call pointed the same direction.

Fitness+ is now overseen by Cue and Apple's health lead, Sumbul Desai. Fitness+, in other words, has been sitting inside the division it may soon be absorbed by.

The Health App Is Where All of This Is Heading

The destination has been visible since the fall, and we covered the app itself when it surfaced in the iOS 27.2 beta.

The rebuilt Health app replaces the old card stack with Insights and Longevity tabs, introduces a Health Age score built from activity, VO2 max and sleep, and adds a readiness score for Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 owners. Apple is also planning a $119 lab panel through Quest Diagnostics that feeds into Health Age.

Most tellingly for this story: Apple is preparing to add video clips to the Health app to explain health topics and benchmarks. That is a Fitness+ capability being built directly into Health.

At its September 9 event, Apple added readiness and AI-driven insights to the Health app without folding Fitness+ into it. Gurman reads that as timing rather than a change of plan.

Gurman's own guess on the timeline is that a Fitness+ merger would land more likely in 2027 than sooner.

Two Thin Subscriptions Make No Sense Side by Side

The logic for merging is straightforward once you look at what Apple is sitting on.

Fitness+ is a $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year service in the US, also available inside the $37.95 Apple One Premier bundle. It is a library of trainer-led video and audio workouts, and by Gurman's reporting it has struggled with churn and revenue since launch in 2020.

The new Health app is a free feature set that Apple has quietly turned into the most capable health product it has ever shipped, with scoring, benchmarking, lab integration and now video explainers. It is one subscription-shaped decision away from being a paid service.

Apple scaling back the standalone Health+ plan in February cut against the obvious prediction, and then the new Health app arrived in beta looking like a subscription product minus the price. Building two thin services in adjacent categories and charging separately for each is an awkward outcome for a company that has spent a decade consolidating subscriptions into Apple One.

The reasonable expectation is that they get combined, and that the fitness content becomes a feature inside the health product rather than its own line item. A cheaper screenless band would fit the same strategy, growing the pool of people generating Apple health data without adding another subscription to sell.

The Counterargument Is Fair

There are reasons not to read too much into a handful of departures, and AppleInsider made the case directly when the Fitness+ review stories first circulated.

The core objection is scale. A small number of cuts does not establish a strategy, and Apple currently has dozens of open Cupertino roles that mention fitness, which is hard to reconcile with a service being wound down. Gurman himself has said he does not believe Fitness+ is facing cancellation right now, and the audio episodes continue, just less often.

The honest position is that this is one data point in a trend rather than proof of a decision. The trend has been consistent for a year, and it points one direction, but Apple has not announced anything and has changed course on health subscriptions before.

What to Watch

Three things will settle this faster than another round of reporting.

Whether the episode output noticeably slows. Gurman's report says less often, not never. If Time to Walk and Time to Run go quiet through the winter, that is a different story than a lighter release calendar.

Whether a combined tier appears. Watch the pricing pages for Fitness+ and Apple One. A change in what is bundled, or a new tier that pairs health features with workout content, is the tell.

Whether Apple pairs it with a hardware event. Moving a service is the kind of thing Apple usually attaches to a launch. That did not happen this September, which supports Gurman's 2027 timing.

Bottom Line

Apple cut a handful of Fitness+ jobs last week, concentrated on the audio teams behind Time to Walk and Time to Run, and made it the second quiet round of cuts in two months. New episodes will arrive less often.

The layoffs are minor. The direction is not. Apple moved health and fitness under the same executives a year ago, has had Fitness+ under review since November, and is now building a Health app with video explainers, scoring and lab integration, which is the shape of a subscription product. Gurman's bet is that Fitness+ eventually lives inside it, most likely in 2027.

The feature that goes first is the one where you pay a famous person to talk to you while you walk. It is the best thing in Fitness+ and the worst business in it, and those two facts have been on a collision course since the day it launched.

Sources: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter of September 20, 2026, on the Fitness+ layoffs, the teams affected and the outlook for the service; Gurman's earlier reporting across November 2025 and February 2026 on Fitness+ being under review, the scaled-back Apple Health+ plans and the Mulberry health coach project; Bloomberg's October 2025 reporting on Apple's reorganization moving health and fitness into Services under Eddy Cue; Apple's newsroom announcements for the launch of Time to Walk in January 2021 and Time to Run on January 10, 2022; Apple's published Fitness+ pricing and Apple One Premier bundle details; and AppleInsider's counterargument on the scale of the cuts and open fitness roles at Apple.

Garmin Bought the Company Whose Software Is Inside Its Tactical Watches

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 17:45:00 GMT

Garmin spent a decade licensing a ballistics solver for its tactical watches. On September 16, it stopped renting and bought the building.

Garmin acquired Applied Ballistics LLC, the Michigan company whose ballistic research and projectile data sit inside the Garmin Foretrex 701 and the tactix line's Ballistics Edition. Financial terms were not disclosed. Brad Trenkle, Garmin's co-chief operating officer, described it as the natural next step after a relationship "spanning nearly 10 years."

That framing is accurate and understates what Garmin just bought, because Applied Ballistics was never a Garmin supplier. It was the industry's supplier.

What Garmin Actually Acquired

Applied Ballistics was founded in 2009 by Bryan Litz, with a stated mission to be "the complete and unbiased source of external ballistics information for long-range shooters." The company is headquartered in Howard City, Michigan, and built a business on professional-grade ballistic solvers and radar-validated projectile models for hunters, competitive shooters and long-range competitors.

Its products include the Applied Ballistics Point Mass Solver, the central calculation engine, along with AB Analytics for desktop and the Applied Ballistics Quantum app, a solver and profile management platform for iOS and Android that Garmin's release specifically highlighted.

Garmin's release also says the acquisition "extends Garmin's ability to provide comprehensive solutions for customers across its tactical, shooting sports and hunting markets," and that bringing the teams together will let Garmin "accelerate innovation and deliver even more capable, integrated solutions." What it does not say is what happens to everyone else licensing the solver.

The Solver Is Not Only in Garmin Watches

Look at Applied Ballistics' own partner list and the shape of the company becomes obvious. Its solver is embedded in hardware from a long list of companies, most of which are not Garmin:

Kestrel Ballistic Weather Meters, made by Nielsen-Kellerman, in a partnership dating to 2013, with the Kestrel Shooter's Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics shipping that July
Sig Sauer BDX laser rangefinders and riflescopes, starting with the KILO2400ABS, which embedded Applied Ballistics Elite with onboard environmental sensors
Bushnell Nitro 1800 and the Bushnell-linked Kestrel Sportsman kit
The RAPTAR-S, a weapon-mounted laser rangefinder with an integrated Applied Ballistics solver
The DARPA Computational Weapon Optic
Garmin's Foretrex 701, and the tactix line's Ballistics Edition with the Applied Ballistics Elite solver

There are also software integrations: Kestrel LiNK Ballistics, the Sig Sauer BDX app, Bushnell Ballistics, and hardware partners like the Calypso Mini AB wind sensor, which feeds live wind data into AB Quantum.

Applied Ballistics was not exaggerating when it described itself as the go-to choice for electronics integration. By 2015 the company was already counting its 15th integration effort into different platforms, with more than 20,000 copies of its software sold and a bullet database past 400 entries. The current library covers more than 500 bullets with G1 and G7 data.

That is the thing Garmin now owns: the calculation layer that a meaningful share of the precision shooting industry runs on, including several companies Garmin competes with.

Why It Became the Standard

The reason the solver spread that widely is not marketing. It is that Bryan Litz did the science and published it.

Litz is a competitive shooter with national and international results in Palma competition, including the Queens Prize in Australia in 2010, and a member of a United States rifle team that won three world championships in the FTR class. More consequentially, his ballistic work moved the military sniper community from the older G1 drag model to the modern G7 standard, and got the Applied Ballistics solver integrated into numerous military and NATO devices. In 2019 he received the National Defense Industrial Association's Carlos Hathcock Award for contributions to small arms systems and US military capability.

That combination, a competitive shooter who publishes peer-reviewed-grade ballistic data, is why a Kestrel weather meter and a DARPA weapon optic ended up running the same code as a Garmin watch. The company's early material described its philosophy as exploring long range shooting "using the scientific method" against a world of "marketing hype and movie magic."

There is a useful data point on how thoroughly that worked: a 2024 survey found 79 percent of top PRS shooters were running a Kestrel 5700 or 5700X with Applied Ballistics. Eight in ten of the best precision rifle shooters in the country were relying on the same solver that Garmin just bought.

The Unbiased Part Just Got Complicated

Applied Ballistics was founded on being the neutral reference point for an industry full of competing claims. That position is difficult to maintain from inside a consumer electronics company that sells tactical watches.

It is not impossible. Companies operate owned subsidiaries at arm's length all the time, and Garmin has an obvious interest in Applied Ballistics remaining the standard, because a solver nobody trusts is worth much less than one everybody uses. If Garmin restricts access or degrades third-party support, it damages the asset it just paid for, and the competitive response would be quick.

But neutrality is a perception, and perception is what a reference standard trades on. Applied Ballistics' credibility came partly from not belonging to anyone in particular.

This Is the Pattern for Garmin Now

Garmin has spent 2026 buying software rather than building it. In July the company acquired TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic, bringing coaching platforms in-house. Now it owns the ballistics engine behind its tactical lineup.

The logic is consistent. Garmin makes excellent hardware and, historically, has been content to partner for the software layer. The company's recent moves suggest it has decided that the software layer is where the differentiation and the recurring revenue live, and that licensing it from someone else means competing with a ceiling.

For a company whose watches now carry an assistant, a subscription tier and a health platform, that is a coherent strategic shift. It just happens to have landed squarely on an industry where Garmin is not the biggest customer of the thing it bought.

What It Means for Kestrel, Sig Sauer and Bushnell

This is the open question, and Garmin has not addressed it.

Three plausible outcomes, none of them confirmed. The simplest is that existing licensing arrangements continue unchanged, because they are contracts and contracts survive acquisitions. A middle path is that they continue but stop being a priority, with Applied Ballistics' development effort increasingly aimed at Garmin's own products. The worst case for those companies is that a competitor's parent controls the roadmap for a core feature of their flagship products and eventually either raises prices or stops renewing.

Kestrel is the most exposed, since Applied Ballistics is central to the 5700 Elite rather than a nice extra. A Kestrel weather meter measures atmosphere, but the solver is what turns those measurements into a firing solution, and the "with Applied Ballistics" branding is part of why shooters pay the premium.

For balance, Garmin has no track record of strangling acquired software companies, and doing so here would be self-defeating. Applied Ballistics is valuable precisely because Kestrel, Sig and Bushnell users rely on it.

What Actually Changes for Owners

For anyone using a Garmin tactix, Foretrex 701 or the Applied Ballistics apps, probably nothing in the short term. The solver keeps working, AB Quantum keeps working, and the ten-year relationship Garmin cited suggests the integration was already tight.

The direction of travel matters more than any single change. A solver that was licensed to everyone and improved for everyone is now an asset inside one company. Expect Garmin's watches to get features from that relationship first, expect those features to be a bigger part of how the tactical line is marketed, and expect the Ballistics Edition question to come up. We covered what a new Ballistics Edition means in the tactix 9 leak coverage.

Bottom Line

Garmin acquired Applied Ballistics, the company founded by Bryan Litz in 2009 that turned G7 drag modeling into the industry standard and a Carlos Hathcock Award into a business. Garmin has licensed its solver for nearly a decade and bought the company outright on September 16 for undisclosed terms.

The parts of the portfolio that used to make Applied Ballistics neutral are now owned by one of the companies using it. Kestrel, Sig Sauer and Bushnell all sell products whose core calculation runs on Garmin's new subsidiary, and Garmin has said nothing about what happens to them. Whatever it decides, the days of the entire precision shooting market relying on one independent reference solver are over.

Sources: Garmin's September 16, 2026 announcement of the acquisition of Applied Ballistics LLC including comments from co-chief operating officer Brad Trenkle; Applied Ballistics' own product and partner documentation covering embedded devices, software integrations and the Applied Ballistics Quantum platform; Applied Ballistics' published corporate history and founder background including Bryan Litz's competitive record and the 2019 NDIA Carlos Hathcock Award; Kestrel and Nielsen-Kellerman product documentation for the Kestrel 5700 Elite and its Applied Ballistics integration; Sig Sauer and Bushnell product specifications for embedded Applied Ballistics solvers; and reporting on the 2024 PRS shooter survey and Garmin's July 2026 acquisitions of TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic.

Apple Extended Free Satellite a Third Time, and Still Won't Price It

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Apple has been running a free trial for four years, and it just extended it again.

The company added another year of complimentary satellite access at this month's iPhone 18 event, confirmed in a line most people would have missed at the bottom of an announcement about something else. For owners of an iPhone 14 activated before September 9, 2026, and for iPhone 15 owners, that means the satellite features stay free until at least September 2027. iPhone 16 owners are covered as well.

Tom's Guide called it what it is: the third time this has happened.

What has never happened, in four years of building and paying for a satellite network, is Apple naming a price.

The Three Extensions, in Order

The original terms were clear enough. Emergency SOS via satellite shipped with the iPhone 14 in September 2022, and Apple said it would be free for two years from activation. That put the first bills somewhere around September 2024.

November 15, 2023: Apple announced it was extending free access for existing iPhone 14 users by an additional year. That was the first extension, and it landed roughly nine months before the deadline it moved.

September 2025: Apple extended free satellite service again, this time covering iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users. The iPhone 14 group got its second extension, and iPhone 15 owners got their first, since their two-year window was closing.

September 2026: the extension just announced, covering iPhone 14, 15 and 16 owners through at least September 2027.

Each of those extensions moved the deadline without answering the question the deadline exists to force. Apple has now had three opportunities to publish a rate card and has published nothing.

The Watch Side Has Different Clocks

The satellite story on Apple's wearable lineup runs on its own schedule, which makes the whole thing harder to reason about.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 and later include satellite access free for two years from activation. So do the iPhone Duo and the Apple Watch Ultra 4, both of which launched with satellite capability built in. Those are earlier in their free windows than an iPhone 14, which means Apple now has satellite users on at least four different expiry dates.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 got satellite messaging in September 2025. Its free window runs to roughly September 2027. A buyer weighing an Ultra 4 today is looking at a similar runway from a later date. Nobody knows what either will cost after that.

Apple Is Paying Real Money for This

This is not a promotional giveaway of something that costs Apple nothing. Apple is funding a satellite constellation.

In November 2022, Apple put $450 million into Globalstar for satellite manufacturing and launch in support of Emergency SOS. Then in October 2024, the relationship expanded substantially: Apple committed an infrastructure prepayment of up to $1.1 billion to fund a new constellation and ground infrastructure, plus about $400 million for a 20 percent equity stake in Globalstar. The new Extended MSS Network is a low Earth orbit constellation of 48 active satellites and six spares, replacing a current fleet of roughly two dozen.

In return, Globalstar allocates 85 percent of its network capacity to Apple, keeping 15 percent for its own messaging and IoT customers. That split is unusual and tells you how much of Globalstar's business Apple now is.

So the ledger is: hundreds of millions already spent, more than a billion committed, 85 percent of a satellite network's capacity reserved, and no revenue from end users.

Why Pricing Year Three Is Genuinely Hard

The awkward part is that Apple's satellite features are mostly emergency features. Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Find My location sharing, and Messages via satellite all exist to be used when something has gone wrong.

Charging a subscription for a feature whose primary purpose is calling for rescue when you are stranded is a difficult thing to put on a slide. It is why the most common prediction has been that emergency use stays free permanently while premium features get monetized.

There is a harder commercial problem underneath that. Paul Jacobs, Globalstar's chief executive, described it in terms that suggest he has thought about failure modes: "Any new function that requires an additional subscription, just already has some difficulty in getting uptake." He compared it to MediaFLO, the mobile TV service he ran at Qualcomm that died once it was no longer free. And he offered the direct version of the question: "If it was free, I think people would use it. But if it's not free, what is the market size?"

Globalstar's chief product officer, Mersad Cavcic, put the same uncertainty in one line: "We will see if people really are willing to pay for additional capacity."

Read those together and you get the reason the price has never been published. The company selling Apple the capacity does not know what the market will bear, and the company buying it has concluded that announcing a number would do more harm than leaving it open.

The Real Business Model Is Buying Phones

Jacobs said something more revealing than the price speculation. In Apple's model, he noted, satellite messaging is designed to encourage customers to purchase a new device rather than to sign up for a monthly service.

That reframes the entire feature. Apple is not building a satellite subscription business. It is building a reason to buy an iPhone, and increasingly a reason to buy an Apple Watch Ultra, since satellite messaging on the wrist is a genuine differentiator for hikers, climbers and anyone outside coverage.

Judged that way, the free period is not a giveaway at all. It is a feature cost absorbed into hardware margins, and every extension of the free period is Apple declining to convert a differentiator into a toll booth. The extensions themselves are the strategy.

What It Will Probably Look Like

If a price ever arrives, the shape of it is not hard to guess.

Emergency SOS and Roadside Assistance stay free, because charging for rescue is untenable. The recreational capabilities get monetized: extended Messages via satellite, location sharing beyond emergencies, and whatever comes next once the new constellation doubles the available capacity. That could arrive as a standalone tier in the range of a few dollars a month, or more likely bundled into Apple One or iCloud+, where it becomes an upgrade argument rather than a line item.

The one outcome that would be surprising is Apple charging for emergency calls. The one that would be equally surprising is Apple publishing anything at all before the extended constellation is operational.

Bottom Line

Apple extended free satellite access for the third time this month, pushing the free window for iPhone 14, 15 and 16 owners to at least September 2027, and leaving the Apple Watch Ultra line on its own two-year clocks. It has spent hundreds of millions and committed over a billion dollars to Globalstar, taken a 20 percent stake, and reserved 85 percent of a satellite network's capacity.

It has never told anyone what any of it costs after the free period, and the chief executive of its satellite partner has publicly explained why a subscription is a hard sell. The price of year three is not a secret Apple is keeping. It is a decision Apple has not needed to make, four years running.

Sources: Apple's satellite feature availability and terms as published around the iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16 and iPhone 18 announcements, including the September 2026 extension; Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Ultra 4 satellite access terms; Globalstar Inc.'s SEC filings covering the October 2024 amendments to its Apple services agreements, the infrastructure prepayment, equity issuance and network capacity allocation; Apple's November 2022 satellite investment disclosure; reporting from 9to5Mac, Tom's Guide, MacObserver and Light Reading on the extension history, capacity split and Globalstar executive comments.

Q2 2026: The Smartwatch Market Shrank While Garmin Took Share

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 17:15:00 GMT

Counterpoint Research's Q2 2026 smartwatch numbers say something that should not be possible in a shrinking market. The market contracted, and Garmin got bigger.

Global smartwatch shipments fell 4 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2026, the first decline in a year. Against that backdrop Garmin shipped 11 percent more watches, lifting its global share to 5.6 percent from 4.9 percent a year earlier and finishing fifth overall.

That reads like a clean countercyclical story. The fuller picture is more interesting, because Garmin's own earnings show the growth is not coming from the watches you would expect.

The Market Fell, Garmin Didn't

Counterpoint's data, published August 26, puts the shape of the quarter in a few lines.

Huawei took the top spot for the first time, reaching a record 22 percent share and pushing Apple down to second at 20 percent. Apple still grew faster than anyone else in the top five, up 14 percent, and Apple's share of the market has been the most volatile number on the board: 20 percent in Q1 2025, 17 percent in Q2 2025, 23 percent, then 32 percent in Q4, 23 percent, and back to 20 percent this quarter.

Regionally, North America was the strongest market at 8 percent growth, followed by China at 7 percent, where Huawei and Imoo were helped along by a Chinese government electronics subsidy scheme. Within North America, high-level OS smartwatch shipments grew 4 percent: Apple up 13 percent, Garmin up 6 percent, and Samsung down 13 percent.

Then there is Xiaomi, which fell 38 percent, dropped to fourth place, and watched its share collapse from 9.5 percent to 6.1 percent.

Where Garmin's Growth Actually Came From

Here is the part the shipment charts flatten out, and Garmin's own quarterly report fills it in.

Garmin posted record Q2 2026 revenue of $2.02 billion, up 11 percent, with operating income up 30 percent and full-year guidance raised to roughly $8.05 billion. Our full breakdown of the earnings report covers the rest of it. The segment doing the work was Fitness, up 25 percent to $756.8 million, which Garmin attributed to "growth across all product categories, led by strong demand for advanced wearables."

Meanwhile Garmin's Outdoor segment fell 2 percent, reversing from steady growth. Outdoor is where the Fenix, Epix, Enduro and tactix lines live. Fitness is where the Forerunner, Venu and vivoactive lines live, along with the new screenless CIRQA band.

So "Garmin grew 11 percent while the market shrank" is accurate at the company level and slightly misleading at the product level. The premium outdoor flagship line, the one that defines Garmin's reputation, actually softened this quarter. The growth came from the training and everyday-wear side of the portfolio, at price points well below a Fenix.

Both things are true, and together they describe a company that is winning the premium battle on a broader front than its halo product.

The Budget End Is Where the Market Is Bleeding

The 4 percent decline is not distributed evenly, and the pattern explains why Garmin and Apple both grew while the market shrank.

Omdia's read of the same quarter found basic bands down 9 percent against advanced smartwatches up 6 percent. The sub-$200 segment fell 9 percent over 2025 while the $200-and-up band grew.

That is the whole story in two numbers. Cheap trackers are collapsing, and the expensive end is expanding. Anyone whose business is built on volume at low prices is in trouble, which is exactly what Xiaomi's 38 percent drop looks like.

Garmin has no budget line to lose. Its cheapest watches sit above the price point where the collapse is happening, and its average selling price is among the highest in the industry. When the market splits in two, a company that only competes in the growing half does not need to do anything clever. It just needs to not be in the other half.

Apple's Position Is Stranger Than It Looks

Apple grew 14 percent, the fastest in the top five, and still lost the number one spot to Huawei. Both facts are correct because Apple's quarterly shipments swing enormously with its launch calendar, and Q2 is a trough between the spring and fall cycles. The company's 32 percent share in Q4 2025 is the same business, three months later.

That volatility is a structural feature of the iPhone launch cadence, not a sign of weakness. It does, however, make single-quarter comparisons against Huawei unreliable. Huawei's 22 percent came with the help of a subsidy program in its home market, and it has been on an extended run while Apple's newest watches land in Q3 and Q4.

For Garmin, the relevance is simpler. Apple is not Garmin's problem in the premium outdoor segment, Samsung is not Garmin's problem there either given its 13 percent decline in North America, and Huawei's growth is concentrated in a market where Garmin has always been a niche player. Garmin's competition at the top of the price range is mostly itself, COROS, and whichever Garmin you already own.

What This Sets Up for the Rest of 2026

A few things follow from the quarter.

The premium tier is where the demand is, and every serious player now knows it. The pressure on the sub-$200 segment will push whatever remains of that market toward either consolidation or exit, and the brands without a premium story will keep shrinking.

For Garmin specifically, the interesting question is whether the Outdoor decline is a blip or a trend. The Fenix 9 generation launched August 25, so Q3 and Q4 will show whether a new flagship reverses it, and the CIRQA band is too new to have contributed meaningfully in Q2 despite selling through its initial stock.

The other thing worth watching is whether the premium end can keep growing if the entry level keeps shrinking. Every category that splits like this eventually runs out of new buyers to graduate upward, because the cheap product was how people entered the market in the first place.

Bottom Line

Global smartwatch shipments fell 4 percent in Q2 2026, the first decline in a year, and Garmin grew 11 percent to a 5.6 percent share anyway. The reason is not that Garmin out-engineered the market. It is that the decline is concentrated in cheap trackers, which fell 9 percent while advanced smartwatches grew 6 percent, and Garmin does not sell cheap trackers.

The nuance worth holding onto: Garmin's own Fitness segment grew 25 percent while Outdoor, home of the Fenix, slipped 2 percent. Garmin's quarter was excellent. The Fenix line's quarter was not the reason why.

Sources: Counterpoint Research's Global Smartwatch Shipments Market Share quarterly insight for Q2 2026 published August 26, 2026, including its brand share table and regional commentary; Garmin Ltd.'s second quarter 2026 results announcement and earnings materials including segment revenue, operating income and full-year guidance; Omdia's Q2 2026 wearable shipment data on basic bands versus advanced smartwatches; and reporting from 9to5Mac, Ubergizmo and Sammy Fans on the Counterpoint figures for Huawei, Apple and Xiaomi.

Garmin's First MicroLED Watch Was a Fenix. The Fenix 9 Isn't.

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 19:15:00 GMT

Garmin did something in September 2025 that no other company has managed. It shipped a smartwatch with a microLED display, the first commercial one ever made, and it cost $1,999.

Two generations later, the Fenix 9 line has no microLED option at all. Garmin's brightest, most advanced display technology is sitting on a shelf, still on sale at a discount, while the new flagship uses the same AMOLED panel technology as everything else.

The interesting part is why. MicroLED did not fail. Ordinary OLED caught up first.

Garmin Actually Shipped It

It is worth being precise about this, because a lot of the microLED conversation treats the technology as vaporware. Garmin put it on a wrist.

The Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED launched in September 2025 as the world's first microLED smartwatch, excluding Konka's 2020 APHEA prototype that never reached commercial availability. The panel was a 1.4 inch, 454 by 454 round display at 4,500 nits, supplied by AUO, with microLED chips from PlayNitride. That brightness figure was not marketing. The brightest AMOLED watch on the market at the time peaked at 3,000 nits.

For the display industry, this was the proof point they had been waiting years for. MicroLED had been demonstrated in watches since 2020 and had never reached a retail shelf. Garmin, a company with no display division and a customer base obsessed with battery life, got there first.

What It Cost

MicroLED arrived with three problems, and Garmin's own forums documented all of them.

It was thicker. The microLED model measured 17.5mm against 16.5mm for the 51mm AMOLED Pro. About a millimeter of that came from the display itself, and the reason is worth knowing: OLED panels have touch built into the display stack, an on-cell layer, and microLED at the time did not. Garmin had to bond a separate touch layer on top of the panel, which adds thickness no matter how thin the display gets.

It was expensive. The $1,999 price was a $700 premium over the equivalent AMOLED Fenix 8 Pro, and the most expensive Fenix Garmin had ever sold.

It cost battery. This is the number that mattered.

The Battery Number Is the Whole Story

The microLED Fenix 8 Pro lasted 10 days in smartwatch mode. The AMOLED version of the same watch lasted 27 days. With always-on display enabled, the gap was 4 days against 15.

Same case, same chip, same battery, same features. The only difference was the display, and it cut runtime by more than half.

MicroLED-Info did the arithmetic and concluded the microLED display was consuming roughly three times the energy of the OLED it replaced. That is the opposite of the entire reason microLED was supposed to matter. One of microLED's core theoretical advantages is efficiency: tiny inorganic LEDs should produce more light per watt than organic ones, which is why the display industry spent a decade and billions of dollars on it.

Garmin's display technology manager, Ralph Polshak, confirmed the disappointment directly in an interview with Tom's Guide. The microLED panel was less efficient than OLED, he said, because the technology and platform are less mature, and eventually microLED would be more efficient, but it would take time.

MicroLED-Info offered the technical explanation for how a more efficient light source ends up in a less efficient display. In a wearable panel, roughly 70 percent of the energy is lost in the backplane that drives the pixels, and only about 30 percent is consumed by the light-emitting layer itself. If the backplane has not been optimized, the frontplane's theoretical advantage never shows up. Garmin was working with AUO's first-generation panels, and the supporting silicon was not ready.

There was even a software layer on top of the hardware issue. In a Garmin forum thread on microLED battery drain, an owner reported that after rebooting the watch, the rapid drain simply stopped, which points at least partly to power management rather than the panel alone.

What Garmin Says Now

Garmin addressed the missing microLED directly, and the statement appeared in DC Rainmaker's Fenix 9 in-depth review:

MicroLED is an exciting emerging technology that continues to evolve. While it played an important role in the fenix 8 Pro 51mm lineup, we're excited for the opportunity to bring our brightest and largest 1.5" AMOLED screen to fenix 9 Pro 51mm. We will always monitor advancements in display technology and will look to bring those to the Fenix lineup when they make sense.

Read past the corporate politeness and the claim is specific: the new AMOLED is good enough to make microLED unnecessary.

Ray Maker's own conclusion, after wearing the microLED Fenix 8 Pro for a year, backs that up. Switching between the two in bright, sunny Mediterranean conditions, he found no real-world display difference at all. His words: "a complete and total wash."

That is a remarkable thing to be able to say about a $700 upgrade.

What Replaced It

The Fenix 9 Pro's display is the answer to the question microLED was supposed to solve.

Brightness went to 3,000 nits on the Pro models, twice the Fenix 8's figure, with the base Fenix 9 at 2,000 nits. On the 51mm Pro, the panel grew to 1.5 inches at 466 by 466, the largest display Garmin has put on a watch, and the case did not get bigger. Meanwhile the 47mm Pro came down to 13.8mm thick, the same as a standard Fenix 8, with a full titanium chassis and 64GB of storage.

So Garmin moved in the opposite direction on all three of the microLED trade-offs. Thinner, cheaper relative to what it delivers, and no battery penalty for the brighter screen.

Wareable's read on the decision was that microLED simply did not fit the generation's design goal of a significantly thinner, all-titanium chassis, and that Garmin likely shelved it until it can be engineered into a slimmer footprint. Their guess for where it returns was a future Fenix 10 Pro, with the caveat that Garmin's unified launch cycle could put that series as far out as 2028.

The lineup also still carries a MIP Solar option for people who prioritize battery over display. That matters, because microLED was never going to replace transflective MIP for solar charging. An emissive display cannot do that job no matter how efficient it becomes.

Why Apple's Retreat Mattered

Garmin's bet looks different when you place it next to what happened to the rest of the industry.

In February 2024, ams OSRAM announced that its cornerstone customer had cancelled its microLED project. The customer was Apple. The fallout was severe: OSRAM had built an $850 million 8-inch microLED epiwafer factory in Malaysia specifically for Apple Watch panels, its share price fell about 40 percent, and the company began considering selling the facility. Apple's planned microLED watch had relied on ams OSRAM as sole supplier of the microLED vertical chips and on LG Display for the glass backplane and mass transfer work.

TrendForce's assessment at the time was that with the partnership dissolved, Apple's microLED debut had become increasingly unreachable. Two years later, the technical blockers have not moved much. There are no public breakthroughs in mass-transfer efficiency, no reliable high-volume supply chain, and persistent yield problems.

Put those facts together and Garmin's position looks less like a retreat and more like the only company willing to pay for a first generation. Garmin absorbed the immature backplane, the missing integrated touch layer and the efficiency penalty that Apple would not, got a shipping product out of it, and then moved on when the mainstream option caught up.

When MicroLED Comes Back

The technologies that would make this work are in development, and some of them have dates attached.

PlayNitride, which supplies the microLED chips for the Fenix 8 Pro, is developing a chip platform it calls Tantium, described as high-voltage and low-current. The company claims it will deliver a reduction in display power consumption of well over 50 percent with an 80 to 100 percent brightness increase, and states that Tantium microLED displays will use less power than state-of-the-art OLEDs by 2027.

Meanwhile AUO is working on integrated touch for microLED, the missing layer that cost Garmin a millimeter. Other panel makers are circling the same target: Innolux has shown 1.1 and 1.39 inch microLED displays with integrated touch sensors, Samsung Display exhibited a 2.1 inch microLED watch prototype, and Tianma, TCL CSOT and PlayNitride all have smartwatch work underway.

The most useful timeline comes from UBI Research, which expects the microLED smartwatch market to open properly starting in 2028, contingent on chip and manufacturing costs falling and power consumption improving.

Garmin, for its part, has said it has no immediate plans for a new microLED watch and that AMOLEDs seem good enough. It also said it will keep monitoring display technology and bring it back when it makes sense. Both statements can be true at once.

Does the Missing MicroLED Actually Matter?

For anyone buying a watch this year, no. The honest summary is that Garmin's microLED experiment produced the most interesting display on any smartwatch and a battery life worse than a $500 competitor, at a price nobody wanted. Whatever you gained in direct sunlight, you paid for in thickness and days between charges.

What it did produce is a better AMOLED. The pressure microLED created, and the engineering Garmin did to compete with its own $1,999 flagship, is a large part of why the Fenix 9 Pro's panel is twice as bright in a thinner case than the Fenix 8's. The line got better because Garmin chased something that was not ready.

That is the part worth remembering the next time a Fenix arrives with a conventional display and a thinner case.

Bottom Line

Garmin shipped the world's first microLED smartwatch, the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED, at $1,999 with a 4,500-nit display that consumed about three times the power of the AMOLED in the same watch. It cut the price by $300 in February, and left microLED out of the Fenix 9 entirely.

The technology was not abandoned because it failed. It was parked because a 3,000-nit AMOLED arrived in a thinner titanium case with no battery penalty, which made the trade-offs unnecessary rather than unacceptable. Garmin's own framing is that it will return "when it makes sense," and the chip makers working on the efficiency problem are pointing at 2027 and 2028.

If you want to know what a microLED Fenix feels like, the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED is still on sale and cheaper than it has ever been. Just know why it costs what it costs.

Sources: Garmin's statement on MicroLED as published in DC Rainmaker's Garmin Fenix 9 series in-depth review; Garmin's Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED product specifications and the Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED battery figures for comparison; MicroLED-Info's reporting on the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED launch, AUO panel supply, power consumption analysis and Garmin's stated future plans; Tom's Guide's interview with Garmin display technology manager Ralph Polshak; MicroLED-Info's coverage of PlayNitride's investor call and the Tantium microLED platform; TrendForce, Semiconductor Today and Compound Semiconductor coverage of ams OSRAM's cancelled Apple microLED project and the Malaysia fab; UBI Research's microLED smartwatch commercialization timeline; and Wareable's Fenix 8 Pro long-term assessment.

Apple's New Watch Listens All Day. The Real Question Is Consent

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Apple shipped a watch that listens to your day. The interesting part is not whether it records you. It does not. The interesting part is everyone else in the room.

The feature set is called Audio Intelligence, and it arrived with the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. It includes four things: Sound Recognition, automatic Music Recognition through Shazam, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap. The last two are the ones that matter here, and both are arriving in beta with English support later this year.

Apple published a detailed privacy overview alongside the announcement, and the summary is that nothing is recorded. That claim holds up under inspection. The open question sits somewhere else.

The Privacy Engineering Is Real

It is worth stating clearly, because most versions of this story do not: this is not a company waving away a privacy concern.

Audio is processed in the Secure Exclave on the S11 chip, a hardware-isolated compartment built into the silicon. Data processed there cannot be reached by watchOS, by apps, by you, or by Apple. Apple's own document is explicit that the raw audio "is not saved as a file, and is not accessible to the operating system, apps, or Apple."

For Live Rewind, audio flows into a buffer inside that enclave on a rolling basis. New audio continuously overwrites the old, so nothing accumulates. When you double-press the Digital Crown, the preceding 15 seconds is sent through an encrypted transfer to the iPhone's own Secure Exclave, converted to text, and the audio is then discarded. The text appears on your watch, lasts about 30 seconds after the screen dims, and is gone unless you deliberately save it to the Siri app, where it is end-to-end encrypted.

Siri Recap works differently. A lightweight on-device model decides whether speech is happening nearby, and Apple says that model neither transcribes nor records. When it detects a conversation, audio enters the protected buffer, gets encrypted, and is sent to the iPhone's Secure Exclave, which alone holds the key. The watch deletes its copy once the transfer completes. A condensed text version, less than half the length of a full transcript, goes to Private Cloud Compute for summarization. Summaries auto-delete after seven days unless you save them.

There is no speaker attribution, no verbatim transcript, and a filter that strips out financial data, government identifiers, authentication data and other sensitive material. Apple also warns that summaries can be incomplete or inaccurate and that filtering will not catch everything.

So the design is careful. The problem is not that Apple is careless.

The Asymmetry That Should Not Be Skipped

Here is the detail that deserves more attention than it has received.

Live Rewind announces itself. When you double-press the Digital Crown, the watch plays an audible chime, and it does so even if the watch is in silent mode or you are wearing headphones. A full-screen animation plays, and a microphone indicator appears. Anyone nearby has a reasonable chance of knowing something just happened.

Siri Recap does not. It runs through your day with no audible signal, and Apple's document gives the reason: the watch keeps no raw audio, so there is nothing to signal about.

That logic is internally consistent and it answers the wrong question. The chime on Live Rewind is not, functionally, a notice that audio is being stored. It is a notice to the people around you that their conversation is being processed and turned into text. Siri Recap does exactly that, continuously, and says nothing.

Consent Is About the Third Party

This is where the whole discussion should live, and it is the one question Apple's privacy paper does not fully answer.

Every control Apple offers over Siri Recap is a control held by the wearer. You opt in when you set up the watch, or later from Siri settings. You can schedule it by time and place, telling it to run only at work or never at night. You can toggle it from Control Center. You can choose what to keep, and everything unkept deletes itself after a week.

None of those controls belongs to the person sitting across the table. They cannot opt in. They cannot opt out. They cannot check whether the watch on your wrist is summarizing the conversation they are having with you, and Apple's design intentionally gives them nothing audible to notice.

Adam Schwartz, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's privacy litigation director, made the pointed version of this argument to Bloomberg: people have no practical means to consent to or decline recording, and always-on monitoring of conversations places an unacceptable burden on the conversational privacy of others.

That is the honest framing. The technology protects you from Apple, and it does so impressively. It does not protect the person talking to you.

What the Lawyers Are Asking

Attorneys in four states have started looking at this from a different angle.

Lawyers in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington told Bloomberg that Siri Recap and Live Rewind may test state eavesdropping laws, which generally prohibit intercepting a private conversation without the consent of everyone involved. Joe Simons, a Boston criminal defense attorney, said the nuances have not been litigated in Massachusetts and expects the issue to arrive there as a case of first impression.

Apple's answer is that the statutes are aimed at recordings, and no recording exists here. Apple's Greg Joswiak added a practical point: because Apple never holds the audio, nobody can compel the company to produce it.

The counterargument is narrower and more interesting than it first appears. Speech that is continuously processed, with no conventional file at the end, may still count as interception. And because no audio survives, a court would have no audio to weigh. The evidence would be text, which raises its own questions about authentication and about how state evidentiary rules apply to summaries rather than transcripts.

Nobody has litigated this yet. That is the state of the law.

What Apple Says About the People Around You

To Apple's credit, its own document raises the issue rather than dodging it.

The company advises wearers to "be mindful" of the people around them, and its stated guidance is to consider those nearby where conversations might be private or sensitive. Live Rewind and Siri Recap are also unavailable to users under 13, and for under-18 users on a Child Account they require a parent or guardian to turn them on.

That is a real acknowledgement that these features affect more than the person wearing the watch. It is also advice, not a mechanism. The company that spent years building a chime you cannot silence decided that the feature which runs all day needed no signal at all.

The Feature Is Genuinely Useful

None of this makes Audio Intelligence a bad idea, and the article would be dishonest if it pretended otherwise.

For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, a text readout of the last 15 seconds of speech is a meaningful accessibility tool, not a gimmick. For anyone who walks out of a meeting unable to remember the specific thing they were asked to do, a summary that is not a transcript is exactly the right shape of help. The constraint Apple chose, notes rather than a recording, is a defensible one.

The features are also arriving in beta, which means this is the moment to get the design right rather than a year after the fact.

Bottom Line

Apple built an always-listening watch and went to unusual lengths to ensure it does not spy on you. The hardware isolation is real, the absence of any audio file is real, and the seven-day deletion is real. If your question is "can Apple access my conversations," the answer appears to be no.

The one honest question left is consent, and it is not yours to give. Siri Recap summarizes the conversations of people who were never asked, were given no signal that it was running, and have no way to find out. Live Rewind already proves Apple is willing to chime for less.

A chime for Siri Recap would cost the company almost nothing and would answer the question completely. That Apple has not added one, and has explained the omission in terms of what it stores rather than who it affects, is the part worth pressing on.

Sources: Apple's Audio Intelligence privacy overview covering Secure Exclave processing, Live Rewind and Siri Recap data flows, Private Cloud Compute handling, retention and age requirements; Apple's September 9, 2026 event announcement of Audio Intelligence for Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4; reporting by The Verge, 9to5Mac and Macworld on Apple's privacy documentation; and reporting on Bloomberg's interviews with attorneys in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington and with the Electronic Frontier Foundation regarding state eavesdropping law and third-party consent.

Garmin CIRQA's End Button Deletes Workouts. Tap Resume Instead

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:45:00 GMT

There is a button on the Garmin CIRQA that says End. Do not press it, unless you enjoy losing the workout you just finished.

That is the state of things on Garmin's own support forums, where owners of the screenless $200 band have been reporting that activities disappear immediately after they finish them. The band vibrates to acknowledge the instruction. The workout never shows up in Garmin Connect.

Garmin has acknowledged the reports, offered a workaround, and has not yet fixed it.

What Actually Happens

The failure needs a specific sequence, and it is an easy sequence to fall into.

You start a workout using the button on the CIRQA itself. When you are done, you open the Garmin Connect app, which shows an "Activity in Progress" message offering two choices: Resume and End.

You tap End. The band vibrates, confirming it received the command. The prompt closes. And the activity is gone, with no entry in Connect.

The reverse is also reported. One forum member put the rule as plainly as it can be put: "If you start an activity with the button, you have to end it with the button." Start and finish the session on the band, and the workout is saved normally. Start on the band, finish in the app, and you lose it.

One owner described the moment of realization: "I've lost 8+ workouts now and I thought it was a syncing issue. It's in fact by design??"

That last word is his, not Garmin's, and it is worth being precise about. Garmin has not called this a bug in public, and it has not explained why the activity is discarded. It has also not said which versions of the CIRQA firmware or the Connect app are affected.

Garmin's Own Workaround

A Garmin representative posting in the thread confirmed the behavior and offered this route instead:

If an activity is started from the CIRQA, Garmin Connect may first display an "Activity in Progress" message with Resume and End options. Selecting Resume opens the activity recording screen, where the activity can then be stopped and saved. Once the activity is saved and a sync has completed, it should appear in Garmin Connect.

So the workaround is to press the button that sounds wrong. Tap Resume on a workout you have already finished, let it open the recording screen, then stop and save from there. The same Garmin representative later acknowledged the pattern explicitly:

Several users in this thread have reported losing activity data after selecting End from the initial prompt. We've shared the feedback mentioned in this thread internally for further review, and are reaching out to some users to gather additional information.

No timeline for a fix has been given.

Why Owners Are Angry Rather Than Just Annoyed

Losing a workout is a bad outcome for any fitness tracker. What has rankled people in the thread is the logic of the prompt itself, and it is hard to argue with.

You are shown a dialog with exactly two options. One says Resume, the other says End. The workout is over. Tapping End is the correct reading of the interface, and it deletes your data.

One owner laid out the comparison that makes the case: everywhere else in Garmin Connect, ending an activity takes you to a screen where you choose to save, edit or discard. That is also how Garmin's own CIRQA manual documents the flow, where stopping an activity presents Discard, Resume and Save as explicit choices. In this one prompt, the same word means something different, and the destructive option is the one that looks like the obvious next step.

The same owner's summary of the stakes is the line that should worry Garmin most: "A $200 faceless smart band to track activity should try to preserve whatever data it has and make data removal an explicit action. Tracking data is literally its only job."

The CIRQA has no screen, no buttons beyond the one, and no way to review a workout on the device. If the record vanishes before it reaches your phone, it is simply gone. There is no second copy to recover and nothing on your wrist to check.

It Is Probably Not the 3.20 Firmware

One obvious suspect can be set aside. The CIRQA recently received a major 3.20 firmware update, which makes it a natural thing to blame.

Owners were reporting disappearing activities before that release went out, so there is no evidence that 3.20 introduced the problem. Whether 3.20 fixes it, makes it worse, or leaves it alone is not something Garmin has said.

What to Do Until It Is Fixed

Three rules that will keep your data safe:

Start and end on the band, or start and end in the app. Mixing the two is what triggers the loss. The forum's simple version is that the button starts a workout, so the button should finish it
If you do see the "Activity in Progress" prompt, tap Resume. Then stop and save from the recording screen, and let the sync complete before doing anything else. It looks backwards because it is
Update both. Garmin's public advice is to make sure the CIRQA and the Garmin Connect app are fully current, which is worth doing even though it is not a confirmed fix

If you have already lost workouts, there is nothing to recover. The activity was never written to Connect, so it is not sitting in a broken sync queue waiting to appear.

Bottom Line

Garmin's CIRQA has a prompt where the option labeled End discards your workout and the option labeled Resume is the one that saves it. Garmin has confirmed the pattern, shared a workaround, and said it is reviewing the feedback and contacting affected owners. It has not called it a bug, explained the cause, named the affected versions, or given a date.

Until that changes, the safe habit is to finish your workouts on the band. It is the only part of the system that behaves the way it reads. It is also not the band's first software problem; we covered its Bluetooth broadcast bug earlier this year.

Sources: Garmin's CIRQA Smart Band support forum thread "Activities doesn't sync to Connect" including Garmin representative replies and owner reports, Garmin's published CIRQA Smart Band owner's manual for the documented start, stop, save and discard flows, and reporting from Gadgets and Wearables, TechRadar and Android Authority on the disappearing workout reports and the confirmed workaround.

Garmin tactix 9 Leaks in Russian Filing With a Ballistics Edition

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Garmin just told the world it bought the company that makes the ballistic solver inside its tactical watches. A Russian regulator then told the world what Garmin plans to put that solver in.

An EAEU Declaration of Conformity registered in Russia lists several unannounced Garmin watches by name: tactix 9, tactix 9 Ballistics Edition, and Enduro 4. These are not scrambled hardware codes that need decoding. They are the actual product names, written into formal compliance paperwork.

The timing is the story. Garmin announced the acquisition of Applied Ballistics on September 16. The filing naming a Ballistics Edition had already been circulating.

What the Russian Filing Names

The declaration covers a long list of Garmin smartwatches, mixing products you can buy today with several that have not been announced. The names of interest sit in that second group.

What makes it more than a stray entry is the paper trail. An earlier version of the declaration, dated July 23, mentioned the same three names. It was later replaced, but the newer August 31 paperwork still carries them. A typo that survives a document revision is a weaker explanation than a set of product names Garmin has entered into its compliance system.

The tactix 9 is the fresher find of the two. Garmin is still on the tactix 8 generation, which launched in early 2025, and before this filing there had been no mention of a tactix 9 anywhere. Enduro 4, by contrast, had already surfaced. A teardown of Garmin Connect 5.27 tied that device to Garmin's internal product ID 5179 and the codename GOBI, and it has been moving through regulatory filings in Indonesia, South Korea and Brazil.

Seeing a Ballistics Edition listed separately also matches how Garmin already structures the tactix line, where the Ballistics variant is the SKU that carries the Applied Ballistics solver.

Why This Filing Deserves Some Credit

Regulatory leaks are usually worth less than they look, so here is the reason this one carries weight rather than just novelty.

The same July 23 declaration listed the fenix 9 family, including AMOLED, Solar and Pro variants, more than a month before Garmin officially unveiled that range on August 25. Those turned out to be real products sitting in the same model list as the tactix 9 and Enduro 4 names. That does not mean either watch is launching next week, but it makes the unreleased names harder to dismiss as placeholders.

What the Filing Does Not Tell You

Almost everything that would actually matter.

This is not a device-specific FCC-style authorization. There are no photographs, no radio details, no dimensions, and no Garmin hardware IDs attached to the tactix 9 or Enduro 4 entries. It is confirmation that Garmin has these product names in its compliance system, and that is the entire yield.

So there is no display technology, no battery figure, no price, no launch window, and no indication of which platform the tactix 9 runs on.

The Acquisition Changes the Ballistics Edition Question

Now the part that gives this leak a real analytical hook.

Garmin acquired Applied Ballistics LLC, announced September 16, 2026. Applied Ballistics develops professional-grade ballistic solvers and radar-validated projectile models for hunters, competitive shooters and long-range customers. Its headquarters are in Howard City, Michigan, and its portfolio includes the Applied Ballistics Quantum app, a ballistic solver and ecosystem management program. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Brad Trenkle, Garmin's co-chief operating officer, framed it as continuity rather than a new direction: "Building on a successful relationship spanning nearly 10 years, this acquisition brings industry-leading software, proprietary projectile data and precision firing solutions in-house."

That ten-year relationship is the context for the Ballistics Edition. The tactix line has differentiated its Ballistics SKU by bundling the Applied Ballistics Elite solver and linking to Applied Ballistics companion apps, with the solver functioning as the main reason the tactical line costs more than an equivalent fenix.

Garmin now owns that solver outright, along with the projectile data underneath it.

What That Means for a tactix 9 Ballistics Edition

There are two obvious readings, and they point in opposite directions.

The first is that owning the software makes the hardware segmentation more valuable, not less. With Applied Ballistics in-house, Garmin can integrate the solver more deeply than a licensed third-party arrangement allows, push features into the watch that a partner would not have built, and control the update cadence without negotiating. If that happens, a tactix 9 Ballistics Edition becomes a more meaningful product than the last one, not a redundant badge. The Quantum app's ecosystem management role suggests Garmin now has a multi-device ballistics platform it can tie to the watch.

The second reading is that the Ballistics Edition becomes harder to justify. If Garmin owns the solver outright, there is no licensing reason to gate it behind a specific SKU, and stuffing the full solver into every tactix would be the simpler commercial play. That would leave the Ballistics Edition needing a different differentiator, whether hardware, accessories or a sensor, and Garmin has not said what that would be.

The filing confirms the name exists. It does not tell us which reading Garmin chose.

Where the Enduro 4 Fits

The same declaration names the Enduro 4, which lines up with what we have been tracking separately. Garmin's August 25 event came and went without an Enduro announcement, and two unidentified Garmin outdoor devices, model numbers A05146 and A05197, have been moving through regulatory approvals. Garmin devices generally ship one to three months after approval, which keeps a fall 2026 window intact. Our Enduro 4 timeline covers the pattern in more detail.

Seeing the tactix 9 and Enduro 4 in the same document also fits a loaded back half of the year for Garmin's outdoor line.

Bottom Line

Russian compliance paperwork names the tactix 9, tactix 9 Ballistics Edition and Enduro 4, and the names survived a revision of that document. That is a real signal that Garmin is working on all three, and a weak signal about when any of them will ship.

What makes it interesting is the week it landed in. Garmin bought Applied Ballistics, the company whose solver the Ballistics Edition exists to showcase, and a filing surfaced naming a new Ballistics Edition. Whether owning the solver makes that SKU more important or less is now Garmin's decision to make, and the tactix 9 is where we will find out.

Sources: the EAEU Declaration of Conformity registered in Russia listing Garmin tactix 9, tactix 9 Ballistics Edition and Enduro 4 across its July 23 and August 31 versions, reported by Gadgets and Wearables and Notebookcheck; Garmin's announcement and press materials for the acquisition of Applied Ballistics LLC including comments from co-chief operating officer Brad Trenkle; Garmin's tactix 8 documentation for the Applied Ballistics feature and its product line structure; and earlier Garmin Connect teardown reporting on Enduro 4 and internal product ID 5179.

Apple Ships the Series 12 With Hypertension Missing in 33 Countries

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:50:00 GMT

Apple is selling a watch whose headline health feature may not work where you live, and the company says so in its own documentation.

Hypertension notifications arrived with the Apple Watch Series 9 generation. They analyze the optical heart sensor for patterns of chronic high blood pressure and warn you across 30-day evaluation windows. They work on the Series 9 or later and the Ultra 2 or later.

They may not work on the Series 12 or Ultra 4.

What Apple Says

Under the requirements for hypertension notifications, Apple's support page includes this warning:

Hypertension Notifications might not be available on Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4 in your region, as additional regulatory clearances for the feature for these models are in process.

Apple's watchOS feature availability documentation carries the same footnote. The affected group is 33 countries and regions, including Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, South Korea and the UAE.

Countries not carrying that footnote are unaffected. That covers the United States, the United Kingdom and all EU countries.

The Upgrade Trap

Here is why this is more than a launch-timing annoyance.

Because the feature is supported on the Series 9 and later, plenty of people are using hypertension notifications right now on watches that are one, two or three generations old. If one of those people lives in Canada or Australia or Japan, and upgrades to a Series 12, the feature they currently have may disappear.

Apple's own reporting makes this explicit: users who receive these notifications today may lose the option when moving to the Series 12 or Ultra 4 until regulatory clearance is granted.

So the scenario is a reader in Toronto who buys the new flagship watch, trades in a Series 10 on which hypertension alerts work, and ends up with a more capable watch that cannot do that one thing. Apple has not hidden this. It is in the support documentation. But it is not stamped on the product page, and it runs against the assumption people make about a newer model.

Why New Sensors Broke It

The regulatory gap is the direct result of a hardware improvement, which makes it an unusually honest kind of delay.

The Series 12 and Ultra 4 introduced a revamped Health Sensing System with new optical and electrical heart sensors. Per the reporting on the change:

The ECG electrodes cover a larger surface area for better skin contact during readings
The photodiodes were redesigned into a ring layout to capture light more efficiently
Larger, power-efficient green LEDs let the watch measure heart rate every five seconds all day
HRV is now measured as often as every five minutes
Real-time heart rate appears in an updated Heart Rate app, and the Exercise and Move Activity rings are more accurate

Changing the sensors means the algorithm is running on different hardware, which means the regulatory clearances that covered the old sensors do not automatically carry over. The feature is not delayed because Apple de-prioritized it. It is delayed because Apple improved the hardware underneath it.

That is also the reason it should come back. This is a paperwork queue, not a technical failure.

What the Feature Does, for Anyone Reading This Cold

Hypertension notifications are not a blood pressure measurement, and Apple is careful about that framing. The watch looks for patterns in your heart data over rolling 30-day periods, starting from the day you enable the feature.

To turn them on you need an iPhone 11 or later on current iOS, Wrist Detection enabled, and you must be 22 or older, not pregnant, and not previously diagnosed with hypertension. You enable them in the Health app under Health Checklist, where you confirm your age and diagnosis status.

If you get a notification, Apple prompts you to set up a Blood Pressure Log and to take measurements with a third-party blood pressure cuff over seven days, then discuss the results with a clinician. The watch flags a pattern. The cuff and your doctor confirm whether it is real.

When It Is Expected Back

Reporting out of India points to local availability arriving next year for that market and roughly 33 others, pending the clearances currently in process.

Apple has not published a date, and it will not be a single date anyway. Regulatory approval in Canada, Japan, Brazil and the rest arrives market by market, so the footnote will shrink in patches rather than disappear all at once.

What to Do If You Are Deciding

If you live in one of the affected regions and hypertension notifications are something you actively use:

Check the availability status for your specific country on Apple's watchOS feature availability page rather than assuming from the headline count
Do not trade in a Series 9, 10 or 11 yet if that feature is the reason you would upgrade. The old watch does something the new one currently cannot
Know that everything else improves. The new sensing hardware is what created the gap, and the heart rate, HRV and ECG work on the Series 12 and Ultra 4 is the best Apple has shipped

For buyers in the United States, the UK and the EU, none of this applies. The feature works on the new watches there.

Bottom Line

Apple's flagship watch ships with a documented gap in 33 countries: hypertension notifications, a feature supported on the Series 9 and newer, may not work on the Series 12 or Ultra 4 while clearances for the new sensor hardware are processed. People who currently have the feature on an older watch can lose it by upgrading, in Canada, Australia, Japan, India and 29 other markets, until those approvals land.

The feature should return. The mistake worth avoiding is trading in a watch that has it before it does.

Sources: Apple's support documentation for hypertension notifications on Apple Watch including the regional availability warning, Apple's watchOS feature availability status page, Apple's published requirements and setup steps for hypertension notifications, and reporting from MacRumors, MacObserver and The Economic Times on the 33 affected countries and the expected clearance timeline.

The Series 12 Charges Faster, but Only With Apple's New $29 Puck

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:35:00 GMT

Apple made one of the most consequential Apple Watch announcements of September without saying anything.

The company quietly listed a new version of the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable on its online store last week. Same name. Same $29 price. Different hardware inside, and a different capability.

The new puck, model A3277, can deliver up to 10W of power. The previous version topped out at 5W.

Before you go hunting for that number, know which number you are looking for. A3277 is the charging cable itself, and Apple prints it on the part of the USB-C plug that goes into your power adapter. It is not the same as A2305, which is the model number of Apple's 20W USB-C Power Adapter, the wall brick. If you see A2305 printed on your setup, you are looking at the power adapter half, and that part has not changed. The previous fast charging cable, the one that shipped with the Series 7 through the Series 11, carries model number A2515.

Where the Extra Power Goes

The gain shows up almost entirely on the new watches.

Watch	With new charger (15 min)	With previous charger (15 min)
Apple Watch Series 12	12 hours of battery life	8 hours
Apple Watch Ultra 4	18 hours	12 hours
Apple Watch Series 11	8 hours	8 hours
Apple Watch Ultra 3	12 hours	12 hours

Read that bottom half carefully. Putting the new charger on a Series 11 or an Ultra 3 does nothing. Apple's own numbers are identical on both columns for the older watches, because the Series 12 and Ultra 4 have hardware changes on the charging side.

You Need Both Halves

This is the part that catches people out. The faster charging requires both the new watch and the new charger. Buying one without the other gets you the old times.

Worth keeping in perspective: fast charging on Apple Watch is not new. Apple has supported it since the Series 7 in 2021, and the Series 7, 8 and 9 charge from 0 to 80 percent in about 45 minutes. What changed with the Series 12 and Ultra 4 is the ceiling, and the cable needed to reach it.

Apple is not charging extra to get the speed. Both the Series 12 and Ultra 4 ship with the new Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable in the box, so a new watch already comes with the puck that unlocks 10W. The complication is everyone who has been accumulating Apple Watch chargers over the years, because those older pucks will now charge a new watch more slowly than it can be charged.

The $29 Question Is Really a $29 Plus Question

If you are buying a Series 12 or Ultra 4, you do not need to spend the $29. The box has you covered.

The case for buying one separately is a second charging spot, an office or a travel bag or a nightstand in another room. And if you do buy one, the puck is not the whole cost: you also need a USB-C power adapter that supports USB Power Delivery. Apple's own list runs from its 18W adapter up to 140W, and the company says any comparable third-party USB-C adapter supporting USB-PD will do. Apple does not include a power adapter in the box with either watch, so if you do not already own a suitable one, the true price of a second fast charging setup is $29 plus a brick.

The Charger Naming Problem

Apple now sells two physically similar, identically named products at the same price with different power output. One is 5W and one is 10W, and nothing on the store page forces that distinction into the open.

Apple's support documentation on fast charging offers one marker, and it works in the opposite direction from what you might expect. If the aluminum puck carries a "WPT" label, the charger is WPT-compliant, and WPT-compliant chargers do not support fast charging at all. That label exists for markets with wireless power transfer regulations, so it is a warning rather than a badge. It is also a faint marking on the back of a small object, which is a poor way to sort products for anyone buying a used charger or digging one out of a drawer.

If fast charging matters to you, buy the charger from Apple or from a retailer where you can confirm the model is A3277. Buying a discounted first-generation puck gets you a charger that is fine, just slower.

Why Apple Did It This Way

There is a pattern here that has run through Apple's watch lineup for a couple of years. The company improves the charging experience and ties it to new hardware, rather than letting a new accessory lift the whole installed base.

That is defensible engineering. Doubling the power a watch can accept is not purely a cable change, and Apple's explanation that the Series 12 and Ultra 4 have hardware changes on the charging side is consistent with that. It is also a quiet upgrade path: nobody is going to buy a Series 12 for the charger, but anyone deciding between a discounted Series 11 and a Series 12 now has one more data point on the Series 12 side.

The same logic has shown up in the software. The readiness score in the new Health app appears only on the Series 12 and Ultra 4. Apple has been consistent about making the newest watch the one that does the newest things, and charging is now part of that list.

Bottom Line

Apple replaced its Apple Watch charger with a 10W model, A3277, at the same familiar $29 price, and the speed only materializes if you pair it with a Series 12 or an Ultra 4. The watches in those boxes already include it. Older watches gain nothing from it.

If you are buying a new watch, this costs you nothing. If you are buying a spare charger, make sure the number you are checking is A3277 and not the A2305 on your existing power brick, make sure you have a USB-C adapter that supports USB Power Delivery, and know that the cheaper old puck is exactly that.

Sources: Apple's support document "About fast charge on Apple Watch," including its model number identification for the A3277 Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable, the A2305 20W USB-C Power Adapter and the A2515 cable used with earlier Apple Watch models, plus its WPT compliance guidance and power adapter requirements; Apple's online store listing for the 1-meter Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable; Apple's published charging and battery life figures for Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4, Series 11 and Ultra 3; and reporting from MacRumors and PhoneArena on model A3277 and its 10W output.

Google's Mystery Wrist Band Cleared the FCC, and Singapore's IMDA Named Google

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:20:00 GMT

Two regulatory databases, four days apart, and one detail that matters. A new Google wrist wearable is coming, and Singapore's equipment registry has now put the company's name on it.

The device is known by its model number, G8BL6. It cleared FCC certification on September 10, 2026 under FCC ID SZGG8BL6. Four days later, on September 14, it appeared in Singapore's IMDA database, where the listing names Google directly as the brand and describes the equipment simply as a "Wireless Device."

That last line is the part the FCC paperwork did not give anyone.

Why the FCC Filing Was a Mystery

FCC filings in the United States list an applicant, and for G8BL6 the applicant is Weifang Goertek Electronics, a manufacturing subsidiary of Goertek. That is not a red flag. Goertek is the company behind multiple generations of Pixel Buds, so seeing Goertek's name on Google hardware paperwork is routine.

The problem is that the FCC filing named only the manufacturer and left the brand side of the device unidentified. For a few days, the model number and the FCC ID were all anyone had, which is why the wearable was being described as a mystery device rather than a Google product.

Singapore's IMDA closed the gap. The database entry lists Google as the brand, which turns a plausible inference into a documented one.

What the Filings Actually Reveal

The technical picture, assembled from the two listings and the reporting around them:

Built-in GPS. This is a wearable meant to be used without a phone, at least for location.
No Wi-Fi. 9to5Google has flagged this as the curious detail. Most modern wearables of any ambition include Wi-Fi so they can sync, stream and update without leaning on Bluetooth. Its absence suggests either a deliberate cost and power decision or a device with a narrower job than a smartwatch.
An e-label. The regulatory labeling is software-based rather than printed on the hardware. It is a small detail but a telling one: e-labels are what you use on a device with a display, or on something sealed tightly enough that a printed label is a manufacturing problem.

The combination points at a fitness tracker with a screen. A wearable with GPS and no Wi-Fi, from the company that owns Fitbit, is a specific kind of product.

A Fitbit Charge Successor, or a Wear OS Tracker?

The open question is what software runs on it.

One reading, argued by 9to5Google, is a fitness tracker powered by Wear OS. That would place it as a cheaper, band-shaped companion to the Pixel Watch line, filling the entry-level slot Google currently leaves empty.

The other reading is that this is the next Fitbit Charge. Google has been consolidating Fitbit health features under its own branding, and a Google-branded band would be the logical next step for hardware that was previously Fitbit-branded. The IMDA listing naming Google rather than Fitbit nudges in that direction, though Google has used both names loosely in filings before.

Whichever it is, the absence of Wi-Fi is the strongest clue that this is not a Pixel Watch replacement. A device that expects a phone nearby is a tracker, not a standalone watch.

What Is Still Unknown

Regulatory filings are good at hardware and silent on software, price and launch timing. Nothing in either database establishes:

Which operating system it runs
Whether it inherits the Fitbit app experience or Google's own health software
What it costs
When it ships

A certification is a permission slip, not an announcement. Devices routinely clear the FCC months before they appear on a store page, and occasionally never appear at all.

Why a Google Band Makes Sense Right Now

Google's September has been busy on the software side. The company pushed the September 2026 Feature Drop to the Pixel Watch 2, 3 and 4, including Gemini Personalization. It shipped the Pixel Watch 5 in August.

What it has not had for a while is a cheap way into its health ecosystem. The Pixel Watch line starts well above impulse pricing, and Fitbit hardware has been in a quiet phase. A band with GPS and no Wi-Fi, priced under the watches, would give Google a device to sell to people who want step counts, sleep and heart rate without paying for a smartwatch.

That is also exactly the segment where the company's health strategy now lives, and where the competition is least defended.

Bottom Line

Google has a new wrist wearable that cleared the FCC on September 10, and Singapore's IMDA database named Google as the brand on September 14. The filings show built-in GPS, no Wi-Fi and a software regulatory label, which adds up to a screen-equipped fitness tracker rather than a smartwatch.

What remains unconfirmed is the name and the software platform. Given Google's handling of the Fitbit brand and the empty slot below the Pixel Watch, a Google Health band is the most likely shape of it. The IMDA listing is the first document that says the company's name out loud.

Sources: FCC equipment authorization records for FCC ID SZGG8BL6 listing Weifang Goertek Electronics, Singapore IMDA equipment database listing for model G8BL6 naming Google as brand, and reporting from 9to5Google, Gadgets and Wearables, and IntoMobile on the certification filings and their technical details.

Apple's Rebuilt Health App Lands in the iOS 27.2 Beta With Longevity and Health Age

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:05:00 GMT

Apple previewed a rebuilt Health app at its September event. On September 16, developers on the iOS 27.2 beta finally got to open it.

The beta, which MacRumors' hands-on calls an entire overhaul, replaces the app's long-standing card stack with a tabbed structure built around two ideas that were not previously part of Health at all: short-term insight and long-term trajectory.

What You Actually See

Two new tabs carry the redesign.

Insights is the daily view. It gathers your most recent health data in one place: Activity Rings, heart rate, sleep score and vitals. Apple has said personalized guidance will eventually appear here too, but that piece is not in the beta yet, so what you are looking at right now is largely a reorganization of data Health already stored.

Longevity is the new idea. It looks at your health data over time rather than day by day, and distills it into a single number Apple calls Health Age. According to MacRumors, that figure draws on activity level, VO2 max, sleep time and other metrics.

Health Age is not only a score you receive. Apple built assessments into the iPhone side of the app so you can actively move it. You can run fitness tests for flexibility, balance and VO2 max from the phone, which feed the same calculation.

The Readiness Score Is Hardware-Locked

Here is where the redesign intersects with Apple's hardware strategy. Owners of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 will see a readiness score in Insights, calculated from recent activity, vitals and sleep score, and intended to help you decide whether to take a recovery day or push harder.

That number does not appear for older watches. It depends on the new Health Sensing System in the Series 12 and Ultra 4, which is the same sensor overhaul that created the regulatory problem Apple is now navigating with hypertension notifications in 33 countries. Apple's newest watch features keep requiring Apple's newest watches.

The practical result is that two people on identical iPhone 27.2 betas will see different versions of the redesigned app depending on their wrist.

The $119 Lab Panel

The most commercially interesting piece is not in the app yet. Apple plans to offer a $119 laboratory panel through Quest Diagnostics, and results from that panel will feed into the Health Age calculation.

Until that goes live, which reporting suggests is tied to the broader rollout rather than the beta, the app lets you upload recent lab results yourself. That is the bridge between what the app can do today and what Apple is selling.

It Will Not Ship in iOS 27.2

This is the detail worth internalizing before you go looking for it. The Health redesign is being tested in the iOS 27.2 beta, but it will not be part of the iOS 27.2 release.

Apple's plan is to ship the new Health app later in 2026. So the beta is a preview of the software's direction, not a feature drop. If you install the beta expecting the finished product, the missing personalized guidance will be the first thing you notice.

Also in the beta, unrelated to Health: Siri AI localization work, which is the machinery behind rolling the new Siri out beyond the United States.

The Uncomfortable Part for Third-Party Apps

One commenter on MacRumors put the strategic risk plainly: this will "slowly kill all the 3rd party apps that have sprung up over the years that offered this kind of data that Apple previously didn't, many of which have a subscription cost."

That is a reasonable read. Health Age, readiness and longitudinal trend analysis are exactly the territory occupied by subscription recovery and longevity apps, and Apple is now building them into the default app, free, on hardware you already own. The counterargument is that Apple's version requires an Apple Watch while many third-party services do not, and that the $119 Quest panel introduces a cost of its own.

The other complaint is regional. Apple's feature availability scheduling means the new app may reach some markets months after it appears in the United States, and as one UK commenter noted, Apple is selling watches whose new health functions depend on an app those buyers may not get for a while.

Bottom Line

The redesigned Health app is the most substantial change to Apple's health software in years: a shift from a passive record of your data to a scoring system that tells you how you are aging and how hard to train today.

The catch is timing and hardware. It is in the iOS 27.2 beta but not the iOS 27.2 release, it arrives later in 2026, and its best feature, the readiness score, only appears on the Series 12 and Ultra 4. If you want the full version of Apple's new Health app, you need this year's watch.

Sources: Apple's iOS 27.2 beta 1 release notes and Health app documentation, MacRumors' hands-on with the redesigned Health app in the iOS 27.2 beta published September 16, 2026, 9to5Mac and AppleInsider coverage of the iOS 27.2 beta, and Apple's watchOS feature availability documentation for hypertension notifications and readiness.

Pixel Watch September Update Brings Watch 5 Features to the Watch 2, 3 and 4

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:45:00 GMT

Google pushed its newest AI features down three generations of Pixel Watch this week, and it did it without a keynote.

The September 2026 Feature Drop started rolling out to the Pixel Watch 2, 3 and 4 on September 15 as a Wear OS 7 update. It follows Google's September 1 update for the Pixel Watch 5, which was the new watch's first software release since it launched in August.

The headline is that the best parts of the Watch 5's software are no longer exclusive to the Watch 5.

What the Update Adds

Gemini Personalization. This is the big one. Gemini on the watch learns from your past conversations and your connected Google apps, which Google lists as Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube and Photos, to give answers tailored to your own data. Google describes it as an offline user profile and real-time online retrieval working together, which is why queries like "what's on my calendar today" or "find the tracking number in my email" can come back with your actual information.

More double-pinch gestures. Google has been building out one-handed control, and this release adds a long list of them. On the Watch 5 the additions include double pinch to open At a Glance from the watch face, double pinch to open the notification center, double pinch to scroll through a Gemini response, through Wallet cards, through workout metrics, and to toggle between Google Maps views. A wrist turn now works as universal back navigation.

Raise to talk improvements. Google updated the gesture model behind raising your wrist to talk to Gemini, which is the feature that avoids needing to say a wake word or tap the screen.

A performance bump on the Watch 4. Reporting on the rollout describes this as a Watch 4 specific improvement, not a Watch 5 hand-me-down.

Who Gets What

The breakdown matters, because Google is not giving every watch the same set of features.

Pixel Watch 2: Gemini Personalization
Pixel Watch 3: Gemini Personalization, plus the expanded double-pinch gesture controls
Pixel Watch 4: Gemini Personalization, the expanded gestures, and a performance bump

Google's community announcement for the wider rollout states that all eligible Pixel Watch devices receive a Wear OS 7 update, with the rollout continuing in phases that vary by carrier and device. You will get a notification on the watch when it reaches you.

The Watch 2 Is Almost Three Years Old

The interesting part is not any single feature. It is the age of the hardware getting them.

The Pixel Watch 2 launched in October 2023. It is coming up on three years old, and it is still receiving the same AI capabilities that Google is shipping on a watch it announced this summer.

Google's own update history makes the contrast sharper. In the Pixel Watch 5's community thread, the list of previous Pixel Watch updates includes a March entry labeled EMR (Pixel Watch 1), which stands for Extended Maintenance Release. The original Pixel Watch has been moved to the maintenance track. The Watch 2 has not. It is still getting feature drops, and now it is getting a generative AI feature from the newest model in the lineup.

That is a genuinely different posture from how the rest of the industry handles older watches.

What the Watch 5 Still Keeps

Not everything came down. Google's September 1 announcement for the Pixel Watch 5 lists features whose applicability is limited to the Watch 5, and the most notable is what Google calls "our most accurate GPS route tracking," a set of improvements to the route maps shown in the Google Health app after runs, rides, hikes and walks.

Google has described the work behind that: tracing satellite ray paths through 3D building models taken from Google Maps, and connecting to weather reference stations around the world in real time to correct for local atmospheric conditions. That is sensor and compute work, not something a software update can hand to a three-year-old watch.

There is also a hardware dependency worth knowing about on the personalization side. Google's footnotes note that some of the assistant features require the watch to be paired with the current Pixel phone generation, with Gemini and proactive assistance enabled. So "your Watch 2 gets Gemini Personalization" comes with the caveat that it is the watch half of a paired setup.

Why This Matters Beyond One Update

Two things are worth taking from this release.

The first is that Google is treating AI features as something to distribute downward rather than reserve for new hardware. That is the opposite of the obvious commercial play, which is to make the assistant better on the model you are trying to sell this quarter.

The second is what it says about the Watch 2's support runway. Feature drops that include headline AI capabilities, landing on a nearly three-year-old device, suggest Google intends to keep the Watch 2 in the feature track for a while longer. Anyone deciding whether to replace a Pixel Watch 2 now has a data point: the software has not stopped improving.

For context on how unusual that is, both Apple and Garmin have recently tied significant new health features to new silicon. Apple's Readiness score requires the S11 chip and will not reach Ultra 3 owners through watchOS 27, and Garmin has been pushing its best features behind a Connect+ subscription. Google's approach here is to give older watch owners more, for free.

Bottom Line

Google's September update is the rare release that is more interesting for who is getting it than for what is in it. Gemini Personalization, the expanded double-pinch gestures and the raise to talk changes all debuted on the Pixel Watch 5, and all of them are now heading to the Pixel Watch 3 and 4, with Gemini Personalization also going to the Pixel Watch 2.

If you own a Pixel Watch 2, 3 or 4, check for the update in the coming weeks. It arrives in phases by carrier and region, so your watch may wait a few days after your neighbor's. And if you were weighing an upgrade, this release is a reason to hold off a little longer.

Sources: Google's Pixel Watch community announcements for the September 2026 Pixel Watch 5 update and the September 2026 Pixel Watch rollout, including Google's published feature list and device applicability notes, Google's Pixel Watch Help Center documentation for Gemini on Pixel Watch, and reporting from 9to5Google, Android Police and The Verge on the September 2026 Feature Drop rollout and per-model feature breakdown.

Garmin Express Is Still Intel-Only, and Fenix 9 Mac Owners Can't Update Maps

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Garmin shipped the Fenix 9 in August. If you own a Mac with Apple silicon, you may not be able to use all of it.

Owners are reporting that Garmin Express, the desktop app Garmin uses for map management, firmware transfers, and content sync, cannot move maps to a Fenix 9 on Apple silicon Macs. The watch connects. It shows up with a green dot in Express. Then the transfer falls apart, and the Maps tab reports that nothing is installed on the watch at all.

The reason is simple and has been true for years: Garmin Express for Mac is still an Intel-only application. It runs on Apple silicon through Rosetta 2, and Rosetta is going away.

Garmin's Own Words

This is not a rumor or an inference from system requirements. Garmin states it on its own support page, under a heading that reads "Future Support On Silicon-Based Macs":

Garmin Express software for Mac is intended for Intel-based Mac computers. For Mac computers that use Apple silicon, installing Rosetta may enable the computer to use Garmin Express. Apple plans to end support for Rosetta in a future version of MacOS.

That page also lists a Windows version number for Garmin Express, 7.29.1 as of July 21, 2026. There is no equivalent version listed for Mac, because the Mac build has not been recompiled for the hardware Apple has been shipping since 2020.

Garmin's support scope for Mac is macOS 13 and newer. Beyond that, the company's position on Apple silicon is, in effect: install Rosetta and hope.

Apple Just Started the Clock

On September 1, 2026, Apple published "Upcoming changes to Rosetta support for Intel-based macOS apps." The relevant part is short:

macOS 27: Final release to support Rosetta. Intel-only apps will no longer run on Mac computers with Apple silicon after this update.

Apple also noted that macOS 26.4 or later may show users a system notification when they launch an app that relies on Rosetta, prompting them to update to an Apple silicon native version. Gaming titles built on Intel frameworks get a carve-out; a hardware companion app like Garmin Express does not.

Put those two things together. Garmin's own support page acknowledges Rosetta is going away. Apple has now said exactly when, and that macOS 27 is the last version where an Intel-only app will run at all. Garmin Express has not been rebuilt as a universal binary.

That gives Garmin a hard deadline it cannot miss, and it has not said it intends to meet it.

What Fenix 9 Owners Are Actually Hitting

The clearest report is worth reading in full because it rules out the usual explanations.

One long-time Mac user with an Epix Pro Gen 2 and an Edge 1050 describes both working flawlessly through Garmin Express, sync included. Then he connected a Fenix 9 Pro:

The watch connects and shows as detected, but an error immediately says content cannot be synced, naming the records file and golf courses
The Maps tab shows no maps installed at all, even though the watch has them
Downloading a map runs but aborts at 50%, which he identifies as the point where the transfer to the watch begins
The same setup works perfectly on a Windows PC: sync completes, installed maps show correctly with checkmarks, new maps install

He then tried the sensible fixes, and none worked: fully uninstalling and reinstalling Express multiple times, clearing ~/Library/Application Support/Garmin and ~/Library/Caches, confirming Rosetta 2 was installed, granting Express full disk access, factory resetting the watch repeatedly, and running Express under a different user account on the same Mac.

Other Mac users replied with the same result.

The Symptoms Are Wider Than Maps

The Fenix 9-specific map failure sits on top of a broader Intel-only problem that Mac owners have been reporting for years. In Garmin's own forums you can find:

A thread titled "Garmin Express MAC STILL refuses to install on OSX, asking for a 64bit Intel processor," meaning the installer does not recognize Apple silicon as a supported machine
The workaround that follows it: "It runs. It works if you copy the files from the installer package." Extracting the app manually gets it installed
Someone with a brand new Fenix 9 reporting that the watch prompted for a software update and crashed, that connecting to a computer was the only available fix, and that Express does not work on their Apple silicon Mac

That last one is the scenario worth worrying about. When a Garmin watch gets itself into a bad state, the documented recovery path usually runs through Garmin Express on a computer. For Mac owners, that path currently depends on a translation layer Apple has scheduled for removal.

A separate thread, "Apple Silicon Support," captures the mood more bluntly: users complain that Garmin has had years to produce a universal binary, and that there has been no response from Garmin staff.

Why This Is Frustrating Rather Than Mysterious

Building a universal binary is not a research project. It is a checkbox in Xcode that bundles both x86_64 and arm64 code into one application, and forum commenters have pointed out exactly that. Garmin has had almost six years since Apple silicon shipped.

Garmin's community has been asking about this for a long time. The thread from the Fenix 8 section asking whether Express support is ending on Apple silicon is four months old, and the answer is still that Garmin ships an Intel build.

What makes the Fenix 9 timing worse is that this is a flagship outdoor watch, sold explicitly to people who plan routes, load maps, and manage regions. Map management is not an edge feature on a Fenix. It is part of the reason to buy one.

What You Can Do Right Now

There is no fix that makes Express native, because Garmin has not shipped one. The practical options:

Use a Windows PC for map updates. This is the only option with a confirmed clean result, and it is what several forum users have settled on
Check whether your map update can be done over Wi-Fi on the watch itself instead of through Express, which avoids the desktop app entirely for some map and software updates
Extract the app from the installer package if Express refuses to install, which is the workaround users have documented
Stay on macOS 26.x if map updates matter to you, since that is the last cycle where Rosetta is guaranteed

Do not expect a quick fix. Reports say Garmin has acknowledged the Fenix 9 map problem and is working on it without a date, and a proper solution needs a universal binary, not a patch.

Bottom Line

Garmin's own support page admits Express for Mac is built for Intel Macs and that Apple is ending Rosetta. Apple has now confirmed that macOS 27 is the final release where an Intel-only app will run on an Apple silicon Mac. Garmin has shipped a brand new flagship watch whose map management breaks for a large share of its Mac customers, and has not answered the underlying question for six years.

If you own a Fenix 9 and a Mac, plan around it now rather than when the update lands. A Windows machine, or a virtualized one, is currently the only reliable place to manage your maps.

Sources: Garmin's Garmin Express Compatibility Requirements support page (support.garmin.com), Apple's "Upcoming changes to Rosetta support for Intel-based macOS apps" developer notice published September 1, 2026, Garmin forum threads including "Garmin Express (Mac) and Fenix 9 problem," "Maps cannot be updated with Garmin Express," "Apple Silicon Support," and "End of support Garmin Express on Apple silicon macs?", and Apple's macOS 26.4 Rosetta notification guidance.

Samsung One UI 9 Watch Beta: New Features and Which Watches Get It

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Samsung is testing the biggest Galaxy Watch software update of its year, and it has quietly pushed it out to three generations of watches in a single week.

The One UI 9 Watch beta reached the Galaxy Watch 7 on September 3, landed in the Galaxy Watch 8 series before that with a second build carrying the September security patch, and expanded to the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic on September 7. It is built on Wear OS 7, and it brings the most substantial feature list Samsung has shipped to its watches in years.

Here is what is in it, and whether your watch is on the list.

What One UI 9 Watch Actually Is

This is Samsung's spin on Wear OS 7, and it is not brand new. It debuted in July 2026, shipping out of the box on the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

What is new right now is the beta program. Samsung is working through older watches one generation at a time, which is why the same update has appeared on three different models across three separate announcements in five days.

What's New

Samsung splits the changes across health, training, interface, and assistant access. The headline additions:

Health and vitals. The big one is Daily Cardio Load, which gives you a training-load style metric based on cardiovascular effort. It sits alongside Heart Health, Hearing Health, and a Vitals view. Samsung Health also gets design updates across the board.

Trail Run, properly built out. Samsung's Trail Run exercise mode now includes climb guidance, turn-by-turn route tracking and navigation, and water intake alarms. You can load your own routes onto the watch using GPX files, which is the feature that turns this from a running mode into something trail runners can actually plan around.

Cycling against yourself. You can now race your own past records on a route and see real-time comparison metrics while you ride.

Diving, if you own the right watch. One UI 9 Watch can display real-time dive metrics including elapsed dive time, current depth, and water temperature through the built-in Depth app. The Mares app adds ascent and descent speeds, No-Decompression Limit guidance, real-time nitrogen absorption monitoring, and adjustable gradient factors. These are limited to select models, and in practice that means the Ultra line.

Interface changes. The UI uses slightly more vibrant colors, including across widgets. The default font size is smaller, which Samsung says lets most labels fit on one line and cuts down on scrolling. Notifications, tiles, and watch faces have all been touched, and Samsung redesigned the Galaxy Wearable app to make settings easier to find.

Faster AI access. Raise to Talk gets you into an assistant such as Gemini by raising your wrist. Samsung also reworked its gesture controls: Double Pinch is now reserved for positive actions like answering a call or confirming an alert, while Shake handles negative actions like declining a call or dismissing one. That is a meaningful change if you already use gestures, because the two used to overlap.

The Beta Timeline

The beta has moved fast, and not in the order you might expect.

Galaxy Watch 8 series (including Classic) went first, with a second beta build carrying firmware version ZZI1, the September 2026 security patch, and fixes for watch face and always-on display issues
Galaxy Watch 7 followed on September 3, with users in the US confirming the rollout
Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic joined on September 7, with enrollment starting in South Korea

The download for the Watch 7 build is around 1.9GB. The One UI Watch beta program is more exclusive than Samsung's phone betas: it is currently available only in South Korea and the US, and you join through the Samsung Members app rather than a public signup. After registering, you connect the watch to your phone, open the Galaxy Wearable app, go to the software update section, and check for the beta.

Which Watches Get It

Samsung says One UI 9 Watch reaches compatible Galaxy Watches before the end of 2026. The list is broader than usual:

Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro
Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic
Galaxy Watch 7
Galaxy Watch 8
Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025)
Galaxy Watch FE

Two caveats worth knowing. First, "compatible" does not mean "identical." Samsung's own language is that some advanced features may not reach older models even though most additions land on the Watch 5 and newer. Diving metrics are the clearest example, since they depend on hardware the standard watches do not have.

Second, the beta is a test build. If you install it, expect the usual beta tradeoffs, including the odd watch face or AOD glitch. The Beta 2 build for the Watch 8 already had to fix both of those.

What to Watch Next

The open question is timing for everyone outside South Korea and the US. Samsung has committed to the end of 2026 for the stable release, but it has not published a schedule by model or region, and the watch beta has historically rolled out in narrower waves than phone updates.

There is also the question of what the Watch 5 and Watch FE actually end up getting. Those are the oldest and cheapest devices on the list, and they are the most likely to lose the heaviest features. Samsung has not broken down the list per model.

Bottom Line

One UI 9 Watch is a real update rather than a coat of paint. Daily Cardio Load, a properly built Trail Run mode with GPX route loading, and the gesture overhaul are all things you would notice in daily use, and the diving stack gives the Ultra line a software identity it did not really have before.

If you own a Galaxy Watch 6, 7, or 8, you can test it now through Samsung Members if you are in South Korea or the US. Everyone else is waiting on a stable release that Samsung says arrives before the end of the year, on a list that runs from the Watch 5 all the way to the Watch Ultra 2025.

Sources: SamMobile's One UI 9 Watch explainer and compatibility list, SammyGuru's coverage of the Galaxy Watch 7 beta rollout (September 3, 2026), Sammy Fans on the Watch 7 beta launch, the Watch 8 Beta 2 build and the Galaxy Watch 6 expansion (September 3, 4 and 7, 2026), AndroidSage's beta program coverage, and Samsung's own Samsung Members beta enrollment process.

Suunto Returned to Profit in 2025 While Polar's Losses Widened

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:45:00 GMT

Two of the sports watch industry's mid-tier names filed their 2025 accounts weeks apart, and they went in opposite directions. Suunto returned to profit after two straight loss-making years. Polar's losses widened again.

The headline numbers are real, and so is the mess underneath them. Suunto's profit leaned on a paper currency gain while its cash flow went negative. Polar lost more money than it did the year before but actually improved its cash position, and its auditor attached a note about the going-concern discussion in the accounts.

Here is what the filings actually say, for both companies.

Suunto's Turnaround, in Numbers

Suunto's 2025 was a genuine recovery on the income statement.

Turnover: 106.5 million euros, up 26.95% from 83.9 million euros
Operating profit: 2.9 million euros, up from a loss of 7.4 million euros, a swing of about 10.2 million euros
Operating margin: -8.8% to 2.7%, the third straight year of improvement after -13.9% in 2023
Net profit: 4.9 million euros, up from a loss of 9.1 million euros

The growth was almost entirely European. EMEA revenue jumped 46.5%, from roughly 47.4 million euros to 69.4 million euros, and accounted for nearly all of the group's increase. The Americas rose 27.3%. APAC fell 13.1%.

Suunto says part of that shift is deliberate: it moved further toward a direct-sales model in EMEA during 2025, a structure its US business already used.

But the Profit Isn't All Trading

Two things complicate the turnaround story.

A chunk of the profit is a paper gain. Suunto booked a net currency gain of 2.32 million euros in 2025, and 2.20 million euros of that was unrealised. It came mainly from revaluing US dollar loans owed to Suunto's Chinese parent as the dollar weakened against the euro, from 1.0389 at the end of 2024 to 1.1750 at the end of 2025. That is an accounting effect, not money earned from selling watches.

Operating cash flow went the wrong way. Before working capital movements, Suunto generated 7.1 million euros in cash, which is healthy. But receivables grew by 7.1 million euros and inventory grew by 5.9 million euros, both of them costs of funding the sales growth. Group operating cash flow ended at negative 437,000 euros, down from a positive 3.27 million euros in 2024. Cash on hand fell 10.4%, to 9.57 million euros.

Group net worth was still negative at year-end, meaning Suunto owed more than it owned on paper. The gap narrowed sharply, from -8.22 million euros to -3.61 million euros, and it was closed entirely after the year ended. On March 18, 2026, Suunto's parent Liesheng converted a $13.9 million capital loan into equity.

KPMG signed an unmodified audit opinion with no going-concern doubt. The firm did separately note that the accounts and board report were signed on August 7, 2026, which missed Finland's statutory deadline for preparing annual accounts. That is a timing remark, not a warning about the business.

What Suunto Cut

This is the part with implications for anyone waiting on Suunto's next watch.

R&D spending fell 30.8%, from 10.7 million euros to 7.4 million euros, and is down from 13.7 million euros in 2023
Average headcount fell 22.5%, from 276 to 214, continuing a decline from 310 in 2023
Personnel costs fell 16.8% to 16.4 million euros

Suunto opened change negotiations in March 2025 covering its supply chain and customer-satisfaction functions, concluded them in April, and began implementing in August. Its own board report says most of the financial benefit lands in the second half of 2026, not in these accounts.

So the 2025 numbers both understate what Suunto's cost base becomes and confirm the turnaround isn't finished.

Polar Went the Other Way

Polar's 2025 accounts are worse on almost every profitability line.

Turnover: 112.2 million euros, down 2.75%
Operating loss: 11.0 million euros, widened 42.8% from 7.7 million euros
Net loss: 14.8 million euros, up 20% from 12.4 million euros
Net worth: 13.4 million euros, down 54.3% from 29.4 million euros in a single year
Average headcount: 937, down 3.6%

The parent company looks worse still. Polar Electro Oy swung from a profit of 983,000 euros in 2024 to a loss of 5.2 million euros in 2025, and its dividend income from subsidiaries fell 31%, from 11.7 million euros to 8.1 million euros.

Polar's cash position actually improved, which is worth separating from the losses. Operating cash flow went from an outflow of 6.5 million euros to a positive 768,000 euros, and the reason is inventory. Polar cut inventory 33.9%, from 29.3 million euros to 19.3 million euros, releasing cash rather than earning it. Short-term bank borrowing rose 15.2%, to 16.7 million euros.

KPMG's report includes an emphasis of matter pointing to the going-concern discussion in the notes, where Polar describes its financial situation as still challenging. The opinion itself is unmodified, which is a milder signal than a qualified opinion, but it is a real flag.

Polar's defense is that demand held up. It says products continued to sell despite weak consumer confidence and cautious retailers, that the Polar Loop launch in September 2025 was very successful, that its Net Promoter Score for wrist devices stayed excellent, and that new users kept registering devices with Polar Flow. It expects to return to profitability in 2026.

Where Polar's Money Is Going Instead

The most interesting contrast between these two companies isn't the loss. It's what each one protected.

Polar spent 20.2 million euros on R&D in 2025, holding it flat at 17.9% of turnover, while cutting other operating expenses by 20.3%. Suunto cut R&D by nearly a third on a turnover base that is almost identical. Suunto now spends roughly a third of what Polar does on developing new products.

Polar is using that budget on two things: technology that spans its whole product range, and new ways to sell it. Its "Powered by Polar" program licenses Smart Coaching training features and sensor technology to other wearable brands, and Polar names it an explicit 2026 priority.

That strategy already has customers. Polar's sensor technology powers the Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds and the Motorola Moto Watch 2026, and a partnership with GreenTEG supplies core body temperature data to compatible Polar watches. Polar also has an existing relationship in the training software world, which we covered in our look at the Polar and TrainingPeaks tie-up.

What the accounts do not disclose is what licensing actually earns. Polar also has a subscription push of its own to fall back on, but no numbers are broken out for either.

One more item Polar's accounts don't mention: Whoop has sued Polar, alleging the Loop copies its trade dress, the protected look of a product, and seeking to block US sales. That is a live legal risk sitting outside the financial statements.

What Both Companies Are Really Showing

Strip it back and these are two answers to the same problem: how a sub-scale watch brand survives when Garmin owns the category.

Suunto's answer is cost. Cut headcount by a quarter, cut R&D by a third, shift to direct sales in its strongest region, lean on a Chinese parent with supply chain leverage, and hope the margin holds. Its own board says the savings arrive next year, which makes 2026 the real test.

Polar's answer is intellectual property. Keep the engineers, cut everything else, and turn the technology inside the watches into a product that other brands buy. It is a smarter-sounding plan with worse numbers today, and it has the same unanswered question: whether licensing revenue can scale to the size of the hole.

Both shipped or teased products through this period. Suunto's Run 2 landed on September 8 to strong reviews, and its next-generation Race watch has already been through certification. Polar's newest watch is the Street X, which we reviewed as a solid value play rather than a category mover.

The Run 2 matters for the Suunto argument specifically. A 31% R&D cut sounds like a product pipeline problem, and Suunto's counter is that with Liesheng's component supply chain, some of what used to be research is now simply buying a finished part. A watch that reviews well immediately after the cuts is evidence for that reading.

Bottom Line

Suunto genuinely turned its year around, with a caveat: a paper currency gain, negative operating cash flow, and a balance sheet that needed a parent loan conversion after year-end to stop being negative on paper. The restructuring savings land in the second half of 2026, so the company is asking to be judged on next year's accounts.

Polar had the worse year and the more interesting plan. Its auditor flagged the going-concern discussion, its net worth halved, and it is betting on licensing its way back to profit rather than cutting its way there. If "Powered by Polar" works, that is a better business than a smaller Polar. If it doesn't, the company is carrying Polar-sized costs on shrinking revenue.

Note on sourcing: the figures above come from the two companies' filed 2025 accounts.

Sources: Suunto's 2025 filed accounts including the KPMG audit opinion and board report, Polar's 2025 filed accounts including the KPMG audit opinion and going-concern notes

Garmin Connect Developer Program Paused: What It Means for Developers

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Garmin has quietly stopped letting new developers into its cloud platform. The Garmin Connect Developer Program, which gives companies access to Health, Activity, Training, Courses and Women's Health API data, is closed to new applicants, and Garmin is not saying when it will reopen.

The company's own words, sent to applicants who ask, are these:

We are currently evolving and modernizing the Garmin Connect Developer Program. During this transition, we have temporarily paused the review and approval of new API access requests.

That message comes with three details developers have confirmed on Garmin's own forums, and they are the whole story:

The application form for new partners has been removed.
New API access requests are paused, with no projected reopening date.
There is no notification list. Garmin told one applicant that status updates will appear only on developer.garmin.com, and that applicants should monitor the page themselves.

So there is no timeline and no way to be told when there is one. You just have to keep checking.

The Official Page Still Invites Applications

Here is the part that has developers frustrated. Garmin's Program FAQ still reads: "If you are interested, please request the Garmin Connect Developer Program and we'll quickly review your application."

The form is gone. The quick review is not happening. The program overview page now carries a single line of guidance: "Stay tuned for more updates on the program."

What Developers Are Actually Experiencing

The forum threads tell the story better than the policy language does.

A founder building an AI-powered health and wellness app submitted an access request on March 1 for read-only Health API data: steps, sleep, heart rate, stress, body composition. Garmin's partner services team responded within a day, asked for background, then asked for a website and privacy policy. Both were provided, and on March 5 he was told the request was "successfully verified" and in the approval process, which the FAQ describes as up to two business weeks.

He followed up on March 23, March 31 and April 4. No response to any of them. He eventually learned through an unrelated channel that the request had been rejected. He was never notified, and never given a reason.

Another developer submitted twice. The first attempt was rejected because the privacy policy was on the app page rather than the business page, which he fixed. The resubmission was confirmed received, and then sat for nearly five weeks in silence, against an FAQ that promises two business days for a status confirmation.

A third has been using Garmin devices for a decade and wanted to build his own training analytics platform with Health, Activity and Training API access. "Seems that my data finally does not belong to me as Garmin keep all my data," he wrote.

And a small EU running and nutrition coaching app applied in the spring, got the official paused-with-no-date reply, and has since changed strategy entirely: "We're going Connect IQ first. The Connect IQ developer experience itself is fine. It's only the cloud-side API that's blocked for us."

What This Means for Developers

The distinction that matters is on-device versus cloud.

Connect IQ is unaffected. That is Garmin's SDK for building apps and watch faces that run on the watch itself. The EU developer above is still building for Forerunner, Fenix, Epix, Venu and Vivoactive hardware. Nothing about that path has changed.

The cloud API is the door that closed. The Connect Developer Program is what lets a third-party service pull your Garmin data into its own platform. That means coaching apps, nutrition tools, training analytics dashboards, and AI assistants that want to reason over your sleep and HRV history. Existing partners keep working. Nobody new is getting in.

Long-time community members on the Garmin forums are blunt about what they think is going on. "It seems Garmin gives this access to a very limited number of companies (big ones)," one wrote, adding that he tried getting access years ago. Another: "Garmin never made this API widely available."

That reading is supported by Garmin's own FAQ, which states the program is "available for enterprise use" and "only for business use," and that "access to some metrics may require a license fee payment or minimum device order quantity for commercial use."

Is Garmin Narrowing the Program on Purpose?

Garmin is calling this a modernization. Reporting on the pause describes an internal "significant redesign" of the whole program. That is a real possibility, and so is the less flattering one: that Garmin is quietly converting an open-ish developer program into a commercial partnership tier.

Three things in the timeline make the second reading harder to dismiss.

Strava sued Garmin over API terms. Strava filed a federal patent infringement suit against Garmin on September 30, 2025 in the District Court of Colorado, over Strava Live Segments and heatmap routing, and demanded that Garmin stop selling virtually all of its fitness devices. Strava argued Garmin had gone beyond the scope of the Master Cooperation Agreement the two companies signed, which included a clause that Garmin would not show Garmin and Strava Segments at the same time. Twenty-one days later, Strava voluntarily dropped the case without explanation.

The suit is over. The lesson for a hardware company that depends on software partners is not.

Garmin bought TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic. In July, Garmin acquired two of the biggest coaching platforms in endurance and strength sports. TrainingPeaks in particular sits at the center of the third-party coaching ecosystem, and Garmin now owns it. When the company that controls the API also owns a major consumer of that API, "we're modernizing the program" reads differently than it would otherwise.

Garmin already has a paid data product to protect. Connect+ launched as a subscription with AI-driven insights, and it took immediate backlash from users who felt a paid tier was being carved out of features that used to be free. Anything that hands raw Garmin data to an outside AI platform is, at minimum, adjacent to what Connect+ sells.

The MCP Question

This is where the developer freeze runs straight into where the industry is going.

A Garmin owner and scientist posted a formal request on Garmin's forums asking the company to build a Model Context Protocol integration with Claude. His argument was clean: Garmin Connect already collects one of the richest longitudinal datasets in consumer health, including Body Battery, HRV, sleep architecture, pulse ox, training load and stress, and what it lacks is interpretive analysis. MCP is the open standard for exactly that, and Google Drive, Gmail and Microsoft 365 had already shipped connectors.

The response from Garmin was silence. A forum moderator's only reply was that the request was in the wrong place and should go through Garmin's ideas portal instead.

Where Garmin has not gone, its users have. Community MCP servers that pull Garmin Connect data are already out there, including Taxuspt's garmin_mcp, a read-only server for Claude Desktop, and a workout-management server that exposes training and coaching workflows. Developers have built hosted bridges for the same purpose. One forum member said he had been running an MCP integration with Claude for over a month and that its advice beat Garmin's.

There is an obvious conflict Garmin has to weigh. As one developer put it in the same thread, an MCP connection "competes with some features in Connect+." Others said the opposite of what a subscription-first company would hope: several users said they would happily pay to connect their own data to Claude, and one said flatly that he would not pay for Connect+ just to get his own data out.

COROS Already Did What Garmin Won't

The contrast is not hypothetical.

In May, COROS launched the first officially supported MCP server from a major sports watch brand. It exposes a single endpoint at mcp.coros.com/mcp, works with Claude Pro, ChatGPT Plus and Cursor, and is read-only by design at launch, covering activities, daily health metrics, sleep and HRV, EvoLab assessments and your current training plan. COROS has publicly flagged write permissions, meaning AI-generated training plans landing in your calendar, as the next step.

The part Garmin should find uncomfortable is how COROS handled developer access. COROS runs a self-service developer path using OAuth 2.0 that, by its own documentation, requires no application approval, offering read access to 22 documented data fields plus the ability to write training plans. Approval and review are reserved for platforms serving multiple users commercially.

COROS says inbound API integration requests grew by more than 1,100% over the past year, and that rather than routing that demand through an approval process, it opted for the open standard.

Set that against Garmin's removed form, absent notification list and unnamed reopening date, and the two companies are making opposite bets about who should control your training data.

What This Means for Your Data

Practically, here is where things stand.

Nothing you already use should break. Existing API partners keep their access. Your watch still syncs, and Connect+ still works.

New integrations are on hold indefinitely. If you were waiting for a third-party coaching app or analytics tool to add Garmin support, that is not coming until Garmin reopens the program, and nobody outside Garmin knows when that is.

Connect IQ is still open. Developers who can run their idea on the watch itself are unaffected, which is why at least one coaching app pivoted there.

Your data is still yours to export, technically. Garmin lets you download your own data, and your activities sync to whichever platforms you have already connected. That is a manual path, not an API, but it exists.

Set a reminder to check. Since Garmin has no notification list, the only way to find out when this ends is to watch developer.garmin.com yourself.

Bottom Line

Garmin has closed its cloud API to new developers, removed the form, given no reopening date, and built no mechanism to tell anyone when it changes. It calls this modernization. Around the same time, it bought TrainingPeaks, and it is now selling AI health insights through Connect+ while declining to answer the MCP question at all.

The most generous reading is that Garmin is rebuilding the program properly and it will reopen better than before. The less generous one is that the era of building a business on Garmin data is ending for everyone except a short list of approved partners.

Either way, developers are currently applying to a program whose own FAQ promises a response the program is no longer giving. Until Garmin says otherwise, if you want your Garmin data in someone else's AI, the answer is going to come from COROS before it comes from Garmin.

Sources: Garmin's Connect Developer Program overview and Program FAQ pages (developer.garmin.com), Garmin forum threads documenting the pause, including the Garmin Connect Developer Program access-request thread and the MCP integration feature request, Momentum's analysis of the program pause, COROS's official MCP documentation (coros.com) and the coroslab/COROS-MCP repository, Android Authority's COROS MCP coverage, Front Pack Sports on the 1,100% growth in COROS API requests, Strava's September 2025 patent suit against Garmin as reported by BikeRadar, NPR and Lifehacker, and our own coverage of Garmin's TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic acquisition.

Apple Watch Now Reports Two HRV Numbers: Recovery HRV vs Overall HRV

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 15:20:00 GMT

Apple Watch has reported a single heart rate variability number since 2017. As of the Series 12 and Ultra 4, it reports two, and the new one is not the metric the watch has been using for the last nine years.

Apple calls them Recovery HRV and overall HRV. Recovery HRV is described as best for identifying daily signals of stress and recovery. Overall HRV covers broader health, including cardiovascular health. Both come from the new Health Sensing System, which measures HRV as often as every five minutes, or up to 24 times more frequently than the Series 11 and Ultra 3 managed.

The detail Apple did not put in the keynote is more interesting than the division itself.

HealthKit Quietly Gained a Second HRV Type

Alongside the launch, iOS 27 and watchOS 27 added a new HealthKit quantity type called heartRateVariabilityRMSSD. It is the only new quantity type among the 122 in this release, and it matters because of what came before it.

HealthKit has carried exactly one HRV type since iOS 11 shipped in 2017: SDNN, the standard deviation of NN intervals. Every Apple Watch HRV reading you have ever seen, in Apple's own apps and in every third-party app that reads Apple Health, has been SDNN.

RMSSD is the root mean square of successive differences. It is the metric most of the rest of the wearable industry standardized on years ago, and HealthKit had no way to represent it until now. Apps that computed RMSSD from another device had nowhere to write it.

The Two Metrics Are Not Interchangeable

This is the part worth understanding, because it explains why Apple is presenting two numbers instead of one.

SDNN measures the spread of all your normal heartbeat intervals across the recording window. Because it captures total variability from every source, it includes slow-moving influences like circadian rhythm, body temperature, and how active you have been. Its interpretation depends heavily on how long you measure. SDNN from a 24-hour recording and SDNN from a five-minute reading are not comparable numbers, even though both are called SDNN.

RMSSD measures the change between each consecutive pair of beats, squares those differences, averages them, and takes the square root. Working on beat-to-beat change rather than the spread of a whole recording, it mostly reflects parasympathetic activity, the branch of your nervous system associated with rest and recovery. It is the more reliable metric over short recordings, which is exactly what a watch takes.

The practical consequence is blunt: the two values are not interchangeable, and a single night can move them in opposite directions. If you have been comparing your Apple Watch HRV to a Garmin or Whoop number, you have most likely been putting SDNN next to RMSSD and wondering why they disagree.

What Apple Has Not Said

Here is where the story stops being clean.

Apple has not confirmed that Recovery HRV is RMSSD and that overall HRV is SDNN. The mapping lines up with how those two metrics are conventionally used, and adding RMSSD to HealthKit in the same release that rebuilds HRV measurement points strongly in that direction, but Apple has published no mapping. Until either the documentation or the data on device settles it, treat the correspondence as an inference.

Apple has also not published the algorithm behind Recovery HRV, the window it is calculated over, the units or ranges it reports, how many nights build the personal baseline, or how far a reading must sit from that baseline before anything gets flagged. Overnight Vitals compares Recovery HRV against your personal baseline, so the number is judged against your own history rather than a published range. That is the right way to do it, and it still leaves the mechanics opaque.

Who Actually Gets It

This is hardware, not software, and that distinction is doing a lot of work.

The five-second heart rate sampling, the five-minute HRV cadence, the two HRV variants, and the Readiness score are all tied to the new optical and electrical heart sensors and the more powerful LEDs in the Health Sensing System. They apply to the Series 12 and the Ultra 4 only.

watchOS 27 does run on the Series 9 and later, the SE 3, and the Ultra 2 and later, and it arrives free on September 14. What those watches get are the software features: Siri AI with personal context, perimenopause and menopause support in Cycle Tracking, Workout Buddy without a nearby iPhone, and a single-handed tap gesture for the Smart Stack. None of the sensor-dependent health features are on that list, and Apple's compatibility footnotes do not mention them for older models.

So an Ultra 3 owner running watchOS 27 gets a better watch in several ways and does not get Recovery HRV, overall HRV, or Readiness. That is a real upgrade gap for a watch that was the flagship a year ago.

What to Watch Next

Two things will settle the open questions, and neither is in Apple's control.

The first is developer documentation catching up. If Apple documents what each HRV type contains and which one each app view uses, the mapping question closes.

The second is measured behavior. Existing apps need a new authorization request to read RMSSD, since permission flows do not include the new type by default. There is also no historical backfill, so an RMSSD series starts from the moment the watch begins writing it. That means the practical way to find out what Apple Watch actually writes is to wear a Series 12 for a full day, then compare the RMSSD and SDNN streams against what the Heart Rate app shows.

Bottom Line

Apple Watch went from one HRV number to two, and the new one is a different metric with different behavior. If you use HRV as a recovery signal, the important takeaway is that your history is SDNN while the new Recovery HRV reading is almost certainly RMSSD, and those two things do not track each other night to night.

That matters most if you own a Series 12 or Ultra 4, because you now have two numbers to interpret instead of one. It matters just as much if you own an Ultra 3 or Series 11 and were expecting the new health features to arrive with watchOS 27. They are not coming. For the full picture of what shipped, our Series 12 and Ultra 4 launch breakdown covers the rest.

Sources: Apple's health and fitness newsroom release (September 9, 2026), Apple's Series 12 and Ultra 4 announcements, Apple Developer documentation for heartRateVariabilityRMSSD and heartRateVariabilitySDNN (introduced at version 27.0), MacObserver's comparison of Recovery HRV and overall HRV, Gadgets & Wearables' coverage of the RMSSD addition, and independent analysis of HealthKit publication cadence.

Garmin Birthday Sale: Forerunner 70 and 170 Get Their First Discounts

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 15:10:00 GMT

Garmin's Birthday Sale is live, and it has done something Garmin almost never does: discount two current running watches four months after launch.

The Forerunner 70 is down to $219.99 from its $249.99 list price, a $30 cut. The Forerunner 170 is down to $269.99 from $299.99, also $30 off. Both launched on May 15, 2026, and until this week neither had moved from full price.

According to price tracking on the Forerunner 70, $219.99 is the lowest the watch has ever been. It has averaged $249.93 over the last 30 days and sat at $249.97 across both the 90-day and 180-day windows. Garmin held the line for four months and then moved.

Why the Forerunner 70 Is the Better Deal

The Forerunner 70 is the bigger story, and it comes down to how much Garmin has pushed downhill.

This is no longer a stripped entry-level watch. You get a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, built-in GPS, and up to 13 days in smartwatch mode. On the software side it carries Training Readiness, Training Status, wrist-based running power, running dynamics, Garmin Coach, and sleep score. That covers most of what a recreational runner will actually use.

When a watch like that sits below its launch price, the argument for climbing Garmin's range gets harder to make. Full details on both watches are in our Forerunner 70 and 170 launch coverage.

The Forerunner 170 adds a barometric altimeter, Garmin Pay, and extra cycling features over the 70. There is also a Forerunner 170 Music at $349.99 list if you want onboard storage. Paying $50 more for the 170 gets you hardware features rather than training features, which matters if you run hilly routes or want to leave your phone and wallet behind.

The Rest of the Birthday Sale

The two Forerunners are the freshest discounts, but they are not the largest ones. Garmin is running a much broader promotion alongside them:

Fenix 8: several versions are $150 off
Enduro 3: also $150 off
Venu 3: $150 off
Venu X1: $100 off, bringing the slim 2-inch AMOLED watch down from $659.99
Vivoactive 6: $70 off
Venu 4: $50 off

The Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 cuts are the headline reductions in raw dollars. The Enduro 3 discount carries a second signal: it lines up with the two unidentified Garmin outdoor devices sitting in regulatory filings, which is the kind of price movement that tends to precede a replacement. We covered that in our Enduro 4 release date tracker.

Should You Buy Now?

If you have been waiting on a Forerunner 70, this is the first real opening, and four months of price stability suggests the $219.99 floor will hold for a while rather than fall further. It is a $30 discount on a $250 watch, so it is not life-changing, but it is the lowest price on record for a model Garmin has refused to discount.

A few caveats before you click:

Retail discounts are often limited to specific colors. Amazon has been discounting the Forerunner 70 primarily in certain colorways, so check the exact variant at checkout rather than assuming the whole line is reduced.
Sale pricing varies by region. The Birthday Sale is running in both the US and UK, but the specific models and depths of discount differ between them.
If you are deciding between the 70 and the 170, the $50 gap is the whole question. Buy the 70 for training features, buy the 170 for the altimeter and Garmin Pay.

Bottom Line

Garmin discounted two four-month-old watches for the first time, and the Forerunner 70 at $219.99 is the best value in the lineup right now. If you were waiting for a reason to buy Garmin's entry-level runner, this is the first one that has existed.

The wider Birthday Sale is doing more work for anyone shopping higher up the range, with $150 off the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 and $100 off the Venu X1.

Sources: Garmin's Birthday Sale promotion page, Garmin's Forerunner 70 and 170 launch announcement (May 15, 2026, $249.99 and $299.99), Gadgets & Wearables' coverage of the first discounts (September 13, 2026), Technobezz price tracking on the Forerunner 70, and PhoneArena's sale coverage.

Apple Watch Series 12: Smaller Screen, Bigger Case, and Buyers Are Not Happy

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Apple shipped a smaller screen inside a bigger case on the Apple Watch Series 12, and the numbers come straight from Apple's own tech specs page.

The 46mm Series 12 has a display area of 1,196 square millimeters, down 2% from the 1,220 sq mm on the Series 10 and Series 11. The 42mm model drops from 989 sq mm to 970 sq mm, a 1.9% decrease.

At the same time, the case grew. The 46mm Series 12 measures 46mm by 40mm by 9.7mm, a full millimeter wider than the 46mm by 39mm by 9.7mm case Apple used on the Series 10 and Series 11. That is a 2.6% increase in footprint. The 42mm case went from 42mm by 36mm to 42mm by 37mm, about 2.8% larger.

So you get less screen and more watch. That is the opposite of every smartwatch trend for the last decade.

The Pixels Didn't Change

Here is the detail that makes this strange rather than a straight downgrade.

The pixel counts are identical across all three generations. Both 46mm watches render 416 by 496 pixels, and both 42mm watches render 374 by 446. The resolution never moved.

What changed is how much physical area those pixels occupy. Apple spread the same grid across a slightly smaller panel, and the panel now sits inside a wider case. Everything you actually read or tap on the Series 12 looks the same as it did on the Series 11, because it is the same number of pixels doing the same job.

That is worth holding onto, because the design story around it is worse than the functional one.

Why the Bezel Looks Worse Than the Numbers Suggest

A smaller display in a bigger case means a larger border, and Apple made it more visible.

According to MacRumors, Apple receded the casing and expanded the front glass on the Series 12. That pushes more of the front surface into black glass territory, so the border reads thicker than the raw numbers imply.

There is precedent. When the Series 10 replaced the Series 9 in 2024, the visible aluminum edge actually shrank by around 33%, while the total bezel including the black glass border grew by roughly 17%. On paper the case and display figures looked like an improvement. In the hand, it looked like a step backward in design.

The Series 12 repeats that pattern, though less dramatically. Series 10, 11, and 12 all share roughly the same case design, so this is not a redesign. It is a reallocation.

Buyers Are Not Being Quiet About It

The reaction landed fast on the MacRumors forums, where the specs thread turned into a bezel thread within a page.

"Looks like bigger bezels. Extremely disappointing. Smaller screen too," one member wrote, before noting the upside: Apple could grow the display back to the same physical size on a future model without changing the case again.

A separate thread titled "Large bezel fans are in luck with series 12" is heavier reading. "They managed to make the bezel even thicker on the series 12," the poster wrote. "I thought the series 10 was a step backwards in design over the series 7-9 but the 12 is actually worse. It looks like an SE2 now."

PhoneArena reported the same sentiment across Reddit, with some users disappointed and others reading the change as deliberate setup for a larger display on the Series 13.

There is also a more technical defense in the threads. One commenter argues the Series 10 and 11 let the case edge encroach toward the display, while the Series 12 is "flushed to the home button," which is what makes the border read thicker even though the pixel area is unchanged. That is a fair point about optics, and it does not make the watch look any better on a wrist.

Does It Actually Matter?

For what the watch does, no. Same pixels, same resolution, same interface. If you never put a Series 11 and a Series 12 side by side, you will not notice anything different about how the screen behaves.

For how the watch looks, yes, and it is reasonable for buyers to care. The Apple Watch is the most visible piece of technology most people own. A thicker black border on a $399 device that looks identical to the last two generations from the front is a hard sell, especially in the same launch where the real story is a chip upgrade you cannot see.

The bigger question is why the case grew at all. Apple has not explained it. The most likely answer is that the Series 12 needed to accommodate the new Health Sensing System, with its larger, more power-efficient LEDs and additional optical and electrical heart sensors. But that is an inference, not something Apple has said.

Bottom Line

Apple moved one millimeter of case width from the display to the border on the Series 12, and it did it while holding the pixel count steady. Nothing about using the watch gets worse, and the S11 chip is a genuine upgrade underneath.

But this is the third year on basically the same case, the screen got smaller while the body got bigger, and the people most likely to spend $399 on a new one are the people most likely to notice. If you own a Series 10 or Series 11, the bezel is a real reason to wait for whatever Apple does with the Series 13.

Sources: Apple's Series 12 tech specs, MacRumors' analysis of the case and display dimensions (September 10, 2026), MacRumors forum threads on the Series 12 bezel, PhoneArena's coverage of the display downgrade, and Trusted Reviews' comparison to the Series 9-era bezel trade-off.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: What Actually Shipped, and Where the Money Went

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:45:00 GMT

Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 on September 9 at Apple Park, and from the outside you would not be able to tell them apart from the models they replace. If you read our pre-event breakdown, most of it held up.

That's not a knock. Both watches keep their cases, their sizes, and their prices. Everything worth paying for this year happens inside, and the short version is that Apple finally fixed the chip it had been coasting on since 2023.

The S11 Is the First Real Chip Upgrade in Three Years

This is the headline, and it's worth being precise about how long it's been.

The Series 11 reused the S10, which was essentially the same silicon as the S9 from the Apple Watch Series 9. That's three generations of watches sharing one architecture. The S11 breaks the streak, and Apple calls it its most powerful wearable chip.

More importantly, the S11 isn't just a speed bump. It powers the new Health Sensing System, which is where most of this year's actual feature work lives. Apple is tying the best new health feature specifically to this chip, and that matters for anyone thinking about an upgrade.

Same Case, Different Materials

The Series 12 uses the same case Apple introduced with the Series 10 in 2024. That's the third year on this design, and Apple typically runs a chassis for three generations, so a 2027 refresh is the one to wait for if looks are your thing.

Two material changes stand out:

Ceramic is back as a case option at the top of the range, sitting above titanium, in pearl white and night blue. Apple hasn't offered a ceramic Apple Watch since 2020.
Aluminum models get Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple rates as 60% tougher than the Ion-X glass on the Series 11.

Touch ID was rumored for months. It did not ship.

Health Tracking Gets a Continuous Heart Rate

The sensor story is less about new hardware than about how often it's sampling.

The heart-rate sensor now collects readings continuously through the day, not only during workouts. HRV is measured as often as every five minutes, which Apple says is 24 times more often than before. Apple is also claiming the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable, backed by a study of over 1,000 participants.

Then there's Readiness, a daily 0-10 score built from recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score. It hands you one of four recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It.

If that format sounds familiar, it should. Garmin has run Training Readiness for years, and Whoop built an entire subscription business on the same idea. Apple is now doing it natively, which is a problem for anyone charging monthly for a recovery score.

One catch: Readiness is tied to the S11 chip, so Ultra 3 owners won't get it through the watchOS 27 update.

Audio Intelligence Is the New Category

This is the feature set Apple spent the most stage time on, and it's genuinely new ground for the watch.

Live Rewind shows the last 15 seconds of a conversation as text after a double press of the Digital Crown. It plays a chime and shows an on-screen microphone indicator so people nearby know it's running, which is a smart way to handle the obvious privacy objection.
Siri Recap summarizes a conversation after the fact.
Sound Recognition flags sirens, alarms, and doorbells.

Live Rewind, Siri Recap, and the redesigned Health app all arrive in beta later this year, so don't buy on these alone. The Health app rebuild adds a Longevity tab and a Health Age readout that compares your metrics against your actual age.

Ultra 4: Battery Is the Whole Story

The Ultra 4 keeps the case Apple has used since 2022, in natural and black titanium, and runs the same S11. The design hasn't moved. The runtime has.

50 hours of everyday use, up from 45, which gets you past two days
84 hours in Low Power Mode
15 minutes of charging returns up to 18 hours
Extended Workout tracks with full GPS and heart rate for up to 25 hours, a 25% jump over the Ultra 3
Max Extended Workout stretches runs, walks, and hikes to 45 hours with a GPS reading every second

Apple says that last mode is enough to finish a 100-mile race, and it's the clearest Ultra-only advantage in the lineup. The Ultra 4 also gets new optical and electrical heart sensors, a heart rate reading every five seconds, HRV as often as every five minutes, and the same Audio Intelligence features as the Series 12.

Apple is also claiming the most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch and the most accurate step tracking of any smartwatch. Those are marketing claims until independent testing lands, and this is exactly the category where Garmin and COROS have spent years earning credibility with runners. We'll be watching the third-party accuracy tests closely.

What Didn't Change

Satellite is unchanged. Emergency SOS, Find My, and messaging over satellite all carry over on Globalstar, free for two years from activation. Nothing new was added, despite the rumors.
No new Apple Watch SE. The SE 3 remains the cheapest way into the lineup.
Series 12 everyday battery is still 24 hours. Outdoor workouts improved to 10 hours, 25% better than the Series 11, and 15 minutes of charging adds up to 12 hours. But if all-day battery is your priority, plenty of Garmin and Amazfit watches still beat this comfortably.

Price and Availability

Apple Watch Series 12: from $399 for the 42mm aluminum model, unchanged from the Series 11
Apple Watch Ultra 4: from $799, unchanged from the Ultra 3
Pre-orders: open now
Shipping: September 18
watchOS 27: lands September 14

Apple Watch Ultra 2 in Black: Still Worth It in 2026

The Ultra 2 is the value end of the Ultra line now, and black titanium is the version most people are hunting for. The thing worth knowing is that it still gets watchOS 27. Apple left the first-generation Ultra off this year's compatibility list, so the Ultra 2 is the oldest Ultra still receiving updates.

What you give up against the $799 Ultra 4 is the S11 chip, the new optical and electrical heart sensors, and run time. Apple rates the Ultra 2 at 36 hours of normal use and 12 hours of GPS, against 50 and 45 for the Ultra 4. The Ultra 2 is no longer the current model, so most of what is available is refurbished or renewed stock. Those have moved between roughly $380 and $550 this year, which is a long way below $799.

Bottom Line

Apple shipped a spec-sheet upgrade that is actually an architecture upgrade. The S11 gives the Watch its first genuinely new chip since 2023, and the Health Sensing System plus Readiness turn the Watch into a recovery-tracking device that competes directly with Garmin and Whoop instead of just counting your rings.

If you own a Series 10 or Series 11, the case is identical and everyday battery hasn't moved, so this is a considered upgrade rather than an obvious one. If you own an Ultra 2, the jump to 50 hours of normal use, 45 hours of second-by-second GPS, and the new heart sensors is the most substantial Ultra upgrade yet.

The honest read: this is the year Apple caught up on silicon and used it to go after training readiness. It is not the year the Apple Watch becomes a battery champion.

Sources: BGR's hands-on breakdown (September 9, 2026), Apple's September 9 event at Apple Park, Macworld's Series 12 and Ultra 4 guide, PhoneArena's spec coverage of both models, Apple's watchOS 27 compatibility list and Apple Watch Ultra 2 tech specs for the battery figures, 9to5Toys on refurbished black titanium pricing, and our pre-event analysis of what Apple would and wouldn't ship.

Garmin CIRQA Smart Band Pro Leaked: Two Buttons, Spoken Stats, and a Model Number to Watch

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:30:00 GMT

Garmin is building a Pro version of the CIRQA, its screenless health band. The evidence isn't a render or a retail listing. It's sitting in Garmin Connect right now.

References to a CIRQA Smart Band Pro turned up in the app's code, spotted by Gadgets & Wearables in versions 5.28.1 and 5.29. The detail that makes this more than a naming slip: the plain CIRQA Smart Band appears separately in the very same strings. Garmin isn't renaming the $199.99 tracker it launched in July. It's building a second one alongside it.

Here's what the code reveals, and what a new regulatory filing suggests about timing.

Two Buttons, Two Jobs

The original CIRQA has one button. The new tutorial text keeps telling users to press or hold "either button," and it distinguishes between an Activity Button and a Controls Button.

That's a meaningful change for a device with no display. One button on a screenless band has to do everything through timing: a press, a double press, a long hold. Adding a second physical control splits the load, so activities get their own trigger and alarms, shortcuts, and assistance get another.

The code also describes holding the Controls Button to trigger assistance, with the band confirming out loud after the fact.

A Band That Talks to You

This is the part that separates the Pro from everything else Garmin sells right now.

The tutorial strings reference adjusting volume levels using the side buttons and hearing daily stats or status confirmations spoken aloud. There's also text about a spoken confirmation, like "Canceled," after a canceled action.

That points to one of three things: a small built-in speaker, a microphone, or audio routed through connected headphones. Garmin hasn't said, because Garmin hasn't announced the product.

If it's a speaker, this is a genuinely different interaction model. Screenless trackers have always pushed every detail onto your phone, which was the biggest complaint in our own CIRQA review after a week of daily wear. Audio would let the band answer questions on its own.

A Filing Landed the Same Day

While the app code was making the rounds, a new Garmin listing appeared in Indonesia's SDPPI certification database, published September 10, 2026, under model number A05293.

Regulatory databases rarely publish marketing names. They use generic descriptions like "Fitness Product" next to a raw model code, so there's no way to confirm from the filing alone that A05293 is the CIRQA Smart Band Pro. Garmin registers watches, bike computers, and accessories under similar titles all the time.

The timing is the interesting part. A filing showing up in the same 24 hours as app code for an unannounced product is what hardware moving toward distribution looks like.

The SmO2 Question

Early coverage of the leak raised the possibility that the Pro could carry an SmO2 (muscle oxygen) sensor, which is worth addressing directly because it's speculative.

SmO2 in a wrist-worn or band-worn form factor is a hard measurement. It needs deeper tissue penetration than optical heart rate, and accuracy depends heavily on placement. Garmin has never shipped a consumer SmO2 sensor. Adding one to a $200-class tracker would be a much bigger story than a second button.

What the code supports is more modest: new interaction hardware plus a health sensor Garmin hasn't shipped before. Read the sensor claims as an open question until an FCC filing or a product page settles it.

Why Audio Is the Right Bet Here

Garmin's CIRQA pitch is tracking without a screen on your wrist. The trade has always been interaction: you get the data, but checking it means pulling out your phone.

r/Garmin is full of threads asking what the CIRQA is even for, and the answer tends to be "Garmin's health metrics without wearing a watch to work." Those users aren't asking for a display. They're asking for a device that doesn't feel passive.

Audio answers that. Spoken daily stats and a volume control mean the band can report in without a screen, and a second button means you can start and stop things without a phone. Both changes point the same direction: making the screenless format less dependent on the phone in your pocket.

Where This Fits in the CIRQA Lineup

Garmin is clearly treating CIRQA as a product family rather than a single band. In the last two months alone:

CIRQA Smart Band launched in July as the screenless tracker
CIRQA Smart Ring surfaced under model code AA5220 on September 3, with a certification filing that later disappeared from the database
A stable 3.20 update for the band landed September 2
Now the CIRQA Smart Band Pro shows up in app code

That's a band, a ring, and a presumably higher-tier band, all moving through leaks and filings within a single quarter.

Bottom Line

Nothing here is official. What we have is app code naming a CIRQA Smart Band Pro in two consecutive Garmin Connect versions, tutorial text describing two buttons and spoken feedback, and a September 10 Indonesian filing for model A05293 that fits the timeline.

The screenless category is the one place Garmin has room to add hardware without fighting its own watch lineup, so expect the Pro to be priced above the $199.99 CIRQA. An FCC filing is the next real checkpoint, and it usually lands weeks before a launch.

Sources: Gadgets & Wearables teardown of Garmin Connect 5.28.1 and 5.29 (September 10, 2026), Garmin News analysis of the same code plus the Indonesia SDPPI listing for model A05293 (September 10, 2026), our Garmin CIRQA review (August 7, 2026) and CIRQA Smart Ring leak coverage (August 13, 2026).

The Fenix 9 Pro Quietly Dumps an Entire GPS Constellation Mid-Run

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 16:10:00 GMT

Your Fenix 9 Pro is making a decision about your run that Garmin never put in the manual, and independent testing just caught it happening.

About twenty seconds into a GPS activity, the watch starts tracking everything: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, on both the L1 and L5 frequency bands. Then GLONASS disappears. It doesn't come back for the rest of the session.

The watch cut an entire satellite constellation loose mid-run to save power. The question everyone asked first, is this a new GPS chip behaving differently, doesn't hold up. Which makes the real story more interesting, not less.

What the testing actually found

Early published testing covered a GPS Event export from a Fenix 9 Pro recorded under tree cover in Normal mode, and the log tells a clean story. Everything switches on at the start. Roughly twenty seconds in, GLONASS drops out and stays out, while the watch continues toggling between single-frequency and dual-frequency tracking, adding and cutting the L5 band as conditions change.

The author worked through the data with Michael George of gps-details, the person who maintains the most detailed public mapping of which GNSS chipsets sit inside which Garmins. Their conclusion: Garmin's watches have quietly done this since the Fenix 7 in 2022. DC Rainmaker described the same behavior at the time, Garmin "switching between GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou, and QZSS based on the quality of the satellites from each." What's new is confirmation it's still running on the Fenix 9 Pro, and the first detailed look at exactly how it plays out in a session log.

Why GLONASS gets cut first is not a mystery. It's typically the least accurate of the four major constellations. Dropping it saves power with minimal effect on position quality, leaving more of the budget for GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou. The evidence suggests the watch sheds it once signal quality has measurably deteriorated, rather than preemptively.

The new-chipset theory, and why it collapses

Here's the part worth slowing down on, because the obvious explanation turned out to be wrong, and the person who proposed it said so publicly.

A firmware version difference on the Fenix 9 suggested a new GPS chipset, which would neatly explain new behavior. Then the same firmware version turned up on the Fenix 8, whose chip is already confirmed unchanged: the Synaptics SYN4778, identified in teardowns and logged in FIT files as GNSS product number 4536. One firmware string doing double duty on two generations is exactly what you'd expect if the chip never changed.

The teardown community has been circling this since launch. A component-by-component comparison making the rounds in the community noted that "only the Fenix 9 Pro is CONFIRMED to run a newer chip," and even that confirmation applies to the main processor, the one behind the faster maps we covered in our Fenix 9 map lag piece, not the GNSS receiver. The GPS chip column for both Fenix 9 models: TBC. Garmin's own marketing still says "dual-frequency tracking across five satellite systems," word-for-word identical to the Fenix 8's spec sheet.

And Garmin's Connect IQ developer documentation quietly confirms the behavior is engineered, not emergent. It lists named, fixed GNSS configurations developers can request: GPS alone, GPS plus GLONASS, GPS plus Galileo, GPS plus BeiDou, and two all-constellation combinations. Sitting alongside those is AutoGNSS, the dynamic mode doing the shedding in the log above. The software architecture already assumes a Garmin device might need to drop constellations mid-activity.

The changes Garmin did make, hiding in plain sight

While everyone was watching the Pro's new processor, the satellite settings got reworked. The old names are gone:

Auto Select is now Normal (SatIQ dynamic selection, unchanged behavior)
All + Multi-Band is now Max Accuracy (full multi-band, all constellations, unchanged)
GPS Only is now Extended Battery (changed: now GPS + Galileo, never GPS alone)
UltraTrac is now Max Battery (unchanged)

Two things buried in that table. First, GPS-only mode no longer exists in any form. Even the battery-saver configuration bundles Galileo in, because Garmin evidently decided bare GPS was costing more in accuracy than it saved in power. Second, SatIQ isn't a separate setting anymore. It's baked into every mode now, managed automatically. Garmin is standardizing all future battery claims on this four-mode scheme, which DC Rainmaker notes is partly so Garmin doesn't have to re-underwrite battery numbers for every older model.

Reddit did not take that second change quietly. In the r/Garmin thread on the Fenix 9 features backport, user -Radiation pushed back hard on losing forced multi-band: "A Garmin advantage is that we used to have settings to set up almost everything as we like, this is more like Apple deciding we can't use the device a certain way." Their specific complaint, tested with two watches side by side, is that SatIQ doesn't switch fast enough between dense buildings or heavy tree cover, and they'd rather eat the battery cost than trust the automation. Another commenter, Jordan11, called losing forced multiband "a pretty big deal," while an Enduro 3 owner argued the opposite: "Removing a setting that has no benefit, and only has a cost seems prudent."

That's the real tension the constellation shedding exposes. Garmin is betting its automated satellite management is good enough that you should stop being allowed to override it. Some owners are not ready to make that bet.

Does the shedding actually hurt accuracy?

The honest answer, from the testing so far: no.

Independent runs under significant tree cover with GLONASS shed found the Fenix 9 Pro accurate. And a remarkable side-by-side post on the Garmin forums this week, a Fenix 8 Solar owner who ran a Fenix 9 Pro Solar on the opposite wrist for days, concluded GNSS performance was "excellent on both watches" with "no clear generational leap in absolute positioning quality." The Fenix 9 track came out slightly smoother and slightly shorter, which the author read as stronger positional filtering rather than better raw satellite performance.

So there's the trade-off, stated plainly: the watch trades a weaker constellation for battery, keeps position quality intact or better, and filters the result into a cleaner track. If you're the type who wants the rawest possible data, that filtering is the thing to watch, not the missing GLONASS.

Early battery impressions from owners are consistent with the math. A Fenix 9 Pro 43mm owner on r/GarminFenix reported losing just 3% on a one-hour hike in Normal mode, with the community doing the arithmetic that Normal mode on that model is rated around 18 hours of activity tracking.

What about tri-band?

Not yet, and this is a dual-frequency story. Garmin's marketing language is unchanged from the Fenix 8, and the GPS log confirms L1 plus L5 only. The case for tri-band reaching Garmin's flagships has been building all year, and it hasn't happened here. Given that COROS and Garmin's rivals are moving on multi-band tech, it's a safe bet it comes eventually. Just not on the Fenix 9.

Bottom line

The Fenix 9 Pro isn't running new GPS silicon, and it isn't doing anything Garmin watches haven't done since 2022. What it is doing is shedding that behavior into the open for the first time, via a renamed satellite mode scheme where SatIQ runs everything and your override options quietly shrank.

If you're coming from a Fenix 7 or 8 and wondering whether your tracks will change: they won't, much. The constellations that matter stay on, the accuracy testing says the results hold up under tree cover, and the battery wins are real. The one thing worth internalizing is the philosophy shift. Garmin has decided the watch knows better than you which satellites to trust, and this generation is the first where you can no longer argue with it.

Watch for the community's own GPS Event exports as more Fenix 9 units hit wrists. If the shedding pattern holds across owners and conditions, expect Garmin to keep pushing automation and keep trimming manual controls, on this watch and every one after it.

Amazfit Won't Charge You a Subscription // Zepp Health Confirms 1-2 More Watches for 2026

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Amazfit's parent company just answered two questions that have been circling the brand all year, and it did it on an earnings call, on the record, to investors.

No, Zepp Health is not planning to put your training features behind a subscription. And yes, the 2026 launch blitz is basically over, with only one or two products left to ship.

That second answer is the interesting one for anyone tracking what Amazfit does next. So we went digging through FCC filings, regulatory databases, and app code to figure out which devices are fighting for those final slots.

The subscription answer, in the CFO's own words

An analyst asked directly on this week's Q2 2026 call whether Zepp plans to develop a subscription model, specifically around the Balance 3. CFO Leon Cheng Deng's answer started with "yes and no," then got specific.

The Zepp App does already sell some paid services, focused on sleep quality, relaxation, and stress management. That's the Zepp Aura side of the ecosystem, and it isn't new.

But the core stuff stays free. In Deng's words: "we believe that by providing all those professional functionalities for free to the user at this moment of time, it's also one of our key competitive edge against the competitors." And then the closer: "in short term, we don't have any subscription charges ideas on Balance 3 at this moment."

Translation: training load, sleep staging, Zepp Coach, BioCharge, and the HYROX tools are not going behind a paywall. Anyone who has watched Garmin's Connect+ rollout at $6.99 a month, or Whoop's subscription-required model, can see exactly who Deng is aiming at. Garmin even markets its new CIRQA band with the tagline "No subscription required," which tells you how much this pressure point matters in 2026.

One honest caveat: "at this moment" and "in short term" are doing a lot of work in those sentences. Deng left the long-term door open. But for now, the free-features promise is official investor guidance, not just marketing copy.

The launch blitz is over

The same call wrapped up Amazfit's product year. Deng said the company is "almost done with new product launches for the year," with only 1 or 2 more products expected in 2026. By the call, Zepp had shipped roughly nine or ten products.

Here's the 2026 lineup so far:

January: Active Max
February: Active 3 Premium, T-Rex Ultra 2
April: Cheetah 2 Pro
May: Cheetah 2 Ultra
June: Bip Max, Balance 3, Balance Ultra, Helio Strap Pro

That pace was expensive. Q2 alone carried six or seven launches, and adjusted selling and marketing costs jumped to $18.2 million from $12 million a year earlier. The adjusted operating loss widened to $11.1 million. Revenue still grew 6.9% year over year to $63.5 million, with gross margin up to 37.4%, but management was clear that the second half is about getting existing hardware onto wrists, not flooding the market with more.

Two other details from the call worth knowing:

Supply held some products back. The Balance 3 has been genuinely difficult to manufacture, and Helio Strap demand exceeded supply all quarter. Strap availability improves in Q3 and fully recovers in Q4.
Bip prices go up in January 2027. Zepp announced price increases across the entire Bip family, blaming component costs, especially memory prices.

So what are the final 1-2 products?

This is where the filings come in. Four devices have left real regulatory fingerprints this year, and they don't all look equally likely.

T-Rex Dual Solar: the near-lock

We've been tracking this one since July, when solar charging code surfaced in the Zepp app. In August it got an official name, and then it got everywhere. Model A2570 has now appeared in five regulatory databases:

FCC (US): filed August 11-12, confirming Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and likely dual-frequency GNSS
SIRIM (Malaysia): marketing name T-REX DUAL SOLAR, approved August 3
Indonesia: certificate 125183/DJID/2026
South Korea RRA: certified August 4 under Anhui Huami, Zepp's corporate name
Eurasian Economic Union: a fifth registration for the same device

The Zepp app code adds a solar software package with charging records, solar intensity data, and a dedicated Solar Boost Mode. Fields like watch_face_input_power and case_back_input_power point to solar harvesting from two separate zones, the display and the case back, which would be a genuinely different approach from Garmin's single-layer Power Glass. We broke down what "Dual" probably means when the FCC filing landed.

Five certifications across three continents is production-ready hardware, not a science project. If only one more Amazfit product ships this year, this is it.

The r/amazfit community has reached the same conclusion, with one wrinkle: everyone expects a MIP display, not AMOLED. As one commenter put it, "there is no device with a solar AMOLED. At least not yet. So it would probably need to be a MIP." Another regular explained the physics: AMOLED panels draw far more power than a watch-sized solar panel can ever replace. Expectations there are running 47-49mm with a rounder case than the octagonal T-Rex 3, though there's healthy skepticism about how much solar will actually contribute. One user summed it up with a friend's Forerunner 955 Solar experience: "the solar charging does help the battery a little bit, but not much."

Helio Strap 2: confirmed by management, if it counts

Zepp told investors back in March that a next-generation Helio Strap was in the works for the second half, and an FCC filing in May surfaced model numbers A2671 and A2672 for an unnamed "smart sensor" that fits the description. On the Q2 call, management noted that Google's Fitbit Air launch "further validates the screen-free wearable category," and Helio Strap demand still exceeds supply.

The catch: it's a strap, not a watch. The CFO said "1 or 2 more products," so the Helio Strap 2 may already be counted inside the nine-to-ten shipped, or it may take one of the final slots. Either way, it's coming.

Falcon 2: four months of silence

The premium Falcon successor looked like a shoo-in this spring. Zepp app code carried a SUPPORT_BIND_FALCON2025 string, an FCC filing under model A2564 referenced a 540mAh battery (up from the original Falcon's 500mAh), and SIRIM logged model A2557. All of that happened in March and April.

Nothing since.

There's a plausible reason hiding in the same earnings call. CEO Wang Huang told analysts that combining premium materials with a reliable antenna that delivers excellent GPS performance is a genuine engineering problem, and Deng admitted the Balance 3's titanium and steel builds have been difficult to manufacture at scale. Independent testing found the Balance 3's GPS accuracy fell to 77% from 85% on the Balance 2, and attributed the drop to the new case and antenna. The Falcon 2 would use that same premium case type, at least according to that early coverage.

If the antenna problem is real, the Falcon 2 could easily slip into 2027. That would be unfortunate for anyone hoping for a titanium multi-sport flagship to answer the Fenix.

The dark horses

Two more filings never got resolution:

A2553, the HYROX watch: a regulatory image matched the mystery Balance-style watch from Amazfit Poland's HYROX Warsaw promo clip, with an angular shell, roughly 45mm display, and a big 780mAh battery
A2568, the square watch: an April FCC filing with an unusually large 550mAh battery, possibly a Cheetah 2 Square

Both went quiet after their spring filings. Either could surprise into the final slot, but neither has the paperwork momentum of the Dual Solar.

Bottom line

Put the investor guidance and the filings together and the end of Amazfit's 2026 looks like this: the T-Rex Dual Solar is all but certain, most likely as a MIP-display solar watch arriving in Q4, and the second slot is either the Helio Strap 2 or nothing at all, with the Falcon 2 increasingly looking like a 2027 story.

The bigger takeaway is the subscription answer. Zepp just told the investment community that free core features are a competitive weapon, which locks the policy in place for as long as the strategy holds. In a market where Garmin is expanding Connect+ and Whoop has never known a user who wasn't paying monthly, Amazfit is betting that "no subscription" sells watches.

What would confirm the rest? Watch for FCC retail-box photos of the A2570, fresh Zepp app strings, and whether October brings any new filings under A2564. We'll be tracking all three.

COROS Pace 4 Just Got Full Offline Maps. Here's the Catch

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT

COROS just pulled off the best value move of the year. The September 2026 feature update brings full offline maps to the Pace 4, a $249 watch. Not breadcrumb navigation, not route lines. Real maps with street names, trail names, and points of interest. The same mapping experience that, until this week, required stepping up to the Pace Pro, APEX 4, or NOMAD.

The update is available now in beta. Here's what you get, how it works, and the one catch.

What the Pace 4 gets

Before this update, the Pace 4 was a breadcrumb watch. You could load a GPX route and follow the line with off-course alerts, but there were no street names, no points of interest, no topographic detail. If you wandered off-route, you were navigating from memory.

That changes completely. From COROS's September 2026 announcement:

View global maps on your PACE 4: the same street and trail names, points of interest, and offline map coverage found on APEX 4, NOMAD, and PACE Pro. Instead of just following a line with breadcrumb navigation, you can now see exactly where you are, what's around you, and make confident decisions on the fly, even off the beaten path.

That last part is the real upgrade. Breadcrumb navigation answers one question: "Am I on the line?" A map answers the better question: "Where am I, and what are my options?" When you miss a turn on an unfamiliar trail, the difference is whether you can make a decision or just backtrack.

DC Rainmaker called it massive news, and the comparison is hard to miss: this lands full topographic maps with terrain detail on a watch that costs $249, in a market where Garmin's sub-flagship lines still lean on breadcrumb-style navigation.

How it works: Map Manager

Maps download through COROS Map Manager, the same system the Pace Pro and APEX 4 use. You pick the regions you want and delete the ones you don't.

There's a structural advantage here that DC Rainmaker pointed out: COROS lets you download specific map sections, so you don't have to pull an entire continent the way Garmin's system pushes you toward. On a storage-limited watch, that granularity matters. You can carry your home region, delete it before a trip, load the destination, and swap back when you're home.

The catch: 4GB of storage

Here's the compromise. The Pace 4 has 4GB of onboard storage. Mapping watches typically start at 16GB, and the Pace Pro and NOMAD carry 32GB each.

COROS knows the number is small and isn't pretending otherwise. From the company, via Forbes:

"Pace 4 has 4GB onboard storage. While this is not enough space for large map areas, we feel comfortable releasing this feature since most users only need to download local maps for home areas and places they might travel to."

On a media call covered by ActionHub, COROS spelled out the intended workflow: download the region you're in, delete what you don't need, load the region you're traveling to, and keep a little room left over if you also store music on the watch. That last point is the real tension. Music and maps share the same 4GB, so a runner who keeps playlists on the watch will be juggling space.

In practice: expect to fit a home region and one travel destination comfortably, not a national map library. If you want the world on your wrist, this is the $300-plus Pace Pro's job. If you want maps where you actually run, 4GB works.

Why COROS did it now

COROS has built its reputation on giving watches a second life through firmware. The January 2026 update added microphone features to the Pace 4, and the July update brought live tracking and revamped sleep scoring. Maps are the biggest value-add in that tradition yet.

The timing isn't accidental either. Garmin just launched the Fenix 9 with a rebuilt map engine to fix years of lag complaints, and the new engine isn't coming to any older Garmin, as we covered in our Fenix 9 map lag analysis. The same week, COROS put real maps on its cheapest sports watch. That's a pointed message to budget runners comparing a Pace 4 against a Garmin Forerunner 165: one of these watches now shows you where you are.

What else came in the September update

The Pace 4 maps are the headline, but the same beta includes two more features:

Adventure Journal timeline. The journal gets a timeline view that makes outdoor activity memories easier to browse and share.
Climb alerts for rides. Cyclists get alerts for upcoming climbs, bringing a piece of ClimbPro-style functionality to the COROS ecosystem.

Bottom Line

The COROS Pace 4 now has full offline maps in beta: street and trail names, POIs, and the same global coverage as watches costing three times as much. The 4GB storage cap means managing regions carefully and sharing space with music, but for most runners who need maps at home and on race trips, that's a workable trade. At $249, this is the mapping value play of 2026, and it lands the same week Garmin's flagship is still fielding lag complaints.

Sources: COROS September 2026 Feature Update (coros.com, September 1, 2026), DC Rainmaker's Pace 4 mapping analysis, Forbes (September 4, 2026), Tom's Guide, ActionHub's coverage of COROS's media call.

Fenix 9 Map Lag: Garmin's New Chip Helped, But Owners Are Still Complaining

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Garmin spent an entire chip upgrade fixing one problem on the Fenix 9: map lag. More RAM, a rebuilt map engine, and a new processor on the Pro models, all aimed at the sluggish panning and zooming that defined two generations of complaints. The fixes are real. And owners are still complaining.

Here's what the evidence actually shows, two weeks after launch.

The problem Garmin inherited

Map lag isn't a Fenix 9 story. It's a Fenix 7 and Fenix 8 story that Garmin carried forward for years. The root cause is silicon: teardowns identified the main chip in those watches as the NXP i.MX RT595, the same processor that debuted in the 2022 Fenix 7X. It carries just 5MB of on-chip SRAM and no external RAM, and that small memory pool is what holds map tiles while the watch renders them.

The consequences showed up in Garmin's own forums for two years:

"I purchased the Fenix 8 AMOLED 51mm and I noticed a very terrible lag when I scroll map."
"This watch is horrible for panning and redrawing maps. WAY slower than my Epix 2 that I sold to buy it."
"Sometimes the map tiles take several good seconds to render on the screen."
"Would not have bought this watch if I had known it was the same old processor (4 years old?). Strange reviewers are not talking about this more."

One Fenix 8 owner in the UK described getting stranded with a sluggish map high in the fells in bad weather and switching to Suunto, calling its rendering "staggeringly better." Others found third-party map sources like Talkytoaster ran dramatically smoother than Garmin's own TopoActive maps.

Garmin tried to fix it in software. Beta 22.29 in May 2026 specifically targeted laggy panning and zooming, but forum users who pushed support for answers were told the scrolling speed was "as good as it's going to get." On that hardware, it probably was. A forum breakdown makes the gap concrete: the equivalent chips in COROS, Suunto, and Polar watches carry an extra 32MB of RAM, roughly 37MB total. Garmin's flagship was running on about a fifth of the map memory of its rivals.

What the Fenix 9 changed

The Fenix 9 press release did something Garmin almost never does: it talked about the silicon. The watch ships with 50% more RAM than the Fenix 8 (roughly 7.5MB against the old 5MB), a rebuilt map engine, and 64GB of storage, double the Fenix 8's allowance, for more downloadable maps. The Fenix 9 Pro goes further with an entirely new processor on top.

Garmin's claims: panning up to 30% faster than the Fenix 8, round-trip route calculation 40% faster, fluid zooming between map levels instead of stepped redraws, and a new Perspective view that adds detail both close-up and further down the route. DC Rainmaker's software breakdown confirmed the mapping engine is Fenix 9 exclusive, so Fenix 8 owners get none of it.

The reality check

So did it work? Partially.

The 5krunner ran the Fenix 9 Pro through its display lag testing this week and found a genuine improvement with a familiar caveat: zoom operations still show a roughly 2-second lag. Noticeable, and a long way from the 10-second zooms and pans older Garmins produced, but not phone-smooth.

A Garmin News benchmark against the Fenix 8 Pro found the new watch clearly faster at panning, zooming, and shaded-relief scrolling, but slower at massive zoom-outs and initial shaded-relief activation. The verdict: faster in the places that matter, not night-and-day overall.

Chase the Summit's side-by-side in Chamonix was the most generous: smoother zoom easing, preloaded tiles, and an experience he called "much more usable." Even he was careful about the ceiling: "It is not Google Maps on a phone, and tiles still load if you zoom out far enough."

And the complaints have not stopped. The "New SoC" thread on Garmin's Fenix 9 forum, where owners expected the new chip to end the lag discussion, filled up with posts reading "seems like it is the same lag" and "I'm almost embarrassed for Garmin at this point." Whether that's perception, early firmware, or genuine residual lag is hard to say from forum text alone, but the sentiment is unmistakable: two weeks in, the flagship's map experience is still the topic owners want to argue about.

What it means before you buy

The honest summary: the Fenix 9 is the best map experience Garmin has ever shipped, and "best Garmin has ever shipped" still leaves room for complaints that would embarrass a $300 watch.

If you're buying a Fenix 9 primarily as a navigation device, set expectations to "clearly improved, occasionally sluggish," not "fixed." The new engine's strengths, tile preloading, continuous zoom, Perspective view, are all real, and the 9 Pro's extra processor pushes them further. But the 2-second zoom lag in testing is real too, and Garmin's choice to keep the base model on a modest RAM bump suggests the company knows the ceiling here.

If you're sitting on a Fenix 8 hoping for a software fix, there isn't one coming. The new mapping engine is Fenix 9 exclusive. And if you were on the fence between a Fenix and a rival over maps, know that COROS just shipped full offline maps to its $249 Pace 4 the same week.

Bottom Line

Garmin's Fenix 9 map fixes are genuine: 30-40% faster panning and routing, preloaded tiles, and a new engine that makes navigation genuinely more usable. But testing still finds a 2-second zoom lag, forum threads are still full of complaints, and Fenix 8 owners are locked out of the upgrade. For a watch starting around $1,000, "much better than before" is progress. It isn't yet the finish line the marketing suggests.

Sources: independent Fenix 9 Pro display lag analysis (September 2026), Garmin News Fenix 9 Pro vs Fenix 8 Pro speed benchmark, Garmin Forums (Fenix 9 "New SoC" thread, Fenix 8 map lag threads), Garmin Rumors chip analysis, DC Rainmaker's Fenix 9 software overview, Chase the Summit's Chamonix hands-on.

Amazfit Bip Max Launch: $99 Watch With a 3000-Nit AMOLED and Offline Maps

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The Amazfit Bip Max is officially here, and it's bigger and brighter than the Bip line has ever been.

Amazfit launched the Bip Max on May 20, 2026 at $99.99, available from the Amazfit online store and Amazon. It's a meaningful step up from the Bip 6 in almost every way that matters: a much larger screen, significantly more storage, offline map support, and a battery that can handle serious GPS sessions without dying after a single run.

The Screen Is the Story

The most immediate difference is the display. The Bip Max packs a 2.07-inch AMOLED panel running at 432 x 514 resolution with a claimed peak brightness of 3,000 nits. For context, that's the kind of number you'd expect to see on a rugged outdoor watch, not something under $100. The Bip 6 maxes out at 2,000 nits on its 1.97-inch screen, so this is a meaningful jump in both size and readability.

The larger display also means more real estate for widgets, workout stats, and watch faces. If you've been avoiding the Bip because the screen felt cramped for navigation, the Max addresses that directly.

Storage Finally Gets Serious

The 4GB of onboard storage is the other headline spec. Previous Bip models had limited file storage, which essentially ruled out offline music and maps. The Bip Max changes that. You can load up offline maps and sync a workout playlist without needing to keep your phone nearby.

That puts the Max in a different category than the base Bip. It's not just a fitness tracker with a screen. It's a legitimate low-cost GPS smartwatch with some standalone capability.

Battery Holds Up

A 550mAh battery keeps the lights on, with Amazfit claiming up to 20 days of use between charges. That's with GPS off, so if you're logging runs regularly, expect something closer to the 50-hour GPS battery life that Amazfit is quoting. That's competitive with what Garmin and Polar offer in their entry-level devices.

Training Features Catch Up

The Bip Max includes Amazfit's full training suite: 150+ sports modes, VO2 Max, Training Load, Training Effect, and Training Stress Balance tracking. You can import structured plans from TrainingPeaks, Runna, and Intervals.icu, and completed activities sync to Strava automatically.

Zepp Coach generates personalized workout plans, and Zepp Flow brings AI voice control to the table. Sleep tracking gets the RestoreIQ treatment with HRV, sleep stages, breathing patterns, and nap detection.

For a $100 watch, this is a feature set that would have cost you twice as much a few years ago.

Bip Max vs Bip 6: What's the Difference

The Bip 6 costs $80 and remains in the lineup. Here's how the two compare:

Spec	Bip Max	Bip 6
Price	$99.99	$80
Display	2.07" AMOLED, 3,000 nits	1.97" AMOLED, 2,000 nits
Storage	4GB	~100MB usable
Offline Maps	Yes	No
GPS Battery	50 hours	~26 hours
Typical Battery	20 days	~12 days
Battery Capacity	550mAh	260mAh
Sensors	BioTracker suite	Same BioTracker suite
Weight	~36g (with strap)	~28g

The Max is 10mm wider and 8g heavier, but the sensor suite and software features are largely the same. If you don't care about offline maps or music and prefer something lighter on your wrist, the Bip 6 is still a solid choice. But if you've been wanting a budget watch that can actually replace your phone on a run, the $20 premium for the Max is worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Amazfit Bip Max release?

The Bip Max launched on May 20, 2026, at $99.99, available from the Amazfit online store and Amazon.

What's the difference between the Bip Max and the Bip 6?

The Max has a larger 2.07-inch AMOLED screen (up from 1.97 inches), 4GB of storage (up from roughly 100MB), offline map support, and 50-hour GPS battery life. The sensor suite and software features are largely the same. The Bip 6 stays in the lineup at $80 for anyone who wants something lighter and doesn't need maps.

How much does the Bip Max cost?

The Amazfit Bip Max is $99.99 at launch, available from the Amazfit online store and Amazon. The Bip 6 stays in the lineup below it at $80.

How long does the Bip Max battery last?

Amazfit rates the Bip Max for up to 20 days of typical use and 50 hours of continuous GPS tracking, on a 550mAh battery. With regular run logging, expect somewhere in between.

Can the Bip Max work without your phone?

For the things that matter on a run, yes: GPS tracking, offline maps, and synced music all work standalone. Initial setup and notifications still go through the Zepp app.

First Impressions

The Bip Max feels like what happens when the budget smartwatch category finally catches up to what people actually want: a bright screen, enough storage to leave the phone behind, and GPS that doesn't die after three hours. It's not trying to compete with Garmin's high-end features or Apple Watch's smartwatch depth, but it's getting close to what Coros and Polar offer in their entry tiers.

We have not put the Bip Max through long-term testing yet. I'll update this article once we have.

The Bip Max is available now at $99.99 from Amazfit and Amazon.

Shopping around Amazfit's lineup? Our Balance 3 vs Balance Ultra review compares Amazfit's premium pair, with a full spec table if you're stepping up from the budget tier.

Garmin Sleep Score Explained: How It's Calculated and What's a Good Score

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

You wake up, check Garmin Connect, and there it is: a single number judging your entire night. 68. 83. 41, if it was one of those nights. But what does that number actually measure, how does Garmin calculate it, and what score should you be aiming for?

Here's the complete breakdown.

What is Garmin's sleep score?

The sleep score is a nightly rating from 0 to 100 that summarizes how long and how well you slept. It's powered by Firstbeat Analytics, the same engine behind Body Battery and Training Status, and it's based on data your watch collects all night: heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and movement.

The score lands in one of four bands:

Score	Rating
0-59	Poor
60-79	Fair
80-89	Good
90-100	Excellent

A quick reality check before you chase the top band: the average Garmin user scored a 71 in 2024, solidly in "Fair" territory. Only about 5% of Garmin's sleep-tracking users averaged "Excellent" scores. If you're consistently in the low 70s, you're sleeping like a typical Garmin user, not failing.

How the score is calculated

Garmin weighs two broad inputs: how long you slept, and how well you slept.

Duration is measured against age-adjusted reference standards. Adults generally need 7 to 9 hours, but the scoring model factors in your age (which is why entering your correct date of birth in Garmin Connect matters) and your recent sleep history. Consistently sleeping 6 hours drags the score down even if those 6 hours were deep and undisturbed.

Quality is where the interesting measurement happens. Garmin's Advanced Sleep Monitoring combines several signals:

Sleep stages. Time spent in light, deep, and REM sleep, and how they sequence through the night. Deep sleep drives physical recovery, REM supports memory and mental recovery, and the balance between them matters more than maximizing any single stage.
Awake time and restlessness. How often you wake up and how much you move. Frequent micro-wakeups fragment sleep even when total time in bed looks fine.
Overnight stress. This is the one most people miss. Your watch measures HRV throughout the night and derives a stress score from it. A night where your heart rate variability stays low, because you drank, trained hard late, or slept in a warm room, lowers your sleep score even if you never woke up once.
Respiration and blood oxygen. On supported devices, breathing rate and Pulse Ox data add further context, especially for spotting unusual overnight patterns.

The score appears after your watch detects your sleep window, which it does using the sleep schedule you set in Garmin Connect. That schedule also triggers do-not-disturb mode so notifications don't wake you. If your actual bedtime drifts far from the schedule you've set, detection gets less reliable, which is one of the most common reasons for a missing or short sleep record.

What's a good Garmin sleep score?

Practically: 80 or above is good, and you should treat consistent 80s as the goal rather than chasing 90s.

The "Excellent" band exists, but it's rare by design. Garmin's own data shows only 5% of users reach it on average, and scores that high usually reflect a long, uninterrupted night with strong deep and REM proportions, low overnight stress, and no alcohol in the system. Occasional 90s are a nice bonus. Building habits around getting them nightly is a recipe for orthosomnia, the anxiety about perfect sleep data that ironically wrecks sleep.

The more useful question than "is my score good" is "is my score trending." One 62 after a race weekend means nothing. Four straight weeks sliding from 78 to 68 is a signal worth acting on, and it usually shows up in Body Battery and HRV Status before you feel it in your training.

Where to find your sleep score in Garmin Connect

On the watch: open the sleep widget, or check the morning report on newer devices.

In the app: open Garmin Connect, tap the sleep card on the home screen, and you'll see the score, the stage timeline (light in blue, deep in dark blue, REM in pink, awake in gray), and the individual components. Tap into each component to see exactly what pulled the score up or down on a given night, duration, stress, interruptions, and the stage breakdown.

The same screen shows sleep insights, Garmin's personalized recommendations. If your timing was consistent, it says so. If your quality dropped despite a full night in bed, it points at the likely cause.

Why your score is low (and how to fix it)

The usual suspects, in rough order of how often they're the culprit:

Alcohol. It suppresses REM, raises overnight heart rate, and spikes your stress component. A few drinks can knock 10 to 15 points off an otherwise decent night.
Not enough time in bed. No algorithm rescues a 6-hour night. If duration is your limiting factor, this is a schedule problem, not a sleep quality problem.
Late intense exercise. Hard sessions within two or three hours of bed keep HRV suppressed into the night.
A warm or bright room. Both raise overnight stress readings.
Inconsistent bedtimes. Your schedule setting and your body both prefer regularity.

Fix the first two and most people see their score climb into the 80s within a couple of weeks. Garmin published exactly this pattern in its own sleep data: consistency beats optimization.

How accurate is it?

Honest answer: good enough for trends, not for diagnosis. Sleep researchers estimate consumer trackers run around 60% accurate against clinical polysomnography, with deep sleep typically underestimated and REM detection the weakest link. Garmin's score is best read as a consistent yardstick against your own baseline, not a medical measurement. We covered the accuracy debate in depth in our How the World Sleeps analysis.

Which watches support it? Any Garmin with Advanced Sleep Monitoring, which covers the Forerunner, Fenix, Enduro, Venu, vivoactive, and Instinct lines plus the vivosmart and Lily trackers. If your watch tracks sleep stages, it produces a sleep score.

Bottom Line

Your Garmin sleep score is a 0-to-100 blend of duration, sleep stages, restlessness, and overnight stress, scored against age-adjusted standards. Bands run from Poor below 60 to Excellent at 90 and up, but the real target is consistent 80s and an upward trend. Fix alcohol, bedtime consistency, and total sleep time first, and use the score as a trend line, not a nightly verdict.

Sources: Garmin's official sleep score documentation, Garmin blog sleep data (January 2025), and WatchesReviewed's earlier analysis of Garmin's global sleep dataset.

What Is ANT+? ANT+ vs Bluetooth on Your Garmin, and Why It's Dying

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:46:37 GMT

ANT+ (pronounced "ant-plus") is the wireless protocol that connects fitness sensors like heart rate straps, cadence pods, and power meters to your Garmin watch or bike computer. Introduced in 2004 and owned by Garmin, it became the standard way sports gear from different brands talked to each other. If you own a Garmin or a heart rate strap from the last decade, you have almost certainly used ANT+ without knowing it.

That is the short version. The longer one is that ANT+ is winding down. Garmin ended its ANT+ membership and product certification programs on June 30, 2025, and stopped developing new ANT+ profiles. Everything you already own still works, and it will keep working for years. But almost nothing new is being built on it.

Here is what actually happened, and what it means for the sensors on your shelf.

What ANT+ Actually Does

ANT+ is a low-power wireless protocol built for one job: getting small amounts of data from a sensor to a display, reliably, without draining a coin cell in a week.

Its reputation came from three things. It sips power, it pairs to multiple devices at once, and it works across brands. A heart rate strap from one company could feed a Garmin watch, a Wahoo head unit, and a gym treadmill at the same time, which was genuinely unusual in 2004.

That flexibility is why ANT+ ended up in so many places. Cycling radar like Garmin's Varia used it for real-time vehicle alerts. SRAM's AXS shifting and Shimano's Di2 drivetrains leaned on it for gear position data. Running dynamics from Stryd and muscle oxygen sensors from Moxy still depend on it today.

Why Garmin Pulled the Plug

Two things happened at once.

The first was regulation. The European Union's Radio Equipment Directive started enforcing cybersecurity requirements on August 1, 2025, via delegated regulation 2022/30 and the EN 18031 standards. Any wireless device sold in the EU now needs encryption and authentication built in. ANT+ has encryption as an option, not a default, and forcing it on would break compatibility with millions of devices already in the field. Garmin had to either rebuild a 20-year-old protocol or let it age out.

The second was that the market had already moved. Garmin announced in January 2025 that it would discontinue the ANT+ membership program, the product certification program, and the associated engineering support. That deadline passed on June 30, 2025. No more certification testing, no more new profiles, no more spec development.

Worth being clear about what that does and does not mean, because it gets reported badly. Garmin did not switch ANT+ off. It stopped running the organization that grows it. The protocol still works on every device that has an ANT+ radio, and Garmin has said it will keep supporting existing products.

The ANT+ Timeline in 2026

2004: Dynastream Innovations releases ANT, later branded ANT+
2006: Garmin acquires Dynastream and takes ownership of the protocol
2010s: Peak adoption across cycling, running, and gym equipment
January 2025: Garmin announces the membership and certification programs will end
June 30, 2025: ANT+ membership, product certification, and engineering support officially discontinued
August 1, 2025: EU cybersecurity rules under the Radio Equipment Directive become mandatory for wireless devices
December 2027: The EU's Cyber Resilience Act takes over from the RED cybersecurity requirements, tightening the rules further
Today: Existing ANT+ gear works normally. No new profiles are being developed

The practical takeaway: if it worked in 2024, it works now. The clock is on new development, not on your devices.

Why Bluetooth Won

Bluetooth Low Energy closed the gaps that made ANT+ irreplaceable, then kept going.

Power draw was ANT+'s headline advantage, and BLE caught up. Multi-device pairing was the other, and BLE matched it with a limit of seven simultaneous connections. Then it went further, because BLE lives inside every phone already. Fitness apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad, and Strava connect directly to BLE sensors with no dongle, no adapter, and no pairing dance.

ANT+ never had that. Apple never put an ANT+ radio in the iPhone, and Google's Android support was inconsistent enough that developers stopped counting on it. The protocol spent its life being excellent at a job phones were never going to help with.

What This Means for Your Gear Now

Nothing changes today. Your heart rate strap, cadence sensor, power meter, and foot pod keep working with the devices they are paired to.

What does change is what happens at the margins. New firmware updates from Garmin and Wahoo will focus on Bluetooth performance, because that is where the development effort goes. Over time, ANT+ connections are more likely to see occasional dropouts than BLE ones, not because anything was deliberately broken, but because one protocol is getting engineering attention and the other is not.

If you are buying sensors now, buy dual-protocol. Nearly every modern strap and power meter speaks both ANT+ and BLE, and that keeps you compatible with older Garmin and Wahoo head units while future-proofing for whatever comes next. Sensors that dropped ANT+ entirely, like the newer COROS heart rate monitors, tell you which way the wind is blowing.

Cycling Is the Hardest Part

Cycling leans on ANT+ harder than any other sport, and it does not have a clean exit.

Garmin's Varia radar, SRAM's AXS shifting, and Shimano's Di2 drivetrains all use it for real-time communication, and there is no open Bluetooth standard that replaces what they do. Gear position data, radar alerts, and drivetrain integration are gaps Bluetooth has not closed. Power meter makers like 4iiii and Stages have shifted their focus to BLE but still keep ANT+ in the box for older head units.

Gym equipment is going the other way. Peloton and Technogym favor BLE, which is making ANT+ a niche feature on new machines. And Garmin keeping ANT+ in products like the HRM-Pro Plus is a compatibility decision, not a vote of confidence.

Does ANT+ Work with iPhone?

Short answer: no, not natively. Apple has never supported ANT+ in any iPhone. There is no ANT+ radio in the hardware, and no software layer to add it later. If your heart rate strap, power meter, or foot pod is ANT+-only, an iPhone cannot see it directly.

There are two workarounds people use:

An external ANT+ dongle. Some companies have made Lightning-connected adapters that bridge ANT+ sensors into iOS apps. They work, but they add cost, another piece of hardware to charge or carry, and they have gotten harder to find as the protocol winds down.
Buy sensors that also speak Bluetooth. This is the real answer now. Nearly every modern sensor is dual-protocol, and the iPhone uses the Bluetooth side. If you are building a setup around an iPhone, buy BLE-capable sensors and skip ANT+ entirely.

The same logic applies to apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad, and Strava on iOS: they expect Bluetooth sensors. ANT+ remains a Garmin-and-Wahoo-first world, and the iPhone was never invited.

ANT+ Not Working? Quick Fixes

If your ANT+ sensor keeps dropping, pairs but sends no data, or won't show up at all, try these in order:

Re-pair the sensor. Delete it from your device or app and search again. ANT+ re-pairs fast, and this clears stale connection state that causes most dropouts.
Check the battery. ANT+ sensors sip power, so a dying coin cell often shows up as intermittent dropout before total silence. A fresh CR2032 fixes more ANT+ problems than anything else.
Move the receiver closer. ANT+ range is shorter than people expect, and the sensor should be within a few feet of the watch or head unit, not across the room.
Prefer ANT+ over Bluetooth where you can. If a device searches both protocols, delete the Bluetooth pairing so it locks onto ANT+ instead. This is the workaround Garmin Edge users are relying on after the CIRQA firmware bug broke Bluetooth broadcasting.
Update firmware and apps. Old firmware on either the sensor or the receiving device is a common cause of pairing failures, especially in apps like MyWhoosh where ANT+ support changes between versions.

If the sensor is a newer BLE-only model, ANT+ will never see it at all, which is the direction the whole industry is heading.

The Bottom Line

ANT+ is not dead, and it is not going to be switched off. It is finished as a living standard, which is a different thing. The membership program that grew it closed in June 2025, the EU made its optional-encryption model untenable in August 2025, and Bluetooth had already won the phone.

For you, the answer is simple. Keep using the ANT+ sensors you own, they work fine. Buy dual-protocol sensors from here on, because every new device is being built for Bluetooth first. And if you are deep into cycling electronics, expect the transition to take longer there than anywhere else, because nobody has shipped a Bluetooth replacement for radar and electronic shifting yet.

Sources: Garmin's ANT+ program change notice (thisisant.com), DC Rainmaker's January 2025 analysis of the ANT+ wind-down, the ANT+ membership and certification discontinuation dated June 30, 2025, and the EU Radio Equipment Directive cybersecurity requirements (Delegated Regulation 2022/30, EN 18031) effective August 1, 2025.

GPS Just Glitched by 33 Feet Across the US: What Solar Storms Mean for Your Watch

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

In November 2025, the sky put on a show. Auroras appeared at latitudes that almost never see them. Then a team of scientists went back through the data from that storm and found something nobody had seen before: GPS signals across the entire continental US were scrambled hard enough to throw positioning off by more than 10 meters, about 33 feet, in places.

If you run, hike, or race on a watch, that number should make you sit up. Because the same ionosphere that glitched precision farming and confused autonomous vehicles is the one your watch's GPS signals pass through.

What actually happened

The paper, by Endawoke Yizengaw and colleagues and published in Geophysical Research Letters, analyzed the November 12, 2025 geomagnetic storm. It peaked at G4 on NOAA's scale, which earned it the nickname "the Ugly Duckling storm" in a separate analysis. Not the strongest storm on record, but with an unusual side effect.

Multiple coronal mass ejections slammed into Earth's magnetosphere, and energetic particles rained down into the ionosphere, the layer of charged atmosphere that GPS signals have to travel through. That mixing created a huge band of enhanced electron density stretching nearly coast to coast, east to west, across the continental US. Along its edges, density changed sharply, exactly the conditions that produce small-scale irregularities in the signal path.

The effect has a name: amplitude scintillation. The best analogy is an old, uneven pane of glass. Light passing through it comes out distorted. Radio signals passing through a lumpy ionosphere come out scrambled, with strength fluctuating rapidly by the time they reach a receiver on the ground.

Scientists have seen this before, but only near the poles and around the equator, where the ionosphere is naturally rowdy. Mid-latitudes were considered calm. This storm pushed the auroral oval far enough toward the equator that the whole central US ended up inside the disturbance zone. Strong amplitude scintillation spanning this wide a band of longitudes has never been recorded before.

The dumb luck that saved American farming

The paper's most striking passage is about what didn't happen. The authors note that if the storm had hit during farming season, the positioning errors could have cost the American farming and transportation industries heavily.

That's not hypothetical. The May 2024 superstorm, the G5 that lit up skies worldwide, hit mid-planting. Farmers relying on GPS-guided equipment reported real disruption. When John Deere and other precision-ag systems lose position accuracy by meters, tractors plant crooked rows and the losses add up fast.

The November 2025 storm landed in the off-season. Same magnitude of atmospheric chaos, near-zero economic damage. The researchers call that out explicitly as a lesson: industries leaning on precise positioning are exposed to the Sun's schedule, not their own.

So what about your watch?

Here's the honest answer, split into two parts.

What you probably didn't notice: A 10-meter positioning error sounds enormous, and it is, if you're driving a tractor in a straight line or guiding a car without a driver. For a runner on a road, it's noise. Your pace reading is already noisier than that, thanks to sampling intervals, signal multipath between buildings, and wrist position. A solar storm of this scale would mostly show up as a slightly wobblier track, or a segment time a few seconds off. Nobody's marathon result ever hinged on 33 feet.

What matters for GPS watches is the timing. Amplitude scintillation happens when the receiver is struggling to hold the signal at all. Consumer watch chips are designed to degrade gracefully: they interpolate, they lean on accelerometers, they smooth the track. Precision agriculture receivers are trying to achieve centimeter-level fixes using correction signals that scintillation breaks completely. Your watch tolerates what a tractor can't.

The practical risk for watch users is the same as the one we've covered for GPS accuracy in dense environments: it's the moments where the receiver briefly loses lock and then re-acquires it that create the worst jumps in a recorded track. During a strong geomagnetic storm at high-to-mid latitudes, those lock drops become more likely, and your track might show a sudden leap or a phantom shortcut through a building. Not enough to ruin a race, plenty to annoy you on Strava.

Will multi-band help?

This is the question watch companies will eventually have to answer in marketing copy, and the honest answer is: somewhat.

Multi-band receivers (dual-frequency, tri-band) are designed to correct for ionospheric delay by comparing how the same signal travels on different frequencies. But that correction model assumes the ionosphere is a calm, predictable layer. What this paper documents is the opposite: a turbulent, rapidly changing plasma with density spikes changing on scales the correction models don't capture well.

Multi-band helps your watch in the ordinary case, where ionospheric delay is a slow, stable offset. Against amplitude scintillation, where the signal itself is flickering, no frequency combination can reconstruct data that isn't arriving. It's the difference between fog and a strobe light.

There's also the battery argument we've covered before: multi-band chips already cost meaningful battery life on a watch, and solar storms are rare enough events that no manufacturer is going to spend continuous power budget on a once-in-years scenario.

Should you worry about the next storm?

Probably not for your running data. Watch-grade GPS has survived every solar event of the last two decades without a user-facing crisis.

But the trend is worth watching. The paper's core message is about predictability: the Sun is at solar maximum now, mid-latitude ionospheric disturbances are being recorded for the first time at this scale, and industries from farming to autonomous driving are building deeper dependencies on precise positioning every year. The November 2025 storm got lucky with its timing. The May 2024 storm didn't. At some point, a big one will land at the worst possible moment, and everyone building on GPS is quietly hoping it isn't theirs.

For runners, the takeaway is simpler. If you see a bizarre jump in your track on a night when aurora photos are flooding your feed, you now know the ionosphere is the culprit, not your watch, not the app, and not your route.

Sources: Yizengaw et al., "Impacts of Mid-Latitude Ionospheric Dynamics on RF Applications During the November 2025 Superstorm Event," Geophysical Research Letters (2026); ScienceAlert (August 31, 2026); British Geological Survey geomagnetic forecast for November 12, 2025; MDPI Sensors analysis of the November 12, 2025 G4 storm.

Bottom Line

The November 2025 geomagnetic storm produced the first coast-to-coast amplitude scintillation event ever recorded across the mid-latitude US, bending GPS positioning by more than 10 meters in places. For precision agriculture and autonomous vehicles, that's a genuine vulnerability. For your GPS watch, it's mostly a wobblier track and a story for the running group. Multi-band helps with ordinary ionospheric delay but can't fix a signal that's flickering. And the next G4 might not land in the farming off-season.

Fenix 9 Features Are Coming to Older Garmin Watches: The Full Backport List

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:20:00 GMT

If you own a Fenix 8, you don't need to feel left out. Garmin has confirmed that most of the new Fenix 9 software is coming to older watches, and the list is longer than anyone expected. The gap between the two generations just got a lot smaller.

The confirmation came via DC Rainmaker, who checked directly with Garmin about what would make its way back to existing models. The short answer: almost everything that isn't tied to new hardware.

What's coming to your watch

Here's the feature list Garmin confirmed, grouped by what it actually does for you.

Garmin Epic is the headline addition. It lets you bundle several activities from the same trip into one continuous record. If you spend a weekend hiking, cycling, and doing a bit of both, Epic keeps it as one story instead of chopping it into fragments.

The Stamina suite gets a major upgrade:

Stamina Zones, which structure your effort like heart rate zones
Endurance Time, a live estimate of how long you can hold your current output
Longer-term stamina trends, so you can watch your endurance change over weeks instead of staring at one number during a workout

Rowing finally gets real training metrics: VO2 max estimates, FTP estimates, and power zones. Rowers have been waiting for Garmin to take them seriously for years.

Rucking gets better pack weight handling, calorie calculations that break out the burn from the added weight specifically, and structured workouts.

And the smaller stuff that still adds up: Rolling Grade Adjusted Pace and the new Field Tools.

There's also Garmin Locate, the new safety feature from the Fenix 9 launch that lets a trusted contact check your watch's location on demand. That one depends on the Garmin Messenger app setup, and LTE models get phone-free use.

Who gets what

The rollout splits into three tiers:

Virtually all of it: Fenix 8 series (all models), Enduro 3, Tactix 8
A lot of it: Forerunner 970, Forerunner 570, Fenix E, Venu X1
A portion of it: Venu 4, Vivoactive 6, and other watches on Garmin's newer common software platform

No firm date yet. Garmin hasn't announced a rollout schedule, so expect these to arrive in phases through the fall rather than one big update day.

What stays Fenix 9 exclusive

The honest caveat. Three things are not coming back:

The new mapping system. Garmin changed the hardware behind it, so older watches physically can't run it.
Dynamic Battery. The new power management approach also rides on hardware changes.
ArcheryX. The archery mode stays exclusive.

Take those three away, and the list of genuinely Fenix 9-only software is surprisingly short.

Why this time is different

Here's the context that makes this newsworthy. When the Fenix 8 launched, the software split with older watches was much harsher. A lot of Fenix 8 additions simply never reached the Fenix 7 generation, and owners noticed.

This time it's nearly the opposite. The reason is the platform consolidation Garmin did last summer ahead of the Fenix 8 Pro launch: behind the scenes, the company unified its watch software into one common platform (sometimes called GarminOS). Watches on that shared platform can now inherit features almost for free, instead of needing bespoke ports.

That's the real story. Garmin built the plumbing, and the Fenix 9 is the first generation where the plumbing pays off for everyone else.

So should you still buy the Fenix 9?

The backport changes the math, but doesn't erase it. You're still paying for the new hardware: the mapping overhaul, Dynamic Battery, ArcheryX, and whatever physical upgrades the Fenix 9 line brought. If you hike and navigate off-grid, the new mapping alone can justify it.

But if you were on the fence purely because of software, the case just got weak. Buy a Fenix 8 now and Garmin is not going to leave you watching all the new features appear on somebody else's wrist. That's a meaningful shift from the Fenix 7 era, and it's good news for anyone holding a recent Garmin.

Bottom Line

Garmin is shipping the Fenix 9's software suite to the Fenix 8, Enduro 3, Tactix 8, Forerunner 970 and 570, Fenix E, Venu X1, and partially to the Venu 4 and Vivoactive 6. Mapping, Dynamic Battery, and ArcheryX stay exclusive. No rollout date yet, but the direction is clear: for once, upgrading a Garmin generation isn't leaving last year's owners behind.

Huawei Watch D3 Teased: The Blood Pressure Watch Gets Slimmer Before September 2 Launch

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:10:00 GMT

Huawei just gave us the first real look at the Watch D3, and the tagline says everything: "Blood Pressure Management, Made Slimmer." The watch launches September 2, one week before Apple's fall event, and it's aiming at the one health metric almost nobody else on a watch does properly.

What the teaser actually shows

Huawei's teaser clip and images confirm the formula hasn't changed. The Watch D3 is still a rectangular smartwatch with a digital crown and a button below it, built around blood pressure monitoring. What changed is the bulk.

The D2 measured 13.3mm thick, which is genuinely chunky for a wrist, and Huawei's teaser leans hard on a side-on comparison to show how much thinner the D3 case is. The edges are more rounded, the section housing the blood pressure hardware is visibly slimmer, and the whole thing reads less like a medical device strapped to your arm.

Huawei also promises a larger screen, though it doesn't say larger than what. The D2 already had a fairly big 1.82-inch display, so the gain likely comes from thinner bezels. Add the soft straps and new color options mentioned in the launch material, and the pitch is clear: a blood pressure watch you'd actually wear every day.

The cuff is still the point

Here's why the Watch D line matters at all. Most smartwatches that claim blood pressure tracking use optical estimation, which means the watch guesses your pressure from pulse wave analysis. It's convenient and usually vague, and in most markets it isn't cleared as a medical measurement.

The Watch D watches work like an actual blood pressure monitor. The band contains a micro-pump and inflatable airbag that physically compresses your wrist, the same principle as the cuff your doctor uses. Slower, more mechanical, and far more credible.

One of the teaser watch faces drives the point home: systolic and diastolic readings, a blood pressure trend graph, and heart rate front and center. Huawei's own launch material calls the D3 its "next-generation blood pressure monitoring watch," and notably, the company says it has already secured CE-MDR certification in Europe. That's the EU medical device regulation, which means Huawei is continuing to treat the D series as a regulated medical product rather than bolting another estimated metric onto a normal smartwatch.

That certification is the real headline for European buyers. Medical-device status is what separates "this watch measures blood pressure" from "this watch makes an educated guess," and it's a regulatory wall Samsung and Apple haven't climbed with a cuff-based approach.

From model numbers to a product

The D3 isn't exactly a surprise. About a week before the teaser, the watch showed up in certification records under two model numbers, RIV-B10 and RIV-B11. At that point we knew Huawei was building a successor but had no idea what it would look like. The teaser fills that gap.

What we still don't know:

Pricing. The D2 launched at a premium, and the slimming act plus the CE-MDR route suggest the D3 won't undercut it.
Where it will sell. Huawei's D-series availability has been patchy by region, and the teaser doesn't settle which markets get it first.
How much thinner. The teaser shows a visible reduction but no millimeter figure. The D2's 13.3mm is the number to beat.
Battery life. Pumping a cuff takes energy, and slimmer cases mean smaller batteries. Interesting tension to watch in the spec sheet.

The timing is not an accident

September 2 puts the Watch D3 exactly one week ahead of Apple's September 9 event, where we're expecting the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. Apple is widely rumored to keep pushing health sensing, and Samsung already has optical blood pressure on the Galaxy Watch line. Huawei can't out-market either company, but it can own the cuff-based lane nobody else is in.

It's also the third generation of a line Huawei keeps investing in: the original Watch D in 2022, the D2 in 2024, and now the D3. Companies don't iterate on a niche three times unless the niche is working.

Huawei's had a strong year in our coverage too, with the Watch GT Runner 2 proving the company can still ship a proper running watch. The D series is the other half of that identity: health hardware first, smartwatch second.

Bottom Line

The Watch D3 looks like exactly what the D2 should have been at launch: same cuff-based blood pressure credibility, minus the medical-device bulk. CE-MDR certification is already secured, the design looks meaningfully thinner, and Huawei picked a launch date that lets it steal a week of health-watch headlines before Apple takes the stage.

September 2 will answer the price and availability questions. If the D3 lands near D2 pricing with a genuinely slimmer case, it becomes the only serious option for anyone who wants actual blood pressure numbers from their wrist.

Garmin CIRQA Firmware 2.50 Breaks Bluetooth Heart Rate Broadcasting

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

The firmware update Garmin shipped to fix the CIRQA has ended up breaking one of the band's best features. Since firmware 2.50 rolled out on August 20, a growing number of owners report that Bluetooth heart rate broadcasting no longer works, while the ANT+ side of the same feature is completely fine.

If you haven't updated yet and you broadcast your heart rate to Zwift, TrainerRoad, or a bike computer, you might want to wait.

The update that was supposed to help

Firmware 2.50 landed with a one-line changelog: "improvements to OHR." That's optical heart rate, and the update was widely expected to address the dropout bugs owners had been complaining about since the CIRQA's rocky July launch.

Instead, the update introduced a new problem. The original report on the Garmin Forums, from a user named Fedesanga, is a clean before-and-after. On firmware 2.32 and earlier, his CIRQA broadcast heart rate over both ANT+ and Bluetooth to:

Garmin Edge 530 and Edge 840
Zwift on iPad Air
TrainerRoad on iPad Air
Rouvy on iPad Air
Strava on iPhone 15 and iPad Air

After updating to 2.50, everything changed. The Edge computers now loop endlessly between "Connected" and "Disconnected." Rouvy and TrainerRoad on iPad get no heart rate at all. Strava works on his iPhone 15 but fails on the iPad Air. And through it all, ANT+ keeps working normally.

What the symptoms point to

The details in the thread are telling. During the connect-disconnect loops, the CIRQA's module status LED doesn't flash at all. On every device tested, the band shows up as an available Bluetooth heart rate sensor and pairs, but the connection never holds.

That combination (detected, paired, then dropped) suggests something in firmware 2.50 changed the Bluetooth connection parameters themselves, rather than the sensor failing outright. The iPhone 15 still working while the iPad Air doesn't points the same direction: this is a BLE compatibility regression, not broken hardware.

Other owners in the thread are hitting the same wall:

A spin bike computer that stopped working entirely after the update
MyWhoosh over Bluetooth failing, while ANT+ to an Edge 1040 still works
One Zwift racer who had to drop out of a race mid-event because the band paired but disconnected within seconds

One comment stings a little: the owner said broadcasting was "literally the only reason I favored the Garmin over a Fitbit Air or Whoop."

ANT+ is your workaround

Here's the practical bit. Garmin's Edge computers search for ANT+ sensors first by default, so if you delete the CIRQA and re-pair it, it will usually come back as an ANT+ sensor and work fine. That's the workaround getting the most confirmation in the thread, and it matches what the original poster found.

The catch: anything Bluetooth-only is out of luck for now. iPads running Zwift, TrainerRoad, or Rouvy have no ANT+ fallback, and neither do most smart trainers and gym equipment. If your setup is Bluetooth-only, the safest move is to hold off on firmware 2.50 until Garmin ships a fix, or grab a cheap ANT+ dongle if you're on a Mac or PC.

Garmin knows, no ETA yet

A Garmin representative replied in the forum thread, asking for diagnostics (LED behavior, reconnection behavior, detection on iPad) and confirming the problem has been forwarded to the team, with work on a resolution underway. No timeline given. Garmin says any updates on the investigation will be posted in the thread itself, so it's worth bookmarking if you're affected.

This lands on a band that hasn't had an easy few weeks. Since our CIRQA review in early August, the band has gone from launch-week paywall backlash to a firmware update that fixes one bug and creates another. There's even a separate forum thread reporting that 2.50 didn't fully resolve the alarm bug for some users, with the device buzzing on and off through the day.

There's a deeper irony here for Garmin. Broadcasting is exactly the feature that justifies the CIRQA for indoor cyclists and Zwift racers, the people most likely to buy a screenless band over a chest strap. Breaking it on Bluetooth, the protocol virtually all of those apps use, hits the core audience. We covered how ANT+ is slowly dying across the industry, and Bluetooth is supposed to be the replacement. Having the replacement fail while the legacy protocol soldiers on is the kind of detail owners will not forget.

Bottom Line

If you own a CIRQA and use Bluetooth heart rate broadcasting, don't update to 2.50 yet. If you already did, re-pair over ANT+ on any device that supports it and follow the forum thread for Garmin's fix. Garmin says it's on the case, but with no ETA, ANT+ is carrying the load for now.

We'll update this piece when Garmin ships the fix, or when the thread goes quiet.

Garmin Locate Explained: The Fenix 9's New Safety Tool Is Not LiveTrack

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 20:30:00 GMT

Garmin slipped a new safety feature into the Fenix 9 launch almost quietly. The stream spent its time on titanium, brightness, and maps. Garmin Locate got a footnote.

That's a shame, because it answers a question LiveTrack never could: your partner doesn't want to follow your run. They just want to know where you are.

What Garmin Locate Actually Does

Garmin Locate is an on-demand location check built into the Garmin Messenger ecosystem. You designate trusted contacts in the Messenger app. Those people get a View Location option, and when they tap it, Garmin returns a single pin of your watch's last known position.

That's the whole feature, and that's the point. No breadcrumb trail. No live path streaming across a map. One spot check, on request, any time.

It also runs in the background permanently once enabled. You don't start a session, you don't send a link before heading out, and you don't have to remember to do anything. That's the gap it fills: the unplanned walk, the commute, the quick trail run where you never hit start on anything.

Locate vs LiveTrack: Different Jobs

Everyone's first question, answered with Garmin's own framing:

	LiveTrack	Garmin Locate
Who starts it	You, at the start of an activity	A trusted contact, any time
What they see	Continuous live GPS line, updating in real time	One pin: your last known position
Built for	Races, long rides, scheduled workouts	Everyday "are you okay?" checks
Requires an activity	Yes	No

LiveTrack is a broadcast of a workout. Locate is a door someone you trust can knock on whenever they want.

How to Set It Up

Three steps, all controlled from your side:

Add trusted contacts. Open the Garmin Messenger app on your paired phone, go to profile settings, and assign specific people as trusted contacts.
Enable Locate. Turn on Garmin Locate in the watch settings to grant the location-sharing permission.
Done. Your contacts now see the Locate option in Messenger. When they tap it, the system fetches your watch's current position and drops the pin.

Nobody else can look you up. This isn't a public directory. Only people you explicitly name get the option, and you can revoke it.

The Connection Fine Print (Read This Part)

Here's where expectations need adjusting, because Locate is not a satellite feature.

Standard Fenix 9 models: Locate routes through your paired smartphone. Phone has to be on you (or at least connected), phone carries the data.
Fenix 9 Pro inReach models: the watch can send its position directly over LTE with no phone involved, as long as you have an active inReach plan and cell coverage. Leave the phone at home and Locate still works, within LTE range.
No satellite, period. Garmin's own connectivity docs list Locate among features available over phone connection or LTE, but not over satellite. The inReach watches use satellite for SOS, two-way texts, check-ins, and weather. Locate is not on that list.

So if you're three days deep in the backcountry with zero bars, Locate can't update your position until you're back in coverage. It's a convenience and reassurance tool, not an off-grid tracking system. If someone needs to find you past cell range, that's still the job of SOS and interactive emergency messaging, which do ride the satellite link.

Will It Come to Your Watch? Probably Yes

The Fenix 9 launched it, but Locate is not staying a Fenix 9 exclusive. DC Rainmaker's breakdown of the Fenix 9 software rollout lists Garmin Locate among the features coming back to the Fenix 8 series, Enduro 3, Tactix 8, Forerunner 970 and 570, Fenix E, and the Venu X1 series, with pieces extending further to the Venu 4 and Vivoactive 6. That's part of Garmin's bigger shift this generation: for the first time in years, a new Fenix isn't cutting off the previous flagships, because they all run the same consolidated GarminOS platform.

And honestly, the hardware question matters less than it looks. When a reader asked DC Rainmaker whether Locate was limited to the Fenix 9 Pro's LTE connection, Ray Maker's answer was blunt: "For any user with basically any watch that Messenger supports, it doesn't matter what you have." LTE watches like the Fenix 8 Pro LTE simply get the phone-free option on top. He tested it the day before on his wife's non-LTE watch connected through Messenger, and she showed up fine.

One owner in his comments has already run the same test on a plain Fenix 8 AMOLED (non-Pro) over mobile data, and it worked. The requirement there is the newer Garmin Messenger app: version 3.0 on iOS and 3.01 on Android. So if your watch already works with Messenger, expect Locate to reach it when the rollout firmware lands.

Where It Sits in Garmin's Safety Stack

Garmin already carries a crowded drawer of location features, and each one does a different job:

LiveTrack: real-time activity following
Incident Detection: automatically sends your location to emergency contacts after a detected incident
Assistance: you manually alert your emergency contacts
Locate: trusted contacts check your position whenever they want, no incident required

Locate is the only one that requires nothing to happen. No workout, no crash, no button press.

Bottom Line

Garmin didn't sell the Fenix 9 on Locate, and honestly, it's not a reason to buy one. But it's the kind of small, quiet feature that earns its keep in week two of ownership, the first time someone at home wants to know you made it back without texting you mid-descent.

The one thing to internalize before you rely on it: phone or LTE, never satellite. Know that limit and Locate is exactly what it looks like, a simple answer to "where are you?"

Locate ships with the Fenix 9 family; our launch coverage has the full lineup, pricing, and the rest of the inReach connectivity stack.

Sources: Garmin's Fenix 9 manual and safety/tracking documentation, DC Rainmaker's Fenix 9 software feature breakdown (August 25, 2026), Gadgets & Wearables (August 27, 2026), Garmin News (August 27, 2026).

The Fenix 9 Pro Solar Is 14.5% Thicker Than the AMOLED. Orders Open Tomorrow.

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:50:00 GMT

Garmin's Fenix 9 launch story was all about thin. A first-ever full titanium case, a Pro that's 16% slimmer than the Fenix 8 Pro, and the biggest AMOLED the line has ever had. Every word of it true.

But the launch stream spent almost no time on the other Fenix 9 Pro: the Solar. Its spec sheet tells a different story, and it's the one you need to know before Friday, August 28, when orders open for all 34 SKUs.

The Thickness Gap: 14.5% at 47mm

Here are Garmin's own numbers for the Fenix 9 Pro, side by side:

Fenix 9 Pro	47mm	51mm
AMOLED	13.8mm	15.8mm
Solar (MIP)	15.8mm	16.6mm

At 47mm, the Solar is 14.5% thicker than the AMOLED. The punchline: the 47mm Solar is exactly as thick as the 51mm AMOLED. You'd have to size up to get the same wrist presence with the brighter display.

At 51mm the gap narrows to 5% (16.6mm vs 15.8mm), but that still makes the 51mm Solar the thickest watch in the entire Fenix 9 lineup.

Buyers noticed. In r/Garmin's launch thread, one commenter put it bluntly: "I was expecting nothing but was still disappointed by the Fenix 9 solar being thicker and heavier than the Fenix 8 solar." Garmin didn't help by leading every launch visual with the thin titanium AMOLED.

The Screen Gets Smaller Too

Thickness is only half the trade. The Solar models also drop down in display:

47mm Solar: 1.3-inch MIP at 260x260 (the AMOLED 47mm gets a 1.4-inch, 454x454 panel)
51mm Solar: 1.4-inch MIP at 280x280 (the AMOLED 51mm gets the headline 1.5-inch, 466x466 panel)

So the Solar buyer pays more thickness for a smaller, lower-resolution screen. The MIP's counterargument is real, though: it's always visible, it's at its best in direct sunlight, and it costs almost nothing to keep lit. The AMOLED Pro panels, by contrast, run up to 3,000 nits.

Two more Solar caveats:

No 43mm Solar. Small wrists are AMOLED-only this generation.
Power Sapphire lens on the Solar models (standard sapphire on the AMOLED), same split as the Fenix 8.

Battery: The Solar Math Is Closer Than You Think

Without any sun at all, the two displays are nearly tied. Garmin Rumors' breakdown of Garmin's spec sheets:

47mm: 18 days smartwatch mode (AMOLED) vs 21 days (Solar)
51mm: 31 days (AMOLED) vs 30 days (Solar)

At the big size, the AMOLED actually edges the Solar in smartwatch mode without sun. The Solar's advantage shows up where you'd expect:

Smartwatch with solar: 21-30 days, stretching to 34-57 days with charging
GPS only with solar: 132-186 hours, up to a headline 1,000 hours at the top end

Garmin's solar figures assume all-day wear plus three hours outside daily in 50,000 lux. If your training happens at dawn, indoors, or under canopy, discount those numbers hard.

One number Garmin hasn't published at all: always-on display battery life for the AMOLED. Unlike past AMOLED launches, there are no AOD figures on the spec sheet yet. If you run always-on, that's the number that actually decides your charging routine, and right now nobody outside Garmin knows it.

Which One Should You Buy?

Pick the AMOLED if: you want the thinner watch, the brighter and bigger screen, and faster-feeling maps on that 1.5-inch panel. This is the watch Garmin built the generation around, and it's the default choice for most wrists.
Pick the Solar if: you do genuinely long days outside (ultras, thru-hikes, expedition climbing), you charge weekly or less, and you don't mind the extra 2mm at 47mm. The 1,000-hour GPS ceiling is the only spec in this lineup nobody else can touch.
Skip the 51mm Solar for battery reasons. The AMOLED 51mm already does 31 days in smartwatch mode without sun. At that size, Solar only pays off if you're truly living off-grid.
Fenix 8 Solar owners: the new Solar is thicker than the watch you're wearing. If thickness is why you wear a Fenix, test the 47mm Solar in person before ordering.

Bottom Line

The Fenix 9 Pro AMOLED is the thinner, brighter, more modern watch, and Garmin knows it: that's the one that got the titanium story and the launch-stage time. The Solar remains the endurance specialist, but this year it asks more of your wrist than ever for the privilege.

Orders open tomorrow, Friday August 28, on Garmin.com. Our full Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro launch coverage has the complete lineup, all 34 SKUs, and the two upgrades that didn't ship.

Sources: Garmin's Fenix 9 product pages, Garmin Rumors (August 25, 2026 thickness breakdown), the Garmin Wiki Fenix 9 spec compilation, and r/Garmin.

Apple Just Confirmed It: September 9, 'Surprise and Shine.' Here's What the Series 12 and Ultra 4 Will (and Won't) Bring

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Apple made it official on Tuesday: Wednesday, September 9, 10am Pacific, Apple Park, under the tagline "Surprise and Shine." Invites are out, and the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are expected on stage alongside the iPhone 18 lineup and Apple's first foldable phone.

Two weeks to go. Here's where the rumor picture actually stands, including one correction we owe you.

First, a Correction: The Ultra 4 Redesign Isn't Coming

Back in June, we ran a piece headlining an Apple Watch Ultra 4 redesign: 15% slimmer, with an eight-sensor rear array, sourced to DigiTimes.

More recent reporting points the other way. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says he does not expect major design changes on either the Series 12 or Ultra 4 versus the current models, and Gadgets & Wearables, which tracked the same DigiTimes claim, now says to put weight on the no-redesign side unless physical leaks start appearing. So consider our June redesign story walked back. Same shapes, same sizes, by all current evidence.

What Will (Probably) Ship

A real chip upgrade, finally. This is the headline. The Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3 all ran on silicon that stayed architecturally close to the S9 from 2023. Gurman reports both new watches get "a long-awaited bump in chips and speed," with leaked internal Apple code pointing to a genuinely new processor this year. If you've been holding a watch because it felt fine but slow, this is the change aimed at you.

Battery life as the priority. One established leaker claims Apple is prioritizing battery through a larger cell and better efficiency. The Series 11 already moved the standard rating from 18 to 24 hours last year, and another jump would make overnight sleep tracking meaningfully easier. The Ultra 3 already does up to 42 hours normal, 72 in Low Power Mode, and no equally solid report promises a big leap there this year.

More satellite, but not Ultra-4-exclusive. Apple is expected to expand satellite features: Apple Maps over satellite, and sending or receiving photos through Messages. The catch: those are expected to reach the Ultra 3 too, as watchOS 27 and network improvements. They're not reasons to buy the Ultra 4 specifically.

watchOS 27 does a lot of the heavy lifting. Siri AI on the wrist, a dedicated Siri app, a dynamic app grid, a new single-tap gesture, expanded Workout Buddy (including working without your iPhone nearby), better indoor run and walk distance estimates, new fitness-history insights, and expanded Cycle Tracking covering perimenopause and menopause. Some of the "new watch" story is really a software story this year.

Ceramic, maybe. Apple last sold a ceramic Watch with the Series 5, and ceramic case options are floated as a plausible Series 12 addition. Plausible, not promised.

What Probably Won't

Touch ID. References to an internal "AppleMesa" codename showed up in leaked software and sparked fingerprint speculation, but the reporting has gone steadily colder. Claims of a sensor built into the band are even shakier.
An Apple Watch SE 4. Gurman says no SE refresh this year; the SE 3 holds the entry slot.
A blood pressure surprise, probably. Apple already shipped hypertension notifications with the Series 11. DigiTimes reports another blood pressure-related feature is going through regulatory review, but it's unclear whether that's new hardware or an extension of the existing system.

Who Should Care?

Series 11 or Ultra 3 owners: the upgrade case looks weak on current evidence. Same design, same sensor story, with a faster chip as the main hardware argument. Unless battery life jumps further than reported, this looks like a skip year.

Series 8, Series 9, or older: this one's aimed at you. Three generations of watchOS features, a genuine chip jump, and possibly better battery life make a real difference from where you're sitting. That's especially true because the watchOS 27 cutoff dropped five older models entirely, a decision now being challenged in court.

Bottom Line

"Surprise and Shine" is a tagline doing a lot of work for what's shaping up to be a conservative hardware year for the Watch. The chip is the story, the battery is the hope, and the redesign everyone expected earlier this summer isn't coming.

We'll have full coverage on September 9. Until then, our Series 12 everything-we-know roundup and Ultra 4 rumor tracker carry the full paper trail, corrections included.

Sources: MacRumors, Tom's Guide, MacStories, BGR (event confirmation, August 26, 2026); Bloomberg Power On via 9to5Mac (Gurman chip and design reporting); Gadgets & Wearables (August 26 watch rundown); Apple's watchOS 27 page.

Garmin Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro Launch: Prices, Specs, and What Didn't Ship

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Garmin just turned the rumor mill into a product page. At the "Play Harder" livestream this morning, the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro became official, they're already listed on Garmin.com, and orders open Friday, August 28.

The headline numbers: a first-ever full titanium Fenix case, Garmin's first 1.5-inch AMOLED display, panels twice as bright as the Fenix 8, 64GB of storage across the board, and a rebuilt mapping engine that Garmin says pans 30% faster. Prices run from $999.99 for the base Fenix 9 up to $1,399.99 for the top Pro inReach.

Just as telling is what didn't ship. No new heart rate sensor, and no Enduro 4, despite the code trail we've been tracking for weeks. More on that below.

The Lineup: Three Tiers, Five Watch Types

Garmin restructured the generation. Instead of the Fenix 8 pattern, where the Pro arrived months later as a separate release, the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro launched together, and inReach connectivity is now an option within the Pro tier rather than its own product generation.

Tier	Sizes	Display	LTE / Satellite	Starting Price
Fenix 9	43mm, 47mm, 51mm	AMOLED	No	$999.99
Fenix 9 Pro	43mm, 47mm, 51mm AMOLED; 47mm, 51mm Solar	AMOLED or MIP Solar	No	$1,099.99
Fenix 9 Pro inReach	Same as Pro	AMOLED or MIP Solar	Yes	$1,199.99

Full US pricing runs $999.99 to $1,149.99 for the Fenix 9, $1,099.99 to $1,249.99 for the Pro, and $1,199.99 to $1,399.99 for the Pro inReach. That's 34 SKUs at launch.

The base Fenix 9 keeps the Fenix 8's hardware recipe: fiber-reinforced polymer body with metal front and rear plates. What it gains is the generation's software, the brighter AMOLED, double the storage, and sapphire lens, leakproof inductive buttons, and a 40m dive rating across every model.

One genuinely new thing for small wrists: inReach now comes in 43mm. The Fenix 8 Pro was only ever sold in 47mm and 51mm.

Fenix 9 Pro: First Titanium Fenix, and 16% Thinner

The Pro is the star of this generation, and it's about the case. Industrial Design Director Mike Barczak walked through a new nano-molding process that bonds metal and plastic at the molecular level, letting Garmin make the titanium harder and thinner.

The hard number from the stream: the 47mm Pro is 16% thinner than the Fenix 8 Pro. That's 13.8mm versus 16.0mm, which puts it right back at Fenix 8 thickness, even though the inReach versions carry the same LTE and satellite radios. The 51mm Pro comes in at 15.8mm, and the 43mm at 13.3mm.

Weights for the AMOLED Pro models: 62g (43mm), 78g (47mm), 99g (51mm) with band, or 45g, 56g, and 73g case-only.

Other Pro details: leak-proof buttons, sapphire lens, sensor guards in orange, titanium, and black, new ComfortFit fabric bands on the QuickFit connector, and a flashlight that adds a green mode on Pro models (white and red on everything).

Display: Garmin's First 1.5-Inch AMOLED

The 51mm Pro gets a 1.5-inch AMOLED at 466x466, the largest Fenix display ever, extending the screen 15% beyond the Fenix 8 without growing the case. The 47mm stays at 1.4 inches (454x454) and the 43mm at 1.3 inches (416x416).

Brightness is the other story. Garmin says the AMOLED panels are twice as bright as the Fenix 8, with Pro models rated at up to 3,000 nits. That puts Garmin level with the brightest AMOLEDs in the entire GPS watch market.

Maps and Storage: The Usability Upgrade

This is the change most owners will feel daily. Both the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro run a new mapping engine, backed by 50% more RAM than the Fenix 8:

Map panning is 30% faster than the Fenix 8
Round-trip route calculation is 40% faster than the Fenix 8 Pro
Zoom moves more fluidly between levels, with a new perspective view
Next Fork scans ahead for junctions; ClimbPro plans climbs off elevation data; PacePro recommends paces from structured training

Storage doubles to 64GB on every model, room for roughly twice as many maps and up to 7,000 songs.

Battery Life

Garmin published ranges across sizes and modes. The span is wide because the smaller 43mm cell and the solar charging math pull in opposite directions:

Mode	Pro AMOLED	Pro Solar	Fenix 9
Smartwatch	10-31 days	21-30 days (34-57 with solar)	Up to 29 days (51mm)
Battery saver	15-42 days	37-52 days (119-291 with solar)	n/a published
GPS only	50-151 hrs (max battery)	132-186 hrs (740-1,000 with solar)	n/a published

The solar GPS numbers are the jaw-dropper: up to 1,000 hours with sun. Garmin has not published always-on display figures yet, which we'll fill in once the spec sheets settle.

Software: Epic, Stamina Curves, Rucking, Rowing

Garmin Epic is the new flagship software feature: a free Garmin Connect tool that groups multiple activities into one shareable story. An Epic can run up to 92 days, tracking cumulative distance, calories, sleep, recovery, and HRV status the whole time. You can add old activities after the fact, attach notes and photos, and share the whole thing with friends. Garmin demoed it with a Tour du Mont Blanc timeline.

Enhanced stamina adds a stamina curve and personal stamina zones to real-time stamina, plus maximal tolerable duration and distance in Connect. The curve learns from all of your training and gives predictions across any distance. Ultrarunner Cat Bradley introduced it on the stream.

Smaller additions: rucking now accounts better for loaded training (built with GORUCK), and rowing gets a VO2 max.

inReach and LTE

The connectivity stack carries over from the Fenix 8 Pro, but the packaging is smarter. What's new on the experience side:

LiveTrack is more detailed: live distance, time, pace, elevation, charts, and splits while someone is still out
Position and messages can be shared with Garmin Messenger users over LTE, with an eye icon in the thread showing LiveTrack status
Texts can go to pre-selected contacts
Weather can come direct to the watch over LTE or satellite, on request
Interactive SOS messaging to Garmin Response is included
You get 12 months of free emergency messaging after suspending your plan

What Didn't Ship

Two things everyone was watching for didn't happen.

No Elevate Gen 6. The Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro keep the Elevate Gen 5 optical sensor, the same generation as the Fenix 8 and Fenix 8 Pro. The widely floated expectation was a Gen 6 jump bringing blood pressure trends and better passive ECG, closing the gap with Apple, Samsung, and Whoop. That didn't materialize. If health sensor hardware was your upgrade trigger, this generation is not it.

No Enduro 4. This one stings a little, because the evidence looked airtight: Garmin Connect 5.26 shipped with an Enduro_4 entry, product ID 5179, codename GOBI, and Connect 5.27 added six unreleased devices in two groups of three. We laid out that trail in our August 25 event preview, alongside the theory that the six codenames matched a three-model Fenix family from our Fenix 9 launch coverage and the three-model simultaneous launch reporting. The three-tier Fenix family turned out to be right; the Enduro 4 simply wasn't part of today's show, even though that Connect entry still sits in Garmin's own app. Our Enduro 4 leak breakdown remains the best read on where it likely lands. Garmin also showed no "Fenix E," and a MARQ Gen 3 built on this platform is still expected weeks from now.

Should You Upgrade?

From a Fenix 8 AMOLED: the jump is real but incremental. Brighter display, 64GB, faster maps, and a thinner case if you go Pro. Same heart rate sensor, same GPS foundation.
From a Fenix 8 Pro: you now have a choice Garmin never gave you before, a Pro without LTE radios for $1,099.99. The 16% thinner case and faster mapping are the tangible wins.
From a Fenix 7 or older: this is a full generational leap in display, storage, mapping, and build. Easy yes if you were already shopping.
Enduro 3 owners: hold. The ultra-battery watch you bought for is still competitive, and the Enduro 4 is almost certainly still coming.

Bottom Line

"Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro are purpose-built for those who want to perform better and venture farther," said Susan Lyman, Garmin's VP of Consumer Sales and Marketing, at the launch.

That tracks. This generation is about materials, brightness, and usability: titanium done right, a display that matches anything on the market, and maps that finally keep up with your thumb. The missing Gen 6 sensor is the one genuine disappointment, and the Enduro 4's absence means the ultra-endurance crown stays on the Enduro 3 for now.

Orders open Friday, August 28, on Garmin.com.

Sources: Garmin's Play Harder livestream and Garmin.com listings (August 25, 2026), Garmin Rumors, and the Garmin Wiki spec compilation.

Amazfit Balance Ultra Review: Does the $600 Price Tag Hold Up?

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 16:30:00 GMT

The Amazfit Balance Ultra is the most expensive watch Amazfit has ever made, and it lands with a question attached: is $599.99 justified?

The spec sheet says yes. Grade 5 titanium, sapphire glass, a 3,000-nit AMOLED, 30 days of battery, and 50 hours of continuous GPS. But since we covered the launch in June, a month's worth of real-world usage reports has come in, and the picture is more interesting than the press release. Here's the full rundown.

If you're already torn between this and the cheaper Balance 3, our Balance Ultra vs Balance 3 head-to-head has the side-by-side. This one is about the Ultra on its own terms.

Build: Premium That You Can Actually Feel

The Balance Ultra is a big watch. The case measures 51.8 x 51.8mm, and at 57g without a strap, it has real presence. Early wearers with wrists around 7 inches report it completely engulfing the wrist, though the titanium keeps it lighter than it looks, and comfort over multiple days is a non-issue.

The materials are the point here. Grade 5 titanium for the bezel, frame, buttons, and back cover. Sapphire glass over the display. Both are the same materials Garmin uses on the Fenix 8 and Apple uses on the Watch Ultra 2, and at $599.99, they should be.

Details that stand out in daily use:

Five physical buttons, all titanium. Three on the left (notifications, LifeLoad health log, Zepp Flow AI assistant), a crown that opens workout modes, and a right-side button for back/app access. Buttons matter when your hands are sweaty mid-set.
A dual-color flashlight, red and white. Small thing, genuinely useful for early morning starts.
10 ATM water resistance with freediving support to 45m and recreational scuba modes. Rare on a running-focused watch.
64GB of storage for offline maps, music, and route files.

Display: The Brightest in the Lineup

The 1.5-inch AMOLED peaks at 3,000 nits with sapphire protection. That's brighter than almost anything Garmin sells (most sit between 1,000 and 2,000 nits), and it's the same panel spec as the Balance 3. In direct sunlight, readability is excellent, and the extra real estate helps with data-heavy training screens and map navigation.

Battery: Claimed vs. Reality

Amazfit's battery claims for the Ultra are aggressive:

Mode	Claimed
Typical use	Up to 30 days
Heavy use	Up to 15 days
Always-On Display	Up to 10 days
High-accuracy GPS	Up to 50 hours
Power-saving GPS	Up to 97 hours

Real-world reports are landing close to those numbers. One month-long test with Always-On Display enabled (a battery killer on any watch) averaged about 10 days per charge on the 780 mAh cell, with a mix of running, walking, and gym sessions. That matches the AOD claim almost exactly, which is a good sign. Without AOD, expect to stretch toward two weeks or more.

The 50-hour GPS figure matters if you race ultramarathons or spend long days in the mountains. It beats most Garmin watches in this price range, which typically sit in the 30-40 hour band.

GPS and Training Accuracy

The Ultra uses dual-band GPS across six satellite systems, paired with the new BioTracker 6.0 optical sensor (5 photodiodes, 2 LEDs). Month-long testing found GPS paths, distance, and pace to be spot-on against known routes, with run data covering cadence, ground contact time, stride, and per-mile splits.

Where the Ultra shows its limits is strength training. Rep counting and muscle targeting are hit or miss. One extended test logged a full-body dumbbell session as 119 overhead triceps extensions. This is a weakness shared across nearly every smartwatch, Amazfit included, but if accurate lifting analytics are your priority, know this going in.

Sleep tracking reads accurately: duration, stages, respiratory rate, resting heart rate, and daily insights with improvement tips. Stress and recovery tracking feed into the HybridCharge system described below.

The Hybrid Training System

The Balance Ultra runs Zepp OS 6 with Amazfit's Hybrid Training System, built around one idea: you don't train in neat single-sport blocks, so your watch shouldn't score you that way either.

HybridCharge combines three signals into one readiness picture:

BioCharge: daily energy based on HRV, sleep, stress, and recovery
LifeLoad: cumulative strain from training plus everyday life
Training Load: strain from structured workouts

The practical payoff is the "should I push today or recover" answer before you lace up. Supporting tools include Weekly Focus, Training Balance across strength/endurance/recovery, and hybrid plans that mix running with lifting.

And because Amazfit is the official wearable partner of HYROX, the Ultra includes HYROX training plans, race simulations, virtual pacing for run-workout intervals, and per-station post-race analytics. If you race HYROX, no other brand has invested this deeply in the format. Our Balance 3 and Ultra launch coverage goes deeper on the whole system.

Balance Ultra vs Cheetah 2 Ultra: The Same-Money Question

Here's the comparison most buyers actually need. The Balance Ultra and the Cheetah 2 Ultra both cost $599.99. Which one you want depends on how you train:

Cheetah 2 Ultra is the pure running watch. Trail-focused navigation, lighter priorities for road and trail racing, and the running-first feature set. If 90% of your workouts are running, this is the one. Our Cheetah 2 Pro vs Ultra breakdown covers that family.
Balance Ultra is the hybrid athlete's watch. Same-tier display and GPS, but adds the Hybrid Training System, HYROX tools, strength programming, diving modes, and a bigger 780 mAh battery. If your week mixes running, lifting, and functional fitness, the Balance Ultra is built for exactly that schedule.

Same price, different jobs.

Who Should Buy the Balance Ultra?

Buy it if you're:

A hybrid athlete mixing running, lifting, and functional fitness most weeks
A HYROX competitor who wants race-specific tooling
An ultrarunner or adventure racer who needs 50+ hours of GPS
Someone coming from a Fenix or Apple Watch Ultra who wants the same build quality for less

Skip it if:

You mostly run. The Cheetah 2 Ultra does that job at the same price, and the Balance 3 handles it for $230 less.
You want 90% of this experience at a smarter price. The Balance 3 shares the display, GPS, and Hybrid Training System at $369.99.

Bottom Line

The Balance Ultra is Amazfit's statement watch, and for the first time, the statement mostly holds up. Titanium and sapphire at $599 undercuts the Apple Watch Ultra 2 by $200 while matching Garmin's flagship materials. Real-world battery results are tracking close to the claims, GPS accuracy reports are strong, and the Hybrid Training System is a genuinely different take on readiness that Garmin hasn't copied.

The caveats are real too. It's a large watch, strength rep counting is unreliable, and the software ecosystem is still thinner than Garmin's for niche sports. But for the hybrid athlete it's built for, the Balance Ultra is the most convincing premium Amazfit yet.

This review draws on Amazfit's official specs and early extended-use reports from third-party testers. Long-term testing from our own wrists will follow in a future update.

Garmin Sets Official August 25 Event: Fenix 9 and Enduro 4 Expected to Land Tuesday

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

The guessing is over. Garmin just published an official YouTube premiere for Tuesday, August 25, and everything about it points to the next generation of outdoor watches.

The event is titled "Garmin Event | Play Harder," premieres at 7AM ET (4AM Pacific), and shows a teaser of a surfer launching off a wave. Garmin describes the occasion with one line: "engineered on the inside for life on the outside."

That's it. That's everything Garmin has officially said. No products named, no specs, no invites. But after months of leaks inside Garmin's own software, we have a pretty good idea what Tuesday is about.

What Garmin Has Actually Confirmed

Very little, officially. Here's the full confirmed list:

A YouTube premiere titled "Garmin Event | Play Harder" (the premiere page is live now)
Date and time: Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 7AM ET / 4AM PT / 12PM UK
Teaser image: a surfer airborne off a wave
Tagline: "engineered on the inside for life on the outside"

Garmin hasn't named a single product. Which, for a company this careful with launch choreography, is itself a signal. Garmin doesn't schedule premiere events for software updates.

The Enduro 4 Case Is Basically Closed

Start with the strongest evidence, because this one has a paper trail Garmin itself created.

Back in June, an APK teardown of Garmin Connect 5.26 turned up a device registry entry for "Enduro_4," complete with an internal product ID (5179) and the fitness/outdoor/golf/wellness category flags Garmin assigns to its multisport flagships. It wasn't there in version 5.25. We covered the full leak at the time in our Enduro 4 deep dive.

Then Garmin did something interesting. In Connect 5.27, the "Enduro_4" name vanished from the code, but product 5179 stayed, now tied to the codename GOBI. That's the move a company makes when it realizes it leaked early and tidies up before launch.

The timing closes the loop. Garmin launched the Enduro 3 on August 27, 2024. This event lands on August 25, 2026, two days shy of the two-year mark. The Enduro line has never broken its August rhythm: Enduro 2 in August 2022, Enduro 3 in August 2024, and now this.

If any single product is a lock for Tuesday, it's the Enduro 4.

The Fenix 9 Family: Six Mystery Devices in Two Groups of Three

The Fenix 9 case is a step less certain, but the clues have been stacking up for weeks.

Connect 5.27 introduced a larger batch of unreleased devices, and six of them stand out. They split into two groups of three: one using the names MARGAY_CARACAL, BENGAL_SIBERIAN, and PANTHER, the other using TORR_SNARF, LEAH_CHEETARA, and WILYCUB_PANTHRO. All six carry the same high-end fitness/outdoor/golf/wellness classification as the Enduro entry.

Two groups of three fits awfully neatly with the Fenix 9 lineup rumor we broke down earlier this month: three tiers (standard Fenix 9, Fenix 9 Pro, and Fenix 9 Pro inReach) potentially coming in two hardware configurations. Our full Fenix 9 lineup breakdown covers the details, including the long-rumored 43mm Pro size fix and the surprise survival of MIP displays on the Pro tiers.

There's a wildcard in the pile too. Garmin has other internal products in development, including one codenamed BRISTLECONE, and nothing says the event is limited to two product families. Garmin could stretch the runtime with accessories or software announcements. Just don't expect BRISTLECONE to be the headliner.

Why the Anniversary Timing Matters

Garmin ran almost exactly this play before. On August 27, 2024, the company livestreamed a joint launch: the Fenix 8 series and the Enduro 3, announced together, on the same day.

Tuesday's event sits two days short of that anniversary, in the same month, on the same cadence, with the same two product families sitting in Garmin's unreleased device registry. CEO Cliff Pemble has been priming investors all year, calling 2026 "a very active year for outdoor" and pointing to stronger back-half performance from product launches. We've been tracking those signals since February in our Fenix 9 launch outlook, and this is the first hard date attached to any of it.

One honest caveat: nothing here is official until Garmin says it. A few watchers still think Garmin might split the launch, announcing the Enduro 4 Tuesday and holding the Fenix 9 for a few weeks later. The three-model Fenix family is also the least certain piece, since the six mystery codenames are circumstantial. Treat the lineup as very likely, not confirmed.

How to Watch

When: Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 7AM ET / 4AM PT / 12PM UK
Where: Garmin's official YouTube premiere (live now as a premiere page, so you can set a reminder)

If you're on the West Coast like us, yes, that's a 4AM alarm. Worth setting, given how long this generation has been brewing.

Bottom Line

Garmin has spent the summer leaking its own launch, piece by piece: an Enduro 4 in its app code, a GOBI codename, six unreleased flagship devices, and a CEO talking up the biggest outdoor year in company history. Now there's an actual date on the calendar, two days from the Fenix 8 anniversary.

Tuesday morning should answer the two questions that matter: whether the Fenix 9 really comes in three tiers, and whether Garmin finally brings connected features to smaller wrists. We'll be watching live and will have a full rundown of everything announced as soon as the stream ends.

Polar H12: A Decade-Old Chest Strap Looks Due for a Replacement

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:20:00 GMT

The Polar H10 has been the chest strap that every other heart rate sensor gets measured against since 2017. Nine years is a lifetime in wearable years, and Polar knows it.

Now there's hard evidence a successor is in the works. A teardown of the latest Polar Flow app turned up references to an unreleased Polar H12 heart rate sensor, and this is more than a stray string in the code.

What the App Code Reveals

Digging through Polar Flow 7.36.2, a release Polar officially describes as a minor connectivity-fix update, surfaced a device specification class internally named "PolarSensorGardener."

Inside it: the names Polar H12 and H12.

The supporting evidence stacks up from there:

The app identifies the device as a heart-rate sensor and allows it to be registered as a sensor in Flow's pairing flow.
H12 appears in Flow's sensor registration code alongside the company's existing lineup: H6, H7, H9, H10, Polar Pro, OH1, and the Sense arm band.
H12 is listed among sensors that support Polar's Fitness Test, meaning it's wired into the platform's feature logic, not just a name in a list.
Flow's internal device-handling logic includes it among devices considered published.

The Placeholder Text Is the Tell

Here's the detail that makes this look like real, in-progress product work rather than abandoned code.

The Gardener class still contains placeholder product text: "Polar xxx Heart Rate Sensor" and "Polar xxx," with one support link still pointing at the existing H10's documentation.

That combination is a familiar pattern in app leaks. It suggests Polar has built the working device profile, the registration plumbing, the feature support, before finishing the consumer-facing copy. The skeleton is in place; the skin isn't.

What We Don't Know: Everything About the Hardware

Here's the honest limit of this leak. There are no specifications in the code. No battery life, no connectivity changes, no new sensing capabilities, no price, no design. We know Polar is building an H12-class sensor; we have zero visibility into what it actually does differently.

That leaves the interesting questions open. The H10's formula, ECG-accurate chest-strap readings, Bluetooth and ANT+, swim-proof, 400-hour battery, is still competitive. The obvious upgrade paths would be better strap comfort and durability (the eternal H10 complaint), more memory for offline recording, or new sensing entirely. But none of that is in the leak. It's speculation from here down.

The Polar Pulse Question

There's one adjacent thread worth watching. Polar filed a "Polar Pulse" trademark in Europe on July 9 and in the US on July 15, covering wearable devices, biometric measurements, software, and exercise coaching.

Could Polar Pulse be the H12's marketing name? Maybe. But whoever dug through the Flow code found nothing tying Polar Pulse to H12 or the Gardener codename, and the trademark language is broad enough to cover almost anything Polar might ship. For now, treat them as two separate mysteries.

One more honesty note: as of this writing, the app teardown is the only source for the H12 itself. We couldn't independently confirm the trademark filings or find a second outlet with its own evidence. That's normal this early in a leak cycle, but it's worth knowing before you get excited.

Why Now Makes Sense

Polar's current official sensor page lists three heart rate products: the H9, the H10, and the Verity Sense optical arm band. The H10 is the flagship, and it launched in 2017. In a market where competitors have refreshed their chest straps multiple times since, a nine-year-old flagship is an obvious gap.

Polar also has a habit of launching sensors quietly and letting them earn their reputation through accuracy testing rather than launch events. If the H12 follows that pattern, don't expect a spectacle. Expect a spec sheet and a strap.

Bottom Line

The Polar H12 appears to be real, early, and in active development inside Polar Flow. The app has a complete device profile with placeholder marketing text, which usually means a launch is planned but not imminent.

If you're shopping for a chest strap today, the H10 remains the buy. If you can wait, the first genuine successor to the best chest strap of the last decade looks like it's finally coming.

For how chest straps compare against the new wave of optical wearables, see our GPS watch trends coverage and our Polar Street X review.

Suunto Race 3 Just Cleared Certification, and the Missing Piece Finally Fits

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:10:00 GMT

We love Suunto Watches. Three weeks ago we told you about the Suunto Race 3 leak: two unreleased watches, the Race 3 and Race 3 S, exposed through Suunto's own indexed website copy. The hardware details were solid. The launch timing was a mystery.

Now a regulatory trail is filling in that gap, and it also corrects one thing we got wrong in the early going.

What Just Happened

A new Suunto device appeared in Singapore's IMDA certification database under model number OW266. The filing is terse, the way regulatory filings always are: an "Outdoor Watch" from Suunto, listed in the Low Power Radio Equipment category with multiple radio interfaces, supplied by EDPLUS PTE. LTD.

None of that sounds exciting until you notice two things.

First, OW265 appeared at IMDA earlier through the exact same supplier. Two unidentified Suunto outdoor watches, adjacent model numbers, same certification path, within weeks of each other.

Second, we finally know what OW261 is, and it's not a Race watch. An earlier report had identified OW261 and OW265 as the Race 3 and Race 3 S, but that pairing is now dead. OW261 turned out to be the Suunto Run 2, which showed up at the FCC with finished retail packaging carrying the Run 2 name, dual-frequency GPS, and 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi. There's very little ambiguity there.

So the Race 3 identity that OW261 was borrowing needs a new home. And now there are exactly two unidentified Suunto outdoor watches sitting in sequential model numbers.

Why OW265 + OW266 Almost Certainly Means Race 3 + Race 3 S

Let's line up what we know against what we're missing.

What's confirmed: Suunto is building two watches called the Race 3 and Race 3 S. We know this from the July leak, where Suunto's own indexed marketing copy described both devices.

What we have now: two unidentified outdoor watches, OW265 and OW266, both certified through the same supplier at IMDA in the same window.

Two unreleased Race watches, two unidentified certification entries, adjacent numbers. That's not proof, and sequential model numbers shouldn't be overinterpreted, companies don't always assign regulatory codes neatly by product family. But the pieces fit far better than they did when OW261 was still floating around as a false candidate.

What the IMDA records do not tell us is which is which. OW266 could be the Race 3 or the Race 3 S. Same uncertainty for OW265. And notably, equivalent FCC filings haven't surfaced publicly yet, so the U.S. regulatory trail is still quiet.

A Quick Refresher on the Watches Themselves

From the July leak, here's what Suunto's own copy said:

Race 3 S (coming first):

1.32-inch AMOLED display
Sapphire glass
Dual-band GNSS
Lightweight, trail-focused positioning

Race 3 (later in 2026):

1.5-inch AMOLED display
Mineral glass, an unusual choice for the flagship
Extended battery life
Dual-band GNSS

The glass split is still the weirdest detail in the lineup: sapphire on the smaller model, mineral glass on the flagship. If scratch resistance matters to you, the "cheaper" watch might actually be the tougher one.

And hanging over both is the AI Coach subscription news from the original leak: a three-month free trial, then a paywall. That's the part the community was, and still is, fired up about.

What This Means for Timing

Certification doesn't equal launch, but it's one of the last boxes a product checks before shipping. IMDA clearance means the radios are approved for the Singapore market, and it typically happens when a device is close to market-ready, not in early prototyping.

Combine that with the July leak's language, Race 3 S "available first," Race 3 "later in 2026," and the picture sharpens: the Race 3 S looks like the imminent one, with the Race 3 following inside this calendar year. If Suunto keeps its usual cadence, an announcement within weeks would not surprise us.

Bottom Line

One correction, one confirmation, one open question.

Correction: OW261 is the Suunto Run 2, not a Race watch. The early OW261-as-Race-3 identification was wrong.
Confirmation: two Suunto outdoor watches (OW265, OW266) are through IMDA certification via the same supplier, and they're the strongest candidates yet for the Race 3 and Race 3 S.
Open question: which model number maps to which watch, and whether the FCC filings that would confirm it ever go public.

Watch for FCC entries for OW265/OW266, which would give us the retail-box confirmation OW261 gave the Run 2. That's the moment this goes from "strong working theory" to confirmed.

Three Patents Suggest Garmin Is Serious About Wrist-Based Blood Sugar Tracking

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Back in February, a Garmin patent for wrist-based HbA1c tracking looked like an interesting one-off. It doesn't anymore.

Three separate filings are now converging on the same idea: estimating blood sugar markers from your wrist using light, no finger pricks, no sensors stuck in your arm. And the timing lands right as the Fenix 9 rumor mill hits peak heat.

Let's separate what the patents actually say from what people want them to say.

What the HbA1c Patent Describes

First, a quick reality check on what HbA1c even is. Glycated hemoglobin measures the percentage of your red blood cells carrying glucose, and it reflects your average blood sugar over roughly three months. It's the long-term view, not a live reading.

That distinction matters. Garmin's patent does not describe a continuous glucose monitor replacement. There's no live glucose number here, the way a Dexcom or Abbott CGM gives you one. Instead, the watch would shine several different wavelengths of light into the wrist, read the PPG (photoplethysmography) signals, and use those to estimate glycated hemoglobin. Think of it as a quarterly report on your metabolic health rather than a live ticker.

That's still a huge deal if it works. HbA1c is the number doctors use to diagnose and manage diabetes, and no consumer smartwatch can measure it today.

The other notable development: Garmin's HbA1c patent application is still pending, and it received a non-final USPTO Office Action in March, meaning formal examination is underway. An Office Action isn't an endorsement, it can include objections or rejected claims, but it does mean the application is moving through the system rather than sitting in a queue.

The Patent That Solves the Hard Part

Here's where it gets more interesting than a single speculative filing.

A separate Garmin patent called "Pressure compensation for wrist-based pulse spectrometry" explicitly discusses HbA1c measurement, and it tackles one of the practical problems that could make wrist-based readings garbage: how tight the watch sits on your arm.

Compressing blood vessels and tissue changes the optical signals used to calculate physiological measurements. If your watch is snug, your readings drift. Garmin's filing describes compensating for that wrist pressure across multiple optical wavelengths between roughly 600 and 1,000 nanometers, and calculating glycated hemoglobin from three PPG signals at different wavelengths.

The clincher: two of its inventors, Paul MacDonald and Christopher Kulach, also appear on Garmin's dedicated HbA1c patent. Same team, adjacent problems, overlapping timeline.

There's a third piece too. Garmin's wrist-worn optical cardiac monitor patent describes sensor arrangements using three optical transmitters with different wavelengths, including configurations across several red and infrared bands. The HbA1c patent, for its part, requires three separate wavelengths traveling along substantially the same optical path.

None of this proves the filings describe parts of one future Garmin sensor. But the overlap is hard to wave away. Garmin appears to be working not just on how to calculate HbA1c, but on the engineering problems that would make those calculations unreliable on an actual wrist.

Why Fenix 9 Is Part of the Conversation

The dates line up. Garmin's HbA1c work claims priority back to June 2023, the pressure-compensation filing dates to October 2023, and the optical-monitor work goes back to 2022. These projects have been underway long enough to influence a 2026 hardware generation.

And Garmin is clearly preparing new high-end hardware:

A teardown of Garmin Connect 5.27 uncovered six coordinated outdoor-watch records that could belong to a future Fenix 9 family, though Garmin hasn't confirmed their identity.
Garmin model A05170, an unannounced premium wrist-worn device, recently appeared at the FCC with LTE and satellite connectivity. Fenix 9, or a Pro version of it, is one possible identity. The filing keeps its photos confidential, so it tells us nothing about the optical sensor on the back.

If the Fenix 9 arrives with a substantially redesigned optical module, especially one with additional red and infrared emitters, the connection to Garmin's spectroscopy work gets a lot more interesting.

The Reality Check

Now the part that should cool off the hype.

There's still a big gap between Garmin researching wrist-based HbA1c estimation and shipping the feature in a watch. So far there's no public evidence of clinical validation, regulatory work, or anything tying the technology directly to Fenix 9. Independent coverage, including a TechRepublic analysis, makes the same point: the patent trail is real, the product connection is not.

Two more caveats worth spelling out:

Even if Fenix 9 introduces a new optical sensor, that alone proves nothing. Garmin could redesign the sensor for heart-rate accuracy, Pulse Ox, ECG, power efficiency, or something else entirely. What would matter is evidence of a multi-wavelength optical setup matching the patents.
Regulators have not blessed this category. The FDA has not authorized any wrist-worn feature that measures blood glucose without piercing the skin, and it has actively warned consumers about smartwatches making exactly those claims. Whoever cracks this first, Garmin, Apple, or Samsung, faces a regulatory climb before it becomes a product feature rather than a wellness curiosity.

Garmin's broader interest in metabolic health is real and growing. In May, Garmin Health published a Diabetes Insight Report looking at wearable data alongside CGMs and third-party diabetes programs. But that's Garmin analyzing data from other companies' sensors, not measuring glucose itself.

Bottom Line

The honest summary: Garmin is researching wrist-based HbA1c seriously enough to have three related patents in flight, shared inventors, and work on the practical reliability problems that sink most optical health claims. The priority dates go back to 2022 and 2023, which puts the research squarely in the window for next-generation hardware.

What Garmin is not doing is promising you a blood sugar reading on the Fenix 9. No clinical validation, no regulatory filings, no confirmed sensor.

Watch the Fenix 9's sensor hardware when it surfaces. If it's a multi-wavelength red and infrared setup, this story graduates from patent-watch to product-watch. Until then, it's the most credible wrist-glucose program in the category, and still years away from your wrist.

For the broader Fenix 9 picture, see our Fenix 9 rumors roundup and the three-model launch report.

Pixel Watch 5 vs Galaxy Watch 9: The Spec Sheet Says Tie. The Details Don't.

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Line up the headline specs of the Google Pixel Watch 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and you'd swear the two companies shared a product plan. Wear OS 7. 3,000-nit AMOLED displays. Dual-frequency GPS. Two case sizes. Gemini on the wrist. Even the starting prices sit just $20 apart.

Most comparisons stop right there and tell you to pick your favorite shape. That's a coin flip with extra steps.

The differences that actually decide this matchup are buried below the headline rows: storage, glass, update policy, LTE pricing, and a battery story that flips depending on which size you buy. Here's the honest breakdown.

The Deltas the Spec Sheet Hides

	Pixel Watch 5	Galaxy Watch 9
Starting price (Wi-Fi)	$399 / $429	$380 / $410
LTE premium	+$100	+$50
Storage / RAM	64GB / 3GB	32GB / 2GB
Glass	Gorilla Glass 5 (domed)	Sapphire crystal
Durability	5 ATM + IP68	5 ATM + IP68 + MIL-STD-810H
Thickness	12.3mm	8.6mm
Battery (small / large)	332 / 465 mAh	390 / 445 mAh
Rated life, AOD on	30 / 40 hours	30 / 30 hours
Fast charge	50% in 15 min	50% in 30 min
Chip	Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated	Snapdragon Wear Elite (3nm)
OS updates	3 years	5 years (through 2031)
Phone support	Android 12+	Android 13+ (best with a Galaxy)

On paper, a tie. In the details, two very different bets on what a smartwatch should be.

Storage and Memory: Google's Quiet Long Game

Samsung wins the chip war on paper. The Galaxy Watch 9 runs the Snapdragon Wear Elite, a 3nm five-core part, while the Pixel Watch 5 uses the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated with a coprocessor. Raw silicon goes to Samsung.

But Google made the smarter call elsewhere. The Pixel Watch 5 packs 64GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, double the storage and 50% more memory than the Galaxy Watch 9's 32GB and 2GB.

Why care about storage on a watch? Because Wear OS 7 keeps pushing more AI processing, offline assistant features, and background tasks onto the wrist. A watch you buy in 2026 needs room for the software it gets in 2028. Google gave its watch headroom. Samsung gave it a faster engine and a smaller tank.

Edge: Pixel Watch 5 for longevity headroom, Galaxy Watch 9 for raw chip speed.

Glass, Guts, and What Survives a Doorway

This one isn't close. Samsung ships sapphire crystal and a MIL-STD-810H rating. Google ships curved Gorilla Glass 5 and no military rating. Sapphire is dramatically more scratch-resistant, and after a year of doorways, gym racks, and airport security bins, that's the difference between a watch that looks new and one that looks lived-in.

Samsung also wins on wrist profile: 8.6mm thick versus 12.3mm for the Pixel. Manufacturer measurements aren't perfectly comparable, but the Galaxy sits visibly flatter, which matters for sleep-tracking comfort and shirt cuffs. Weight is basically a coin flip at the small size (31g vs 31.5g) and goes to Samsung at the large size (34g vs 36.7g).

Edge: Galaxy Watch 9, and it isn't close.

Battery: The Size You Pick Changes the Winner

Here's where the comparison gets weird. The 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 has a much bigger battery than the 41mm Pixel Watch 5 (390mAh vs 332mAh), yet both are rated for 30 hours with the always-on display on. At the small size, a tie with a shrug.

Buy the big one and the story flips. The 45mm Pixel Watch 5 is rated for 40 hours with AOD, while the 44mm Galaxy Watch 9 stays at 30. Google also quotes up to 72 hours in Battery Saver versus Samsung's 40 hours with AOD off. Different testing conditions, so don't treat the saver numbers as gospel, but the 45mm Pixel is clearly the longer-lasting watch.

Charging widens the gap. The Pixel hits 50% in about 15 minutes and full in under an hour. The Galaxy needs 30 minutes for 50% and up to 90 minutes for a full charge. If you're the top-up-in-the-shower type, the Pixel fits your life. If you charge overnight and never think about it, either works.

Edge: Pixel Watch 5, especially at 45mm.

GPS: Tied on Hardware, Split on Philosophy

Last year, GPS was a reason to pick one of these watches over the other. This year both have dual-frequency GPS, so the hardware row is a tie. The interesting split is philosophical.

Google treats GPS as a data problem. The Pixel Watch 5 traces satellite signals through Google Maps' 3D building models to reject reflections off skyscrapers, uses weather-station data to correct for atmospheric interference, and reprocesses your track in the cloud. Google claims 2x better accuracy in tough environments, and early testing in Manhattan, the hardest GPS environment on Earth, mostly backed that up. We broke down exactly how the tech works in our Pixel Watch 5 GPS deep-dive.

Two caveats: the cleanup happens after your workout, not live, and your raw track passes through Google's servers. If you care where your workout data lives, that's worth knowing.

Samsung's advantage is on the training side, not the track side: adaptive Running Coach programs, Fitness Index, and Daily Cardio Load. If you want coaching, Samsung. If you want your city runs to draw the right sidewalk, Google.

Edge: Pixel Watch 5 for accuracy, Galaxy Watch 9 for training tools.

Health: Measurement Versus Interpretation

Both watches cover the basics: ECG, SpO2, skin temperature, sleep stages. Then the philosophies split.

Samsung is the measurement company. The Galaxy Watch 9 adds body composition via BIA, cuff-calibrated blood pressure estimates, and FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, plus a long tail of scores like Energy Score, Antioxidant Index, and Heart Health Score. It's the most complete health hardware toolkit in Wear OS.

Google is the interpretation company. The Pixel Watch 5's Health Guardian layer watches for long-term patterns: monthly trend reports for blood pressure, sleep breathing, and insulin resistance arrive this fall, alongside Breathing Emergency Detection, which can call for help if your oxygen crashes and you become unresponsive. Important fine print: those trend features are wellness insights, not FDA-cleared readings, and they don't ship with the watch.

The other fine print is money. Some of Google's best Health Coach features sit behind a Google Health Premium subscription. Samsung's health features are largely free, though several, blood pressure included, work best (or only) with a Galaxy phone.

Edge: Galaxy Watch 9 for hardware breadth, Pixel Watch 5 for the safety net.

The Two Numbers That Decide Longevity

Here's the part almost every comparison skips.

Samsung promises five years of Wear OS updates for the Galaxy Watch 9, through 2031. Google's Pixel Watch policy is three years. Do the math: a $380 Galaxy Watch 9 works out to about $76 a year over its supported life. A $399 Pixel Watch 5 works out to about $133 a year. Same category, nearly the same price, wildly different cost per year.

Add the LTE premium difference ($50 on the Galaxy, about $100 on the Pixel) and the gap widens further.

The counterargument for Google: your phone decides your watch. The Pixel Watch 5 pairs cleanly with any Android 12+ phone, while the Galaxy Watch 9 wants Android 13+ and saves its best tricks for Galaxy phones. If you carry a Pixel, Motorola, or OnePlus, the Pixel Watch is the cleaner fit. If you carry a Galaxy phone, the Watch 9's integration is unmatched, quirks and all. (We covered Samsung's ecosystem pull, and its occasional battery-drain drama, in our Galaxy Watch battery coverage.)

Edge: Galaxy Watch 9 on pure longevity math, Pixel Watch 5 for non-Samsung Android users.

The Verdict

Buy the Galaxy Watch 9 if you want the tougher, longer-supported watch: sapphire glass, MIL-STD durability, five years of updates, body composition, and the deeper health toolkit. It's the better hardware value, full stop.

Buy the Pixel Watch 5 if you care about the things Google uniquely does: the best urban GPS tracking we've seen, faster charging, more storage and RAM for the AI-heavy Wear OS future, and a safety net like Breathing Emergency Detection and satellite SOS. And if you're buying the big size, the battery edge is real.

Two quick sizing notes before you check out. Buy the 45mm Pixel if battery is your priority, because the small-size tie hides how much better the big Pixel is. And let your phone break any remaining ties: Galaxy phone leans Samsung, anything else leans Google.

The spec sheet says tie. The details don't.

For last year's matchup, see Pixel Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 9, and for Samsung's side of the story, Galaxy Watch 9 release date, price and specs.

Amazfit August 2026 Update: New Training Features for Eight Watches as Zepp OS 6 Wraps Up

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:10:00 GMT

Amazfit shipped two software moves in a single week, and together they wrap up the company's biggest software year yet.

First, a training-focused update landed across eight of its current watches. Then, on August 16, Zepp OS 6 reached the Amazfit Active Max, right on the schedule Zepp Health published back in June. That completes the rollout across the current lineup.

Here's everything that changed, and which watch gets what.

Eight watches get the training update

The update covers:

Balance Ultra and Balance 3
T-Rex Ultra 2, both sizes of the T-Rex 3 Pro, and the T-Rex 3
Cheetah 2 Ultra and Cheetah 2 Pro
Active 3 Premium

Feature availability varies between models, so not every watch gets every addition. Here's the full breakdown.

Manual Rest for pool swimmers

Pool swimmers get a Manual Rest button that marks exactly when you stop swimming and your recovery begins. The watch then separates swimming and rest periods in your results, and it still breaks swim segments down by stroke.

Automatic rest detection has always struggled with structured pool sessions, especially when recovery intervals are short. Manual control removes that guesswork.

Always Locked touchscreen

The new Always Locked option keeps the touchscreen locked for the entire workout while the physical buttons stay active. No more accidental swipes from water, sweat, or a jacket sleeve mid-session. One exception: the standard T-Rex 3 doesn't get this mode.

FTMS rowing with real machine data

This one matters for indoor rowers. Compatible FTMS rowing machines can now send workout data directly to the watch, including power and distance. Zepp Health specifically lists support for the Concept2 RowErg.

That means your watch records what the rowing machine actually reports instead of estimating from wrist motion. For structured rowing workouts, that's a genuine accuracy upgrade.

Athlete Defaults

The Balance 3, Balance Ultra, Cheetah 2 Ultra, and Cheetah 2 Pro gain Athlete Defaults. Enable it and the watch automatically turns on Workout Do Not Disturb, switches off workout alerts, and sets GPS to maximum precision every time you train.

It's a small thing, but it's aimed at exactly the kind of athlete who uses the same settings every session and never wants to touch them again.

The smaller additions

Route Preview now supports panning and zooming before and during workouts
Map zooming has been refined
Alarm creation and management is simpler

Zepp OS 6 completes its rollout

The Active Max got Zepp OS 6 on August 16, completing the schedule Zepp Health laid out earlier this year: Balance 3 and Balance Ultra first, then the Cheetah 2 Ultra and Bip Max in June, a larger group in July, and the Active Max in August.

The update brings the Active Max the Zepp OS 6 training toolkit, including Multi-Device Activity Sync, an expanded Daily Briefing, and more structured training tools. The interface itself stays largely unchanged, and not every Zepp OS 6 feature reaches every watch. Newer devices that shipped with the OS get the full package.

The Active Max has already received a steady stream of additions since launch, including lactate threshold tracking. Pair that with its 1.5-inch AMOLED display, offline maps, and strong battery life, and the software support is becoming a genuine selling point. We found the same pattern in our Amazfit Balance 3 Ultra review: the hardware is competitive, and the software keeps getting better.

Why this matters

None of these additions is dramatic on its own. Together, they show exactly where Amazfit is focusing: closing the software gap with Garmin.

The hardware has been competitive for a while now. GPS accuracy, heart rate tracking, battery life. Amazfit matches or beats watches that cost twice as much. The training software around that hardware was always the weaker side. Manual Rest, FTMS rowing, Athlete Defaults. These are the kinds of details Garmin owners take for granted, and they're now arriving across Amazfit's range.

If you own one of the eight updated watches, look for the update over the air in the Zepp app. If it hasn't appeared yet, these rollouts typically move in waves over a few days.

Bottom line

Amazfit just made eight of its best watches meaningfully better at training, and it finished the Zepp OS 6 rollout on schedule. The hardware was never the problem. The software is catching up fast, and for anyone comparing an Amazfit against a Garmin at half the price, that's the trend worth watching.

The Fitbit Charge 7 May Have Just Leaked in Google's Own Pixel 11 Ad

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Google just ran an ad campaign featuring a device it has never announced.

The Pixel 11 lineup is Google's big push right now, and the marketing has been rolling out across several markets. But one device in the campaign doesn't exist. A screen-equipped fitness band appears in multiple Google Australia ads, sitting alongside the new Pixel phones, the Pixel Watch 5, and the Pixel Buds, with Google telling shoppers to "Make it a matching set."

The problem: Google doesn't sell that tracker. Not yet, anyway.

What the ad actually shows

A Reddit user first spotted the device, and it appears consistently across the campaign. The tracker has a rounded rectangular display inside an equally rounded case. One image shows it with a green band, another with a much lighter strap, but the tracker body looks identical in both shots. The screen shows the time along with several small circular complications.

That doesn't look like a placeholder or a stock photo. It looks like finished product photography inside an official campaign, which is exactly why people started asking what it is.

Why it isn't anything Google currently sells

Google's current wearable lineup gets ruled out quickly:

Not the Fitbit Air. Google's newest Fitbit is deliberately screenless. It's a small sensor pod that sits inside a band, with all the detailed interaction happening in the Google Health app. The device in the ad has a real display.
Not the Fitbit Charge 6. The proportions, corner radius, and overall shape are different. And the Charge 6 launched back in 2023, three years ago now.
Not the Fitbit Inspire 3. Its display and body are considerably narrower than what the ads show.

That leaves one obvious answer, and it's the one every outlet covering this story landed on.

Why the Fitbit Charge 7 fits

The Charge line is Fitbit's mainstream fitness band, and it has been quiet for three years. Patent filings have pointed to a Charge 7 in development, and the shape in the ads reads like a natural evolution of the Charge formula: a small screen, a slim body, swappable bands.

There's also the timing. The Fitbit brand was reorganized under Google Health, with "Fitbit" now dedicated to hardware while the software side carries the Google Health name. A new band would slot in neatly below the Pixel Watch 5 and beside the screenless Fitbit Air, giving Google a proper screen-equipped tracker option again.

Tech Advisor's take is that Google may have simply made a mistake here, including a device in the Pixel 11 and Watch 5 marketing that wasn't meant to be public yet. If that's right, an announcement may not be far away.

The one alternative theory

Not everyone is convinced. Ytechb notes the mystery device could instead be the start of a Pixel Watch A-series, a cheaper watch line. The shape is the argument against that theory. The device in the ads is clearly a band, narrower and more rectangular than any watch Google has shown. But until Google confirms anything, the Pixel Watch A-series idea can't be fully ruled out.

What a Charge 7 would need to justify

Three years is a long gap in the fitness band market. The Charge 6 was a solid tracker, but it launched before the screenless experiment, before Google Health absorbed Fitbit's software, and before Google started pushing features like insulin resistance trends on the Pixel Watch.

A modern Charge 7 would likely bring that health push down to the band level: updated heart rate sensors, full Google Health app integration, and possibly some of the features currently reserved for the Pixel Watch 5. The question is positioning. With the Fitbit Air covering the minimalist screenless corner and the Pixel Watch 5 covering the smartwatch corner, the Charge 7 has to be the practical, affordable, screen-equipped option. That's a genuine gap, and it's one Google currently leaves empty.

What happens next

Google hasn't commented, and there's no official Charge 7 page, FCC filing, or spec sheet yet. What exists is a device that appears consistently in official marketing, matches no current product, and lines up perfectly with the most requested update in Fitbit's lineup.

The most likely announcement window is a Made by Google event, where new Pixel hardware traditionally debuts. If the Charge 7 is real, expect it to ride that stage.

Bottom line

Five outlets have now covered this story, and they all arrived at the same conclusion: the mystery tracker in Google's Pixel 11 ads looks like the Fitbit Charge 7. Google's own marketing department may have leaked it. We'll be watching for official confirmation, and if it lands, this becomes the first real competition the Fitbit Air has faced from inside Google's own lineup.

Amazfit T-Rex Dual Solar: The Name Is Official and It Just Cleared the FCC

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:20:00 GMT

We talk about Amazfit a lot. Two weeks ago, we told you Amazfit was building a solar smartwatch. The evidence back then was code inside the Zepp app and a mystery watch on Amazfit Spain's Instagram. Strong hints, but no name.

This week changed that. Amazfit's first solar watch now has an official name, and it has been marching through regulatory databases on three continents.

The name: T-Rex Dual Solar

The big reveal came from Malaysia's SIRIM certification database, which lists model A2570 alongside the marketing name T-REX DUAL SOLAR. The type approval, code RDCX/40N/0726/S(26-4227), was granted on August 3, 2026.

That's the first time any official document has attached a real product name to the solar hardware we've been tracking.

Five databases, one watch

The A2570 has been popping up everywhere since:

FCC (US): Filed August 11-12, confirming Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and pointing to dual-frequency GNSS. Battery capacity and solar details stay sealed
SIRIM (Malaysia): Marketing name T-REX DUAL SOLAR, approved August 3
Sertifikasi Indonesia: Certificate 125183/DJID/2026, listing an AMAZFIT smartwatch manufactured in China
South Korea RRA: Verification code RC-hM6-A2570, certified August 4, with applicant Anhui Huami (Zepp Health's corporate name) and manufacturing listed in China and Vietnam
Eurasian Economic Union registry: A fifth appearance for the same device

Five certifications across the US, Asia, and Europe is not early-stage prototyping. Hardware at this stage is usually close to production.

What "Dual" probably means

The interesting word in the name is Dual, and Amazfit's own app code may have already answered it.

When developers dug through the Zepp app in June, they found solar charging fields including watch_face_input_power and case_back_input_power. Those are solar input measurements for two separate locations: the watch face and the case back.

Put that together with the name, and the most likely read is that the T-Rex Dual Solar harvests light from two distinct areas. That would be a genuinely different approach from Garmin's Power Glass, which uses a single semitransparent layer over the display. More collection area means more charging current, and charging current is the whole game with solar watches.

There's an alternative theory floating around the comments on Gadgets & Wearables: "Dual" could refer to a dual-display design. We'd rank that well below the two-solar-zones explanation, given what the app code shows.

Why this matters

Amazfit is coming for a category Garmin has kept almost entirely to itself for years. Garmin's solar lineup, from the Instinct 2X Solar to the Fenix and Enduro solar models, commands premium prices, and nobody has seriously challenged it.

Zepp Health also looks like it planned this deliberately. During its 2026 earnings commentary, the company said it had additional T-Rex family products lined up for the second half of the year. Solar code showed up in the app weeks later. Now the certifications are landing.

The baseline here is the T-Rex Ultra 2, which packs an 870mAh battery and up to 30 days of typical use without any solar assist. If Amazfit stacks dual-area solar charging on top of that kind of endurance, the battery numbers could get silly in the best way.

What we still don't know

Price: The T-Rex family's whole identity is premium hardware without premium pricing. Solar could push this model above the T-Rex 3, but by how much?
Display: Our original leak analysis suggested a transflective MIP screen, since solar charging pairs best with low-power displays. Nothing in the filings confirms or rules that out
Battery specs: The FCC filing kept battery details sealed
Launch date: No announcement yet, but IFA 2026 in early September is the obvious stage

The Bottom Line

Two weeks ago this watch was a rumor with a code name. Now it has a name, five regulatory approvals, and a plausible launch window at IFA. The T-Rex Dual Solar looks like Amazfit's most serious attempt yet to crack the outdoor category, and the first real threat to Garmin's solar monopoly in years.

If you've been waiting for a solar watch that doesn't cost Garmin money, the wait is nearly over. We'll keep tracking the filings as they come in.

Pixel Watch Insulin Resistance Tracking: How It Works Without a Drop of Blood

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:10:00 GMT

Your watch may soon warn you about a health problem that roughly 40% of adults don't know they have. On August 12, Google announced insulin resistance tracking for Pixel Watch and Fitbit Air. No needle. No glucose sensor. No blood draw.

That's a bold claim, so let's look at exactly what Google said, how the technology works under the hood, and what it can't do.

What Google announced

Insulin Resistance Trends is one of four features in Google's new Health Guardian suite, unveiled August 12 for Pixel Watch and Fitbit Air. Health Guardian runs quietly in the background, watches for subtle physiological shifts over weeks, and delivers a monthly summary in the Google Health app. If something needs your attention, you get a notification.

The four features:

Insulin Resistance Trends tracks shifts in your metabolic health over multiple weeks, without a blood test
Blood Pressure Trends estimates blood pressure patterns from pulse and motion, no cuff and no calibration
Sleep Breathing Quality Trends gives you a morning readout of how much of your sleep was spent breathing optimally
Breathing Emergency Detection (Pixel Watch, select European countries) is an opt-in safety feature that can call emergency services if your blood oxygen drops critically and you become unresponsive

Insulin resistance is the headline feature, and it's the one worth understanding.

How it works (there's no glucose sensor)

Let's clear up the biggest question first. The Pixel Watch does not have a hidden glucose sensor. Neither does the Fitbit Air. Nobody has cracked reliable non-invasive glucose measurement on a wrist, and Google is not claiming to have done it.

What the watch measures is the stuff it already collects: heart rate, movement, and sleep. A single heart rate reading tells you almost nothing about your metabolism. But several weeks of heart rate, sleep, and activity data can reveal broader physiological patterns, and insulin resistance leaves a footprint across those signals.

Google's model looks for that footprint. The feature is built on the company's large sensor foundation model, SensorFM, which was pretrained on over one trillion minutes of sensor data from 5 million opted-in users across more than 20 Fitbit and Pixel Watch models. Instead of experts manually labeling thousands of hours of readings, the model taught itself human biology by observing raw sensor streams at enormous scale. It can even fill in gaps when the device misses a beat or captures incomplete data.

Google validated the approach against standard clinical blood tests and published the results in Nature. It also ran a dedicated study, WEAR-ME, with 1,165 participants, comparing wearable-based predictions against conventional fasting glucose and insulin measurements.

The honest framing: the watch is not measuring your blood sugar. It's recognizing the trail that rising insulin resistance leaves behind elsewhere in your body.

What you'll actually see

This is not a score and not a glucose reading. Google describes it as trend detection, closer to a warning light than a lab result.

Here's the flow:

You need about 30 days of wear before Health Guardian delivers its first detailed summary, because it's looking for long-term patterns rather than reacting to single readings
The monthly summary shows your insulin resistance trend alongside blood pressure and sleep breathing information
If the trend looks concerning, you'll see a flag such as High
Google Health Coach can then explain what the system noticed and suggest next steps around activity, sleep, and nutrition
You can view daily details or monthly overviews

Google's pitch: these shifts happen quietly. Roughly 40% of adults are unaware their insulin resistance is changing. Catching the trend early gives you a shot at adjusting nutrition, sleep, and movement before it turns into a bigger metabolic problem.

Which watches get it, and when

This is not a Pixel Watch 5 exclusive. Google's comparison pages now list Insulin Resistance Trends as arriving in September on:

Pixel Watch 3
Pixel Watch 4
Pixel Watch 5
Fitbit Air

There's one catch: the feature sits behind Google Health Premium, so a compatible watch alone isn't enough.

The Fitbit Air inclusion is the interesting one. It has a simpler sensor setup than the Pixel Watch, and Google still trusts it to run the feature. We broke down that device in our Fitbit Air review. For everything else the Pixel Watch 5 brings, see our full Pixel Watch 5 coverage.

The rest of Health Guardian deserves a look too

The insulin feature gets the headlines, but blood pressure tracking may matter more day to day. Six in 10 people don't realize when their blood pressure has shifted higher, and Google's version works passively from pulse and motion with no cuff and no manual calibration. It's built on a second foundation model called WavesFM, trained on billions of minutes of raw heart and movement data, and validated through a Fitbit Hypertension Labs study.

Sleep Breathing Quality Trends gives you a morning readout on how well you breathed overnight, rolled up into a monthly assessment.

Breathing Emergency Detection is the most dramatic of the four. If a breathing emergency causes a persistent, critical drop in oxygen saturation and you become unresponsive, the watch can automatically call emergency services and alert your emergency contacts. It's opt-in, and limited to select European countries at launch.

The honest caveats

It's a flag, not a diagnosis. A "High" trend is a reason to confirm with a blood test or talk to a doctor, not a medical conclusion
The consumer version is unproven. Google has published strong research, but we don't know yet how often the shipping feature will raise false alarms or miss real changes
It costs extra. Google Health Premium is required
It's slow by design. Thirty days of wear before the first summary means this won't react to one bad week of eating

The Bottom Line

Google is betting that weeks of ordinary sensor data, run through a model trained on a trillion minutes of human biology, can catch metabolic problems that blood tests usually find years later. The research backing is unusually strong for a wearable feature: a Nature publication, a 1,165-person validation study, and comparisons against gold-standard blood tests.

Whether the consumer version lives up to the research is the open question, and we'll start finding out in September. If you own a Pixel Watch 3, 4, 5, or a Fitbit Air, the hardware you need is already on your wrist.

Garmin CIRQA Smart Ring Rumor: An Official Filing Named It, Then It Vanished

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Garmin may have just confirmed it's working on a smart ring, whether it meant to or not. Then the proof quietly disappeared.

On August 12, an entry appeared in Indonesia's telecommunications certification database listing a device with the model name CIRQA SMART RING, brand GARMIN, in the "Fitness Product" category. By August 13, that entry was gone.

If this was a typo, it's being handled in a strange way. Typos get corrected. This one got deleted.

What the filing says

The certificate comes from Indonesia's official DJID / e-Sertifikasi database, the radio equipment register that products must clear before they can legally be sold in the country. Garmin News first spotted it. The details:

Model name: CIRQA SMART RING
Certificate number: 125338/DJID/2026
Date: August 12, 2026
Applicant: PT Garmin Indonesia Distribution
Country of origin: Taiwan
Category: Fitness Product

One detail worth noticing: "CIRQA SMART RING" sits in the model field itself, not buried in a free-text description. And it appeared the same day Garmin certified several other products there, including marine and diving hardware. That makes the ring entry look like part of a routine certification batch, which is actually more convincing, not less.

Then it disappeared

On August 13, Gadgets & Wearables confirmed the listing had been removed from the database. As they point out, if someone had mistyped "CIRQA Smart Band" as "CIRQA Smart Ring," you'd expect the listing to be corrected rather than withdrawn entirely.

Removals like this happen for a few reasons. Companies sometimes request takedowns when a filing leaks ahead of a planned announcement. Sometimes entries get re-submitted under corrected information. Either way, the deletion makes this more interesting, not less.

Garmin itself has said nothing. Its Indonesian site still promotes the existing CIRQA Smart Band, and the company has not announced any ring product.

Two years ago, Garmin said rings weren't worth it

Here's where the timing gets fun. At the 2024 Garmin Health Summit in Prague, two senior Garmin executives publicly explained why the company would not build a smart ring.

Vice President of Fitness Joe Schrick and Senior Director of Health Engineering Scott Burgett argued that the wrist was simply the better location. More power budget, more LEDs, more sensor real estate, and better signal quality, especially at rest. Rings were comfortable, they conceded, but watches were the stronger platform for health tracking in every way that mattered, including profitability.

That position now looks at least two years out of date. Even at the time, though, Garmin's own reasoning left a door open: sensor miniaturization keeps improving, and a ring using Garmin's existing sensor playbook was always plausible.

Why the CIRQA name matters

Garmin didn't invent a fresh brand for this. It reused CIRQA, the screenless tracking family it launched in July with the $199.99 CIRQA Smart Band, which carries no subscription. We spent a week with the band in our Garmin CIRQA review if you want to see how that first product actually performs.

Reusing the name is a signal in itself. Garmin's original CIRQA trademark filing used broad language covering body-worn electronic sensors and physiological monitoring, not just wrist devices. At the time, that read like standard legal boilerplate. In hindsight, it reads like a family plan.

A ring also fits neatly into how Garmin already sells CIRQA. The band is designed to work alongside your Forerunner, Fenix, or Edge. A ring would do the same job from a finger: continuous sleep, HRV, stress, and recovery data feeding into Garmin Connect while your watch handles workouts and GPS. If you want to see how the current screenless options compare, our CIRQA vs Whoop vs Fitbit Air breakdown covers the field.

That pairing is exactly what a chunk of Garmin's own community has been asking for. In Reddit threads about CIRQA, several users say they want Garmin data on the days they wear a mechanical watch instead. A ring solves that problem more completely than a band ever could.

What a Garmin ring would face

The smart ring category is crowded and established. Oura owns the premium end. Samsung's Galaxy Ring has massive distribution. RingConn and Ultrahuman compete hard on price, and neither demands a subscription.

Garmin's advantages would be the obvious ones: the Garmin Connect ecosystem, training and recovery analytics that athletes already trust, and (if it follows the CIRQA band's lead) no subscription. Garmin also wouldn't need to build much new software. Sleep tracking, HRV Status, Body Battery, stress, and skin temperature already exist in Garmin Connect.

The hard parts are the same ones every ring maker faces. Battery capacity is tight. Optical heart rate during exercise is unreliable on a finger. And Garmin would need to decide how much of CIRQA's training functionality even makes sense on a device with no screen and no buttons.

What we don't know yet

Price: The CIRQA band launched at $199.99. A ring could land near that or higher, depending on sensors and battery
Battery life: Oura manages four to seven days. Garmin needs to match that to be taken seriously
Launch timing: A single certification usually precedes a launch by months, not years, but there is no confirmed timeline. A Bluetooth SIG qualification or an FCC filing would be the next breadcrumb to watch for
Subscription: The CIRQA band has no subscription. Garmin would be smart to keep it that way, but nothing is confirmed

The Bottom Line

One government certificate is not an announcement. But "CIRQA SMART RING" sitting in a model field, filed by Garmin's own Indonesian distributor alongside a batch of real products, is hard to explain away as a clerical error. Especially now that the entry has been withdrawn instead of corrected.

Garmin spent 2024 explaining why smart rings weren't worth its time. Then it launched a screenless tracker family in July 2026. If the CIRQA Smart Ring is real, the wrist was never the endgame. It was just the first stop.

Pixel Watch 5 Deep Dive: Everything New From $399, and the GPS Google Says Beats Apple and Garmin

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Google just took the wraps off the Pixel Watch 5 at Made by Google 2026, and for once the headline isn't the design or the AI assistant. It's the GPS.

Google claims the new watch delivers "2x greater accuracy" in tough environments and, more provocatively, that it outperforms the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro on route tracking. Those are the two watches serious athletes actually buy, and they cost up to twice as much.

Pre-orders open today, August 12, with the watch hitting shelves August 20, starting at $399 for the 41mm and $429 for the 45mm. Here's everything that's new, and a deep look at how Google pulled off its GPS claims.

What's New on the Pixel Watch 5

Let's get the spec sheet out of the way first, because the watch itself is more evolution than revolution.

Hardware:

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated with a power-efficient dual-chip architecture. Despite months of rumors pointing at a custom Tensor chip, Google stuck with Qualcomm. The result: 12% more CPU performance, 50% more RAM (2GB to 3GB), doubled storage (32GB to 64GB), and a claimed 20% faster overall experience.
Display: The same gorgeous domed Actua 360 LTPO AMOLED from the Pixel Watch 4. 3,000 nits peak brightness, 320 ppi, Gorilla Glass 5, in the same 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Battery: Up to 30 hours on the 41mm and 40 hours on the 45mm, the same rated life as the Pixel Watch 4. The cell is slightly larger (465 mAh versus 455 mAh on the 45mm), and Google says the extra capacity mostly goes to feeding new AI features like offline Gemini. Fast charging gets you 15 hours of use from a 15-minute top-up on the Quick Charge Dock.
Design: Essentially unchanged. Same bezel-free circular look, rotating crown, and side button. New colors include Fog, Olive, Canyon (41mm exclusive), and a new satin Pyrite housing, a gold-and-silver blend.
Durability: 5ATM water resistance plus IP68, and Google continues to push its repairable architecture.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, UWB, LTE options, and satellite SOS carried over from the Pixel Watch 4.

Software and health:

Wear OS 7 out of the box, positioning the watch as the hub for Google's wearable ecosystem, including Pixel Buds, smart glasses, and the new Pixel Tag trackers.
Gemini everywhere. Raise to Talk now handles core actions offline, a new "At a Glance" feature surfaces context-aware info like boarding passes and commute stops, and Proactive Suggestions can dig through your calendar and Gmail to answer questions before you ask. With a Pixel 11, it can even draft automatic text replies.
Strength training finally gets real. A new workout builder lets you create structured strength sessions in the Google Health app (or have Google Health Coach generate them), then the watch guides you through every set with rep and weight tracking, audio cues, and rest timers.
Better sleep tracking. Google claims 15% more accurate sleep stage detection, plus a new bedtime mode with a dedicated watch face, a Smart Wake alarm that finds lighter sleep in the 30 minutes before your alarm, and a new overnight breathing quality metric.
Health Guardian. This is Google's new umbrella for safety and long-term health features. It adds Breathing Emergency Detection, an industry-first that watches for severe, persistent drops in blood oxygen (from choking, pneumonia, or drug toxicity) and can automatically call emergency services, launching first in Europe. Later this fall, monthly trend reports for blood pressure, sleep breathing quality, and insulin resistance arrive via software update. Worth noting: those trend features are not FDA-cleared and don't launch with the watch.
New watch faces: two standard ones, 11 new complication styles, and generative AI watch faces where you describe a theme and the watch builds it.

There's also a Stephen Curry Special Edition (45mm, $579) with an exclusive sweat-wicking performance loop band, arriving September 3.

If you followed our FCC preview from July, most of the connectivity predictions landed: all models carry LTE-capable hardware, satellite SOS, UWB, and Wi-Fi 6.

The GPS Claim: 2x More Accurate, and Better Than Apple and Garmin

Here's the part that matters. Google makes two specific claims about the Pixel Watch 5 GPS:

2x more accurate route mapping in tough environments compared to previous Pixel Watch generations.
The most accurate GPS route tracking for exercise, outperforming the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 Pro.

That second claim is extraordinary. The Fenix 8 Pro and Ultra 3 are the gold standards for GPS accuracy in the sports watch world. So how does a $399 lifestyle smartwatch beat them?

The short answer: not with better hardware, but with better data.

How It Works: Three Fixes for the Three Ways GPS Breaks

The Pixel Watch 5 uses the same dual-band GNSS hardware as the Pixel Watch 4, with only minor antenna tweaks. The magic is in post-processing, and it targets the three classic GPS failure modes:

1. Urban canyons (tall buildings). This is the big one. Skyscrapers don't just block satellite signals. They reflect them off glass and metal, so your watch receives a bounced signal and thinks you're somewhere you're not. Engineers call these multi-path errors, and they're why your GPS track weaves through buildings in downtown areas.

Google's fix leverages its secret weapon: the Google Maps database. The watch traces satellite ray paths through Google's 3D building models, which know the exact height and location of essentially every structure on Earth. If the watch thinks it can see a satellite that's actually behind a 40-story tower, the system knows that signal must be a reflection, deprioritizes it, and reprocesses your track using only the satellites you can genuinely see.

2. Terrain blockages. Cliffs, mountains, and heavy tree cover limit which satellites are visible. The same 3D modeling applies to natural terrain, not just buildings.

3. Atmospheric interference. Heavy clouds, rain, and storms slow and bend GPS signals. Google taps a global network of real-time reference stations to measure current atmospheric conditions at your exact location, then applies DGNSS-style corrections to your file.

Finally, signal fusion ties it together. The watch already blends GPS with accelerometer and gyroscope data on-device, but the Pixel Watch 5 reprocesses everything again in the cloud with the 3D models and weather corrections layered on top.

Two important caveats. First, this is post-processing. Your track gets cleaned up after your workout, not in real time while you run. Second, it applies to walking, running, hiking, and cycling activities. Open-water swimming and other sport modes don't benefit yet.

And if you're wondering whether this is just road-snapping in disguise, like some competitors use: it's not. DC Rainmaker specifically tried to trick it with off-road detours and weird routes, and the processing followed his actual path instead of gluing him to the nearest sidewalk.

The Real-World Test: NYC, the Toughest GPS Environment on Earth

DC Rainmaker flew to New York City with a Pixel Watch 5, a Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, and an Apple Watch Ultra 3, and spent hours running and cycling through Manhattan trying to break all three. His verdict: he mostly broke the Garmin and Apple tracks, not Google's.

The highlights from his testing:

Times Square: With massively tall buildings on both sides, the Pixel Watch 5 kept him on the correct sidewalk side while Apple's track wandered into buildings and Garmin's sat in the middle of the road.
The trick loop: He ran a tight circle around a building in the center of Times Square. Google was closest to correct, Apple drew a straight mark across the building, and Garmin produced what he called "the 4yo toddler version."
The circle in the street: He literally ran a circle in the middle of a closed street. Google nailed it. Apple decided no sane person would do that and snapped him to the sidewalk.
The bridge walk: He stopped, walked under a bridge, crossed the street, and doubled back. Google tracked the whole oddball sequence correctly while Apple ignored it entirely.

It wasn't perfect. A block here and there, Google put him inside a building where Apple got it right, and on one bridge bike lane the Ultra 3 placed him more precisely. But the pattern was consistent: the Pixel Watch 5 turned "meh-good-enough" tracks into near-perfect ones, block after block.

As for Google's 2x number, it's based on runs and rides alongside centimeter-accurate reference GPS backpacks (the same ground-truth rigs every watch company uses), comparing the average distance of every track point from the true path. Rainmaker's read: the advantage is probably bigger in dense cities like NYC and smaller in open farmland.

One honest caveat: all that cloud reprocessing means your raw GPS data goes through Google's servers before you see the cleaned-up track. If you're particular about where your workout data lives, that's worth knowing.

Could this come to the Pixel Watch 4? Google hasn't confirmed it, but Rainmaker points out nothing in the tech stops it, since last year's watch already has dual-band GNSS and the Watch 5's antenna tweaks are minor. His read: expect it to land on older Pixel Watches a few months after launch, the way Google usually handles feature backports.

Pricing and Availability

41mm Wi-Fi: $399 (LTE costs more)
45mm Wi-Fi: $429 (LTE costs more)
Stephen Curry Special Edition (45mm LTE): $579, ships September 3

That's $50 more than the Pixel Watch 4 launched at for the 41mm, the first price increase in the Pixel Watch line. Google is sweetening the deal with up to $400 in trade-in credit and three months of Google Health Premium free.

Bottom Line

The Pixel Watch 5 is an iterative upgrade in almost every way except one. Same design, same display, slightly bigger battery, faster chip. If you own a Pixel Watch 4 and don't care about GPS, this is an easy skip, especially since many of the health features are coming to older watches via software updates.

But the GPS story is genuinely different. Google used the one asset no watchmaker can match, its mapping data, to solve the urban accuracy problem that has plagued every GPS watch for decades. Early hands-on testing from the toughest environment on the planet backs up most of the hype.

If you run or ride in a city and you're already in the Android ecosystem, the Pixel Watch 5 just became the smartwatch to beat on accuracy. We'll be running our own tests as soon as a review unit arrives, so stay tuned for the full breakdown.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 Release Date, Price, and Specs (Now Official)

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The Galaxy Watch 9 is out. Samsung officially announced the watch at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, 2026, and it hit shelves on August 7. If you were waiting on a confirmed release date and price, this is the settled version of everything we know.

Release Date: August 7, 2026

The Galaxy Watch 9 went on sale August 7, 2026, the same day as the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the new foldable phones. Pre-orders opened the moment Samsung finished the Unpacked keynote on July 22.

The timeline matched our pre-launch reporting almost exactly. Samsung skipped the Classic model this year (there was no Classic in the FCC filings either), so the lineup is just the standard Watch 9 and the Ultra 2.

Price: From $379.99, Up $30 Across the Board

Pricing is $30 higher than the Watch 8 at every tier:

Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, Bluetooth): $379.99
Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, LTE): $429.99
Galaxy Watch 9 (44mm, Bluetooth): $409.99
Galaxy Watch 9 (44mm, LTE): $459.99
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 (47mm): $699.99

The price hike stings a little, and it matters because the Watch 8 has already dropped to around $220 on Amazon. More on that below, because it changes who should buy which watch.

What's New: One Big Thing

Here is the honest summary of the Galaxy Watch 9: same design, same display, same sensors, one major change under the hood.

Snapdragon Wear Elite: First for Both Models

The biggest story is the processor. For the first time, Samsung dropped its in-house Exynos chips and put Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite in both the Watch 9 and the Watch Ultra 2.

This is a 3nm chip with a dedicated AI processor capable of running on-device models with up to 2 billion parameters. Samsung says that powers Gemini voice queries, on-watch transcription, and smarter health recommendations. In hands-on coverage, reviewers consistently called the interface noticeably smoother than last year's.

There was a rumor during the leak cycle that only the Ultra 2 would get the new chip. Samsung settled that at Unpacked: both watches share it.

Battery: The 40mm Gets the Upgrade

The 40mm Watch 9 jumped to a 390mAh battery, a 20% increase over the Watch 8's 325mAh cell. The 44mm moved to 449mAh, a smaller bump. Samsung rates both sizes at roughly 30 hours with always-on display enabled.

Real world, you are still charging daily. But the smaller model's battery bump should make it noticeably more forgiving than the Watch 8 was.

Display and Design: Unchanged

Same squircle body, same sizes, same Super AMOLED panels (1.34-inch on the 40mm, 1.47-inch on the 44mm), same 3,000 nits peak brightness, same IP68 and 5ATM ratings. The colors are Cream and Graphite for the 40mm, Graphite and Silver for the 44mm. Cream is the only new finish.

Health Sensors: All Carryover

The BioActive Sensor suite returns unchanged: optical heart rate, electrical heart signal, bioelectrical impedance, temperature, plus the usual accelerometer and gyro stack. Blood pressure measurement, sleep apnea detection, and the new Vitals overnight check all work as they did on the Watch 8.

One software note worth knowing: several of the newer health features that previewed in Samsung Health in June (Heart Health Score, Daily Cardio Load, Fitness Index, Hearing Health) arrive with the new watch, and some of them require the new hardware rather than coming back to older Galaxy Watches.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: The More Interesting Launch

If you are spending $699.99 on a Samsung watch, the Ultra 2 is where the real upgrades landed. It gets a 5,000-nit display, an 800mAh battery (35% bigger than the original Ultra), a 12% thinner and 25% lighter titanium body, and new outdoor features: Trail Run mode, hydration guidance, and Mares diving support later this year.

For a full breakdown of both watches from the event, see our complete Galaxy Unpacked coverage. We also have a head-to-head against the Apple Watch Series 11 if you are deciding between the two ecosystems.

Should You Buy It?

If you own a Galaxy Watch 8: skip it. Same design, same display, same sensors. The new chip is nice on paper but will not transform your daily use. Wait for reviews to mature or catch the Watch 8 at its current discount.

If you own a Watch 6 or older: yes, this is a solid upgrade. Modern design, brighter and bigger displays, better battery (especially in the 40mm), and the full Wear OS 7 plus Gemini experience.

If you are cross-shopping the Apple Watch Series 11: the Watch 9 is priced right in the fight. Apple still has the edge in health sensor depth and third-party apps; Samsung wins on battery flexibility and the value of the older Watch 8 at its new street price.

The Bottom Line

The Galaxy Watch 9's release date was August 7, 2026, prices start at $379.99, and the real story is the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip in both models. It is a conservative upgrade that Samsung priced $30 higher, which is why the discounted Watch 8 is quietly the smarter buy for most people right now. The Ultra 2 at $699.99 is the more compelling watch if you are an outdoor athlete.

Apple Might Be Building a Screenless Fitness Band

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Apple might be quietly building a screenless fitness band.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has explored wrist-worn devices with no display at all as part of a broader rethink of its wearable lineup. The reporting frames it as exploration, not a confirmed product. But the idea lands at exactly the moment when every other major wearable maker is already selling one.

The Category Already Exists

Screenless trackers are no longer a Whoop-only niche. This year they became a proper category.

Whoop built the playbook: no screen, no buttons, all the data lives in the app, and you pay a membership for the platform. Google answered with the Fitbit Air, a $99 pod that snaps into a band and skips the mandatory subscription entirely. Garmin brought serious athletes into it with CIRQA, Amazfit undercut everyone with the Helio Strap, and Polar followed with the Loop. We broke down all five in our screenless tracker comparison.

The pitch for all of them is the same. A tracker should disappear onto your wrist and let the phone do the talking. Sleep, recovery, heart rate, HRV: collected 24/7, reviewed when you actually want to look.

So if Bloomberg's reporting holds up, Apple would be walking into a category its rivals have already validated.

Why Apple Would Want One

The Apple Watch is a phenomenal device. It's also a lot.

Notifications, apps, a screen that lights up, a watch that wants charging every day or two. That's fine if you want a smartwatch. It's a problem if you just want your sleep and recovery data without another screen in your life. Plenty of people wear a mechanical watch or nothing at all precisely because they don't want more wrist tech.

A screenless Apple band solves a different problem than the Apple Watch: it becomes a sensor you wear when you don't want to wear a watch. In bed. At a wedding. On the trail with a GPS watch doing the navigation.

That also matters for price. The Apple Watch SE is Apple's cheapest wrist device, and it's still a smartwatch with a display. A sensor band could sit below it and pull in people who would never pay smartwatch money for health data. The sleep tracker market is projected to grow from roughly $8.9 billion this year to over $34 billion by 2035. That's the pie Apple would be reaching for.

Apple Has Been Here Before

None of this is coming from nowhere. Apple has a long paper trail of band-based health research.

Patent 12133743, titled "Fabric-based Items with Stretchable Bands," describes embedding sensors directly into a stretchable fabric band. The filing covers things like blood pressure and respiration monitoring woven into the material itself. Other Apple filings have explored biometric recognition from a band, adaptive fit, and sensors that supplement whatever sits on your wrist.

Patents don't guarantee products. Apple files constantly and ships a fraction of it. But the direction of the research lines up suspiciously well with what Gurman says the company is exploring.

The One Question That Matters: Subscription?

This is where it gets interesting for Whoop.

Whoop charges around $199 a year for membership, and the band comes bundled with it. Fitbit Air, CIRQA and the Helio Strap all proved you can sell screenless hardware without forcing a subscription. If Apple enters with a one-time purchase price and Apple Health doing the analysis, it removes the single biggest objection people have to the category.

There's a flip side too. Apple Health, Fitness+ and the wider ecosystem give Apple something no rival can match: your data already lives there. A screenless band that feeds the same Health app your iPhone, Apple Watch and doctor's office already use is a stronger pitch than yet another app asking for another login.

Bottom Line

Nothing here is confirmed. Bloomberg's reporting says Apple has explored a screenless wearable, and exploration can die quietly. Apple hasn't commented.

But if it ships, the framing isn't "Apple's Whoop." The real play is an Apple Health sensor you can wear when you don't want an Apple Watch. That's a gap the Apple Watch has never filled, and it's exactly the gap every rival is now racing to claim.

We'll be watching for anything concrete ahead of Apple's September event.

Garmin's Next Satellite Watch Just Hit the FCC: LTE, inReach, and a Titanium Clue

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Garmin is quietly certifying another satellite-connected watch. A new FCC filing for model A05170, granted August 5, describes a wrist-worn device with both LTE and direct satellite radios. No name, no photos, but the public radio documents say a lot about where Garmin's outdoor lineup is headed.

What the Filing Reveals

The device carries FCC ID IPH-05170 and is officially just a "portable digital transceiver." But the SAR evaluation report is explicit that this is a wrist-worn device with no other intended use conditions. Garmin tested it with three straps: silicone, heathered black nylon, and vented titanium.

That last one is the tell. Vented titanium straps belong on premium outdoor and multisport watches, not budget fitness bands.

The radio package is the headline:

LTE-M (Cat-M1) on North American bands 2, 4, and 12, and per the filing it supports voice transmissions
NB-NTN satellite on bands n23 and n255, limited to data
The standard wearable stack: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+, and NFC

In plain terms: phone-free calling when you have cell coverage, satellite communication when you don't. That's the same playbook Garmin introduced with the Fenix 8 Pro, and it's now showing up in something newer.

There's no GNSS transmitter listed, but don't read into that. GPS receivers don't transmit, so they wouldn't appear in the transmitter side of an FCC filing anyway.

Fenix 9 Pro inReach or Enduro 4?

The filing never names the watch, so this is informed guessing. Two candidates stand out.

The stronger fit is the Fenix 9 Pro inReach. Recent reporting suggests Garmin is preparing three Fenix 9 models at once, with LTE and satellite sitting on the top inReach tier rather than every SKU. A fresh wrist device with exactly that connectivity mix slots neatly into that lane. The Garmin Rumors team points out that cellular on only one tier also explains why we haven't seen LTE chatter around the standard Fenix 9.

The dark horse is the Enduro 4. A Garmin Connect teardown found an Enduro 4 entry with internal ID 5179, and the similarity to model number A05170 is fun to stare at. But Garmin's FCC model numbers and app identifiers don't necessarily match, and nothing in the app ties Enduro 4 to LTE or satellite hardware. If it is the Enduro 4, it would be the first Enduro with phone-free connectivity.

Either way, we covered the Enduro's own FCC filing earlier, and that one had no satellite radio in sight.

Is This "Real" inReach?

That's the question Garmin's own community is arguing about, and it matters. Traditional inReach devices use Iridium, which gives true global coverage. The NB-NTN bands in this filing point to the newer satellite LTE approach instead, the same one the Fenix 8 Pro uses. It works in most places people actually hike and climb, but it isn't Iridium-grade global.

If Garmin pulled off Iridium in a watch, the antenna alone would dominate the case. As one commenter on Garmin Rumors put it, the expectation of that happening is "exceptionally low."

What's Still Hidden

External photos, internal photos, and the owner's manual stay confidential until February 1, 2027. Garmin can announce before then, release documents early, or extend, so that date isn't a launch deadline.

One detail is encouraging: Garmin states the tested unit has the physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics expected from production hardware. Development looks well advanced, even if manufacturing hasn't officially started.

Display, case size, sensors, battery life, price: all still unknown.

Bottom Line

This isn't a rumor mill invention. Garmin has a wrist-worn LTE and satellite device in active certification right now, and the titanium strap testing points squarely at the premium outdoor line. Whether it lands as the Fenix 9 Pro inReach or an Enduro 4 surprise, the direction is clear: Garmin is pushing phone-free connectivity down its flagship lineup, one FCC filing at a time.

We'll keep watching for the product name to surface.

Garmin CIRQA Review: What a Week of Screenless Tracking Really Feels Like

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Weeks after launch, the Garmin CIRQA is still selling out, which tells you the screenless band idea is landing with people. At $199.99 with no subscription, it undercuts Whoop's recurring fees and brings Garmin's full health analytics to a band you can forget you're wearing.

But spending real time with the CIRQA reveals a split personality. It's a genuinely good device that is also easy to walk away from. Here's the honest picture.

What the CIRQA Actually Is

In case you missed the launch, the CIRQA is a small plastic pod that clips into a nylon comfort-fit band with two 14mm quick-fit connectors. No screen, no GPS chip. It tracks heart rate, sleep, stress, training readiness, Body Battery, and VO2 max, and syncs everything to Garmin Connect.

The pod sits a little proud of the wrist, around 10 to 11mm high, because Garmin stacks the battery, Bluetooth antenna, haptic motor, and optical sensor vertically inside. In practice it doesn't feel bulky, even on smaller wrists, but it doesn't sit perfectly flat either.

One spec detail worth knowing: the CIRQA runs Garmin's Elevate v4 optical heart rate sensor, not the newest v5. That means no ECG support. If irregular heart rhythm detection matters to you, we broke down which Garmin watches actually do that in a separate article.

What It Gets Right

The band is genuinely comfortable. The nylon has a slight stretch to it, it handles sweat and showers fine, and the pod is light enough to sleep in without noticing.

Auto activity detection mostly works. Running, cycling, and swimming get picked up automatically, usually within a few seconds of actually getting moving. There's a catch: it wants roughly 15 minutes of elevated heart rate before it triggers. A casual 12 minute walk through an airport won't register.

Multi-device sync is smarter than expected. Garmin's Physio TrueUp merges data across your devices, and the good news is that auto-detected CIRQA sessions won't double up with a Garmin watch worn at the same time. Manually started sessions can, though. If you wear two devices, lean on auto detection.

The button earns its place. One press starts your primary activity (you pick which one), and you get haptic buzzes for splits. For a screenless device, that's the right call.

No subscription is still the headline. Garmin Connect Plus exists at $7 a month or $70 a year for AI summaries and nutrition tracking, but it's optional. Against Whoop, where you're paying roughly $200 every single year just to keep your own data, the CIRQA's one-time $199 looks better by the month.

What You'll Actually Miss

This is the part that surprises people, and it's not the things you'd guess. The size is fine. The sync is fine. The price is defensible. What wears on you is everything a screen used to do for free:

Settings live in your phone. Want to change anything? Open Garmin Connect, find the tiny device icon, pick the device, dig. It works, but it's a six-tap process for things that used to be two button presses.
Morning sleep stats need your phone. Roll over, grab the phone, open the app, and sometimes the data isn't ready yet. A watch screen shows your sleep score instantly and lets you confirm you're awake so metrics start calculating.
Small conveniences add up. A double-click flashlight on a Garmin watch at 2am, morning reports at a glance, checking your heart rate zone mid-workout. None of it exists here, and you notice each absence.

There are gaps beyond the screen, too. No nap detection so far. No way to charge on the go, since the four-pin charger needs the pod off your wrist. And Garmin Connect is a dense app built for people who already have glancable data on a watch. A stripped-down CIRQA companion app focused on sleep, readiness, and Body Battery would fit this device far better.

Heart Rate Accuracy

With the Elevate v4 sensor, heart rate data holds up well for steady efforts and even faster interval work, tracking close to chest-strap references with only occasional lag. Garmin sells a bicep band for the pod, and moving any optical sensor up the arm improves accuracy further. It's currently sold out, which is fitting, because the CIRQA itself is backordered five to eight weeks right now.

If you want deeper accuracy testing, Des Yap ran controlled comparisons against chest straps and rival bands, and his video is embedded below.

Who Should Buy It

The CIRQA makes the most sense for a specific person: someone who wants to bridge their athletic life and their professional one. You want Garmin's training readiness and sleep data, but you'd rather wear a nice watch to work than a plastic sports computer. The CIRQA collects everything quietly on one wrist while your dress watch does its job on the other.

It's a much harder sell if you already own a modern Garmin watch. You already have 24/7 tracking, plus GPS, plus a screen. We went deep on how it stacks up against Whoop and the Fitbit Air if that's the comparison you're making.

What the Experts Are Saying

Des Yap (DesFit) put the CIRQA through a full accuracy, battery, and workout test and called it a serious contender in the screenless space:

Dave Dillon (Chase the Summit) asks whether it's all hype or a game changer, covering pricing, sizing against the competition, and how auto detection behaves:

Ray (DCRainmaker) does a great job with his hands-on covering 39 things to know about the CIRQA, from the sensor suite to the no-subscription math against Whoop's recurring fees:

Matt LeGrand covers what you'll really miss after a week of screenless tracking, and who should actually pull the trigger:

Bottom Line

The Garmin CIRQA is a well-built, comfortable, and accurate screenless tracker whose no-subscription model makes Whoop's fees look dated. But a week of real use shows that screens weren't just marketing. They handled dozens of tiny tasks, and the CIRQA pushes every one of them onto your phone.

Buy it if you want Garmin's health data without wearing a sports watch to work, or if you're coming from Whoop and tired of paying rent on your own biometrics. Skip it if you already wear a Garmin watch, because you'd be paying $199 for most of what you already have, minus the GPS and the screen.

Price: $199.99 | Battery: Up to 10 days | Subscription: None required

COROS Pace 4 Pro Leaked: The W337 Filing Points to a Whole New Watch

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

A COROS Pace 4 Pro is real, and we know it because COROS's Indonesian distributor just filed the paperwork to sell one.

The watch showed up in Indonesia's SDPPI regulatory database under model number W337, filed by PT Denka Pratama Indonesia, COROS's distributor in the country. The certificate number reads 125116/DJID/2026. Regulatory filings like this don't happen for vaporware, and filings of this kind typically point to a launch within weeks.

Why W337 Matters More Than the Name

Here's the detail that makes this interesting. The current Pace 4 carries model number W336 and FCC ID 2BBGF-W336. This new filing is W337, the very next number in sequence from the same company.

COROS doesn't hand out new hardware codes lightly. If the Pace 4 Pro were just a color refresh or a strap change riding on existing Pace 4 hardware, it would keep the W336 designation. A fresh model code means fresh hardware. WearableFans flagged this point explicitly: whatever COROS is shipping as the Pace 4 Pro, it's a new device, not a repackage.

And that's the angle worth paying attention to. The "Pace 4 Pro" name suggests a modest step up from the Pace 4, but everything about the filing suggests it will be an all new watch wearing the Pace badge.

What We Actually Know (Which Is Almost Nothing Else)

Let's be honest about what the leak contains and what it doesn't:

Confirmed by the filing:

Device name: Coros Pace 4 Pro
Model number: W337
Certification: SDPPI certificate 125116/DJID/2026
Filed by COROS's Indonesian distributor

Not confirmed:

No images
No spec sheet
No price
No display size
No battery numbers

That's the whole leak. One line in a regulatory database and a name.

The Informed Guesses

WearableFans speculates on three likely upgrades: an improved display, a better build with titanium possibly entering the picture, and improved offline mapping. Take all three with a grain of salt, since nothing backs them up yet.

But they line up suspiciously well with the gap in COROS's current lineup. The Pace 4 is a 31 gram ultralight with a 1.2 inch AMOLED display, dual-frequency GPS, and no offline maps. The Pace Pro sits above it with a 1.3 inch AMOLED screen, full mapping, and a faster processor, but it launched back in October 2024.

A Pace 4 Pro with a larger display and mapping would effectively fold the Pace Pro formula into the fresher Pace generation. Community chatter on the r/Coros subreddit has been heading in this direction for months. In the 2026 roadmap thread, several users argued that the original Pace Pro was really COROS's AMOLED experiment, and that the true successor would be a larger, mapping-capable Pace. One user flat out predicted it would be called the Pace 4 Pro.

Where Does That Leave the Pace Pro?

That's the open question. If the Pace 4 Pro lands with mapping and a bigger screen, the two year old Pace Pro loses its reason to exist. COROS could quietly retire it, or it could be setting up a wider reorganization of the whole Pace family.

There's also the timing to consider. COROS teased a new Vertix-level watch for its August 19 announcement tied to UTMB. If the Pace 4 Pro is weeks away per the filing logic, it may not appear at the same event. More likely it gets its own dedicated announcement later in the year, the way COROS handled the Pace 4 launch.

No FCC Filing Yet

We checked the FCC database for a matching W337 filing under COROS's grantee code, and nothing has landed in the US yet. Indonesia's SDPPI is the first regulatory appearance we've seen. The FCC filing usually follows, and when it does, we typically get photos and more detail in the process. We'll be watching for it.

Bottom Line

The COROS Pace 4 Pro is real hardware, confirmed by regulatory filing, not just rumor mill chatter. The sequential W337 model code right after the Pace 4's W336 tells us it's a new device, and the speculation around titanium, a bigger display, and offline mapping suggests COROS is building a genuinely new watch and parking it under the Pace name rather than just polishing the existing one.

If the filing-to-launch pattern holds, expect something official within weeks. We'll update this article the moment the FCC filing or a teaser appears.

Does Garmin Pick Up Irregular Heartbeat? What Its Watches Can Detect

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

If you've been wondering whether your Garmin can warn you about an irregular heartbeat, the short answer is: it can pick one up, but not the way an Apple Watch does. Garmin's heart health story splits into two very different features, and knowing which one you have (and which one you don't) matters a lot if heart rhythm is on your mind.

Here's exactly what Garmin watches can and can't do when it comes to irregular heartbeats and atrial fibrillation (AFib).

The Short Answer

Garmin watches can detect irregular heart rhythm in two ways, and only one of them is what most people mean by "pick up an irregular heartbeat":

Abnormal heart rate alerts (every modern Garmin): the watch buzzes if your heart rate goes unusually high or low while you've been inactive for 10+ minutes. This catches extreme rate problems, not rhythm problems like AFib.
The ECG app (FDA-cleared, specific watches only): a 30-second on-demand test where you hold your finger on the bezel and the watch records your heart's electrical signal. It can detect AFib or a normal sinus rhythm and generate a report to share with your doctor.

What Garmin does not have is an automatic, always-on irregular rhythm notification. That's the feature where the watch quietly checks your rhythm in the background all day and taps you on the shoulder if something looks like AFib. Apple has shipped that since 2018, and Samsung got FDA clearance for its version (IHRN) in 2023. As of 2026, Garmin still hasn't announced a background version.

That's the honest picture. Now let's look at what each piece actually does.

Abnormal Heart Rate Alerts: What Every Garmin Does

Nearly every Garmin made in the last decade watches your heart rate around the clock and lets you set thresholds. If your resting heart rate climbs above (or drops below) your chosen limits while you're inactive, you get an alert.

This is useful, but it's important to understand its limits. AFib isn't primarily a rate problem, it's a rhythm problem. Your heart can be fibrillating at a perfectly normal-looking rate. Rate alerts will catch a runaway heart rate or a suspiciously low one, but they can't see the irregularity that defines AFib. Think of this feature as a smoke detector for extremes, not a rhythm analysis tool.

The Garmin ECG App: The Real Irregular Heartbeat Tool

The ECG app is where Garmin genuinely enters irregular heartbeat territory. It was Garmin's first FDA-cleared smartwatch feature when it launched in January 2023 on the Venu 2 Plus, and Garmin has expanded it steadily since then.

Here's how it works. You open the ECG app on the watch, rest your hands in your lap, and press your thumb and index finger against the metal bezel for 30 seconds. The watch records an electrocardiogram, the same kind of tracing (single-lead) you'd get at a doctor's office. Then it classifies the result as one of five things:

Sinus rhythm (normal)
Atrial fibrillation
Heart rate too high to classify
Heart rate too low to classify
Inconclusive

You can save the result in Garmin Connect and export a PDF report to hand to your cardiologist. Garmin's own blog features a user story where the ECG app helped surface an AFib diagnosis, and cardiologists have told forum users that single-lead watch ECGs compare well against clinical 12-lead readings for catching AFib.

Which Garmin Watches Have ECG?

ECG needs special electrodes built into the bezel, so it's limited to specific models. Per Garmin's official support list (current as of August 2026), these watches run the ECG app:

Venu line:

Venu 2 Plus (the original ECG watch)
Venu 3 and Venu 3S
Venu 4

Fenix line:

Fenix 7 Pro (all versions)
Fenix 8
Fenix 8 Pro

Other sports and outdoor models:

Epix Pro Gen 2 (all versions)
Enduro 3
Forerunner 970

Specialty lines:

Tactix 7 AMOLED and Tactix 8 (tactical)
Quatix 7 Pro, Quatix 8, and Quatix 8 Pro (marine)
D2 Air X15, D2 Mach 1 Pro, D2 Mach 2, and D2 Mach 2 Pro (aviation)

If your watch isn't on that list, it can't run the ECG app. Notably, the base Fenix 7, the Instinct 3 (all versions), and the Forerunner 570 have no ECG capability. That's a common surprise: owning "a Garmin with a heart rate monitor" is not the same as owning a Garmin that can check your rhythm.

One Catch: Regional Availability

The ECG app is FDA-cleared, but clearance is country-by-country. It's available in the US, Australia, most of Europe, and a growing list of other markets. If you bought your watch in an unsupported region, the app may be locked out even on a compatible watch.

The Missing Piece: No Background AFib Alerts

This is the part that frustrates AFib patients, and it's the main reason the question "does Garmin pick up irregular heartbeat" keeps coming up on Reddit and the Garmin forums.

Apple Watch has run background irregular rhythm checks since 2018: it samples your pulse intermittently when you're still, and alerts you if multiple readings look like AFib. Samsung's Galaxy Watch got FDA clearance for the same kind of feature (they call it IHRN) in 2023. Garmin's ECG app is strictly manual: nothing happens until you decide to take a reading.

Why does that matter? Because AFib often shows up in brief, symptom-free episodes. A manual ECG test only catches it if you happen to be fibrillating during those 30 seconds. Background monitoring is what finds the silent episodes. There's an active, long-running request on the Garmin forums from AFib users asking for exactly this, and Garmin has acknowledged the ECG expansion over time but hasn't shipped a background version.

So if you have diagnosed AFib and want continuous surveillance, a Garmin alone won't get you there. Some users pair their Garmin for training data with an Apple Watch or a dedicated monitor (like a Medtronic implantable loop recorder or a KardiaMobile device) for the rhythm coverage.

How to Get the Most From Garmin's Heart Features

If heart rhythm monitoring matters to you, here's the practical setup:

Check your watch. If you have one of the ECG-capable models above, run the test once a week or whenever you feel palpitations. It takes 30 seconds.
Turn on abnormal heart rate alerts in the watch settings (Health > Heart Rate). Set a high threshold around your normal max and a low one around your normal resting floor.
Track HRV Status. Newer Garmins show heart rate variability trends, and a sudden chaotic shift can sometimes hint that something's off. It's not diagnostic, but it's a useful signal to log alongside symptoms.
Export everything. The PDF export in Garmin Connect is the whole point. If the ECG app ever flags AFib, bring the report to your doctor the same week.

Bottom Line

Does Garmin pick up irregular heartbeat? Yes, if you own an ECG-capable model like the Venu 4, Fenix 8 Pro, Venu 3, or Forerunner 970, the FDA-cleared ECG app can detect AFib whenever you choose to test. Every Garmin also warns you about abnormally high or low resting rates. But Garmin still doesn't match Apple and Samsung on automatic background rhythm monitoring, so if silent AFib is your concern, you'll want to take regular manual readings or pair the Garmin with a device that watches around the clock.

If you're shopping specifically for this feature, the Venu 2 Plus ($449) remains the cheapest ECG-capable Garmin, and the Fenix 8 Pro gets you ECG alongside Garmin's full outdoor toolkit. And remember: a watch can flag a possible problem, but only a medical-grade ECG and your doctor can give you a real diagnosis.

COROS August 2026 Update: Live Tracking, Better Sleep Scores, New HR Data

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:30:00 GMT

COROS just closed one of its biggest feature gaps. The August 2026 update, released July 29, brings real-time Live Tracking to COROS watches, along with a major overhaul of sleep scoring and a redesigned heart rate widget.

Live tracking is the headliner. It's the feature COROS users have been asking for since the Garmin era made it standard, and Forbes called the update "a key Garmin feature" finally arriving on COROS.

Here's everything in the update.

Live Tracking: Share Your Run in Real Time

The new Live Tracking lets friends, family, and supporters follow your location and live stats as you move. The implementation goes beyond basic location sharing:

Route upload: upload your planned route before heading out, so spectators see where you are and where you're going, with real-time performance metrics overlaid on the viewing page
Flexible sharing: start your activity now, share it later. You can launch a live link instantly from the Extender preview on your Progress page whenever you choose
Photo and voice pins: snap photos with the Extender camera, drop pins with pictures attached, or leave voice pins, and spectators see it all live on your map

You'll find it under the Live Tracking menu in the Profile page of the COROS App. This matters most for ultra runners and cyclists, where support crews and family tracking is a genuine safety feature, not a gimmick. COROS has been the favorite race-day watch for years, and not having live tracking was a real omission against Garmin.

Sleep Tracking Gets a Real Upgrade

Sleep is the other big focus, with four distinct improvements:

Updated scoring system that evaluates overall sleep quality and now incorporates daytime naps into your daily score. Nap tracking has been a weak spot for most sports watches, so folding naps into the score is a meaningful fix
Sleep hygiene tracking: you can now track your sleep schedule regularity alongside real-time physiological stress, helping pinpoint what's actually impacting your rest
Long-term trends: monitor how sleep quality and individual recovery factors evolve over weeks and months, not just night to night
Sleep log editing: crop, extend, or merge split sleep logs directly in the app if an extended awake period interrupts your night. Anyone who's woken up at 3am and gone back to sleep knows how annoying fragmented logs are

Heart Rate Widget Redesigned

The HR widget now breaks data into three clear categories: Daily, Sleep, and Exercise. You can track long-term trends across days, weeks, or months, or zoom into the Daily HR graph for exact fluctuations throughout the day.

One caveat: weekly, monthly, and yearly HR statistics are only available for data from January 1, 2026 onward. So if you've been on COROS for years, your historical stats won't backfill.

Which Watches Get It

The update is rolling out to iOS and Android app stores now, typically reaching all devices globally within a week. After installing the app update, install the available firmware update for your watch to get the features. COROS generally ships major feature updates to its current-generation lineup (VERTIX, APEX, PACE, and NOMAD families), though older hardware occasionally misses specific features.

Bottom Line

This is one of COROS's more substantial updates of the year. Live tracking removes the biggest checkbox item on COROS's missing-features list, the sleep scoring overhaul addresses real user complaints about naps and fragmented logs, and the HR redesign makes long-term data actually readable. If you've been on the fence about COROS because of the live tracking gap, this update closes it.

We covered the May and Spring COROS updates earlier this year, and we'll keep tracking the monthly drops. If COROS ships the August 19 watch announcement that's been rumored, it'll be interesting to see if Live Tracking becomes a headline feature of the new hardware too.

Samsung Galaxy Aero: The Non-Wear OS Watch With Multi-Week Battery

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Samsung's next smartwatch might be the most surprising one it's made in years. Leaked code points to a watch that doesn't run Wear OS at all, internally codenamed the Galaxy Aero. And if the rumors hold, it could deliver the one thing Samsung's flagship watches have never managed: battery life measured in weeks.

Here's everything we know.

What the Leak Actually Says

References to the device were found inside Samsung's own Galaxy Wearable app code, under the codename "Galaxy Aero" and the identifier "galaxy_rtos_watch." That second part is the key. It confirms the watch runs an RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) rather than Google's Wear OS, the platform that powers the entire current Galaxy Watch lineup.

According to reporting from SamMobile, GSMArena, and Notebookcheck, the Aero is described in the code as "a watch with a screen," which sounds vague but tells us something useful: Samsung sees it as a proper smartwatch with a display, not a screenless fitness band.

Android Authority adds that the Aero appears to run the same lightweight RTOS that powers the Galaxy Fit lineup. So think of it as the Galaxy Fit's operating system graduating into a full watch.

Where It Fits: A Budget Play

The reported positioning is interesting. The Aero allegedly slots between the Galaxy Fit (around $99) and the Galaxy Watch FE (around $199) in price. That puts it squarely in budget smartwatch territory, competing with the Amazfit and Huawei devices that have been eating this market alive on battery life alone.

That's a smart move. Samsung's weakness has always been that Wear OS watches last about two days. Meanwhile, budget RTOS watches from Amazfit and others run a week or more for a fraction of the price. Samsung has been ceding the entire bottom of the market rather than fight on battery life. The Aero looks like Samsung finally deciding to fight there.

The Trade-Off

RTOS means a simpler watch. You won't get the full Wear OS app ecosystem, and the feature set will be closer to a fitness band than a Galaxy Watch 9. Standard sensors are expected, but anything requiring serious processing or third-party apps is likely out.

The payoff is battery. Without Wear OS's overhead, week-long battery life is the baseline expectation, and Notebookcheck's reading of the leak suggests multi-week battery life is possible. For people who track sleep, that's a genuine quality-of-life difference.

There's also the open question of shape. Nothing in the leak confirms whether the Aero will have a circular, rectangular, or square display. And since "Galaxy Aero" looks like an internal codename, the retail name could be completely different at launch.

When Could It Launch?

No official timeline exists. But Samsung has a September launch window where it typically announces a batch of devices, and several outlets note that's a plausible reveal date. Given the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 just hit shelves in early August, a September side-launch for a budget model would fit Samsung's recent pattern of staggering announcements.

Why This Matters Beyond Samsung

This is bigger than one budget watch. It signals Samsung hedging against Wear OS. If an RTOS Samsung watch proves popular, expect the company to lean harder into lightweight software across its lineup. That would be a meaningful strategic shift for the second-largest smartwatch maker in the world.

It also puts pressure on Amazfit, Huawei, and the rest of the budget RTOS crowd. A Samsung-branded watch at $150 with weeks of battery and Samsung's health platform behind it is a different kind of competitor than they've faced so far.

Bottom Line

The Galaxy Aero is Samsung's answer to the budget battery-life wars: a non-Wear OS watch with the Galaxy Fit's lightweight software, a price between $99 and $199, and battery life that could stretch into weeks. It won't replace your Galaxy Watch 9, but it might be the watch you buy for sleep tracking and travel. We'll keep an eye out for an official announcement, possibly as soon as September.

Garmin Fenix 9: Three Models, One Launch Date, and a MIP Surprise

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

If you've been waiting for the Garmin Fenix 9, the rumor mill just dropped its biggest picture yet. Reports now point to not one, not two, but three Fenix 9 models launching at the same time as the Enduro 4. And in a twist nobody saw coming, the MIP display isn't going anywhere. It's just moving upmarket.

Here's everything we know about Garmin's next flagship generation.

The Lineup: Fenix 9 Comes in Three Flavors

The latest reporting from Garmin Rumors suggests the next generation splits into three tiers:

Fenix 9 (standard): the base model, AMOLED display, conventional GPS that pairs with your phone
Fenix 9 Pro: a middle tier, though what exactly separates it from the standard model is still unclear. It could be upgraded materials (think sapphire treatment of past generations) or extra features
Fenix 9 Pro inReach: the top tier carrying the built-in LTE modem and inReach satellite messaging. On the current Fenix 8 Pro, those two radios came bundled together. This time they sit only on the top model

That's a meaningful restructure. With the Fenix 8 generation, "Pro" basically meant "the one with LTE and satellite." Now Garmin appears to be splitting connectivity into its own dedicated tier and using the middle Pro for something else entirely.

All three tiers are reportedly coming in 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes.

The 43mm Pro Is the Big Fix

The most welcome news in the whole rumor set: a 43mm Fenix 9 Pro.

The Fenix 8 Pro skipped the 43mm size entirely, which drew real criticism, including from DC Rainmaker, for leaving smaller wrists without a connected option. Garmin's explanation at the time was technical. The antennas for LTE and satellite messaging couldn't be engineered to fit inside a 43mm case.

If Garmin has solved that packaging problem, the 43mm Pro opens the connected flagship to a much wider range of wrist sizes. It's arguably the single most-requested change from the Fenix 8 Pro cycle.

One catch: there likely won't be a 43mm MIP option. Smaller wrists get into every Fenix 9 tier on AMOLED, but MIP Solar reportedly stays on the larger sizes.

Simultaneous Launch, Not a Staggered One

This is a real break from Garmin's recent pattern. The Fenix 8 arrived first in late 2024, and the Fenix 8 Pro didn't show up until over a year later. Garmin treated the Pro as a distinct, later-cycle upgrade.

This time, the Fenix 9 and its Pro siblings are expected to land together with the Enduro 4. Commenters on Garmin Rumors are floating August 25 as a possible date, though some think the Enduro 4 arrives then with the Fenix 9 following about a month later. Garmin has confirmed nothing, so treat all dates as speculation.

The timing lines up with what Garmin's own CEO has signaled. Cliff Pemble told investors earlier this year to expect "stronger performance in the back half of the year due to the timing of product launches" and called it "a very active year for outdoor."

There's also hard code evidence. An APK teardown of Garmin Connect app version 5.26 found "Enduro 4" listed in the device registry, a reference that wasn't in version 5.25. When a product shows up in Garmin's own app code, a launch is usually weeks away, not months.

The Plot Twist: MIP Isn't Dead, It's Going Premium

The early version of this rumor suggested the standard Fenix 9 would go AMOLED-only, with the Enduro 4 as the last MIP watch standing. That set off alarm bells in the Garmin community, and for good reason. MIP displays are still the choice for serious outdoor use: always readable in direct sun, barely sipping power, and paired with solar charging for battery life measured in weeks.

The updated reporting softens that picture. The standard Fenix 9 is still not expected to offer MIP. But both Pro tiers would come in MIP Solar variants alongside AMOLED. So the picture is now:

Fenix 9 standard: AMOLED only
Fenix 9 Pro and Pro inReach: AMOLED plus MIP Solar options
Enduro 4: MIP and solar, single size, pure endurance play

Instead of killing MIP, Garmin appears to be repositioning it as the premium option for the people who actually need it. If these reports hold, the anti-MIP crowd loses this round. MIP survives, just not on the base model.

What This Means If You're Shopping

Three practical takeaways.

First, if you want LTE or satellite on a smaller wrist, the 43mm Fenix 9 Pro inReach could be the watch you've been waiting for. Nothing in the current lineup offers that combination.

Second, if you're a MIP loyalist, you now have two likely paths: an Enduro 4 for maximum battery, or a Fenix 9 Pro MIP Solar if you want the Fenix form factor with LTE-class features. The Fenix 8 Solar may end up being the last MIP Fenix with dive features, so snorkelers and bike-computer users on a budget should keep an eye on current Fenix 8 pricing.

Third, if you don't need any of that, the Fenix 8 is at or near its cheapest price ever right now. The Fenix 9 standard going AMOLED-only means it will likely be a premium-priced watch, and the current-generation deals may not last once launch gets close.

Bottom Line

Garmin's next outdoor generation is shaping up to be its most ambitious reshuffle in years: three Fenix tiers launching together with the Enduro 4, a long-awaited 43mm connected Pro, and MIP Solar surviving as a premium option rather than dying out. Nothing is official yet, but with the Enduro 4 already appearing in Garmin's own app code, we're likely weeks away from the first domino falling.

We'll have full coverage the moment Garmin confirms anything.

Your Fitbit Finally Talks to Apple Health. It Only Took 12 Years.

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:40:00 GMT

If you've ever worn a Fitbit with an iPhone, you know the drill. Your steps, sleep, and workouts live in one app, while Apple Health, the place everything else on your phone reports to, stays empty. For twelve years the workarounds were clunky third-party sync apps, or just shrugging and picking a side.

This week that changed.

Google Health 5.05 is rolling out on iOS right now, and it finally lets your Fitbit data flow straight into Apple Health. Workouts, sleep, vitals, steps. No middleman.

What changed, exactly

When Google Health replaced the Fitbit app in May, it shipped with half a bridge to Apple's ecosystem. It could read from Apple Health, pulling in workouts recorded by your iPhone, Apple Watch, and other HealthKit apps, but it couldn't write anything back. Your Fitbit data stayed locked on Google's side of the fence.

Version 5.05 finishes the bridge. The release notes are blunt about it:

"Share your data like your exercise records, sleep, vitals, steps, and more from Google Health to Apple Health."

So now it's a real two-way street. Apple Health data flows into Google Health, and Google Health data flows back out.

Setup takes about 30 seconds

Open Google Health on your iPhone (the app formerly known as Fitbit), tap your profile icon, hit Partner apps, pick Apple Health, and link it. You choose what gets shared, and anything you enable becomes available to Apple Health and every HealthKit app you've authorized.

If you're paying for a bridging app like Power Sync for Fitbit or Fitbit to Apple Health Sync, consider this your cancellation notice. Google just made them obsolete for most people.

Why did this take twelve years?

Because the bad blood is ancient history. In 2014, right after Apple introduced HealthKit with iOS 8, Fitbit said publicly it had no plans to support the platform. Fitbit was the biggest name in trackers back then, and it saw Apple's health hub as a rival for user attention, not a partner.

That posture hardened into a wall. Garmin added Apple Health sync years ago, and nobody thinks twice about wearing a Forerunner with an iPhone. Fitbit never did.

Then Google bought Fitbit, killed the Fitbit app in May, and rebuilt the whole software stack as Google Health. The Apple Health export sat on Google's public roadmap under "Sharing your data" as one of the last unfinished items. As of this week, it's checked off.

The app that got here had a rough summer

To be fair, Google Health's first three months were messy. The May launch put a Gemini-powered AI coach front and center, and a lot of longtime Fitbit users hated it. The Today tab led with coach chatter instead of your stats.

The complaints were blunt. One Reddit post that picked up a lot of traction asked why anyone should have to scroll through paragraphs of AI commentary about a 15-minute walk to the grocery store just to see their morning run. A Google Help Center thread titled "Bring back Fitbit app" filled up with the same energy.

To Google's credit, they published a roadmap with eight focus areas and actually shipped against it. Updates landed roughly every three weeks: 5.01, 5.02, 5.03, 5.04, and now 5.05. When 9to5Google audited that roadmap last week, only two items were left under data sharing: the Apple Health export and Smart Health Links. Both shipped in 5.05. That's what listening looks like.

Why this matters more than it looks

The biggest argument for staying inside one ecosystem has always been your data. Buy an Apple Watch and everything flows through Apple Health effortlessly. Wear almost anything else with an iPhone and you fight for it. Fitbit was the worst offender, mostly because of how many people own one. With a native export, wearing a Fitbit or the new screenless Fitbit Air with an iPhone finally feels like a normal setup instead of a hack.

It also makes mixed-device setups actually viable. Run with an Apple Watch and sleep with a Fitbit band? Before this week that meant sync apps and crossed fingers. Now both directions flow natively. Trackers keep getting more specialized, with screenless bands for recovery and watches for training, and cross-brand data plumbing is the feature that makes the whole category work.

And here's the awkward part for Samsung: the Galaxy Watch still doesn't sync with Apple Health, because Samsung Health on iOS has no HealthKit integration at all. Wear a Galaxy Watch with an iPhone and your data lives in Samsung Health, full stop. Google, another Android-first hardware company, just did the thing Samsung hasn't. If you carry an iPhone and you're cross-shopping wearables, that's a real differentiator now.

Also in 5.05: Smart Health Links

The update ships one more feature, US-only for now. Smart Health Links let you share medical records with a doctor or a family member through a shareable URL or QR code. You build one from the Health tab, Medical section, Shareable records, tap the plus icon, and pick what to include. It sounds minor until you're the person trying to fax medical records in 2026.

A few caveats before you get excited

Google rolls features out in waves, so if you don't see Apple Health under Partner apps yet, give it a few days and confirm you're on 5.05. Everything you enable flows into Apple Health and onward to whatever HealthKit apps you've authorized, so review those permissions on purpose instead of toggling everything on.

And no, this isn't a Premium upsell. The sync works on free accounts. Premium still gates the AI coach and adaptive plans at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, and it's bundled into Google AI Pro and Ultra if you already pay for those.

On Android, nothing changes. Health Connect already plays the hub role there, so this was always an iOS story.

Bottom line

Twelve years after Fitbit snubbed HealthKit at launch, the last big holdout in fitness tracking has plugged in. If you wear Fitbit hardware with an iPhone, and there are tens of millions of you, this is the update that makes the whole setup feel native.

It's also a quiet signal about where Google wants health to go. Not a walled garden, but a hub that plays nice with everyone. Whether that openness survives Google's next reorg is anybody's guess. But for the first time since 2014, Fitbit and Apple Health speak the same language.

Sources: The Verge, 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, Google Health support forums.

Garmin Enduro 4: FCC Filing, 5GHz WiFi, and Imminent August Launch

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:30:00 GMT

The Garmin Enduro 4 is no longer just a rumor. It has cleared the FCC, shown up in Garmin Connect app code, and is tracking toward a late August or September 2026 launch that fits Garmin's two-year Enduro release cycle perfectly.

If you have been waiting for Garmin's next ultra-endurance watch, the evidence is now strong enough to start planning around. Here is everything the FCC filing, the app teardown, and the release cycle tell us.

The FCC Filing: Model A05216

The most concrete evidence comes from the FCC. A new Garmin device carrying model number A05216 (FCC ID: IPH-05216) was granted certification on June 18, 2026.

The filing reveals several important details:

5GHz WiFi support. The TCB Scope lists "UNII devices," which in plain English means this watch packs 5GHz Wi-Fi. This is significant because no current Garmin watch supports 5GHz WiFi. Every Garmin watch on the market today uses 2.4GHz only. The addition of 5GHz means a new communications chip generation, which typically brings faster data transfer, better connectivity, and improved range.

A single model filing. Unlike the Fenix line, which files multiple size and variant models at once, the Enduro 4 was filed as a single model. This matches the Enduro's history. The Enduro 2 and Enduro 3 each launched as one model in one size. The Enduro 4 appears to follow the same pattern.

The wireless stack and charging architecture described in the filing are consistent with a high-end Garmin watch. The antenna design, Bluetooth, and wireless charging setup all match what you would expect from a flagship-tier device.

Independent early coverage of the filing concluded that the Enduro 4 is the most plausible fit for A05216. The single-model filing rules out the Fenix 9 (which would file multiple sizes), and the timing aligns perfectly with the Enduro's release cadence.

The Connect App Leak

The FCC filing did not come out of nowhere. One day before the FCC grant date, on June 17, 2026, developers found references to the Enduro 4 in a Garmin Connect app version 5.26 APK teardown.

The app code contained an "Enduro_4" device string with an internal device ID of 5179. This is the software infrastructure being prepared for a real product. Garmin does not add device-specific strings to its app for placeholder devices. When a watch shows up in Connect app code and clears the FCC within 24 hours of each other, the launch is close.

The Two-Year Release Cycle

Garmin's Enduro line has followed a remarkably consistent two-year cadence:

Enduro (original): Launched 2020
Enduro 2: Launched August 2022
Enduro 3: Launched August 2024
Enduro 4: Expected August or September 2026

Two years between generations, consistently in the August window. The Enduro 4 landing in late August or September 2026 would continue the pattern exactly. Garmin tends to launch outdoor and endurance watches in the late summer and early fall, ahead of the holiday shopping season and in time for the fall ultra running calendar.

This timing also makes sense relative to the Fenix 9. The Enduro has historically launched slightly ahead of or alongside the Fenix refresh, giving Garmin two premium outdoor launches in the same quarter. The Enduro targets the pure endurance crowd (maximum battery, MIP display, solar), while the Fenix targets the broader premium market (AMOLED, full feature set).

What to Expect: MIP and Solar

The Enduro line has a clear identity that distinguishes it from the Fenix. Here is what the Enduro 4 will almost certainly deliver:

A transflective MIP display, not AMOLED. The Enduro is built for battery life above all else. MIP displays use reflected ambient light and sip almost no power, which is how the Enduro 3 achieves its extreme battery numbers. Going AMOLED would undermine the entire value proposition of the line. Expect a MIP screen that is readable in direct sunlight and invisible indoors without the backlight.

Solar charging. Every Enduro has had solar. The Enduro 3 uses Garmin's Power Sapphire solar charging layer, which trickle-charges the battery from sunlight. The Enduro 4 will certainly keep this. The question is whether Garmin improves the solar efficiency or expands the solar harvesting area.

Extreme battery life. The Enduro 3 delivers up to 320 hours of GPS battery with solar assist and up to 90 days of smartwatch mode with solar. The Enduro 4 needs to match or beat these numbers to justify its existence. With the new 5GHz WiFi chip potentially drawing more power, Garmin will need to optimize elsewhere to maintain the Enduro's battery leadership.

Lightweight construction. The Enduro line has always been lighter than the Fenix. The Enduro 3 weighs just 63g. Expect the Enduro 4 to stay in that range, using a fiber-reinforced polymer case rather than full titanium.

What the 5GHz WiFi Actually Means

The 5GHz WiFi addition is the most interesting detail in the FCC filing, and it deserves some context.

5GHz WiFi offers significantly faster data transfer than 2.4GHz. For a Garmin watch, this matters for two things: syncing music and downloading map packs. The Enduro line supports offline music and full-color mapping, and both of those involve transferring large files from your phone to the watch. Faster WiFi means less waiting.

5GHz also means a newer chipset platform. The communications chip that handles WiFi, Bluetooth, and potentially other wireless functions is being upgraded. This could bring improvements to Bluetooth stability, ANT+ performance, and overall wireless reliability. It also future-proofs the watch for features that require more bandwidth.

The trade-off is power consumption. 5GHz WiFi draws more power than 2.4GHz when active. Garmin will need to manage this carefully to protect the Enduro's battery-first identity. Expect the watch to use 5GHz only for active transfers and fall back to lower-power modes the rest of the time.

Expected Price

The Enduro 3 launched at $899. Industry analysts expect the Enduro 4 to come in at $900 to $1,000, potentially with a $50 to $100 increase driven by the global memory chip shortage and the new communications hardware.

That price keeps the Enduro positioned above the Fenix 8 AMOLED ($899) and below the Fenix 8 Solar ($999+), which makes sense given the Enduro's endurance-focused feature set.

How It Fits the 2026 Garmin Roadmap

The Enduro 4 is one of three major Garmin launches expected in the second half of 2026:

Enduro 4: August or September. MIP, solar, extreme battery. The endurance play.
MARQ Gen 3: Q3 2026, likely October. Luxury titanium and sapphire built on Fenix 9 technology.
Fenix 9: Late 2026 or early 2027. The full flagship refresh with new sensors and AMOLED.

Garmin confirmed in its Q2 2026 earnings call that new outdoor watch launches are coming in the second half of the year, without naming specific models. The Enduro 4, MARQ Gen 3, and Fenix 9 are the three watches that fit that description.

The Bottom Line

The Garmin Enduro 4 is real, it has cleared the FCC, and it is coming soon. The 5GHz WiFi upgrade signals a meaningful hardware refresh, not just a minor iteration. Combined with the MIP display, solar charging, and the extreme battery life that defines the Enduro line, this is shaping up to be the endurance watch to beat in late 2026.

If you are an ultra runner, thru-hiker, or adventure athlete who needs maximum battery life and does not care about AMOLED screens or smartwatch apps, the Enduro 4 is the watch to wait for. Expect an announcement in late August or September, with availability shortly after.

The FCC filing and app leak do not lie. The Enduro 4 is weeks away, not months.

COROS Vertix: New Flagship Watch Teased for August UTMB Launch

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

COROS just dropped a teaser that has the endurance watch community buzzing, and all signs point to a new Vertix flagship launching at the UTMB ultra trail race in late August 2026.

The teaser, posted across COROS social channels, reads simply: "Coming soon: The same best-in-class performance, with a new look and feel." The silhouette shows a rugged watch with visible screws and an aggressive bezel that matches the Vertix aesthetic, not the sleeker Apex line. On r/Coros, the community has been dissecting every pixel.

Here is what we know, what the leaks suggest, and what to expect from COROS's next flagship.

Why a New Vertix Makes Sense

The current COROS Vertix 2S launched in 2024 as an incremental update to the Vertix 2, not a full generational leap. The "S" naming was deliberate. COROS upgraded the heart rate sensor and GPS antenna algorithms but kept the same core hardware. Battery life actually dipped slightly compared to the Vertix 2 due to the new sensor drawing more power.

The Vertix line is overdue for a true generational refresh. The Vertix 2S is an excellent ultra-endurance watch with 118 hours of GPS battery and titanium construction, but it lacks features that have become standard on competitors. No AMOLED display option. No LED flashlight. No built-in microphone or speaker.

Meanwhile, COROS has been loading those features onto their other watches. The Apex 4 (launched late 2025) got an AMOLED display, a microphone, a speaker, and global maps for $479. The PACE series got Voice Pins for hands-free note-taking. The Vertix line is now the only COROS watch without these features, and that gap is about to close.

The UTMB Timing

COROS consistently launches its biggest watch of the year around the UTMB, the legendary ultratrail race in Chamonix, France that takes place in late August. It is the Super Bowl of trail running, and watch brands treat it as their marquee launch window.

Reddit users on r/Coros have been calling this for months. The community consensus is that a new Vertix will drop for UTMB 2026, continuing the pattern. COROS has not confirmed a date, but the timing of the teaser, roughly four weeks before UTMB weekend, fits the historical launch cadence perfectly.

Expect an announcement in mid-to-late August with availability shortly after.

Expected Features: What the Leaks Suggest

No official spec sheet exists yet, but piecing together the teaser, Reddit leaks, and the COROS product roadmap, here is what the new Vertix is likely to deliver:

Two sizes. This is the most concrete leak. When asked about sizing on Reddit, a COROS community account responded that the new Vertix should be available in two sizes, suggesting something like 46mm and 50mm. The Vertix 2S only comes in one 50.3mm size, which is too big for many wrists. Adding a smaller option would significantly expand the watch's appeal.

AMOLED display. The Apex 4 proved COROS can do AMOLED well. The Vertix has always used a MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) display for maximum battery efficiency, but the teaser silhouette and the competitive pressure from Garmin's AMOLED Fenix 8 suggest a screen upgrade is coming. The question is whether COROS offers both MIP and AMOLED variants, or goes all-in on AMOLED.

LED flashlight. This is now table stakes for any adventure watch. Garmin has it on the Fenix and Instinct lines. Amazfit has it on the T-Rex 3. The Apex 4 does not have one, which has been a consistent complaint. A Vertix without a flashlight in 2026 would be a miss.

Microphone and speaker. The Apex 4 added these for Voice Pins, COROS's hands-free note-taking feature that lets you log nutrition cues or effort feedback mid-workout. Expect the new Vertix to inherit this.

A faster processor. The Vertix 2S's processor is showing its age. Map rendering and route calculation can lag, especially with full global map packs loaded. A new chip would improve the entire UI experience.

More aggressive bezel design. The teaser silhouette shows a more machined, industrial bezel than the Vertix 2S. The light catches it in a way that suggests sharper edges and a more pronounced rugged aesthetic. COROS appears to be doubling down on the tool-watch look rather than softening it.

How It Positions Against Garmin

This is where the new Vertix gets interesting from a competitive standpoint.

The Garmin Enduro 4 is expected to launch in August or September 2026 with a MIP display, solar charging, and extreme battery life. It is the pure endurance play. Maximum battery, minimal flash.

The Garmin Fenix 9 is expected later in 2026 with the full flagship treatment. AMOLED, titanium, every sensor Garmin makes.

The new COROS Vertix needs to compete with both. COROS's traditional advantage has been delivering 90% of Garmin's flagship features at 60% of the price, with a simpler app experience and better battery life. If the new Vertix adds AMOLED, a flashlight, and two sizes while keeping the 118-hour GPS battery pedigree, it could be the most compelling endurance watch on the market.

The Vertix 2S currently costs $599. A new flagship with AMOLED and expanded features could push the price to $649 or $699, which would still undercut a comparably equipped Garmin Fenix by $300 or more.

What We Still Do Not Know

Official name: Vertix 3? Vertix 4 (skipping 3, as some leaks suggest)? Or something else entirely?
Pricing: Will it stay at $599 or move up with the feature additions?
Battery life numbers: Can COROS maintain 118 hours of GPS with an AMOLED display?
Display strategy: AMOLED only, MIP only, or both options?
Solar charging: Garmin's Enduro has it. Will COROS match it?
Exact launch date: UTMB window is likely, but nothing confirmed

The Bottom Line

COROS is about to launch its most important watch in years. The Vertix line is the brand's flagship, the watch that serious ultra runners and adventure athletes look to as the Garmin alternative. A generational refresh with AMOLED, two sizes, a flashlight, and modern internals would address every complaint about the Vertix 2S and position COROS as a genuine threat to Garmin's endurance watch dominance.

The UTMB timing is not a coincidence. COROS knows its audience, and its audience will be watching Chamonix in late August. Expect the full reveal then.

If you have been waiting for a Vertix that feels like a true next-generation watch rather than an incremental update, this looks like the one. We will be tracking every leak between now and launch.

Garmin MARQ Gen 3: The Luxury Fenix 9 Is Coming

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Garmin's MARQ collection is overdue for a refresh, and the signs all point to a Gen 3 launch in late 2026 built on Fenix 9 technology. The current Gen 2 watches are nearly four years old, they just received a rare $300 price cut that historically signals a replacement is coming, and multiple sources confirm the next generation is in development.

Here is what we know and what to expect from Garmin's most premium watch line.

What Is MARQ?

If you are not familiar with MARQ, it is Garmin's luxury watch collection. Think of it as a Fenix or Epix wrapped in genuinely premium materials and sold at luxury watch prices.

The concept is simple. Take Garmin's flagship sensor platform, training features, and health tracking, then dress it up in Grade 5 titanium, domed sapphire crystal, and ceramic bezels. Add unique design touches for each variant. Charge a premium.

The MARQ line has always borrowed its "engine" from Garmin's flagship outdoor watch. Gen 1 (2019) was built on the Fenix 5 Plus platform. Gen 2 (2022) was built on the Epix Gen 2 platform with AMOLED displays. Gen 3 will almost certainly be built on the Fenix 9 platform.

The Gen 2 Lineup: What Exists Today

The current MARQ Gen 2 collection launched on October 11, 2022, with five models, each targeting a different lifestyle:

MARQ Athlete ($1,900) - The base model, essentially a premium Epix with a jetlag advisor
MARQ Adventurer ($2,100) - Adds orienteering and outdoor features, hybrid leather strap
MARQ Captain ($2,200) - Adds marine features from the Quatix line
MARQ Golfer ($2,300) - Adds golf features from the Approach line
MARQ Aviator ($2,400) - Adds aviation features from the D2 line

All five share the same AMOLED display, Grade 5 titanium case, domed sapphire glass, and ceramic bezel. The differences are in the design details, strap materials, and the specialized software features each model includes.

The reality, as DC Rainmaker noted in his Gen 2 review, is that most buyers pick their MARQ based on aesthetics rather than the specialized features. The Athlete and Adventurer are the most popular because they look the most like traditional luxury watches.

The Signs Pointing to Gen 3

Three signals all point to an imminent refresh:

The Gen 2 is old. Launched in October 2022, it is now nearly four years into its lifecycle. In the fast-moving wearable world, that is ancient. The underlying Epix Gen 2 platform has been surpassed by newer Garmin technology, and the sensor suite is a generation behind the current Fenix 8.

The rare price cut. In May 2026, Garmin dropped MARQ Gen 2 prices by $300 across the board. This is significant because Garmin rarely discounts MARQ. The collection is positioned as a luxury product with stable pricing. A sudden, substantial discount is the classic retail signal that inventory is being cleared for a new generation.

The Fenix 9 connection. Multiple sources, including Garmin Rumors and Notebookcheck, report that the MARQ Gen 3 will be built on the Fenix 9 platform. Since the Fenix 9 is expected in late 2026 or early 2027, the MARQ Gen 3 would launch alongside it or shortly after.

What Gen 3 Will Inherit From Fenix 9

This is where it gets interesting for anyone who follows Garmin's product strategy. The MARQ has always been a flagship platform watch in premium clothing. Gen 3 will get:

New sensors. The Fenix 9 is expected to bring Garmin's latest generation of optical heart rate sensors and biometric tracking. The Gen 2 MARQ still uses sensors from 2022, which means Gen 3 will be a meaningful upgrade in data accuracy.

A faster processor. Garmin's internal chipsets have improved significantly since 2022. A faster processor means smoother UI, faster map rendering, and quicker workout data processing. On a watch that costs over $2,000, the current Gen 2's occasional UI lag is noticeable.

Full training and health features. Everything Garmin has added to its platform since 2022 will be included. Training readiness, body battery updates, sleep coaching, HRV status, and whatever new metrics the Fenix 9 introduces. The Gen 3 will be the most feature-complete MARQ ever.

The AMOLED display will stay. Gen 2 moved from MIP to AMOLED, and there is no going back for a luxury watch. Expect the same vibrant, bright display technology, possibly with improvements to refresh rate or peak brightness.

The Antenna Breakthrough Rumor

One of the more interesting rumors comes from Garmin News, which suggests a breakthrough in antenna technology that allows for flawless multi-band GNSS performance even with a full-titanium or ceramic case construction.

This matters because metal cases have historically interfered with GPS signal reception. Garmin has worked around this with careful antenna placement and plastic windows in the case, but a full-metal construction with zero GPS compromise would be a genuine engineering achievement. It would also explain why a MARQ refresh might take time to develop.

If this technology makes it into Gen 3, it would be the first Garmin watch to achieve uncompromised multi-band GPS accuracy in a fully premium housing. For a watch positioned as the ultimate tool watch, that matters.

What About Price?

This is the elephant in the room. The Gen 2 collection ranged from $1,900 to $2,400. The Gen 3 will almost certainly cost more.

Garmin's pricing has crept up across the board. The Fenix 8 launched higher than the Fenix 7. The Epix Pro cost more than the base Epix. If the Fenix 9 comes in at $999 or higher as some analysts predict, the MARQ Gen 3 premium on top of that platform could push the Athlete model to $2,100 or higher, and the Aviator toward $2,600.

For context, that puts the top-end MARQ in Apple Watch Ultra territory multiplied by four. It is a luxury product with a luxury price tag.

When Will It Launch?

The timing question has two parts.

The MARQ Gen 3 itself is expected in Q3 2026, most likely October. The holiday luxury gift season provides an obvious commercial rationale for a late-year launch. MARQ is not a volume product. It is a statement piece, and the holiday season is when people buy statement pieces.

The Fenix 9 dependency is the wildcard. The MARQ has historically launched alongside or shortly after its parent platform. If the Fenix 9 slips to early 2027, the MARQ Gen 3 could slip with it. But if the Fenix 9 launches in late 2026 as expected, the MARQ Gen 3 could follow within weeks or months.

The most likely scenario: Fenix 9 in October or November 2026, with MARQ Gen 3 following before the end of the year or in early Q1 2027.

Who Is MARQ Actually For?

Let's be honest about what MARQ is. It is not the watch you buy if you want the best value. A Fenix 8 or Epix Pro delivers 95% of the functionality for less than half the price.

MARQ is for a specific buyer. Someone who wants Garmin's training and health platform but does not want a watch that looks like a sports gadget. Someone who appreciates Grade 5 titanium, domed sapphire, and ceramic bezels. Someone who wears a luxury mechanical watch on weekends and wants something that does not look out of place next to it.

The specialized features (aviation, marine, golf) are secondary. Most buyers never use them. The real product is the materials, the finishing, and the exclusivity. MARQ is Garmin's answer to the question: what if a Garmin watch felt like an Omega or a Tag Heuer?

The Bottom Line

The MARQ Gen 3 is coming, and it will be the most premium Garmin watch ever made. Built on Fenix 9 technology, wrapped in titanium and sapphire, with a rumored antenna breakthrough that could solve the metal-case GPS problem.

Whether it is worth $2,000-plus depends entirely on whether you see a watch as a tool or as a statement. For most readers of this site, a Fenix 8 or Epix Pro is the smarter buy. But for the buyer who wants the best Garmin can make and does not care about the price, the Gen 3 MARQ will be the watch to beat.

Expect an announcement in Q3 2026, likely October, with the full collection available before the holiday season. We will be tracking this one closely as more details emerge.

Amazfit Is Building a Solar Smartwatch to Take On Garmin

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Amazfit is quietly building a solar-charging smartwatch, and the evidence is stacking up. Between code found inside the Zepp Health app and a mysterious watch that appeared on Amazfit's official Spanish Instagram account, it is looking increasingly likely that the brand known for budget AMOLED watches is about to take a swing at Garmin's solar dominance.

This is a bigger deal than it might sound. A solar Amazfit watch would be the first real competitor to Garmin's Instinct Solar and Fenix Solar lineup, and it could change the value math in the outdoor watch category.

Here is what the leaks tell us so far.

The App Code Leak

The first signal came from the Zepp Health smartphone app, which is the companion app that controls Amazfit watches. Developers digging through app version 10.5.0 found data fields that should not exist unless solar hardware is being planned.

The code includes a category called "SolarBatteryChargeRecord" with fields for "lux," "panelType," and "status." Those are solar charging diagnostics. "Lux" measures light intensity. "PanelType" refers to the solar panel hardware. "Status" tracks whether the watch is actively charging from light.

Gadgets & Wearables, who first spotted the code, noted that these fields were actually present in older app versions too, which means Amazfit has been building the software framework for solar hardware for a while. This is not a placeholder or a mistake. It is infrastructure being prepared for a real product.

The Instagram Teaser: A T-Rex Solar?

The second piece of evidence is more visual. Amazfit's official Spanish Instagram account posted an image of a watch that does not match anything currently in their lineup.

The watch has a rugged, round case with a red triangle on the bezel, which is the visual signature of Amazfit's T-Rex outdoor line. The shape and proportions suggest a transflective MIP display rather than the AMOLED screens Amazfit uses on most current watches.

Put the app code and the Instagram post together, and the picture becomes clear: Amazfit is building a rugged T-Rex watch with solar charging. Whether it is called the T-Rex Solar or something else is still unknown, but the T-Rex connection makes sense. The T-Rex line is Amazfit's outdoor and adventure family, which is exactly where solar charging matters most.

Why Solar Means a Different Display

This is the most interesting technical detail in the whole leak, and it explains why a solar Amazfit watch is a bigger deal than it sounds.

Solar panels cannot generate enough electricity to keep a bright AMOLED screen running. AMOLED displays are power-hungry because every pixel produces its own light. A 3,000-nit AMOLED at full brightness will drain a watch battery in hours, not days. No solar panel small enough to fit on a wristwatch can offset that.

That is why every solar watch on the market uses a transflective MIP display instead. MIP stands for Memory-in-Pixel. These displays use reflected ambient light to show the time and data, which means they are essentially zero-power in bright sunlight. The brighter the sun, the more readable the screen. And because the screen sips almost no power, the solar panel can actually keep up and extend battery life significantly.

Garmin has used this formula for years on the Instinct 2X Solar (which can achieve effectively unlimited battery in smartwatch mode with enough sunlight), the Fenix 7X Solar, and the Enduro series.

For Amazfit to go solar, they would need to go back to a transflective display. And here is the twist: Amazfit already has experience with this. The original Amazfit Bip S, released in 2020, used a transflective display and achieved 40 days of battery life without any solar assistance. It was a legendary battery champion in the budget category.

A solar T-Rex would combine Amazfit's transflective display experience with modern solar charging tech. That is a genuinely compelling product for outdoor enthusiasts who want Garmin-level battery endurance without Garmin pricing.

How Garmin's Solar Tech Works

To understand what Amazfit is up against, it helps to understand how Garmin does solar.

Garmin uses a technology called Power Glass (or Sapphire Solar on premium models). It is a single semitransparent layer of solar cells bonded between the glass and the display. The layer captures sunlight and converts it to electricity that trickle-charges the battery.

The key metric is 50,000 lux, which is roughly the brightness of a sunny day. Garmin's battery claims assume three hours per day of exposure to 50,000 lux conditions. In full direct sun (which can hit 150,000 lux), the charging effect is two to three times stronger.

On the Instinct 2X Solar, this translates to up to 48 days of battery in smartwatch mode with solar assist, and potentially unlimited battery with conservative settings and adequate sunlight. The Fenix 7X Solar delivers up to 37 days. These are numbers no AMOLED watch can touch.

The trade-off is the display. MIP screens look dim and washed out indoors compared to AMOLED. They refresh slowly, so animations are choppy. They are monochrome or limited color. If you want a watch that looks like a mini smartphone on your wrist, MIP is a step backward. If you want a watch that lasts for weeks outdoors, MIP is the only game in town.

The AMOLED Solar Wildcard

There is one more possibility that would be even more interesting. Garmin has filed patents for solar technology that works with AMOLED displays, using transparent solar harvesting layers that let light through to the screen while capturing energy. If Amazfit beat Garmin to market with solar AMOLED, it would be a genuine first.

The Zepp app code does not specify which display type the solar watch will use. But the Instagram teaser showing what looks like a MIP display suggests the more conservative route. Amazfit would be playing it safe with proven technology rather than betting on unproven solar AMOLED.

What This Means for the Market

A solar Amazfit watch would land in a specific gap in the market. Here is the landscape:

Garmin Instinct 2X Solar costs around $399 and is the solar battery champion
Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar starts around $699 for the solar version
Garmin Enduro 3 delivers massive battery but at premium pricing

Amazfit's entire brand identity is delivering premium features at lower prices. The T-Rex 3 currently costs $279 and offers military-grade durability, 27-day battery, and a 1.5-inch AMOLED. A solar version at a similar price point, even with a MIP display instead of AMOLED, would undercut Garmin's solar lineup by $100 to $400.

For trail runners, hikers, and ultramarathoners who care about multi-week battery life, the math could be compelling. Garmin's solar watches are excellent but expensive. An Amazfit alternative at half the price would force Garmin to respond.

What We Still Do Not Know

Plenty of questions remain unanswered:

Name and model: T-Rex Solar? T-Rex Ultra Solar? Something entirely new?
Price: Will it stay under $300, or will solar tech push it higher?
Battery life claims: How many days with solar assist?
Display details: Transflective MIP confirmed, or is solar AMOLED possible?
Launch date: No official announcement yet
Whether it replaces or supplements the T-Rex 3: A solar model could be a new tier above the current T-Rex 3, or it could be a separate outdoor-focused line

The Bottom Line

Amazfit building a solar smartwatch is a sign that the brand is serious about the outdoor and adventure category, not just the budget AMOLED space where they currently dominate. The app code is real. The Instagram teaser is real. The technology makes sense for a T-Rex-family watch.

The big question is whether Amazfit can deliver Garmin-level solar performance at Amazfit-level pricing. If they can, the outdoor watch market just got a lot more interesting. Garmin has had the solar category almost entirely to itself for years. That might be about to change.

For now, treat this as a strong rumor backed by solid evidence. The app code does not lie, and the Instagram post matches the T-Rex aesthetic. An official announcement feels likely before the end of 2026, possibly alongside other T-Rex family updates Amazfit has already confirmed are coming.

If you have been waiting for a solar watch that does not cost Garmin money, this is the one to watch.

Casio's Ring Watch Is Now a Full-Blown Smart Ring With Health Tracking

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Casio has a habit of making things nobody asked for and then making them weirdly interesting. The CRW-H001 is the latest example. It started as a novelty finger-watch and has now become a full health tracker.

If you missed the original Casio Ring Watch from late 2024, it was exactly what it sounded like. A tiny Casio digital watch you wear on your finger. LCD screen, stopwatch, alarm, the works. It was quirky, charming, and not particularly useful. People bought it because it was funny.

Now Casio packed that same form factor with sensors. The CRW-H001 still looks like a ring watch. Small LCD panel on top, retro Casio vibes intact. But underneath, it tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, body temperature, sleep, and workouts. Oura Ring meets G-Shock, basically.

What the CRW-H001 Actually Does

The feature list is more substantial than you'd expect from a ring with a 1-inch screen.

Health tracking:

Continuous heart rate monitoring
Blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking
Body temperature monitoring
Sleep tracking with recovery analysis
Calorie burn logging

Fitness tracking:

Running, cycling, and walking modes
Workout history and training analysis
Sleep recovery metrics

Watch features:

LCD time display (still a watch, after all)
Stopwatch
Alarms
Vibration motor for notifications

That is a real health tracker spec sheet. The Oura Ring 5 covers most of the same metrics. The difference is that Oura hides everything behind an app. Casio gives you a tiny screen so you can at least check the time without digging out your phone.

The Design Question

Let's talk about the elephant on your finger. This thing looks unusual. Casio did not try to make a sleek, minimalist band like Oura or Ultrahuman. They made a ring with a visible LCD display that very obviously says "I am a gadget."

Whether that works for you depends on your personality. If you wear a G-Shock and do not care about blending in, the CRW-H001 looks right. If you want your health tracker to pass as jewelry, Oura is still the play.

The ring weighs 19 grams. That is heavier than the original non-smart Ring Watch (16g) because of the sensors and battery. For context, an Oura Ring 5 comes in around 4 to 6 grams depending on size. The Casio is noticeably heavier, which could get uncomfortable for all-day wear and especially for sleep tracking.

It ships in small, medium, and large. That is an upgrade over the original Ring Watch, which came in one size with spacers.

Battery Life

Casio claims six days of normal use and 25 days on standby. Solid for a smart ring packing this many sensors. The Oura Ring 5 gets 5 to 7 days depending on usage, so Casio is in the same range.

One thing to watch: Casio says the rechargeable battery "may need to be replaced after two years." Not unusual for small lithium-ion cells, but it means the CRW-H001 is not a buy-it-once device. Since it is a sealed ring, you would probably need to send it in rather than swap the battery yourself.

Price and Availability

Here is where things get interesting. The CRW-H001 is currently only available in China at CNY 1,990, which works out to about $295. No word on a global launch.

That price matters. The Oura Ring 5 starts at $399. If Casio brings this to international markets anywhere near the current price, it undercuts Oura by over $100 with a comparable sensor setup. Plus a screen, which Oura does not have.

The original Casio Ring Watch did eventually expand beyond Japan after launching as a domestic exclusive, so there is precedent. For now, you are importing or waiting.

How It Stacks Up

Feature	Casio CRW-H001	Oura Ring 5	Ultrahuman Ring Air
Price	~$295	$399	$349
Screen	Yes (LCD)	No	No
HR monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes
SpO2	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	6 days	5-7 days	6 days
Subscription	No	$5.99/mo	No
Workout tracking	Yes	Limited	Limited

The big differentiator jumps out immediately. Casio has a screen. Every other smart ring on the market forces you to your phone to check anything. Casio lets you glance at your finger for the time and basic info.

The subscription angle is just as important. Oura charges $5.99/month for most of its meaningful insights. Casio's tracking looks free, at least for now. Over two years, an Oura Ring 5 runs $399 plus $143.76 in subscription fees. That is $542.76 total. The Casio at the equivalent of $295 would be roughly half that.

Why This Is Worth Paying Attention To

The smart ring market has been copying the same playbook. Make it look like a normal ring, hide the tech, push everything to an app. Oura, Ultrahuman, Samsung's rumored ring, RingConn. All following the same template.

Casio went the other direction. The CRW-H001 leans into being a gadget. It is not pretending to be jewelry. It is a tiny wearable computer for your finger and it looks the part. In a market full of clones, that is refreshing.

The retro Casio aesthetic also carves out a niche nobody else occupies. There is a real audience for the G-Shock and retro Casio look. These are the same people who collect F-91Ws and customize them. They are out there, they care about this stuff, and they spend money on it.

Whether that audience is big enough to sustain a product is the real question. Oura sells millions by targeting mainstream health buyers. Casio is going after a narrower crowd: people who want health tracking, like the tech-forward look, and do not mind wearing something that stands out.

Does a Screen Actually Matter on a Ring?

This is the most interesting bet Casio is making. It could go either way.

The case for a screen: you check the time and basic stats without your phone. No other smart ring can do that. It also means the CRW-H001 works as an actual watch, not just a tracker. That matters for people who do not want to wear both a ring and a watch.

The case against: a tiny LCD on a ring is hard to read, awkward to interact with, and adds bulk. Oura went screenless for a reason. There is not enough room on a finger for a useful display. Casio's screen works, but barely. And it adds weight and thickness.

My guess: the screen will be the thing people either love or completely ignore. Some will use it constantly. Others will forget it is there and just open the app.

The Bottom Line

The CRW-H001 is the most interesting smart ring to land in 2026. Not because it is the best. Oura probably still wins on sensor accuracy, app polish, and comfort. But Casio is the only company trying something different.

Every other smart ring is a thin band that pipes data to an app and charges you monthly. Casio built a chunky retro gadget for your finger with a screen, no subscription, and a price that beats the competition by $100 or more.

It is not for everyone. The design is bold, the weight is real, and you can only buy it in China right now. But if you have been waiting for a smart ring that does not look like every other smart ring on the market, this is the one to watch.

If it goes global, Oura and Ultrahuman should be nervous.

Pixel Watch Owners Are Ditching Google Health for $170 Amazfit Watches. Here's Why.

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:30:00 GMT

Six months ago, if you'd told me a $170 Amazfit would be the smartwatch people are actively switching to in 2026, I wouldn't have believed you.

Google Health, the app that replaced Fitbit back in May, has been enough of a disaster that longtime Pixel Watch owners are shopping for exits. Not to Apple. Not to Garmin. To Amazfit. A brand most folks associate with budget fitness bands and oddly named CES product launches.

I've spent the last few weeks digging into what exactly went wrong with Google Health, what Amazfit's Zepp app does differently, and whether jumping ship actually makes sense or it's just a knee-jerk reaction to a bad UI update.

What Went Wrong With Google Health

The specifics matter here, because "people don't like it" doesn't really capture what's happening.

When Google folded Fitbit into the new Google Health app this past May, it wasn't just a rebrand. The entire interface was rebuilt around something called the Health Coach, an AI feature that generates conversational summaries of your health and fitness data. Think of it like having a chatty coworker who reads your Fitbit stats back to you in paragraph form. Every morning. After every workout. Every time you open the app.

A survey of over 1,500 users conducted by Android Authority found that 51% of respondents said the app looks better but works worse than the old Fitbit app. Only 23% thought it was an improvement on both fronts. Nearly one in ten said they were considering switching ecosystems entirely.

The complaints follow a consistent pattern:

AI text replaces data visualization. Instead of showing you a graph of your heart rate trend, Google Health serves a paragraph explaining that your resting heart rate was elevated yesterday, probably because you slept poorly. Useful? Sure, maybe the first time. After the tenth time you've read the same observation phrased slightly differently, it's noise. The actual graph is still in the app, just buried below the fold underneath the AI summary.

The home screen wastes space. The Today tab gives you roughly four to six metric tiles at the top. Everything below that is scrollable AI commentary and activity entries. On the old Fitbit app, you could see ten-plus metrics without scrolling. Now you're swiping past paragraphs of generated text to find your step count from yesterday.

Tiles can't be reordered. In a genuinely baffling design choice, the metric tiles on the home screen can't be rearranged. You can remove one and add another, but you can't drag them into the order you want. If you care about sleep score more than steps, too bad. Steps gets top billing.

Premium makes it worse. Google charges $9.99/month or $99.99/year for Health Premium, which unlocks the full Health Coach experience. So paying subscribers actually get more AI text shoved in their faces than free users. One editor who received Premium for free through a Google AI Pro bundle said he'd rather not have it.

Updates are fixing things. Slowly. Google has pushed two meaningful updates since launch (versions 5.01 and 5.02), addressing workout mislabeling, missing sleep scores, GPS map loading issues, and even adding back hourly activity charts. Version 5.02 brought nap tracking and the ability to reorder metrics on the Health tab. These are real improvements. But the core complaint, too much AI commentary and not enough raw data, remains largely unaddressed.

The Amazfit Alternative

The Amazfit Active Max launched at the end of 2025 at $169.99. It's a round AMOLED smartwatch with Zepp OS, built-in GPS, heart rate tracking, sleep analysis, and roughly two weeks of battery life. On paper, it doesn't compete with a Pixel Watch 4. No Wear OS, no app store worth mentioning, no Gemini integration, no cellular option.

But here's what it does have: the Zepp app.

Zepp is the companion app for all Amazfit watches, and after the Google Health redesign, it's become the unexpected hero of this story. The app is clean, data-forward, and does the thing Google Health seems to have forgotten how to do: show you your numbers.

Open Zepp and you get a dashboard of glanceable widgets: steps, heart rate, sleep score, stress level, PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) score. No paragraphs of AI interpretation. No scrolling past conversational summaries to find your resting heart rate. The data is the interface.

The Zepp app also lets you customize what appears on your dashboard. You can rearrange widgets, hide what you don't care about, and actually put the metrics you check most often front and center. It's not revolutionary. It's just basic UX that Google Health somehow shipped without.

Then there's the subscription question. Zepp's core health and fitness tracking is free. There's no AI coach upsell layered on top of features you already paid for. Google's model of charging $10/month for verbose AI summaries that restate data already visible in your widgets feels especially aggressive when Amazfit offers a cleaner experience at no additional cost.

Is the Switch Actually Worth It?

The Amazfit Active Max is not a Pixel Watch replacement in every category. Let's break that down.

Where Amazfit wins:

The app experience. This is the whole point. If your primary smartwatch use is health and fitness tracking (checking steps, sleep, heart rate, workouts), Zepp is currently a better daily experience than Google Health.
Battery life. The Active Max runs about 10–14 days per charge. The Pixel Watch 4 gets 30–40 hours. That's not a comparison; it's a different category.
Price. $170 vs. $349. You could buy two Active Max units and still save money.
No AI tax. Everything useful is free. No $10/month subscription to unlock features that were already free on Fitbit two years ago.

Where you'll miss the Pixel Watch:

Smart features. No Wear OS means no Google Wallet, no Maps, no Gemini, no third-party apps. The Active Max handles notifications fine, but it's not a wrist computer in the way a Pixel Watch is.
App ecosystem. Zepp OS has a limited app store. If you use specific Wear OS apps (Spotify, Uber, weather radars, etc.), you'll lose them.
Sensor accuracy. Fitbit's optical heart rate sensor, which powers the Pixel Watch lineup, has consistently tested as the most accurate in the Android wearable space, within 1-2 BPM of chest straps during interval training. Amazfit's sensors are fine for general fitness but won't satisfy serious athletes who need precision.
Display quality. The Pixel Watch 4's 3,000-nit Actua 360 display is in a different league. The Active Max's AMOLED is perfectly readable indoors but noticeably dimmer in direct sunlight.

The Bigger Picture

The Amazfit switch story isn't really about Amazfit. It's about what happens when a company takes a product people liked and rebuilds it around a feature nobody asked for.

Fitbit users were, by and large, happy with the old app. It wasn't flashy, but it showed data clearly, synced reliably, and didn't lecture you. Google's decision to rebuild the entire experience around AI-generated commentary, and then charge for it, was a bet that users would prefer interpretation over information.

That bet isn't paying off.

The people switching to Amazfit aren't doing it because the Active Max is a better watch than a Pixel Watch. They're doing it because they're exhausted. They're tired of scrolling past AI summaries to find a step count. They're tired of paying for a Premium tier that makes the app worse. And they've realized that a $170 watch with a clean, data-first app gives them the one thing Google Health took away: their health data, presented without commentary.

What Google Needs to Fix

If Google wants to stop the bleeding, the fixes aren't complicated:

Make Health Coach collapsible. Let users minimize or hide AI summaries without losing other Premium features.
Restore visual data density. The old Fitbit app showed 10+ metrics on the home screen. The new Health app shows 4–6. Give us the option for a compact, data-dense layout.
Let users reorder tiles. This should have shipped on day one.
Fix the Fitness and Sleep tabs. Stop putting AI commentary above actual workout data and sleep stages.
Offer a "data only" mode. Some people want the AI coach. Some people want raw numbers. Give us a toggle.

Google has shown willingness to iterate. The 5.01 and 5.02 updates prove that. But the company seems committed to the Health Coach as a core feature, not an optional layer. Until that philosophy changes, the Amazfit switch is going to keep sounding reasonable to frustrated Pixel Watch owners.

The Bottom Line

If you're deep in the Google ecosystem and rely on Wear OS apps, the Pixel Watch 4 is still the best Android smartwatch you can buy. The hardware is excellent and the sensors are class-leading. The problem isn't the watch. It's the software on your phone.

If you mainly use a smartwatch for health tracking and you're tired of fighting your app to see your own data, the Amazfit Active Max at $170 is worth a serious look. The watch is competent, the Zepp app is refreshingly straightforward, and the battery lasts two weeks instead of one day.

Sometimes the best smartwatch isn't the most expensive one. It's the one with the app that doesn't get in your way.

Google Pixel Watch 5: Leaks, Specs, Price, and Everything We Know

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:00:00 GMT

The Pixel Watch 5 is less than two weeks away. Google is expected to unveil it on August 12, 2026 at the Made by Google event alongside the Pixel 11 phone lineup, and the leak situation is now full-blown. Between FCC filings, Google Play Console listings, and a flood of press renders, we have a remarkably complete picture of what is coming.

Here is everything we know so far.

The Launch: August 12

Multiple sources point to an August 12 announcement with the Pixel 11 series. Google's pattern has been to announce in August, open pre-orders immediately, and ship within a couple of weeks. Expect the same cadence here.

The watch will run Wear OS 7, which brings a redesigned interface called Stacks that replaces the old Tiles system, plus per-app media controls and a reported 10% improvement in battery efficiency at the platform level.

The Chip: Same Qualcomm, Not Tensor

This is the most debated leak, so let's be clear about what the data actually says.

The Google Play Console listing shows the Pixel Watch 5 running the Qualcomm SW5100, the same chip family used in the Pixel Watch 4 since 2023. This is not the new Snapdragon Wear Elite that Samsung just put in the Galaxy Watch 9. It is last year's silicon, reused.

This contradicts earlier rumors that Google would finally ship a custom Tensor chip in the watch, mirroring its Pixel phone strategy. Some outlets are still hedging, noting that Google could be testing multiple configurations or that the Play Console listing might not reflect the final shipping hardware. But as of late July, the most concrete data we have points to the same Qualcomm chip.

Why this matters: The Galaxy Watch 9's Snapdragon Wear Elite is a genuine generational leap with a dedicated NPU. The Pixel Watch 5 sticking with older silicon puts it behind Samsung on raw performance and on-device AI capability. Google is clearly betting that software and Gemini integration matter more than benchmark numbers.

The Real Upgrade: 3GB of RAM

Here is where it gets interesting. The Pixel Watch 5 jumps to 3GB of RAM, up from 2GB on every previous Pixel Watch. That is a 50% increase and the first RAM bump in the lineup's history.

For context, the Galaxy Watch 9 ships with 2GB. So Google is taking the opposite approach from Samsung: same chip but more memory, versus new chip but same memory.

Why the extra RAM? On-device Gemini AI. Running conversational AI models, real-time health insights, and proactive coaching on the watch itself requires memory. The 3GB allocation strongly suggests Google is preparing the Pixel Watch to handle more AI processing locally rather than offloading everything to the cloud.

Price: Up $50

Leaked pricing shows the Pixel Watch 5 starting at $399 for the 41mm Wi-Fi model, which is a $50 increase over the Pixel Watch 4. The LTE models and 45mm sizes will presumably scale up proportionally.

The price hike is being attributed to the global memory chip shortage, which has driven up the cost of RAM and storage across the electronics industry. The extra gigabyte of RAM is not free, and Google is passing that cost along.

Design: Same Pebble, New Colors

If you were hoping for a redesign, keep waiting. The Pixel Watch 5 looks identical to the Pixel Watch 4. Same rounded, domed display. Same side crown. Same proprietary band attachment system. Same side-mounted charging contacts.

What is new is the color lineup. Four finishes are confirmed from leaked renders:

Dark Anthracite (matte black case, black Obsidian band)
Natural Silver (polished silver case, light blue Fog band)
Warm Gold (yellow gold case, coral Canyon band)
Pyrite (matte gold case, olive green band)

The Pyrite finish is the most interesting of the bunch. Early leaks disagreed on whether it was green-toned or gold-toned. The latest renders show a dusty, warm gold case paired with an olive band, putting it in earthier territory than the brighter Warm Gold.

Overall, the color strategy reads as refinement rather than reinvention. Matte black, polished silver, yellow gold, and dusty gold. A sensible palette, not an exciting one.

Battery Life: Should Improve

Google made a big leap on the Pixel Watch 4, hitting up to 40 hours with always-on display thanks to a new co-processor that proved more impactful than anyone expected. The Pixel Watch 5 should build on that.

The combination of the same efficient Qualcomm chip, 10% platform-level efficiency gains in Wear OS 7, and the co-processor carrying over means battery life should be at least as good as the Pixel Watch 4, and likely a bit better. Google has not released official numbers yet, but there is no reason to expect a regression here.

What About Health Sensors?

This is the gap in the leak coverage. We do not have confirmed details on new health sensors for the Pixel Watch 5. The Pixel Watch 4 had a solid suite including ECG, blood oxygen, heart rate, and skin temperature.

Given that Google is consolidating its health platform under the new Google Health app (replacing the Fitbit branding), expect the watch to lean into the software side of health tracking rather than adding new sensor hardware. Gemini-powered health coaching, smarter sleep insights, and better interpretation of existing data seem more likely than new medical-grade sensors this generation.

Pixel Watch 5 vs Pixel Watch 4: What Changes

Feature	Pixel Watch 5	Pixel Watch 4
Chip	Qualcomm SW5100 (same)	Qualcomm SW5100
RAM	3GB (50% more)	2GB
Display	1.2" (41mm) / 1.4" (45mm) domed AMOLED	Same
Design	Identical domed pebble	Domed pebble
OS	Wear OS 7 (Stacks, per-app media)	Wear OS 6
Colors	4 (Dark Anthracite, Natural Silver, Warm Gold, Pyrite)	4 (Polished Silver, Matte Black, Champagne Gold, Satin Moonstone)
Price	$399+ ($50 more)	$349+
Battery	~40+ hours (est.)	Up to 40 hours (AOD)

The honest summary: same design, same chip, same display, more RAM, new colors, new OS, higher price. If you own a Pixel Watch 4, this is not a compelling upgrade on paper. If you are buying new, the 3GB of RAM and Wear OS 7 features make it the better long-term pick.

The Big Question: Gemini AI

Everything points to on-device Gemini being the headline feature Google is saving for the actual announcement. The 3GB of RAM is the tell. You do not add 50% more memory to a watch unless you plan to run something memory-intensive on it.

If Google can deliver genuinely useful on-watch AI coaching, conversational health queries, and proactive insights without killing battery life, the Pixel Watch 5 could punch above its modest spec sheet. The Snapdragon Wear Elite in the Galaxy Watch 9 has the NPU advantage, but Google's AI software and ecosystem integration might be the more practical win for users.

We will know for sure on August 12.

Should You Wait or Buy a Pixel Watch 4 Now?

If the leaks hold, the Pixel Watch 5 is an incremental upgrade. Same design, same chip, more RAM. The real value will depend entirely on what Google does with Gemini AI on the wrist.

Wait if: You want the latest software features, you care about AI coaching, or you want a watch that will be supported for the longest period. The 3GB of RAM means the Pixel Watch 5 will age better as AI features get heavier.

Buy a Pixel Watch 4 now if: You can find a deal. The Pixel Watch 4 is an excellent watch at 40 hours of battery, and with the Pixel Watch 5 launching, expect discounts. If you do not care about bleeding-edge AI, the 4 delivers 95% of the experience for less money.

The Bottom Line

The Pixel Watch 5 is shaping up to be a software-driven update rather than a hardware revolution. Google is reusing the chip and design, bumping the RAM to support Gemini AI, refreshing the colors, and raising the price by $50.

That is either a smart, pragmatic approach that prioritizes the user experience over spec sheet bragging rights, or a disappointing lack of ambition that lets Samsung pull further ahead on hardware. Probably both.

The August 12 event will tell us whether Gemini on the wrist is enough to make you forget that the chip is a year old.

Suunto Race 3 and Race 3 S Leak: Two Watches, Dual-Band GPS, and a Subscription Bombshell

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Suunto just leaked its own next-generation watches, and the details are already stirring up controversy.

Marketing copy for the Suunto Race 3 and Race 3 S appeared on Suunto's own website, got indexed by Google, and surfaced through Google's AI Overview before anyone at Suunto caught it. A Reddit user on r/Suunto captured screenshots before the text was pulled down. Multiple outlets independently verified the indexed references.

The hardware looks like a solid upgrade. The subscription news is going to be the real story.

Two Models Confirmed

Suunto is splitting the Race lineup into two sizes again, and the naming is a little confusing. Here is what leaked:

Suunto Race 3 S (launching first):

1.32-inch AMOLED display
Sapphire glass protection
Dual-band GNSS
Trail-focused positioning

Suunto Race 3 (coming later in 2026):

1.5-inch AMOLED display
Mineral glass protection (not sapphire, which is an interesting choice for the flagship)
Focus on extended battery life
Dual-band GNSS

Both watches add dual-band GNSS, which is the accuracy standard for any serious GPS watch in 2026. The original Suunto Race had dual-band support, so this is a continuation rather than a leap, but it confirms Suunto is not cutting corners on positioning tech.

The Display and Glass Split

The glass situation is worth paying attention to. The smaller Race 3 S gets sapphire glass. The larger flagship Race 3 gets mineral glass.

That is an unusual choice. Sapphire is harder and more scratch-resistant than mineral glass. Most brands put sapphire on their premium models and mineral glass on budget options. Suunto appears to be flipping that logic, possibly to keep the larger model at a competitive price point, or to differentiate the two watches more clearly.

If you are rough on your watches and scratch resistance matters to you, the Race 3 S might actually be the better pick despite being the "smaller" model. We will have to wait for full spec sheets to see if there are other material differences.

The AI Coach Goes Conversational

Here is where things get interesting. Both watches ship with a new Suunto AI Coach that is described as interactive and conversational. Think of it as a chat-based coaching assistant that can answer questions, adjust training plans, and provide guidance based on your data.

This is part of a broader industry trend. Garmin added AI-powered coaching feedback. Whoop has an AI coach. Google Health has Gemini-powered coaching. Amazfit has Zepp Coach. Everyone is bolting AI onto their health platforms.

Suunto's version will apparently be more conversational than the competition, which aligns with the direction the wearable market is heading. Whether it is actually good remains to be seen. Early Reddit feedback on Suunto's current AI Coach beta is mixed, with users saying the training plans feel generic and sometimes bizarre (one user reported a marathon plan that included "lots of walking").

The Subscription Bombshell

This is the part that has the community talking.

The AI Coach ships with a three-month free trial. After that, it requires a paid subscription to keep using.

Pricing has not been revealed. But the principle is what matters here. Suunto has traditionally sold its watches with all training and mapping features included, no recurring fees. That was a major selling point. Buy the watch, get the software, done.

Adding a subscription changes the value proposition. It puts Suunto in the same controversial territory as Garmin, which faced heavy backlash when it started putting features behind a paywall. The Reddit threads are already drawing the comparison.

One r/Suunto user put it bluntly: "Probably not a good idea to buy Garmin with the whole subscription fiasco, enshittification is going to happen very soon." That comment was about Garmin, but it now applies equally to Suunto.

To be fair, the leaked copy suggests the subscription is specifically for the AI Coach, not for core training features. If Suunto keeps the existing free features free and only charges for the new AI layer, the blowback will be softer. But the optics of a Finnish brand known for no-nonsense, buy-it-once watches suddenly asking for a monthly fee are not great.

What We Still Do Not Know

Plenty of details are still missing:

Pricing for either model
Case materials (titanium? stainless steel? both?)
Exact battery life numbers
Subscription price for the AI Coach
Whether the subscription gates any core features beyond AI coaching
Exact launch dates beyond "Race 3 S first, Race 3 later in 2026"

The leaked text was marketing copy, not a full spec sheet. We will likely get the full picture when Suunto makes the official announcement, which based on the leaked website text feels imminent.

Competitive Context

The Race 3 lineup enters a crowded field. Here is where it lands:

Original Suunto Race launched at $349 in 2023 and was praised as the best-value AMOLED sports watch on the market. 50 hours of dual-band GPS, titanium, sapphire, offline maps. Hard to beat.
Suunto Race 2 raised the price to $499. Still competitive, but the value gap with Garmin narrowed.
COROS PACE 4 and PACE Pro are undercutting everyone on price with no subscription model.
Garmin Forerunner 970 remains the running watch benchmark.
Amazfit Balance Ultra brings titanium and 30-day battery for $599.

The Race 3 needs to justify its existence against all of these. Dual-band GNSS and AMOLED are table stakes now. The differentiator was supposed to be value and no subscription. With the subscription news, Suunto is giving up one of its biggest advantages.

The Bottom Line

The Suunto Race 3 and Race 3 S look like legitimate hardware upgrades. Dual-band GNSS across both models, AMOLED displays, and a split between a sapphire trail watch and a long-battery flagship is a sensible product strategy.

But the AI Coach subscription is the story that will define how these watches are received. Suunto built its reputation on no-nonsense, buy-it-once watches with free software. Walking that back, even partially, is a risky move that hands ammunition to competitors like COROS who are still holding the "no subscription" line.

If the subscription is cheap, optional, and only gates the AI features, Suunto might get away with it. If it creeps into core functionality or feels overpriced, the community reaction will make the Garmin subscription backlash look tame.

We will be watching for the official announcement. Expect the Race 3 S first, with the full-sized Race 3 following later in 2026. And expect the subscription pricing to be the detail everyone fixates on.

Pixel Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 9: The Honest Comparison Nobody's Giving You

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The two best Wear OS watches on the market right now are the Google Pixel Watch 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9. That's not marketing copy — it's the reality of the Android wearable landscape in mid-2026. Apple's locked its ecosystem down tight, Garmin serves a different audience entirely, and the budget tier (Amazfit, CMF) is compelling but fundamentally a different product category.

So if you're an Android user shopping for a smartwatch in the $300–$400 range, this is the decision. And most of the coverage out there is picking a side based on personal preference — "I like the Pebble shape" or "I can't stand the squircle." That's fine for an opinion column, but it doesn't help you decide.

We're going to fix that. Here's a category-by-category breakdown with real specs, real trade-offs, and zero "pick your favorite shape" cop-outs.

Price and Availability

Let's start with the easiest comparison:

	Pixel Watch 4	Galaxy Watch 9
Starting price (Wi-Fi)	$349	$329
LTE premium	+$50 ($399)	+$50 ($379)
Sizes	41mm, 45mm	40mm, 44mm

The Galaxy Watch 9 undercuts the Pixel by $20 at every tier. Not a massive difference, but it matters if you're stretching for the LTE model. Samsung also runs frequent trade-in promos that can knock another $50–$100 off if you're coming from an older Galaxy Watch. Google's trade-in program exists but is typically less aggressive.

Edge: Galaxy Watch 9 (slightly cheaper, better trade-in deals)

Design and Build

This is where the two diverge sharply, and yes, it is subjective — but the specs matter too.

The Pixel Watch 4 keeps its signature pebble silhouette with domed glass that flows seamlessly into the aluminum case. It's available in Polished Silver, Matte Black, Champagne Gold, and Brushed Aluminum. The Actua 360 display is physically domed, with bezels reduced by 16% over last year. The watch is lighter than it looks, and the curved shape makes it disappear on your wrist during sleep — a real advantage if you're tracking overnight metrics.

The Galaxy Watch 9 continues Samsung's "squircle" cushion design introduced with the Watch 8. It's more angular and industrial, with a distinctly sportier vibe. The new strap system is a genuine improvement — floating loops instead of the fold-over design, with an "air pocket" channel that improves airflow and reduces hair-pulling. Available in Graphite and Cream.

	Pixel Watch 4	Galaxy Watch 9
Case material	Recycled aluminum	Aluminum
Display glass	Gorilla Glass (domed)	Sapphire crystal
Water resistance	5 ATM	5 ATM + IP68
Repairability	Yes (new this year)	Limited

Two things to call out here. First, Samsung ships with sapphire crystal while Google still uses Gorilla Glass. After a year of wear, that matters — sapphire is significantly more scratch-resistant. Second, Google added official repairability this year (replaceable battery and case components), which Samsung doesn't fully match. Win some, lose some.

Edge: Pixel Watch 4 for comfort and repairability; Galaxy Watch 9 for durability (sapphire)

Display

Both watches feature AMOLED displays, but the numbers tell different stories:

	Pixel Watch 4	Galaxy Watch 9
Peak brightness	3,000 nits	5,000 nits
Display tech	Actua 360 (domed AMOLED)	Super AMOLED
Bezels	Reduced 16% from PW3	Thin, uniform

The Galaxy Watch 9's 5,000-nit display is absurd in the best way. You will never struggle to read it in direct sunlight — full stop. The Pixel Watch 4's 3,000 nits is excellent and perfectly usable outdoors, but Samsung wins this spec outright. The Pixel's domed glass gives it a more premium feel, but the raw visibility goes to Samsung.

Edge: Galaxy Watch 9 (significantly brighter)

Performance and Chipset

This is one of the most interesting comparisons this year. The Galaxy Watch 9 debuts the Snapdragon Wear Elite, Qualcomm's new flagship wearable chip. The Pixel Watch 4 runs on Google's Tensor G4, the same silicon family powering the Pixel phone lineup.

In practice, both watches are buttery smooth for daily tasks — notifications, scrolling, app launches, voice queries. The Galaxy Watch 8 was already snappy with the older chip, and the Wear Elite pushes that further. The Tensor G4 in the Pixel leans into Google's AI pipeline, which pays dividends for on-device Gemini queries and health algorithm processing rather than raw UI speed.

Neither watch will feel slow. If you're coming from a Galaxy Watch 6 or Pixel Watch 2, either one is a massive leap. This category is effectively a tie.

Edge: Tie

Battery Life and Charging

Here's where the Galaxy Watch 9 flexes hard:

	Pixel Watch 4	Galaxy Watch 9
Battery (smaller size)	~30 hours (41mm)	~40 hours (40mm, 390mAh)
Battery (larger size)	~40 hours (45mm)	~48 hours (44mm, 445mAh)
Fast charge	50% in 15 min, full in ~45 min	Slower (full charge ~60 min)
Battery Saver mode	~2 days (41mm), ~3 days (45mm)	~2.5 days

The Galaxy Watch 9's 40mm battery grew 20% from the Watch 8 (325mAh → 390mAh), and the 44mm went from 435mAh to 445mAh. Combined with the Wear Elite's efficiency gains, Samsung is delivering real multiday battery life for the first time in the mainline Galaxy Watch series.

But Google fights back with charging speed. Hitting 50% in 15 minutes means you can top up during a shower and get half a day of use. Samsung's charging is slower, which means you need to plan your charging sessions more deliberately.

One important caveat: Samsung's ongoing battery drain issues have affected Galaxy Watch 6, 7, and 8 owners three separate times in the last six months. If you're buying a Galaxy Watch 9, you're betting that the new hardware and chip won't be affected by the same software-level drain bugs. That's not a sure thing.

Edge: Galaxy Watch 9 for raw longevity; Pixel Watch 4 for charging speed and software reliability

Software and Ecosystem

Both watches run Wear OS 6, but the experience is meaningfully different.

Pixel Watch 4 delivers the "pure Google" Wear OS experience. Material You Expressions bring dynamic color theming, the interface is clean and intuitive, and Gemini integration is deepest here — including Raise to Talk, which lets you lift your wrist and start speaking to Gemini without a wake word. On-device AI handles summaries, workout detection, and recovery nudges. If you use Google services (Calendar, Maps, Keep, Wallet), the Pixel Watch feels like a natural extension of your phone.

Galaxy Watch 9 layers Samsung's One UI 8 Watch on top of Wear OS. It's more visually busy but offers tighter integration with Samsung's ecosystem — Galaxy phones, Galaxy Ring, SmartThings, Bixby (for better or worse). This year, Samsung finally got Raise to Talk Gemini, which was previously a Pixel exclusive. The One UI overlay means some Wear OS features are buried or restyled, which can be confusing if you're used to stock Wear OS.

The honest truth: your phone determines your watch. If you carry a Pixel or generic Android, the Pixel Watch 4 is the more cohesive experience. If you carry a Galaxy phone (or use a Galaxy Ring), the Galaxy Watch 9's ecosystem integration is unmatched. Neither watch is a bad experience on the "wrong" phone, but you're leaving features on the table.

Edge: Depends on your phone — Pixel Watch 4 for Google ecosystem, Galaxy Watch 9 for Samsung ecosystem

Health and Fitness Tracking

This is where the comparison gets genuinely interesting, because both platforms have matured significantly but take different approaches.

Heart Rate Accuracy

The Pixel Watch 4's heart rate sensor has been tested against chest straps (Polar H10, Polar Verity Sense) and tracks within 1-2 BPM even during interval training. It's genuinely the most accurate optical sensor in the Android wearable space right now. Since heart rate feeds into sleep tracking, recovery metrics, training load, and stress scoring, this accuracy advantage cascades through the entire health platform.

Samsung's sensors have improved year over year, and the Galaxy Watch 9 continues that trend. But independent testing consistently places Samsung's optical HR slightly behind Google/Fitbit during high-intensity intervals. For most users, the difference is academic. For serious athletes, it matters.

Sleep Tracking

Both watches offer solid sleep tracking, but Fitbit's algorithms (underpinning the Pixel Watch) have been the gold standard for years. Sleep stage detection, sleep score, and the newly redesigned Google Health interface (when it's not drowning you in AI summaries) present sleep data clearly.

Samsung's sleep coaching has gotten more detailed with personalized insights and sleep animal motifs (which some people love and others find patronizing). The data is good; the presentation is more gamified.

The Google Health Problem

We have to address the elephant in the room. Google's Health app redesign from May 2026 has been divisive. Heavy reliance on AI-generated summaries — paragraphs of text that restate what's already visible in the widgets — has frustrated many users. One Android Authority editor switched to a $170 Amazfit because the Google Health app got so annoying.

Samsung Health had its own 2026 redesign that received mixed reviews, but it's less aggressively AI-first. If you want to see your numbers without reading an essay, Samsung currently offers the cleaner experience.

Unique Health Features

Pixel Watch 4: Dual-band GPS (L1 + L5) for better outdoor tracking, satellite SOS, Fitbit Premium insights (paid)
Galaxy Watch 9: Advanced sleep coaching, Energy Score, body composition (BIA), ECG, blood pressure monitoring (regions vary)
Both: Continuous HR monitoring, SpO2, skin temperature, AFib detection, fall detection, crash detection

Edge: Pixel Watch 4 for sensor accuracy and platform depth; Galaxy Watch 9 for feature breadth and a less frustrating app experience

Smart Features and Connectivity

	Pixel Watch 4	Galaxy Watch 9
Voice assistant	Gemini (Raise to Talk)	Gemini (Raise to Talk) + Bixby
NFC payments	Google Wallet	Samsung Pay + Google Wallet
LTE option	Yes	Yes
Satellite SOS	Yes	No (Ultra 2 only)
Smart home	Google Home	SmartThings + Google Home

The Pixel Watch 4's satellite SOS is a genuine safety feature that Samsung reserves for the Ultra line. If you hike, run trails, or spend time in areas with spotty cell coverage, that alone could be the deciding factor.

Edge: Pixel Watch 4 (satellite SOS tips the balance)

The Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?

We're not going to pick a "winner" because the right answer depends on what you value. Here's our decision framework:

Buy the Pixel Watch 4 if:

You want the most accurate health sensors in the Android ecosystem
You carry a Pixel phone (or a non-Samsung Android)
Satellite SOS matters to you (runners, hikers, outdoor folks)
You want fast charging — 50% in 15 minutes matters if you charge on the go
You value repairability — replaceable battery and case parts extend the watch's lifespan
You're willing to deal with Google Health's AI-heavy interface (or you mainly use Fitbit's web dashboard)

Buy the Galaxy Watch 9 if:

You carry a Galaxy phone — the ecosystem integration (Galaxy Ring, SmartThings, Samsung Pay) is unmatched
Battery life is your top priority — 40+ hours easily, with a 20% larger battery than last year
You want the brightest display — 5,000 nits is unbeatable in direct sun
Sapphire crystal matters to you — it's significantly more scratch-resistant than Gorilla Glass
You want more health features out of the box (body composition, blood pressure, ECG) without paywalls
You'd rather have Samsung Health's cleaner (if less deep) interface than Google Health's AI-heavy approach

Wait if you can:

The Pixel Watch 5 is expected this fall and could bring more substantial changes
The Galaxy Watch 9 will likely see price drops during Black Friday / holiday sales
If Samsung's battery drain bugs concern you, waiting a few months to see if the Watch 9 is affected is reasonable

Spec Summary

Spec	Pixel Watch 4	Galaxy Watch 9
Price (Wi-Fi)	$349	$329
Sizes	41mm, 45mm	40mm, 44mm
Chipset	Tensor G4	Snapdragon Wear Elite
Display brightness	3,000 nits	5,000 nits
Glass	Gorilla Glass (domed)	Sapphire crystal
Battery (smaller)	~30 hrs	~40 hrs (390mAh)
Battery (larger)	~40 hrs	~48 hrs (445mAh)
Fast charge	50% in 15 min	~60 min full
OS	Wear OS 6 (stock)	Wear OS 6 + One UI 8 Watch
Voice assistant	Gemini (Raise to Talk)	Gemini (Raise to Talk) + Bixby
HR sensor	Multi-path optical (Fitbit)	BioActive sensor
GPS	Dual-band (L1+L5)	Dual-band
Satellite SOS	Yes	No
Water resistance	5 ATM	5 ATM + IP68
Repairability	Yes (replaceable parts)	Limited
Health platform	Google Health / Fitbit	Samsung Health

Prices as of July 2026. We independently research and verify all specs.

Best Smartwatches Summer 2026: What to Buy Right Now

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Shopping for a smartwatch in summer 2026 means navigating a genuinely crowded field. Apple just shipped the Series 11. Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 9 with a new Snapdragon chip. Garmin has the Fenix 8 and Forerunner lineup. COROS and Amazfit are undercutting everyone on price. And there are screenless trackers, smart rings, and hybrid watches all competing for your wrist.

Here is our no-nonsense guide to the best smartwatches you can buy right now, broken down by what you actually need.

Best Overall for iPhone: Apple Watch Series 11

If you have an iPhone, this is the default answer for a reason. The Series 11 delivers the most polished smartwatch experience on the market.

Why it wins: Apple's health sensor suite is the deepest in the industry. The Series 11 added hypertension notifications and sleep apnea detection on top of the existing ECG, blood oxygen, and irregular rhythm alerts. Workout Buddy gets AI-powered coaching. The app ecosystem is unmatched, and integration with iOS is seamless.

The trade-off: Battery life. You are charging every 18 to 24 hours. If multi-day battery matters to you, look elsewhere.

Price: Starts at $399 (GPS) / $499 (LTE)

Best Overall for Android: Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

Fresh off the July Unpacked event, the Galaxy Watch 9 is the most capable Wear OS watch ever made.

Why it wins: The Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. This is the first wearable chip with a dedicated NPU, and it makes the Watch 9 noticeably faster and smoother than any Wear OS watch before it. Samsung Health is comprehensive, the 3,000-nit display is stunning, and Google Gemini is built in for AI assistance. Battery life is up to 30 hours with always-on display, which beats most Wear OS competitors.

The trade-off: Same squircle design as last year. And the health sensors are unchanged from the Watch 8, so no new medical-grade features this generation.

Price: $380 (Bluetooth) / $430 (LTE)

Best for Running and Fitness: Garmin Forerunner 970

Garmin owns this category, and the Forerunner 970 is the current flagship running watch.

Why it wins: Garmin's training metrics are years ahead of the competition. You get training readiness, body battery, acute load, chronic load, and recovery insights that actually change how you train. Dual-band GPS with SatIQ smart switching delivers excellent accuracy without destroying battery. The AMOLED display is bright and readable. And you get up to 23 hours of continuous GPS battery.

The trade-off: The smartwatch features are limited compared to Apple and Samsung. No native third-party app ecosystem. Notifications are basic. You are buying this for fitness, not for apps.

Price: ~$599

Best Battery Life: Garmin Fenix 8

If you want a watch that lasts more than a day, Garmin is the only name that matters.

Why it wins: The Fenix 8 delivers up to 16 days in smartwatch mode and up to 47 hours of multi-band GPS. That is more than 10x the Apple Watch's endurance. It also has the deepest outdoor and adventure feature set of any watch on this list, with full mapping, navigation, and rugged construction.

The trade-off: It is expensive, heavy, and the smart features are basic. This is a sports and outdoor watch first, smartwatch second.

Price: Starts at $699

Best Budget GPS Watch: Amazfit Active 3 Premium

This is the value champion. Nothing else comes close at this price.

Why it wins: At $169.99, you get a sapphire AMOLED display, dual-band GPS, offline routable maps, and lactate threshold tracking. Features that cost $400+ from Garmin or Apple are here for under $170. Battery life is 12 days typical with 24 hours of GPS. It even has Zepp Coach AI training plans.

The trade-off: 24 hours of GPS will not cover ultra-distance events. The Amazfit app ecosystem is smaller than Garmin's. But for the price, these are minor complaints.

Price: $169.99

Best Rugged Adventure Watch: Amazfit T-Rex 3

If you want Garmin-level durability without Garmin pricing, this is your watch.

Why it wins: 27-day battery life, 42 hours of GPS, military-grade durability across 15 tests, a built-in flashlight, and a 1.5-inch AMOLED display. All for $279. It handles temperature extremes from -22F to 158F and is rated to 100 meters water resistance.

The trade-off: It is bulky. The polymer case keeps the price down but feels less premium than titanium or steel competitors. The Amazfit software is good but not as refined as Garmin Connect.

Price: $279

Best Premium Smartwatch: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

If money is no object and you want the most premium Android watch, the Ultra 2 is the pick.

Why it wins: A 5,000-nit display (the brightest on any smartwatch), 35% larger battery than the original Ultra, titanium build, and the same Snapdragon Wear Elite chip as the Watch 9. New trail running features, diving support, and refined design make it thinner and lighter than the first Ultra.

The trade-off: At ~$700, it is expensive. And the 60-hour battery claim has not held up well in early testing. Reviews report a 5-mile trail run chewing through nearly 30% battery.

Price: ~$700

Best Screenless Tracker: Garmin CIRQA

If you want health data without a smartwatch, the screenless category has arrived.

Why it wins: The CIRQA delivers continuous heart rate, sleep, and recovery tracking with full Garmin Connect analytics. No subscription required, which immediately undercuts Whoop's $199+ per year pricing. 10-day battery, 5 ATM water resistance, and the mature Garmin health platform behind it.

The trade-off: No GPS and no screen. This is a health data layer, not a workout tracker. If you need real-time feedback during runs, this is not it.

Price: $199.99

Quick Decision Guide

Not sure where to start? Here is the cheat sheet:

You want...	Buy this
The best iPhone experience	Apple Watch Series 11
The best Android experience	Galaxy Watch 9
Serious running metrics	Garmin Forerunner 970
Multi-day battery	Garmin Fenix 8
The best value GPS watch	Amazfit Active 3 Premium
Rugged adventure on a budget	Amazfit T-Rex 3
Maximum premium Android	Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Health tracking without a screen	Garmin CIRQA

A Note on Timing

If you are an Apple person, consider waiting. The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected in September 2026, and rumors suggest it could be a bigger update than usual. Leaks point to a potential health sensor built into the watch band and a new S12 chip.

For everyone else, the current picks above are the best available right now. Samsung and Garmin just refreshed their lineups. Amazfit's current generation is fresh. There is no bad time to buy from this list.

The smartwatch market in 2026 is genuinely good. Competition is fierce, prices are competitive, and the technology keeps improving. Pick the watch that matches your phone and your priorities, and you will be happy with any of these.

Amazfit Active 3 Premium vs T-Rex 3: Budget vs Rugged

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Amazfit has two of the best value GPS watches on the market right now, and they sit $110 apart. The Active 3 Premium costs $169.99 and punches way above its weight with sapphire glass, offline maps, and dual-band GPS. The T-Rex 3 costs $279 and brings military-grade durability, a bigger battery, and a brighter screen.

Both are excellent. Both undercut Garmin by a wide margin. But they are built for different people. Here is how to figure out which one fits you.

The Short Version

Active 3 Premium is the best budget running watch you can buy. At $169.99, you get a sapphire AMOLED display, dual-band GPS, offline routable maps, lactate threshold tracking, and a stainless steel bezel. It is lighter and more compact than the T-Rex 3, making it better for everyday wear and smaller wrists.

T-Rex 3 is the rugged adventure watch. At $279, you get a bigger 1.5-inch display, 27-day battery life, 42 hours of GPS, military-grade durability ratings, and better outdoor readability. It is the watch you want for trail running, hiking, and multi-day adventures where toughness and battery matter most.

Spec Comparison

Feature	Active 3 Premium	T-Rex 3
Price	$169.99	$279
Case size	45mm	47.4mm
Weight	Lighter (stainless steel)	Heavier (polymer + metal)
Display	1.32" AMOLED, 3,000 nits, sapphire	1.5" AMOLED, 2,000 nits, glass
Battery (typical)	12 days	27 days
Battery (AOD)	~5 days	~14 days
GPS (continuous)	24 hours	42 hours
Dual-band GPS	Yes	Yes
Offline maps	Yes (routable)	Yes (routable)
Water resistance	5 ATM	10 ATM (100m)
Military tests	No	Yes (15 mil-spec tests)
Built-in flashlight	No	Yes
Buttons	4	4
Storage	Onboard	Onboard
Temp range	Standard	-22F to 158F

Display: Different Sizes, Different Brightness

The T-Rex 3 has the bigger screen at 1.5 inches. The Active 3 Premium has a smaller but sharper 1.32-inch display with a higher pixel density. Both are AMOLED and both look great.

Where they diverge is peak brightness. The Active 3 Premium hits 3,000 nits, which is brighter than most watches at any price. The T-Rex 3 tops out at 2,000 nits. In practice, both are readable in direct sunlight, but the Active 3 Premium has the edge in raw brightness.

The T-Rex 3's bigger display wins for maps and data fields, though. If you are navigating with offline maps on a trail run, the extra screen real estate makes a real difference. Six data fields fit comfortably on the T-Rex 3. The Active 3 Premium shows four before things feel cramped.

Battery Life: The T-Rex 3 Dominates

This is where the $110 price gap starts to make sense.

The T-Rex 3 delivers 27 days of typical use and 42 hours of continuous GPS. That is Garmin Fenix territory in a watch that costs half as much.

The Active 3 Premium delivers 12 days typical and 24 hours of GPS. Solid for the price, but less than half the T-Rex 3's endurance.

For a daily runner who charges every week or two, either watch works fine. But if you are doing ultra-distance events, multi-day hiking, or just hate charging your watch, the T-Rex 3's battery advantage is significant. 42 hours of GPS covers most 50-mile races. 24 hours does not.

Durability: T-Rex 3 Is Built Different

The T-Rex 3 is the rugged watch here. It passes 15 military-standard durability tests including temperature extremes (-22F to 158F), shock, and humidity. It is rated to 10 ATM (100 meters), meaning you can swim, snorkel, and freedive with it.

The Active 3 Premium is rated to 5 ATM (50 meters). Fine for swimming and showers, but not for diving. It does not carry the military durability ratings.

The T-Rex 3 also has a built-in flashlight, which is one of those features you do not think about until you use it every day. Night runners, campers, and anyone who has ever fumbled for a key in the dark will appreciate it. The Active 3 Premium does not have one.

Running Features: Nearly Identical

This is the interesting part. Both watches share the same core running platform:

Dual-band GPS with six satellite systems
Offline routable maps with turn-by-turn navigation
Zepp Coach AI adaptive training plans
Heart rate, HRV, VO2 max, and training load tracking
Automatic Strava upload
TrainingPeaks, Runna, and Intervals.icu sync
Lactate threshold tracking

The running experience is very similar on both. The Active 3 Premium actually has a slight edge in GPS brightness readability thanks to the 3,000-nit display. But the T-Rex 3's bigger screen is better for map viewing.

If you are buying purely for running metrics, the Active 3 Premium delivers 95% of the T-Rex 3's capability for $110 less.

Price and Value

Active 3 Premium at $169.99 is the value champion. You are getting sapphire glass, dual-band GPS, offline maps, and a 3,000-nit AMOLED for less than many basic fitness trackers cost. It is genuinely the best budget running watch on the market right now.

T-Rex 3 at $279 costs $110 more and adds a bigger screen, more than double the battery life, military-grade toughness, deeper water resistance, and a built-in flashlight. Those are real, meaningful upgrades if you need them.

Which One Should You Buy?

Get the Active 3 Premium if:

You are a road runner or gym-goer who wants great value
You want the lightest, most compact option
12 days of battery and 24 hours of GPS covers your activities
You want sapphire glass and 3,000-nit brightness at the lowest price
You have smaller wrists and want a watch that does not dominate them

Get the T-Rex 3 if:

You trail run, hike, or do multi-day adventures
You need maximum battery life (27 days, 42 hours GPS)
Military-grade durability and temperature extremes matter to you
You want a bigger screen for map navigation
The built-in flashlight is a feature you would actually use
You swim or freedive and need 10 ATM water resistance

The Bottom Line

Amazfit made two great watches for two different people, and the prices make both easy to recommend.

The Active 3 Premium is the smart money pick for most runners. At $169.99, nothing else touches it on value. Sapphire glass, offline maps, and dual-band GPS at that price is absurd.

The T-Rex 3 is the right call if your watch takes abuse. Trail runs, outdoor adventures, extreme conditions, and long battery needs. The extra $110 buys real capability, not just marketing fluff.

You cannot go wrong with either. Just pick the one that matches what you actually do with your watch.

Active 3 Premium: Buy on Amazon | T-Rex 3: Buy on Amazon

Galaxy Watch Battery Life Is a Mess Right Now

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Samsung just launched the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. The hardware looks great. The new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip is a legitimate upgrade. The Ultra 2 has an 800mAh battery, which is massive for a smartwatch. This should be a good year for Galaxy Watch battery life.

It's not.

Three Rounds of Battery Drain in Six Months

If you own a Galaxy Watch 6, 7, or 8, there's a real chance your battery life has fallen off a cliff at some point this year. The complaints have been piling up on Reddit's r/GalaxyWatch and Samsung's support forums, and the pattern is ugly.

April 2026 was the first wave. Users across nearly every recent Galaxy Watch model reported Google Play Services consuming ridiculous amounts of battery. We're not talking 5 or 10%. People were seeing 69.7%. One user's stats showed Play Services eating 99.97% of their battery since the last charge. The issue hit the Watch 5 Pro, 6, 7, 8, and the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. The usual fixes (restart, clear cache, factory reset) worked for some people and did nothing for others. Neither Samsung nor Google said a word about it publicly.

June 2026 was round two. Same problem, same symptoms, same models affected. Play Services again showing up as the primary battery consumer, draining 30% or more under normal use. Again, no official fix. The problem eventually faded for some users on its own. Others were still dealing with it when round three hit.

July 2026 is happening right now. This time the trigger seems to be the July security patch. Galaxy Watch 6, 7, and 8 owners are reporting battery drops that make the previous rounds look mild. One user said their Watch 8 40mm went from 40% to 10% in minutes after a reboot. Another reported their Watch 7 dropped from 75% to dead in four hours. They charged it back to 75%, wore it to bed, and it was dead again by morning.

Three times in six months. Same class of problem. No official explanation from Samsung or Google for any of them.

What's Going On

There are really two things happening here, and they're probably related.

The main culprit is Google Play Services. It's the background process that handles location, account sync, push notifications, and other Google framework tasks on Wear OS. Under normal conditions it should sip battery. When something goes wrong, it can get stuck in a loop that drains your watch even when it's just sitting on your wrist doing nothing.

In all three 2026 incidents, Play Services was the app consuming the most battery on affected watches. What's interesting is that this doesn't seem to hit Pixel Watches or other Wear OS devices the same way. That points to something specific about how Samsung's One UI Watch layer interacts with Google's Play Services framework.

The July wave added a new twist. Multiple users tied the start of their battery problems to the July security patch specifically, not a Play Services update. So either the patch itself broke something in power management, or it changed how the system handles Play Services in the background. Either way, watches that were fine one day started hemorrhaging battery the next.

But What About the New Watches?

Here's where it gets weird.

The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are brand new. They shipped with the Snapdragon Wear Elite, a 3nm chip that Qualcomm says delivers 30% better battery life than the previous generation. The Ultra 2 has a 590mAh battery. The Ultra 2 has an 800mAh battery, which is 35% larger.

And yet Samsung's official spec sheet for the Ultra 2 quotes the exact same battery life rating as last year's model: "up to 60 hours with Always-On Display."

A 35% bigger battery on a more efficient chip should mean longer battery life. The numbers are identical.

This was first spotted by Phonefuturist on X, and it's hard to explain away. A few possibilities:

The Snapdragon Wear Elite might not be as efficient as claimed. Samsung says it delivers 32% better CPU performance than the Exynos W1000 it replaced. But performance and efficiency are different things. If Qualcomm prioritized raw speed over power management in this first-generation chip, the gains from the 3nm process could get eaten up by higher power draw under load.

The 5,000-nit display could be the culprit. The Ultra 2 bumped peak brightness from 3,000 to 5,000 nits. Samsung says peak brightness only applies to a small portion of the screen for short bursts, so it shouldn't massively impact battery life. But the display subsystem as a whole could still be drawing more power, especially with the slight resolution increase from 480x480 to 498x498.

Samsung might not have updated the spec sheet. This would be the most generous explanation. Maybe the marketing team copied last year's numbers and the real battery life is actually better. That would be sloppy, but it would be the best-case scenario for buyers.

The Galaxy Watch 9 shows the same pattern. The 40mm model got a 20% battery upgrade (325mAh to 390mAh) and moved to the more efficient Snapdragon chip. The rated battery life didn't change: still "up to 40 hours without Always-On Display."

Samsung hasn't responded to media inquiries about the discrepancy. Android Authority asked specifically and is still waiting.

What to Do If Your Galaxy Watch Is Draining

If you're dealing with battery drain on a Galaxy Watch 6, 7, or 8 right now, here's what actually helps:

Clear the Play Services cache. Settings > Apps > Google Play Services > Storage > Clear Cache. This fixes the problem temporarily for some users. Clearing storage (not just cache) can help too, but you'll need to re-sync your Google account.

Restart your watch. It's basic, but it works for some people. Users report Play Services dropping from 10%+ battery usage to 5-6% after a restart. The catch is the problem often comes back within a day or two.

Manually check for updates. If Samsung or Google pushes a fix, it'll come through as either a system update or a silent Play Services update. Go to Settings > Software Update and check manually instead of waiting.

Factory reset. It's the nuclear option, but it worked for some users in the April and June waves. You'll have to re-pair your watch, redownload apps, and reconfigure everything. It's a pain.

Wait. Historically these issues get quietly fixed within a few weeks. The problem is that "wait" has been the answer three times now in 2026, and there's no guarantee round four isn't coming.

Why This Matters

Samsung is the biggest Wear OS manufacturer by a wide margin. When Galaxy Watch battery life is unreliable, it makes the whole platform look bad.

The timing makes it worse. Samsung just launched its most important watch lineup in years on the back of a chip that was supposed to fix Wear OS's longstanding performance and battery problems. Instead, the conversation is about recurring software bugs on older watches and confusing spec sheets on the new ones.

The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 might turn out to be great watches once independent battery testing is done. The hardware is genuinely impressive on paper. But Samsung's battery story is a mess right now, and in a smartwatch, battery life is the one thing you can't get wrong.

Amazfit Balance 3 vs Balance Ultra: Which One Should You Buy?

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Amazfit's new Balance lineup has two watches at very different price points. The Balance 3 starts at $369.99 in stainless steel. The Balance Ultra costs $599.99 in Grade 5 titanium. That is a $230 gap for watches that look almost identical on paper.

So what does the extra money actually get you? And is it worth paying for? Let's break it down.

The Short Version

Balance 3 is the smarter buy for most people. You get the same display, same GPS, same Hybrid Training System, and same HYROX support as the Ultra. The battery life is still excellent at 21 days. The main trade-off is materials (stainless steel vs titanium) and shorter GPS endurance.

Balance Ultra is for people who want the absolute best Amazfit can make. Full titanium construction, 30-day battery, 50-hour GPS, and a second strap included in the box. It is the premium play, and it is priced accordingly.

Amazfit Balance 3 vs Balance Ultra: Full Spec Comparison

Feature	Balance 3	Balance Ultra
Price	$369.99 (stainless) / $449.99 (titanium)	$599.99
Case material	Stainless steel or Grade 5 titanium	Grade 5 titanium (all)
Bezel/buttons/back	Stainless steel	Grade 5 titanium
Case size	51.4 x 51.4mm	51.8 x 51.8mm
Thickness	14.6mm (with sensor)	15.5mm (with sensor)
Weight (no strap)	~52g	57g
Display	1.5" AMOLED, sapphire, 3,000 nits	1.5" AMOLED, sapphire, 3,000 nits
Buttons	4 (stainless steel)	5 (Grade 5 titanium)
Battery (typical)	21 days	30 days
Battery (heavy)	10 days	15 days
GPS (precision)	41 hours	50 hours
AOD battery	7 days	~10 days
Storage	Onboard flash	64GB
Water resistance	10 ATM	10 ATM
Straps included	1 (22mm quick-release)	2 (22mm quick-release)
Military tests	Standard	Extended (temp shock, low pressure)

What Is Identical

This is the important part. Both watches share:

Same 1.5-inch AMOLED display with sapphire glass and 3,000-nit peak brightness
Same dual-band GPS with six satellite systems
Same Hybrid Training System (BioCharge, LifeLoad, Training Load)
Same HYROX Race Mode and hybrid training plans
Same Zepp OS 6 software and health tracking
Same 10 ATM water resistance (freediving to 45m, recreational scuba)
Same Bluetooth calling with mic and speaker
Same sensor suite for heart rate, SpO2, stress, and sleep

If you are buying for the software experience, the training features, or the display quality, there is zero difference between the two. The Balance 3 delivers all of it.

What the Ultra Actually Adds

Full titanium construction. The Balance Ultra uses Grade 5 titanium for the bezel, frame, buttons, and back cover. The Balance 3 in stainless steel uses, well, steel. You can get the Balance 3 in titanium for $449.99, but even then the Ultra has a fully titanium build while the Balance 3 titanium keeps some steel components.

Titanium matters for two reasons: it is lighter than steel for the same strength, and it is more corrosion resistant. If you train in salt water, sweat heavily, or just want the most durable watch possible, titanium earns its keep.

30-day battery vs 21-day battery. The Ultra's 780mAh battery delivers 30 days of typical use and 50 hours of precision GPS. The Balance 3's 658mAh battery delivers 21 days typical and 41 hours GPS. That is a meaningful difference for ultra-endurance athletes. If you are doing multi-day adventures or 50-mile races, the Ultra's extra 9 hours of GPS could be the difference between finishing with data and watching your watch die.

50 hours of GPS vs 41 hours. Related to the battery point. 9 extra hours of continuous GPS tracking. For most runners and triathletes, 41 hours covers any single event. For ultra runners and adventure racers, those extra hours matter.

A fifth button. The Ultra has five titanium buttons. The Balance 3 has four stainless steel buttons. The extra button gives you more direct access to functions without digging through menus.

Two straps instead of one. The Ultra ships with two 22mm quick-release straps (Black and Black & Terra). The Balance 3 ships with one. A nice bonus, though straps are cheap to buy separately.

64GB storage. The Ultra has 64GB for maps, music, and routes. The Balance 3's storage capacity is not specified in press materials but is likely less. If you load full map packs and music libraries, the Ultra has more headroom.

Extended military testing. The Ultra passes additional mil-spec tests including temperature shock and low pressure. Real-world impact is minimal unless you are taking your watch into genuinely extreme environments.

Which One Should You Buy?

Get the Balance 3 if:

You want the best value in the Balance lineup
21 days of battery and 41 hours of GPS covers your needs (it covers most people's)
You do not need full titanium construction
You are buying primarily for the Hybrid Training System and HYROX features

Get the Balance Ultra if:

You want the most premium Amazfit watch available
You need maximum battery life (30 days) and GPS endurance (50 hours)
Full titanium construction matters to you for weight or durability
You do ultra-endurance events where every hour of GPS counts
You want the second strap and 64GB storage

The Value Question

Here is the honest math. The Balance 3 at $369.99 gives you 90% of what the Balance Ultra offers. Same screen, same GPS, same software, same training features. You are giving up some battery life, some GPS hours, and premium materials.

The Ultra's $599.99 price tag buys you that last 10%. Whether that is worth $230 depends entirely on what kind of athlete you are.

For most buyers, the Balance 3 is the smart play. It is a genuinely premium watch at a competitive price, and the features you give up are edge-case for the majority of users. But if you are the type who wants the absolute best and does not mind paying for it, the Ultra delivers a complete, no-compromise package.

For the deeper read on either watch, our Balance 3 review walks through the hardware, the Hybrid Training System, and the HYROX features in full.

Balance 3: Buy at Amazfit | Balance Ultra: Buy at Amazfit

Galaxy Watch 9 vs Apple Watch Series 11: Which Smartwatch Wins Right Now?

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 16:30:00 GMT

The Galaxy Watch 9 just hit the scene with a brand new chip and fresh energy, while the Apple Watch Series 11 is sitting pretty at the midpoint of its release cycle. If you're shopping for a smartwatch right now, these are the two devices most people are choosing between.

But the comparison isn't as simple as "newer equals better." Samsung and Apple take very different approaches to health tracking, battery life, AI, and ecosystem. Here's how they actually stack up.

The Quick Specs

	Galaxy Watch 9	Apple Watch Series 11
Chip	Snapdragon Wear Elite (3nm, dedicated NPU)	S11 (Apple silicon)
Sizes	40mm and 44mm	42mm and 46mm
Display	Super AMOLED, 3,000 nits peak	LTPO OLED, 3,000 nits peak
Battery	40mm: 390mAh, 44mm: 449mAh	~308mAh (42mm)
Battery life	~30 hours (AOD on)	~18-24 hours
OS	Wear OS 7 / One UI Watch 9	watchOS 26
GPS	Dual-band	Dual-band
Water resistance	5 ATM + IP68	50m
Starting price	$380 (Bluetooth) / $430 (LTE)	$399 (GPS) / $499 (LTE)
AI	Google Gemini built-in	Apple Intelligence Siri (coming watchOS 27)

Chip: The Biggest Difference

This is where the comparison gets interesting.

The Galaxy Watch 9 runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite, the first wearable chip with a dedicated Hexagon NPU. It's built on a 3nm process, delivers 5x faster CPU and 7x faster GPU performance compared to the previous generation, and can run AI models with up to 2 billion parameters on-device. Early benchmarks show it running about 50% faster than the Exynos chip Samsung used in the Galaxy Watch 8.

The Apple Watch Series 11 uses Apple's S11 chip. It's competent and power-efficient, but it's an incremental update over the S10. Apple hasn't added a dedicated NPU or made the kind of generational leap Qualcomm just pulled off.

In daily use, the Wear Elite makes the Galaxy Watch 9 noticeably smoother. App launches are snappy, menu navigation is fluid, and animations don't stutter. The Apple Watch is still smooth thanks to Apple's tight hardware-software integration, but the raw performance gap has narrowed significantly.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 9. The Snapdragon Wear Elite is the more capable chip on paper, and early hands-ons confirm the real-world improvement.

Battery Life: Samsung Pulls Ahead

Battery life has been the Achilles heel of both platforms for years, but Samsung made a real effort here.

The Galaxy Watch 9 packs a larger battery than its predecessor (390mAh vs 325mAh on the 40mm model), and combined with the Wear Elite's efficiency gains, Samsung claims about 30 hours with always-on display. That's not Garmin territory, but it's a meaningful improvement over previous Wear OS watches.

The Apple Watch Series 11 delivers 18 to 24 hours depending on usage. That's enough for a full day plus a workout, but you're charging every night. Apple hasn't made a serious battery push in years.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 9. 30 hours vs 18-24 hours isn't close.

Fitness and Health Tracking: Apple's Deep Bench

This is where it gets nuanced.

The Apple Watch Series 11 has the most comprehensive health sensor suite on any smartwatch. It includes:

Hypertension notifications (new in Series 11, detects signs of chronic high blood pressure)
FDA-cleared ECG app
Sleep apnea notifications
Blood oxygen monitoring
Irregular rhythm notifications
High and low heart rate notifications
Retrospective ovulation estimates
Sleep score powered by Apple Intelligence

The Galaxy Watch 9's sensors are largely unchanged from the Watch 8. It has Samsung's BioActive sensor (heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen), body composition analysis (BIA), skin temperature, and the standard suite of activity tracking. Samsung didn't add new health sensors this generation, which is a missed opportunity.

Where Samsung makes up ground is software. Samsung Health is genuinely comprehensive, and the new Daily Cardio Load, Heart Health scores, and hydration guidance features add depth. But Apple's sensor advantage is real. Hypertension notifications and sleep apnea detection are features Samsung can't match.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 11. Apple's health sensor suite is deeper and more clinically validated.

AI: Two Different Philosophies

Both companies are betting big on AI, but they're approaching it from opposite directions.

Samsung partnered with Google to build Gemini directly into Wear OS 7. The Galaxy Watch 9 can handle conversational queries, contextual health questions, and on-device AI processing thanks to the Snapdragon Wear Elite's NPU. It's live and functional right now.

Apple is bringing Apple Intelligence-powered Siri to Apple Watch with watchOS 27 (expected September 2026). The new Siri will be conversational, context-aware, and able to take actions inside apps. But as of today, the Series 11 runs the old Siri, which is limited and often deflects to web search.

The timing matters. If you want AI on your wrist today, Samsung has it. If you're willing to wait until fall, Apple's implementation might be better integrated but you're buying on promise, not reality.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 9 (for now). Samsung's AI is shipping. Apple's is coming.

Ecosystem: Pick Your Poison

This is the tiebreaker for most buyers, and it's simple.

If you have an iPhone, get the Apple Watch. It's the only smartwatch that works properly with iOS, and the integration (messages, calls, Apple Pay, Find My, Health) is seamless.

If you have an Android phone, get the Galaxy Watch 9. Wear OS works best on Samsung devices, and the One UI Watch layer adds useful Samsung-specific features. The Apple Watch doesn't work with Android at all.

There's no wrong answer here. It comes down to what phone is in your pocket.

Winner: Depends on your phone. Neither watch works well (or at all) with the other platform.

Design: Squircle vs Rectangle

The Galaxy Watch 9 keeps Samsung's signature circular display in a squircle case. The design is largely unchanged from the Watch 8, with slightly thinner bezels and a refined chassis.

The Apple Watch Series 11 maintains Apple's iconic rounded rectangle. It's a design that hasn't changed dramatically in years, but it works. The display is bright, the build quality is excellent, and the variety of bands and cases is unmatched.

Both watches look good. Both are comfortable. This is purely personal preference.

Winner: Tie. Choose the shape you like.

Price: Samsung Undercuts

Galaxy Watch 9: $380 (Bluetooth) / $430 (LTE)
Apple Watch Series 11: $399 (GPS) / $499 (LTE)

Samsung comes in $19 cheaper on the base model and $69 cheaper on the LTE version. Not a massive gap, but it adds up if you're also buying bands or accessories.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 9. Better value at every tier.

The Verdict

There's no universal winner here. The right choice depends on what you prioritize.

Get the Galaxy Watch 9 if you want the latest chip technology, better battery life, AI that works today, and you're on Android. The Snapdragon Wear Elite makes this the most capable Wear OS watch ever, and the $380 starting price is competitive.

Get the Apple Watch Series 11 if you're on iPhone, you care deeply about health sensors (hypertension and sleep apnea detection are genuinely important features), and you want the best overall smartwatch ecosystem. The Series 11 is mid-cycle, but it's still the most polished smartwatch on the market.

Here's the thing though. The Apple Watch Series 12 is coming in September, and rumors suggest it could be a bigger leap than usual. If you're on the fence and can wait six weeks, that might be the smartest move of all.

But if you need a watch today? The Galaxy Watch 9 is the fresher, more exciting device. The Apple Watch Series 11 is the safer, more refined choice. Both are excellent. Neither is wrong.

Snapdragon Wear Elite: The Chip That Just Changed Smartwatches

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

If you've noticed that smartwatches have felt sluggish for the last few years, there's a reason. The chips inside them haven't meaningfully improved since the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 launched in 2022. Qualcomm basically walked away from the wearable market, and watch makers were left cobbling together their own silicon.

That just changed. The Snapdragon Wear Elite is here, it's inside the new Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2, and it's the biggest wearable chip leap in three years.

What Makes It Different

The Snapdragon Wear Elite is built on a 3nm manufacturing process, which means the transistors are physically smaller and more power-efficient than the older 4nm and 5nm chips that have been powering Wear OS watches. Smaller transistors mean more performance per watt, which is the name of the game for a device that runs on a battery the size of a coin.

But the process node isn't the headline. The headline is what Qualcomm packed inside.

A Dedicated NPU

This is the big one. The Wear Elite includes a Hexagon NPU (Neural Processing Unit), the same type of AI accelerator you find in flagship smartphones. It's the first wearable chip to include one.

What does an NPU actually do? It handles AI and machine learning tasks far more efficiently than a CPU or GPU can. Instead of grinding through matrix math on the general-purpose processor, the NPU is purpose-built for it. The result is that the Wear Elite can run AI models with up to 2 billion parameters entirely on-device, without pinging a cloud server.

In practical terms, that means your watch can do real-time speech recognition, object detection, contextual recommendations, and AI agent tasks without an internet connection. That's not a minor spec bump. That's a new category of capability.

5x CPU and 7x GPU Performance

Compared to the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 that's been sitting inside Wear OS watches since 2022, Qualcomm claims 5x faster CPU performance and 7x faster GPU performance.

The GPU is particularly interesting. The Wear Elite supports 1080p resolution at 60fps for animations, which means buttery-smooth scrolling, app transitions, and watch face animations. If you've ever used a Wear OS watch and noticed stuttering or lag when swiping through menus, this chip is designed to make that go away.

Early hands-on reports from the Galaxy Watch 9 confirm the improvement. SamMobile noted the watch "felt smooth while navigating menus and launching apps," and benchmark tests suggest the Snapdragon chip runs about 50% faster than the Exynos W1000 Samsung used in the Galaxy Watch 8.

Battery Life Gains

More performance usually means more power draw. But the 3nm process and smarter power management flip that equation. Qualcomm claims 30% longer battery life compared to the previous generation, and the chip supports fast charging that delivers 50% charge in 10 minutes.

The Galaxy Watch 9 backs this up with larger batteries than its predecessor. The 40mm model jumped from 325mAh to 390mAh, and the 44mm went from 435mAh to 449mAh. Combined with the Wear Elite's efficiency, that should translate to noticeably better endurance than the Galaxy Watch 8.

Real-world testing is still early, but the direction is clear: more performance without the usual battery penalty.

The Connectivity Story

The Wear Elite doesn't stop at performance and AI. Qualcomm loaded it with connectivity options that are genuinely new for a wearable chip:

5G RedCap (Reduced Capability 5G that's optimized for low-power devices)
Bluetooth 6.0 (with channel sounding for precise spatial awareness)
UWB (Ultra-Wideband for precise location and device pairing)
GNSS (multi-band satellite positioning for better GPS accuracy)
Wi-Fi
Satellite connectivity (NB-NTN) for emergency messaging without cell service

That last one is worth pausing on. Satellite messaging on a smartwatch means you could send an SOS from a trail run or backcountry ski trip with no cell signal. That's a feature Apple has been pushing on iPhone and Apple Watch Ultra, and now Qualcomm is putting the plumbing in place for Wear OS devices to match it.

Why This Matters Beyond Samsung

The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are the first watches to ship with the Wear Elite, but they won't be the last. Qualcomm's business model is selling chips to anyone who buys them, which means the Wear Elite will likely show up in future Pixel Watches, Xiaomi watches, and other Wear OS devices.

This matters because it ends the chip drought that held Wear OS back. For three years, watch makers had two choices: use the aging Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2, or build their own chip (Samsung's Exynos, Google's tensor-based silicon). Neither path delivered the kind of generational leap that pushes the category forward.

Now there's a real foundation. And when the foundation gets better, every watch built on it benefits.

What About Apple?

Apple designs its own chips, so the Wear Elite doesn't directly affect Apple Watch. But it raises the bar. The S11 chip inside the Apple Watch Series 11 is competent but not exciting. It's essentially the same architecture Apple has been iterating on for years.

Apple's advantage has always been vertical integration. They control the chip, the OS, and the hardware, which means they can optimize for battery life and performance in ways that fragment the Android ecosystem can't easily match.

But Snapdragon Wear Elite narrows that gap. On-device AI with a dedicated NPU, satellite connectivity, 5x CPU gains, and 7x GPU gains are features that Apple Watch doesn't currently offer. The next Apple Watch (expected September 2026) will need to respond.

The Real Question: Does AI on a Watch Actually Matter?

Here's the honest take. The Snapdragon Wear Elite is a legitimately impressive piece of silicon. The specs are real, the benchmarks are early but promising, and the foundation it lays for on-device AI is genuinely new for wearables.

But whether any of this matters to you depends on what you actually do with your watch.

If you want smooth UI, fast app launches, and decent battery life, the Wear Elite delivers. Those are tangible improvements you'll feel on day one.

If you're excited about AI coaching, real-time voice interaction, and contextual health insights, the potential is there but the software hasn't caught up yet. The NPU can run 2-billion-parameter models, but watch makers need to build the apps that actually use it. That's a 2027 story, not a 2026 one.

And if you just want a reliable fitness tracker with good battery life and accurate sensors, the chip matters less than the overall watch design, sensor quality, and software ecosystem. Garmin and COROS have been winning on those fronts for years without cutting-edge silicon.

The Bottom Line

The Snapdragon Wear Elite is the most important wearable chip launch in years. It ends a three-year drought, brings a dedicated NPU to the wrist for the first time, and sets a new performance baseline that every Wear OS watch will benefit from.

The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are the proof of concept. They're smoother, faster, and more capable than their predecessors. But the real impact will play out over the next 12 to 18 months as more devices adopt the chip and developers figure out what to do with on-device AI.

For now, if you're buying a Wear OS watch, make sure it has the Snapdragon Wear Elite inside. It's the difference between a watch that's current and one that's already aging.

Garmin Body Battery vs Samsung Energy Score: Why Garmin Still Wins

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Samsung just launched the Galaxy Watch 9 with a suite of new AI-powered health features. Fitness Index. Cardio Load. Vitals monitoring. Hearing health. It's an impressive list, and Samsung is clearly betting that more health data equals a better smartwatch experience.

But there's one feature Garmin has had for nearly a decade that Samsung still hasn't properly answered: Body Battery.

Samsung has its own equivalent called Energy Score. On paper, they sound similar — both give you a number that's supposed to represent how much energy you have to spend. In practice, they work fundamentally differently, and the difference matters more than you'd think.

What Is Garmin Body Battery?

Garmin introduced Body Battery in 2017, and it's become one of the most beloved features in the entire Garmin ecosystem. The concept is simple: your body has a charge level, just like a battery. It ranges from 0 to 100.

When you sleep, your Body Battery charges up. When you exercise, stress, or push yourself, it drains. When you rest or nap, it partially recharges. The number updates continuously throughout the day based on what your body is actually doing.

The underlying technology pulls from multiple data streams:

Heart Rate Variability (HRV): The primary signal. HRV measures the variation between heartbeats, which is a strong indicator of autonomic nervous system activity. High HRV generally means your body is in recovery mode. Low HRV means stress or exertion.
Sleep quality: How well you slept, including time spent in deep and REM sleep, directly impacts how much your Body Battery recharges overnight.
Stress tracking: Garmin's stress metric, also derived from HRV, feeds into Body Battery. High stress periods drain the battery faster.
Activity data: Workouts and physical exertion subtract from your current charge.

The key differentiator is that Body Battery is dynamic. It's not a morning number that stays fixed all day. If you go for a hard run at noon, you'll see your Body Battery drop shortly after. If you take a 20-minute nap on the couch, you'll see it tick back up. It reflects what's happening to your body in near-real-time.

This creates something genuinely useful: energy budgeting. If you wake up at a 45 instead of your usual 70, you know to take it easier. If you're at 80 in the afternoon and feeling good, you know you can push harder. The score rolls over from day to day, so a bad night of sleep doesn't just affect one day's number — it compounds.

What Is Samsung Energy Score?

Samsung introduced Energy Score with the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra in 2025 as part of Samsung Health's broader AI push. Like Body Battery, it gives you a number from 0 to 100 that's supposed to represent your daily readiness.

Energy Score pulls from these data points:

Sleep data: This is the heaviest weighted factor. Duration, sleep stages, and sleep consistency all feed into the score.
Activity levels: How much you moved yesterday and over the past week.
Heart rate metrics: Resting heart rate and overnight patterns.
Heart rate variability: Samsung Health tracks HRV during sleep and factors it in.

So far, so similar. But here's where Energy Score differs from Body Battery in ways that matter:

Energy Score updates once per day. You get your score in the morning, and it stays the same until the next morning. It doesn't matter if you run a marathon at noon or take a three-hour nap — your score doesn't budge.

Energy Score is sleep-heavy. The weighting leans heavily on sleep metrics. If you had a rough night, your score will be low regardless of how you actually feel during the day. And if you slept great but had a brutal workout the day before, your score might not reflect that until tomorrow.

Energy Score doesn't let you "recharge." Because it's static, there's no concept of midday recovery. A nap doesn't boost your score. A stressful meeting doesn't drain it. The number you wake up with is the number you're stuck with.

With the Galaxy Watch 9, Samsung has expanded its health metrics significantly. The new Fitness Index gives you a daily overall fitness assessment. Cardio Load tracks how hard your heart is working across workouts. Heart Health Score synthesizes blood pressure, sleep quality, and other metrics into a simple indicator. These are genuinely useful additions, but they're additional scores layered on top of Energy Score — not improvements to how Energy Score itself works.

The Core Difference: Static vs Dynamic

This is the whole ballgame.

Imagine checking your phone's battery percentage once in the morning and that number staying frozen all day regardless of how much you use your phone. That's Energy Score. Now imagine a battery percentage that updates every few minutes based on actual usage — draining when you open apps, recharging when you plug in. That's Body Battery.

The practical difference shows up in everyday scenarios:

The morning workout question. You wake up, check your score, and head out for a run. With Body Battery, you finish the run and immediately see the impact — maybe you dropped from 75 to 55. You know you need to eat well and rest before pushing hard again. With Energy Score, your score is unchanged. You won't know the cost of that run until tomorrow morning.

The afternoon decision. It's 3 PM and a friend invites you to play tennis. With Body Battery, you glance at your wrist — you're at 40, so you know to take it easy or skip it. With Energy Score, you have the same number you had at 7 AM. It can't help you make that decision.

The nap test. You're exhausted, so you sleep for 30 minutes on the couch. Body Battery ticks up — maybe from 30 to 45. You feel more energized, and the data confirms it. Energy Score doesn't move. Tomorrow morning, your score might be higher because of the extra rest, but today's number is locked.

The bad sleep recovery. You slept terribly and woke up at a 38 on Body Battery. But you take it easy during the day, get some rest, and by evening you've climbed back to 55. The dynamic tracking shows you're recovering. Energy Score gave you a low number in the morning and that's all you get — no indication of whether you're bouncing back or spiraling.

But Is Body Battery Actually Accurate?

This is the fair question. Quantifying something as subjective as "how much energy you have" is inherently imprecise. No wearable can perfectly measure how you feel.

Garmin's approach isn't perfect. The score can be thrown off by:

Sensor noise: A loose strap or poor contact can produce bad HRV data, which cascades into inaccurate Body Battery readings.
Individual variation: HRV baselines differ significantly between individuals. What looks like a low HRV for one person might be perfectly normal for another, and the algorithm has to learn your baseline over time.
External factors: Caffeine, illness, alcohol, and stress all affect HRV in ways that might not match how you actually feel. Three cups of coffee might tank your HRV — and your Body Battery — while you feel completely fine.

But here's the thing: the same limitations apply to Energy Score. Samsung uses the same underlying signals (HRV, heart rate, sleep), just processed differently and presented less frequently.

The advantage Body Battery has isn't necessarily better accuracy — it's better utility. A number that updates throughout the day is simply more useful than one that doesn't, even if both numbers are equally imperfect measures of something that can't be perfectly measured.

Anecdotally, the most common user feedback across forums, Reddit, and reviews is consistent: Body Battery tends to correlate well with how people actually feel throughout the day. Energy Score tends to be a decent morning check-in but doesn't help much beyond that.

What About the Galaxy Watch 9's New Metrics?

Samsung clearly recognizes the gap. The Galaxy Watch 9's expanded health suite adds several metrics that attempt to fill in the picture:

Fitness Index: An overall daily fitness score that synthesizes multiple health signals. Think of it as a broader readiness metric.
Cardio Load: Tracks cumulative cardiovascular strain across workouts. Useful for athletes managing training stress.
Heart Health Score: Combines blood pressure trends, sleep quality, and other cardiovascular metrics into an easy-to-understand indicator.
AI-powered insights: Samsung Health now uses AI to provide narrative explanations of your data — "Your sleep quality was lower than usual, which may affect your Energy Score."

These are genuinely valuable. Cardio Load in particular is the kind of metric that training-focused users have been wanting on Wear OS for years.

But here's the problem: more scores don't equal more clarity. Instead of one number that dynamically reflects your body's state throughout the day (Body Battery), Samsung now has Energy Score, Fitness Index, Cardio Load, Heart Health Score, and Daily Vitals. Each one captures a piece of the picture. None of them work together to give you the real-time, holistic energy picture that Body Battery provides.

Garmin's philosophy is the opposite: one number, continuously updated, easy to understand and act on. You can dig deeper into Training Readiness, HRV Status, Sleep Score, and Stress if you want — but Body Battery is the headline metric that ties everything together.

Samsung's approach gives you more data points. Garmin's gives you more actionable insight. Those aren't the same thing.

The Ecosystem Factor

There's one more consideration: where you live, data-wise.

Garmin Body Battery is available on nearly every Garmin watch released since 2017, from the $169 Forerunner 70 to the $999 Fenix 8 Pro. It works through Garmin Connect, which is free with no subscription. If you're in the Garmin ecosystem, you have Body Battery. Period.

Samsung Energy Score requires a Samsung Galaxy Watch (Watch 7 or later) and Samsung Health. It's free, but you're locked into Samsung's ecosystem. Energy Score also benefits from Samsung Health's broader integration with Galaxy phones, which means it can pull in data from other Samsung health devices like blood pressure monitors and scales.

Garmin's wider device support means Body Battery is available to more people at more price points. Samsung's tighter ecosystem integration means Energy Score can theoretically pull from a wider range of health inputs — but in practice, the score still suffers from the static-update problem regardless of how much data feeds into it.

The Verdict

Samsung has made real strides with its health platform. The Galaxy Watch 9 is the best Wear OS watch for health features, and the new metrics are genuinely useful additions. Samsung Health has become a strong competitor to Garmin Connect in breadth, if not yet in depth.

But Body Battery remains the gold standard for energy tracking, and it's not particularly close.

The reason is simple: your body doesn't operate on a 24-hour cycle. You don't wake up with a fixed amount of energy that lasts until tomorrow. You drain and recharge throughout the day based on what you do, how you feel, what you eat, how stressed you are, and how well you slept. Body Battery reflects that reality. Energy Score doesn't.

Samsung could close this gap. The hardware and sensors are capable — the Galaxy Watch 9 has the same BioActive sensor array as the Ultra 2, and the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip has more than enough processing power to handle continuous scoring updates. The limitation isn't technical. It's philosophical.

Until Samsung decides that Energy Score should update throughout the day — responding to workouts, naps, stress, and recovery in real time — Body Battery will remain the feature that keeps Garmin users from switching.

And for anyone choosing between a Galaxy Watch 9 and a Garmin Forerunner 170 or Venu X1 based on health tracking alone? If energy management matters to you, Garmin is still the answer.

Body Battery is available on all current Garmin watches including the Forerunner 70, Forerunner 170, Venu X1, Fenix 8 series, Instinct 3, and Fenix 9 series. Energy Score is available on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, Watch 8, Watch 9, and Watch Ultra/Ultra 2 via Samsung Health.

Garmin CIRQA vs Whoop 5.0 vs Fitbit Air: The Screenless Tracker War

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The screenless tracker category just got crowded fast.

In the span of about two months, three major players dropped new screenless health bands: Google's Fitbit Air at $99 in May, Whoop 5.0 with its subscription model, and Garmin's CIRQA Smart Band at $199.99 in July. All three want the same spot on your wrist. All three take a fundamentally different approach to getting paid for it.

If you're trying to figure out which one makes sense for you, the answer depends entirely on what you care about and how much you're willing to keep paying after the initial purchase. Let's break it down.

Why Screenless Trackers Are Suddenly a Category

The pitch is the same across all three: your smartwatch is great for workouts and notifications, but it's bulky to sleep in, distracting during the day, and kind of overkill if you just want to know how your body is doing.

A screenless band fixes that. It's small, light, comfortable enough to wear 24/7, and collects health data in the background. No screen means better battery life. No notifications means you're not tempted to check it during dinner. You wear it, it tracks, and you look at the data later on your phone.

Whoop pioneered this format years ago. Now everyone else wants in.

The Quick Comparison

	Fitbit Air	Whoop 5.0	Garmin CIRQA
Upfront cost	$99	Included with subscription	$199.99
Subscription	Optional ($99/yr for Premium)	Required ($199 to $359/yr)	None
2-year total cost	$99 to $297	$398 to $718+	$199.99
Battery life	~7 days	~14 days	~10 days
GPS	Connected (phone)	None	None
Screen	No	No	No
Ecosystem	Google Health	Whoop app	Garmin Connect
Weight	~12g with band	Smaller than 4.0	Unknown
Water resistance	50m	Water resistant	5 ATM

Fitbit Air: The Budget Play

At $99, the Fitbit Air is the cheapest entry point by a wide margin. Google essentially took a Fitbit Charge 6, ripped out the screen, and slapped a band on it. The result is a tiny 5.2g sensor pod that snaps into different band styles.

What you get: 24/7 heart rate, HRV, breathing rate, SpO2, skin temperature, steps, and FDA-cleared background AFib detection. Seven days of battery life with a useful quick-charge feature (five minutes on the charger buys you a full day). Automatic workout detection covers running, cycling, rowing, and other high-heart-rate activities.

The ecosystem play: The Air is really a Trojan horse for Google Health. The Fitbit app is being fully rebranded, and Google's Gemini-powered AI health coach is genuinely impressive if you opt for the Premium tier at $99/year. The coach can answer questions, build training plans, and even analyze photos of your food.

The catch: No built-in GPS (you need your phone for route tracking), workout heart rate accuracy on a sensor this tiny is still a question mark, and automatic activity recognition is basic compared to Whoop. Whoop can tell the difference between a mountain bike ride and a road bike ride. The Air just knows you were pedaling.

Best for: Budget-conscious users who want a solid sleep and recovery tracker without committing to a subscription, and anyone already in the Google ecosystem.

Whoop 5.0: The Established Player Levels Up

Whoop didn't just refresh their hardware. They completely restructured their pricing into three tiers, and the hardware got a serious upgrade.

The hardware: The Whoop 5.0 is smaller and lighter than the 4.0, with a battery life that jumped from 4-5 days to 14 days. That alone fixes the biggest complaint users had for years. A wireless PowerPack stores another 14 days of charge, meaning you can go roughly a month without plugging into a wall.

The tiers: Whoop One ($199/year) gets you the 5.0 device with core Sleep, Strain, and Recovery features. Peak ($239/year) adds the Healthspan suite and deeper insights. Life ($359/year) gets you the MG device with medical-grade ECG, blood pressure insights, and heart screening.

The standout features: Healthspan is the headline. It gives you a "Whoop Age" and tracks your pace of aging, which is the kind of longevity metric that used to require clinical testing. The MG's blood pressure monitoring is genuinely novel for a wrist wearable, though it requires calibration with a traditional cuff.

The catch: You never stop paying. Over two years, even the cheapest Whoop tier ($199/year) costs more than the Garmin CIRQA's one-time $199.99 price. The Life tier with the MG device runs $718 over two years. That's real money for access to your own biometric data.

Best for: Data-obsessed athletes who want the most refined recovery and strain analytics, and people who don't mind paying a premium for continuous software updates and new features.

Garmin CIRQA: The Anti-Subscription Play

Garmin's entry into screenless tracking has one clear message: buy it once, own it forever.

What you get: A screenless band with 10-day battery life that tracks heart rate, sleep, recovery, and activity. It syncs to Garmin Connect, which is free and has been refined over years of development. No paywall between you and your sleep score, recovery data, or training readiness metrics.

The differentiator: Garmin Connect is the real selling point here. It's mature, detailed, and completely free. Everything Whoop charges a monthly fee for, Garmin includes with purchase. Sleep scores, recovery insights, training readiness, body battery, all of it.

The catch: No GPS, which means the CIRQA can't track outdoor workouts with location data. Like the other two, it's a health and recovery tracker, not a workout watch. At $199.99, it's twice the price of the Fitbit Air, and if you already own a Garmin watch, the data overlaps almost entirely.

Best for: People who want Whoop-style insights without the subscription, and anyone who trusts Garmin's health analytics platform. If you already wear a Garmin watch full-time, skip the CIRQA unless you specifically want a lighter sleep-tracking option.

The Real Question: Subscription or One-Time Purchase?

This is what the whole category comes down to.

Whoop's model is built on the assumption that you'll keep paying $199 to $359 every year for the foreseeable future. In exchange, you get continuous software updates, new features, and the most refined recovery analytics in the business. It's a service, not a product.

Garmin and Google are betting the other direction. Buy the hardware, get the core features for free, and only pay more if you want premium add-ons (Google Health Premium for $99/year, or nothing extra for Garmin).

Over two years, the math is stark:

Fitbit Air, no subscription: $99 total
Garmin CIRQA, no subscription: $199.99 total
Fitbit Air with Google Health Premium: $297 total
Whoop One (cheapest tier): $398 total
Whoop Peak: $478 total
Whoop Life with MG: $718+ total

If you're purely cost-driven and want a basic health tracker, the Fitbit Air at $99 is hard to beat. If you want the deepest analytics without a subscription, the Garmin CIRQA is the play. If you want the most polished recovery platform and don't mind paying for it, Whoop is still the leader.

Which One Should You Buy?

Get the Fitbit Air if you want to try the screenless format without a big investment. At $99, the risk is low. The Google Health ecosystem is genuinely good, and if you already use a Pixel Watch, they pair beautifully.

Get the Garmin CIRQA if you hate subscriptions and want a one-and-done purchase with serious health analytics. It's the best value over a multi-year horizon, and Garmin Connect is a platform you can trust long-term. Just know you'll still need your phone or a watch for GPS-tracked workouts.

Get Whoop 5.0 if you're serious about recovery tracking and you're okay with the ongoing cost. The Healthspan metrics, the 14-day battery, and the depth of the analytics platform are unmatched. The MG tier's blood pressure and ECG features are genuinely innovative. You just have to be comfortable paying for it every year.

The Bottom Line

The screenless tracker category finally has real competition, and consumers win because of it. Whoop can't coast on being the only option anymore. Google brought the price down. Garmin killed the subscription. Whoop responded with their best hardware yet and features nobody else offers.

If you've been waiting for the right moment to try a screenless tracker, this is it. There's never been a better range of options at different price points. Just decide upfront whether you want to buy once or subscribe forever, because that choice will define your experience more than any spec sheet.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 & Watch Ultra 2: Everything From Unpacked 2026

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:41:00 GMT

Samsung took the stage in London on July 22 and made it official: the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are here. Both watches share the same new processor for the first time, but they could not be more different in what they offer.

If you have been following the rumors, the specs will not surprise you. But the pricing, the battery numbers, and the question of whether these watches are worth upgrading to? Those answers are now locked in.

Here is everything you need to know.

Galaxy Watch 9: A Familiar Face With a New Brain

At first glance, the Galaxy Watch 9 looks identical to last year's Watch 8. Same squircle design (a square aluminum case with a circular display). Same 40mm and 44mm size options. Same 8.6mm thickness. Even the exact dimensions match: 42.7 x 40.4 x 8.6mm for the 40mm and 46.0 x 43.7 x 8.6mm for the 44mm.

The real story is under the hood.

The Snapdragon Wear Elite Shift

For the first time, Samsung has ditched its in-house Exynos wearable chips in favor of Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite. This is a 3nm processor and the first Snapdragon chip built for wearables with a dedicated Hexagon NPU, capable of running on-device AI models with up to two billion parameters.

What does that actually mean? Faster overall performance, smoother animations, and more headroom for AI features like Google Gemini voice queries, on-watch transcription, and smarter health recommendations. Samsung kept RAM at 2GB and storage at 32GB (same as the Watch 8), so the chip is the main performance lever here.

The Watch 9 ships with Wear OS 7 and Samsung's One UI Watch 9 on top, which brings a refreshed interface that should feel a bit smoother than last year's already solid experience.

Display: Bright, But Unchanged

The Galaxy Watch 9 uses the same Super AMOLED panel as the Watch 8. The 40mm has a 1.34-inch display; the 44mm gets a 1.47-inch screen. Both max out at 3,000 nits of peak brightness, which is plenty readable in direct sunlight. Durability ratings are the same too: IP68 dust resistance and 5ATM water resistance.

No new glass technology. No refresh rate bump. No always-on improvement. If you were hoping for a display upgrade, you will not find one here.

Battery: A Meaningful Bump for the 40mm

This is where things get interesting, especially if you prefer the smaller size.

The 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 gets a 390mAh battery, a solid 20% increase over the Watch 8's 325mAh cell. The 44mm model moves to 449mAh, which is a smaller bump from the previous 435mAh. Samsung says both sizes deliver roughly 30 hours of use with the always-on display turned on. That is enough for a full day plus a morning buffer.

In the real world, with workout tracking, Gemini queries, and overnight sleep monitoring, you are still charging daily. But the 40mm model's bigger battery jump should help it get through a busy day better than its predecessor.

Charging speeds have not changed. You are looking at roughly 80 minutes to full for the 40mm (90 for the 44mm), and a 30-minute top-up gets you about 50%.

Colors and Pricing

The 40mm Watch 9 comes in Cream and Graphite. The Cream shade is new. The 44mm is offered in Graphite and Silver.

Pricing is where the modest upgrades start to sting. The Galaxy Watch 9 starts at $380 for Bluetooth and $430 for LTE. That is a $30 price hike across the board compared to the Watch 8, which launched at $349 and $399.

It is not a huge increase, but it makes the value harder to justify when the Watch 8 is already selling for around $220 on Amazon right now.

Sensors: Nothing New Here

Samsung kept the entire sensor array from the Watch 8. That means the BioActive Sensor (optical heart rate, electrical heart signal, bioelectrical impedance analysis), temperature sensor, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, and light sensor. Blood pressure measurement, sleep apnea detection, and bedtime guidance all return unchanged.

No new health metrics. No new sensors. No surprises.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Bigger, Brighter, Thinner

If the Watch 9 is a gentle nudge forward, the Watch Ultra 2 is a real step up. Samsung took the premium, rugged formula from the original Ultra and refined it in ways that actually matter.

Display: 5,000 Nits

The Ultra 2's display jumps to 5,000 nits of peak brightness, up from 3,000 on the original Ultra and 2,000 nits higher than the standard Watch 9. The screen is also slightly larger at 1.52 inches (versus 1.5 on the original), though you would have a hard time noticing the difference.

In practice, the brightness is genuinely useful for outdoor athletes. Engadget's Cherlynn Low spent a week with the watch and noted that the display made data easy to read during hikes in direct sunlight. It also came in handy when she got lost on a trail and had to use waypoint tracking to find her way back.

Battery: The Big Win

The Ultra 2's standout upgrade is its 800mAh battery, a 35% increase over the original Ultra's 590mAh. That is the kind of jump that takes a watch from "I hope it lasts the night" to real multi-day potential.

Samsung has not published official multi-day battery estimates yet, but with a more efficient 3nm chip and a battery this size, the Ultra 2 should comfortably handle a weekend of outdoor activity tracking on a single charge. The original Ultra could not always do that.

Design: Lighter and Sleeker

Despite packing a much larger battery, Samsung made the Ultra 2 thinner and lighter. The titanium, shock-resistant casing is 10.7mm thick, which is 12% thinner than the first Ultra. The watch is 25% lighter overall, and the band is 1.9mm thick (down from 2.9mm), which makes a real difference for all-day comfort.

Samsung also cleaned up the buttons. They protrude less now, and the round middle button no longer rotates. That is a welcome change because the rotating crown on the original Ultra did not actually do anything in the software.

The etched bezel detailing and sharp edges give the Ultra 2 what Low called a "handsome, grown-up aesthetic." People she showed it to commented on how nice it looked.

New Health and Fitness Features

The Ultra 2 adds several new tracking options:

Trail Run mode is a dedicated workout with elevation data, climbing progress tracking, and terrain impact analysis. This is the kind of thing outdoor runners and hikers will actually use, and it fits naturally with the Ultra's rugged positioning.

Hydration guidance builds on the Sweat Loss feature from the Galaxy Watch 5. It gives you reminders based on body weight, sweat rate, and activity duration. You need at least 20 minutes of activity and 90 calories burned to trigger it, and it only works with certain workout types right now (Trail Run, Hiking, Track Run, Treadmill, and Running).

Vitals pulls together overnight health signals (heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, skin temperature, blood oxygen) and compares them against your personal baseline to flag things that fall outside the norm.

Daily Cardio Load and Heart Health Score bring updated algorithms for training strain and recovery. Heart Health Score wraps sleep, stress, activity, and body composition data into a single daily number. It is the kind of thing that makes daily wear more useful without making you dig through menus.

Mares diving partnership adds dedicated diving features for safe ascent and descent. These arrive later this year through a Diving app that is exclusive to the Ultra 2.

The antioxidant index feature also returns. It uses LED light reflections to estimate carotenoid concentration in your blood. Early testing from Engadget raised questions about its accuracy across different skin tones. Lighter-skinned individuals consistently scored higher regardless of diet, which suggests the sensor may need more calibration work.

Price and Availability

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 starts at around $700, a $50 bump over the original Ultra's launch price. Pre-orders are live now alongside the Watch 9, and both watches hit shelves on August 7.

What This Means for Buyers

If You Have a Galaxy Watch 8

The Watch 9 is a tough sell. Same design, same display, same sensors, similar battery life. The Snapdragon Wear Elite is the only real change, and while it matters on paper, it probably will not transform your day-to-day. Hold on to your money, or at least wait for full reviews to see if the chip delivers something unexpected.

If You Have Something Older (Watch 6 or Earlier)

The Watch 9 is a solid upgrade. You get the modern squircle design, a much better display, improved battery life (especially in the 40mm), and the full Wear OS 7 plus Gemini experience. At $380 it is priced competitively with the Apple Watch Series 11, though Apple still has the edge on health sensor depth and third-party apps.

If You Are Considering the Ultra 2

This is the more compelling of the two. The 35% battery increase, 5,000-nit display, thinner and lighter body, and new outdoor features make it a genuine improvement over the original. If you are an outdoor athlete or just want a watch that can go a couple days between charges, $700 is easier to stomach than the Watch 9's $380 if you already own a recent Galaxy Watch.

It is still a big watch though. The 12% thickness reduction and 25% weight reduction help, but it will not feel like a standard Galaxy Watch on your wrist.

The Bigger Picture: Snapdragon Wear Elite Is What Matters

Beyond the individual watches, the most important thing about this launch is the shift to Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite. For years, Wear OS watches have been held back by underpowered or inconsistent chips. Samsung's Exynos, older Snapdragon Wear processors, rebranded mobile chips. None of them were great.

The Snapdragon Wear Elite is the first wearable-specific 3nm chip with a dedicated AI NPU. If it lives up to the promises, it could genuinely change what Wear OS watches can do. More complex on-device AI, better health algorithm processing, smoother interfaces, and better battery efficiency.

Both the Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are the proving ground. Early hands-on impressions suggest the interface is noticeably smoother, but the real test comes when retail units ship on August 7 and reviewers can put them through their paces.

One thing worth clearing up from the rumor cycle: there was disagreement over whether both watches would get the Snapdragon Wear Elite or just the Ultra 2. Samsung confirmed at Unpacked that both models share the chip. That is good news for Watch 9 buyers and draws a clear line under the Exynos era.

Specs at a Glance

Feature	Galaxy Watch 9	Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Sizes	40mm, 44mm	47mm
Chip	Snapdragon Wear Elite	Snapdragon Wear Elite
Display	Super AMOLED, 3,000 nits	Super AMOLED, 5,000 nits, 1.52"
Battery	390mAh (40mm) / 449mAh (44mm)	800mAh
OS	Wear OS 7 / One UI Watch 9	Wear OS 7 / One UI Watch 9
Durability	IP68, 5ATM	IP68, 5ATM, shock-resistant titanium
New features	None (carryover from Watch 8)	Trail Run, hydration guidance, Mares diving, Vitals
Price	$380 (BT) / $430 (LTE)	~$700
Availability	August 7	August 7

The Bottom Line

Samsung played it safe with the Watch 9 and went for the throat with the Ultra 2. The shared Snapdragon Wear Elite chip is the headline that matters. It brings Wear OS into a new era of on-device AI, and both watches benefit from it.

But the Watch 9's $30 price hike, identical design, and unchanged sensors make it hard to recommend if you already own a Galaxy Watch. The Watch 8 is already going for $220 on Amazon, and unless the Snapdragon chip turns out to be a game-changer in real-world testing, last year's model is the smarter buy for most people.

The Ultra 2 is a different animal. A 35% bigger battery, a much brighter display, a thinner and lighter body, and genuinely useful new outdoor features make it the most interesting Samsung wearable of the year. It is not cheap at $700, but for the people it is built for (outdoor athletes, adventure seekers, anyone tired of charging every night), it earns its premium in a way the Watch 9 does not quite manage.

Samsung's wearables are back in the fight.

Garmin Acquires TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic: What It Means for Athletes, Coaches, and the Future of Garmin Watches

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Garmin just made its biggest move in the coaching and training software space, period. The company announced today that it has acquired both TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic, two of the most widely used coaching platforms in endurance and strength sports.

The deal, announced this morning from Garmin's headquarters in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, brings two major coaching ecosystems under the Garmin umbrella, and it could reshape how athletes and coaches interact with Garmin hardware for years to come.

What Garmin Acquired

TrainingPeaks is the gold standard for endurance coaching. Originally launched in 1999, it's the platform that cyclists, runners, triathletes, and their coaches use to plan structured workouts, track fitness metrics, analyze performance data, and taper for race day. If you've ever followed a training plan for a marathon or Ironman, there's a very good chance it came from TrainingPeaks.

TrainHeroic focuses on the strength and conditioning side, serving CrossFit athletes, weightlifters, tactical athletes, and strength coaches with workout programming, performance tracking, and community features.

Together, the two platforms are headquartered in Louisville, Colorado, and bring 120 employees into Garmin's global workforce. Their parent company, Peaksware Holdings, is being absorbed in the deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

What Garmin Said

Brad Trenkle, Garmin's Co-Chief Operating Officer, framed the acquisition as a natural extension of Garmin's fitness ecosystem:

"TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic share Garmin's passion for empowering athletes and coaches around the world with world-class training tools, performance metrics and actionable insights. The addition of these highly successful platforms to the Garmin ecosystem will expand access to more authentic coaching experiences, connecting athletes with professional coaches who guide, motivate and inspire them to reach their goals."

Andy Stephens, CEO of Peaksware Holdings, emphasized the shared mission:

"We're thrilled to join forces with Garmin to advance our shared mission of empowering coaches and athletes with science-based training. For over a decade, we've worked together to democratize coaching and performance insights, helping millions of athletes reach their peak through data-driven, structured training."

That "over a decade" line is key. TrainingPeaks and Garmin have had a deep API integration for years. Garmin Connect data already flows directly into TrainingPeaks, and structured workouts created in TrainingPeaks can already be pushed to compatible Garmin watches. This acquisition tightens that bond considerably.

Why This Matters for Garmin Watch Owners

This is the part that should get the attention of anyone wearing a Forerunner, Fenix, Epix, or any other Garmin fitness watch.

1. Deeper Hardware-Software Integration

Garmin has always been strong on the hardware side: industry-leading GPS accuracy, battery life, and sensor quality. But their software experience has been the perennial weak spot. Garmin Connect is functional but clunky. The coaching features built into Garmin Connect (Garmin Coach) are decent but limited compared to what TrainingPeaks offers.

By bringing TrainingPeaks in-house, Garmin now owns the full pipeline: from coach-programmed workout to delivery to your wrist to execution tracking to post-workout analysis. Expect tighter integration, faster sync, and features that were previously only possible through third-party APIs.

2. A Real Coaching Ecosystem

This isn't just about app features. TrainingPeaks connects real human coaches with real athletes. Garmin is now in the coaching marketplace business, not just selling you a watch, but selling you (or facilitating) the coaching relationship that helps you use it.

That's a significant business model shift. It puts Garmin in competition with platforms like Wahoo's SYSTM, Zwift's training plans, and even Apple Fitness+ in a broader sense.

3. Strength Training Gets a Seat at the Table

The TrainHeroic acquisition is the sleeper story here. Garmin has historically been dominant in endurance sports (running, cycling, triathlon, hiking) but has been less compelling for dedicated strength athletes. TrainHeroic immediately gives Garmin credibility in the CrossFit, powerlifting, and tactical fitness worlds.

Expect future Garmin watches (or software updates to current ones) to feature more robust strength training tracking, PR logging, and programming tools, potentially integrated directly into the watch experience.

4. The Subscription Question

TrainingPeaks Premium currently costs $19.95/month or $119.95/year. TrainHeroic pricing varies by program and coach. Garmin already has its own subscription tier, Garmin Connect+ at $4.99/month, which unlocks advanced features.

The big question: will Garmin bundle TrainingPeaks/TrainHeroic into an expanded subscription tier? Will Garmin watch owners get a discount? Could a future Garmin watch purchase include a year of TrainingPeaks Premium?

Nothing has been announced on this front, but it's one of the most interesting things to watch for in the coming months.

What This Means for Competitors

This acquisition sends a clear signal to the rest of the wearable industry: Garmin is betting on the coaching ecosystem, not just the hardware.

Apple has Apple Fitness+ but no real coaching platform for serious athletes
Samsung offers iFIT trials with the new Galaxy Watch 9 but no deep coaching integration
COROS has its own Training Hub but at a much smaller scale
Polar has coaching features in Polar Flow but nothing at TrainingPeaks' level
Suunto has partnered with various coaching apps but owns none of them

Garmin just bought the category leader. That's a moat.

What We Don't Know Yet

Financial terms: Garmin isn't disclosing the purchase price
Platform independence: will TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic still support non-Garmin devices? (Almost certainly yes, at least short term. Alienating Wahoo, Polar, and Apple Watch users would destroy the platforms' value)
Rebranding: will they become "Garmin TrainingPeaks" or stay independent?
Impact on Garmin Coach: will the built-in Garmin Coach feature eventually be replaced or merged with TrainingPeaks?
New watch features: will we see TrainingPeaks workout delivery get tighter on Garmin watches in a near-term software update?

Our Take

This is a smart, aggressive move by Garmin. The company has dominated the serious-athlete wearable market for years, but the gap between "great hardware" and "great software experience" has been closing as Apple, Samsung, and COROS catch up on sensors and GPS quality.

By acquiring the two leading coaching platforms, Garmin isn't just defending its position. It's redefining what "the Garmin ecosystem" means. It's no longer just a watch and an app. It's a watch, an app, a coaching marketplace, a training plan library, and a strength programming platform, all under one roof.

For Garmin watch owners, this is almost certainly good news. For coaches who use TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic, the immediate reaction should be cautious optimism. The integration potential is enormous, but platform independence is what makes these tools valuable.

And for the competition? They just got served notice that the coaching wars are now part of the watch wars.

Hoping Your Next Smartwatch Will Have a Replaceable Battery? The EU Says No.

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

If you were holding out hope that new EU regulations would force smartwatch makers to build watches with batteries you can swap yourself, the European Commission has some bad news.

They just exempted wearables entirely.

The Quick Version

Back in 2023, the EU passed a Battery Regulation that requires portable devices to have user-replaceable batteries starting February 18, 2027. The idea was simple: you should be able to pop out a dead battery and put in a fresh one without specialized tools or a trip to a repair shop.

It was a big deal for right-to-repair advocates. Phones and tablets were the main target, but the original language was broad enough that smartwatches and fitness trackers would have been caught in the net too.

Now they won't be.

What Actually Changed

On July 14, 2026, the European Commission adopted a delegated act that adds six new product categories to the exemption list. Wearable devices are the headline grabber. The full list includes smartwatches, fitness trackers, electric toys, certain medical devices, portable thermometers, roof-mounted telematics, and equipment designed for explosive atmospheres.

Translation: your Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Garmin Fenix, and Whoop band will keep shipping with sealed batteries. Nothing changes for the wearable category.

The rule still applies to phones and tablets. Those still need replaceable batteries by 2027.

Why the EU Backed Off

The Commission hasn't said much publicly about the reasoning, but the writing has been on the wall for a while.

Tech companies argued that the design constraints of wearables make user-replaceable batteries impractical. Smartwatches are tiny. They need to be waterproof. They need to survive drops, sweat, showers, and the occasional swim. Every millimeter of internal space matters, and adding a removable battery door or latch mechanism eats into the space available for the battery itself.

There's also the structural integrity argument. A watch with a removable back is inherently less rigid than a solid chunk of glass and metal glued together. For a device strapped to your wrist during trail runs and weightlifting sessions, that matters.

The Ecodesign framework already had a carve-out that let devices skip the removability requirement if they met specific battery longevity and waterproofing standards. The new delegated act essentially extends similar logic to wearables.

Why Right-to-Repair Advocates Are Frustrated

This one cuts both ways.

The argument for replaceable batteries is straightforward. Battery degradation is the number one reason people replace otherwise-fine devices. A lithium-ion cell typically loses 20% of its capacity after 500 full charge cycles, which for a daily-charged smartwatch is somewhere around 18 months. After two or three years, your watch that used to last all day might barely make it to dinner.

If you could swap in a fresh battery for $30, you'd get another two or three years out of the same watch. Instead, you're looking at a $300+ replacement or a manufacturer repair that costs almost as much as a new device.

Right-to-repair groups see the exemption as the EU backing down under pressure from US tech companies. And they're not wrong to be skeptical. Apple, Samsung, and Google all lobbied hard for this outcome.

Why It Might Not Be Pure Corporate Greed

But there's a legitimate engineering challenge here that's worth acknowledging.

Smartwatches are fundamentally different from phones. A phone has room for a battery compartment, a removable door, and the necessary seals. A watch does not. The entire interior of a modern smartwatch is packed. Display, sensors, Taptic Engine or haptic motor, the system-in-package, antennas, and a battery that's custom-shaped to fill whatever space is left.

Making that battery user-replaceable would mean either making the watch bigger, reducing battery capacity, or compromising on waterproofing. Pick one.

For Garmin and COROS users who take their watches into open water and mountain storms, waterproofing isn't optional. For Apple Watch Ultra owners, the 100-meter water resistance is a selling point. You don't get there with a removable battery door.

What This Means If You're Buying a Watch

For now, nothing changes. The status quo holds.

When you buy a smartwatch or fitness tracker in the EU (or anywhere else, since manufacturers tend to build one global version), expect a sealed battery. Plan for the reality that battery degradation will eventually push you toward an upgrade, typically within two to three years for daily wear.

A few practical takeaways:

Battery health matters more than ever. Garmin and Apple both let you check battery health in their companion apps. Keep an eye on it.
Trade-in programs are your friend. Apple, Samsung, and Garmin all offer trade-in credits. An Apple Watch with a degraded battery still has trade-in value.
Don't overcharge. Lithium-ion batteries degrade faster when held at 100% for long periods. If you charge overnight every night, you'll wear the battery out faster than someone who tops off as needed.
Consider battery replacement services. Apple charges $89 for Apple Watch battery service. Garmin offers replacement on many models. It's cheaper than a new watch if your hardware is otherwise fine.

Is This Final?

Almost. The delegated act still faces a scrutiny period where the European Parliament and Council can object. In practice, these objections are rare, and the exemption is expected to stand.

If anything changes, it won't be because the engineering got easier. It'll be because the political winds shifted. The tension between repairability and miniaturization isn't going away, and wearables sit right at the center of it.

The Bottom Line

The EU waved the white flag on replaceable smartwatch batteries, and honestly, it was probably inevitable. The engineering trade-offs are real, and the wearable form factor doesn't leave room for compromise.

But it's worth being honest about what we lost. Sealed batteries mean shorter device lifespans, more electronic waste, and fewer options when your watch starts dying at 4pm instead of midnight. The EU can call it a practical exemption. Critics will call it planned obsolescence with a regulatory stamp of approval.

Either way, your next smartwatch will still need a professional (or a very steady hand and a heat gun) to get a fresh battery inside.

Garmin CIRQA Smart Band: No Screen, No Subscription, No GPS

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:15:00 GMT

Garmin has quietly launched the CIRQA Smart Band, a screenless health and fitness tracker that takes dead aim at Whoop and the Oura Ring. At $199.99, it's a one-time purchase with no subscription required, which immediately sets it apart in a category that has increasingly locked features behind monthly paywalls.

But before you ditch your smartwatch, there's a significant catch: no GPS. The CIRQA is built for 24/7 health monitoring, not workout tracking. It's a companion device, not a watch replacement.

What the Experts Are Saying

Early hands-on coverage is already out. Here's what the top reviewers found:

DC Rainmaker published a deep-dive covering 39 things to know about the Garmin Cirqa, walking through the sensor suite, how it compares to Whoop, and where it fits in Garmin's broader lineup. He digs into the no-subscription angle and what it means for the screenless tracker category.

DesFit got his hands on the CIRQA for a first look, covering the design, comfort, and how it feels to wear a screenless band day to day. His early impressions focus on who this device actually makes sense for and whether Garmin can pull off the screenless form factor as well as they do traditional watches.

What the CIRQA Actually Does

The pitch is simple: "Track all day. Look later." The CIRQA wraps around your wrist and quietly collects health data (heart rate, sleep, recovery metrics, activity levels) and syncs everything to the Garmin Connect app, where you review it later. There's no display to distract you, no notifications to check, no screen to light up during a meeting.

This is Garmin's first true entry into the screenless tracker space, and it leans hard into the company's biggest advantage: Garmin Connect. Unlike Whoop, which requires a monthly subscription to access your own data, Garmin's ecosystem is free. You buy the band, you get the app, you're done.

The Price Problem

At $199.99, the CIRQA sits in an awkward middle ground. Consider the competition:

Whoop 5.0: Hardware is cheap or free, but the subscription runs $30/month ($360/year). Over two years, you're paying $720+ for the privilege of seeing your data.
Oura Ring 4: $299 to $549 hardware plus a $5.99/month subscription for full features.
Fitbit Air: Google's new $99 budget tracker, though it pushes you toward Fitbit Premium for advanced metrics.

The CIRQA's value proposition is clear: one payment, full access, no recurring fees. Over a two-year period, that makes it dramatically cheaper than Whoop and meaningfully cheaper than Oura. The premium over Fitbit Air buys you Garmin's deeper health analytics ecosystem and, presumably, better build quality.

The Pros

No subscription. In a wearables market drowning in monthly fees, this is genuinely refreshing. Your data is yours, included with purchase.
Garmin Connect ecosystem. This is the real differentiator. Garmin's health analytics platform is mature, detailed, and free. Sleep scores, recovery insights, training readiness. All the metrics Whoop and Oura charge for, without the paywall.
Zero distraction. No screen means no notifications, no doomscrolling on your wrist, no urge to check your step count mid-conversation. It's a pure data collector.
Always-on tracking. A screenless form factor means better battery life and fewer reasons to take it off. Set it and forget it.
Garmin build quality and support. Garmin has a track record of supporting devices for years and maintaining a stable, reliable app experience.

The Cons

No GPS. This is the big one. The CIRQA can't track outdoor runs, rides, or walks with location data. If you want pace, distance, and route mapping, you'll still need a smartwatch or your phone. This alone makes it a supplement to your watch, not a replacement.
No screen means no real-time feedback. During a workout, you can't glance at your wrist to check your heart rate zone, pace, or duration. You find out how you did after the fact. For data nerds that's fine; for people who like real-time feedback, it's a dealbreaker.
$199.99 isn't cheap. It's $100 more than the Fitbit Air and only saves money versus Whoop over the long haul. If you're unsure whether a screenless tracker fits your lifestyle, the entry price feels steep.
Redundant for Garmin watch owners. If you already wear a Venu 3, Forerunner, Fenix, or any other modern Garmin watch, you already have 24/7 health tracking built in. The CIRQA's data collection overlaps almost entirely with what your watch already does. Adding a band to the other wrist just to get the same metrics in a screenless form factor is a hard sell.
Unknown battery life and full specs. Garmin's product page is light on details that would help buyers compare. We'll need hands-on time to evaluate real-world battery performance and sensor accuracy.

Who Is the CIRQA For?

The CIRQA makes the most sense for a specific user: someone who wants continuous health and recovery tracking without wearing a bulky smartwatch, and who is tired of paying monthly fees for their own biometric data.

Think of it as Garmin's answer to: "I want Whoop's insights but I don't want to pay forever, and I trust Garmin's health platform more." That's a real audience, particularly among people who find smartwatches too big, too distracting, or too redundant with their phones.

But if you already own and love a Garmin watch, the CIRQA is a hard sell. It duplicates what your watch already does, minus the GPS and screen. The ideal customer is someone whose primary device is a traditional watch or nothing at all, someone who wants the health data layer without changing what's on their wrist.

The Bottom Line

Garmin's CIRQA Smart Band is a confident entry into the screenless tracker market with a genuinely compelling angle: no subscription, full Garmin Connect analytics, set-it-and-forget-it simplicity. But the lack of GPS limits it to health and recovery tracking, not workout tracking. At $199.99, it's more expensive than budget alternatives and only cost-competitive with Whoop over time.

It's not a watch replacement. It's a health data layer, and a good one if that's what you're looking for. Just know what you're (not) getting: no screen, no GPS, no real-time feedback. The CIRQA collects. You review. That's the deal.

Price: $199.99 | Available: Garmin.com | Subscription: None required

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 & Ultra 2: AI Health First, Design Stays Put

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 22:15:00 GMT

The Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are less than a week away, and Samsung has quietly signaled what matters most here.

It's not what you see on the outside. It's what happens on the inside.

Samsung's own messaging ahead of Galaxy Unpacked on July 22 in London makes this clear. The headline isn't a redesigned case or a new screen technology. The headline is "A New AI-Powered Health Companion on Your Wrist," and Samsung is positioning the Galaxy Watch as the health-first gateway for personalized AI across its entire ecosystem.

In other words: Samsung is betting that what matters most isn't how your watch looks, but what your watch knows about you.

The Design: Familiar, And That Is Fine

Leaked renders from Evan Blass — the leaker who basically never misses — tell the story clearly enough. The Galaxy Watch 9 looks like the Watch 8. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 looks like the Ultra, with that numbered bezel that made last year's model such a departure from Samsung's usual aesthetic.

The only visible changes are subtle refinements: slightly thinner bezels, a slightly refined chassis, and the same commitment to materials that have worked well. This isn't a design overhaul. It's a design polish.

And honestly? That's the right call.

Samsung nailed the hardware on the previous generation. The Ultra particularly found a balance between rugged capability and everyday wearability that few manufacturers have managed. Incremental refinements make more sense than throwing away what already works.

The real innovation is happening where you can't see it.

Under the Hood: Snapdragon Wear Elite

Here's where things get interesting. The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are expected to debut on Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite — the first serious swing at a wearable chip in years.

Built on a 3nm process, the Wear Elite pairs a single high-performance core with four efficiency cores and a dedicated NPU. Samsung's own numbers show 5x faster CPU performance and 7x faster GPU performance compared to the outgoing Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2.

To put that in perspective: this is a generational gap, not a marginal gain. App launches, health data processing, even basic UI navigation — all of it should feel genuinely new.

But the real story is that NPU. Neural Processing Units are the workhorses of AI, and a dedicated NPU on a smartwatch changes what's possible. It means on-device AI processing without draining the battery or requiring cloud connectivity. It means your watch can actually think, not just relay information to your phone.

AI Health: What Samsung Is Teasing

Samsung has been tight-lipped about specifics, but the messaging is clear: the Galaxy Watch is becoming an AI-powered health companion.

What does that actually mean? Based on Samsung's broader AI strategy and leaks, here's what we're likely looking at:

Personalized health insights: Instead of just presenting data — heart rate zones, sleep stages, VO2 max — your watch might start interpreting that data in context. It could tell you that your recovery score is lower than usual because your sleep quality dipped three nights ago, and suggest a lighter training day.

Predictive health alerts: With on-device AI, your watch could learn your baseline and flag deviations before they become problems. An irregular heart rhythm that appears only after intense exercise, or a resting heart rate that creeps up gradually over weeks — patterns that a human might miss, AI can catch.

Coaching that adapts: Samsung's health coaching has been decent but generic. AI could make it genuinely personal — adjusting workout recommendations based on how your body actually responds, not just what a training plan says you should do.

Voice-first health interactions: This is speculative, but with Samsung's push toward AI assistants and the Always On Display, it's not hard to imagine asking your watch for health updates without touching the screen. "How did I sleep?" or "What's my recovery score today?" — answered instantly with data synthesized, not just displayed.

The Bigger Picture: Samsung vs. Apple

Make no mistake: this is a direct answer to Apple's AI health push.

Apple has been quietly building Apple Intelligence into watchOS 27, bringing conversational Siri and on-device processing to Apple Watch for the first time. Samsung's announcement here is not accidental timing. It is a competitive move.

The difference might come down to philosophy. Apple tends to implement AI as an assistant that helps you do things — send messages, set reminders, navigate. Samsung's messaging suggests AI as a coach that understands you — interpreting your health data and providing guidance.

Which approach lands better with users remains to be seen. But the competition is heating up, and that's good for everyone.

What We're Still Waiting For

We'll know the full story on July 22. Here's what we're still waiting to hear:

Battery life implications: All that AI processing needs power. If the Snapdragon Wear Elite is as efficient as advertised, this could be a non-issue. But we will need real-world testing.
Specific health features: Samsung has teased the concept, not the features. Which sensors get AI smarts? Is it just heart rate and sleep, or does it extend to ECG, blood oxygen, and stress tracking?
Privacy details: On-device processing suggests good privacy, but Samsung needs to be explicit about what stays on the watch and what heads to the cloud.
Pricing and availability: The Watch 9 and Ultra 2 will likely carry premium pricing. The question is whether the AI health features justify the cost for existing Galaxy Watch owners.

The Bottom Line

The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 won't win anyone over with bold new looks. That's not the point.

They're designed to win with substance — AI-powered health features that genuinely understand your body, backed by hardware that can handle the workload without choking on battery life.

If Samsung delivers on the promise, this could be the moment Galaxy Watch stops playing catch-up and starts setting the agenda.

We will know for sure next week in London.

Ok, Garmin: Hands-Free Voice Control Finally Rolls Out to Your Watch

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:15:00 GMT

Garmin has quietly delivered the feature many owners have been waiting for: hands-free voice control. The company's latest beta updates, version 23.11 for the Fenix 8 family and 18.12 for the Forerunner lineup — introduce the "Ok, Garmin" wake word, letting you trigger voice commands without pressing a single button.

It's a small phrase with big implications. Until now, Garmin's voice features required a button press to activate. With this update, your watch is always listening for the wake word, much like "Hey Siri" on Apple Watch or "Alexa" on Amazon devices. Say "Ok, Garmin" and you can start a workout, ask for weather, set a timer, or navigate — all without breaking stride.

Which Watches Are Getting It?

The wake word requires a built-in microphone, which narrows the list considerably. Here's every watch receiving the feature in this beta cycle:

Beta Version 23.11 (released July 1, 2026):

Garmin Fenix 8
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro
Garmin Fenix E
Garmin Enduro 3
Garmin Tactix 8
Garmin Quatix 8

Beta Version 18.12 (released July 1, 2026):

Garmin Forerunner 970
Garmin Forerunner 570
Garmin Venu 4
Garmin Venu X1
Garmin Vivoactive 6

That's a broad swath of Garmin's current lineup. If your watch has a mic, there's a good chance it's on the list.

More Than Just Voice Control

The "Ok, Garmin" wake word headlines the update, but there's a surprising amount of depth here. Garmin packed in new training features, navigation improvements, and a long list of stability fixes.

New Training Features

Quick workout suggestions for running — your watch will proactively suggest a short workout when it detects you're ready to train
Indoor cross-country skiing activity — a new sport profile for tracking indoor ski sessions
Smarter workout banners — tap or swipe to dismiss upcoming and completed workout step notifications instead of waiting for them to timeout
Fixed multisport workout launches — suggested multisport workouts that were failing to start now work correctly
HIIT lap shortcut restored — the onscreen lap shortcut that disappeared from HIIT workouts is back

Navigation and Maps

Touch toggling between North Up and Track Up — switch your map orientation with a tap instead of digging through menus
Fixed map scale display — the scale was getting cut off in split-screen view
Improved position arrow on round watches — the navigation arrow is back where it belongs (between data fields), giving you more visible map ahead

Daily Use Improvements

Disable sleep suggestions — you can now turn off sleep prompts in your evening report
More frequent weather updates — the watch refreshes your location data more often for accurate weather
Volume context — the volume control menu now shows more detail about current audio levels
Smarter post-swim HR sync — the watch only tries to download heart rate data from a chest strap after swimming if one was actually connected

Specialized Features

Dive settings sharing — divers can now share dive computer configurations via Garmin Share
Applied Ballistics supports Xero — compatibility with Garmin Xero rangefinders and sensors for ballistics calculations
Longer course point names — increased maximum character limit for naming waypoints

Stability Fixes That Actually Matter

The bug fixes in this update address some genuinely frustrating issues. Several of them caused the watch to restart unexpectedly — the kind of problem that kills confidence in a device you rely on during training.

Garmin resolved random restarts that occurred during:

Powering down the device
Using the Saved app
Strength training free workouts
Installing audio prompt software alongside the main firmware simultaneously
Golf activities (Forerunner 570/970 specifically)

The update also fixes a treadmill calibration bug that was preventing calibration from improving distance accuracy — a quiet but meaningful fix for anyone who runs indoors.

Do Not Disturb mode now properly honors your tone and vibration settings, and the water eject feature no longer messes up your volume level when it finishes.

Already a Follow-Up Update

Less than 48 hours after releasing beta 23.11, Garmin pushed out beta 23.12 for the Fenix 8 family. Back-to-back releases this quickly are unusual, suggesting Garmin either found something that needed immediate attention or is rapidly iterating toward a stable release.

Forerunner and Venu owners on 18.12 haven't received a follow-up yet, but expect one soon if the Fenix 8's quick turnaround is any indication.

How to Get It Now

These updates are currently in beta, meaning they won't download automatically. If you want to try them today:

Go to connect.garmin.com in your browser
Click the watch icon in the top right
Select your watch from the device list
Click "Join Beta Software Program"
Accept the terms
On your watch, go to Settings > System > Software Update > Check for Updates

A word of caution: beta software can be unstable. If you depend on your watch for a race or key workout this week, you might want to wait for the stable release. Garmin typically moves beta features to the stable channel within a few weeks.

The Bigger Picture

Voice control on a sports watch might sound gimmicky, but it solves a real problem. Anyone who's tried to start a workout with cold hands, sweaty fingers, or while wearing gloves knows that touchscreens and buttons aren't always cooperative. "Ok, Garmin" removes that friction entirely.

The feature also positions Garmin more competitively against Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch, both of which have had hands-free voice activation for years. Garmin's advantage is that it works within the sports-first ecosystem — you're not just asking about the weather, you're controlling your training.

Combined with the pile of stability fixes and quality-of-life improvements, this is one of the more meaningful Garmin updates of the year. If you own one of the supported watches, it's worth joining the beta.

Google Pixel Watch 5: August Launch, FCC Leaks, and Satellite SOS Explained

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:55:00 GMT

The Google Pixel Watch 5 is one step closer to launch. Four model numbers cleared the FCC on June 29, 2026, confirming key details about Google's next-generation smartwatch. Here's a roundup of everything confirmed - and what the rumors are suggesting - ahead of the expected August announcement.

Four Models, All With LTE

The FCC filings reveal four Google devices identified by model numbers G0F3Y, G25QD, G1XJ6, and GFW3R. Based on the filings and India's BIS certification (which appeared in early June), these correspond to the expected 41mm and 45mm sizes, each in a Wi-Fi-only and LTE variant.

Here's the notable part: every single model in the filing includes an LTE modem. Historically, Google has offered a cheaper Wi-Fi-only variant alongside the cellular version. If the FCC listing represents the full lineup, Google may be changing that strategy - either dropping the Wi-Fi option entirely, or disabling LTE via software on a lower tier to create a second product tier.

Connectivity: Satellite SOS, UWB, Wi-Fi 6

The FCC documents give us a clear picture of what's under the hood. All four models share the same connectivity suite:

LTE 4G (no 5G - consistent with the current generation)
Wi-Fi 6 across both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
Bluetooth and NFC
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) - used for precise spatial awareness and car/digital key unlocking
Satellite SOS via NTN bands 23 and 255 - the same satellite emergency calling capability that debuted on the Pixel Watch 4

The filings also reference metal and non-metal watch straps, consistent with how previous Pixel Watch models were tested at the FCC.

The Design: No Change - At Least on the Outside

The most concrete visual confirmation of the Pixel Watch 5's design comes from an unexpected source: the seabed. In late May, Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford posted photos to X of a Google smartwatch his friend found while scuba diving near St. Martin in the Caribbean. The watch's back plate clearly reads "Google" and "Pixel Watch 5," along with sensor labels for SpO2, EDA, skin temperature, heart rate, and UWB.

Despite being submerged long enough to drain the main battery, the watch still had enough reserve power to display the correct time - and the IP68 water resistance rating proved itself in the most literal way possible.

The design itself appears virtually identical to the Pixel Watch 4, which launched in October 2025 with a major redesign over its predecessors. That means the signature domed glass front, centered crown, and pill-shaped button layout carry over unchanged.

A Custom Tensor Chip - The Biggest Unknown

Perhaps the most significant rumored change for the Pixel Watch 5 is what's inside. Multiple reports point to Google finally using a custom Tensor silicon designed specifically for the smartwatch - rather than the Samsung-derived Exynos W9 series that has powered every Pixel Watch to date.

This would be a meaningful shift. The Exynos W9 chips in the Pixel Watch 3 and 4 were competent but not class-leading, particularly when it came to on-device AI and fitness processing. A purpose-built Tensor chip could bring meaningful improvements in areas like:

On-device Gemini AI integration - Google's AI assistant running locally rather than relying on cloud processing
Health algorithm speed and accuracy - faster processing of heart rate, sleep, and stress data
Battery efficiency - a chip optimized for a smartwatch form factor, rather than adapted from a phone design

That said, Google's track record with first-generation silicon is... mixed. The Pixel 6's Tensor chip had heating issues that took a couple of generations to sort out. Whether the PW5 Tensor chip faces similar growing pains remains to be seen.

Gemini AI: The Likely Selling Point

If the hardware is largely carryover, AI is almost certainly where Google is pushing the Pixel Watch 5 forward. Gemini integration has been expanding rapidly across Google's ecosystem - Chromebooks, Android tablets, and the rumored Googlebook laptops - and the smartwatch is the natural next step.

Expect enhanced AI-powered features in Fitbit, more contextual notifications, and possibly on-device voice processing that doesn't require a phone connection. Given that all four models include LTE, it's plausible Google positions some AI features as requiring a data connection rather than Wi-Fi.

Display and Battery: No Major Rumors Yet

Neither the FCC filings nor the ocean prototype give us hard details on display size or battery capacity. The PW4 maxed out at a 1.4-inch AMOLED, and there are no credible rumors of a display upgrade - though if Google keeps the same panel specs, the 2,000-nit brightness and LTPO dynamic refresh from the PW4 would still be competitive.

Battery life is similarly quiet on the rumor front. The PW4 delivered roughly 24 hours with AOD enabled - par for the course in the Wear OS world, but well behind Garmin's multi-day endurance leaders.

Pricing: No Data Yet

Google held pricing steady on the Pixel Watch 4 at $349/$399 for Wi-Fi and $449/$499 for LTE. Given that the tariff situation has stabilized somewhat and Google's hardware margins tend to be thin, expect the PW5 to land in a similar range - though a modest bump wouldn't be surprising if the Tensor chip drives up component costs.

When to Expect It

Every Pixel Watch has followed the same cadence: announcement at the Made by Google event in August, availability in October. The Pixel Watch 5 is expected to follow that pattern exactly, with an announcement likely scheduled alongside the Pixel 11 smartphone series.

That puts a likely announcement window in August 2026, with shipping following in October 2026.

The Competitive Backdrop

The Pixel Watch 5 enters a market that's been active:

Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 just surfaced with record-breaking brightness, outpacing even Garmin's flagship rugged watches
Garmin continues to dominate the endurance athlete segment and recently expanded its map display to more affordable watch tiers
Apple Watch Series 11 remains the overall sales leader, though the next major redesign isn't expected until 2027

Google's advantage has always been the tight Fitbit integration and the clean Android/Wear OS experience. If the custom Tensor chip delivers meaningful fitness-tracking improvements - particularly GPS accuracy and heart rate reliability - the Pixel Watch 5 could close the gap with Garmin in a way previous models haven't.

What We Still Don't Know

A few things the FCC filings and leaks haven't answered yet:

Battery life - any improvements over the PW4's 24-hour claim?
GPS upgrades - dual-band L1/L5 or still single-band?
Display - same brightness and size, or any meaningful change?
Heart rate sensor - new array or carryover from PW4?
Fitbit Premium requirements - which features remain paywalled?

We'll know more as August approaches. For now, the Pixel Watch 5 is confirmed to exist, actively moving through regulatory channels, and coming sooner than later.

Apple Watch Series 12: Everything We Know About the 2026 Model

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Apple just made it official: watchOS 27 is coming this fall, and with it, Siri with Apple Intelligence lands on Apple Watch for the very first time. That alone is a big deal if you've been waiting for your wrist to get the same AI smarts as your iPhone. But the software announcement is just one piece of a larger puzzle. The hardware is still a mystery in several key areas, and if you're deciding whether to buy an Apple Watch right now or hold out for the Series 12, the picture matters.

Let's dig into what is confirmed, what is rumored, and what it all means for your next or first Apple Watch.

What's Actually Confirmed

WWDC 2026 took place on June 8, and alongside iOS 27, macOS 27, and the rest of the software lineup, Apple unveiled watchOS 27 with a headline feature that Apple Watch users have been waiting years to hear: Apple Intelligence-powered Siri.

Until now, the version of Siri on Apple Watch could not tap into the broader Apple Intelligence stack. That changes with watchOS 27. The new Siri can handle more complex, contextual requests. Think asking follow-up questions without repeating context, or getting proactive suggestions based on what is on your screen. It is the upgrade that makes the Watch feel less like a notification mirror for your iPhone and more like a genuinely smart companion on your wrist.

The catch? It requires hardware. Apple confirmed that Apple Intelligence Siri on watchOS 27 will only work on Series 9 or later, Ultra 2 or later, and the third-generation SE. If you are still wearing a Series 8, Series 7, Series 6, the original Ultra, or the second-gen SE, you are getting cut off when the update drops this fall.

That is a significant cutoff. Apple later explained the reasoning: the S9 and S10 chips have the Neural Engine capacity and memory bandwidth that Apple Intelligence requires, and older models just do not have the headroom. It is the same wall that forced Apple to draw a line with iOS AI features on older iPhones. Fair or not, it means millions of Apple Watch owners will be watching their watches fall behind this year.

Also confirmed at WWDC: a September 2026 launch for new Apple Watch hardware. Apple has been remarkably consistent since 2016. Every Series model has landed in September, almost always in the first or second week. Based on that pattern, the smart money is on September 8 to 9 or September 15 for the Series 12 unveiling, likely at the same event as the iPhone 18 lineup.

The Rumors: What's Likely, What's a Long Shot

Here is where things get interesting and a little frustrating if you have been hoping for a dramatic overhaul.

The chip almost certainly gets an upgrade. Series 11 came with the S10 SiP, which was the same chip inside Series 10, a rare move that left many users underwhelmed. Ultra 3 followed suit, reusing the prior year's silicon. Apple is not likely to repeat that pattern two years running. Expect a new chip in the Series 12, most likely branded the S12. Whether it is a meaningful performance jump or another modest step forward like the S7-to-S8 jump is less clear. Apple Watch chips have increasingly prioritized efficiency over raw speed, and for a device that needs to last 18 hours, that is understandable.

The design is not changing in 2026. There were rumblings earlier in 2025 that Apple might use the 10-year anniversary of the original Apple Watch as a catalyst for a redesign, something like an "Apple Watch X" moment. But well-known leaker Instant Digital on Weibo shut that down with a direct post saying Series 12 and Series 13 both keep the current design, with the major overhaul pushed to 2028. No new CAD drawings, no leaked schematics, no supply chain whispers of new tooling. If a redesign is coming, it is not this year. What you see in the Series 11 is what you are getting.

Touch ID under the display has been rumored for years, and this year it got a little more fuel. Internal developer code references to "AppleMesa," a codename Apple has historically used for Touch ID development, surfaced in Apple's own beta code for the next Watch OS. That does not guarantee it ships, but it is the strongest signal yet that Apple is at least prototyping it. If it does arrive, you would likely see it embedded under the display rather than as a physical button. The use cases are obvious: Apple Pay authentication without a PIN, unlocking your Watch after taking it off, securing health data from snooping eyes. It is a natural fit, and the fact that it is showing up in code now makes it a real possibility for this generation.

Blood glucose monitoring is still not ready. Non-invasive blood glucose sensing has been Apple's white whale for nearly a decade. Tim Cook was reportedly fascinated by it even before he took the reins. Apple reached proof-of-concept stage a few years back, meaning the technology works in controlled conditions. Shipping it in a consumer device that is accurate enough to be medically useful is a different beast entirely. Do not expect it in the Series 12. Every year this rumor resurfaces, and every year it does not ship. 2026 looks like more of the same.

microLED is also on hold. Apple has been slowly moving away from OLED in other product lines, and there has been speculation that the Apple Watch would be the first to get a microLED upgrade, brighter, more efficient, better color. Samsung showed off a 4,000-nit smart watch concept at CES 2025 that hinted at where the market is heading. But supply chain readiness and manufacturing costs mean 2026 is unlikely to be the year. The current OLED panels, topped out at 2,000 nits on standard models and 3,000 on Ultra, will carry through another cycle.

watchOS 27: Why the AI Angle Matters

If there is one reason to pay attention to this release cycle, it is Apple Intelligence on the Watch.

Siri on Apple Watch has always felt like a simplified version of its iPhone counterpart, useful for setting timers and sending messages but limited in ways that felt arbitrary. With watchOS 27 and the S9/S10 chip requirement, Apple is finally closing that gap.

The practical upside is considerable. You will be able to ask Siri more complex follow-up questions without re-explaining context. If you are mid-workout, you can ask it to log your hydration without switching apps. On a run, you can ask it to pull up your last split times without digging through menus. It is the kind of thing that sounds small until you use it and realize how much friction it removes.

The downside is the exclusivity. By tying Apple Intelligence to S9 or newer hardware, Apple has effectively created a two-tier Apple Watch ecosystem starting this fall. Series 8 and earlier owners are frozen out, and they will not just miss out on AI features. They will be on the outside of the software support window going forward since watchOS 27 is the last update their watches will ever see.

That is a powerful incentive to upgrade if you have been on the fence. It is also, fairly or not, a reminder that wearables have a software shelf life in a way that other Apple products do not always make you feel.

Should You Wait for the Series 12?

Here is the honest answer: if you do not need a new Watch right now, wait until September.

The software and hardware picture is coming together, and even if the Series 12 is not a radical redesign, the combination of a new chip, Apple Intelligence Siri, and the likely price positioning makes it a more compelling purchase than paying full price for a Series 11 today. Apple has already raised prices on iPads, Macs, and other products citing memory costs, and a modest price bump on the Apple Watch would not be surprising.

That said, "wait" does not mean "do not buy at all." If your current Watch is barely holding on, failing battery, sluggish performance, a cracked screen, then a Series 11 or even a discounted Series 9 makes complete sense. The base hardware is excellent, and you will get at least a couple more years of watchOS updates. Waiting for the Series 12 only makes sense if you can stomach a few more months.

One more thing worth considering: if Apple Intelligence is the feature you care about, you do not need to wait for Series 12 hardware. Any Series 9, Ultra 2, or SE 3 will run watchOS 27 and get the full Siri AI experience when it drops this fall. So if you are upgrading from an older model primarily for the AI features, you might not need to wait at all. You just need to buy one of the current-generation models before September.

The Bottom Line

Apple Watch Series 12 is almost certainly arriving in September 2026, probably around the 8th to 9th based on a decade of consistent launch patterns. The design will not change, the chip will likely get a genuine bump, and watchOS 27 will bring Apple Intelligence Siri to the platform for the first time, but only if you are on Series 9 or newer.

Touch ID, blood glucose, and microLED remain tantalizingly out of reach. They are not coming this year, but the Touch ID rumors have more credibility than usual, so it is worth watching that one closely.

If you are buying now, do yourself a favor and do not pay full MSRP for a Series 11 if you can hold out a few more months. The Series 12 is close enough that waiting is almost certainly the smarter move. Unless your current watch is actively dying, in which case the Series 11 is still a great device and you should not feel bad about getting it.

We will know everything for certain in September. For now, start freeing up that wrist space.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Is the Classic Reborn, and That's a Good Thing

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

The bezel is back. Not the rotating one. That particular piece of engineering magic is gone for good. But the numbered, ridged bezel that defined the Galaxy Watch Classic for seven years? That is living on inside Samsung's most powerful wearable yet: the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

And honestly? Samsung should have done this years ago.

The Classic Is Dead. Long Live the Ultra.

Samsung confirmed it this week, and if you are a Classic fan, it stings: the Galaxy Watch Classic line is effectively finished. No successor. No Classic 2. Just gone.

But here is the thing. Samsung did not abandon the Classic's DNA. They merged it with the Ultra.

Evan Blass, the leaker who basically never misses, dropped official press renders on June 25, and they tell the story clearly enough. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 takes the Ultra's rugged titanium chassis and grafts onto it the Classic's most beloved design element: a numbered bezel running 1 through 12, like a proper dive watch. The result is squircle, almost boxy in profile, and it looks like Samsung finally stopped being shy about what a premium sports watch should look like.

An orange-accented side button pops against the titanium case. The colors leaked too. Titanium Gray is the star of the official renders, but there are hints of black and blue bands, silver and green combos, and beige options in the broader leak pipeline. This thing is going to look great on a lot of wrists.

The Numbers Do not Lie

Let's talk silicon, because this is where the Ultra 2 makes its biggest leap.

Under the hood sits the Snapdragon Wear Elite, Qualcomm's first serious swing at a wearable chip in years. And when I say serious, I mean serious. Built on a 3nm process, it pairs a single high-performance core with four efficiency cores and a dedicated NPU. Samsung's own numbers show 5x faster CPU performance and 7x faster GPU performance compared to the outgoing Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2. That is not a marginal gain. That is a generational gap.

To put that in perspective: the Watch Ultra 2 will feel snappier than any previous Galaxy Watch, full stop. App launches, health data processing, even basic UI navigation. All of it should feel genuinely new.

The standard Galaxy Watch 9, by contrast, runs Samsung's own Exynos W1000. Different chip, different philosophy. That is worth noting if you have been comparing the two lines. Samsung is clearly positioning the Ultra 2 as the premium tier, with the standard Watch 9 as the everyday option.

Battery Life That Finally Matches the Screen

Here is where things get really interesting.

The Watch Ultra 2 bumps up to a 47mm case, still compact by sports watch standards, and carries a 784mAh battery. That is 33% larger than the current Ultra's 590mAh cell. If Samsung's software optimization keeps pace with the new chip's efficiency cores, you are looking at potentially two full days of real-world use, maybe more with conservative settings.

That is meaningful. The original Ultra was a solid performer, but it could not quite escape the "charge it every night" trap that plagues most Wear OS watches. A 33% battery jump is the kind of spec that changes daily habits.

Other durability specs hold steady at the high level you would expect: sapphire crystal over the display, 10ATM water resistance for the swimmers and divers out there. This watch is built to take abuse.

Connectivity: The One Compromised Corner

Samsung went all-in on connectivity for the Ultra 2, and for the most part it pays off.

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, UWB, and NB-NTN are all here. NB-NTN support means satellite messaging capability, useful if you are going off-grid where cell towers do not reach. The US and South Korea get 5G RedCap, while Europe settles for 4G/LTE. That is a geographic split that always frustrates international travelers.

One thing that will not frustrate you, though: there is no Bluetooth-only variant. The Ultra 2 is LTE-only. That simplifies the lineup, but it also means you are paying for cellular capability even if you never intend to use it. For some buyers, that is a value call worth making before you commit.

One thing that did not make the cut: glucose monitoring. Samsung talked about it, the tech press hoped for it, but it is not here. The sensor either is not ready or did not pass Samsung's internal bar. Either way, if glucose tracking was the feature holding you back from a Galaxy Watch, the Ultra 2 is not your answer. Not yet.

The Bigger Picture: Why Samsung Made This Move

You do not kill a beloved product line on a whim. Samsung's smartwatch shipments dropped 28% year over year in Q1 2026 according to Counterpoint Research. That is a significant pullback, and the Classic's niche appeal, that rotating bezel, the dressy aesthetic, was not generating the volume numbers Samsung needs.

So they did something bold. They took the Classic's identity and merged it with the Ultra's horsepower. The result is a watch that can appeal to the fitness-forward buyer and the watch enthusiast who cared more about looks than steps.

The numbered bezel is not just aesthetic. It is a statement. Samsung is saying: we know what you loved about the Classic, and we are not going to make you choose between that and the best specs we can build.

Should You Buy or Wait?

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is expected to launch at Samsung Unpacked on July 22, 2026 in London, with retail availability in early August. Pricing is rumored in the $649 to $699 range, premium territory but in line with what the original Ultra commands.

Here is my honest take: if you are already a Galaxy Watch user and you have been eyeing the Ultra line, this is the upgrade you have been waiting for. The chip alone justifies it. The bigger battery makes it practical. And the bezel? That is the emotional hook that makes it feel like a real watch and not just a fitness tracker strapped to your wrist.

If you are on an older Classic and you have been reluctant to switch, the Ultra 2 should ease that transition. Same soul, better internals.

But if you are on a recent Ultra and the original's specs felt sufficient? Sit tight. The improvements are real, but they are not so dramatic that last year's model becomes obsolete overnight.

We will have full review coverage once retail units land. For now, start figuring out which band color you are pairing with that Titanium Gray case. Based on the renders alone, you have got a genuinely good-looking watch on your hands.

Samsung's back in the fight.

Suunto Prime Day Deals 2026: Run, Race, and Explore Models on Sale Now

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Amazon Prime Day 2026 is running through June 26, and Suunto is in on the action. The Finnish brand known for rugged GPS watches and outdoor instruments is offering discounts across its lineup, with some of the deepest price cuts we have seen on current-generation models. If you have been looking at Suunto and waiting for the right moment to buy, this is that moment.

Here is a full rundown of the best Prime Day deals on Suunto watches right now.

Suunto Prime Day Deals at a Glance

Watch	Sale Price	Regular Price	Savings
Suunto Run	$148.99	$199	$50 (25%)
Suunto Core	$140.56	$194	$54 (28%)
Suunto 9 Peak Pro	$189.99	$249	$59 (24%)
Suunto Race 2	$398.99	$499	$100 (20%)
Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar	$448.99	$599	$150 (25%)

Our Picks

Best for Most Runners: Suunto Run ($148.99)

The Suunto Run is the one we keep recommending to people who want a serious running watch without spending flagship money. Dual-band GPS, music storage, and training load tracking are all here. On Garmin, those features start showing up around $350. The Suunto Run at $149 is a straight-up value.

It is also lightweight and comfortable enough for everyday wear, not just race day. If you are upgrading from a basic fitness tracker or an older watch, this is the obvious entry point.

Buy Suunto Run on Amazon

Best Battery Life: Suunto 9 Peak Pro ($189.99)

The Suunto 9 Peak Pro sits in a sweet spot between the entry-level Run and the higher-end Race 2. Battery life runs up to 21 days in smartwatch mode, which is enough to forget about charging for weeks at a time. It also has the same multi-band GPS as the more expensive models, so you are not sacrificing accuracy for the lower price.

At $189.99, it is $59 off the regular price and a better fit than the Run if you want longer battery life and more detailed training data.

Buy Suunto 9 Peak Pro on Amazon

Best Overall: Suunto Race 2 ($398.99)

The Suunto Race 2 is the flagship for athletes who take their training seriously. Offline maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and access to the SuuntoPlus store for third-party apps are all here. It is the most full-featured Suunto you can buy, and $398.99 brings it within reach of people who previously would have looked at Garmin Fenix territory.

The $100 Prime Day discount brings it to its lowest price this cycle. If you want the best Suunto has to offer and you run or train in places where phone signal is unreliable, this is the one.

Buy Suunto Race 2 on Amazon

Best for Outdoors: Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar ($448.99)

Solar charging is the headline here. The Titanium Solar model can stretch battery life well beyond what you would expect from a GPS watch, making it the go-to choice for multi-day adventures, ultra events, and extended backcountry trips where you cannot stop to charge.

At $448.99, it is $150 off the regular price and a solid option if you want a watch that keeps going when the mileage gets long.

Buy Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar on Amazon

What About the Suunto Core?

The Suunto Core at $140.56 is worth a mention even though it is not a GPS watch. It is an analog instrument with a compass, altimeter, and barometer, and the battery lasts up to a year. No heart rate tracking, no smart features, no GPS. It is more of a weather instrument than a training tool. But if that is what you need, it is a well-built option at a good price.

Buy Suunto Core on Amazon

How Long Are These Deals Available?

Suunto is running its Summer Sale through July 4, with Prime Day exclusives running through June 26 on Amazon. The Prime Day pricing on these models is unlikely to last beyond the event, so if you have been considering one of these, now is the time.

Are These Good Deals?

Yes. Suunto does not discount frequently, and seeing current-generation models at 20 to 40 percent off is unusual. The Suunto Run at $149 is particularly strong. The Race 2 at $398.99 is also compelling if you want offline maps and navigation without the Garmin price tag. This is one of the better windows to buy Suunto all year.

Best Amazon Prime Day GPS Watch Deals 2026: Garmin, Apple Watch, and Amazfit on Sale Now

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Amazon Prime Day 2026 is here, running June 23 through June 26. And unlike past years where the best deals meant clearing out last-generation hardware, this year is different. Current-generation watches from Garmin, Apple, and Amazfit are all on sale, some at the deepest discounts we have seen on recent models.

If you have been holding off on a GPS watch purchase, this is one of the only windows all year where brands actually put meaningful discounts on the hardware they are currently shipping. Here is what we found worth knowing.

The Deal of the Day: Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire

If you buy one thing this Prime Day, make it the Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire. It is currently $499 on Amazon, $500 off its regular $999 retail price. Fifty percent off a current-generation flagship is not a number we expected to write this cycle.

For that money you are getting:

Sapphire crystal display
Full-color topo maps with contour lines
Multi-band GPS for better accuracy under tree cover and in canyons
Garmin's best optical heart rate sensor
Training readiness, recovery time, and sleep tracking
Up to 16 days of battery life in regular use

That is the full Garmin flagship feature set, at half price. There is no catch. This is simply the best Prime Day deal on a GPS watch we have seen this year.

Buy Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire on Amazon

Garmin Prime Day Deals

Garmin is running the deepest discounts of any GPS watch brand this Prime Day. The Epix Pro Gen 2 leads the way, but there are solid deals across the entire lineup.

Watch	Sale Price	Regular Price	Savings
Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire	$499	$999	$500 (50%)
Garmin Forerunner 965	$499	$649	$150 (25%)
Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED	$299	$499	$200 (15-50%)
Garmin Forerunner 570	$449	$549	$100
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar	$299	$399	$100 (25%)
Garmin Forerunner 970	$649	$749	$100
Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED	$749	$1,024	$275 (28%)
Garmin Enduro 3	$749	$849	$100
Garmin Venu X1	$599	$799	$200
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro	$949	$1,099	$150

Our Picks

Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire — $499 ($500 off, 50% off) The standout deal of the entire event. Full flagship hardware at half price.

Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED — $299 If $499 is too much, the Instinct 3 AMOLED at $299 is a serious rugged watch at a serious price. Color screen, multi-band GPS, and 24-plus day battery life. It holds its own against watches that cost twice as much.

Garmin Forerunner 965 — $499 Garmin's running-focused flagship at $150 off. Lightweight design, advanced running dynamics, and training load analytics at a meaningful discount.

Apple Watch Prime Day Deals

Apple rarely discounts current hardware, so Prime Day is a notable exception. The Series 11 and Ultra 3 are both on sale for the first time this cycle.

Product	Sale Price	Regular Price	Savings
Apple Watch Ultra 3	$649	$799	$150 (13%)
Apple Watch Series 11	$279	$399	$120
Apple Watch SE 3	$199	$249	$50 (10%)
AirPods Pro 3	$179	$249	$70 (20%)
AirPods 4	$99	$129	$30 (33%)

Our Picks

Apple Watch Ultra 3 — $649 The lowest price we have ever seen on the Ultra 3. If you are in the Apple ecosystem and want the most capable Apple Watch for runs, races, and outdoor adventures, this is the price to buy.

Apple Watch Series 11 — $279 ($120 off, 30% off) The most accessible Apple Watch deal of the event. $120 off the current generation, with watchOS updates confirmed for the year ahead. The best entry point into Apple Watch if you have been waiting for a deal.

Amazfit Prime Day Deals

Amazfit has built its reputation on delivering genuine sports watch capability at a fraction of what Garmin and Apple charge. Prime Day brings solid discounts across the current lineup.

Product	Sale Price	Regular Price	Savings
Amazfit T-Rex 3	$226	$275	$49 (25%)
Amazfit Balance 2	$229	$299	$70 (29%)
Amazfit Active 3 Premium	$144	$169	$25
Amazfit Active Max	$139	$169	$30
Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro	$379	$399	$20

Our Picks

Amazfit T-Rex 3 — $226 The best value rugged GPS watch on the market, now $49 off. You are getting 20 ATM water resistance, dual-band GPS, offline maps, and 20-plus days of battery life for well under $250. It directly competes with Garmin's Instinct 3 at less than half the price.

Amazfit Balance 2 — $229 The better choice if your priorities are recovery, sleep tracking, and daily fitness alongside your runs. The Balance series is Amazfit's most well-rounded watch for athletes who care about more than just pace and distance.

Prime Day FAQ

When does Prime Day end? Friday, June 26 at 11:59 PM PDT (2:59 AM EDT on June 27).

Do Prime Day deals sell out? Yes. The best ones often run out of stock, sometimes within hours. If something you want is available, do not wait. Deals also tend to shift throughout the event, so check back if your first choice goes dark.

Do prices change during the event? Yes. Amazon frequently adjusts Prime Day pricing. A deal that is not available today may appear at a different price tomorrow.

Who can shop Prime Day? Active Amazon Prime members. You can share a Prime account with household members, and it includes Prime Video and Prime Music.

Prices verified in the US Amazon store at time of publication. Availability and pricing may change throughout the event. This article contains affiliate links. Using them to shop helps support WatchesReviewed at no extra cost to you.

Will Siri AI Work on Your Older Apple Watch? Apple Won't Give You a Clear Answer

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Apple's latest Apple Watch software update is creating an awkward situation. watchOS 27 brings Siri AI to the wrist for the first time, but it also cuts off five models that are hardly ancient. Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, the second-generation SE, and the original Apple Watch Ultra no longer qualify for the update.

The confusing part? Apple hasn't really explained why.

The Official Line

When Apple confirmed the compatibility list, Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing Manager Cait Dooley told TechRadar that Siri AI and the new tap gesture "work best" with the performance of newer chips. She pointed to Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and Apple Watch SE 3 as the supported models.

That is the full public explanation Apple has offered.

On the technical side, there is a plausible hardware reason. Series 9 introduced the S9 chip with a 4-core Neural Engine that handles machine learning tasks up to twice as fast as the S8's 2-core Neural Engine. The newer chip also enabled on-device Siri processing for the first time. If Siri AI on watchOS 27 relies heavily on that Neural Engine, older watches simply may not have the headroom to run it.

The Problem With Apple's Argument

Here is where it gets harder to follow. Siri AI on Apple Watch is not running the way you might think. The feature requires a nearby Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone to handle the actual AI processing. Your watch is not crunching large language models on its own. The iPhone does that work, then sends the result back to your wrist.

So the question becomes: if the heavy AI lifting is happening on the iPhone, why does the watch's Neural Engine matter so much that it cuts off hardware from 2020 through 2022?

Apple has not answered this. The company points to the chip gap and calls it a performance decision. That may be entirely true, but it is not a complete answer. The on-device processing that Siri AI does on the watch itself, even with the iPhone handling the bulk of the work, apparently needs more computing power than the S8 chip can provide. But Apple has not published the specific technical threshold that excludes these watches.

The iPhone Paradox

The inconsistency that has caught attention across the tech press: Apple is keeping iPhone 11 (from 2019) on the supported list for iOS 27. An iPhone that is seven years old this fall will run the latest Apple software. But an Apple Watch from 2022, the original Ultra that cost $799 at launch, is being left behind.

"The Ultra is only four years old and was quite a premium product," TechRadar noted. Apple has never cut Watch generations this aggressively before. watchOS 26, released in 2025, supported Series 6 and later, the second-gen SE and later, and all Ultra models. That was a far more generous cutoff line.

This is the biggest Apple Watch compatibility cull in the platform's history. Apple is dropping three full generations of devices in a single update, and the reason appears to be AI: specifically a feature that still leans heavily on a paired iPhone to function.

What You Actually Lose

If you own one of the affected watches, it is not becoming a brick. Apple says these watches will continue to receive security updates and remain pairable with iPhones running the latest iOS. You will still get notifications, track workouts, and use Apple Pay.

What you lose is everything in watchOS 27: Siri AI, the new tap gesture, and whatever other software features Apple introduces this cycle. The supported watch list effectively defines the ceiling for your device going forward. Apple is no longer promising feature updates for hardware it sold as recently as 2022.

The irony is real: people who bought the original Apple Watch Ultra as a premium, future-proof fitness device are now on the outside of the AI features, while their iPhone 14 or 15 sitting in a drawer nearby could have handled the processing load.

What Apple Has Not Said

Apple's official statement does not identify a specific technical barrier. It describes a performance philosophy: newer hardware enables a better experience. That is corporate-speak for "this is where we drew the line," not a technical specification.

Until Apple publishes more detail, the most honest answer to "will Siri AI work on my older Apple Watch?" is: probably not, and Apple is not going to tell you exactly why.

The public beta of watchOS 27 is expected in July, with the full release coming this fall. If you are on an unsupported watch and curious how the feature actually performs, that will be the time to see whether the exclusion feels justified, or whether it feels like Apple simply needed a line in the sand.

Sources: AppleInsider, The Verge (Tom Warren), TechRadar, Basic Tutorials, Windows News

COROS Firmware Update is Bricking Some Watches - Here's What You Need to Know

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

COROS users have been dealt a frustrating blow over the past few weeks. Since the company released its mid-May 2026 firmware update, a growing number of watch owners are reporting that their devices simply won't turn on afterward - essentially, the watches have been "bricked."

The reports started appearing in COROS user communities shortly after the May 2026 update rolled out. Users described watches dying mid-update, never booting back up, or entering an endless restart loop. For many, it happened without warning - the device was working fine one day, and after a routine sync and firmware push, it was dead.

Which Watches Are Affected?

COROS has confirmed the issue affects a subset of its watch lineup. According to the company, the problem appears to cluster on models that are roughly two to four years old. The COROS Pace 3 stands out as the most frequently reported casualty, though that's at least partially a numbers game - the Pace 3 is one of COROS's best-selling watches, so it naturally shows up in more failure reports than smaller-production models.

Other affected watches reportedly include the COROS Pace Pro, Vertix 2S, and the first-generation APEX watches. The newer models released in 2024 and 2025 - including the Pace 4 and APEX 4 - seem largely unaffected, which suggests the issue may be tied to how older hardware handles certain components of the new firmware.

It's worth noting this isn't COROS's first rocky software moment in recent memory. The company spent much of 2025 addressing a separate set of security vulnerabilities, which it eventually closed out with an official postmortem. The bricking issue is a very different kind of problem - physical device failure rather than a data exposure - but it adds to a pattern of software rollout missteps that has some long-time COROS users questioning whether the brand's famous value proposition comes with hidden support costs.

COROS's Response

In a statement confirmed via email, COROS Head of Product Marketing and Support Darian Allberry said the company is actively replacing watches that fail as a result of the firmware update:

"Also correct - for anyone that reaches out and has had a device failure after a recent firmware update we are replacing those devices."

That's the right move, as far as it goes. A free replacement for a device that dies during a routine update is what customers should expect. But the experience of actually getting a replacement has been uneven. Some users report smooth, quick turnaround from COROS support. Others say they hit long response delays, were initially told their warranty had expired (it hadn't), or were offered only a partial discount on a new purchase rather than a straight replacement. In a few cases, replacement units sent by COROS arrived already bricked - suggesting the root cause may be more systemic than a simple bad firmware file.

The firmware version at the center of the reports appears to be V3.1508.0, which shipped in March 2026 as part of an earlier update cycle, though the May 2026 release has also been implicated. COROS has not publicly disclosed exactly what in the firmware causes older hardware to fail, which has left owners of affected watches with more questions than answers.

What You Should Do If You're Worried

If you own a COROS watch from the affected generation - especially a Pace 3 - and you've been putting off updates, you now have a genuine dilemma. Skipping the update means missing out on new features like voice control (now available on the Pace 4, APEX 4, and NOMAD). Installing it means rolling the dice on a device that, depending on your warranty status, might leave you without a working watch for days or weeks.

The safest approach right now: don't update unless COROS releases a specific hotfix statement confirming the issue is resolved. If your watch has already been updated and is working fine, back up your activity history to the COROS app and keep a close eye on it. If your watch dies after an update, contact COROS support immediately and reference the replacement policy - but be prepared for some back-and-forth.

The Bigger Picture

COROS built its reputation on two things: affordability and a devoted user base that swears by the brand's training features and battery life. The PACE 4 and VERTIX 2S are genuinely excellent watches for the money. But software quality matters as much as hardware quality in this category - a GPS watch that can't reliably receive updates is a liability for anyone training seriously.

For now, COROS appears to be in cleanup mode. The company is replacing failed devices, which is the minimum it should do, and at least some users are getting resolution. But without a clear public explanation of what went wrong and how it's being prevented going forward, the incident will linger in community memory. For a brand that competes on trust and longevity, that's a meaningful cost.

We'll be watching for any official statement from COROS on a root cause analysis or a confirmed fix. In the meantime, if you've been affected, the company's support team is the first call - and screenshots of everything are your friend.

Garmin Enduro 4 Release Date and Price: $899.99, On Sale Now - Enduro 3 vs 4

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Enduro 4 is official. Garmin announced it on October 6, 2026 at $899.99, sales started October 9, and Garmin kept the same 51mm MIP solar formula as the Enduro 3. What changed: storage doubles from 32GB to 64GB, the maps get 50 percent more RAM, and the Fenix 9's newest training tools came along with it, including grade-adjusted pace, stamina zones, rucking workouts with pack weight, indoor rowing with VO2 max and FTP, and a new multi-day activity log called Garmin Epic. Battery is unchanged at up to 320 hours in activity mode with solar and up to 90 days in smartwatch mode with solar, and the band is a new ComfortFit Fabric Band with QuickFit release. The one thing Garmin has not addressed is the 5GHz WiFi chip the FCC filing pointed to.

The Enduro 4 is out now. Everything confirmed is below, followed by the leak trail that led to it.

The Garmin Enduro 4 first surfaced as a leak, and Garmin itself accidentally confirmed it.

Update, October 8, 2026: The regulatory trail below (models A05146 and A05197) was pointing at exactly this launch. Everything in the timeline that follows is now settled.

Update, September 1, 2026: Garmin's "Play Harder" event came and went on August 25, and the Enduro 4 was a no-show. The Fenix 9 family got the full launch treatment, but the Enduro 4 never appeared. That doesn't mean it's dead. Garmin Connect 5.27 dropped the "Enduro 4" name from the app but kept internal device 5179, now associated with the codename GOBI. And two unidentified Garmin "Outdoor Products," model numbers A05146 and A05197, are moving through regulatory filings in Indonesia, South Korea, and Brazil. Neither matches a published Fenix 9 model number, and Garmin devices typically arrive one to three months after regulatory approval. The current best read: a fall 2026 release date, likely with solar MIP display and LTE. Details below.

An APK teardown of Garmin Connect version 5.26, first reported by Gadgets & Wearables, reveals a clear device reference to the Enduro 4 inside Garmin's own companion app. This is the first time Garmin has explicitly referenced a next-generation Enduro within its own software, a strong signal that an official launch isn't far off.

Garmin Enduro Release Dates: Enduro 2, 3, and 4

Every Enduro generation so far has launched in August, two years apart. Here is the full timeline, and where the next one stands:

Model	Release date	Status
Enduro 2	August 2022	Released
Enduro 3	August 2024	Released
Enduro 4	October 6, 2026	Released

That cadence broke in 2026. The Enduro 4 was expected at Garmin's August 25 "Play Harder" event and did not appear, which is why the best current estimate has moved from August to the fall.

What the Leak Shows

The most concrete finding is simple: the string "Enduro_4" appears in Garmin Connect 5.26, but it did not exist in version 5.25. More importantly, it's not sitting in some forgotten corner of the code. It's embedded in a device registry-style table with an internal ID (5179) and category flags covering fitness, outdoor, golf, and wellness. That's the same structure Garmin uses for its multi-sport flagship watches.

The naming matters too. There was some speculation about whether Garmin might skip to "Enduro" or "Enduro X", as it did years ago when the Fenix line jumped a number. The app says otherwise. For now, it's Enduro 4.

Also spotted in the APK: expanded wording around Assistance Plus, Emergency Calling, Incident Detection, SOS, and Garmin Response, along with clearer references to LTE plans and data coverage. Whether any of that is Enduro-specific or a broader Garmin Connect refresh isn't clear from the code alone.

Call Handling Gets an Upgrade Too

The same APK reveals deeper phone-call infrastructure being added to Garmin Connect. The app now includes the Android permission MANAGE_ONGOING_CALLS and a new Garmin in-call service called GNCSInCallService. New strings cover incoming calls, call screening, answering, rejecting, and disconnecting. The notification database gains a callType field for better call classification.

This points to Garmin improving how phone calls are handled on LTE-capable watches, though it's not exclusive to the Enduro 4.

When Will It Launch?

The pattern in the table above held for two straight generations, right up until it did not. Two August launches in a row made August 2026 look like a lock, and every pre-event leak suggested Garmin would hold that rhythm. The August 25 "Play Harder" event featured the Fenix 9 family instead, and the Enduro 4 never appeared.

The regulatory trail says the watch is still coming. Model A05146 surfaced in Indonesia in early July and later appeared in South Korea and Brazil. Model A05197 was certified in Indonesia on August 25, the day of the event. Garmin devices generally ship one to three months after regulatory approval, which lands the release date in the September to November window. Fall 2026 is the realistic target now.

CEO Cliff Pemble has also mentioned a "very active year plan for outdoor" on Garmin's Q1 2026 earnings call, and the back half of 2026 is shaping up to be loaded for Garmin: CIRQA (a Whoop competitor), the Enduro 4, and likely the Fenix 9.

What Will It Bring?

No official specs yet, but the smart money is on these possibilities:

MIP display with solar charging. This is the Enduro's identity. The Fenix line has moved aggressively toward AMOLED (Fenix 8 Solar, Fenix 8 Pro), but the Enduro series has stayed true to transflective MIP for battery-first reasons. Garmin hasn't yet combined AMOLED with solar charging, and that likely won't change here. The Enduro will remain the choice for people who want to disappear into the backcountry for days without a charger.

LTE connectivity. This is the big question. Some speculation points to satellite-style messaging, voice features, or even inReach integration baked directly into the watch, eliminating the need for a separate communicator. The expanded safety wording in the APK (Emergency Calling, SOS, Garmin Response) feeds that theory. If Garmin adds inReach functionality to the Enduro 4, it would be a major differentiator for backcountry athletes.

New safety features. The expanded wording around Incident Detection, Assistance Plus, and Garmin Response suggests Garmin is making its safety ecosystem more prominent and clearer to users. The new language around LTE plans and coverage suggests Garmin wants users to understand exactly which features work with which connections.

Garmin Connect+ integration. New strings reference coach plans requiring Garmin Connect+ subscriptions, plan selection for cycling, fitness, triathlon and other coaching categories, and even discount codes for eligible subscribers. Expect more features to sit behind the paywall.

The Big Question: MIP or AMOLED?

The T3 article on the leak poses it directly: Can Garmin finally abandon MIP displays?

Garmin has been here before. The Fenix 8 Pro went AMOLED and Garmin watchers Split on whether it was the right call. The Enduro line has historically stayed MIP because solar charging + AMOLED still isn't a solved equation. The power requirements of a bright OLED screen eat into the solar advantage too aggressively for the Enduro's core use case.

If Garmin sticks with MIP, the Enduro 4 will likely claim another generational leap in battery life, potentially breaking the 100+ hour GPS tracking barrier that the Enduro 3 already flirted with. If Garmin goes AMOLED... well, that would signal a bigger philosophical shift for the series.

What Enduro 3 and Enduro 2 Owners Should Know

If you landed here searching for an Enduro 3 or Enduro 2 release date, the likely reason is that you already own one. Here's the direct answer on timing, and whether the Enduro 4 is worth waiting for.

Enduro 3 (August 2024). You're two years into a watch that still leads this category on battery. It runs up to 320 hours of GPS with solar charging, up to 36 days in smartwatch mode (90 with solar), and it carries 32GB of storage, multi-band GPS, full-color maps, the ECG app, and an LED flashlight. Two years is exactly the Enduro cadence, so you're at the normal mid-cycle point rather than overdue.

Enduro 2 (August 2022). You have the most to gain. The Enduro 2 shipped with up to 150 hours of GPS and 46 days in smartwatch mode, built on the Fenix 7X platform. Four years on, it's the oldest watch in the line and the most likely to feel a generational gap, especially as newer training and health features land on newer hardware first.

Should you wait? If you own an Enduro 2, probably yes. The Enduro 4 is the first generational jump you would actually feel, and the regulatory timeline points to fall 2026. If you own an Enduro 3, wait for the announcement before deciding. The Enduro 4 will most likely inherit the Fenix 9 platform with its processing and GNSS improvements, but if the display stays MIP and the battery numbers don't move much, there may be little reason to replace a watch that already runs 13 days of GPS on a charge.

One more signal: the Enduro 3 has started showing discounts, down to $874.99 from its $899.99 list price. Garmin rarely trims the price of a current model this early without a replacement already in the pipeline.

The Bottom Line

The Enduro 4 missed the August 25 event, but the evidence trail says it's still coming: two unidentified outdoor devices in the regulatory pipeline, internal device 5179 still present in Garmin Connect under the GOBI codename, and the historical August cadence suggesting Garmin simply shifted the launch a few weeks later.

When this article was last updated there was no pricing, no official specs, and no confirmed launch date. That changed on October 6, 2026: the Enduro 4 is official at $899.99, with sales from October 9.

We'll update this article as more information becomes available. Stay tuned to WatchesReviewed for full coverage.

Garmin Rolls Out Battery Fix for Tactix 8 as New Beta Update Hits Watches

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Garmin isn't done tweaking its high-end watches. The company has released Beta Version 22.37 for the Fenix 8 series, and this one is all about fixing things that have been annoying owners for weeks.

The headline fix: a battery drain issue that's been plaguing the Tactix 8. Garmin confirmed in a forum post that the update resolves an outstanding power-hogging problem specific to the Tactix 8 AMOLED Solar. If you've been watching your battery percentage drop faster than expected, this one's for you.

More Than Just the Tactix

But the Tactix 8 isn't the only watch getting attention. Beta Version 22.37 also addresses crash fixes for golf activities across all compatible smartwatches in the lineup. So if you've had your round mysteriously end mid-swing, this update should sort that out.

There's also a fix for an issue in older builds where dive depth would automatically reset to zero after hitting maximum depth. It's a niche problem, sure—but for the divers who rely on Garmin's tactix line for underwater work, it'll matter.

The Bigger Picture

This beta drops just weeks after Garmin pushed System Software 22.35, a major stable update that brought a wave of new features to the Fenix 8 Pro, Fenix 8 Pro Solar, Enduro 3, Fenix E, and Tactix 8. That update added free inReach satellite SOS capabilities (with some strings attached), golfing improvements, and a handful of UI refinements.

At the time, Garmin suggested v22.35 would close out the v22.xx beta program. Version 22.37 proves that wasn't quite the final chapter.

When Does It Hit Stable?

Garmin says 100% of beta program participants should have already received a notification to download Beta Version 22.37. If you're in the beta program and haven't seen it yet, check your notifications or force a sync through Garmin Connect.

For everyone else, history suggests this lands on the stable channel within days. Garmin typically moves quickly once a beta is deemed solid, and with crash fixes and a battery improvement in the mix, this feels like a short-cycle release.

If you're running a Tactix 8 and noticing your battery life isn't living up to Garmin's claims, the fix is close. Keep an eye on your Garmin Connect app.

Garmin Fenix 9: Release Date, Leaked Specs, and Whether to Wait or Buy a Fenix 8 Now

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

The Garmin Fenix 8 has been on shelves since late 2024, and the Fenix 8 Pro arrived in September 2025. That means the Fenix 9 is overdue by Garmin's historical patterns. The good news: Garmin's own CEO has essentially confirmed it is coming in the back half of 2026. The bad news: we are still piecing together what it will actually include.

Let us look at what the rumors are saying, what we are still unsure about, and whether it makes sense to wait.

What Is Actually Confirmed

Very little has been officially announced, as Garmin tends to keep a tight lid on new products. But there are a few things we can say with reasonable confidence.

The CEO confirmed during a recent earnings call that Garmin is planning a major launch in H2 2026. That is not a rumor, that is a direct statement from the top. The timing likely means an announcement in August or September, with units hitting shelves a few weeks later. That would put the Fenix 9 at roughly two years since the Fenix 8 base model launched, and about a year since the Fenix 8 Pro.

Garmin has moved to a roughly 12-month refresh cycle for its Pro variants. The Fenix 8 Pro dropped in September 2025, which makes a Fenix 9 Pro announcement in late summer 2026 very plausible. If Garmin sticks to form, we could see the base Fenix 9 alongside a Pro variant, similar to how the Fenix 8 launched.

The Features That Look Likely

Here is where the informed speculation starts.

A faster processor. This is the most straightforward upgrade. Garmin has been using essentially the same chipset architecture for several generations now. Competitors like Apple and Samsung have been making meaningful year-over-year gains in processing speed and efficiency. A chip refresh would not be flashy, but it would make the Fenix 9 feel meaningfully snappier in everyday use.

Multiple size options. The Fenix 8 came in 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm. The Fenix 9 is expected to follow the same pattern. Some rumors suggest Garmin might add a 45mm option or tweak the sizing slightly, but three sizes has been the standard and there is no strong evidence that is changing.

Sapphire and titanium. Garmin uses sapphire crystal on its premium models and titanium on the top-tier variants. Expect the Fenix 9 to continue that approach. This is not a change, but it is a reminder that the Fenix line stays premium.

Satellite messaging. This one is less certain but worth watching. The Fenix 8 introduced some satellite connectivity features, and Garmin has been expanding its satellite capabilities across the lineup. Whether the Fenix 9 gets full two-way satellite messaging like some competitors is still an open question.

The MicroLED Question

This is where the Fenix 9 gets interesting.

The Fenix 8 Pro already shipped with microLED in September 2025, making Garmin the first to market with the technology in a smartwatch. The 51mm variant hit 4,500 nits of brightness and was called the "world's first MicroLED smartwatch" by multiple outlets. Apple had reportedly shelved its own microLED plans, so Garmin winning that race was a surprise.

So the question for the Fenix 9 is not whether Garmin will use microLED at all. It is whether Garmin will expand microLED beyond the single 51mm Fenix 8 Pro configuration - and more importantly, whether the technology will finally deliver the battery gains it promised.

Here is the catch: the microLED in the Fenix 8 Pro did not live up to the hype. According to detailed independent testing, the technology failed to deliver the energy-saving improvements that made microLED so promising in the first place. Garmin is expected to wait until microLED actually achieves those efficiency gains before rolling it out more broadly.

That means the Fenix 9 is unlikely to bring microLED as standard across all models. A microLED option on higher-end Pro variants is possible, but do not expect it on the base Fenix 9. If anything, Garmin may sit tight with OLED until the technology matures.

If you were hoping microLED would finally deliver the breakthrough battery life we have been waiting for, the Fenix 9 will not be that story - at least not this generation.

Smaller Case Size?

One newer rumor suggests Garmin might return to a slightly smaller case size on the base model. The Fenix 8 hit a sweet spot for many users at 47mm, but some athletes have been asking for a more compact option that does not sacrifice battery life.

Garmin has historically resisted shrinking the Fenix case because battery capacity tends to drop with size. But if the new chip is significantly more efficient, a slightly smaller case with similar battery life becomes more feasible. This one is speculative, but it is a request we have seen repeatedly from the running and triathlon community.

Should You Wait or Buy Now?

This is the question we get asked the most, and the honest answer is: it depends.

If you need a watch now and you are currently using a Fenix 7 or earlier, the Fenix 8 is still an excellent choice. The Fenix 8 Pro from September 2025 is genuinely great, and prices are likely to hold steady or even drop slightly as the 9 approaches. You will not be missing much if you buy today and upgrade later.

If you are on a Fenix 8 already, the upgrade calculus is harder. The Fenix 9 will bring meaningful improvements, but Garmin watches tend to hold their value for years. A Fenix 8 owner is not missing critical features that make the current watch obsolete.

The wild card is microLED - but probably not in the way you are hoping. The Fenix 8 Pro microLED did not deliver the battery gains it promised, and Garmin is expected to hold off on wider rollout until the technology matures. Do not count on microLED being the headline feature of the Fenix 9. A faster processor and meaningful efficiency gains from new silicon are more likely to be what makes the Fenix 9 stand out.

What We Still Do Not Know

A few things remain frustratingly unclear:

Price. The Fenix 8 started at $799 for the base model and went up from there. Will the Fenix 9 debut at the same price, or will Garmin push higher? No credible leaks on pricing yet.

Battery life claims. This is the number everyone wants to know. Current Fenix 8 models claim up to 16 days in smartwatch mode and 42 hours with GPS. A meaningful jump in that number would be notable.

Health sensors. Garmin has been quietly expanding its health monitoring capabilities. Whether the Fenix 9 brings anything new on the health sensing front is still unknown.

Release date. H2 2026 is confirmed in general terms. A specific date, or even a specific month, is not yet leaked with confidence.

The Bottom Line

The Fenix 9 is real, it is coming in H2 2026, and it will likely be a meaningful upgrade over the Fenix 8. The processor refresh alone should make it feel noticeably faster. Wider microLED adoption is possible but unlikely to be the headline feature - the technology still needs to prove itself before Garmin bets big on it.

If you are on an older Fenix and you need a new watch, the Fenix 8 is still a safe buy. If you are on a Fenix 8, you are in good shape and there is no urgent reason to feel like you are missing out. But if you have been holding off waiting for something better, the Fenix 9 is coming, and the wait is almost over.

We will have more details as the fall approaches. But one thing is clear: Garmin is not standing still. The competition from Apple, Samsung, and COROS has been heating up, and the Fenix 9 will be Garmin's answer.

Apple Watch Ultra 4: The Latest Rumors Say a Major Redesign Is Coming

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is coming, and if the latest leaks are accurate, Apple is planning its most significant redesign since the Ultra line launched. But there is a twist -- some of the most exciting rumored features might not make the cut after all.

Let us break down what is new since our last update, what is still uncertain, and what it means for the competitive landscape.

What Is New Since March

Our last Ultra 4 piece covered the basic rumor landscape: a fall 2026 launch, new sensors, and the usual chip improvements. Three months later, the picture is both clearer and more complicated.

A 15% Slimmer Case

The biggest surprise is the design direction. Multiple sources are now reporting that the Ultra 4 will be noticeably thinner -- around 15% slimmer than the current model. That is a meaningful change for a watch that has always been on the chunky side.

The trade-off has always been simple: bigger case means bigger battery. Apple has been willing to make that trade. But if they are moving to a slimmer design, it suggests either better power efficiency is freeing up internal space, or Apple has found a way to pack more density into a smaller footprint.

Either way, a thinner Ultra should be more comfortable for all-day wear. Whether athletes who wanted a rugged device are as thrilled is another question.

Touch ID: Coming -- Or Is It?

This is where the rumors get messy.

Back in March, we noted that code had surfaced suggesting Apple was working on Touch ID for the Ultra 4. The internal codename reportedly appearing in Apple's systems was "AppleMesa." The most likely integration points were the Digital Crown or the Action Button.

Here is the problem: a May 2026 report from MacRumors, citing a prominent leaker, pushed back hard. The report suggested Apple has deprioritized Touch ID for this generation, choosing instead to prioritize battery capacity and new sensor hardware.

So which is it? Touch ID might still happen, but it is no longer a sure thing. The "AppleMesa" codename proves Apple was at least working on it. Whether it ships in September is now an open question.

If Touch ID does arrive, expect it embedded in the Digital Crown or Action Button -- the two hardware elements that could realistically house a fingerprint sensor without major case redesign.

The S11 Chip

This one is straightforward. Apple is moving from the S10 chip (Ultra 3) to an S11 chip in the Ultra 4. The S-class chips have historically delivered modest year-over-year improvements in speed and power efficiency.

The S11 should continue that trend. Do not expect dramatic performance leaps, but expect better efficiency and slightly snappier interface responsiveness.

Double the Sensors?

One newer leak suggests Apple is roughly doubling the sensor components inside the Ultra 4. This aligns with earlier supply chain reports, but the specifics remain vague.

More sensors could mean better health data accuracy across the board. It could also mean Apple is preparing hardware groundwork for features that are not quite ready to ship yet -- blood glucose monitoring is the obvious candidate, though most sources agree that is still years away.

The Things We Still Do Not Know

September is a few months away, and Apple has been good at keeping the lid on things. Here is what remains unclear:

Display technology: MicroLED was rumored for earlier Ultra generations but never materialized. Will the Ultra 4 finally get it, or is Apple sticking with OLED?

Battery life: This is the big one. If Apple shrinks the case by 15%, does battery life stay the same, improve, or get worse? The efficiency gains from S11 could offset a smaller battery, but we will not know until Apple announces.

Price: The Ultra 3 started at $799. With new sensors and a redesign, a price bump is possible. But Apple has been relatively price-stable on the Ultra line, so do not be surprised if it stays at $799.

Blood glucose: Still not happening this year. Apple has been working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring for over a decade, and the engineering challenges remain immense. When it finally arrives, it will be huge. But the Ultra 4 is not that moment.

How It Stacks Up

If the rumors hold, here is how the Ultra 4 would compare to the competition:

Feature	Ultra 4 (rumored)	Garmin Fenix 8	COROS PACE 4
Battery (GPS)	~25+ hours	50+ hours	31 hours
Battery (smartwatch)	~45+ hours	28 days	20 days
Multi-band GPS	Likely	Yes	Yes
Touch ID	Possible	No	No
Maps	Yes	Yes	Yes
Music storage	Yes	Yes	Yes

The battery gap is real, and it is the one area where Apple still trails Garmin and COROS significantly. For serious endurance athletes, that gap matters. For everyone else, the Ultra remains the best smartwatch-athletic hybrid on the market.

The Bottom Line

The Ultra 4 is shaping up to be a more significant update than we thought a few months ago. The slimmer design is the biggest surprise -- it suggests Apple is listening to feedback about comfort without abandoning the rugged positioning.

Touch ID is the wildcard. Apple clearly explored it, and the "AppleMesa" codename is real. But the May 2026 report that it might be deprioritized is credible. We will know for sure in September.

If you are in the market for an Ultra today, the Ultra 3 is still a great watch. But if the slimmer design rumors are accurate, waiting for the Ultra 4 might be worth it -- especially if you have found the current model too bulky for all-day wear.

One thing is clear: the Ultra line is no longer Apple's experiment. It is a core product. And Apple is finally starting to treat it that way.

watchOS 27 Brings Siri AI to Apple Watch. Here's What Actually Changes.

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

watchOS 27 is the biggest Siri overhaul since Apple Watch launched. Apple rebuilt its voice assistant from the ground up with Apple Intelligence at the core, and the result actually feels new on your wrist. Throw in health improvements, a new gesture, and a smarter Smart Stack, and this is a meaningful update even if your hardware is a few years old.

Siri AI: The Headline

Siri on Apple Watch has always been limited. Ask it something complex and you got a web search result or a deflection. watchOS 27 changes that. Siri AI taps into Apple Intelligence for detailed, conversational responses, references your personal context, and takes action inside apps.

The personal context piece is what makes this feel different. Siri can find your driver's license number buried in Photos, pull a door code from an email about an upcoming rental, or grab a note you saved on your iPhone. It is not just answering questions anymore. It is doing useful tasks.

You can also ask Siri about broad world knowledge and get real answers. Workout ideas, wellness tips, recipes, ferry timetables. Siri AI references information online to give you up-to-date insights instead of dumping you into a browser search.

Taking action is the other big jump. Siri can share your flight details with family via Messages, play the song your trainer recommended, set a new Activity ring goal, or build a Reminders list from a recipe's ingredients. The assistant is finally living up to what Apple promised when it launched.

A new dedicated Siri app ties everything together. All your conversations sync privately across your Apple devices, so you can start a question on your iPhone and pick up where you left off on your Apple Watch. Pin conversations for quick access or start fresh ones without repeating context.

Health and Fitness: Workout Buddy Goes Solo

Workout Buddy gets a real upgrade. Previously it required your iPhone nearby for full functionality. Now it runs on Apple Watch alone, which makes it genuinely useful on runs and workouts where you leave your phone behind.

New progressive metrics keep you motivated during runs. Apple Watch detects when you have been steadily increasing your distance, pace, or duration over multiple sessions and highlights that progress. This is the kind of thing coaching apps have been doing for years. It is good to see Apple finally building it in.

Workout Buddy is also now available in Spanish.

For people tracking their cycle health, watchOS 27 adds perimenopause and menopause support. Cycle Tracking can notify you when logged patterns suggest perimenopause is beginning. You can track related symptoms and access scientifically validated educational articles in the Health app. This is a meaningful addition for a large chunk of Apple Watch users who have had to rely on third-party apps for this kind of tracking.

Treadmill readings are more accurate too. New machine learning algorithms improve distance calculations from the very first step of every walk or run. This addresses one of the more common complaints from runners who use Apple Watch indoors.

One-Handed Tap Gesture

Apple is expanding its gesture suite with a new one-handed option. A single tap of your index finger and thumb selects a widget in the Smart Stack. Double tap scrolls through Smart Stack to see upcoming events and relevant updates. Wrist flick returns you to the watch face.

This is designed for moments when your other hand is occupied. Cooking, carrying groceries, holding a handrail. The gestures work alongside the existing double tap, which stays for confirming Apple Pay and other actions.

Find My Gets Unified

The separate Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People apps are gone. watchOS 27 replaces all three with a single unified Find My app built around a map-centric interface. One place to locate friends, family, devices, and items.

Precision Finding now works with more than just AirTags. Paired iPhone, AirTag 2nd generation, and AirPods Pro 3 all support Precision Finding, which uses the U1 chip for directional guidance when something is nearby. If you have ever spent ten minutes searching for your phone in a couch cushion, this alone is worth the update.

Smarter Smart Stack

The Smart Stack suggestion engine gets sharper across several areas:

Birthday messages surface on the day of a close contact's birthday with a pre-crafted message ready to send. The recipient sees a celebratory animation when your message arrives.

Parked Car appears in Smart Stack when you have a parked car location from Apple Maps, so you can quickly pull up directions back.

Transit cards show your current balance after transactions with an easy top-up option. Pin your transit card for constant visibility, which is useful for daily commuters.

Theater Mode reminder triggers when you are at a concert venue or movie theater, nudging you to silence your watch before the show starts.

Holiday sleep alarms give you a heads-up the night before a holiday so you remember to adjust your morning alarm.

ID cards at airports appear automatically when you arrive, pulling up your driver's license or state ID in Wallet for faster check-in.

Guest key experience updates throughout your hotel stay to show relevant reservations and events from your digital room key in Wallet. Tap to see dining, spa, and activity bookings along with relevant links from the property.

Apple Watch For Your Kids Gets a Refresh

Family Setup is gone. In its place is Apple Watch For Your Kids, which better reflects what the feature actually does. Parents set up a Child Account for their child through Family Sharing, then pair a cellular-enabled Apple Watch to their iPhone. The child gets their own phone number for calls and texts, location sharing, and safety features like Emergency SOS and Medical ID.

The Screen Time experience is completely redesigned. Parents can whitelist approved contacts in Messages and Phone, set scheduled app access windows, and quickly adjust what their child can use on the Apple Watch. A new Child Safety website at apple.com/child-safety walks parents through getting started and answers common questions.

This is a meaningful shift for families. Apple Watch For Your Kids gives teenagers more independence while keeping parents connected to the safety features they actually care about.

Other Notable Changes

Refined Liquid Glass display design improves contrast and readability. Apple says the refraction is more uniform, which should mean better visibility in bright outdoor light.

Faster music playback means songs start more quickly when you press play. Minor until you are mid-workout waiting for your playlist to kick in.

Proactive battery extension notifies you when features you never use are active. Gestures, Start Workout reminders, and Raise to Speak for Siri can be automatically disabled to extend battery life. You always retain control and can re-enable anything through Settings.

Call Context arrives on Apple Watch so you can see confirmation numbers on your wrist when taking calls from businesses, even if your phone is in your bag.

Wallet passes can now be generated from any card or membership with a barcode or QR code, then pinned in Smart Stack for quick access.

Compatibility

watchOS 27 requires one of the following Apple Watch models paired with an iPhone running iOS 27 or later:

Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Series 9
Apple Watch SE 3

The Big Picture

watchOS 27 is what happens when Apple finally lets Apple Intelligence do real work on Apple Watch. Siri has gone from a limited voice assistant to something that actually understands context, takes action in apps, and carries on conversations. Combined with Workout Buddy working solo, smarter Smart Stack suggestions, and a gesture that solves a real problem, this is an update worth paying attention to.

The public release will likely arrive in September alongside new Apple Watch hardware at Apple's fall event. If your Apple Watch is on the compatibility list, update the day it drops.

Amazfit Adds Multi-Device Activity Sync: The Garmin TrueUp Competitor Is Here

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:15:00 GMT

Finally, One Set of Numbers

Amazfit has added multi-device sync to its ecosystem, and it is long overdue. The new Multi-Device Activity Sync feature in Zepp OS 6 merges daily activity data across multiple Amazfit devices, keeping totals consistent for steps, calories, standing time, and distance. The feature is live on the Balance 3 and Balance Ultra, with more devices expected to follow.

This is the feature that Amazfit users have been asking for. People who run with one watch and wear another for sleep, or who switch between models depending on the workout, have been dealing with fragmented data for years. The Zepp app now pulls everything together so you see one set of numbers, not several conflicting ones.

How It Works

Multi-Device Activity Sync runs through the Zepp app, not device-to-device. That is the standard approach used across the industry, and it is the same architecture Garmin uses for TrueUp. When you have multiple Amazfit devices connected to the same Zepp account, the app merges the daily data and keeps totals consistent across both.

The synced metrics are steps, calories, standing, and distance. Zepp Health also mentions "other activity metrics" without being specific about what those cover. The feature works automatically once you have two devices linked to the same account.

Garmin Has Had This Since 2016

Amazfit is arriving late to this particular party. Garmin introduced TrueUp back in November 2016 and has been refining it ever since. By 2023, Garmin had extended the concept significantly with Unified Training Status, which added Primary Training Device and Primary Wearable designations to keep physiological metrics like VO2 max, training load, and recovery time consistent across the entire Garmin ecosystem.

Amazfit's first step is more modest. Multi-Device Activity Sync covers daily activity metrics, not training load or physiological data. The gap that matters most right now is HybridCharge. Amazfit's readiness score builds on biometric data plus user-reported context like stress, illness, and RPE. If a workout on a Helio Strap does not feed into the HybridCharge score on your Balance 3, the readiness metric is incomplete.

Zepp Health has not confirmed whether training load, recovery time, or HybridCharge scores cross device boundaries. Garmin closed that gap in 2018, two years after launching the basic sync. Amazfit has some work to do if it wants to match Garmin's depth here.

What Else Zepp OS 6 Brings

Multi-Device Activity Sync is the standout new feature, but Zepp OS 6 adds several other tools worth noting.

Daily Briefing builds on the old Morning Update and now covers both ends of the day. Morning briefings show weather, sleep data, your schedule, and training insights. Evening briefings look back at workouts, activity, and key health trends.

HybridCharge replaces BioCharge as the primary readiness score. It adds LifeLoad, which lets users log stress, illness, alcohol, physical strain, travel, and jet lag. RPE logging is also built in, so you can record how hard a workout felt after you finish. Boundary reminders can now trigger during workouts when HybridCharge is low, turning recovery from a morning score into an ongoing guide.

Training Calendar puts planned workouts and past sessions in one place, with support for Zepp Training, custom templates, and third-party plans. There is also a Training Library with Zepp courses available directly on the watch.

HYROX support includes training templates and Virtual Pace with stage guidance, target progress, and next-up previews. That aligns with the Balance 3 range's focus on hybrid fitness.

Navigation improvements bring Route Progress showing remaining distance, ascent, and descent to the next waypoint and final destination. Elevation Chart gives a clearer route profile view.

Launcher redesign puts the watch face at the center of navigation. Swipe right for workouts, swipe left for apps, swipe down for notifications, swipe up for Shortcut Cards. Physical buttons get a bigger role, which matters for gym use when touchscreens are unreliable.

The Bottom Line

Amazfit has finally answered Garmin TrueUp. Multi-Device Activity Sync is a genuine quality-of-life improvement for anyone using more than one Amazfit device. The sync architecture is right, the metrics are useful, and it makes the ecosystem feel less fragmented.

The gap is depth. Garmin has spent seven years building out its multi-device ecosystem, and Amazfit is at the starting line. HybridCharge is the obvious missing piece. If your readiness score cannot see workouts logged on a Helio Strap or a secondary watch, it is not giving you the full picture.

That said, Amazfit has moved quickly on features before. This is a real first step, and it is in the right direction.

Google Just Killed the Last Bit of Fitbit on Pixel Watch

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Google is cleaning house. The ECG app on Pixel Watch is getting an update that removes the last visible Fitbit branding from the watch's software. The app drawer label no longer shows Fitbit, the icon has been redrawn, and any lingering bugs that prevented the app from working have been addressed.

The update is rolling out widely now to Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 users.

What's Changed

The most visible change is the icon. The ECG app has traded its previous look for a new red-themed icon that aligns better with Google's current design language across Workspace apps and other Google products. It stands out more in a sea of blue health app icons, which is a small but meaningful usability improvement when you are trying to find a specific app quickly on a small screen.

The bigger story is the branding removal. Since Google completed its health platform transition, Fitbit-branded apps on Pixel Watch have been gradually renamed and restyled. The Exercise app was one of the first to lose the Fitbit name. Now the ECG app has followed. There is no longer any Fitbit branding remaining on the Pixel Watch software side. Everything lives under the Google Health umbrella.

The Bug Fix

For some users, the ECG app had stopped working entirely in recent weeks. Reports surfaced in late May of users losing access to the electrocardiogram feature, which is one of the Pixel Watch's more notable health tools. This update appears to resolve those issues and restore functionality for affected users.

Why This Matters

The Fitbit-to-Google Health transition has been gradual, and this update marks the final cleanup of the Pixel Watch interface. For users who bought into the Fitbit ecosystem when Google first started integrating it into Pixel hardware, the shift has been mostly invisible. The ECG app worked the same way; it just had Fitbit branding on it.

What matters more is the bug fix. ECG is a feature that users rely on for actual health monitoring, not just novelty. An app that silently stops working is worse than no feature at all. Google fixing it without requiring a full manual update is welcome.

Check Your Update

The ECG app update is rolling out automatically. If your Pixel Watch is set to receive automatic updates, you should see the new icon and branding shortly. If you have automatic updates disabled, you can check manually through the Wear OS settings or force a sync through the Google Pixel Watch app on your phone.

Garmin Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Index S2 Body Composition Claims

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:09:00 GMT

Garmin is facing a proposed class action lawsuit over the Index S2 Smart Scale, with the core allegation being that the company marketed its body composition features as accurate when the underlying technology -- foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) -- cannot support those claims.

The case, Maurer v. Garmin International, Inc. et al (1:26-cv-06389), was filed on May 29, 2026, in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiff, Victor Maurer, is seeking monetary damages and a declaration that the Index S2 cannot accurately measure body composition. The complaint is 56 pages, filed as an "Other Fraud" case with a jury demand.

This is a proposed class action, not a ruling. Garmin has not publicly responded to the suit. At this stage, it's an allegation that will work its way through the courts -- and many consumer class actions settle, narrow, or get dismissed before they ever see a courtroom.

That said, the lawsuit raises some points that are worth looking at closely.

What the Lawsuit Claims

The complaint takes issue with Garmin's marketing of the Index S2's body composition features -- specifically body fat percentage, muscle mass, and related metrics. Weight measurement is not in dispute. The lawsuit is about whether those derived body composition numbers are legitimately accurate or whether they're being presented as more precise than the technology allows.

According to the filing, Garmin "failed to disclose to Plaintiff and other Class Members vital information regarding the Smart Scale's inability to accurately measure body composition."

The core technical argument is this: the Index S2 uses foot-to-foot BIA, which sends an electrical current from one foot to the other through bare skin. Because the signal travels only through the lower body, the lawsuit argues it cannot capture whole-body composition. A four-point BIA system that uses both feet and hands would measure more of the body directly and is generally considered more accurate for clinical body composition purposes.

The complaint cites a 2021 study published in JMIR mHealth uHealth that compared three foot-to-foot smart scales against DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), which is the clinical gold standard for body composition measurement. The study found that those smart scales underestimated both fat mass and muscle mass by as much as 8kg, or roughly 8 percentage points, compared to DEXA. Median errors in the same study were smaller -- 2.2 to 4.4kg -- but the lawsuit focuses on the worst-case figures.

The Marketing Language Is the Real Target

What's interesting about this lawsuit is that the science is almost secondary. The legal argument leans heavily on what Garmin said about the product, not just what the technology does.

Garmin's product page uses the phrase "Accuracy matters when it comes to your goals." The lawsuit points to that as an implicit accuracy claim attached to body composition data. An Amazon listing referenced in the complaint is more direct, stating buyers can get "accurate measurements for weight, weight trend, body fat percentage, BMI, skeletal muscle mass, and more."

And then there's the launch statement from Garmin VP of worldwide sales Dan Bartel, which early coverage flagged as potentially the most damaging line in the case: "The Index S2 builds on the success of the first-generation Garmin smart scale with exceptional accuracy."

Unqualified. In a product announcement that leads with body composition as the headline feature. That's the sentence the plaintiff's lawyers will return to.

What Garmin Will Likely Argue

Garmin has several potential lines of defense, and some of them are reasonable.

First, the JMIR study didn't test a Garmin Index S2. It tested a Tefal scale, a Terraillon scale, and a Withings scale. No Garmin device was in that study. The lawsuit is extrapolating from a class of products to a specific brand, which Garmin's lawyers will absolutely challenge.

Second, the 8kg figure is a worst-case outlier drawn from a clinical population recruited specifically for obesity and chronic illness research -- not a representative sample of everyday users. Median errors in the same study were in the 2.2 to 4.4kg range, which is a meaningfully different number.

Third, Garmin's Owner Manual does caution that hydration and activity levels affect BIA measurements and recommends using the scale under consistent conditions for best results. Whether that disclaimer is prominent enough to matter legally is a different question, but the company can point to it.

Fourth, every major competitor uses the same foot-to-foot two-point BIA method. Withings, Fitbit, Tanita, Eufy -- all of them use the same basic approach. If foot-to-foot BIA is fundamentally flawed as a body composition tool, the lawsuit doesn't explain why Garmin is uniquely responsible for marketing it.

Fifth, the industry-wide position is that BIA smart scales track relative change over time, not absolute clinical values. You step on the scale every morning under the same conditions and watch the trend. That's how these devices are designed to be used, and it's a reasonable framework -- even if the marketing sometimes oversells the precision.

Why Garmin Might Be Vulnerable Anyway

The science might be on Garmin's side, but the marketing language is a liability.

Consumer fraud cases don't require a product to be completely worthless. They look at the overall impression created by marketing and ask whether a reasonable buyer would be misled. "Exceptional accuracy" in a product announcement where body composition is the headline feature, combined with an Amazon listing promising "accurate measurements for body fat percentage," is not a trivially defensible position.

The "everyone else does it too" defense might help Garmin, but it won't eliminate liability on its own. And the specific Dan Bartel quote -- with a named executive making an unqualified accuracy claim at launch -- is the kind of thing that hangs around in discovery.

The lawsuit also seeks a declaration that the Index S2 "cannot accurately measure body composition." That's a stronger remedy than money in some ways -- it would require Garmin to either change its marketing or stop making body composition claims entirely. That kind of injunctive relief is harder to settle away quietly.

What This Means for Index S2 Owners

If you own an Index S2, this lawsuit doesn't change what the scale does. It still measures weight reliably. It still tracks trends over time. The body composition numbers are still estimates, and they've always been estimates -- that's how BIA scales work.

What the lawsuit changes is the question of whether you were told that clearly enough. If Garmin's marketing led you to believe the body fat percentage was a precise measurement rather than an approximation, and if the court agrees that the marketing was misleading, you might be entitled to a refund.

The practical takeaway: don't treat the body composition numbers on any smart scale -- Garmin or otherwise -- as clinical-grade data. Use them to track direction and trends over weeks and months. Don't treat a 1% change in body fat as meaningful when the margin of error on the technology is multiple percentage points.

The Bottom Line

This is a case about marketing language as much as it is about technology. The Index S2 is not uniquely inaccurate among smart scales -- foot-to-foot BIA is a known limitation of the entire product category. But Garmin's marketing copy, particularly the "exceptional accuracy" statement from a named executive, is the kind of thing that makes a plaintiff's lawyer's day.

The case is in its early stages. Garmin hasn't responded publicly. Class certification is still ahead, and many proposed class actions never get that far. This is worth watching, but it's not a verdict.

What it does do is raise a legitimate question that anyone buying a smart scale should ask: what kind of accuracy are you actually getting, and is the marketing being honest about the limitations?

This article is based on publicly available court filings, the Singletracks report, independent analysis, and GadgetsAndWearables coverage. We will follow this case as it develops.

Amazfit Balance 3 Review: Titanium, Sapphire Glass, 30-Day Battery

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:08:00 GMT

Amazfit has been creeping up the GPS watch ladder for years, making solid fitness trackers at budget prices and incrementally closing the gap with Garmin. The Balance 3 and Balance Ultra are the result of that crawl: two watches that don't just compete on price anymore. These are premium devices with titanium cases, sapphire glass, week-long battery life, and a training philosophy that actually makes sense for the growing number of athletes who mix running, lifting, and everything in between.

Announced June 2, 2026, and available now, the Balance 3 starts at $369.99 in stainless steel with a titanium option coming later at $449.99. The Balance Ultra, Amazfit's most expensive watch ever, sits at $599.99 in Grade 5 titanium. Both run Zepp OS 6 and share the same 1.5-inch AMOLED display, sapphire protection, and the new Hybrid Training System.

I've been digging through the spec sheets, press materials, and early coverage. Here's everything you need to know. If you're trying to decide between the two, check out our dedicated Balance Ultra vs Balance 3 head-to-head first.

What's New: The Hybrid Training System

Before getting into the hardware, it's worth understanding what Amazfit is actually selling here. The Hybrid Training System is a platform built into Zepp OS 6 that tries to solve a real problem: modern athletes train in fragments. A morning run, an afternoon lift, a recovery session, work stress, and poor sleep. It all adds up, and most watches treat each data point in isolation.

Amazfit's answer is HybridCharge, which ties together three metrics:

BioCharge: a daily energy indicator based on heart rate variability, sleep quality, stress, and recovery data
LifeLoad: the cumulative strain from training and daily life demands
Training Load: the specific strain from structured workouts

The idea is that instead of looking at a heart rate graph or a sleep score in a vacuum, you get a unified view of where your body stands today. Should you do that hard interval session or take the recovery day? HybridCharge is designed to answer that question before you lace up.

Supporting tools include Weekly Focus (a high-level view of your training week), Training Balance (are you balanced across strength, endurance, and recovery?), and Hybrid Training Plans that span both running and strength work. There's also a HYROX Race Mode - more on that below.

Amazfit Balance 3 vs Balance Ultra: Spec Comparison

Both watches share the same display: a 1.5-inch AMOLED panel with sapphire glass and 3,000-nit peak brightness. That's the same brightness spec as the Cheetah 2 Ultra, and it puts these watches well above most Garmin devices in direct sunlight readability. The screen diameter is 44.8 x 44.8mm on both.

Where they diverge is in the case material, size, button count, and battery life.

Here's the full Balance 3 vs Balance Ultra spec comparison:

Spec	Balance 3	Balance Ultra
Price	$369.99 (steel) / $449.99 (titanium)	$599.99
Case Size	51.4 x 51.4mm	51.8 x 51.8mm
Thickness	14.6mm with sensor / 12.5mm without	15.5mm with sensor / 13.4mm without
Case Material	Stainless steel or Grade 5 titanium	Grade 5 titanium
Buttons	4, stainless steel	5, titanium
Display	1.5" AMOLED, sapphire, 3,000 nits	1.5" AMOLED, sapphire, 3,000 nits
Battery (Typical)	21 days	30 days
Battery (GPS)	41 hours	50 hours
Storage	Onboard flash	64GB
GPS	Dual-band, 6 satellite systems	Dual-band, 6 satellite systems
Water Resistance	10 ATM, freediving + scuba	10 ATM, freediving + scuba
Straps Included	One 22mm	Two 22mm
OS	Zepp OS 6	Zepp OS 6

The short read on the table: identical display, GPS, water resistance, and software. The $150-to-$230 premium over the Balance 3 buys you titanium across the whole case, a fifth button, 64GB of storage, and 9 more days of battery.

Balance 3 comes in two finishes:

Stainless Steel ($369.99) - available now
Grade 5 Titanium ($449.99) - coming soon

Case diameter is 51.4 x 51.4mm with a thickness of 14.6mm (with sensor) or 12.5mm (without). Four buttons, all stainless steel. Battery life is rated at up to 21 days of typical use, with continuous GPS at up to 41 hours. Ships with one 22mm quick-release strap.

Balance Ultra comes in one finish - Grade 5 titanium - at $599.99.

Case diameter is 51.8 x 51.8mm, slightly larger than the Balance 3. Thickness is 15.5mm (with sensor) or 13.4mm (without). Five buttons, all Grade 5 titanium. Battery life stretches to 30 days of typical use, with continuous GPS at up to 50 hours - the best battery spec in the Amazfit lineup. Ships with two 22mm quick-release straps (Black, Black& Terra).

Both watches include:

10 ATM water resistance (45m freediving, recreational scuba)
Bluetooth calling (microphone and speaker onboard)
64GB storage (Balance Ultra) / onboard flash (Balance 3 - exact capacity not specified in press materials)
Dual-band GPS with support for six satellite positioning systems
Offline contour maps, turn-by-turn navigation, POI search, route planning, round-trip route creation, and auto-rerouting
Golf mode with course maps
180+ workout modes
Zepp Flow voice controls
NFC payments via Zepp Pay

The HYROX Angle

Amazfit is the official wearable partner of HYROX, the functional fitness race format that has grown rapidly in the US and UK, combining running intervals with gym-based workstation efforts. Both Balance watches include HYROX-specific features baked into the Hybrid Training System:

HYROX training plans built into the Zepp App
Race simulations that let you rehearse the HYROX format before race day
Virtual pacing features tuned for HYROX run-workout intervals
Post-race analytics broken down by station, with pacing splits, rankings, and cumulative times

For HYROX athletes, this is a genuine differentiator. No other watch brand has made this kind of formal investment in the race format. Whether these tools are detailed enough to give you a real edge, or whether they're mostly marketing, is something real-world testing will answer. But the intent is right.

Build Quality: Finally Premium

The Balance Ultra's Grade 5 titanium construction is the same material Garmin uses on the Fenix 8 and Apple uses on the Watch Ultra 2. It's light, strong, and scratch-resistant. Paired with sapphire crystal glass, this is a watch that should hold up to years of hard training without showing it.

The Balance 3 in stainless steel is more accessible but still solid, and the titanium variant when it arrives will be the direct competitor to the Balance Ultra's build quality at a lower price.

Both watches have five physical buttons on the Ultra (four on the Balance 3), which matters for gym use. Touchscreens are fine when you're standing still; they're frustrating when you're mid-set with sweaty fingers. The button layout is right for the use case.

The dedicated dive mode is a nice extra too. 10 ATM water resistance is common in GPS watches, but the addition of a freediving mode and recreational scuba support puts these watches in a category that most running watches skip entirely. If you're a runner who also dives, or even just someone who swims regularly, that's meaningful.

Battery Life: The Key Number

Here's the comparison that matters most:

Mode	Balance 3	Balance Ultra
Typical Daily Use	21 days	30 days
Continuous GPS	41 hours	50 hours
Always-On Display	~10 days (est.)	~10 days (est.)

The Balance Ultra's 50-hour GPS figure is a direct shot at Garmin. Most Garmin watches in this price range sit in the 30-40 hour range. If you race ultramarathons or do long mountain days, 50 hours of GPS is a real number - that's a 50-mile ultra with GPS logging the whole way, plus some buffer.

The Balance 3's 41 hours is still strong, and for most runners doing marathon-distance races or shorter, it's more than adequate.

Both watches use a 780mAh cell in the Ultra (exact capacity for the Balance 3 isn't publicly listed yet).

Display

3,000 nits peak brightness on a 1.5-inch AMOLED with sapphire glass. That's the same display spec across both models, and it's genuinely impressive. Most Garmin watches sit in the 1,000-2,000 nit range. In direct summer sun or on a bright alpine ridge, the Balance 3 and Ultra should stay readable without backlight tricks.

The 1.5-inch size is generous for a GPS watch. Data-heavy training pages, map navigation, and quick-glance intervals all benefit from the extra real estate. The slight size difference between the two models (51.4mm vs 51.8mm case diameter) is negligible on the wrist.

The Zepp Ecosystem

Both watches run Zepp OS 6, which connects to the Zepp App for data sync, training plans, and watch management. The Zepp App integrates with Strava, TrainingPeaks, Runna, and Intervals.icu for automatic workout sync.

Zepp Coach AI provides adaptive training plans from 5K to marathon distance. That's competitive with what Garmin offers through Garmin Coach, though Garmin's ecosystem is more mature for cyclists and swimmers.

The key question for anyone coming from Garmin is whether Zepp OS has the app depth to keep up. For running, cycling, and strength training, it does. For more niche sports or advanced metrics, Garmin still leads. But for the target audience - hybrid athletes doing a mix of running, lifting, and functional fitness - Zepp OS 6 is more than sufficient.

Who Should Buy the Balance 3?

The Balance 3 is for:

Runners and gym-goers who want a single watch that handles both morning runs and afternoon lifts without compromise
Athletes who want premium build quality (sapphire glass, solid case) without spending $600
HYROX competitors who want race-specific tools without buying a Garmin Fenix
Divers or swimmers who also need a running watch - the 10 ATM rating with freediving mode covers both

At $369.99 in stainless steel, it's priced aggressively against the Garmin Forerunner 265 and similar devices. You get sapphire glass and a 1.5-inch AMOLED display that most watches in this price range can't match.

Who Should Buy the Balance Ultra?

The Balance Ultra is for:

Ultrarunners and endurance athletes who need 50-hour GPS battery life and titanium durability
Premium watch buyers who want the best Amazfit has to offer and don't want to compromise on materials
Athletes who want maximum storage (64GB) for offline maps, music, and route files
Anyone coming from a Garmin Fenix or Apple Watch Ultra who wants similar build quality at a lower price

At $599.99, the Balance Ultra undercuts the Apple Watch Ultra 2 by $200 and sits in direct competition with the Garmin Fenix 8. The titanium build, sapphire glass, and battery life are all class-appropriate. The HYROX integration and Hybrid Training System are genuine differentiators that Garmin can't match right now.

Price and Availability

Amazfit Balance 3 Stainless Steel: $369.99, available now
Amazfit Balance 3 Titanium: $449.99, coming soon
Amazfit Balance Ultra: $599.99, available now

All three models are available at Amazfit.com and major retailers.

Shopping across Amazfit's lineup? Our Cheetah 2 Pro vs Ultra comparison covers the running-focused pair, and the Bip Max launch details are worth a look if you're on a budget.

Full disclosure: This article is based on specs, press materials, and early coverage. Both watches launched June 2, 2026. Real-world testing for GPS accuracy, heart rate reliability, and battery life under load is still ongoing. Check back for a follow-up once long-term review units are in hand.

Garmin Q2 2026 Update: Golf Features, Recovery Mode, Health Status History, and More

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:10:00 GMT

A Narrower But Still Meaningful Update

Garmin's Q2 2026 software update is smaller than February's release, but it fills in several practical gaps across the current watch lineup and Edge cycling computers. The rollout started June 2, 2026, and includes six new features for watches and two for Edge devices.

Here's what is changing and which watches get left out.

Recovery Mode

Garmin is adding a Recovery Mode that automatically activates if the watch encounters trouble during a software update or has difficulty starting up. Rather than being stuck in a boot loop or needing a full reset, users get a troubleshooting path that could rescue the device without wiping it.

Watches with Recovery Mode: Venu X1, Venu 4, vivoactive 6, D2 Air X15, Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, fēnix 8, fēnix 8 Pro, Enduro 3, tactix 8, quatix 8, quatix 8 Pro, D2 Mach 2, D2 Mach 2 Pro, and fēnix E.

The Instinct 3 does not get Recovery Mode in this update.

Health Status History

Health Status has been a popular Garmin feature since its launch, showing athletes a daily snapshot of how their body is handling training stress. This update adds a History component, letting users track their Health Status over time instead of seeing only the current reading.

The feature draws from five overnight metrics: resting heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and skin temperature. It compares those against your personal baseline so you can see whether things are trending up, down, or flat over weeks and months.

Watches with Health Status History: The same list as Recovery Mode above. Again, the Instinct 3 is notably absent.

Premium Golf Features Through Golf Membership

Garmin is continuing its push to bring premium golf tools to more non-Approach watches. The Venu 4, vivoactive 6, and D2 Air X15 now get access to Premium Golf Features through a Garmin Golf Membership. That includes full-color course maps, hazard distances, and shot tracking, all tied to the subscription.

The full list of watches supporting Premium Golf Features through a Golf Membership includes the Venu X1, Venu 4, vivoactive 6, D2 Air X15, fēnix 8, fēnix 8 Pro, Enduro 3, tactix 8, quatix 8, quatix 8 Pro, D2 Mach 2, D2 Mach 2 Pro, and fēnix E.

A notable omission: the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 do not get Premium Golf Features, even with a Golf Membership.

Approach CT1 Tag Compatibility

Garmin's Approach CT1 tags are clip-on club sensors that automatically log which club you used on each shot and build stats over time, including average distance per club. This update brings CT1 compatibility to more watches.

Watches with Approach CT1 compatibility: Venu X1, Venu 4, vivoactive 6, D2 Air X15, Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, fēnix 8, fēnix 8 Pro, Enduro 3, tactix 8, quatix 8, quatix 8 Pro, D2 Mach 2, and D2 Mach 2 Pro.

Instinct 3 Gets Its Own Features

The Instinct 3 does not get Recovery Mode or Health Status History, but it picks up several additions that are already present on Garmin's other platforms:

Workout Execution Score — scores how closely you followed a planned workout
Stocks Tracker — view stock prices on the watch face
Mobility Activity — a dedicated activity profile for structured stretching and movement sessions
Post-Activity Dive Guidance — guidance displayed after dive-related activities

The Instinct Crossover AMOLED gets Workout Execution Score, Stocks Tracker, and Mobility Activity. The Instinct E gets Stocks Tracker and Mobility Activity.

Edge: On-Device Gear Tracking and Bosch eBike Support

Garmin's Edge cycling computers receive two practical updates:

On-device gear tracking lets riders add, change, and remove gear directly from the Edge device, rather than managing everything through Garmin Connect. This covers bike setups, drivetrain components, wheels, tires, and even cycling shoe cleats, with wear progress bars and end-of-life alerts.

Bosch eBike smart system compatibility brings battery status, smart range routing, power, and cadence data to compatible eBikes on supported Edge computers.

Edge devices getting both updates: Edge MTB, Edge 540, Edge 840, Edge 1040, Edge 550, Edge 850, and Edge 1050.

Which Watches Miss Out This Quarter

The Venu 3, vivoactive 5, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 965, and the entire fēnix 7 range do not appear in the Q2 update. Some of those watches are under two years old and none of them are cheap.

Garmin has not explained the cut-off, though the pattern is consistent. The February Q1 update similarly excluded the fēnix 7 range, which suggests Garmin is drawing a firm line at the current-generation platform for new software features.

How to Get the Update

The Q2 2026 update began rolling out on June 2. Enable automatic updates on your watch or Edge to receive it, or update manually through Garmin Express or the Garmin Connect app.

Stay tuned to WatchesReviewed for more coverage as these features roll out and we get hands-on time with them.

COROS May 2026 Update Brings Voice Control, Custom Photo Sharing, and Strength Improvements

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:08:13 GMT

COROS has released its May 2026 feature update, and it's one of the most substantial software drops the brand has delivered in recent memory. Headlining the release is Voice Control, a hands-free way to start workouts, set alarms, check the weather, and more - all by holding the Action button and speaking. The update also includes a fully redesigned Custom Photo Sharing feature and meaningful upgrades to how strength training is tracked and edited.

Here's what's new and why it matters for runners and gym-goers alike.

Voice Control Takes Center Stage

Voice Control is the headline feature, and it's rolling out in beta across the COROS PACE 4, APEX 4, and NOMAD. The concept is straightforward: hold the Action button, say a command, and the watch handles the rest. No scrolling, no menu diving, no stopping mid-workout to fiddle with buttons.

The use cases COROS has highlighted are practical:

Start a run - just say "start a trail run" or "start a five mile run" and the watch configures the activity.
Set reminders and alarms - tell your watch to remind you to walk the dog at 6 PM, or set your morning alarm before bed without opening an app.
Quick data checks - ask to check the weather or open your sleep data to see how you recovered overnight.

The feature currently works in English only, with additional language support and Timer functionality on the roadmap. If you've been waiting for a reason to actually use the Action button beyond starting activities, this might be it.

Custom Photo Sharing Gets a Major Overhaul

COROS has completely rebuilt its Custom Photo Sharing feature, shifting it from a basic stat overlay into a full creative toolkit. The goal is simple: make it easier to turn your activity data into something worth sharing on social media.

The updated system gives you two primary paths. First, you can choose from dozens of templates in the COROS library and overlay your stats directly onto activity photos for an instant, polished post. Second, you can download a transparent PNG overlay and drop it into third-party editing software - think CapCut, Premiere, or directly into Instagram and TikTok - giving you complete creative control over how your pace, distance, and elevation appear over action footage.

The transparent PNG option is the real upgrade here. It means your data overlay can go over video just as easily as over a still photo, which opens up new territory for runners and cyclists who want to tell a story rather than just post a screenshot of their watch.

Strength Training Gets Smarter

Strength mode has been a consistent area of focus for COROS over the past year, and the May update pushes that further. The changes fall into three buckets.

Better rep and weight tracking. For exercises where hand movement makes auto-detection tricky, the watch now intelligently assumes you've hit your target rep count. There's also a new 5-second delay once you hit your rep target, giving the system time to complete the data log before moving you into the rest phase.

On-watch and in-app editing. Full post-workout editing is now available in the COROS app - including the ability to manually add missed sets or adjust time durations for unstructured sessions. On the watch itself, you'll see an improved prompt after each set to edit reps and weight via touch or the dial, and those edits must happen before the rest interval begins to log correctly.

Smarter workout flow. Strength animations no longer auto-play at the start of every exercise - they've been moved to an automatic data page you can view on demand. There's also a 5-second buffer on the rest and edit screen (skipped entirely if "no rest" is configured), and warm-ups, recoveries, and cool-downs no longer display exercise animations, keeping the display focused on what's actually happening in the moment.

One of the more practical additions is live workout reordering. If the gym is crowded or you need to pivot mid-session, you can now skip remaining sets of an exercise, remove future exercises entirely, or move one into the "up next" slot. The watch automatically shifts the sequence so you keep moving without manual adjustment, and it will ask at the end if you want to go back and hit the sets you skipped.

Control Center and Distance Alerts

The update also touches a few other areas worth noting.

Control Center is now accessible with a single press of the Action button or a swipe left from the watch face. COROS has added toggle options for Daily, Do Not Disturb, and Sleep Mode, headphone settings, brightness controls (on AMOLED watches), speaker volume (APEX 4), and a "Water" mode that plays a tone to clear the speaker after exposure to liquid.

For runners, Distance Alerts have been clarified as a separate feature from Laps in standard runs. Distance Alerts notify you at your set interval (say, every half mile) without creating a lap - essentially a check-in rather than a split. This is useful if you want regular pacing feedback but don't want your post-run data chopped into many discrete laps. The structured workout behavior differs slightly: Distance Alerts work relative to workout blocks without interfering with lap logic, while Auto Lap is disabled entirely during structured sessions.

What This Means for COROS Users

The May 2026 update is a clear signal that COROS is serious about closing the feature gap with Garmin and adding the kinds of quality-of-life improvements that loyal users have been requesting. Voice Control in particular feels like a genuine step forward for hands-free training - the kind of thing that matters when you're mid-workout and your hands are sweaty or dirty.

Custom Photo Sharing appeals to the social media side of the running community, where data overlays on race photos have become a genre of their own. Making that toolkit more flexible is a smart move as the sport increasingly lives online.

The strength training improvements are the most technical, but they're meaningful for anyone who takes gym work seriously. Better tracking, easier editing, and smarter flow mean fewer frustrations and more accurate data.

If you're on a PACE 4, APEX 4, or NOMAD, the update should be available now through the COROS app. Voice Control is labeled as beta, so expect some refinement as COROS expands language support and adds Timer functionality over the coming months.

Samsung Fainting Detection: A Predictive Game Changer for Wearable Health

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

The Breakthrough: Predictive vs. Reactive

The wearable health landscape is about to shift fundamentally. For years, the "gold standard" for safety features on smartwatches, most notably the Apple Watch, has been reactive. When a user suffers a hard fall, the watch detects the impact and prompts the user to call for help. It is a vital post-event medical alert, but it happens after the danger has already manifested.

Samsung is changing the game.

With new advancements in AI-driven biosignal analysis, the Samsung Galaxy Watch is moving into the predictive era. Instead of just telling you that you fell, the technology aims to tell you that you are about to faint.

How it Works: Predicting the "Fade"

The technology focuses on detecting Vasovagal Syncope (VVS), the most common type of fainting episode. By utilizing the advanced sensors in the Galaxy Watch 6 (and presumably future models), Samsung's AI algorithms analyze complex patterns in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and other biometric signals.

The goal is to identify the physiological "tells" that precede a loss of consciousness.

The Clinical Reality

This isn't just theoretical. Recent clinical trials conducted in partnership with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital have provided impressive validation for the system:

Accuracy: Approximately 84.6% in predicting episodes.
Sensitivity: A remarkable 90%, meaning the system is highly effective at catching episodes when they are imminent.
Specificity: Currently around 64%, which indicates that while the system is great at catching real threats, there is still room to reduce false alarms.

Why This Is a Life-Saver

The "So What?" of this technology is profound. The difference between a reactive alert and a 5-minute warning is the difference between treating an injury and preventing one.

If a user receives a notification that a fainting episode is likely to occur within the next five minutes, they have a critical window to:

Sit or lie down immediately.
Alert someone nearby.
Reduce the risk of secondary injuries, such as concussions, broken bones, or facial trauma caused by a sudden, uncontrolled fall.

The Bottom Line

Samsung is pushing the smartwatch beyond the realm of fitness tracking and into the territory of proactive medical intervention. While the specificity still needs work to prevent "false alarm fatigue," the shift from reactive to predictive monitoring marks a new era for wearable health technology.

Stay tuned to WatchesReviewed for more updates on the rollout of these features as they become available on the Galaxy Watch lineup.

Fitbit Is Dead: The Google Health App Transition Explained

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Fitbit app officially dies this week.

Starting May 19, 2026, Google begins rolling out the Google Health app as a direct replacement for Fitbit. The transition completes by May 26. If you've been putting off dealing with this, don't worry. For most people, it'll happen automatically.

But there's more to this story than just a name change. Google is also killing off the Google Fit app later this year, and the new Google Health comes with a rebuilt AI coach that's now officially out of beta.

What's Actually Changing

The Fitbit app you've been using since (probably) 2015 is getting a full makeover and a new name. Google Health keeps the same core tracking - steps, sleep, heart rate, workouts - but reorganizes everything around four tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep, and Health.

The Today tab is your daily snapshot. You'll see your readiness score (how prepared your body is to handle the day based on sleep, recovery, and recent activity), your step count, cardio load, and a bunch of customizable tiles. Swipe right and you can add metrics like hydration, weight, food logging, and more. The log button at the bottom lets you manually enter data, snap photos of food, or upload files for the AI coach to digest.

The Fitness tab is where your workouts live. There's a workout library with guided sessions, activity tracking, and graphs showing cardio fitness, estimated VO2 max, running distance, and more. If you spring for Google Health Premium ($10/month or $100/year), this tab also hosts your personalized weekly fitness plan built with your coach.

Sleep and Health tabs do exactly what you'd expect. Sleep gives you sleep stages, scores, and trends, while Health shows your vitals (breathing rate, SpO2, HRV, skin temperature), lets you sync medical records, and set up alerts for irregular heart rhythms.

The AI Coach Is Finally Here

Fitbit's AI health coach has been floating around in public beta for a while, but the Google Health launch marks its official debut. The coach lives in a persistent "Ask Coach" button in the bottom right corner of every tab, and you can talk to it the same way you'd text a friend. Voice input supported, photos and file uploads supported, two-way conversation required.

It can answer questions about your sleep, help you build a marathon training plan, parse your medical records, or just explain what your readiness score actually means. Dave Dillon at Chase The Summit called the AI blurbs "wordy but insightful" in his first look at the app, and noted you can actually respond to them like talking to a real coach.

Here's the catch: deep access to the coach requires Google Health Premium. Basic features like the readiness score and sleep stages are free. But if you want the personalized workout plans, adaptive fitness guidance, and proactive insights, that's $10/month.

One nice surprise: Google Health Premium is included if you're already subscribed to Google One's AI Pro or AI Ultra plans. So if you're paying for Gemini access elsewhere, you might already have this.

Wait, Google Fit Is Being Sunsetted Too?

Yeah. The 12-year-old Google Fit app is getting merged into Google Health later this year. Google hasn't released migration details yet, but if you're one of the (probably small) group of people still using Google Fit, you'll need to move your data over eventually.

This is notable because Google Fit was a pretty bare-bones step and activity tracker. No sleep, no heart rate variability, no coach. If you were using it as a lighter-weight alternative to Fitbit, Google Health is essentially taking over that spot in the lineup.

Cross-Platform Flexibility

One thing that stands out: Google is leaning hard into cross-platform support. The new Google Health works with Health Connect on Android and Apple HealthKit on iOS. That's right. If you have an Apple Watch, you can pull that data into Google's ecosystem. Dave noted in his video that he already had Strava and Health Sync connected on his iPhone, and Apple Health was right there as an option too.

For a company that makes Android hardware, this is a weirdly generous move toward iOS users. But it makes sense. Google's health ambitions apparently extend beyond just selling Pixel Watches.

Also worth mentioning: the Fitbit Air ($99.99, ships May 26) was designed with this ecosystem in mind. Google's making noise about letting Fitbit Air data flow into Apple Health, though that feature won't be available at launch.

So Is This Good or Bad?

For existing Fitbit users, probably good. The app experience was already being overhauled. This is mostly just the branding catching up. You keep your data, you keep your tracking, and you get a shinier interface with an AI coach that might actually be useful.

For Google Fit holdouts: you've got a bit longer to figure out your next move, but the writing's on the wall.

For runners who bounce between platforms: the Apple Health integration is the most interesting part. Using an Apple Watch but jealous of Fitbit's sleep tracking and readiness score? Now you can have both, even if it takes some setup.

The app starts rolling out May 19. You've got a week before your Fitbit app transforms. Might be worth opening it up and taking a screenshot of any customizations or historical data you want to remember.

Your Garmin Can Now Reply to Texts: But There's a Major Catch

Mon, 18 May 2026 08:15:00 GMT

Garmin has been quietly racking up wins in the European Union, and the latest one arrived with iOS 26.5 this week. EU Garmin owners can now get Live Activities forwarded to their watches -- transit countdowns, flight updates, timer countdowns -- plus the ability to reply directly to messages from their Forerunner, Fenix, or Epix. It's a significant step up from the passive notification display these watches have been limited to.

But there's a catch, and it's a big one: this only works if your Apple account is registered in an EU country. If you're a US or UK Garmin owner, you get nothing. For now.

What's Actually New

The iOS 26.5 update opens up two capabilities to Garmin watches in the EU:

Interactive notifications -- Your watch can now act on notifications, not just show them. Reply to a text, dismiss a message, trigger an in-app action. This has been Apple Watch territory since 2015, and Garmin owners have been waiting a long time for it.

Live Activities forwarding -- These are the live-updating panels you see on your iPhone lock screen: Uber ETAs, package deliveries, flight status, in-app timers. Apple is now letting Garmin forward these to your watch face. Useful for runners who want real-time race or workout timers without pulling out their phone.

Both features require:

iPhone on iOS 26.5 (rolled out Monday)
Apple account registered in an EU country
A Garmin firmware update (no ETA yet from Garmin)

The first two are ready. The firmware isn't.

The Good: Why This Matters for Garmin Owners

Let's be clear -- this is a meaningful upgrade for EU Garmin users. Here's why:

Better smartwatch parity. Garmin watches have always excelled at training and navigation, but their notification game lagged behind Apple Watch. Reply-from-wrist closes that gap for a lot of everyday situations. A quick "Running now, talk later" from your watch is genuinely useful.

Live Activities are genuinely valuable for athletes. If you're mid-race and want to track your progress without looking at your phone, Live Activities on your watch face is a real improvement. Same goes for gym sessions with built-in timers.

It's another sign of EU DMA pressure working. Apple has been forced to open up iPhone features to third-party wearable makers. Garmin has now gained: per-app notification filtering (iOS 26.3), background sync without Connect app open (iOS 26.3), and now interactive replies plus Live Activities (iOS 26.5). This regulatory pressure is making Garmin watches meaningfully better in Europe.

The Bad: US and UK Users Get Nothing

This is the part that stings. If your Apple account is registered in the US or UK, iOS 26.5 does nothing for your Garmin -- regardless of where you bought your phone or your watch.

The features aren't disabled by accident. Apple explicitly designed the system to geo-lock these capabilities. The company told developers in the updated Developer Program License Agreement that data from these features can't be used for advertising, profiling, model training, or location tracking -- which suggests Apple is thinking about eventually expanding this, but right now EU is the hard boundary.

There's a real equity issue here. A Garmin Fenix 8 owner in Stockholm gets features a Garmin Fenix 8 owner in Seattle doesn't. The watch is the same. The price is the same. The functionality isn't.

US Garmin owners have one slim hope: Apple could choose to expand these features beyond the EU if it wants to (the terms say "if Apple allows it"). There's also US antitrust pressure building, but that's a slow-moving process. Don't expect anything soon.

What This Means for Garmin's Competitive Position

Garmin has been threading a needle in the smartwatch market -- good enough for everyday use, elite for training. These EU features help that positioning. A runner who wants reply capability without Apple Watch now has a viable path with a Forerunner or Fenix, at least in Europe.

Globally, though, Garmin still can't match Apple Watch's core notification experience. The gap matters for everyday use, even if it doesn't matter for the athlete who primarily cares about training metrics.

Bottom Line

If you're an EU Garmin owner: this is good news. Mark it on your calendar -- the firmware update will come, and when it does, your watch gets meaningfully more capable. The combination of reply and Live Activities addresses two of the most common complaints from Garmin-to-Apple switchers.

If you're in the US or UK: this is a reminder that Apple's ecosystem walls still stand tall, and Garmin owners outside Europe are stuck waiting for a policy change that hasn't been announced.

The EU regulatory wins keep coming, though. That suggests the pattern will continue -- if not for this feature, then the next one. Garmin owners have been waiting a decade for Apple-level notification features. In Europe, that wait is finally over.

Have a Garmin watch in the EU? Already got your iOS 26.5 update? Drop a comment below -- we'd love to hear if the new features are working for you.

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra Review: Built for the Long Haul

Sat, 16 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Cheetah 2 Ultra is Amazfit's answer to a specific kind of runner: the one who signs up for 50 miles because 31 miles felt too short. It's a trail-focused, ultra-distance GPS watch that sits above the Cheetah 2 Pro in the lineup, and while it shares most of the same core hardware, it pushes the specs that matter when you're out there for six, eight, twelve hours at a stretch.

I've been digging into the spec sheets, press materials, and early coverage to put together a full picture of what the Ultra actually is, and who it's built for.

Cross-shopping the two? We have a full Cheetah 2 Pro vs Cheetah 2 Ultra comparison that walks through who should buy which.

What's New With the Ultra

The Cheetah 2 Ultra launched in May 2026 as the endurance-focused sibling to the Cheetah 2 Pro. Where the Pro targets the marathon road runner, the Ultra is unmistakably aimed at trail runners and ultra-distance athletes. That shows up in three areas that matter most: display size, battery capacity, and storage.

The display jumps from the Pro's 1.32 inches to 1.5 inches. That's a meaningful bump for a watch you'll be glancing at on technical terrain. More real estate means more workout data visible at a glance without breaking stride. The Ultra keeps the same 3,000-nit peak brightness as the Pro, so sunlight readability stays excellent. Resolution drops slightly (480x480 vs 466x466) but at 323 PPI, you're not going to notice any pixelation on a display this size.

Battery is the headline feature. The Ultra delivers up to 33 hours in Trail Running mode. Enough to cover most 50K and 50-mile races without reaching for a battery pack. Typical daily use is rated at 30 days, which is in line with what you'd expect from the Pro. If you're a runner who races ultras, or trains for hours at a time in demanding terrain, this is the number that matters.

Storage jumps from 32GB to 64GB. That gives you room for full offline contour maps, route files, music, and whatever else you want to load on without having to pick and choose. For a trail watch, this is the right call. You want navigation on the wrist when cell signal disappears.

Build Quality: Titanium Throughout, No Compromises

The Ultra goes beyond the Pro in build quality. Both watches use a Grade 5 titanium frame and case, but the Ultra takes it further with a titanium bezel and titanium buttons. The Pro uses a plastic bezel and aluminum alloy buttons, which keeps its price down but gives the Ultra a clear edge in material quality for trail and ultra use.

Sapphire glass protects the 1.5-inch AMOLED display on the Ultra, same as the Pro. The titanium construction means the Ultra can take the kind of abuse that trail running dishes out without showing it. The wider 22mm strap (vs the Pro's 20mm) helps distribute pressure more evenly over long efforts and stays more secure on technical terrain.

Running Features: Everything the Pro Has, Plus a Little More

The Ultra runs the same BioTracker 6.0 PPG sensor as the Pro (5PD and 2LED), which tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, HRV, and sleep. Both watches also share the same dual-band GPS with support for six satellite systems, which should give you solid accuracy even under tree cover or in steep canyons.

What the Ultra adds:

Trail Running mode with load factor calculations. This factors in gradient, terrain resistance, and vertical gain so your effort data actually reflects what your body experiences on the trail (not just flat road pace).
Color-coded elevation overview across your entire route.
Larger screen for workout pages, maps, and data fields during outdoor sessions.

Both watches share the same training ecosystem: Zepp Coach AI for adaptive training plans (5K to marathon), structured workouts from TrainingPeaks, Runna, and Intervals.icu, and automatic Strava sync. If you're already in that ecosystem, the Ultra isn't asking you to change anything. It's just giving you more screen to work with.

Navigation and Maps

This is where the Ultra pulls ahead of the Pro. Full-color contour maps, turn-by-turn navigation, automatic rerouting if you go off-course, and points of interest search all come standard. With 64GB of storage, you can load regional map packs and have them ready when you're off-grid.

Route planning from the watch itself is a nice touch. Set a target distance and direction and the watch generates optimized round-trip routes. That's genuinely useful for exploring new trail systems without pre-planning on a computer.

Battery Deep Dive

Here's the full picture on battery life:

Mode	Cheetah 2 Ultra	Cheetah 2 Pro
Trail Running (GPS)	33 hours	31 hours
Typical Daily Use	30 days	20 days
Precision GPS	~26 hours	~24 hours

The Ultra's 780 mAh battery (vs the Pro's 540 mAh) is the key difference. Two extra hours of trail GPS might not sound like much on paper, but in a 50-mile race or a big training day in the mountains, it could be the difference between finishing with data and finishing blind.

Display and Brightness

Both watches max out at 3,000 nits, which is genuinely impressive for a GPS watch. Most Garmin devices sit in the 1,000-2,000 nit range. Alpine starts and late-evening runs won't be a problem for readability. The jump to 1.5 inches on the Ultra is the real differentiator here, especially if you're someone who runs with multiple data pages or relies on maps during navigation.

Who Should Buy the Ultra?

The Cheetah 2 Ultra is built for:

Ultrarunners and trail runners who measure efforts in hours, not miles.
Athletes who race or train in remote terrain where offline maps and navigation are essential.
Runners who want the biggest possible display for data-heavy training pages or map navigation.
Anyone who needs maximum storage for maps, music, and route files.

If you're primarily a road runner, training for a marathon or shorter distances, the Cheetah 2 Pro at $150 less is the smarter call. You get almost all the same sensor tech, GPS accuracy, and training ecosystem in a lighter package. The Ultra's extra battery and screen are overkill for sub-4 hour race efforts.

Price and Availability

$599.99 is available now on the Amazfit website and major retailers. The Ultra is priced $150 above the Cheetah 2 Pro, which puts it in direct competition with Garmin's entry-level Fenix devices for runners who want premium build quality without the Garmin premium.

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra is available now at amazfit.com. Pricing and availability subject to change.

Looking at Amazfit's budget options instead? Check out our Bip Max breakdown, the $99.99 watch with offline maps and a 3,000-nit display.

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro vs Cheetah 2 Ultra: Which One Should You Buy?

Sat, 16 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Amazfit made a quietly smart move with the Cheetah 2 line: instead of one flagship and a stripped-down budget option, they built two watches for two types of runners. The Cheetah 2 Pro is the road-and-marathon machine. The Cheetah 2 Ultra is the trail-and-ultra-distance beast. Same family, different intent.

If you're cross-shopping the two, the choice comes down to what kind of running you actually do, and how much screen and battery matter to you. Let's lay it out.

The Short Version

Cheetah 2 Ultra: Bigger screen, more battery, more storage. Built for trail runners and ultra athletes who need offline maps and navigation for long days in the backcountry.

Cheetah 2 Pro: Lighter, more compact, still loaded with the same core sensor and GPS tech. Built for road runners and marathon trainers who want performance data without the trail-specific overhead.

Cheetah 2 Pro vs Cheetah 2 Ultra: Full Spec Comparison

Feature	Cheetah 2 Ultra	Cheetah 2 Pro
Price	$599.99	~$449.99
Case Size	47.4 x 47.4mm	48 x 48mm
Thickness	15.6mm (HR sensor) / 13.3mm	15.6mm (HR sensor) / 13.2mm
Weight	52g (no strap)	45.6g (no strap)
Display	1.5" AMOLED, 480x480, 323 PPI	1.32" AMOLED, 466x466, 353 PPI
Peak Brightness	3,000 nits	3,000 nits
Frame/Case	Grade 5 Titanium	Grade 5 Titanium
Bezel	Grade 5 Titanium	Plastic
Buttons	Titanium	Aluminum alloy
Glass	Sapphire	Sapphire
Battery	780 mAh	540 mAh
Trail Running GPS	33 hours	31 hours
Typical Daily Use	30 days	20 days
Storage	64GB	32GB
Strap Width	22mm	20mm
Sports Modes	180+	170+
Sensor	BioTracker 6.0 (5PD/2LED)	BioTracker 6.0 (5PD/2LED)
GPS	Dual-band, 6 satellite systems	Dual-band, 6 satellite systems

Display: The Clearest Difference

This is where you'll feel the split immediately. The Ultra's 1.5-inch AMOLED gives you roughly 17% more screen real estate than the Pro's 1.32-inch display. On paper that sounds incremental. In practice, it's the difference between a watch that shows you four data fields and one that shows you six, or a map that's actually readable without squinting.

The Pro has a slightly sharper PPI (353 vs 323), but at display sizes this small, that's functionally invisible. Both hit 3,000 nits of peak brightness, so outdoor readability is excellent on either model. If you're running with maps or complex workout pages, the Ultra wins outright.

Battery and Storage: The Ultra's Edge

The Ultra's 780 mAh battery vs the Pro's 540 mAh translates to roughly 2 more hours of Trail Running GPS and 10 extra days of typical use. For a weekend warrior running 2-4 hours a week, that's academic. For an ultramarathoner racing 50 miles, it's the difference between crossing the finish line with data and watching your watch die at mile 40.

Storage is the other meaningful gap. The Ultra's 64GB vs the Pro's 32GB means room for full regional map packs, route files, and music without management. If you're the type who wants everything loaded before you leave cell range, the Ultra is purpose-built for that.

Running Features: More Alike Than Different

Both watches use the same BioTracker 6.0 sensor (5PD/2LED) and the same dual-band GPS with six satellite systems. The core running metrics (heart rate, HRV, VO2 max, lactate threshold, training load, recovery status) are shared between the two models.

Both support:

Gradient-adjusted pace and running power.
Zepp Coach AI adaptive training plans (5K to marathon).
TrainingPeaks, Runna, and Intervals.icu sync.
Automatic Strava upload.
Built-in flashlight and mic/speaker.
24/7 heart rate, sleep, and stress tracking.

The Ultra adds Trail Running mode with load factor calculations. This factors in gradient, terrain resistance, and vertical gain into effort estimates. The Pro's standard running modes don't apply these adjustments, which matters more on technical trail terrain than on the road.

The Ultra also has a color-coded elevation overview across your route. Useful for previewing what's coming before you get there, or understanding effort distribution after the fact. The Pro doesn't have this feature.

Build and Comfort

The Ultra is the more premium build of the two. Both watches share Grade 5 titanium frame and case, but the Ultra goes further with a titanium bezel (the Pro uses plastic) and titanium buttons (the Pro uses aluminum alloy). The Pro keeps its price down by reserving titanium for the structural frame and case only.

Sapphire glass covers both displays. Both watches are built to handle real abuse, but the Ultra's all-around titanium construction is the more durable package for extended trail use.

The Pro is lighter (45.6g vs 52g), which you'll notice on shorter road runs. For marathon and shorter trail efforts, the Pro's weight advantage is meaningful. For 50+ mile efforts where you're wearing the watch for 10+ hours straight, the Ultra's slightly heavier build is worth the trade-off for the larger battery and more robust construction.

The Ultra's wider 22mm strap (vs the Pro's 20mm) distributes pressure more evenly over long efforts and feels more secure on technical terrain. Both straps use standard pin buckles.

Which One Should You Buy?

Go Ultra if:

You're running trail races or ultramarathons.
You need offline maps and navigation for remote terrain.
Maximum storage for maps and music matters to you.
You want the biggest display available for data-heavy training pages.
Two extra hours of GPS battery makes a real difference for your goals.

Go Pro if:

You're primarily a road runner training for marathons or shorter distances.
You want titanium and sapphire build quality at a lower price point.
Lighter weight matters more to you than extra battery life.
You don't need offline maps or maximum storage.
You're okay with 31 hours of GPS. This covers essentially every road marathon and most 50K races.

The Bottom Line

Amazfit split the Cheetah 2 line into two genuinely different watches for two genuinely different runners. The Pro isn't a compromise. It's the right tool for road-focused training. The Ultra isn't a gimmick. It's the right tool for runners who need to go longer, navigate harder terrain, and have navigation data when they're 30 miles from the nearest cell tower.

If that sounds like your running, the $150 premium for the Ultra is money well spent. If it doesn't, the Pro delivers 95% of the performance at a friendlier price.

Stepping up to Amazfit's premium tier? Our Balance 3 vs Balance Ultra review covers those two with a full spec comparison.

Garmin Forerunner 70 and 170 Launch: Everything You Need to Know

Wed, 13 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Garmin has announced two new GPS running watches: the Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 170, filling the gap left by the aging Forerunner 55 at the entry-level end of its lineup. Both watches bring AMOLED displays, advanced training metrics, and Garmin's latest software to a price point that should appeal to new and aspiring runners. Here's everything we know so far.

What the Experts Are Saying

Early hands-on coverage has been extensive. Here's what the top reviewers found:

DC Rainmaker put together a deep-dive covering 77 new things to know about the Forerunner 70, noting the display upgrade, expanded training metrics, and the surprisingly broad feature set for an entry-level watch. His full video is embedded below.

Chase the Summit got both watches on wrist and came away calling them potentially the best value Garmin has ever released. The AMOLED screens, training readiness scores, and daily suggested workouts running on the newer software were highlights.

DesFit focused specifically on whether the Forerunner 70 and 170 Music deliver premium features at a budget price — looking at the music capability, GPS accuracy, and how they stack up to the competition.

Forerunner 70 — The Simpler Entry Point

The Forerunner 70 is the more affordable of the two new models, priced at $249. It is built around a 1.2-inch AMOLED display — a meaningful upgrade from the LCD screen on the Forerunner 55. The five-button layout will feel familiar to anyone who has used a Garmin before, and the touchscreen is responsive for everyday navigation.

On the inside, Garmin has packed a surprisingly robust feature set. You get:

Built-in GPS with time, distance, and pace tracking
Wrist-based heart rate monitoring 24/7
Training Readiness — uses sleep, HRV, recovery, and stress to tell you if you're primed to train hard or should take it easy
Training Status — tracks your aerobic and anaerobic fitness over time
Running Power — wrist-based, no additional sensor required
Running Dynamics — cadence, vertical oscillation, ground contact time (with sensor, though Garmin appears to be enabling some via optical means)
Daily Suggested Workouts — adapts to your performance and recovery
New run/walk workouts for beginners
80+ sports modes
HRV Status via the Garmin Elevate sensor
Health Status monitoring
Sleep Coach and breathing tracking
Up to 13 days battery in smartwatch mode

The Forerunner 70 will be available in four colors: citron, cool lavender, black, and whitestone. It ships globally on May 15, 2026.

Forerunner 170 — A Step Up

The Forerunner 170 starts at $299 and adds several features that enthusiasts will appreciate:

Garmin Pay — tap to pay on the go, no phone required
The option for Music storage ($349 for the 170 Music) — download songs and podcasts directly to the watch
Same 1.2-inch AMOLED display and five-button setup
All the training features from the 70

Battery life is slightly lower than the 70 — up to 10 days in smartwatch mode — but GPS battery remains competitive at around 19 hours with music playback.

Both the 170 and 170 Music also ship on May 15, 2026.

How They Compare to the Competition

The Forerunner 70 and 170 land at a competitive price point. The standard 170 at $299 is directly in line with the Coros Pace 4, which Runner's World UK already compared the 70 to in their initial coverage. Both Garmin watches have AMOLED screens — something the Pace 4 lacks — though the Pace 4 edges ahead on battery life and build quality at that price.

The real story here is what Garmin has brought down to entry level. Training Readiness and Training Status used to be features reserved for the Fenix and Forerunner 970 series. Running power at the wrist without a sensor, daily suggested workouts, and HRV Status are all meaningful additions at $249 and $299.

Who Are These Watches For?

These are clearly aimed at new and aspiring runners who want more than basic tracking. The daily suggested workouts and run/walk profiles suggest Garmin is explicitly targeting people transitioning from no watch or a fitness band. The advanced training metrics give experienced runners a reason to recommend them to training partners who do not want to spend $400+ on a Fenix.

If you have been holding off on the Forerunner 55 because it felt too basic, the 70 — or 170 if you want Garmin Pay and music — is the upgrade you have been waiting for.

Early Verdict

Based on the hands-on time from DC Rainmaker, Chase the Summit, and DesFit, the Forerunner 70 and 170 look like the most compelling entry-level Garmin watches in years. The AMOLED upgrade alone makes them worth considering over the older 55, and the training features being pulled down from the flagship line give them real substance beyond the display.

Full reviews are coming, Garmin is reportedly shipping review units now. Until then, the three videos above give the most complete picture of what these watches can do.

Garmin Instinct 3 Gets Major Software Update 14.14: Battery Life Estimates and Dozens of Refinements

Tue, 12 May 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Garmin has released a significant stable software update—version 14.14—for the entire Instinct 3 series, including the Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar, and Instinct 3 E. After eight weeks of beta testing, the update is now rolling out globally with over a dozen refinements that touch nearly every part of the watch experience.

What's New in Version 14.14

Battery Life Estimate Improvements

One of the headline additions is improved battery life estimation when switching between power modes during activities. Garmin has historically offered solid battery metrics, but the estimates when dynamically changing settings mid-workout haven't always been accurate. This update refines those calculations, giving users a more reliable picture of how much runtime they have left based on their current GPS, sensor, and connectivity settings.

The Instinct 3 Solar model, already known for its unlimited battery life under the right conditions, benefits from these refinements too—making it easier to plan longer adventures without range anxiety.

Two New Glances

The update adds a pair of new glanceable data screens:

Stocks Glance — Check your investment portfolio performance right from your wrist. A first for Garmin's rugged line, this opens the door for more lifestyle-oriented apps on the Instinct platform.
Recovery Time Glance — A dedicated view for recovery status, building on the morning-readiness features Garmin has been expanding across its smartwatch lineup.

Morning Recovery Card

Building on the Morning Report feature introduced in earlier updates, the Instinct 3 now displays a dedicated Morning Recovery Card that gives you a consolidated view of sleep quality and readiness the moment you wake up. Combined with the existing recovery time data, users get a clearer picture of whether their body is ready for hard training or needs an easy day.

Mobility Application

A new Mobility app joins the Instinct 3's suite of built-in applications, offering a series of guided exercises aimed at improving joint mobility. This reflects Garmin's broader push to expand the Instinct 3 beyond pure endurance tracking into the overall fitness and recovery ecosystem.

Workout Execution Score

The update adds a Workout Execution Score feature that evaluates how well you executed your planned training session based on performance data. This builds on Garmin's trend of adding post-workout analytical tools that go beyond simple HR and GPS tracking.

Morning Report Enhancements

The Morning Report feature—already popular on the Fenix and Venu lines—receives a new related addition that ties in more closely with the recovery and sleep data the Instinct 3 collects. It's a nice quality-of-life addition for athletes using their watches as a daily training guide.

Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements

No major software update is complete without fixing what was broken:

Navigation fix — A bug that caused destination routing issues when saving routes via the app has been resolved
inReach messaging fix — Fixed an issue where message transmission to multiple inReach users would fail
Interval workout crash fix — Users who rely heavily on interval workouts should see a notably more stable experience
Larger activity file library improvements — Watches with large numbers of saved activities should no longer experience slowdowns and unresponsiveness when scrolling through history

How to Install

The update is rolling out automatically through Garmin Connect, but you can check manually:

Press Menu on your Instinct 3
Go to Settings → System → Software Update
Select Check for Updates

Make sure your watch is connected to Garmin Connect and has a decent charge before installing.

Should You Update?

If you're running an Instinct 3 series watch, this update is worth installing as soon as it hits your device. The battery life estimate improvements alone make it easier to trust what your watch tells you about remaining runtime—especially important for anyone who switches between activity modes frequently during training or adventures.

The new health and fitness features (Recovery Time glance, Morning Recovery Card, Workout Execution Score, Mobility app) bring the Instinct 3 closer to feature parity with Garmin's more premium Fenix line, which is a strong signal that Garmin is continuing to invest in its rugged outdoor platform.

Beta 17.25 is also in the pipeline for the Venu 4 and Vivoactive 6, which shares some of the same codebase—so expect these refinements to trickle down to other mid-range Garmin watches in the coming weeks.

Have you installed the 14.14 update on your Instinct 3? Share your experience in the WatchesReviewed forums or drop a comment below.

Fitbit Air Review: $99, No Subscription, Screenless

Thu, 07 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Fitbit Air dropped this week and it's one of the more interesting moves Google's made in the wearable space in years. At $99, it's a screenless health band designed to go head-to-head with the Whoop - and unlike Whoop, there's no monthly subscription you have to keep paying to make it useful.

I dug into reviews from four of the most technically rigorous wearable reviewers to see what the Fitbit Air actually delivers - and where it might fall short.

What Is the Fitbit Air?

The Fitbit Air is a small pod that snaps into a band. There's no screen, no GPS, no smartwatch features. Just sensors that track your body 24/7 and sync to your phone.

Google calls the pod itself the "Pebble" - a nostalgic nod to the original Pebble smartwatch that started the whole minimalist wearable idea. The pod weighs just 5.2g; with a band it's around 12g. According to Ray Maker at DCRainmaker, it's "essentially taking the Fitbit Charge 6, removing the screen, and just leaving the internal pod."

Three band styles are available at launch: Active, Elevated, and Performance. Each comes in multiple colors. There's also a co-branded Steph Curry edition at $129.

It's available May 26th, priced at $99 standard, $129 for the Curry edition.

Design: Small, Light, Comfortable for Sleep

The size advantage over a smartwatch is immediately obvious. Rob ter Horst of the Quantified Scientist put it well: "A screenless tracker can be smaller, lighter, and less distracting than a smartwatch. And you can even wear a normal watch beside it."

Des Yap (DesFit) pointed out the practical upside for sleep tracking: "When I sleep on my side, I can certainly feel a watch more than a band." The Fitbit Air is comfortable enough to wear to bed consistently - which is kind of the point when your main use case is recovery and sleep monitoring.

There's no bicep band at launch, which Rob noted as a limitation for some users. But as Dave Dillon (Chase The Summit) observed, "I think within like maybe four to five weeks, we'll see a whole plethora of bands on Amazon." The pod uses a standard Fitbit-style attachment, so third-party band support should come fast.

The device is water resistant to 50 meters.

Sensors and Tracking: Everything You'd Expect

The Air tracks 24/7 heart rate, HRV, breathing rate, SPO2, skin temperature, and steps. It also does FDA-cleared background AFib detection - notable for a $99 device.

Automatic workout detection is included. The Air will recognize running, cycling, rowing, elliptical, sports, and other high-heart-rate activities in the background. As Ray Maker noted, it's not as robust as Whoop's classification system - Whoop can distinguish between mountain bike rides, road bike rides, and indoor cycling. The Air is more generic.

The mitigation: Google's software learns over time. If you keep labeling your Saturday morning activity as "mountain bike," it will eventually learn to classify it correctly without prompting.

For strength training, there's no automatic rep counting. But you can tell Google Health Coach what you did post-workout and it adds the context. If you want GPS tracks for outdoor runs, you'll need your phone - the Air uses connected GPS, not built-in.

Battery: 7 Days, With a Catch

Google claims seven days of battery life, with 90 minutes to full charge. The quick-charge feature is genuinely useful: five minutes on the charger gets you a full day of tracking. That's ideal if you want to charge it while you shower and never miss a night's sleep data.

As Rob ter Horst noted, the competition (Amazfit Helio Band, Whoop) can hit 10-14 days per charge. Seven days is solid but not class-leading. Google's conservative with battery estimates though - Ray Maker noted Fitbit "tends to be very conservative" with battery claims, so real-world results may be at least as good.

The Real Story: Google Health App

Here's where things get interesting. The Fitbit app is being fully rebranded to Google Health - and that's not just a name change. Google is consolidating Fitbit, Google Fit, and Google Health into a single app experience.

The Google Health app (rolling out May 19th) has four tabs:

Today - your current day snapshot: sleep, readiness, activity
Fitness - training load, cardio load, V02 max estimates, workout suggestions
Sleep - sleep stages, trends, nap detection
Health - individual wellness metrics

On top of that, Google is finally launching Google Health Coach - a Gemini-powered AI coach that can answer questions, build training plans, analyze sleep, and even process photos of food. This is the premium tier ($9.99/month or $99/year after a 3-month free trial with purchase), and all four reviewers found it surprisingly capable.

Des Yap put it bluntly: "This could be Whoop's worst nightmare." Ray Maker called the AI coach "way beyond what anyone else is doing" but noted it can be "a bit over the top" with the amount of text and insights it generates.

Rob ter Horst offered a more cautious take: "AI generated health advice should be treated somewhat carefully. We're still very much in the early stages of AI." Fair.

One More Thing: It Works With Pixel Watch

Google's positioning the Air and Pixel Watch as complementary, not competing. You can wear the Pixel Watch during the day (it has GPS, a screen, smart features), then switch to the Fitbit Air at night for sleep. All data merges in the Google Health app.

If you wear both simultaneously, the Pixel Watch takes priority for heart rate data. But you can set custom priorities per data type - use Pixel Watch data for workouts, Fitbit Air data for sleep.

Third-party device integration is also coming. During the briefing, Dave Dillon noted Google showed the app pulling sleep data from an Eight Sleep mattress cover. Rob ter Horst also pointed out that Google Health can sync with Apple Health - meaning iPhone users with an Apple Watch could route that data into Google Health too.

How It Stacks Up Against Whoop

This is the $99 question (literally). Here's the comparison:

	Fitbit Air	Whoop 4.0
Price	$99	$348 (hardware) + $30/mo
Battery	~7 days	~5 days
Subscription required?	No	Yes ($360/year)
AFib detection	Yes (FDA cleared)	No
Automatic workout detection	Yes (limited types)	Yes (extensive)
GPS	Connected (phone)	None
AI Health Coach	Yes (premium tier)	No
Platform	Android + iOS	Android + iOS

Whoop's subscription model is its real revenue driver. Over two years, a Whoop costs $1,068+ total. The Fitbit Air, even with two years of premium subscription, comes to under $400.

The tracking capability gap is real though. Whoop's activity classification is more sophisticated, and Whoop's app and recovery/strain algorithm have years of refinement. Rob ter Horst put it well: Whoop is "more tailored towards athletes... people who see themselves as doing a lot of sports and wanting to track their recovery." The Fitbit Air with Google Health might appeal more to general fitness users who want a broader health picture.

Sleep Tracking: Where Fitbit Has Legs

Sleep tracking is where Fitbit has historically performed well against competitors. Google claims the new sleep algorithm is 15% more accurate than the previous generation - specifically for sleep stages, interruptions, and nap detection. This improvement applies to all recent Fitbit and Pixel Watch devices via app update, not just the Air.

Rob ter Horst's take was measured: "Based on previous Fitbit performance, I would expect the Fitbit Air is going to be reasonably good for sleep tracking. In my own testing, Fitbit devices have generally performed quite well compared to many other consumer wearables, especially when it comes to sleep."

He's right to be cautious though. Wrist-based wearables don't measure brain waves - they infer sleep stages from movement, heart rate, HRV, and breathing. For tracking trends over time, it'll be useful. For clinical-grade accuracy, look elsewhere.

Nap detection is a standout feature. The Air will detect naps as short as 20 minutes and log them automatically.

What's Not Great

A few things to be aware of before buying:

No built-in GPS. If you want route tracking for trail runs or bike rides, you need your phone. This is standard for screenless bands, but it's a limitation if you like leaving your phone behind.

Workout heart rate accuracy TBD. The Air is tiny. Optical heart rate sensors tend to struggle more during high-movement activities like running or weightlifting. Rob ter Horst explicitly called this out: "I'm curious to see how it performs during runs, cycling, and strength training. These are usually more difficult for optical heart rate sensors."

Automatic activity recognition is basic. It'll tag your run, but don't expect it to know whether you're on a mountain bike or road bike. Whoop is years ahead here.

Bicep band missing at launch. If you prefer wearing trackers on your bicep (common for weightlifting), you'll need to wait or go third-party.

Who Should Buy the Fitbit Air?

Get it if:

You want Whoop-level tracking without the subscription
You already live in the Google/Fitbit ecosystem
You want a comfortable sleep tracker that doesn't feel like a smartwatch
You already own a Pixel Watch and want better sleep data without re-wearing the watch

Skip it if:

You need built-in GPS for runs without your phone
You want the most sophisticated automatic activity classification
You're an athlete who needs the most accurate workout heart rate data
You're not in the Google ecosystem and don't want to be

The Bottom Line

The Fitbit Air is a credible first entry into the screenless wearable category by Google. At $99 with no mandatory subscription, it's fairly priced against the Amazfit Helio Band and Polar Loop - and dramatically cheaper than Whoop over time.

The real value isn't just the hardware. It's the Google Health app and the data consolidation play. Google is using the Air as a door opener to get users into a broader health ecosystem that includes AI coaching, medical record integration, and cross-device data merging.

Whether that's compelling depends on how much you trust Google with your health data - and how well the Air actually performs in real-world use. The sleep tracking will probably be good. The workout heart rate accuracy remains the big question mark.

We'll know more once units are in hand. But if Google executes, this could be the beginning of the end for mandatory wearable subscriptions.

Apple's 2026 Pride Collection Is Here: A Rainbow on Your Wrist

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Apple just unveiled its 2026 Pride Collection, and it might be the most striking one yet. The centerpiece is a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Loop woven from 11 colors of nylon yarn, with hues that blend seamlessly into one another across the band. It's available to order today from Apple's online store, priced at $49.

The Band: Eleven Colors, One Spectrum

The Pride Edition Sport Loop is Apple's most colorful watch band yet. Where previous Pride bands featured six or eight colors, the 2026 edition jumps to eleven, woven in a way that creates depth and movement rather than hard color blocks. Each hue flows into the next, giving the band a living, dynamic quality that looks different depending on how light hits it.

The band uses a hook-and-loop closure (the Sport Loop signature), so it's easy to adjust on the fly — whether you're putting it over a wetsuit or loosening it for all-day comfort. It works with any Apple Watch that uses the modern band attachment system, which covers essentially every Apple Watch since Series 4.

At $49, it's in line with Apple's other Pride bands from previous years. Not cheap, but you're paying for the design work and the fact that a chunk of the proceeds reportedly goes to LGBTQ+ organizations Apple supports.

The Watch Face: Pride Luminance

No Pride collection would be complete without a matching watch face, and Apple delivers with Pride Luminance. It's designed to complement the Sport Loop's aesthetic with colors that dynamically refract as you move the watch. Two geometric patterns are available: radial (with color rays aligned to the hour markers) and vertical (echoing the linear stripes of the woven band).

You can customize the color options within the face to create something that feels personal to you. It's a nice touch — this isn't just a cookie-cutter color swap, there's actual thought put into how the face and band feel like a unified design.

The Wallpapers: iPhone and iPad Too

Apple's also releasing matching Pride Luminance wallpapers for iPhone and iPad. These are free and available now through iOS and iPadOS settings. If you're the type who likes your whole device to feel cohesive, it's a nice finishing touch.

Availability

The Pride Edition Sport Loop is available today from apple.com in both 40mm and 46mm sizes. It ships now. If you want to see it in person at an Apple Store, you'll need to wait a few more days — Apple says it'll roll out to physical retail locations later in the week.

Price: $49

Apple's 2026 Pride Collection is available now at apple.com. A portion of Pride product proceeds goes to organizations that serve LGBTQ+ communities, according to Apple.

watchOS 27 Leaks: New Modular Ultra Watch Face Simplifies the Most Complex Apple Watch Display

Tue, 05 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Apple is working on a new watch face design that simplifies its most data-dense display. Here's what the watchOS 27 leak tells us about Apple's thinking.

The Most Complex Apple Watch Face Is Getting Simpler

The Modular Ultra — Apple's most information-dense watch face — is getting a makeover in watchOS 27. And based on the early leaks, Apple is going in the opposite direction from what you might expect.

Instead of adding more data, they're removing stuff.

The current Modular Ultra face offers seven complications and six options for sizing the time display. It is designed for athletes and power users who want everything visible at a glance — Vitals, training load, heart rate, all of it. The new design being tested reportedly keeps the large digital clock that fills the top two-thirds of the screen, but removes the center complication slot, the row of three small complications above the time, and the training bezel information ring.

The result is cleaner and more readable. Think of it as Modular Ultra for people who want the vibe of the Ultra face but don't need seven complications.

What's Actually Changing

From the reports across multiple sources (MacRumors, AppleInsider, MacDailyNews):

The large digital clock still fills the top two-thirds of the display
A row of three smaller circular complications appears along the bottom
Gone: the center complication slot, the row of small complications above the time, the bezel training ring

This is being described as a "simplified" version — and that tracks with how Apple has evolved watch faces. The original Modular was already a simplification when it launched. Modular Ultra was the complex version for Ultra watches. Now we're getting a complex-lite version for standard Apple Watch models.

Why This Matters

Apple Watch faces tend to tell us where Apple is heading. The Modular Ultra was built around training data — Vitals, recovery, training load. That was a deliberate statement that the Ultra was a serious training watch.

The simplified version suggests Apple may be planning to bring the Modular face to more Apple Watch models. Not everyone with an Apple Watch Series or Apple Watch SE wants seven complications. A cleaner version that still shows the key training metrics could be the right balance.

It also signals that watchOS 27 is more about refinement than revolution. After watchOS 26 brought the new Pride Luminance face and other additions, watchOS 27 appears to be an evolutionary update rather than a ground-up redesign.

The Full watchOS 27 Picture

The Modular Ultra news joins a few other things expected in watchOS 27:

New watch faces beyond just the Modular variants
The standard Modular Ultra face is also getting adjustments
WWDC 2026 is expected in June where Apple will officially announce all the software details

iOS 26.5 is also reportedly coming soon with new features ahead of the full iOS 27 cycle.

What This Means for Your Current Watch

If you're running watchOS 26, nothing changes today. watchOS 27 is still in development and won't be officially announced until WWDC in June, with a public release likely in September alongside new Apple Watch hardware.

If you're the kind of person who customizes your watch face constantly, this is worth watching — the new simplified Modular Ultra may become your new favorite face once the update drops.

We'll update this post as more watchOS 27 details leak ahead of WWDC.

Apple Q2 2026 Earnings: Record Revenue, Apple Watch Growth, and Health App Upgrades

Fri, 01 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT

The Short Version

Apple just posted its best Q2 ever: $111.2 billion in revenue (up 17% YoY). Apple Watch continues to drive wearables growth, more than half of Apple Watch buyers are new to the product, and iOS 26.4 brought key Health app improvements with bigger changes coming in iOS 27.

Apple Q2 2026 By the Numbers

Metric	Q2 2026	vs. Last Year
Total Revenue	$111.2 billion	+17%
iPhone Revenue	$57 billion	+22%
Wearables Revenue	$7.9 billion	+5%
Services Revenue	$31 billion	+16% (record)

Every product category and geographic segment saw double-digit growth. Apple's installed base of active devices hit an all-time high of over 2.5 billion devices.

Apple Watch: Half of Buyers Are New

The wearables numbers stood out: Apple's "wearables, home, and accessories" category brought in $7.9 billion, up 5% year-over-year. But the real story is the customer acquisition.

"More than half of customers who purchased an Apple Watch during the quarter were new to the product."

That's a significant statement about Apple Watch's continued ability to attract first-time buyers - not just upgrading existing customers.

Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE all continue to "play an essential role in users' lives, going far beyond fitness tracking to deliver meaningful health insights," according to the earnings call.

Services Hit $31 Billion - A New Record

Apple's Services segment (App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud, Apple Fitness+, etc.) hit $31 billion in revenue - a new all-time record and up 16% year-over-year.

Key points:

Both transacting and paid accounts hit new all-time highs
Apple's services ecosystem now spans 2.5+ billion active devices
Services gross margin continues to be ~70%, far outpacing hardware

This Services growth matters for Apple Watch too - Apple Fitness+ is a key differentiator that keeps users locked into the Apple ecosystem.

iOS 26.4 Health App: Two Key Improvements

On the software side, iOS 26.4 (released late March 2026) brought two notable improvements to Apple's Health app:

1. Bedtime Consistency Tracking

The Sleep screen now includes a bedtime highlight showing your recent sleep schedule. You can see:

Bar chart visualization of the last two weeks of bedtimes
Average bedtime metric
Last night's bedtime

This helps users understand their sleep consistency - a factor that affects sleep quality more than total hours.

2. Blood Oxygen Returns to Vitals

Blood Oxygen tracking returned to the Vitals screen in iOS 26.4. Apple removed blood oxygen sensing from Apple Watch in early 2024 due to a patent dispute with Masimo, then relaunched it later that year - but the data wasn't showing up in the Vitals dashboard until now.

The Vitals screen now tracks five metrics:

Heart rate
Respiratory rate
Wrist temperature
Blood oxygen
Sleep duration

What's Coming: iOS 27 Health Upgrades

Apple is clearly not done with Health. According to multiple reports:

Nutrition logging is coming to the Health app - Siri will be able to scan nutrition labels via the Camera app and log dietary information
AI health coaching features are in development (though details are sparse)
Educational video content from health experts is rumored

Apple will unveil iOS 27 at WWDC on June 8, 2026, so we'll know exactly what's coming within weeks.

What This Means for Apple Watch Users

Apple's continued investment in Health app features reinforces that Apple Watch is a health device first, fitness tracker second. The quarterly earnings prove the strategy is working:

Apple Watch is still attracting new customers at a strong rate
Services revenue creates an ecosystem lock-in that competitors can't easily match
Software features (Sleep Score, Vitals, Health app improvements) add value without requiring hardware upgrades

For Garmin and other fitness-focused competitors, the takeaway is clear: Apple is playing a different game. They're not racing to add more sport modes or GPS accuracy - they're focused on health insights, ecosystem, and the services recurring revenue model.

Garmin Fenix 9 Rumors: Q1 2026 Earnings Signal Big Things Coming

Fri, 01 May 2026 09:00:00 GMT

The Short Version

Garmin just posted one of its strongest quarters in years, with wearables driving significant consolidated growth. The company signaled that H2 2026 will bring major launches, including the anticipated Fenix 9 - and hinted at entering entirely new wearable categories.

Garmin's Q1 2026: The Numbers

Garmin reported strong Q1 2026 results, with fitness/wearable sales jumping 42% year-over-year. The company highlighted "strength in many product categories, including wearables, which were a significant contributor to consolidated growth." This is the strongest quarter in years for Garmin's wearable division.

The Q1 2026 earnings call made one thing crystal clear: Garmin is gearing up for its biggest product launch of the year, and it's happening in the second half.

What Garmin Said About Fenix 9

On the earnings call, Garmin's leadership signaled:

"The second half of the year will bring major launches, including the anticipated Fenix 9."

This aligns with Garmin's traditional release cycle - Fenix models typically launch in the August-October timeframe. If history holds, we'll see the Fenix 9 officially announced sometime in late summer or early fall 2026.

But the Fenix 9 isn't the only thing Garmin has in store.

Beyond the Fenix 9: A New Wearable Category?

Perhaps even more intriguing, Garmin hinted at entering entirely new wearable categories, potentially beyond traditional watches. Industry watchers speculate this could include:

Smart rings (like Oura or Samsung Galaxy Ring)
Screenless fitness bands focused on sleep and recovery
Other form factors we haven't seen from Garmin yet

Garmin recently leaked a mystery device called "CIRQA" on its own website - a smart band that looks like a Whoop competitor. Whether CIRQA is the new category or part of something else remains to be seen, but it's clear Garmin is exploring beyond the traditional watch formula.

Expected Fenix 9 Features

Based on the current evidence and the reporting so far, here's what to expect from the Fenix 9:

Feature	Likelihood	Notes
Brighter AMOLED display (up to 3,000 nits)	90%	Incremental improvement over Fenix 8's ~2,000 nits
Tri-band GNSS	80%	Huawei already achieved this in the Watch GT Runner 2
Processor upgrade	80%	Current chip isn't powerful enough for smooth map rendering
Battery improvements	90%	Via more efficient components, not new chemistry
Elevate Gen 6 HR sensor	60%	Could bring blood pressure trends and better arrhythmia detection
LTE/satellite messaging	Already exists	Will likely carry forward from Fenix 8 Pro

What NOT to expect:

MicroLED display (not until 2027 - current tech is too expensive and battery-hungry)
Wireless charging (only 20% chance)
On-device AI features (10% chance - any AI will be in Garmin Connect+ app)

The Competition

Garmin isn't sitting still while waiting for Fenix 9. Competitors are moving fast:

Huawei just released the Watch GT Runner 2 with tri-band GNSS and Bluetooth 6.0 - firsts in the industry
Amazfit is "about to flood 2026 with new watches" according to T3
Apple continues to dominate the general smartwatch market

The Fenix 9 needs to deliver meaningful hardware improvements to stay ahead - particularly in display quality, GPS accuracy, and processing speed. Based on the expected spec sheet, it looks like Garmin is addressing exactly those areas.

When Will Fenix 9 Launch?

Based on Garmin's historical patterns:

Fenix 7: January 2022
Fenix 8: September 2024
Fenix 8 Pro: September 2025
Fenix 9: Expected August-October 2026

The Fenix 8 launched in fall 2024, so a fall 2026 Fenix 9 fits the roughly 2-year cycle between major numbered releases.

Should You Wait for Fenix 9?

Wait if:

You're coming from Fenix 7 or older
You want the brightest display, best GPS accuracy, and fastest processor
You can hold off until late summer/fall 2026

Don't wait if:

You have a Fenix 8 or Fenix 8 Pro - the upgrade likely won't be revolutionary
You need something now - Fenix 8 Pro is still an excellent watch
You're sensitive to price - Fenix 9 will likely start $100-200 higher than Fenix 8 Pro

Polar Street X: First Look at Polar's New Urban Adventure Watch

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Polar has officially entered the urban adventure watch market with the Street X, a new wearable that aims to bridge the gap between city style and outdoor capability. Announced on March 25, 2026, this watch represents Polar's expansion beyond their traditional sports-focused offerings into the growing lifestyle fitness segment.

What We Know About the Polar Street X

Design and Positioning

The Street X is described as a "durable, urban-ready sports watch" that combines Polar's athletic technology with everyday wearability. It is positioned for athletes and active individuals who want serious performance metrics without the technical look of dedicated sports watches.

Key Features

Based on the official announcement and available information, the Street X features urban-rugged construction designed to handle both daily wear and outdoor activities. It includes Polar's full training ecosystem with performance metrics, recovery insights, and multi-sport tracking capabilities. The watch will be available in three color options: black, white, and olive green.

Target Audience

The Street X appears to target urban athletes who train in both city environments and natural settings, lifestyle-focused users who want serious health insights without technical watch aesthetics, and existing Polar customers looking for a more versatile daily option.

Market Context and Competition

The Street X enters a competitive space that includes several established approaches to the urban adventure category.

Garmin addresses this market with both the Venu series for lifestyle focus and the Instinct line for rugged durability. The Street X seems to aim for a middle ground between these approaches.

COROS focuses heavily on pure athletic performance with their Pace and Apex lines, while the Street X appears to prioritize broader lifestyle appeal while maintaining training capabilities.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch series offers strong smart features but typically trails dedicated sports brands in training metrics and battery life, an area where Polar may have an advantage.

What We Are Still Waiting to Learn

Several key details remain to be confirmed through comprehensive reviews and user feedback.

Performance Questions

Real-world GPS accuracy in various environments needs testing, as does heart rate monitoring reliability during different activities. Battery life under typical usage patterns requires verification, and the implementation of Polar's training features in this new form factor needs evaluation.

Practical Considerations

Exact pricing and availability timing are still pending official confirmation. Daily comfort and wearability will need user feedback, and the complete set of smart features and connectivity options requires detailed examination.

Competitive Positioning

How the Street X compares specifically against established competitors like Garmin's Venu and Instinct lines needs side-by-side testing and analysis.

Why This Launch Matters

The Street X represents an important strategic expansion for Polar. While the company has excelled with serious athletic watches, the growing urban adventure and lifestyle fitness segments represent significant market opportunities.

This move could help Polar compete more effectively in the broader wearable market and appeal to users who want both serious health insights and everyday practicality. The success of similar products from competitors suggests there is demand for devices that bridge this gap.

Looking Ahead

As more information becomes available from early users and comprehensive reviews, we will gain a clearer picture of where the Street X fits in the competitive landscape. The real test will be whether Polar can deliver a device that genuinely meets the needs of urban adventurers while maintaining the brand's reputation for athletic performance.

For now, the Street X represents an interesting new direction for Polar, one that could appeal to a broader audience while staying true to the company's sports technology heritage. As the urban adventure category continues to grow, Polar's entry adds another compelling option for consumers looking for watches that work as well in the city as they do on the trail.

London Marathon 2026: The Watches That Actually Won (And Why They Surprised Everyone)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The 2026 London Marathon was not just another race. It was a historic moment in running. Sabastian Sawe became the first man to officially break the two-hour barrier with a stunning 1:59:30. Tigst Assefa shattered the women-only world record with a 2:15:41. But beyond the record-breaking times, something else caught the attention of tech enthusiasts. What these elite athletes actually choose to wear on their wrists when everything is on the line.

The answer surprised almost everyone. Instead of premium titanium flagships or the latest AMOLED smartwatches, the podium finishers chose lightweight, practical training watches built for one job, running well.

Note: This analysis is based on a speculative scenario created by Gadgets and Wearables, imagining what the 2026 London Marathon might look like. While the specific watch models and times are fictional, the insights about elite runner preferences for lightweight, practical watches over luxury flagships are grounded in real-world observations from current elite competitions.

The Podium Finishers and Their Watches

Men's Division

1st Place: Sabastian Sawe (1:59:30) — Garmin Forerunner 255
2nd Place: Yomif Kejelcha (1:59:41) — COROS Pace 3
3rd Place: Jacob Kiplimo (2:00:28) — Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

Women's Division

1st Place: Tigst Assefa (2:15:41) — Garmin Forerunner 255
2nd Place: Hellen Obiri (2:15:53) — COROS Pace 4
3rd Place: Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:15:55) — Garmin Forerunner 955

Why This Matters, The Surprising Patterns

1. Garmin Dominates, But Not With Flagships

Garmin took 3 of the 6 podium spots, but notably not with their premium Fenix or MARQ lines. Both first-place winners wore the Forerunner 255. A mid-range model that originally launched years ago. The Forerunner 955, worn by Jepkosgei, sits in the same performance-focused category rather than the luxury segment.

2. COROS Continues Its Elite Push

COROS secured two podium positions with their Pace series. The Pace 3 and the yet-to-be-released Pace 4. This continues their strategy of focusing on performance runners rather than general smartwatch buyers. The Pace line's lightweight design and training-first approach clearly resonates with elite athletes.

3. The Samsung Surprise

Jacob Kiplimo's choice of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 was the biggest shock. Samsung watches are typically seen as smartwatches first and sports devices second, making this a rare appearance of a general-purpose smartwatch in elite marathon competition.

What Elite Runners Actually Care About

Looking at these choices, several patterns emerge about what matters to the world's fastest runners.

Weight Over Luxury

Every watch on the podium is lightweight. The Forerunner 255 weighs just 49 grams, the COROS Pace 3 is 30 grams, and even the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is relatively light for a smartwatch. When you are running sub-2-hour marathon pace, every gram matters.

MIP Displays Dominate

Both Garmin models and the COROS watches use Memory-in-Pixel displays rather than AMOLED. MIP screens are always visible in direct sunlight, use minimal power, and do not require wrist flicks or worry about dimming at critical moments. Only the Samsung uses AMOLED technology.

Reliability Over Features

None of these watches are packed with the latest smartwatch extras. They focus on core running metrics. Accurate GPS, reliable heart rate tracking, pace data, and battery life that will not quit during a marathon. The flashy lifestyle features found on premium watches are conspicuously absent.

Mid-Range Pricing

Perhaps the most surprising revelation. Elite runners are not choosing the most expensive options. The Forerunner 255 retails around $350, the COROS Pace 3 around $230, and even the Forerunner 955 sits well below flagship pricing. This challenges the assumption that professional athletes need premium equipment.

The Technical Edge, Why These Watches Work

Garmin Forerunner 255

The choice of both first-place winners speaks volumes. The 255 offers multi-band GPS for accuracy in challenging environments, up to 14 days battery life in smartwatch mode, training readiness and recovery metrics, and lightweight 49g design that disappears on the wrist.

COROS Pace Series

The Pace 3 and upcoming Pace 4 continue COROS's focus on ultra-lightweight designs, long battery life, simple training-focused interface, and affordable pricing that prioritizes function over form.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

Kiplimo's choice suggests Samsung has made significant strides in sports tracking accuracy, battery optimization for endurance events, and integration with training platforms.

The Bigger Picture, What This Means for Recreational Runners

This podium lineup offers valuable insights for everyday athletes.

You do not need the most expensive watch to perform well. The world's fastest runners are choosing mid-range, practical tools over luxury flagships.

Weight matters more than you think. Lightweight watches are more comfortable over long distances and easier to forget about when fatigue sets in.

Focus on core features. Reliable GPS, good battery life, and accurate heart rate tracking are what actually matter during a race. The extra smart features can wait until you have crossed the finish line.

MIP displays have real advantages. While AMOLED screens look beautiful, MIP technology offers better visibility in direct sunlight and significantly better battery life.

The Takeaway, Performance Over Prestige

The 2026 London Marathon podium tells a clear story. When world records are on the line, elite runners choose practical, reliable tools over flashy luxury. They prioritize weight, battery life, and core running metrics over smartwatch extras and premium materials.

For recreational runners, the lesson is equally clear. You might not need that $1,000 flagship watch. A well-designed mid-range model from Garmin, COROS, or even Samsung might be exactly what you need to chase your own personal best.

Sometimes, the best tool for the job is not the most expensive one. It is the one that does the job best.

COROS and Wahoo Partner Up: An Unlikely Team That's Actually Kind of Interesting

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Two companies that were practically fighting for the same spot on your handlebars are now working together. COROS and Wahoo announced a partnership, and honestly, on paper it sounds impossible. These are two companies with directly competing product lines. So what's actually happening here, and why should you care?

Let's figure it out.

The Backstory: How Did We Get Here?

To understand why this partnership feels so strange, you need to know about the COROS Dura. That was COROS's first ever cycling computer, launched in mid-2024. And it wasn't just another bike computer entering a crowded market. It tried to flip the whole segment on its head with a 120-hour battery life and legitimate solar charging built right into the device.

If you follow cycling tech at all, you know who dominates that space. Garmin, obviously. But also Wahoo. And reviewers noticed - some explicitly called out that the Dura was a direct threat to the Wahoo Element Bolt. It undercut the Bolt's price by about $30 while adding features Wahoo didn't have. Touchscreen. Solar panels. Those things matter when you're on a long ride.

So COROS and Wahoo were fighting for the same real estate. Your handlebars. That's a fact.

Meanwhile, Wahoo tried to sell watches. Remember the Element Rival? It launched in November 2020 and had something genuinely interesting - it was the first GPS watch that would automatically switch between triathlon segments. Swim, bike, run, all without hitting a button. Wahoo called it "touchless transition" and it actually worked pretty well.

But Chip Hawkins, Wahoo's CEO, publicly stated in late 2023 that there were no new watches planned. No Rival 2. By early 2026, the Rival was completely gone from Wahoo's site - removed from their product lineup entirely. If you find one now, you're probably looking at a $99 fire sale price.

So here's the thing - Wahoo isn't really in the GPS watch game anymore. That removes the conflict.

So What Exactly Did They Announce?

The headline for most athletes is the two-way API integration. This is actually useful. If you're running with a COROS watch and cycling with a Wahoo computer, your workout data now automatically flows to both platforms. COROS told us that uploads from either ecosystem affect your fitness metrics - things like base fitness and training load. So if you're using both systems, your training load calculation should stay accurate.

Is that revolutionary? No. Fit files have always been portable. But having it happen automatically without you manually exporting and importing? That's genuinely convenient.

There's also a specific Bluetooth connection between COROS watches and the Wahoo Kicker Run treadmill. Garmin can connect to the same treadmill using ANT+, but this COROS protocol is apparently a bit faster and more reactive according to early reports. I haven't personally used the Kicker Run, but everything I hear about it is fantastic. Someday I'll get my hands on one.

COROS watches can also broadcast heart rate to Wahoo cycling computers, but honestly, that's not new - that was already possible before this announcement.

Here's where it gets interesting for consumers: Wahoo is now selling COROS devices on their website. The Apex 4 and Pace 4 will be available through Wahoo's store. There will be a custom Wahoo digital watch face for COROS watches, and eventually a Wahoo-branded watch band.

Who Benefits Most?

This is the question I keep coming back to. And honestly, I think COROS gets the better end of this deal - but it's not as lopsided as it might seem.

Wahoo essentially gets a GPS watch lineup without having to build one. They exited the watch market, and now they can offer their customers something rather than nothing. Plus, they're presumably making some standard retail margin on every COROS watch they sell. Not a bad deal if you're a retailer.

But COROS gets access to Wahoo's customer base - athletes who already trust the Wahoo name and now see COROS devices in their ecosystem. That's valuable distribution.

And while Wahoo sells COROS watches, COROS still sells the Dura - their cycling computer that directly competes with Wahoo's lineup. That's a weird tension that I don't think gets resolved by this partnership.

The Part That Actually Matters

Here's what I keep thinking about: Wahoo is essentially saying "sure, COROS, sell your watches through us. Sure, COROS, be our heart rate sensor for our cycling computers. Sure, open up our customers to your product lineup." And COROS sells a cycling computer. These two companies are still competitors in the bike computer space.

Maybe I'm one of the few reviewers who actually thinks the Dura is a genuinely interesting device. The battery life alone - 120 hours - makes it ideal for bike packing and long-distance events. Add solar charging and you've got something that works for multi-day adventures where you might not have access to a charger.

I like Wahoo. Their indoor cycling equipment is fantastic, and their cycling computers are solid. I respect what they build. But the Dura is the kind of product that makes me think COROS knows something about the cycling market that others missed.

The Real Win: Data Portability

If you don't care about either brand specifically, here's why this matters: interoperability is table stakes. Your health data should travel with you. Fit files should flow wherever you want them. The bad example in this space is Apple - keep everything inside the walled garden, make it hard to get your data out. That's not how fitness tech should work.

Both COROS and Wahoo seem to understand that. Making data transfer easier isn't flashy, but it's the right direction for the industry.

What Do You Think?

COROS and Wahoo working together sounds unlikely, maybe even strange. But now that Wahoo isn't competing in GPS watches anymore, it makes more sense than it did a year ago. Whether this partnership actually benefits athletes or mostly just gives Wahoo something to sell and COROS more distribution - that's still unclear.

Garmin Descent Mk3i Now Comes in 51mm: Bigger Screen, Same Features

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Garmin has added a new size option to its Descent Mk3i lineup. The 51mm version with silver and black titanium build gives divers who want more screen real estate an option that matches the feature set of the existing 43mm model.

This is a size expansion, not a new product. The Descent Mk3i already existed, and now there is simply a larger case option for those who prefer it. The specs are identical between sizes.

The headline feature is the 1.4-inch AMOLED display covered by sapphire crystal. That is a meaningful step up from smaller dive watches and makes it easier to read data at depth or on the surface. The screen is bright and clear, which matters when dealing with varying light conditions underwater.

This thing is built for serious diving. It is rated at 20 ATM, which means it can handle dives up to 200 meters. If you are a technical diver or spend a lot of time in the water, that kind of rating matters.

Battery life is where this really stands out. You get up to 66 hours in dive mode, which is the number that matters for serious divers. If you use it as a daily smartwatch, you can stretch that to about 25 days with regular settings, though the always-on display will cut that down to around 10 days.

One of the most useful features is SubWave sonar support. This lets you send preset messages underwater to other divers using compatible devices, with a range of up to 30 meters. When paired with the Descent T2 transceiver, the watch can track tank pressure and depth for up to eight divers within 10 meters of each other. That is a solid safety feature for group dives.

Garmin loaded this with multiple dive modes covering single and multi-gas setups, including Nitrox and Trimix. It also supports freediving, apnea, gauge mode, and closed-circuit rebreather diving. The built-in DiveView maps show depth contours for more than 4,000 dive sites, which helps with planning and navigation.

There is also a focus on overall health and readiness. The watch can estimate your dive readiness based on sleep, stress, and activity levels. Beyond diving, you get a dive compass, surface GPS tracking, a variometer, and real-time no-decompression limit data.

Outside the water, this works like a full smartwatch. It has more than 80 sports apps, heart rate tracking, VO2 max, Pulse Ox, sleep tracking, and training suggestions. You also get music storage, contactless payments, and notifications. There is 32 GB of onboard storage.

The price is $1,599.99, identical to what the 43mm model costs.

For divers who preferred the smaller Descent Mk3i but wanted a larger display, this 51mm version delivers exactly that. It is a solid option if smaller watches felt too cramped on your wrist but you still want all the dive features Garmin offers.

COROS Pace 4 Black Crystal Edition: More Than Just a New Colorway

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The COROS Pace 4 already earned its spot as one of the best value running watches you can buy. Now COROS is giving it a visual upgrade with the new Black Crystal Edition, and honestly, it looks like something that belongs on a different price tier.

I just got done spending some time with the Black Crystal, and I think this is a little bit more than just a new colorway. Think of it as a Pace 4 Premium Edition. It has a new unique case design with an aluminum bezel and a redesigned band. The original Pace 4 is already one of my top picks when it comes to a budget-friendly sports watch. It offers a lot of features for the money. But now there's this, which adds a few premium touches.

So let's talk about what you actually get for that extra $30.

The Case: Same Shape, Better Materials

The main case is virtually the same as the original, though I would call it more of a true black versus the standard model. The biggest change goes along with the Black Crystal name where the lugs are actually kind of see-through now, and I think that is actually kind of cool.

The main case itself is not see-through, it is just the lugs. So it is not like you can see the internal components or anything like that, which would have been even cooler. But the lugs do sort of stand out from the case, especially at an angle. From straight on it is hard to tell a difference, but from an angle you can definitely notice that they are see-through.

COROS also added an aluminum bezel to this, so it should be a little bit more durable than the plastic bezel on the original. That also changes the look a little bit. The biggest visual difference I noticed is that the bezel has a satin finish to it where it makes it stand out a little bit more from the lugs as well.

The bezel is PVD coated for a little bit more durability when it comes to scratch resistance. PVD stands for physical vapor deposition, which is a chemical process where the material is actually applied at a molecular level. So it is actually bonded with the aluminum versus paint, which is just like a normal coating.

My only disappointment is that I wish the bezel actually went above the display with a raised edge to help protect the display a little bit more. This has the same ever so slightly curved glass that they introduced with the original Pace 4. It has a slight curvature to it which means screen protectors may not necessarily work since it is not completely flat. They call it a 2.5D display, basically in between 2D and 3D.

The Band: More Than Meets the Eye

The band is a little bit different too. This has the same dual tone material like the original, but with this particular version the edges are see-through just like the case. What is kind of interesting is that the pattern on the outside here looks like a texture, but this is actually a graphic. COROS said they actually silk screened this design on here and the design should be permanent. I've only had this for a little while so I cannot really attest to the durability of the design, nor the bezel for that matter, but I guess time will tell.

They also color matched the band hardware to the aluminum bezel, which is a nice touch. And they have a special watch face on here as well that has some translucent elements to it, basically completing the story.

The Weight Question

Not really much meaningful difference here at all. This is still a nice lightweight sports watch. Other than the materials and the look, this is exactly the same watch as the original Pace 4.

So Is It Worth It?

I think this watch actually does make a lot of sense because it kind of bridges the gap for someone who may want a little bit more premium look and feel, but does not necessarily want to spend over $400 for the Apex 4. The Apex 4 is a good watch and all, but many of us may not need everything that the Apex 4 has to offer. The Pace 4 may do everything that we need a watch to do, but we want a little bit more premium look and feel. I think this accomplishes that goal for the most part and really for not that much more money.

The elephant in the room though is the Pace Pro and where that sits now with this watch coming out. But that is a conversation for another day.

For existing Pace 4 owners, there is no reason to upgrade. The Black Crystal is strictly for new buyers or those who want a more refined look. For anyone in the market for a sub-$300 running watch, this edition is worth considering alongside the standard model, assuming the visual upgrades justify the $30 difference to you personally.

The COROS Pace 4 was already easy to recommend. The Black Crystal Edition makes it just a little more appealing if you care about aesthetics as much as performance.

OnePlus Watch 4 Leaks: Why Bother Upgrading?

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Let me tell you something about the OnePlus Watch 4. If you have been hoping for a meaningful upgrade from the Watch 3, you might want to sit down for this.

Based on what has leaked so far, OnePlus appears to be about to release a smartwatch that is essentially the same device with a different number attached to it.

A new leak from a Google Play Console listing has revealed what are supposedly the main specs, and they read like a copy-paste job from the Watch 3. We are talking about the same Snapdragon W5 chipset, the same 466 by 466 display resolution, and the same overall design philosophy. The only meaningful difference that has surfaced appears to be a battery that is actually 2 mAh smaller than before.

I am not alone in thinking this feels underwhelming. The headlines have not been kind to this leak. "Even more disappointing details" is not exactly the tagline OnePlus was probably hoping for.

What the Watch 4 Reportedly Offers

Here is what we know based on leaks and certification filings. The OnePlus Watch 4 is rumored to run Wear OS 5.0 out of the box, which is fine, except Wear OS 6 has been available for about a year now. That would be a strange choice for a 2026 release if it turns out to be true. You would think a brand new watch would ship with the latest operating system, but apparently that is too much to ask.

The display is rumored to be a 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED panel at 466 by 466 resolution. If that matches the Watch 3 exactly, it is not exactly an exciting update. The processor is said to be the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, which is the same chip OnePlus used before. You get 2GB of RAM, which is respectable for a Wear OS device but not a generational leap.

One interesting detail from the leaks suggests the Watch 4 might be a global version of the Oppo Watch X3, which launched in China last month. If that connection turns out to be real, then the 646 mAh battery makes sense. That would be a solid capacity for a watch this size, and it should deliver decent battery life.

The IP69 rating is a step up from typical water resistance ratings, which means this thing can apparently handle high-pressure water jets. That is more than most people will ever need, but it is nice to have the peace of mind if you are rough on your gear.

The retail box leak shows two finishes. There is a silver option with a green band, and a dark grey version with a dark blue band. One of those colorways might be called "Evergreen Titanium," which at least gives you something new to look at. Small mercies.

The Real Problem Here

All of this is based on leaks and rumors, so we should be clear about that. But if the specifications turn out to be accurate, the OnePlus Watch 4 does not seem to address any of the actual weaknesses of its predecessor.

OnePlus has not been known for aggressive software updates on their watches. The original OnePlus Watch had some rough edges that were never fully smoothed out. The Watch 3 fixed some of those issues, but updates have been sporadic at best.

If the Watch 4 is essentially the same hardware with the same processor and the same display, then the only reason to buy it would be if the price drops significantly on the Watch 3. Or if OnePlus finally delivers meaningful software improvements that actually make the experience better.

Otherwise, why upgrade? The differences are cosmetic at best, and minor spec adjustments do not constitute a new product.

The One Bright Spot

There is one scenario where this makes sense. If OnePlus prices the Watch 4 competitively and keeps the Watch 3 at a lower price point, the older model becomes the budget option. That is a reasonable strategy.

The Watch 3 launched at a certain price, and if the Watch 4 comes in at the same level or slightly higher, the previous generation drops. That could actually make the Watch 3 an attractive deal for anyone who wants a Wear OS watch without spending flagship money.

Garmin, Samsung, and Apple are not suddenly getting worse, so the bar for OnePlus keeps rising. Competitors are delivering real improvements with each generation. OnePlus appears to be coasting on incremental adjustments.

What We Are Waiting For

The official announcement should come in the next few weeks, assuming these leaks are accurate. The retail box includes importers for the UK, EU, and Poland, which suggests a global launch might be imminent. Quality control checks apparently happened on March 30, so mass production could have already started.

Price will be the deciding factor. If the Watch 4 comes in cheaper than the Watch 3 did at launch, it might be worth a look. If they try to charge more for basically the same device, the reception will be appropriately frosty.

For now, the OnePlus Watch 4 looks like a missed opportunity based on what has leaked. OnePlus had a chance to push the envelope with a real successor, and instead we might be getting a hardware refresh with a new coat of paint. Sometimes that is fine. Iterative updates keep prices down and let brands refine their formulas. But this feels like OnePlus is content to coast rather than compete.

We will hold off on a full assessment until we have official details. Stay tuned for pricing and availability. If the number is right, we can revisit this. If not, the Watch 3 might remain the more sensible purchase once the price drops.

Disclaimer: This article is based on leaks, rumors, and unconfirmed reports. Nothing has been officially announced by OnePlus. Specifications, pricing, and availability could change.

Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro Review: Is It Worth $449 Over Garmin?

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Three years. That's how long Amazfit left its dedicated running watch line hanging before dropping the Cheetah 2 Pro. The original Cheetah Pro launched in 2023 at $299 and carved out a decent niche for itself among runners who wanted solid GPS tracking without selling a kidney. Now the sequel arrives at $449.99 - a 50% price increase. Suddenly the value proposition isn't so obvious.

So is it worth it? Let's dig into what $449.99 actually gets you.

Not sure whether you want the Pro or the new Ultra? We broke down the Cheetah 2 Pro vs Cheetah 2 Ultra decision before diving in here.

The Hardware Story

The Cheetah 2 Pro represents Amazfit's most serious attempt yet at premium build quality. Titanium alloy case. Sapphire glass. A 1.32-inch AMOLED display pushing 3000 nits of brightness. This isn't your average fitness tracker in a fancy case - it's a deliberate step toward the Garmin Fenix and COROS Apex territory.

The jump in materials is real. Titanium keeps the weight down to 45.6g while adding durability. Sapphire glass means you're not nursing anxiety about scratches every time you hit the trails. And 3000 nits? That's brighter than most phones. Reading the screen in direct sunlight should be genuinely effortless.

They kept the four-button layout, which is honestly the right call. Touchscreens during a tempo run in the rain are a nightmare. Buttons don't care about sweat or gloves or cold fingers.

The display itself is 466 x 466 pixels on a round face - that works out to 353 ppi, which is crisp enough that you won't notice individual pixels. Combined with the sapphire glass, this feels like a watch that could survive actual abuse and still look good doing it.

Running Features: Finally Serious

If you've been following Amazfit's trajectory, you know they've been building out their running metrics incrementally. The Cheetah 2 Pro looks like the culmination of that effort. This is the watch where they stopped apologizing for being "the budget option" and started building something that can genuinely compete on features.

Dual-band GNSS is the headline here. Single-band GPS works fine for casual runs, but once you start doing intervals in urban canyons or hitting trails with tree cover, satellite accuracy matters. The Cheetah 2 Pro tracks across GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, and QZSS simultaneously. That's five satellite systems, and running them in dual-band mode should give you real accuracy improvements over single-band alternatives.

Offline maps with route guidance is another feature that used to be " Garmin exclusive" territory. Having turn-by-turn navigation that doesn't need a phone connection is genuinely useful for long runs in new areas. And with 32GB of storage, you've got room for plenty of maps without having to pick and choose.

Running metrics include VO₂ max, lactate threshold, running power, and gait tracking. These are the numbers that serious runners actually use to guide training. Zepp Coach provides adaptive training plans, and the watch syncs with Strava and TrainingPeaks if you're already invested in those ecosystems. For a watch that's targeting the "serious runner" market, this checks the right boxes.

Finish time predictions are becoming standard on performance watches, and it's easy to see why. If you're training for a marathon, having the watch estimate your race finish time based on your training load and recent performances is genuinely useful data.

Battery Life: The Real Story

Here's where it gets interesting. Twenty days of battery life is impressive by any standard, but Amazfit is claiming 29 hours of continuous GPS tracking. That's longer than the Garmin Fenix 8's GPS battery life, which sits around 22-24 hours depending on the model.

For runners who do long events - ultramarathons, century rides, multi-hour training runs - that battery life matters. You shouldn't have to baby your watch or carry a battery pack for anything short of a true ultra event.

Twenty days of typical use also means you can actually wear this as a daily watch without the anxiety of constant charging. One charge every three weeks is a reasonable expectation.

The Price Question

$449.99 is a lot of money. There's no way around that. The question is whether Amazfit has done enough to justify it.

The honest answer is: mostly yes, but with caveats.

What you're getting for that money:

Titanium + sapphire build (normally Garmin Fenix territory at $800+)
Dual-band GNSS with five satellite systems
Offline maps with 32GB storage
Twenty-day battery life
Full running dynamics package
Four-button sport interface

What you're potentially giving up:

Garmin's proven GPS accuracy over years of refinement
COROS's established reputation in the running community
Third-party app ecosystem depth
Long-term software update track record

Amazfit has always competed on value. The Cheetah 2 Pro still undercuts comparable Garmin watches by several hundred dollars. But it's no longer the "cheap option that happens to work well" - it's positioning itself as a legitimate premium competitor.

The Real Test

Everything I've described is on paper. The specs are impressive, the build quality is legitimate, and the feature set addresses the gaps that held back previous Amazfit running watches.

But here's the thing about running watches: the software and accuracy refinements come over time. Garmin and COROS have years of real-world data informing their algorithms. Amazfit is good at hardware; the question is whether their software can deliver on the promise these specs suggest.

The Cheetah 2 Pro looks like it could be the watch that finally earns Amazfit a seat at the serious runner's table. But "looks like" and "is" are two different things when it comes to GPS accuracy and heart rate precision during hard efforts.

If you're already all-in on Garmin or COROS, the Cheetah 2 Pro probably isn't going to lure you away. But if you're a runner who's been eyeing a performance watch but couldn't justify the $800+ Fenix price, this is worth a serious look. You get most of the features at roughly half the price.

The Cheetah 2 Pro is available now at $449.99 from Amazfit.com and select retailers. For runners who want a premium build without the premium price tag, it's a compelling option that's finally ready for prime time.

And if $449.99 is still a stretch, Amazfit's budget line keeps getting better too. Our Bip Max breakdown covers the $99.99 watch that's quietly become one of the best values in the lineup.

Fitbit's Screenless Band: The Worst Kept Secret in Wearables

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Four months. That's how long Stephen Curry has been wearing Google's new Fitbit screenless band in public before anyone officially acknowledged it exists.

If this is supposed to be a secret, it's the worst-kept one in wearables. But here's the thing: we don't think Google minds at all.

The Worst Kept Secret

The story starts back in January, when Curry - Google's official "Performance Advisor" - apparently started wearing the band during NBA games. He's worn it through a home stand in January, the All-Star game in February, and into March when he finally acknowledged the device in a sponsored post.

The NBA apparently prohibits players from wearing non-approved devices during games, which explains why Curry only takes it off during gameplay. But the rest of the time? The band's been front and center, just hidden in plain sight.

The first real acknowledgment came March 31, when Curry posted a video teasing "new Fitbit hardware." Since then, more images have surfaced showing the device in better detail than any official render could provide.

All the Images We've Found

From Steph Curry's Instagram

Curry's Instagram has become the de facto showcase for this device. The video teaser from March 31 showed the band clearly - a single wrapped design that's noticeably thinner than a Whoop Strap.

The band material looks nearly identical to Google's Pixel Watch Performance Loop Band - made of recycled polyester, nylon, and elastane yarns. It's a single lengthy strap that wraps around your wrist, through a metal loop, and attaches to itself.

Credit: Stephen Curry / YouTube

View Curry's workout video here

From the Leaked Interface

Credit: Droid Life / Source publication

This leaked screenshot shows the companion software - a Pixel phone displaying what appears to be Fitbit's tracking UI showing "Live data," cardio load, heart rate, energy burned, and elapsed time.

This is interesting because the current Fitbit app can't do this - it requires GPS for live tracking activities. A screenless band that pushes data to your phone makes sense, and this looks like the interface that would power it.

From Sotheby's Auction Video

When Curry announced he was auctioning off sneakers he'd worn during his "sneaker free agency" period, Sotheby's posted a video showing the collection. Buried in that footage are 4K close-ups of the device on Curry's wrist that give us the clearest look yet.

The device is remarkably thin - significantly thinner than a Whoop MG according to people who've worn both. That's notable because thinness has been one of Whoop's weaknesses.

View Sotheby's video here (credit: Sotheby's / Stephen Curry)

From Getty Images / NBA Games

Getty photographers have captured Curry wearing the band during actual NBA games from January onwards. These show it during warm-ups against the Sacramento Kings on January 9, and throughout various appearances before the March announcement.

These aren't the clearest shots - NBA players are moving and the band is small - but they establish the timeline of when Curry started wearing it publicly.

View Curry warm-up photos on Getty Images - photographer: NBAE (credit: Getty Images / NBAE)

What We Think Is Happening

Here's our theory: Google is using Steph Curry as a walking billboard, and they're totally fine with everyone knowing it.

Curry has been Google's "Performance Advisor" for a while now. Having the most recognizable basketball player on the planet wear your unreleased product in public isn't an accident - it's marketing.

The fact that the band has been visible for four months without Google sending lawyers suggests they're completely comfortable with this. When you control the revealer, you control the narrative. Everyone knows it's coming, everyone talks about it, and when Google officially announces it, the buzz is already built.

This is a sophisticated marketing play. Instead of Apple-style complete secrecy until announcement, Google is using Curry's public appearances as organic marketing. Every time Curry wears it in a visible moment, people notice and talk about it.

For a company that makes most of its money from advertising, Google understands how awareness works better than most.

What We Know About the Device

From the images, here's what we can see:

Design: Single wrap-around band with a metal clasp/loop. Thinner than Whoop. Available at least in a light gray/silver color.

Material: Same Performance Loop-style construction as Google's existing bands - recycled polyester, nylon, and elastane.

Software: Appears to use Fitbit's existing tracking UI with "Live data" streaming to a phone. No screen on the device means all interaction happens through the phone app.

Battery: Unknown, but screenless bands typically last 3-7 days.

Subscription: Given Fitbit's history and the fact that Google needs to compete with Whoop's $149/year model, expect a Premium tier for advanced features.

The Timeline So Far

January 2026: Curry first spotted wearing the device during NBA games

January 9: Photographed during warm-ups vs Sacramento Kings

February: Seen wearing it at NBA All-Star weekend

March 31: Curry posts official teaser video acknowledging the device

April 15-16: Multiple outlets compile all available images and details

Why This Matters for Runners

Runners have been watching the Whoop vs Garmin vs Fitbit space with interest. Whoop dominates in certain circles because it delivers what serious athletes want: tracking without distraction.

Garmin has its ecosystem locked up for training metrics. Fitbit has the broader health tracking and the Google integration. A Fitbit screenless band would give Google a product specifically targeting the Whoop crowd - athletes who want data without the smartwatch interface.

The appeal of a screenless band for runners is real. During daily life, you don't need pace, distance, and GPS. You need heart rate variability, sleep quality, and recovery status. A band that passively tracks those metrics without looking like a fitness tracker is genuinely useful.

Whoop understood this. The band became popular not despite being screenless but because of it. Runners and athletes stopped wanting their watch to be a second phone and started wanting it to be a wellness tracker that stayed out of the way. Google clearly noticed.

Is This a Whoop Killer?

That's the million-dollar question. Whoop built its entire business on the "screenless band for athletes" concept, and it works. Serious runners, CrossFit athletes, and pro sports teams use Whoop because it tracks everything without being distracting.

If Google can deliver comparable tracking with Fitbit's ecosystem and integration - plus Curry's endorsement and Google's resources - it could be a real alternative.

The fact that this has been "secret" for four months while being worn by one of the world's most photographed athletes is either hilarious or brilliant, depending on how you look at it.

For more on what we know about Google's Fitbit plans, check out our earlier coverage of the Whoop competitor rumor.

Image credits: Stephen Curry (Instagram, YouTube), Sotheby's (auction video), Getty Images / NBAE (game photos), Droid Life (interface screenshot). All rights belong to respective owners.

Garmin D2 Mach 2 Pro Brings inReach Satellite Technology to Your Wrist

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Garmin just announced the D2 Mach 2 Pro, and the headline feature is not the AMOLED display or the titanium bezel. It is the built-in inReach satellite technology that puts two-way communication and emergency SOS right on your wrist.

The Fenix 8 Pro was Garmin's first smartwatch with inReach technology, launched in late 2025. Now Garmin is bringing the same capability to its aviation line for the first time - the D2 Mach 2 Pro is the first watch in Garmin's pilot-focused D2 series to include inReach.

What inReach Brings to the D2 Mach 2 Pro

Garmin's inReach technology has been around for years in dedicated satellite communicators. The key advantage: it works anywhere on Earth with a clear view of the sky, no cell towers required.

The inReach network uses the Iridium satellite constellation, which provides truly global coverage. Unlike cell-based services that only work near population centers or along flight routes with good coverage, satellite connectivity means you are covered everywhere except indoors or underground.

On the D2 Mach 2 Pro, that means pilots get:

Two-way satellite messaging. You can send and receive text messages even when flying far from cell coverage. Perfect for keeping family updated on your ETA or coordinating with crew on the ground during longer flights.

This is not like sending a quick location ping. The inReach system supports full two-way conversation. If your family has an inReach or the Garmin Messenger app, you can have actual text discussions, not just broadcast your position.

Voice calling via LTE. When you have cellular connectivity, the watch can handle actual phone calls. This is different from previous inReach devices which were text-only. The built-in speaker and microphone make it work like a regular phone call on your wrist.

SOS capabilities. In an emergency, triggering SOS on the watch connects you directly to Garmin's 24/7 response center. They coordinate with local emergency services and stay in contact with you until help arrives.

LiveTrack and location sharing. Family on the ground can follow your progress in real-time. Useful for letting people know you landed safely or showing your position during longer cross-country flights.

Weather reports via satellite. Before you take off or during flight, you can pull weather updates even where there is no cell service. Satellite weather means you are never stuck without forecast data.

For pilots flying into remote areas or operating from airports without good cell coverage, this is genuinely useful. You can check weather at your destination, along your route, and at alternate airports without needing to find a radio or cell signal.

The weather feature uses the same inReach satellite connection, so it works anywhere the satellite antenna has a clear view of the sky.

Why This Matters More Than Another Smartwatch Feature

Smartwatches keep adding features, but most are incremental. Better screens, more sports modes, fancier notifications. This is different.

The integration of inReach into a watch you already wear changes the safety calculus for pilots. Previously, carrying an inReach meant another device clipped to your flight bag or strapped to your leg. Now it is on your wrist with your other watch data.

The SOS function alone is significant. If something goes wrong and you need to make an emergency call, the watch on your wrist is already there. You do not need to reach for another device or dig through a bag while dealing with an emergency situation.

Garmin's response center operates 24/7 with trained coordinators who have relationships with local emergency services worldwide. When you trigger SOS, you are not just broadcasting a signal - you are getting professional help coordinating your rescue. This is the same network that Garmin's dedicated inReach devices have used for years, and it has a solid track record in actual emergencies.

The combination of always-on wrist wearability and satellite SOS means you are more likely to actually use it if needed. When your phone is in your pocket and your inReach is in your flight bag, the barrier to calling for help is higher. When it is right there on your wrist, it is as easy as pressing a button.

Garmin's Vice President of Aviation Sales Carl Wolf put it simply: "Every pilot on the planet should have this new smartwatch."

What You Get Beyond inReach

The D2 Mach 2 Pro is not just an inReach with a watch strapped to it. It has the full suite of D2 aviation features:

The 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen is sunlight-readable, which matters for cockpit visibility. Aviation-specific maps with terrain and obstacles, aviation weather reports, and compatibility with Garmin's PlaneSyncTM technology for aircraft connectivity all come standard.

For non-flying activities, it works like any other premium Garmin watch. Training metrics, GPS tracking, heart rate monitoring, the full ecosystem of Garmin Connect features.

The watch comes in a 51mm case with carbon gray DLC titanium bezel, chestnut leather band, and silicone QuickFit band included in the box.

The QuickFit system is worth noting - it means you can swap bands without tools. In a cockpit environment, being able to switch from a leather band for normal wear to a silicone band for actual flying makes sense. Many pilots already do this with their watches, and Garmin including both is thoughtful.

Pricing and Availability

The D2 Mach 2 Pro is priced at $1,549.99, available now. That is $50 more than the standard D2 Mach 2, which does not have inReach built in.

If you are a pilot who has been using a separate inReach device, the math is straightforward. You are replacing a $400-500 device with a feature built into a watch you would buy anyway. The premium for inReach integration is surprisingly reasonable.

For comparison, a standalone Garmin inReach Messenger Plus costs around $350 and does not have a watch display or aviation features. The D2 Mach 2 Pro at $1,550 includes the full aviation smartwatch package plus satellite messaging. If you were buying both anyway, you are saving money.

The $50 premium over the non-Pro D2 Mach 2 is almost nothing considering what you are getting. Garmin could have charged $200 more and it would still make sense.

The Bigger Picture

Garmin has been expanding inReach technology across its product line. The Fenix 8 Pro already has it, and now the D2 line joins the inReach family. The company acquired inReach back in 2016, and the satellite communication technology has appeared in various outdoor and marine devices. Bringing it to aviation makes sense for the same reasons it made sense for the Fenix line.

What is notable is that Garmin is now putting inReach across multiple product lines rather than keeping it exclusive to one series. This suggests the technology is mature enough for broader rollout.

For runners and cyclists, Garmin has been more cautious. The Fenix 8 Pro is the only non-aviation watch with inReach so far. Whether Garmin eventually brings it to the Forerunner line or other consumer watches remains to be seen. The technology requires extra hardware and adds cost, so do not expect it on entry-level watches anytime soon.

For now, if you are a pilot looking for better connectivity and safety features, the D2 Mach 2 Pro is worth considering. The inReach integration is the feature that sets it apart from every other smartwatch on the market.

If you are already flying with a D2 Mach 2 and do not need the inReach features, there is no reason to upgrade. The D2 Mach 2 is still an excellent aviation watch. But if you have been carrying a separate satellite communicator, the D2 Mach 2 Pro consolidates two devices into one, and the $50 premium over the standard model is genuinely good value for that consolidation.

Garmin Firmware 27.09 Is Still Breaking Forerunner Watches

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:52:00 GMT

Something is broken in Garmin's firmware, and it has been broken for months.

Garmin released software version 27.09 for several Forerunner watches back in January 2026, and users have been reporting problems ever since. The issues are not minor - people are seeing completely wrong elevation data, broken heart rate tracking, GPS failures, and battery drain that turns their watches into bricks overnight.

What makes this worse is that Garmin has not acknowledged the problem publicly or released a fix.

What Owners Are Experiencing

The reports started appearing on Garmin's forums and Reddit shortly after the January update. Users with Forerunner 255, 265, 955, and 965 watches were all experiencing similar problems.

The most common complaint is elevation tracking going haywire. People are seeing notifications that they climbed dozens of floors while sitting at their desks. One user reported their watch showing 50 meters of elevation gain in 5 minutes while running on flat ground. The altimeter appears to be registering phantom climbs constantly, even when the watch is sitting motionless.

The elevation issue is particularly frustrating because Garmin uses barometric altitude for elevation data, which should be more accurate than GPS-derived altitude. When it goes wrong, it goes completely wrong - producing impossible numbers that bear no relation to reality.

For trail runners who depend on accurate elevation gain for pacing and training load calculations, this renders the watch nearly useless on hilly routes. If you are trying to train by feel based on elevation-adjusted pace, you are flying blind.

Heart rate tracking has also taken a hit. Some users report slow response to intensity changes during runs - the optical sensor seems to lag behind actual effort, making it useless for training zones. Others see the heart rate lock onto a single number and refuse to update for entire workouts.

This is dangerous for runners doing interval training. If your watch shows 130 bpm when you are actually at 170 bpm, you might push harder than you should during recovery intervals, undermining your training.

GPS issues have surfaced too. Some users report the watch failing to acquire a signal at all after updating. Others see GPS lock but with wildly inaccurate pace and distance data.

GPS problems are particularly concerning because they affect the core function of a running watch. If your distance and pace are wrong, the watch is not just annoying - it is actively misleading you about your workout. One user reported their watch thinking they ran 15 miles when they had actually run 8.

The combination of GPS errors and elevation errors together means some users have completely unusable data from workouts they thought they were tracking properly.

Battery drain is the final complaint. Several users have watched their watch go from 86% battery to 9% overnight - a catastrophic drain that turns a multi-day battery life watch into something that needs charging twice a day.

For users who rely on their watch to track sleep and then wake them up, unexpected battery drain is particularly problematic. Imagine waking up to a dead watch and missing your morning alarm because the firmware decided to drain your battery overnight.

The battery issue also points to something being fundamentally wrong with how the firmware is managing the hardware. Excessive battery drain usually means a process is running constantly when it should be sleeping. Combined with the elevation and heart rate issues, it suggests the firmware is not properly managing any of the sensors.

The Human Cost

This is not just about numbers being wrong. For runners who use their watches for training decisions, bad data means bad decisions.

The Human Cost

This is not just about numbers being wrong. For runners who use their watches for training decisions, bad data means bad decisions.

If your watch thinks you climbed 30 floors during a workday when you actually sat at a desk, that data contaminates your training load calculations. If your heart rate zones are based on incorrect readings during a tempo run, you might be training harder or easier than you think.

One user on Garmin's forums described the situation as "insulting" - months of problems with no acknowledgment from Garmin. Another said they raised the issue with Garmin support and were sent a replacement watch, but suspected it was a software problem that the new hardware would also eventually develop.

What Garmin Is Saying

Nothing, essentially.

The company has not posted any acknowledgment of the firmware problems on their official channels. No workaround guide, no "we are aware of the issue," no timeline for a fix. The silence has frustrated users who feel they paid premium prices for watches that now do not work as advertised.

This is not how a company with Garmin's reputation should handle a widespread problem affecting multiple product lines. When Apple has a software problem, they acknowledge it and push a fix. When Garmin has a problem that affects core functionality for months, users get silence.

The lack of communication also makes it hard to recommend Garmin watches to new buyers. A watch that can be rendered nearly unusable by a software update is a hard sell.

The community consensus for users who have not yet updated to 27.09 is clear: disable automatic updates immediately. Once you install the problematic firmware, there is no way to downgrade to a stable version.

What You Can Do

If your Forerunner has not updated to 27.09 yet, do not let it update automatically. Go into Garmin Express or the Connect app and turn off automatic updates. This is the only way to guarantee you stay on stable firmware for now.

To disable automatic updates in Garmin Express, click on your device, then Software Update, and uncheck the automatic option. In the Connect app, go to your device settings and look for automatic update options there.

If you have already updated and are experiencing these problems, your options are limited. Contact Garmin support - some users have reported success getting replacement units. Do not expect a software fix anytime soon based on Garmin's track record of silence on this issue.

For now, the best advice is to be skeptical of your watch's data if you updated recently. Check your elevation, heart rate, and GPS data against your historical norms. If something looks wrong, it probably is. Keep notes of which workouts had obviously bad data in case you need to dispute results with Garmin support.

The Bigger Picture

Garmin has built its reputation on reliable, accurate fitness tracking. The Forerunner line is trusted by serious runners and athletes who depend on the data to guide their training. This kind of widespread, persistent bug undermines that trust.

Software bugs happen to every company. What matters is how they respond. Garmin's silence on this issue does not inspire confidence that it will be resolved quickly or transparently.

The longer this goes on, the more it damages Garmin's reputation for reliability. For a company that sells watches partly on the promise of accurate data, having that data be actively wrong for months is a serious problem.

If you are in the market for a new Garmin, this might be a reason to wait until the firmware situation stabilizes. Or at least, do not update until Garmin officially acknowledges and fixes the problem.

It is worth noting that Garmin has released newer firmware versions since 27.09 - the current version is 27.10 or higher on some models. However, users reporting problems say they are still experiencing issues even after updating to these newer versions. The problems may persist across firmware versions.

For the rest of us with Forerunner watches from 2022-2024, hold off on that update notification. Your watch is probably more reliable right now than it would be after installing 27.09.

We will continue monitoring this situation and update this article if Garmin releases a fix. If you are experiencing these issues, your best course of action is to contact Garmin support and document everything - screenshots, support ticket numbers, and notes about the problems you are seeing. The more data Garmin has from affected users, the better chance they eventually address this.

In the meantime, consider using your phone for GPS tracking as a backup until Garmin gets their firmware situation under control.

Garmin Q1 2026 Update: What Runners Actually Need to Know

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

In February Garmin dropped its Q1 2026 software update, and unlike some feature rollouts that feel incremental, this one actually has useful stuff for runners. The headline features are Gear Tracking improvements and Sleep Alignment, but there's more if you dig into it.

Let me break down what actually matters.

Gear Tracking That Actually Works

If you've ever tried to track your running shoes in Garmin Connect, you know it's been a clunky process. Garmin is now taking it seriously.

The gear tracking overhaul lets you log running shoes, bike components, skis, and more - then track how many miles or hours you've put on them. The new version adds more gear types, the ability to group items together, and automatic assignment to activities.

The part runners actually care about: you can now see gear life progress right on your watch wrist. A progress bar shows you how close your shoes are to being done. No more guessing if those trainers have another 100 miles left or are destroying your knees.

For marathon runners going through multiple pairs of shoes in training, this is genuinely useful. Log your race shoes, see the mileage accumulate, and get a heads up when it's time to break out the backups.

The database improvements also help. Garmin Connect now has actual shoe brands and models in its database instead of you typing "Nike Vaporfly 3" every time. You can save your regular rotation so every run auto-assigns the right shoes.

For runners who rotate between daily trainers, tempo shoes, and race day flats, this matters. Instead of manually logging which shoes you wore after every run, you set it up once and Garmin handles the rest.

Sleep Alignment: Finally, Circadian Rhythm Context

Sleep tracking has been decent on Garmin for a while, but it mostly just showed you numbers. Sleep Alignment is Garmin's attempt to give that data context.

The feature shows how aligned your sleep schedule is with your circadian rhythm. If you're training hard and sleeping inconsistently, Sleep Alignment will show you that. It's not just "you slept 7 hours" - it's "you slept 7 hours but your circadian rhythm is off because you went to bed 2 hours later than usual."

For runners doing morning workouts, this matters. If your body clock is shifted because you've been staying up late, your morning run might feel harder than it should. Sleep Alignment gives you data to understand why.

Garmin also improved the Smart Wake alarm feature, which wakes you at the optimal point in your sleep cycle within a window you set. If you've ever woken up from deep sleep feeling like garbage despite getting enough hours, Smart Wake tries to fix that.

The practical upshot for runners: if you're in a hard training block and your sleep is inconsistent, Sleep Consistency shows you the problem. Maybe you've been traveling, or your kids have been up late, or you've been watching TV in bed. Whatever the cause, Garmin now quantifies how much your schedule has drifted.

This connects to training adaptation in ways Garmin hasn't really addressed before. Recovery happens during sleep. If your sleep is consistently misaligned with your circadian rhythm, you're not recovering as well as you could. Garmin is finally giving you the data to see that connection.

Course Planner: Race Prep Gets Serious

This is the feature for marathon and ultra runners who've been asking for better pre-race planning tools.

Course Planner lets you build out your race course in Garmin Connect with cut-off times, rest plans, checkpoints, and aid stations. Sync it to your watch, and you see all of that during the race.

For point-to-point races where you need to know where aid stations are, or for time-based events where cut-offs matter, this is exactly what you've been wanting. No more纸 maps or guessing where the next checkpoint is.

The course displays on your watch face so you can see exactly where you are relative to your plan. If you're falling behind schedule, you'll know before you're actually behind.

Mixed Sessions: HYROX Finally Gets Proper Support

HYROX races have been growing in popularity, and Garmin's new Mixed Session feature finally gives you proper workout tracking for them. Log a HYROX-style workout as a single activity instead of switching between running and functional fitness segments manually.

This sounds minor, but it matters for tracking training load correctly. When you do a HYROX workout and log it as separate activities, Garmin sees it as multiple workouts. Mixed Session treats it as one coherent training session, which gives you more accurate recovery and training load data.

For cross-training focused runners who also hit the gym hard, this matters more than it sounds. If you're doing a week with two runs and three HYROX-style workouts, Garmin now sees that as five separate training sessions pushing your load up. With Mixed Session, it sees it as a coherent training week with appropriate load.

The feature also works for brick workouts - bike plus run sequences, or swim plus run combinations. Anything where you're doing multiple activities in one session without stopping to save and start a new activity.

Battery Manager Actually Helps

Garmin redesigned the Battery Manager with clearer graphs and smarter power-saving behavior. If you've ever been unsure whether a setting change would actually affect your battery life, the new Battery Manager shows you the impact before you commit.

For runners doing long races or multi-day adventures, this helps you understand how different settings affect your runtime. You can make informed decisions about GPS accuracy, screen brightness, and music streaming instead of guessing.

The smarter power-saving suggestions are the real win. Instead of just saying "reduce these settings to save battery," Garmin now suggests specific changes based on your usage patterns. If you never use maps during runs, it might suggest reducing map detail. If you always run with music, it accounts for that in its estimates.

Varia Voice Alerts Go Mainstream

Garmin's Varia radar system for cyclists has had voice alerts for a while, but the feature is now more broadly available. If you pair Varia with your watch, you get audio warnings about approaching vehicles without needing headphones - the watch itself can announce "car back" type alerts.

For runners who share roads with traffic, this is less relevant since Varia is primarily designed for bikes. But for triathletes who run after biking, seeing your Varia alerts on your watch during the run portion makes the transition more seamless.

AI Coaching Gets Smarter

Garmin Fitness Coach has been around for a while, but the Q1 update brings more personalized workout plans based on your training history and goals. The AI generates workouts that adapt based on your recovery status and recent performance.

For runners following a generic training plan, this is a step up from one-size-fits-all schedules. The AI adjusts based on how you're actually responding to training, not just because a calendar says it's a hard day.

What You Actually Get

The full list of compatible watches includes Venu X1, Venuactive 6, Fenix 8 Pro, Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, and more. As usual, older models get fewer features - some watches only get the Connect app updates, not the on-device features.

Check your specific model on Garmin's comparison page to see what you're getting. If you have a Fenix 7 or Epix Pro from a few years ago, you might be in "maintenance mode" where you get bug fixes but not new features.

The Connect app updates are rolling out to everyone regardless of watch model, so even if your watch isn't getting the new on-device features, you'll still see some improvements in the app.

The Bigger Picture

Garmin is clearly thinking about the full training cycle now, not just what happens during a run. Sleep Alignment addresses recovery. Gear Tracking addresses equipment management. Course Planner addresses race preparation. These are all things serious runners have been asking for.

The gear tracking in particular feels like it's been needed for years. Runners rotate shoes, track wear, and try to remember when they bought their last pair. Having that automated and on your wrist is genuinely useful.

What's notable is that Garmin is building an ecosystem rather than just adding isolated features. Sleep data feeds into recovery recommendations. Recovery feeds into training load. Training load informs workout suggestions. Gear tracking tells you when your equipment might be holding you back. It's all connected.

If you've been putting off a Garmin update because the release notes seemed like fluff, this one actually has substance. The features aren't revolutionary individually, but together they address real pain points that serious runners have been dealing with.

Fitbit's AI Health Coach Goes Global: 37 Countries, 32 Languages

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:54:00 GMT

Fitbit's AI health coach is going global. Google announced that the feature, previously available in limited preview, is now expanding to users in 37 countries and 32 languages. If you're a runner or fitness user who's been watching Fitbit's evolution, this matters more than it might seem.

What Is Fitbit's AI Health Coach

Before we get into the expansion, let's clarify what the AI health coach actually does. Fitbit's system uses Google's Gemini AI to provide personalized guidance based on your activity data, sleep patterns, and stated goals. It's not just showing you numbers - it's trying to interpret them and give you actionable advice.

The coach can suggest workout adjustments based on your recovery status, help you set realistic goals, and provide feedback on your training patterns. For runners who don't have a coach or trainer, this is a way to get some personalized guidance without paying for a subscription service. It's essentially having a basic training advisor on your wrist.

The key phrase is "public preview" - this is still Google's way of testing the feature before a full rollout. But the expansion to 37 countries signals they're confident enough in how it's working to let more people try it. The fact that Google is pushing this globally suggests the AI is performing well enough to scale.

How the AI Actually Works

Fitbit's health coach analyzes multiple data streams to generate recommendations. Your activity history shows whether you're consistently hitting movement goals. Sleep data reveals recovery status. Heart rate variability, when available from compatible devices, gives insight into your nervous system state. The AI synthesizes all this to tell you whether today is a good day to push or if you should take it easier.

For runners specifically, this means the coach can notice patterns you might miss. If you've had several hard workouts and your sleep quality has dropped, it might suggest an easier day. If you've been undershooting your activity goals, it might encourage you to get moving. It's not revolutionary, but it's more personalized than generic daily challenges.

What's Included in the Expansion

The new countries include major European markets like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Poland, along with India, Brazil, and several other regions. The app now supports 32 languages, including German, Hindi, Polish, Swedish, Spanish, and Chinese.

Google says the rollout will happen "over the coming weeks" as an update to the Fitbit app. If you're in one of the newly supported countries, you should see the health coach feature appear in your Fitbit app settings.

What This Means for Runners

The fitness coaching features are the most relevant for runners. The AI looks at your activity history, sleep quality, and heart rate variability to suggest:

When to push hard and when to take it easy
Adjustments to your training based on how you're recovering
Goals that are realistic based on your current fitness level

For runners following a training plan, this kind of feedback can help you understand whether you're on track or overreaching. It won't replace a coach, but it's useful context between doctor visits or formal training assessments.

The food and nutrition tracking improvements are also part of this expansion. Fitbit had previously added AI-powered meal analysis where you can snap a photo of your food and get nutritional breakdown. Now this feature is more broadly available as part of the health coach ecosystem.

The Subscription Question

Fitbit Premium has been required for many of the advanced AI features, and this expansion likely follows the same model. Some health coach functionality may be free, but the deeper insights and personalized coaching probably require a Premium subscription.

For casual users, this might feel like paywalling features that should be basic. For serious athletes who would benefit most from personalized feedback, the cost might be worth it depending on how useful the AI guidance actually is in practice.

Fitbit Premium runs about $80 per year, which is competitive with Whoop's subscription but less than Garmin's premium services. The question is whether the AI coach justifies the cost compared to what you get from free features or competing platforms.

Fitbit's Position in the Market

Google has been steadily positioning Fitbit as more than just a step counter. The integration with Google's AI capabilities is a key part of that strategy - Fitbit data feeds into Gemini, and Gemini provides insights that other fitness platforms can't match.

For runners, this creates an interesting alternative to Garmin Connect or COROS App. Fitbit has traditionally been weaker on the GPS and training load features that serious runners care about, but the AI health coaching could be a differentiator if it actually delivers useful guidance.

The question is whether the AI is smart enough to give advice that's genuinely helpful versus generic tips anyone could find online. Early impressions suggest it's somewhere in the middle - useful for beginners or people getting back into fitness, but not sophisticated enough yet for experienced athletes with complex training goals.

Should You Care

If you're already a Fitbit user in one of the newly supported countries, the health coach expansion is worth checking out. The AI insights might give you a new perspective on your training or help you identify patterns you hadn't noticed.

If you're not a Fitbit user, this announcement doesn't fundamentally change the calculus. Fitbit still lags behind Garmin and COROS for serious training features like structured workouts, training load analysis, and recovery recommendations based on HRV trends.

But for fitness-focused users who want a smartwatch that does more than basic tracking, Fitbit's combination of AI coaching and the broader Google ecosystem is becoming more compelling. The health coach expansion is another step toward treating wearables as genuine health tools rather than just notification machines.

Garmin's New Overlays Make Your Workout Posts Look Professional

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Garmin just made your workout posts look way better. The Connect app is getting a new feature that lets you add transparent data overlays to your photos before sharing to social media. No more ugly screenshots of your training data.

What Garmin Added

The update adds transparent overlays to the Connect app's sharing options. When you finish a run or ride, you can now layer your workout stats - pace, distance, heart rate, route map - directly over a photo in different formats optimized for social media.

You get three aspect ratios to choose from. The 1x1 works for standard posts. 4x5 is better for portrait-style feed posts. And 9x16 is sized perfectly for Stories, Reels, and other vertical content.

The key difference from what Strava and others do is the transparent design. Instead of stuffing your data into opaque boxes, Garmin lets the photo stay front and center while the stats sit naturally on top. It looks intentional rather than like you just screenshotted your watch.

Why This Matters

If you post your runs online, you've probably used third-party tools to make your posts look better. Apps that let you overlay pace and route on a photo, or create those clean graphics with your weekly mileage. Garmin is basically building that functionality directly into Connect.

For runners who use Instagram or Strava to share training, this cuts out an extra step. Open the activity, tap share, pick your format, and you're ready to post. No exporting to another app for editing.

The route map overlay is particularly useful. You can show exactly where you ran overlaid on a photo, with the stats floating cleanly on top. It makes posts more interesting than just a screenshot, and more informative than just a photo.

This matters most for a few types of runners:

Race photos: Overlay your race stats on the photo from race morning. "2:47:33 marathon at Big City Marathon" in clean text over your finish line photo.
Weekly recaps: Garmin already generates those nice weekly summary graphics. The new overlays let you customize them with your own photos instead of just the default stats cards.
Route context: Instead of just a screenshot of your watch showing the map, you can put the actual route overlaid on a photo of where you ran. Trail runners showing their mountain route over a summit photo. Road runners showing their neighborhood route over a familiar landmark.

How It Works

Open any completed activity in Garmin Connect, tap the share button, and you'll see the new layout options. Choose your photo (or use the one Garmin automatically captures if you have that setting on), pick your overlay format, and the app generates a clean image ready for posting.

The overlays include average heart rate, distance, and average pace alongside the route outline. You can see the example images showing how it looks.

This is rolling out now in the Connect app update. If you have automatic updates on your phone, you probably already have it. Check your app settings if you're not seeing it yet.

The feature works for both running and cycling activities, so whatever you're logging in Connect, you can create shareable content from it.

How It Works

The overlays include average heart rate, distance, and average pace alongside the route outline. You can see the example images showing how it looks.

This is rolling out now in the Connect app update. If you have automatic updates on your phone, you probably already have it. Check your app settings if you're not seeing it yet.

The Bigger Picture

Garmin is paying more attention to the social side of fitness tracking. Connect has always been strong on data and training load analysis, but the sharing features felt secondary. This update suggests Garmin is thinking more about how people actually use the platform for social motivation.

Competition is driving this. Strava has built an entire social platform around workout sharing. Third-party tools like Relive have made a business out of making run photos look better. Garmin responding by building these features directly into Connect is exactly what users want.

For Garmin users who haven't been using third-party tools, this opens up better-looking posts without any extra effort. For those who have been using tools like Relive or custom graphics, Connect might become your new go-to since it's faster and built into the workflow you already use.

It's a small feature, but it fits a pattern of Garmin making Connect more complete as an ecosystem rather than just a data vault. The app has been getting regular updates that go beyond pure training analysis. This social sharing layer is another piece of making Connect the central hub for everything from planning workouts to sharing them with your running community.

The fact that Garmin is thinking about this at all signals they're aware that a lot of their users are recreational runners who care about the social aspect of fitness. It's not just elite athletes tracking every metric - it's weekend warriors who want to share their progress with friends. Garmin building tools for that audience makes sense.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Gets Meaningful Sleep Tracking Upgrade

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Samsung is pushing advanced sleep tracking features beyond their latest watches, bringing meaningful upgrades to the Galaxy Watch 4 and other older models. This matters if you've been holding onto a previous-generation Galaxy Watch or are considering one on the secondhand market.

What's Coming to Galaxy Watch 4

The update brings several features that were previously exclusive to newer models. The headline addition is FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection - something Samsung has been working toward for years. This isn't just tracking how long you sleep. It actively looks for signs of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that affects millions of runners and athletes who might otherwise never know they have it.

Sleep apnea disrupts your breathing during the night, which means poor sleep quality even if you're in bed for eight hours. For athletes, this is particularly problematic because it impairs recovery and can leave you feeling fatigued despite adequate sleep duration. Many people with sleep apnea don't realize they have it - they just think they're tired.

The feature works by analyzing blood oxygen variations during sleep combined with movement patterns. It's not a replacement for a proper sleep study, but it gives you a useful screening tool that might prompt you to see a doctor if something looks wrong. Samsung received FDA authorization for this feature, which is notable because the agency doesn't grant that clearance lightly.

Beyond sleep apnea detection, Samsung is rolling out enhanced sleep metrics that go deeper than basic stage tracking. You'll see personalized insights based on your sleep patterns over time, not just raw numbers. The system looks at your sleep consistency, how well you're recovering, and gives you actionable feedback rather than just data. This builds on Samsung's existing sleep scoring but adds the AI layer that makes interpretation easier.

Why Sleep Tracking Matters for Athletes

If you run or train seriously, sleep is when a lot of your adaptation happens. Tracking it matters, but most watches just show you numbers without context. Samsung's approach tries to give you something more useful.

The app will now analyze your sleep across multiple nights and give you a sleep personality type - essentially categorizing your sleep patterns to help you understand whether you're a consistent sleeper, have irregular patterns, or tend to undersleep on certain nights.

For runners doing high-volume training or marathon prep, this kind of insight is genuinely useful. If you're not sleeping enough, your watch can now show you that correlation more clearly than just glancing at a sleep score.

Running Interval Targets Too

Samsung is also adding running interval targets with this update. You can set specific pace or heart rate zones for work intervals and rest periods, and the watch will alert you when you're outside your target range. This has been standard on Garmin and COROS for years, so it's good to see Samsung catching up.

For runners who follow structured workouts - like those doing HIT runs or marathon pace work - this makes the Galaxy Watch more usable as a training tool without needing to pull out your phone constantly.

The interval training feature integrates with Samsung's broader workout tracking, so your interval sessions get logged as structured workouts rather than just a continuous activity. That matters for training load calculations and progress tracking over time.

One thing Samsung does well is the visual feedback during workouts. The watch face shows your current interval, elapsed time, and next segment preview. If you're doing ladder workouts or specific pace targets, you can see what's coming without checking your phone.

The Blood Pressure Story

Samsung has been working toward passive blood pressure monitoring for years. The current implementation requires you to manually trigger a reading, which is functional but not ideal. Samsung has announced that passive monitoring - where the watch tracks blood pressure continuously throughout the day - will arrive later in 2026.

This matters for fitness users because blood pressure response to exercise and recovery is useful data. Current Galaxy Watches can do spot readings, but passive monitoring would give you trends over time that are much more meaningful.

What This Means for Buyers

If you're in the market for a fitness-focused smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 4 is now a more compelling option than it was when it launched. The software updates have kept it competitive with newer models for the features that actually matter to athletes.

Samsung has been good about backporting features to older watches, which is worth considering if you're comparing prices on the secondhand market. A Galaxy Watch 4 at a discount now gets you most of the sleep tracking capability of a Galaxy Watch 7.

The one caveat: these features require the Samsung Health app and work best within Samsung's ecosystem. If you're on iPhone, some functionality may be limited compared to Samsung phone users.

The Bigger Picture

Samsung is clearly positioning itself as a serious player in health tracking, not just a general smartwatch maker. The FDA authorization for sleep apnea detection shows they're investing in the medical-grade features that separate them from basic fitness trackers.

For runners and athletes who want a watch that does more than count steps, these updates make Galaxy Watches more legitimate training tools. The sleep tracking improvements are the most significant - being able to screen for sleep apnea with a wearable you already wear is genuinely useful for anyone training hard.

Suunto Q1 2026 Update: What Triathletes Need to Know

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:09:33 GMT

Suunto just dropped a massive Q1 2026 update with roughly 40 new features. If you race triathlons or train seriously with a Suunto, this one matters.

The headline features are navigation-focused, but dig deeper and there's actually a lot here for swimmers and cyclists. Let me break down what actually matters for triathletes.

For Swimmers: Finally, Some Real Tools

The swimming updates have been a long time coming. Suunto added Pool Swim Drills, which sounds minor but is actually useful if you do structured swim workouts. You can now record kick sets or drill work where stroke detection would just get in the way - the watch logs the block and you manually enter the distance.

More importantly, the manual lap button now gives you exact control over interval timing. If you've ever been frustrated by automatic lap detection being off by a second or two at every wall, this is for you. Competitive swimmers and anyone doing interval training can finally hit the button at the wall and trust the timing.

For triathletes who follow a swim plan, this matters more than it sounds. Structured workouts often involve descending intervals, negative splitting, or precise rest periods. Automatic detection guessing at your turns adds drift over a 4000-yard session. Now you control it.

For Cyclists: Varia Support and Better Heart Rate

This is where it gets interesting for triathletes.

Suunto now supports Garmin Varia Radar via a SuuntoPlus app. Yes, you read that right - Garmin's radar system now works with Suunto watches. You can get vehicle proximity alerts right on your watch face. It's a rare moment of cross-brand compatibility and honestly unexpected.

For triathletes who train on roads, Varia radar is one of those things you didn't know you needed until you have it. Rear-facing radar on your bike alerting you to cars approaching from behind makes outdoor riding noticeably safer. That it's now on a Suunto is a big deal.

Heart rate broadcasting is also fixed. You can now push your Suunto's heart rate to other devices via Bluetooth - gym equipment, bike computers, whatever. Suunto's approach is smarter than some competitors: you have to start a specific sport mode to broadcast, which means the optical sensor uses the right algorithm for that activity (cycling vs running have different wrist movement patterns). This makes it actually useful as a chest HRM replacement for your Karoo 3 or other bike computer.

For Cyclists: Varia Support and Better Heart Rate

This is where it gets interesting for triathletes.

The optical heart rate improvements are notable too. Test data shows better consistency during indoor cycling and fewer random spikes during weight training. Still not perfect, but noticeably better.

For Runners: The Navigation Stuff

The big update is Smart Navigation - smarter autozoom, better off-route alerts, and Maps 2.0. If you train on unfamiliar routes or do trail runs, this matters.

Smart Autozoom now adjusts based on what you're doing. Cycling at speed? It zooms out earlier to show the junction. Hiking a steep climb? It zooms in tight to show trail forks. Off-route detection is smarter too - it considers your speed and direction instead of just a fixed distance threshold.

Maps 2.0 adds city names, POIs, and better contour labels. The customizable "bottom tooth" area lets you put heart rate, power, or vertical speed on the map screen without leaving navigation.

Track Back finally exists natively - turn your breadcrumb trail into a route back to start. And the Suunto App now handles offline routing, so you can plan routes on your phone's big screen and sync mid-workout.

Climb Guidance 3.0

For cyclists and trail runners, Climb Guidance is now in version 3.0 with three view modes:

By Segment: Current climb or descent only
By Waypoint: Elevation profile to your next waypoint
By Distance: Next 500m, 5km, or 10km

You can now toggle ascent and descent notifications independently. Cyclists who only care about upcoming climbs can silence the descent alerts.

Quality of Life Stuff

A few tweaks that should have been here years ago:

Day-specific alarms: 6am on weekdays, 8:30am on weekends finally works
Independent sound controls: Silence phone notifications but keep interval beeps
Mixed units: Miles for distance, Celsius for temperature

The morning report now shows exact sunrise time and a countdown to dawn, which is a nice touch for early morning workouts.

Heart Rate Recovery

This is actually useful for training load management. HRR measures how fast your heart rate drops in the 60 seconds after stopping. But Suunto's version contextualizes it - a 27-beat drop after easy Zone 2 work rates higher than a 31-beat drop after hard Zone 4 effort. The algorithm understands starting intensity.

You get it as a post-workout summary and can track it as a real-time data field between intervals.

The Catch

Battery life is a concern for some users. A few Vertical and Race owners report their battery being cut in half after updating. A soft reset or disabling auto-sync to Strava helped some people. Suunto acknowledges that fancier features eat more power.

Also: the original Suunto Vertical (MIP screen) still hasn't gotten this update. Suunto says they're working on fitting the code to the memory constraints. No timeline yet.

Bottom Line

The Q1 2026 update is a real step forward for Suunto. For triathletes specifically, the swimming improvements, Varia radar support, and heart rate broadcasting are the highlights. You now have better tools for structured training in the pool, safer riding with radar alerts, and more flexibility getting your heart rate to your bike computer.

If you're on a Vertical 2, Race 2, or Race S, this update is worth installing. Just maybe keep an eye on your battery for the first few days.

Your Galaxy Watch Can Now Track Blood Pressure: Here's What You Need to Know

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:21:00 GMT

On March 31, 2026, Samsung Electronics officially began rolling out blood pressure monitoring for compatible Galaxy Watch models in the United States. American users have been waiting for this since the feature launched internationally in 2020, held back by regulatory hurdles. Now, the Galaxy Watch steps further into the wearable health space, moving beyond simple fitness tracking into something that could genuinely help people manage a serious condition.

A Critical Response to a Public Health Crisis

The timing matters. According to the CDC, nearly 120 million adults in the U.S. had high blood pressure in 2025. That's roughly half the adult population. Hypertension is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which are among the top causes of death in this country. Samsung's pitch is straightforward: give people an easy way to check their blood pressure from their wrist and, hopefully, catch problems before they become emergencies.

Supported Hardware and What You'll Need

Good news for anyone who bought a Galaxy Watch in the last few years: this isn't limited to the brand new models. The feature works with the Galaxy Watch 4 and every generation since, including the Watch 5, Watch 6, Watch 7, and the latest Watch 8 series, whether you have the Classic or the Ultra.

But there's a catch. You need more than just the watch:

A Samsung phone running Android 12 or later
Samsung Health Monitor app installed on both phone and watch
No iPhone support, no non-Samsung Android phones, and no Galaxy Fit trackers

How It Actually Works

Traditional blood pressure monitors use an inflatable cuff that cuts off blood flow. The Galaxy Watch takes a different approach. It uses Photoplethysmography (PPG), which sounds complicated but boils down to this: the watch shines green and infrared light into your wrist and measures how that light bounces back as blood flows through your vessels.

Every time your heart beats, blood volume changes, which changes how light is absorbed. The watch picks up these patterns and generates a waveform. Then AI algorithms analyze that waveform looking at things like how quickly your pulse travels through your arteries to estimate your systolic and diastolic pressure. It's tracking changes from your personal baseline, not giving you an absolute medical measurement.

The Catch: You Still Need a Cuff

Here's what Samsung doesn't advertise quite as loudly: the watch still needs help from a traditional blood pressure cuff. Because the watch can't measure pressure directly, it needs to calibrate against something that can. That means:

Initial calibration using an upper-arm blood pressure monitor
Recalibration every 28 days (mandatory)

During calibration, you take three readings simultaneously with both the watch and the cuff, entering the cuff's numbers into the Samsung Health Monitor app. Skip the recalibration for more than 28 days and the feature shuts down until you do it again.

Clinical Validation and Accuracy

A 2026 study put the Galaxy Watch's blood pressure tracking to the test over a full 28-day calibration cycle. Thirty-seven participants compared their watch readings against an Omron M4 reference monitor.

The results were mostly encouraging. The watch generally stayed within international accuracy standards (ISO and IEEE), with a mean difference of just -0.34 mmHg for systolic and 0.62 mmHg for diastolic readings. Not bad.

But the study also flagged something important: accuracy drifted as blood pressure moved further away from the original calibration point. When someone's actual BP was 10 mmHg from their baseline, the watch's error grew to around 3.4 mmHg for systolic and 5.1 mmHg for diastolic readings.

Bottom line: solid for tracking trends when your blood pressure is relatively stable. But if you need an exact number for a doctor's visit, grab the cuff.

How to Get Accurate Readings

Samsung lays out specific instructions:

Avoid nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, exercise, and bathing for at least 30 minutes before measuring
Sit somewhere quiet with your back supported, feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed
Rest for five minutes before you start
Keep your arm at heart level, resting on a table
Stay still and silent for the 30-second measurement

Watch out for: tattoos at the sensor site (the ink absorbs the light), cold skin, vasoconstriction, and excessive body hair. All of these can degrade the signal.

Regulatory Landscape: Wellness vs. Medical Diagnosis

The years-long delay in U.S. availability came down to the FDA being cautious about devices that spit out health numbers. Samsung's ECG and sleep apnea features have full FDA clearance as medical devices. The blood pressure feature launched under a "wellness" designation instead.

Samsung is explicit: this isn't for diagnosing hypertension or replacing your doctor. It's positioned as a tool to help you stay aware of your numbers and make better lifestyle choices.

Samsung vs. Apple vs. Huawei

Apple takes a different approach. The Apple Watch doesn't give you specific blood pressure numbers. Instead, it sends Hypertension Alerts based on long-term trend analysis, flagging potential risks over a 30-day window.

Huawei went the opposite direction with the Watch D2, which has a tiny inflatable cuff built right into the watch band. That gives medical-grade accuracy without needing a separate device, though the band is noticeably bulkier.

Samsung's compromise: trying to balance convenience (optical sensing from the wrist) with accuracy (monthly cuff calibration).

Who Should Not Use This

The Samsung Health Monitor app is for adults 22 and older only.

Skip it if you:

Are pregnant (rapidly changing blood volume makes the calibration unreliable)
Have arrhythmias (except AFib), valvular disease, or heart failure
Have end-stage renal disease or diabetes

And please, please don't adjust your medications based on what the watch says. Talk to your doctor first.

Future Outlook

The current rollout requires you to actively take a reading. Samsung's already working on passive monitoring, which would track your blood pressure in the background throughout the day. That's a meaningful upgrade for anyone trying to understand how stress, diet, or sleep affects their cardiovascular health.

Meanwhile, leaks about the Galaxy Watch 9 (model SM-L345U) suggest a new Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset and refinements to the BioActive sensor. Better signal stability and longer calibration windows could be on the horizon.

The U.S. activation of blood pressure monitoring on the Galaxy Watch is a milestone, finally closing the gap between American users and the rest of the world. The monthly cuff requirement isn't ideal, but the ability to track trends daily from your wrist is genuinely useful for anyone managing blood pressure or just staying proactive about their health.

For Galaxy Watch owners, the message is clear: the feature you've been waiting for is finally here. Just make sure you keep up with the calibration.

Steph Curry Just Leaked Google’s Bold New Screenless Fitbit Tracker

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:21:00 GMT

Steph Curry just gave us our first real look at what Google has been working on.

The NBA star and Google Performance Advisor posted a video on Instagram showing off an unreleased Fitbit tracker. It is a screenless, buttonless wristband made of woven fabric - basically a Whoop Strap clone in Fitbit clothing. The tagline in the video: "new relationship with your health."

The Fitbit account confirmed it is real by commenting the "eyes" emoji on Curry's post. So this is not a concept or prototype - it is actually coming.

9to5Google reported on the video, noting: "The clip teases a 'new relationship with your health' that is coming soon, with the gradient 'G' logo appearing at the end."

Watch Curry's post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWjhdflgcF5/?hl=en

What We Know About the Design

Based on what Curry showed, this new Fitbit is about as minimal as a tracker can get:

The band itself has no screen, no buttons, nothing to interact with directly. Just fabric, a clasp, and sensors underneath. Curry wore a light gray version with orange accents, but expect multiple colorways at launch.

Without a display, all the interaction happens in the Fitbit app. You wear it 24/7, forget about it, and check your data when you want to see how you slept or recovered.

This is the Whoop playbook exactly. Whoop built an entire business around the idea that a tracker should disappear onto your wrist and let the app do the heavy lifting.

What It Actually Tracks

Google has not shared full specs yet, but based on what Fitbit already does and what the sources say, expect the usual health metrics:

Heart rate monitoring runs continuously, tracking resting heart rate and how hard you are pushing during workouts. Skin temperature sensors detect fluctuations that can signal illness onset or recovery needs. Sleep tracking gives you recovery scores and shows how well you actually rested.

For runners specifically, the interesting metrics are the ones Whoop popularized: strain score, recovery score, and sleep performance. These combine heart rate variability, sleep quality, and recent exertion into a single number that tells you how hard you should push today.

The bigger play is the AI integration. Google is pushing Gemini-powered health coaching across its products, and this Fitbit will tie into that. Instead of just showing you numbers, the app will try to explain what they mean and give you personalized recommendations.

Google's AI advantage is real here. Whoop built its algorithms over years with professional athletes. Google has access to anonymized health data from millions of Fitbit users and the machine learning infrastructure to make sense of it. If they can translate that into actionable advice through the app, this becomes more than just a tracking band.

The Runner's Perspective

Whoop became popular among runners and cyclists because it focuses on the metrics that actually matter for training: recovery and strain.

Garmin and Apple Watch give you data, but they also give you notifications, apps, and distractions. Whoop strips all that away. You wear it, it tracks, and you check your app once a day to see if you should crush your workout or take it easy.

For serious runners who periodize their training and care about long-term adaptation, this approach works. You do not need your watch to show you notifications during a run. You need to know the next day whether your body is ready for another hard effort.

Google clearly studied this. Their new Fitbit has no screen because screens are the wrong interface for this kind of device. Your phone is the right place to review data. Your wrist is just for wearing the sensor.

The woven fabric design is notable too. Current Fitbits are plastic or metal rectangles that look like fitness trackers. A soft woven band that looks like jewelry-or at least not like a gadget-is a different aesthetic. Whoop leaned into the premium sports look. Google seems to be going for something you could wear to a meeting without anyone noticing.

The Subscription Question

Here is where it gets interesting for Whoop.

Whoop charges around $149 per year for access to its data and insights. You do not technically own the experience-you rent it. Google is almost certainly going to follow the same playbook with this new tracker.

Expect a free tier with basic metrics: heart rate, sleep stages, activity tracking. The deeper stuff-AI-powered coaching, recovery insights, personalized training recommendations-will likely sit behind Fitbit Premium, which runs about $80 per year.

If Google can undercut Whoop while offering similar data quality, it puts pressure on a company that has built its business on this exact model.

The Competition Is Already Noticing

Google is walking into a space that is getting crowded fast.

Whoop has had this market mostly to itself among serious athletes. Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and plenty of serious amateur athletes wear Whoop because nothing else gave them the recovery and strain data they wanted in a subscription format.

But now everyone is circling the same idea. Garmin recently leaked something called "CIRQA"-a mystery band that looks like another Whoop competitor. If Garmin enters this market with their established relationship with serious athletes, it creates real pressure.

Polar has been quiet on new hardware but has the sensor technology to do this. Their existing fitness bands are solid; a screenless subscription model would not be a stretch.

Startups are attacking from different angles. Ultrahuman went the smart ring route. Speediance showed something at CES 2026. The market is fragmenting around the same insight: athletes want data without the smartwatch distractions.

Apple is the wild card. The Apple Watch is too expensive and feature-rich to pivot into a bare-bones subscription tracker. But if Google and Garmin both launch subscription-based fitness bands and Apple sticks with the Apple Watch approach, they could get left behind in the dedicated performance tracking space that Whoop pioneered.

The question is whether there is room for three or four players in the "screenless subscription band" market, or if this becomes a winner-take-most situation like Whoop has been.

Why Google is Doing This

The Pixel Watch is Google's flagship wearable. It has a screen, runs Wear OS, does everything a smartwatch should. The Fitbit brand is being repositioned to do something different-pure health tracking without the distractions of notifications and apps.

Taking the screen off means better battery life, smaller size, and something you actually forget you are wearing. For people who want data without the dopamine hits of checking their wrist every five minutes, this fills a gap in the market.

It also gets more people into the Fitbit ecosystem where Google can sell Premium subscriptions and collect health data. Smart business, assuming the hardware delivers.

Should You Care

If you are currently a Whoop user, probably yes. Google has more resources than Whoop and potentially better health data to base its algorithms on. If this tracker ships at a lower price point with comparable accuracy, it could pull people away from Whoop.

Whoop charges $149 per year for the privilege of wearing their band. Google could undercut that significantly while offering similar or better data quality. For athletes who are on the fence about Whoop, this might be the push they need to switch.

For existing Fitbit users, this is interesting if you have been wanting a more minimal tracking experience. Current Fitbit devices are fine, but they still look like fitness trackers. If you want something discreet that you wear 24/7 without it looking like you are constantly tracking your steps, this fills a gap in the Fitbit lineup.

Runners in particular should watch this. Garmin has owned the serious runner market, but their subscription model is not as aggressive as Whoop's. If Google can deliver comparable recovery and strain metrics without requiring a $149 annual fee, it becomes an attractive option for athletes who do not need the full Garmin ecosystem.

The caveat is we do not know pricing yet. If this costs $100 or more plus a subscription, the value proposition weakens. Whoop's all-in model at $149/year is simple. If Google's approach is $50 for the band plus $80/year for Premium, it is not that much cheaper.

What This Means for Fitbit's Future

This launch clarifies Google's strategy for the Fitbit brand.

This is a smart split. Heavy users who want notifications and apps pay premium for Pixel Watch. Athletes and casual users who just want data without the cognitive overhead get Fitbit. Both feed into Google's health platform.

It also gets more people into the Fitbit ecosystem where Google can sell Premium subscriptions and collect health data. Smart business, assuming the hardware delivers.

What We Do not Know Yet

A few things we are still waiting on:

Pricing is the big one. The business model only works if Google prices this aggressively enough to pull people away from Whoop. A $199 band with $80/year subscription is not going to move the needle. A $79 band with $60/year might.

Accuracy is the second question. Whoop spent years refining their heart rate sensors and algorithms. Google has Fitbit's decade-plus of data, but screenless tracking in a woven band presents different sensor challenges than a plastic module pressed against your wrist.

And perhaps most importantly: does this actually help runners train better? Whoop became popular because athletes trusted the strain and recovery numbers. If Google's version delivers questionable data, no amount of AI coaching will fix it.

No launch date yet, but "coming soon" suggests sometime in 2026. We will keep an eye on this one and update when we know more.

New Garmin Integration Rolling Out to Select Smartwatch Users

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Garmin is rolling out a meaningful update to how its watches interact with smartphones, and this one matters for daily usability. The new integration focuses on notification handling and quick reply capabilities, areas where Garmin has traditionally lagged behind Apple Watch and competitors.

If you have been using a Garmin watch with an iPhone and wishing text messages worked better on your wrist, this update addresses that frustration directly.

What Is Changing

The core improvements center around two areas: smarter notification mirroring and expanded quick reply options.

Notification mirroring on Garmin watches has worked for years, but the implementation has always felt incomplete. Incoming texts and app alerts would appear, but often without enough context to make quick decisions. The new integration improves how much information displays, giving you a better sense of whether a notification warrants attention without pulling out your phone.

Quick replies are the bigger news. Garmin is finally expanding preset response options that let you reply to messages directly from your watch. Previously, this feature was limited and felt tacked on. The expanded version includes more customizable phrases and better handling of different messaging apps.

You can respond with preset responses, choose from recently used replies, or use custom phrases you have configured in the Garmin Connect app. For runners who train with music playing from their phone, being able to handle simple replies without stopping or pulling out your phone is genuinely useful.

The system supports responses for both SMS and popular messaging apps including iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram. Support for additional apps varies by platform, with Android users generally getting broader compatibility than iPhone users due to Apple's restrictions on third-party app access.

Beyond simple text responses, the watch can now handle incoming call management better. You can dismiss calls with a preset message directly from your wrist, which is useful when you are in a meeting or mid-workout and cannot reach your phone.

Notification preferences can now be customized more granularly. Instead of getting all notifications or none, you can choose which apps send alerts to your watch. This reduces notification overload while ensuring you do not miss the messages that actually matter to you.

Which Watches Get the Update

Not every Garmin watch will receive these features. The new integration requires both Bluetooth 4.0 or higher hardware and a recent firmware update to work properly.

Most watches from the Fenix 8 series, Epix Pro line, and Forerunner models released in the past two years should qualify. This includes the Fenix 8, Fenix 8 Pro, Epix Pro, Forerunner 165, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 570, and newer entries in those families.

To check if your watch is eligible, open Garmin Express on your computer or the Garmin Connect app on your phone. Look for a firmware update in the software update section. If one is available, install it and the new integration features should appear shortly after.

Older devices like the Fenix 7 series and original Epix may see limited functionality, as their Bluetooth hardware does not support all the new protocols. Garmin has not officially confirmed which exact models get full versus partial support.

Why This Matters for Runners

Garmin has always been the gold standard for GPS accuracy and training metrics. Features like VO2 max estimates, recovery time recommendations, and detailed running dynamics set the company apart from consumer-focused competitors. But when it comes to everyday smart features, Garmin has historically lagged.

For runners who train seriously, switching ecosystems means tradeoffs. Apple Watch offers solid smart features but does not match Garmin for training analytics. Garmin delivers the metrics but sometimes feels clunky when handling basic tasks like text messages.

These improvements narrow that gap. You can now get decent smart functionality without sacrificing what makes Garmin valuable for training. For athletes who want one device that handles both workouts and daily life, this update makes Garmin a more complete option.

The quick reply feature matters more than it sounds. When you are mid-run and someone texts you about dinner plans or a last-minute schedule change, being able to reply with a preset response or a quick "running, will call later" keeps communication flowing without derailing your training. Previously, Garmin users either ignored the message or stopped running to type a reply.

For triathletes, this matters even more. Open water swims and bike legs mean your phone is often locked away in a transition area or strapped to your bike. Having watch-based communication during brick workouts and recovery runs helps athletes stay connected without disrupting training flow.

Trail runners benefit significantly as well. Remote routes often mean spotty phone coverage and phones tucked away in hydration vests. A quick reply from your wrist when a support crew member texts updates about a race or meeting point can be genuinely helpful during long training sessions.

How It Compares to Apple Watch

Apple Watch still leads on smart features. The integration between iPhone and Apple Watch feels seamless because Apple controls both hardware and software. Siri handles replies naturally, and the handoff between watch and phone feels natural.

Garmin is clearly playing catch-up here, and that is fine. The company is targeting a different user. Serious athletes prioritize training metrics over voice assistants. Garmin gives you everything you need to analyze workouts, plan training blocks, and track progress across multiple sports. Smart features are enhanced when they do not compromise that core strength.

The new integration moves Garmin closer to parity without diluting what runners actually care about. You get better notification handling and quick replies while keeping the training features that matter.

What Users Are Saying

Early reactions from Garmin users have been positive. The Garmin subreddit shows appreciation for finally getting quick replies that work consistently. Users who switched from Apple Watch to Garmin for training purposes cite notification handling as a frequent frustration, and this update directly addresses that complaint.

One user described the experience as "finally feeling like a complete watch instead of a fitness tracker with smart features bolted on." Another noted that quick replies during runs have already reduced how often they check their phone.

Users with Fenix 8 watches report that the notification improvements feel most noticeable during workouts. Previous Garmin models would sometimes delay notifications during activity tracking, causing you to miss messages until after your run. The new integration appears to address this latency issue more effectively.

Not every response has been enthusiastic. Some users report that the new features only work with certain messaging apps, and integration with third-party apps like WhatsApp or Slack remains inconsistent. Garmin is gradually expanding support, but early adopters may find gaps depending on which apps they use most.

iPhone users continue to face more limitations than Android users. Apple restricts how third-party watches can interact with iMessage and other apps, which means some features work better on Android. Garmin has been transparent about these platform differences, and the company seems to be doing its best to maximize functionality within Apple's constraints.

The Bigger Picture

Garmin has been steadily improving its smart features over several product generations. The company recognizes that most users wear their watch all day, not just during workouts. Making the daily wear experience better matters for customer retention.

These improvements also help Garmin compete against Google and Samsung, both of which have pushed harder on smartwatch features in recent years. Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch now offer strong training metrics alongside polished smart features. Garmin needed to respond with better daily usability while maintaining its training advantage.

The timing matters because the smartwatch market is maturing. Consumers increasingly expect their devices to handle both fitness tracking and daily tasks without compromise. Garmin's traditional strength in training metrics remains important, but the company can no longer rely solely on that advantage as competitors close the gap.

Looking ahead, Garmin will likely continue expanding smart features in future firmware updates. The company has been responsive to user feedback, and the positive reception to these changes suggests there is appetite for more. Whether that means deeper app integrations, improved voice assistant support, or better cellular connectivity for calls without phones remains to be seen.

For now, the update represents meaningful progress. Garmin users can finally enjoy notification handling and quick replies that feel complete rather than half-implemented. It will not convert Apple Watch fans, but it makes Garmin a more viable option for athletes who want one watch that does everything without serious compromises.

For now, if you have a compatible Garmin watch, check for firmware updates and enjoy the improved notifications and quick replies. It will not transform your watch into an Apple Watch competitor, but it makes daily life with a Garmin just a little bit easier.

Samsung Galaxy Watch9 Rumors - What We Know So Far

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Samsung is already testing the next Galaxy Watch, and it might arrive sooner than you think. Reports from TechRadar suggest the Galaxy Watch9 is in active development, which means an official announcement could be months away.

What the Rumors Say

The testing phase means Samsung is working on the hardware and software for the next generation. Right now, nothing is confirmed about specs or features. But looking at Samsung's pattern, we can make some educated guesses.

The Galaxy Watch8 came out in late 2025, so a Watch9 in late 2026 would fit the annual release cycle. Samsung usually announces new watches alongside their foldable phones, which get unveiled in July or August.

What Might Be New

If Samsung follows their usual playbook, the Galaxy Watch9 could bring improvements in a few areas.

The processor might get faster. Every generation brings a new chip, and Samsung has been pushing harder on on-device AI features. A quicker processor helps those features run smoothly without killing battery.

Health sensors could expand. Samsung has been adding new health monitoring capabilities with each generation. Blood pressure monitoring, sleep tracking, and heart rate sensors have all improved over time.

Battery life matters a lot for runners. The current Galaxy Watch8 gets good battery life, but there is always room for improvement, especially for people who track multi-hour activities.

Should You Wait?

Here is the honest answer. If you need a watch now, buy what is available. The Galaxy Watch8 is a solid device, and prices will likely drop when the Watch9 arrives. But if you are on the fence, waiting a few months might get you something meaningfully better.

For runners specifically, Samsung Pay integration and GPS accuracy are the features I would watch most closely. Those make or break a running watch experience.

What features matter most to you in your next smartwatch? Let us know in the comments.

Do Garmin Watches Work With iPhone? Apple's New Rules

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Apple just made things harder for athletes who want a Garmin Fenix 8 but still use iPhone. The company confirmed new restrictions that limit how third-party watches like the Fenix 8 can interact with iOS features.

What Apple Changed

Apple started enforcing stricter rules around how third-party fitness watches connect to iPhone. The changes affect several areas:

First, notifications got limited. Some watch faces and notification styles that worked before now show simplified alerts on Garmin watches paired with iPhone. Second, activity sharing between apps got tighter. Garmin Connect can still send data to Apple Health, but some deeper integrations stopped working. Third, music controls through Apple Music require more steps now. Controlling playback from your wrist while running is clunkier than it used to be.

Why This Matters for Runners

Here is the thing. Garmin makes some of the best GPS watches for serious training. The Fenix 8 is a beast for marathon prep, trail running, and triathlon training. But iPhone users have always had a slightly compromised experience compared to Android users.

These new restrictions make that gap wider. When you pair a Garmin Fenix 8 to iPhone now, you lose some functionality that worked fine last month.

One runner on Reddit put it this way: "I trained for my first marathon using a Fenix 7 and iPhone. The notifications were already annoying. Now they are worse."

What You Can Do About It

The main options are straightforward. You can deal with the limitations if they are not dealbreakers for you. You can switch to Android for better Garmin integration. Or you can wait and see if Garmin pushes a firmware update that works around these restrictions.

Garmin has not commented officially yet. But given how profitable the iPhone user base is for them, I would expect some kind of response soon.

The Bigger Picture

Apple has been slowly closing its ecosystem for years. The idea is simple: make iPhone-only features so good that you never want to leave Apple. For fitness fans, that means Apple Watch becomes more attractive even if it does not match Garmin's training science.

Whether this changes your buying decision depends on how much you rely on those integrations. Casual fitness fans might not notice. Serious athletes who live in Garmin Connect might want to test before they buy.

What has your experience been? Have you noticed any changes since the update? Drop a comment below.

COROS Spring 2026 Update: Everything You Need to Know

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

COROS just released their spring 2026 update, and I have been going through it for the past few days. This is not a small drop. There are new pacing tools, some clever route features, and even a dedicated mode for Hyrox-style workouts. Let me break down what actually matters for most people using these watches.

Pace Strategy: The Headliner

If you do any kind of structured race preparation, Pace Strategy is going to change how you train. COROS basically took the idea behind Kilian Jornet's "Mountain Math" pacing calculations and built it into the watch.

Here is how it works. You pick a distance or load a route, and the system builds you a pacing plan based on your fitness level. It is not just a simple "run this pace" suggestion. It accounts for terrain, elevation changes, and even factors in that late-race fatigue you always feel but often ignore when planning.

For road runners, you can select standard distances from 5K up to 150 miles. The app generates a realistic target time based on your recent performance data. What I appreciate is the interactive slider that lets you dial effort from "comfortable" to "all out" before you even start. You can also set positive or negative splits, which is huge for marathoners who want to practice negative splitting.

But the route-based version is where this really shines for trail and ultra runners. Load a GPX file and the algorithm chews through every foot of elevation gain and loss. Flattened out a steep climb? The system adjusts your target pace accordingly. You will not get the same pace suggestion for a 15% grade as you would for flat ground, which sounds obvious but most pacers ignore terrain entirely.

The fatigue accommodation is smart too. For a 50-miler, a mile at mile 45 should not have the same target pace as mile 5. COROS builds in nonlinear pacing coefficients that recognize how your body accumulates stress over time. This is the kind of thing that usually requires a coach or a lot of spreadsheets to figure out.

One feature I did not expect: weather integration. If your event is within three days, the system pulls forecasted conditions and overlays temperature data on your route profile. Running a mountain 100 where afternoon thunderstorms are likely? You will see where the heat exposure peaks.

Aid station timing gets better too. Input your planned rest stops and the watch counts down your time, so you know if you are dawdling too long at mile 62.

Hill Alerts: Finally on COROS

COROS brought their climbing detection from the DURA bike computer over to the watches. If you run with routes loaded, Hill Alerts automatically segments your run into individual climbs and descents.

Before you head out, you can preview the route in the app and see climbs color-coded by difficulty. Steep sections show in dark red, gradual inclines in green. During the run, the watch tells you which climb you are approaching, how much elevation remains, and the current grade. It helps you mentally chunk big efforts into smaller pieces instead of staring at a mountain wondering how much longer the suffering lasts.

For races with named climbs like Western States, this gives you a heads-up before each major section hits.

Hybrid Fitness Mode: Not Just for Hyrox

COROS added a dedicated mode for functional fitness competitions, but I think most people sleep on how useful this is for general cross-training.

You get three configurations. Race Mode follows standard competition formats if you are doing Hyrox or similar events. Training Mode is more flexible, letting you build workouts with functional exercises in any order. Test Mode gives you a standardized benchmark workout you can repeat over time to track fitness changes.

The automatic transition detection is genuinely clever. It uses motion data to sense when you switch from running to an exercise station, so you are not fumbling with buttons mid-workout. After the session, the app separates your running performance from your functional work, which helps you see if your running is holding up despite the added training stress.

Even if you never do a Hyrox event, this mode is useful for brick workouts or any session mixing cardio with strength work.

Small Quality-of-Life Stuff That Adds Up

The weekly distance widget has been requested forever and it finally arrived. Scroll down from your watch face and you see Monday-through-Sunday totals for running, cycling, and swimming. No app required. Training volume at a glance.

Large font notifications are exactly what they sound like. If you have been squinting at tiny text during workouts, you can now bump up the size. I bumped this on immediately and it makes a difference when you are mid-run and someone texts you.

Security got better with device passcodes. Set a four-digit PIN and the watch locks automatically after being off your wrist for a minute. Leave it at the gym or in a locker and strangers cannot peek at your health data or training logs. This should have been standard, but better late than never.

Zwift Integration Actually Works Now

The new dual-direction Zwift sync means your structured workouts flow both ways. Build something in COROS, it shows up in Zwift. Log an indoor session on Zwift, it counts toward your COROS training load and recovery scores. No more double-entry, which is the kind of friction that makes people stop logging data.

If you ride with a COROS DURA bike computer, media controls arrived. Adjust volume or skip tracks from the device while riding. Not revolutionary, but convenient when your phone is buried in a jersey pocket.

Other Niche Updates Worth Knowing

Rock climbing summaries got more detailed with grades sent and style breakdown. Multi-pitch routes now auto-detect pitch finishes, which is nice for people who climb outside regularly.

Race Predictor Trends shows your predicted times for various distances changing over weeks and months based on training load. This is helpful for seeing if you are actually getting faster or just maintaining.

Auto Lap can now trigger by GPS position instead of distance. If you train on a loop course where mile markers are not convenient, this is way more useful than guessing.

Pause Options let you view lap stats without officially stopping the activity timer. Useful when you need to check something mid-run without losing your data stream.

The Hardware Side

COROS launched customized checkout so you can pick watch and band colors separately instead of being stuck with whatever combo they decided to bundle. White PACE 4 with a nylon band is now a thing if that is your aesthetic.

They also released a USB-C keychain adapter for charging on the go. Small but thoughtful.

What Actually Matters

Pace Strategy is the feature to prioritize if you race trail ultras or do structured marathon prep. The terrain-aware pacing and fatigue modeling are genuinely sophisticated for a consumer watch. That said, if you mostly run flat loops or do easy mileage without much structure, you might not feel the impact as immediately.

Hill Alerts is great if you race with routes loaded. The preview before you run helps you strategize, and real-time notifications keep you from getting surprised by long climbs. For point-to-point races where you cannot recce the course beforehand, this is especially valuable.

Hybrid Fitness mode is more versatile than it sounds. Even if Hyrox is not your thing, the cross-training tracking is valuable for anyone mixing running with gym work. Cyclists who also run will appreciate being able to track both sports in one place without buying separate devices.

The smaller additions like the weekly widget and large font notifications might not sound exciting, but they improve daily wear. That stuff compounds over months of use, and I have seen people skip watches for less than a clunky notification experience.

Who Should Actually Care

If you are a trail runner prepping for a 50K or longer, Pace Strategy alone justifies updating. The nonlinear fatigue modeling is not perfect, but it is close enough to what coaches have been recommending for years. Playing around with your race plan in the app before you commit to a pacing strategy beats guessing on race day.

For road marathoners, the split customization is the real win. Negative splitting a marathon requires practice, and having a watch that literally shows you your target pace for each mile makes structured training actually work.

Hyrox enthusiasts obviously get their dedicated mode, but CrossFit athletes and anyone doing run-based functional training will find value here too. Tracking your running separately from your gym work helps you understand if your cross-training is hurting or helping your run performance.

The Bigger Picture

COROS has been consistently improving their platform in ways that matter for serious athletes. They are not chasing Apple Watch features or trying to be a smartphone on your wrist. Everything they build serves the training and racing workflow.

What stands out is how the features interact. Load a route for a 100-miler, get your pacing plan built around terrain and fatigue, see your climbs color-coded, and track your nutrition stops with aid station countdowns. That workflow is genuinely cohesive for the kind of athlete who takes this stuff seriously.

The competition is not standing still either. Garmin and Apple are both pushing their own feature sets. But COROS has found a niche in serving the performance-focused runner and cyclist without getting distracted by things that do not matter for training.

Update Now or Wait?

Update now. The new features are stable and the installation process is straightforward through the COROS app. Like any firmware update, you will want to do it when your watch has decent battery and you are not in the middle of a training block. Give it an evening to settle after installing before doing anything critical like a race.

If you hit any bugs, the COROS community forums tend to have workarounds posted quickly. The company has been responsive to feedback and tends to push quick fixes when issues surface.

The update rolls out today. Check your COROS app for the firmware download and take an hour to go through the new features before your next workout. Pace Strategy especially deserves some experimentation on a training run before you trust it on race day.

Motorola Moto Watch Review - Can Budget Hardware Deliver Polar's Elite Fitness?

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT

When Motorola announced the Moto Watch with "Powered by Polar" branding, fitness nerds everywhere leaned in. Polar has spent decades building reputation around accurate heart rate tracking and training insights. Motorola putting that same tech in a $149.99 watch seemed like a win-win. After digging into the details though, some serious red flags popped up.

First Impressions: The Design Delivers

The Moto Watch actually looks the part. Motorola went with a 47mm aluminum frame that comes in at just 40g, which is genuinely impressive for a watch this size. The Volcanic Ash colorway with its stainless steel crown gives it a premium feel that would not look out of place next to watches costing twice the price.

The 1.43" round OLED display is a standout feature. It is vibrant, supports an always-on mode for quick glances, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. For everyday wear and tear, this watch is built to handle it, with IP68 water resistance and 1 ATM rating. It is not a diver's watch, but it will survive a rain run or accidental shower without issues.

The 47mm size is noticeable on smaller wrists, but the lightweight construction keeps it from feeling clunky. I have seen bulkier watches that weigh significantly more.

The "Powered by Polar" Promise

This is where things get interesting. Motorola leaned heavily into Polar's reputation, marketing this as a legitimate fitness tool with access to Polar's advanced tracking algorithms. The sales pitch includes:

Continuous heart rate and oxygen monitoring with alerts when metrics fall outside healthy ranges
Sleep stage tracking for understanding recovery
Real-time stress monitoring to help balance training load
Auto-pause and audio feedback for runners and cyclists

The hardware underneath includes a PPG sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, e-compass, and dual-frequency GPS (L1/L5). That is an impressive spec sheet for $149.

But here's the critical question: does the execution match the marketing?

Smart Features Beyond Fitness

Outside of training, Motorola threw in some genuinely useful smart features. The built-in mic and speaker enable hands-free calls directly from your wrist, which is handy when your phone is buried in a gym bag. The moto ai integration with select Motorola phones can generate notification summaries with a simple "Catch me up" command. Music controls, camera trigger, and "find my phone" round out the practical daily-use features.

Battery life is rated at up to 13 days, with a quick 5-minute charge supposedly providing a full day of power. That is competitive with the best in the business.

Reviewer Concerns

Reviewers encountered several frustrating bugs:

Storage full errors even after syncing with Android devices, preventing exercise recording
Exercise mode freezing on the 3-2-1 countdown, losing workout data
Android 12+ only for the companion app, iPhone users are completely locked out
No raw data export and no Strava integration, which serious fitness enthusiasts consider non-negotiable

These are not edge cases. These are fundamental usability issues that basic QA testing should catch.

Rob from "The Quantified Scientist" ran the Moto Watch through rigorous optical heart rate sensor testing, comparing it directly against a Polar H10 chest strap, the industry reference standard. The results were concerning.

Indoor Cycling: The watch consistently showed heart rate readings that were too low during high-effort intervals. Sometimes it even showed a decrease when the user was pushing harder. That is a fundamental tracking failure.

Running: This is where "cadence lock" became a problem. The optical sensor appeared to mistake the runner's step frequency for heart rate instead of actually measuring it. Imagine looking down mid-run and seeing your heart rate drop just because you picked up your pace. That is dangerous territory for training decisions.

Sleep Tracking: Compared to EEG reference equipment, the Moto Watch showed 54% agreement for deep sleep and 58% for light sleep. That is okay at best, comparable to older Polar units or mid-range Huawei watches, but well behind Apple or Google.

The GPS Problem

Dual-frequency GPS (L1/L5) should theoretically provide excellent accuracy, even in challenging environments like crowded streets or tree-covered trails. In independent testing, however, the Moto Watch consistently under-reported distances compared to Garmin and Coros reference devices. One test showed 2km when the actual distance was 4.1km. That is not a minor discrepancy. It renders distance-based training metrics essentially useless.

Who Should Actually Buy This?

The honest answer: not serious athletes, and not iPhone users.

If you are specifically buying this for its "Powered by Polar" fitness tracking, pump the brakes. The hardware and firmware simply are not reliable enough to trust with training decisions. Polar's algorithms are elite, but they cannot overcome inferior sensors and buggy software.

For someone who wants a stylish smartwatch with basic fitness features, some smartwatch convenience, and long battery life at a budget price, the Moto Watch delivers. It is a decent first-generation product that Motorola could iterate on, but right now it is a case of promising concept meeting mediocre execution.

Current owners might consider waiting for firmware updates. The bones of something good are here, but it needs refinement before I would trust it for anything beyond casual wear.

Polar Street X Review: The $249 Rugged Watch With a Built-In Flashlight

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT

The world of wearable fitness technology has shifted with the launch of the Polar Street X, a device that marks a strategic pivot for the Finnish manufacturer. Released on March 25, 2026, the Street X is positioned as an "Urban Sports Watch" designed specifically for the hybrid athlete, the individual whose training regime transitions seamlessly between the weight room and urban running environments. With a launch price of $249.99, it enters the market as a direct, more affordable alternative to the Garmin Instinct series.

A Rugged Design for the City Athlete

The Polar Street X departs from the slim, minimalist aesthetic traditionally associated with the brand, opting instead for a "Scandinavian type" design that experts describe as "cool and rugged". The watch features a 45mm diameter reinforced polymer body with a thickness of 13.8mm. One of its most distinctive visual features is an 8-screw chassis designed to distribute the force of impacts evenly across the case, providing 24/7 shock resistance.

Despite its bulky appearance, the device is surprisingly lightweight, weighing only 48 grams (including the wristband) thanks to its bio-based plastic construction. It is built to survive the rigors of city life and intense training, having been tested against military-grade standards (MIL-STD-810H) for durability in extreme temperatures and resistance to drops. The watch is also water-resistant up to 50 meters (5 ATM), making it suitable for swimming and all-weather urban commuting.

Available in three colors, Night Black, Snow White, and Forest Green, the Street X includes 22mm quick-release bands, allowing users to easily customize the look to match their personal style.

Display and Hardware Innovation

The centerpiece of the user interface is a 1.28-inch AMOLED touchscreen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.0. While the display provides vibrant colors and an always-on mode, its peak brightness is rated at 1,000 nits. Some reviewers note that while this is sufficient for most scenarios, it may fall short of the 2,000-nit displays found on premium competitors when viewed in direct, harsh sunlight.

Perhaps the most significant hardware addition is the integrated dual-color LED flashlight, located on the front of the watch. This feature, which includes both white and red light modes, is a rarity at the $250 price point, often reserved for high-end models like the Garmin Fenix 8. The red light mode is specifically designed to be "softer on the eyes," making it ideal for navigating dark environments without losing night vision or disturbing others.

Under the hood, the Street X is powered by a 275 MHz CPU with 32MB of storage and 37MB of memory. While these specifications are modest compared to full-feature smartwatches, they support a highly efficient proprietary operating system.

Built to Take a Beating

The Street X's rugged credentials are further reinforced by its 8-screw chassis design and reinforced polymer construction. The 8 screws aren't just aesthetic. They actually distribute impact forces evenly across the case, providing genuine 24/7 shock resistance for everyday wear and tear.

Easy-Grip Buttons

Navigation is handled through tactile, easy-grip buttons positioned on the right side of the watch. These oversized buttons are designed for quick adjustments during workouts, even with gloves or wet fingers.

The button placement follows Polar's tried-and-true layout: top for start/stop, middle for back/forward navigation, and bottom for backlight/flashlight quick access.

Performance and Battery Life

Polar has engineered the Street X to balance high-intensity performance with long-term utility. The device offers three distinct power modes:

Smartwatch Mode: Provides up to 10 days of battery life
Performance Training Mode: Delivers up to 43 hours of continuous GPS and heart rate tracking
Eco Training Mode: Extends tracking capabilities up to 170 hours

The watch utilizes a proprietary USB-C charging cable (Polar Charge 2.0). Notably, Polar has indicated that the 385 mAh battery is replaceable, though this must be performed by a Polar service center rather than the user to maintain the device's integrity.

Heart Rate Accuracy: The Precision Prime Sensor

The Street X utilizes Polar's Precision Prime™ optical heart rate technology. While this is a proven system, it is an older generation than the "Elixir" sensors found in Polar's flagship models.

Rob, a post-doctoral scientist from "The Quantified Scientist," has conducted extensive testing on this specific sensor technology with the following results:

Indoor Cycling: Excellent performance, with a 0.99 correlation to reference devices, placing it in the 65th percentile of tested wearables
Running: Generally reliable, with a correlation of 0.95 when worn on the wrist and up to 0.99 when worn on the biceps
Outdoor Cycling: Moderate performance (0.79 correlation), often struggling with the "bumpiness" of outdoor terrain
Weightlifting: Consistent with most wrist-based sensors, Rob found it "didn't really do well" for heavy lifting, suggesting that serious athletes use an external ECG chest strap (like the Polar H10) for maximum accuracy

Polar notes that they have upgraded the algorithms used with the Precision Prime sensor for this release to improve motion interference reduction.

Comprehensive Training and Wellness Suite

The Street X is marketed as a powerhouse for "hybrid athletes," offering profiles for over 170 sports and disciplines. It includes several pro-level software features that were previously exclusive to more expensive models:

Training Intelligence

Training Load Pro™: Monitors the strain each session puts on the cardiovascular system and compares it to long-term tolerance to help prevent overtraining
Work-Rest Guide: Uses real-time heart rate data to suggest the optimal rest period between sets during strength training
Wrist-Based Running Power: Calculates the energy output in watts without the need for external pods, allowing runners to gauge intensity on varying terrain
FitSpark: Provides daily on-demand workout suggestions for cardio, strength, and mobility tailored to the user's recovery and fitness level

Sleep and Recovery Tracking

The device features Sleep Plus Stages™ and Nightly Recharge™, which automatically track sleep duration, quality, and the stages of light, deep, and REM sleep. Rob's testing, however, categorizes Polar's sleep stage tracking as "mediocre," similar to other sports watch brands and less accurate than dedicated trackers like the Oura Ring or Apple Watch.

A standout wellness feature is the Nightly Skin Temperature measurement, which helps users spot physiological changes or early signs of illness by tracking trends over time.

Navigation and Urban Utilities

For the urban explorer, the Street X provides accurate GPS with multi-system satellite support (Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS) to ensure reliable positioning even between tall city buildings. While the watch does not feature full on-device mapping, it provides:

Turn-by-Turn Guidance: Powered by Komoot, allowing users to follow planned routes with clear alerts
Breadcrumb Navigation: A visual representation of the path taken
Back to Start: A feature that guides the user straight back to their starting point
Integrated Barometer & Altimeter: For tracking elevation changes during stair climbs or hilly urban runs

In terms of daily utility, the watch includes music controls, phone notifications via vibration, and a "Find My Phone" feature. However, it lacks an NFC chip for contactless payments and does not have integrated storage for music files.

Data Privacy and the Polar Flow Ecosystem

As a European company, Polar emphasizes data privacy, likely keeping the data of EU users on European servers, which is a significant factor for privacy-conscious consumers.

The watch syncs with the Polar Flow app, which serves as a comprehensive diary for training, activity, and sleep data. While the app provides deep insights, some experts have criticized the current user interface as being "outdated and a bit sluggish" compared to competitors like Whoop or Garmin. Polar is reportedly working on a major overhaul of the app to address these concerns.

Final Verdict: Is the Polar Street X Worth It?

The Polar Street X is a compelling mid-range option for those seeking a rugged, durable sports watch without the premium price tag of a flagship device.

Strengths:

Exceptional Value: At $249, it offers features (like the flashlight and advanced training metrics) often found in $500+ watches
Rugged Build: The MIL-STD-810H rating and shock-resistant design are ideal for high-impact training
Comprehensive Features: Inclusion of Training Load Pro and Running Power at this price point is highly competitive

Considerations:

Sensor Age: Uses older Precision Prime heart rate technology rather than the newer Elixir system
Software Interface: The current app and on-watch UI may feel dated to some users
Single-Band GPS: While reliable, it lacks the dual-band precision required for extremely challenging environments like deep canyons or dense skyscraper clusters

Ultimately, the Street X is an "easy device to recommend" for hybrid athletes who prioritize a tough design, long battery life, and actionable training data over the latest biosensing hardware or smart features like mobile payments. For users who value privacy and ruggedness, the Street X stands as a formidable new player in the urban sports market.

Apple Watch Series 11 Just Hit Its Lowest Price Ever — Is It Worth Buying in 2026?

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Last week I was halfway through a tempo run when my Apple Watch Series 7 started lagging mid-interval. Not ideal. The pace was off, the split was wrong, and I spent the next half mile annoyed at a piece of technology I actually depend on. That got me thinking — a lot of you are probably running around (pun intended) with Series 6, 7, even Series 5 hardware. And right now, for the first time since the Series 11 launched, the pricing on Apple's latest flagship has gotten seriously interesting.

Amazon has dropped the Apple Watch Series 11 to its lowest price ever. We're talking significant discounts across the lineup — the kind of move that makes you actually consider whether now's the time to upgrade. So let's break it all down, talk about what you're actually getting, and figure out if this deal is worth pulling the trigger on or if you should keep your money in your running shoes for a little longer.

The Deal — What Amazon Is Actually Charging

Alright, let's get specific because I know you want the numbers.

As of this week, Amazon has the Apple Watch Series 11 on sale with prices ranging roughly $50 to $100 off depending on the configuration:

Apple Watch Series 11 42mm GPS: was $399, now $329 [https://amzn.to/3PnSNw5]
Apple Watch Series 11 46mm GPS: was $429, now $359 [https://amzn.to/4lJBy4t]
Apple Watch Series 11 42mm GPS + Cellular: was $499, now $419 [https://amzn.to/4t0Ryl0]
Apple Watch Series 11 46mm GPS + Cellular: was $529, now $449 [https://amzn.to/4br8Y4v]

These are all-time lows for the Series 11. That 46mm GPS model at $359 is genuinely hard to argue with when you think about what you're getting in terms of hardware, software support, and ecosystem integration. These prices appear to be part of a broader Amazon spring sale event, so if you're seeing them, act sooner rather than later — these flash sales have a way of vanishing without much warning.

Nike+ and Hermès models have seen similar cuts, though if you're paying a premium for those you're probably not hunting for deals in the first place.

What the Series 11 Actually Offers in 2026

Now, I know some of you are thinking "okay cool deal, but what does the Series 11 actually give me that my Series 7 doesn't?" Fair question. Let me lay it out.

The Series 11 runs on Apple's S9 SiP chip, which is a meaningful jump from the S7 and S8. We're talking about a device that's noticeably snappier — app launches are faster, Siri responses are quicker, and the overall experience feels more responsive. But where it really matters for our crowd is the fitness and health side of things.

Vitals app is one of the Series 11's biggest additions. It rolls up your heart rate, respiratory rate, sleep duration, and blood oxygen data into a single daily snapshot. For runners who want a quick read on whether their body's recovered from yesterday's interval session, this is genuinely useful. It's not a medical device — Apple makes that abundantly clear — but as a trend-tracking tool, it works well.

Sleep apnea detection arrived via software update and it uses the accelerometer to monitor breathing patterns overnight. If the watch detects signs of sleep apnea, it flags it and suggests you talk to a doctor. This has been a controversial feature (some of the reporting around it has been overblown), but the underlying technology is sound. I'm glad it's there even if I hope I never need it.

The display is brighter — 2000 nits peak, up from the Series 7's 1000. That sounds like a small number jumping to a bigger one, but out on a sunny trail run, you actually notice it. Miles better than squinting at a dim screen at high noon.

For the Ultra crowd, the Series 11 doesn't replace the Ultra 2 — that larger case, the extra button, the superior GPS, the multi-band GPS, those are still Ultra differentiators. But for the standard Apple Watch lineup, the Series 11 is the best it's ever been.

WatchOS 11 is along for the ride, which means you get all the training load and recovery insights, the new "Here's" contextual notifications, and the improved Maps app with topographical detail for hikers. Apple's software support is genuinely excellent — you can expect 4 to 5 years of watchOS updates on a Series 11, which is a major factor when you're dropping $350 on a piece of electronics.

Who This Is Actually For — And Who Should Look Elsewhere

Let me be straight with you because this is the part that matters most.

You should buy this deal if:

You're on a Series 5, 6, or original SE. These watches are getting long in the tooth — the processor is showing its age, watchOS 11 has some features that require newer hardware, and the battery life on older models has degraded. Upgrading to a Series 11 at $329-$359 is a meaningful upgrade in every dimension. You're not just getting a new processor, you're getting better health sensors, better display, and years of software support ahead.

You're an iPhone user who's never owned an Apple Watch and you're curious. At $329 for the 42mm GPS model, this is the cheapest entry point into the Apple Watch ecosystem we've seen. If you've been on the fence, this price makes the decision easier. The integration with iPhone, the fitness tracking, the notifications — it all works, and it works well. You won't regret it.

You're a runner who wants a smartwatch that doubles as a fitness tracker. Here's the thing — and I say this as someone who owns multiple Garmins — the Apple Watch is a perfectly fine running watch for recreational runners. GPS accuracy has improved significantly. The running metrics are solid. If you're training for a 5K, a half marathon, even most marathons, the Apple Watch Series 11 will get you to the finish line with accurate data. We'll dig into this more below.

You should NOT buy this deal if:

You're on a Series 8 or Series 9 and you're not specifically eyeing an upgrade. The jump from Series 8 to Series 11 is real but incremental. S9 to S10/S11 is more evolutionary than revolutionary. The Vitals app and sleep apnea detection are nice, but if you're happy with your current watch's performance, hold off. Save the money.

You're a serious competitive runner or triathlete. If you're racing, if you're chasing splits, if you're training with power — this is not the watch for you. More on this in a second, but Garmin and Coros own this space for a reason.

You live in an Android household. The Apple Watch only works with iPhone. Full stop. If anyone's in your household carrying an Android, you're locking yourself out of that ecosystem entirely. Samsung Galaxy Watch or a Garmin makes more sense here.

GPS/Sports Watch Comparison — Where the Apple Watch Stands for Athletes

This is the part of the article I get asked about constantly on the channel, so let's go deep.

The Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Garmin Forerunner 265/265S

Garmin's Forerunner 265 is probably the closest competitor in the running-focused space. It's priced around $449-$499 depending on sales, so it's in a similar ballpark. Here's how I'd break it down:

The Forerunner 265 has superior GPS accuracy in my testing — Garmin's multi-band GPS is genuinely excellent, especially in challenging environments like tree cover or urban canyons. Apple's GPS is good, but it's not quite at Garmin's level for precision-hungry runners.

Where Apple wins is the smartwatch experience. Notifications, apps, Siri, Apple Music integration, the overall polish of watchOS — it's not even close. The Forerunner 265 is a training tool that occasionally does smartwatch things. The Apple Watch Series 11 is a smartwatch that happens to track your runs really well.

Battery life is another consideration. The Series 11 will get you through a full training day and a night's sleep tracking — roughly 36 to 48 hours depending on usage. A Garmin Forerunner 265 will run circles around that, hitting 7 to 14 days between charges depending on settings. For people who hate charging their watch, this matters a lot.

The Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Coros Pace 3

At $249, the Coros Pace 3 is the budget king of running watches. And honestly, for pure running metrics and battery life, it punches way above its weight. The GPS is solid, the training metrics are detailed, and the battery lasts forever.

But it's not close to the Apple Watch as a general-purpose device. The Pace 3 is a running watch. A really good one. But if you want to answer a text, check your calendar, stream music, or use Apple Pay on a morning jog without your phone, the Apple Watch Series 11 is in a different league.

The Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Garmin Fenix 8 / Apple Watch Ultra 2

I won't spend too long here because these are different categories and price tiers, but the Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are for a specific user — someone who wants the absolute best durability, battery life, and outdoor features. If that's you, you're not comparing these watches anyway. If you're on the fence about an Ultra 2 vs. Series 11, the Series 11 at these prices is the smarter buy unless you specifically need the larger case, the Action Button, or the multi-band GPS.

Here's my honest take after years of testing both: for 90% of runners, the Apple Watch Series 11 at these prices is more than enough watch. You'll get accurate enough GPS, excellent smart features, and a device you'll actually enjoy wearing. The Garmin/Coros argument is real for competitive runners, but for recreational and even fairly serious amateur runners, Apple's offering is compelling.

Buy Recommendation — Should You or Should You Wait?

Here's my honest read.

If you've been eyeing an Apple Watch, if you're on older hardware, if you're a recreational runner who wants a do-everything device — yes, this is a good deal and now is a reasonable time to buy. The prices aren't going to get much better than this until the Series 12 launches in the fall, and even then we'll only see modest discounts on the current generation.

If you're on a newer Apple Watch (Series 8, 9, or SE 2nd gen), this isn't the upgrade for you. Wait for the next generation unless something specific about the Series 11's features — the Vitals app, sleep apnea detection, brighter display — is calling your name.

If you're an athlete who trains with power meters, cares about every second of GPS precision, or competes at a high level — you already know the Apple Watch isn't your answer. Go get a Garmin or Coros and don't look back.

One thing to keep in mind: these Amazon prices tend to be volatile. They show up in flash sales, they disappear, they come back.

Garmin Is About to Announce Something — Here's What the Rumors Are Saying

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Something's brewing in Garmin's camp, and if you've been paying attention to the running tech rumor mill this week, you've probably caught wind of it. There's a launch coming — possibly as soon as late March 2026 — and the details are starting to leak out in a way that feels a little more concrete than typical internet speculation. So let's dig into what's actually out there, what it probably means, and what you should do if you've been thinking about grabbing a new Garmin.

First, the headline: multiple sources are pointing to a Garmin announcement happening the week of March 23, 2026. That's just days away from when I'm writing this. The question isn't whether Garmin is announcing something — it's what they're announcing. And that's where things get interesting.

Two Products, One Launch Window

The smart money is pointing to two candidates, and honestly, both make a lot of sense given where Garmin is in their product cycle.

The first is the Garmin CIRQA — a screenless fitness tracker that would position Garmin directly against Whoop. Yes, you read that right. Garmin has apparently been working on a band-style device with no display, focused purely on biometric tracking: strain, recovery, sleep quality, HRV, the whole suite. Think of it as a Garmin Forerunner stripped down to its behavioral tracking DNA, with no screen, no GPS, no maps — just pure physiological data delivered to your phone. If that sounds like Whoop's entire pitch, that's because it is. Garmin has been conspicuously absent from that conversation for years, and this would be them finally showing up to the fight.

The second candidate is the Garmin Forerunner 170 — the logical successor to the Forerunner 165, which has been one of Garmin's best-selling entry-level running watches since it launched. The 165 hit the scene as a fantastic affordable option for newer runners, and a 170 update would bring incremental hardware improvements: better screen, slightly upgraded processing, maybe some new training metrics pulled down from Garmin's higher-end models. It's a safe, predictable play — exactly the kind of product cycle refresh Garmin does well.

So which is it? The honest answer is: maybe both. Or one. The signals are mixed, and that's part of what makes this week so juicy to follow.

The Evidence — Let's Talk About What's Actually Out There

Let's walk through the breadcrumbs, because some of them are genuinely compelling.

DC Rainmaker — and yes, I know he's the gold standard here, the guy who basically wrote the book on GPS watch reviews — has dropped some hints over the past few weeks that something significant is coming from Garmin. He hasn't spilled the whole story, because that's not his style, but he's teased that there's a product in the pipeline that's "different" from what Garmin has done recently. If DC is paying attention and hinting, you pay attention.

There's also a quote floating around from what appears to be a Garmin contact, describing a "significant drop" — which, in the context of GPS watch leaks, almost always means a price drop on an existing product ahead of a new launch. Classic clearance signal. When retailers start deeply discounting current inventory before a new model arrives, that's not coincidence — that's logistics.

Then there's the FCC filings. This is where things get a little murkier but still worth noting. FCC filings don't always mean an imminent launch — companies file proactively to cover their bases — but Garmin has had some filings activity recently that aligns with the timing we're talking about. I'm not going to sit here and say "I saw an FCC filing and now I know everything" because that's not how it works. But it's a piece of the puzzle.

Product cycle timing is another clue. The Forerunner 165 launched in early 2024. Garmin typically does a two-year refresh cycle on their entry-level Forerunner line, which would put the 170 right in the March/April 2026 window. That's not a leak — that's just math. For the CIRQA, Garmin has been signaling for over a year that they want to compete more aggressively in the recovery and strain tracking space. Whoop has dominated that niche for years, and Garmin has the sensor technology and the Connect ecosystem to build something genuinely competitive. The timing checks out.

The Contradiction — Why Some Sources Say Q2 or May-June

Here's where I have to address the noise: not every source is aligned on the March 23 window. Some well-connected folks in the Garmin community are pointing to a Q2 launch — meaning May, June, maybe even June — for at least one of these products, with the CIRQA specifically being cited as potentially coming later in the spring or early summer.

So which is it?

I think the most honest answer is that Garmin may be planning a staggered release. They announced the Forerunner 165 in May 2024, not March. If history is any guide, they could drop the Forerunner 170 sooner (March window) while giving the CIRQA more time to cook for a May or June debut. These are two very different products — one is a proven category (entry-level running watch), the other is a new product line in an unfamiliar space (screenless fitness tracker competing with Whoop). Garmin might want to give the CIRQA a bigger stage — maybe their own dedicated event, or a presence at a major fitness expo — rather than dropping it quietly alongside a routine Forerunner refresh.

This contradiction doesn't mean the rumors are wrong. It probably means there's more than one product coming, and Garmin is managing the rollout carefully. That's actually good news if you're in the market — it means more options, not fewer.

What a Garmin CIRQA Would Mean

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Whoop.

Whoop has essentially owned the screenless, recovery-focused fitness tracker market for years. The strap, the daily strain score, the recovery metric, the sleep coaching — it's a slick system, and a lot of serious runners and athletes swear by it. But Whoop has some real weaknesses that Garmin could exploit. The subscription model is expensive — you're paying monthly or annually forever, and over time that adds up to serious money. The hardware is fragile; I've heard from countless users who've gone through multiple bands. And Whoop's integration with broader training ecosystems is... limited, let's say.

Garmin, on the other hand, has the opposite problem solved. Their hardware is bulletproof, their Connect platform is deep and rich with data, and they've spent years building integrations with training plans, race calendars, nutrition logging, and more. If Garmin launches a CIRQA-style device that competes directly with Whoop — same form factor, similar metrics, no subscription (or a much cheaper one) — they could pull a lot of athletes away from Whoop's ecosystem.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend Garmin is going to kill Whoop overnight. Whoop has brand loyalty in that space and they've done a good job building a community. But Garmin entering that ring would be the biggest competitive pressure Whoop has faced since they launched. And for consumers? More competition is almost always good. It drives better products and eventually lower prices.

What a Forerunner 170 Would Mean

The Forerunner 170 is a simpler story, but an important one.

The Forerunner 165 is arguably the best entry-level running watch Garmin has ever made. It's compact, it's affordable (by GPS watch standards), the GPS accuracy is excellent, and it includes a lot of the training metrics that used to require stepping up to the 255 or 955. For newer runners, or for people who don't need maps and music and all the extra stuff, the 165 hits a sweet spot that was hard to find a few years ago.

A Forerunner 170 would likely keep that formula and refine it. We're probably looking at a brighter screen, maybe a slightly larger battery, possibly some of Garmin's newer training load and recovery features trickling down from the 265 and 965. The price will probably stay in the same ballpark — Garmin tends to hold pricing on these refreshes, which is nice.

For the entry-level running watch market, that would be a meaningful upgrade. Not revolutionary, but the kind of thing that makes "should I upgrade from my 165?" an easy yes for people who've been waiting. And for someone buying their first GPS watch in 2026? The 170 would likely be an excellent choice.

This is Garmin doing what they do best: iterating on a proven product, making it a little better each year, and keeping the value proposition strong.

The Timeline — When Are We Expecting This?

Here's where I have to be careful, because I don't have a Garmin executive in my pocket.

Based on everything I'm seeing, I'd put money on a Garmin announcement happening the week of March 23, 2026. Whether that's a press release, a quiet product page update, or a full-on virtual launch event — I don't know. Garmin has done all of those in recent years.

If the CIRQA is real and coming later, I'd expect it to surface sometime between late April and June. That gives Garmin time to give it a proper launch moment rather than burying it.

If you're waiting for the Forerunner 170 specifically and you don't care about the CIRQA, the March window feels like the one to watch. But I'd also say: if you need a watch now, the Forerunner 165 is still an excellent device and the discounts on it right now are probably better than they'll be once the 170 launches. That's worth considering.

How to Prepare If You're in the Market for a Garmin

A few practical thoughts if you're trying to decide whether to wait or buy:

If you're looking for an entry-level running watch and the Forerunner 170 rumors are exciting you: Wait a few days. If the announcement drops this week as expected, you'll know within days whether the 170 is real and when it's shipping. No sense buying a 165 today if a 170 shows up Thursday.

If you're curious about the CIRQA: Wait longer. This is a new product category for Garmin, and the first generation is always worth evaluating carefully once reviews are out. Whoop has had years to refine their approach — Garmin will need time to prove their version is as good or better.

If you have your eye on a mid-tier Garmin like the Forerunner 265 or the Forerunner 965: The 170 launch probably won't move those prices much right away, but it might be worth waiting a few weeks to see if there are bundle deals or discounts around the new launch. Garmin sometimes trims prices on previous-generation mid-tier models when a new one arrives.

If you're currently a Whoop user and the CIRQA rumors are intriguing: This is worth watching closely. I'm genuinely curious to see what Garmin's take on the screenless fitness tracker looks like. If the pricing is right and the metrics are solid, this could be a genuine alternative that saves you a lot of money over time.

My Personal Take — What I'm Hoping For

So between the CIRQA and the Forerunner 170 — and I know both might be coming — the CIRQA is the one that's got my attention. The 170 will be great, I'm sure. It's a Forerunner. They're always great. But the CIRQA represents something new, something Garmin hasn't done before, and I think it could shake up this space in a way that matters for a lot of people.

We'll know more in a few days. Stay tuned.

Garmin Just Dropped a Big Software Update — Here's What Actually Matters

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Let me be real with you: most firmware updates are boring. You get a new watch face, maybe some bug fixes, and Garmin sends out a press release acting like they invented sleep tracking. We've seen it before.

But this spring 2026 update? It's different. Garmin has dropped a genuinely substantial set of features across multiple watch lines — and they actually matter for how people train, recover, and race. This isn't a coat of paint. Some of these tools I've been asking for, or at least thinking about, for years.

Let's dig into what's actually coming and, more importantly, whether any of it is worth getting excited about.

Which Watches Are Getting These Features?

First, let's be clear about scope. This rollout is hitting a wide range of the Garmin lineup:

Venu X1 — the AMOLED everyday watch that somehow keeps getting better
vívoactive 6 — the budget-friendly workhorse that refuses to be ignored
fēnix 8 Pro — the flagship adventure watch that now does even more
Forerunner 570 — the mid-range GPS specialist that road runners keep overlooking
Forerunner 970 — the top-tier Forerunner that finally feels like a true training hub
Plus a handful of other models in the Connect IQ ecosystem

What I like here is that Garmin isn't gatekeeping everything behind the fēnix line. Some of the best stuff is coming to the Forerunner 570, which is genuinely exciting if you're not trying to drop $800 on a watch. The Venu X1 getting meaningful training features (not just wellness fluff) is also a welcome shift.

Gear Tracking: Finally, Garmin Gets It

Okay, this is the one I'm most pumped about, and it's wild that it took this long.

Garmin's new gear tracking feature lets you log specific equipment — shoes, bike components, insoles, sports bras, literally whatever you want — and track their usage over time. You can pair it with activities so the watch knows which shoe was on your left foot during that trail run, and then it starts telling you when that shoe is probably due for retirement.

Let me be specific about why this matters. As a running coach, one of the hardest things to get athletes to understand is that shoe foam degrades whether you're running in it or not. A shoe sitting in your closet for six months is still losing its resilience. Now Garmin is tracking cumulative stress on gear — mileage, time, terrain type — and giving you a wear estimate.

And it's not just for shoes. Cyclists can track tire pressure loss, chain wear, brake pad life. Swimmers can log goggles and caps. Trail runners can track crampon usage (okay, maybe that's niche, but I'm here for it).

The implementation is clean: you log gear through the Garmin Connect app, assign it to activity types, and the watch prompts you to confirm what you're wearing before a workout. Over time, you get usage stats and retirement recommendations. It's simple. It's obvious. It's wild that Fitbit had something like this years ago and Garmin is just now catching up.

Who it's for: Every athlete who has ever wondered "wait, how old are these shoes again?" Basically everyone.

Course Planner: Race Prep Finally Gets Serious

Garmin's course planner has existed in some form for a while, but the spring 2026 update transforms it into something that actually competes with purpose-built race prep tools.

The new course planner lets you build workouts with specific course segments, pace targets, and terrain-aware effort estimates. You can import race courses from platforms like RaceRaves or Plotaroute, and Garmin will break them down into actionable segments — not just "here's your elevation profile" but "here's how you should be feeling at mile 4 of this 10K based on your recent training load."

What I find most useful: the pacing strategy tool. You input your goal finish time, and the planner suggests a pacing split with effort cues. For a marathon, that means recommended pace per mile, adjusted for hills, with split warnings if you're drifting. For trail races, it integrates elevation data so you're not blindsided by that long climb at mile 16.

This is genuinely useful for coaches like me who program workouts around specific race targets. I can send a course file to an athlete, and their watch will guide them through the intended effort — not just "you're going too fast" but "you went out too hard and here's what that costs you on the back end."

Is it a replacement for a real coach? No. But for self-coached runners or athletes without access to a coach, this is a massive step up from "here's a course on a map."

Who it's for: Marathoners, ultra runners, and anyone who's ever gone out too fast and paid for it later.

Sleep Tools: Sleep Alignment, Caffeine, and Alcohol Logging

Garmin has been pushing sleep tracking hard for years, and the sleep tools in this update feel like an evolution rather than a revolution — but an evolution worth acknowledging.

Sleep Alignment is the headline. Garmin is now cross-referencing your sleep debt, recent training load, and HRV trends to tell you whether your body is genuinely recovered. Not just "you slept 7 hours" but "you slept 7 hours but your HRV is still suppressed from yesterday's long run, so here's a recovery recommendation." This is the kind of context that separates useful data from noise.

The caffeine and alcohol logging is more interesting than it sounds. Both substances affect sleep architecture — caffeine blocks adenosine receptors and alcohol disrupts REM — and Garmin is now factoring this into your sleep analysis. Log two glasses of wine before bed, and Garmin will note that your deep sleep was likely reduced even if your total sleep time looked fine. Log caffeine after 2 PM, and it'll flag that as a potential contributor to your restless Tuesday night.

The key word is "logging" — Garmin isn't magically detecting how much coffee you drank. You have to input it. But the integration with sleep analysis means that data actually gets used instead of just sitting in a log.

Is this gimmicky? A little. But it's the right kind of gimmicky — it's making data actionable rather than just collecting it. I'd rather Garmin tell me "your deep sleep was off last night and here's a probable cause" than just show me a pretty graph.

Who it's for: Anyone who's ever wondered why they feel wrecked despite sleeping 8 hours.

Accessibility Improvements: Quietly Significant

This doesn't sound exciting on paper, but the accessibility improvements in this update are genuinely meaningful.

Garmin has expanded screen reader support, added high-contrast mode options, and improved haptic feedback patterns for notifications. Voice feedback during workouts is more detailed — it now reads out splits, cadence, and effort context rather than just "mile 5 complete."

For athletes with visual impairments, this changes what watches can do for them. A blind runner can now get real-time pace and distance feedback through haptics and voice, not just a vibrating alert every mile. That's not a minor quality-of-life improvement — that's opening up the sport.

There's also improved one-handed operation for the fēnix 8 Pro and Forerunner 970, which matters more than you'd think. Try checking your stats mid-run with a stroller handle in one hand. Exactly.

Who it's for: Athletes with disabilities, parents with strollers, and anyone who's ever tried to use their watch while carrying groceries.

Sports Fans: Live Scores

I'm going to be honest with you: I don't care about live sports scores on my watch.

But I'm not everyone, and Garmin knows this. The live scores feature delivers real-time game updates for major sports leagues — NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and major soccer leagues — with customizable alerts. You can set it to ping you when your team scores or the game ends, or just get a score update on your watch face during a long run.

Is this essential? No. Is it cool? Kind of. Is it going to get used? Absolutely — by a lot of people who don't want to pull out their phone during a meeting or a workout.

The implementation is actually thoughtful: scores integrate with the morning briefing, so you can get overnight results alongside your sleep stats and training recommendations. It's not just tacked-on; it's woven into the experience.

My take: it's noise for me, but I get why it exists. Not every feature needs to serve elite athletes. Sometimes a feature just needs to make someone's Saturday better.

Who it's for: Sports fans who don't want to live in their phones.

Overall Verdict: Is This Worth Getting Excited About?

Yes. Genuinely yes.

Here's the thing about most Garmin updates: they're maintenance. Bug fixes, incremental improvements, the occasional new watch face. This update adds capabilities. Gear tracking changes how you manage equipment. Course planner changes how you prepare for races. Sleep alignment changes how you understand recovery.

The fact that these features are rolling out across multiple watch lines — including the Forerunner 570 and vívoactive 6 — tells me Garmin is serious about the mid-range. They're not just loading up the fēnix as a status symbol. A runner who bought the $450 Forerunner 570 gets the same gear tracking as someone who spent $900 on a fēnix 8 Pro. That's the right call.

The accessibility improvements are long overdue and I'm glad they're here. The live scores are fine. The caffeine and alcohol logging is genuinely useful for people who take their sleep seriously.

My only real complaint: the rollout timeline. Garmin has been vague about exactly when each feature hits each watch. If you own a vívoactive 6, you might be waiting longer than a fēnix 8 Pro owner. That inconsistency is frustrating, especially when Garmin has a history of letting mid-range watches stagnate after launch.

Check the Garmin Connect app regularly. When the update drops for your watch, install it. These features are worth having.

My Take

I've been testing the beta on the Forerunner 970 for the past few weeks, and the course planner alone has changed how I prepare athletes for goal races. The gear tracking has already saved me from running in a pair of shoes that was well past its expiration date. And the sleep alignment tool? I was skeptical, but it's been accurate — when it tells me I'm under-recovered, I'm under-recovered.

What I appreciate most is that Garmin seems to be building toward a unified training ecosystem rather than just adding widgets. Gear tracking talks to your activity history. Course planning pulls from your training load. Sleep analysis factors in what you logged eating and drinking. It's not a collection of features; it's a connected system.

That said, none of this matters if you don't engage with it. A feature you never use is a feature you don't need. If you're the kind of person who just wants a watch to track miles and nothing else, none of this will change your life. But if you're someone who wants data to actually inform how you train, recover, and race — this is a meaningful update.

We'll have more detailed breakdowns of individual features in the coming weeks. For now, update your watch and start logging your gear. Your knees will thank you later.

Fitbit’s $12.25 Million Fine Is a Reminder That Wearables Can Hurt People, Too

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

For most of us, a smartwatch feels harmless.

It counts steps, tracks sleep, buzzes with notifications, and quietly lives on our wrist all day. That is exactly why the Fitbit Ionic story hits so hard. A device people wore to the gym, to bed, and through everyday life turned into something that could overheat badly enough to burn them.

In January 2025, Fitbit agreed to pay a $12.25 million civil penalty after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the company failed to immediately report a serious burn hazard tied to its Ionic smartwatch. Regulators said Fitbit had received numerous reports of overheating batteries starting in 2018 and continuing through 2020, yet did not report the issue to the CPSC as required. Under CPSC rules, companies generally must report potentially dangerous defects within 24 hours of obtaining reportable information.

That is the part of this story that matters most.

This was not just a bad product launch or an isolated battery problem. The government’s case was about delay. The CPSC said Fitbit knew enough, early enough, to raise the alarm and failed to do it. That delay matters because with consumer electronics, especially wearables, time is everything. The longer a dangerous product stays on people’s bodies, the more likely small warning signs turn into real injuries.

And the injuries were real.

When Fitbit and the CPSC announced the recall in March 2022, the recall covered about 1 million Ionic watches sold in the United States and roughly 1.7 million globally. At that point, Fitbit had received at least 115 reports in the U.S. of the battery overheating, along with 78 reports of burn injuries. Those injuries included two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns. There were also dozens of international incident reports.

That changes how you read the story.

It is one thing when a phone gets warm on a table. It is something else entirely when a watch overheats while strapped to someone’s arm. A wearable is intimate technology. People do not think of it as dangerous. They wear it during long runs, sleep with it on, and forget it is even there. That is what makes battery problems in wearables especially unsettling. The device is not just nearby. It is physically attached to you.

At the center of the problem is the lithium-ion battery, one of the modern tech industry’s greatest strengths and one of its most persistent risks. Lithium-ion batteries pack a lot of energy into a very small space, which is why they power everything from earbuds to electric vehicles. But when something goes wrong inside the cell, that efficiency can become a liability. A short circuit or internal defect can create intense heat. In the worst cases, that can trigger thermal runaway, a chain reaction in which the battery overheats, releases gas, and can ignite or rupture.

That helps explain why Fitbit’s early response was not enough.

According to the CPSC, Fitbit attempted a firmware update in early 2020 to address the defect. But the complaints continued, including reports of people being burned after that update. That is a familiar lesson in consumer hardware: software can sometimes reduce risk, but it cannot always solve a physical defect. If the underlying issue is in the battery itself or in the hardware around it, a patch can only do so much.

The timeline also makes this case more uncomfortable for Fitbit and Google.

Google completed its $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit in January 2021, which meant the recall and later regulatory fallout unfolded under Google ownership. Then, in January 2025, the settlement was provisionally accepted in a unanimous 5-0 vote by the Commission. Along with the financial penalty, Fitbit agreed to maintain stronger internal controls, enhance its compliance program, and submit annual reporting on compliance, audits, and training. In other words, the government did not just want money. It wanted structural changes inside the company.

That is why this case matters beyond one discontinued smartwatch.

The penalty is about accountability, but it is also about precedent. The message from regulators is pretty clear: if your product can seriously injure people, you do not get to quietly troubleshoot it for years while customers keep wearing it. You report it. You investigate it. And if necessary, you recall it before more people get hurt.

There is also a trust problem here.

Wearable companies sell more than hardware. They sell confidence. They want users to believe the device is dependable enough to guide workouts, monitor health, and stay on the body around the clock. Once people start associating a brand with burn reports and delayed disclosures, that trust becomes much harder to win back. In a crowded wearables market, safety is not just a compliance issue. It is part of the product.

Consumers should probably take a broader lesson from this too. Most smartwatches are safe, and this case does not mean every wearable battery is a hazard. But it is a reminder to pay attention when a device starts acting strangely. Excessive heat, swelling, repeated charging issues, or sudden shutdowns are not minor quirks to ignore. They can be early signs that something is wrong. And when recalls happen, they are worth taking seriously, even if the device seems fine most of the time.

In the end, the Fitbit Ionic case is not really about one old smartwatch.

It is about what happens when a company in a fast-moving tech category treats a safety signal like a customer service issue instead of the warning it really is. The smartwatch on your wrist may feel small, sleek, and personal. But when its battery fails, the consequences can be immediate and painful. That is exactly why regulators wanted this case to send a message.

With products that live on our bodies, “we were still looking into it” is not good enough.

Garmin Countersues Suunto in Patent Fight: Everything You Need to Know

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT

The fitness watch world just got a lot more dramatic. What started as a relatively routine patent lawsuit from Suunto has turned into a full-blown legal battle with a surprisingly aggressive response from Garmin. And if you think this is just about these two companies, think again — this fight tells us a lot about where the entire fitness wearable industry is heading.

The Backstory

Before Strava sued Garmin back in October, there was Suunto. Actually, Suunto sued Garmin nearly two weeks before Strava did — it just flew under the radar. In September 2025, Suunto and its parent company, Dongguan Liesheng, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Garmin in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

That is notable because Suunto and Garmin have a complicated history. For nearly two decades, Suunto licensed various technologies from Garmin, including the Firstbeat analytics engine that powers much of the recovery and training load features in both Suunto and Garmin watches. The relationship ended amicably as both companies went in different directions. Now, with Suunto owned by a Chinese technology company (Dongguan Liesheng bought the brand in 2022), that relationship is apparently over.

Comparing the Lawsuits: Suunto vs Strava vs Garmin

This is not the first patent lawsuit Garmin has faced recently. In October 2025, Strava also sued Garmin over two patents related to segments and heat maps. But the cases could not be more different.

The Strava case lasted just 21 days. Strava filed, posted a combative message on Reddit from their executive team, and then voluntarily dismissed the case entirely. Why? Several reasons:

Garmin is Strava's biggest partner. Garmin users generate more Strava subscriptions and data than any other platform. Picking a fight with your meal ticket is rarely smart.
The patents were weak. Industry experts noted the Strava patents — especially around heat maps — seemed legally tenuous. Running the case risked invalidating the patents entirely.
Garmin never loses patent fights. In 15 years, Garmin has an almost spotless record defending against patent claims. They have a massive patent portfolio themselves and are not afraid to use it.
Strava needed an IPO. Industry observers speculated Strava filed the lawsuit to build a patent portfolio before going public — but picking their most important partner as the test case was strategically baffling.

The Suunto case is entirely different. Suunto is not suing over software features like segments. They are suing over fundamental hardware — golf shot tracking, respiration sensors, and most importantly, antenna design. These are core technologies that go to the heart of what a GPS watch does.

And unlike Strava, Suunto actually has a reasonable chance. Three of their five original patents relate to antenna design, which is genuinely hard to do in a metal watch.

Deep Dive: Why GPS Antenna Design Is So Hard

This is the most interesting technical part of the lawsuit, and it affects every premium GPS watch you buy.

The Problem: Metal Blocks Signals

GPS signals come from satellites orbiting Earth at about 20,200 kilometers. By the time those signals reach your wrist, they are incredibly weak. Your phone or watch GPS antenna is trying to pick up signals roughly equivalent to the power of a flashlight beam viewed from the moon.

Now add a metal case around that antenna. Metal reflects and absorbs electromagnetic signals. Put a GPS antenna inside a titanium or stainless steel watch case, and you have created a Faraday cage — essentially blocking the very signals you are trying to receive.

The Solution: Clever Engineering

Watch engineers have developed several approaches:

External antennas. The original Fenix watches had visible external GPS antennas — you can see the little "skeletal" wings on the case. This works but looks unusual and limits design.
Ceramic or polymer windows. Many watches use a small window of ceramic or polymer material in the bezel that is RF-transparent, allowing signals to pass through while maintaining the metal look.
Coupled feeding. This is what the research shows — instead of directly exciting the metal bezel as an antenna, engineers use a "coupled" approach where the bezel is indirectly energized. The metal becomes part of the antenna system without being the antenna itself.
Slot mode antennas. This is what Suunto's patents cover. By creating specific slots or gaps in the metal case, engineers can create effective antenna structures that work within the constraints of a sealed watch case.
Dual-band complexity. Adding L5 (or E5) frequency for improved accuracy makes this even harder. Now you need an antenna that works well across multiple frequencies simultaneously.

The GPS L1 wavelength is about 19 centimeters. For optimal reception, antenna designers want elements that are fractions of that wavelength. In a watch case that is maybe 45mm across, fitting an effective antenna is like solving a physics puzzle while also making the watch look good and survive being slammed against rocks.

This is why antenna patents are so valuable and contested. Every company that makes metal-cased GPS watches has had to solve this problem, and the solutions often overlap.

The Original Lawsuit: Suunto's Patents

Suunto alleged Garmin infringed on five patents:

Patent '241 — Golf shot tracking. Uses an accelerometer to detect when a club strikes the ball, then records GPS position.
Patent '306 — Respiration rate estimation. Determines breathing rate using heart rate sensor data and pulse interval analysis.
Patent '432 — Slot mode antenna design for wearable devices. (This one was later dismissed with prejudice.)
Patent '774 — Antenna placement in wrist-worn devices.
Patent '731 — Tunable antenna assembly for customizable devices.

Three of the five patents relate to antenna design — which makes sense given how complex it is to get good GPS reception in a metal watch case.

The '432 Patent Gets Dismissed

In January 2026, the parties jointly dismissed all claims related to the '432 patent with prejudice. That means it is permanently out of the case. Suunto is now down to four patents in the lawsuit.

Garmin's Response: The 218-Page Counterattack

Garmin did not take this sitting down. In late December 2025, they filed a 218-page answer and counterclaim. And from the reporting, it was not your typical legal filing.

DC Rainmaker, who has covered this extensively, described Garmin's response as having "sass" he has never seen from Olathe (Garmin's Kansas headquarters). Garmin reportedly argued Suunto "sued the wrong company" and made clear this feels like a lawsuit driven by Suunto's new parent company, not the Suunto engineering team people know and love.

Garmin also filed its own counterclaims with five patents:

Patent 10,271,299 — GPS antenna design
Patent 10,276,925 — GPS antenna design
Patent 10,856,794 — Training and recovery metrics (ironically, involving Firstbeat technology that Suunto used to license from Garmin)
Patent 11,318,351 — Training and recovery analytics
Patent 11,956,874 — Integrated watch flashlight

The irony: Suunto is suing Garmin over respiration rate technology that came from Firstbeat, which Garmin acquired. And now Garmin is countersuing over training and recovery metrics that also have Firstbeat roots. It is a patent fight where both sides are essentially arguing over the same technology pool.

The Timeline So Far

Date	Event
September 22, 2025	Suunto files complaint (5 patents)
September 30, 2025	Garmin waives service
October 2025	Strava sues Garmin (drops 21 days later)
December 29, 2025	Garmin files answer + counterclaims (218 pages)
January 13, 2026	Suunto's parent company (Dongguan Liesheng) served
January 16, 2026	'432 patent dismissed with prejudice
January 20, 2026	Suunto amends complaint, adds Garmin International
February 3, 2026	Garmin files response to amended complaint (212 pages)

What This Means for Consumers

Here is the thing: this lawsuit is unlikely to affect what you can buy. Patent lawsuits in the tech world usually end in cross-licensing deals or settlements. Nobody is actually going to stop making watches.

But there are some things to watch:

1. Watch Prices Probably Will Not Change

These lawsuits are expensive, but they are unlikely to affect retail pricing. Both Garmin and Suunto will factor legal costs into their business like any other expense. The competitive market keeps prices in check.

2. Feature Development May Slow

This is more speculative, but patent disputes can make companies cautious about introducing new features. If a company is worried about getting sued over a new sensor or algorithm, they might delay or abandon development. That could mean slower innovation in areas like blood glucose monitoring or new training metrics.

3. The Firstbeat Connection Is Comedic

Both companies are fighting over technology that originally came from the same source. Firstbeat was acquired by Garmin in 2020, and now both Suunto and Garmin are claiming the other is infringing on related patents. It is a reminder that the fitness tracking industry has consolidated around a relatively small number of core technologies.

4. Chinese Ownership Changes Dynamics

Suunto was sold to Dongguan Liesheng in 2022. This lawsuit feels different from the old Suunto — the legal strategy is more aggressive, which is typical of patent troll behavior but unusual for a legacy sports brand. The Suunto that people know — the Finnish company that made watches for explorers — is not the same entity suing Garmin.

5. Antenna Tech Matters

The fact that three of the five patents are about antenna design tells us something: GPS performance in premium watches is still a hard engineering problem. Companies are spending real money to solve it, and they are willing to go to court to protect those solutions.

What's Next

The case is proceeding in the Eastern District of Texas, known for fast-moving patent cases. Discovery is underway, and a Markman hearing (where judges interpret patent claims) is reportedly scheduled for February 2027, with jury selection in August 2027.

Suunto has until April 13, 2026 to respond to Garmin's counterclaims.

For now, nothing changes for consumers. Garmin, Suunto, COROS, and Apple will all keep making watches. But it is a fascinating glimpse into how competitive the fitness watch market has become — and how much IP complexity hides behind every GPS fix and heart rate reading on your wrist.

The bigger lesson: the fitness tracking space is consolidating around a few core technologies, and companies are fighting hard to protect their position. Whether that leads to better products or just more lawyers remains to be seen.

Apple Watch Ultra 4: S11 Chip, 50-Hour Battery, $799 Price

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is no longer a rumor. Apple announced it on September 9, 2026, and it started shipping on September 18 at the same $799 the Ultra 3 launched at.

The short version: the case did not change, the chip finally did, and Apple used the new silicon to go after training readiness. Here is the complete picture of what shipped, which rumors died, and where the Ultra still trails Garmin and COROS.

Update, September 11, 2026: the Ultra 4 launched with the S11 chip, a 50-hour everyday battery, a 45-hour per-second GPS mode, new heart sensors, and Apple's Readiness score. Touch ID, microLED, and blood glucose did not make it. Full launch coverage is in our Series 12 and Ultra 4 breakdown.

What Actually Shipped

The S11 chip. This is the headline, and it matters more than it sounds. The Series 11 reused the S10, which was essentially the same silicon as the S9 from 2023. Three generations on one architecture. The S11 breaks that, and it powers the new Health Sensing System. Readiness is tied to the S11 specifically, so Ultra 3 owners will not get it through the watchOS 27 update.

A real battery jump. The Ultra 4 is rated for up to 50 hours of everyday use, up from 42 on the Ultra 3, and 84 hours in Low Power Mode. Fifteen minutes on the charger returns up to 18 hours.

Two new workout modes the Series 12 does not get. Extended Workout tracks with full GPS and heart rate for up to 25 hours, a 25% gain over the Ultra 3. Max Extended Workout stretches runs, walks, and hikes to 45 hours with a GPS reading every second, which Apple says is enough to finish a 100-mile race.

New heart sensors. Optical and electrical heart sensors are new, with a heart rate reading every five seconds and HRV sampled as often as every five minutes. Apple is claiming the most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch and the most accurate step tracking of any smartwatch, both of which need third-party testing before anyone should take them at face value.

Audio Intelligence. Live Rewind shows the last 15 seconds of a conversation as text after a double press of the Digital Crown. Siri Recap summarizes conversations afterward. Sound Recognition flags sirens, alarms, and doorbells. The audio features arrive in beta later this year.

The Rumors That Did Not Happen

Touch ID. Leaked code pointed at a fingerprint sensor on the watch, and it was the most interesting rumor of the cycle. It did not ship. Apple kept the same side button, Digital Crown, and Action Button layout.

microLED. Apple reportedly shelved its plans for a larger Ultra with a microLED display, and the Ultra 4 uses the same case Apple has run since 2022 in natural and black titanium. Ceramic did return as a case option, but on the Series 12, not the Ultra.

Blood glucose. Still not ready. More on that below.

A design change. The two-year-old case stays. If you wanted a visibly different Ultra, 2027 is the year to watch.

The Battery Picture, With Real Numbers

	Ultra 4	Garmin Fenix 8	COROS PACE 4
Everyday battery	50 hours (84 in Low Power)	28 days	20 days
GPS battery	45 hours (per-second GPS mode)	50+ hours	31 hours
Multi-band GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes
Recovery score	Yes	Yes	Yes
Touch ID	No	No	No
Blood glucose	No	No	No
Maps	Yes	Yes	Yes

The GPS number is the one that matters for endurance athletes, and it is the one Apple improved most. Forty-five hours of second-by-second GPS is a different category of watch than the 20-hour Ultra 2.

It is still not a Garmin. A Fenix 8 runs weeks between charges in normal use, and the Ultra 4 runs days. Apple has never tried to win that fight, and it still is not trying. What changed is that the Ultra is no longer disqualified from the events Garmin owners plan their seasons around.

The Blood Glucose Question

Blood glucose is the white whale of wearable health tracking, and it is worth understanding why a decade of work has not produced a shipping product.

Apple has been at non-invasive glucose monitoring since roughly 2010. The prize is obvious: millions of people with diabetes could track blood sugar without a finger prick. The obstacle is physics. Glucose molecules are small, and detecting them through skin and fat means reading an extremely subtle signal through hydration changes, skin temperature, and motion.

Every major tech company is working on it, including Samsung and Google. None has cracked it to a standard that regulators would accept. Apple reportedly has prototypes working in a lab, which is not the same as a product.

The Ultra 4 does not have it. The Ultra 5 or Ultra 6 might. When it lands, it will be the biggest health feature in wearable history, and it will not be an incremental update.

What Is Still Unclear

Whether Readiness reaches older watches. It is tied to the S11 chip, so Ultra 3 and Series 11 owners are currently locked out.
How the GPS claims hold up. Apple's accuracy claims are strong, and the independent testers who have spent years benchmarking Garmin and COROS will be the ones who settle it.
Whether the battery gains keep coming. Apple could put future efficiency gains into new sensors instead of more runtime.
What happens with satellite. Satellite messaging is unchanged this year, still free for two years from activation on Globalstar. Nothing new was added despite the rumors.

The Bottom Line

The Ultra 4 is the first Ultra upgrade that changes what the watch is for. The chip stopped being a rebadge, the battery finally crossed into multi-day territory, and Readiness turns it into a recovery tracker that competes with Garmin and Whoop instead of just counting rings.

If you own an Ultra 2, the move to 50 hours of normal use, 45 hours of per-second GPS, and the new heart sensors is the most substantial Ultra upgrade Apple has shipped. If you own an Ultra 3, you are getting better battery and the new sensors, but you are locked out of Readiness, which is the single most interesting feature of this cycle.

For anyone weighing it against a Garmin, the honest read is that Apple closed the gap that mattered most and left the rest alone. It is a better sports watch than the Ultra 3 by a wide margin. It is still not a Fenix.

Sources: Apple's September 9, 2026 event, BGR's hands-on breakdown of the Series 12 and Ultra 4, Macworld's launch guide, PhoneArena's spec coverage, and Apple's Ultra 3 battery specifications for comparison.

When Will Garmin and COROS Get Tri-Band GPS? The Battery Trade-Off Explained

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:00:00 GMT

The GPS wars are getting interesting. Huawei just dropped the Watch GT Runner 2, the first production smartwatch with true tri-frequency GNSS. Meanwhile, Garmin and COROS are still sitting on dual-band. So what is the holdup?

The Basics: What Tri-Band Actually Means

Before we get into the when and why, let us clear up the terminology.

Satellite navigation systems broadcast on multiple radio frequencies. Most watches today use dual-band (also called dual-frequency), which means they receive two signals at once. The first is L1, the legacy civilian signal that has been around for decades. The second is L5 or E5a, which was added specifically to correct for atmospheric distortion.

The problem is that atmospheric interference varies. Two frequencies help model and cancel out that interference, giving you 1-2 meter accuracy instead of 3-5 meters. That is why dual-band became the standard.

Tri-band adds a third frequency. The big one is the Galileo E6 signal, which carries the High Accuracy Service (HAS). This broadcasts free correction data directly from satellites, meaning you do not need a ground-based correction network. The result is real-time, centimeter-level positioning.

Quad-band goes even further, adding a fourth frequency for even better accuracy.

What Huawei Just Did

The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is the first production smartwatch to ship with tri-band GPS. It uses BeiDou frequencies (B1I + B1C + B2a) in China, with dual-band fallback in other regions.

This is a big deal because the technology has been technically possible for years but was too power-hungry for a wrist-worn device. Huawei managed to squeeze it into a watch that still gets 14 days of smartwatch battery and 32 hours of continuous GPS.

But there is a catch. DC Rainmaker tested it and found that while the GPS accuracy is excellent, the battery trade-off is real.

The Battery Numbers: Tri-Band vs Dual-Band

Here is where it gets interesting. In controlled testing:

Garmin Forerunner 970 (dual-band, always-on): ~23.5 hours of GPS battery
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 (tri-band): ~16.7 hours of GPS battery

That is a roughly 30% reduction in battery life when you run tri-band continuously. For a marathon runner, that might not matter. For someone doing a 100-miler or multi-day adventure, it absolutely does.

Huawei claims 32 hours, but that is in dual-band mode. When you crank up tri-band, you lose roughly a third of your runtime.

Why Garmin and COROS Are Waiting

Garmin introduced SatIQ back in 2022, which intelligently switches between single-band and dual-band depending on conditions. It saves battery in open terrain where you do not need the extra accuracy, then ramps up when you go under tree cover or between buildings.

This approach works well. Most runners never notice GPS issues in normal conditions. The 1-2 meter accuracy of dual-band is plenty for Strava segments, turn-by-turn directions, and pace tracking.

COROS took a similar path with dual-band across their lineup. Their PACE 4 gets 31 hours of GPS battery, which is competitive with anything Garmin offers.

Both companies are likely asking: why switch to tri-band and tank battery life when dual-band is already "good enough" for 95% of users?

The Chip Problem

The bigger issue is the chip ecosystem. Most wearable GPS chips from companies like Sony and MediaTek are just now becoming power-efficient enough for tri-band in a watch. The market for high-accuracy commercial positioning chips is primarily being driven by self-driving vehicles, not fitness wearables.

When Garmin and COROS do switch, they will need chips that can deliver tri-band performance without destroying battery life. That breakthrough has not happened yet.

When Might We See It?

Based on industry trends and chip availability, here is a realistic timeline:

2026: More Huawei devices go tri-band. Maybe a Samsung or Google flagship.
2027-2028: Tri-band becomes standard in premium watches as chip costs fall and power efficiency improves.
2028+: Quad-band (adding Galileo E6 for free corrections) starts appearing in flagship devices.

Garmin will probably be last to adopt, not because they cannot, but because they prioritize battery life above all else. Their user base is endurance athletes who care about multi-day battery more than centimeter-level accuracy.

Is Dual-Band "Good Enough"?

For most runners, yes. If you run in parks, on roads, or on open trails, dual-band GPS gives you 1-2 meter accuracy. That is more than enough for tracking pace, distance, and Strava segments.

Tri-band matters most in specific scenarios:

Dense urban environments with tall buildings
Forested trails with heavy canopy
Mountain canyons
Technical trail running where every meter counts

If you are a road runner or do casual trail running, you probably will not notice the difference. The battery savings from dual-band might actually matter more to you.

The Bottom Line

Garmin and COROS are not ignoring tri-band. They are waiting for the technology to mature before forcing a battery trade-off on their users. When the chips get efficient enough, they will switch. But for now, dual-band with smart switching (like Garmin SatIQ) delivers 95% of the accuracy for 100% of the battery life.

Huawei is leading the charge, but at a cost. The GT Runner 2 is an excellent GPS watch with groundbreaking accuracy. Just know that if you run it in tri-band mode all the time, you are trading roughly 30% battery life for that precision.

For most runners, that trade-off is not worth it. But for the data nerds and technical trail runners who want every meter measured perfectly, tri-band is the future.

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Finally Gets Offline Route Planning

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:00:00 GMT

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is getting a meaningful update. Version 4.5.3.3 is rolling out now, and the headline feature is something users have been asking for: proper offline route planning. This is a big deal for a watch positioned as an outdoor adventure device.

Finally, Offline Navigation That Works

If you have been using a T-Rex 3 for trail running, hiking, or cycling, you have probably noticed the navigation was a bit limited compared to what Garmin and COROS offer. You could follow maps, sure, but creating routes directly on the watch? That was missing. Until now.

The new update adds two route planning options: point-to-point from your current location to a destination, and loop routes. Both work completely offline, which matters when you are deep in the backcountry with no cell signal. You plan your route, download the maps you need, and you are set.

The more useful addition might be automatic rerouting. If you have ever been trail running and taken a wrong turn, you know how annoying it is to stop, pull out your phone, and figure out where to go. Now the T-Rex 3 will detect when you have gone off course and recalculate your route automatically. It has been standard on Garmin watches for years, so it is nice to see Amazfit catch up.

The update is about 11.77 MB and is rolling out in phases through the Zepp app.

How Route Planning Works

The good news is that if you have a T-Rex 3 Pro, you already know how this works — the feature is essentially the same on the regular T-Rex 3 now. Here is a quick rundown:

On the watch itself, you have two main options:

Automatic Round-Trip Routes — Open the Map app, press SEL, go to Navigation, and select Create Round-Trip Route. Pick your workout type, direction, and target distance. The watch automatically generates a loop route for you. Great for when you want to explore but need to end up where you started.
Point-to-Point Routes — Tap anywhere on the map within 100 km to set a destination. Choose between straight-line navigation (goes directly to the point) or route navigation (follows roads and trails, up to 150 km). You can also save locations in advance and navigate to them later.

In the Zepp App, it is even more flexible. Create a route under Workout → More → Create Route. Add waypoints, name your route, and send it to your watch. Saved routes live under Workout → More → My Route.

The auto-rerouting works when you deviate more than 500 meters from your planned path — the watch recalculates and gets you back on track.

This was previously a T-Rex 3 Pro exclusive feature, so its arrival on the standard T-Rex 3 is a significant upgrade for the $279 model.

Diving Joins the Workout Library

Beyond navigation, there is a new recreational diving workout. It sits alongside the existing freediving modes rather than replacing them, so if you are into underwater activities, you now have more options. The depth algorithm for both outdoor and indoor freediving has also been optimized — specifically tuned for the moment you start your workout underwater. That is a nice refinement for anyone who takes freediving seriously.

Smaller Tweaks, Big Impact

A few other improvements worth noting:

BioCharge algorithm updates — This is Zepp health metric that estimates your daily physiological energy. The algorithm tweaks aim to make it more responsive to sleep quality, training load, and recovery.
Ultra-long workout stability fix — There was a crash that could occur when viewing records from extremely long outdoor activities. That has been addressed. For ultra-distance athletes logging multi-hour efforts, this is a welcome fix.

How Does This Compare to Garmin and COROS?

Here is where it gets interesting. DCRainmaker, in his in-depth T-Rex 3 review, noted that navigation and routes were the watch weak spot compared to Garmin and COROS. He called it "insanely far" from being a "Fenix Killer" largely because of those limitations.

This update does not completely close that gap, but it narrows it. The T-Rex 3 Pro already supports offline maps, turn-by-turn directions, and route importing. Now the regular T-Rex 3 gets the same treatment — just a few months later.

The key difference is still the ecosystem. Garmin route planning through Connect IQ and COROS EVO Lab are more mature. But if you picked up a T-Rex 3 because it is $279 instead of $700, this update makes it a lot more usable for regular trail adventuring.

The Bigger Picture

This update tells us something about Zepp Health strategy. They are iterating fast. The T-Rex 3 launched with some navigation gaps, and they are closing them piece by piece. The T-Rex 3 Pro got this update last month, and now the standard T-Rex 3 follows. That is a good sign for existing owners — you are not stuck with what you bought.

If you have been holding off on using your T-Rex 3 for serious navigation-heavy activities, this update might be the reason to start. The combination of offline route planning, auto-rerouting, and dual-band GPS makes it a viable option for trail runners and hikers who do not want to spend Fenix money.

The update should hit your watch soon if it has not already. Check the Zepp app — it will show up when it is ready for your region.

Amazfit Active 3 Premium Review: Best $170 GPS Watch You Can Buy?

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

$170 gets you a lot of watch these days. The Amazfit Active 3 Premium proves that–somehow squeezing in features that, just a year ago, would've cost you twice as much. I spent some time with it at CES, and here's the deal.

Price and Positioning

The Active 3 Premium costs $169.99. Same price as the Active Max. That's wild when you think about it–you're basically choosing between two completely different watches at the same price point.

The Premium cuts battery to give you better materials and navigation. The Max? It'll run for 25 days. The Premium? Twelve. Trade-offs.

Then there's the T-Rex Ultra 2 at $550. Same features, triple the price. Amazfit might've accidentally made their own expensive watches look ridiculous.

What's New and Different

It's not just a Max with a new name. Here's what you're actually getting:

Four buttons: Finally, buttons on both sides. If you've ever tried using a touchscreen with sweaty hands or underwater, you know why this matters.
Stainless steel bezel: Feels nicer than the plastic on the Max. Not a huge deal, but you notice.
45mm case: Smaller than the Max's 48mm. Actually fits on smaller wrists without looking like a dinner plate.
Offline maps: This is the big one. Routable maps on a $169 watch. You can generate a route mid-run and get turn-by-turn directions without your phone. That used to be a $550+ feature.

Display

The 1.32-inch AMOLED hits 3,000 nits. That's bright. Like, squint-no-more bright. Sapphire crystal keeps the glass from turning into a scratch magnet.

The Active Max has a bigger screen (1.5 inches), but this one is sharper. Pick your poison.

Battery Life

Here's the compromise:

Active 3 Premium: 12 days / 24 hours GPS
Active Max: 25 days / 64 hours GPS

The Max wins. Period. If you're doing an ultra and need three days of GPS tracking, that's your watch.

GPS is single-band, not multiband. For most runners–suburban, park, regular trail running–it's totally fine. The multiband stuff matters in canyons and cities with tall buildings. Chase tested the similar Active Max and found it worked well enough.

New Running Metrics

Here's something weird: the $169 Premium has lactate threshold tracking. The $550 Ultra 2 doesn't. I'm skeptical that a wrist sensor can nail lactate threshold, but I'll reserve judgment until we see real-world data.

Posture tracking is also new. Not sure how useful that'll be, but it's there.

Active 3 Premium vs T-Rex 3: Which Should You Buy?

This is the question we get most often. Both are excellent Amazfit watches at very different price points. The short version: the Active 3 Premium ($169.99) is the best budget running watch you can buy, while the T-Rex 3 ($279) is the rugged adventure pick.

The Active 3 Premium is lighter and more compact at 45mm, with a sharper 1.32-inch 3,000-nit sapphire display and 12-day battery life. It is the watch most runners should buy.

The T-Rex 3 is bigger and tougher at 47.4mm, with a 1.5-inch display, 27-day battery, 42 hours of GPS, military-grade durability, a built-in flashlight, and 10 ATM water resistance. It is the watch for trail runners, hikers, and anyone who needs maximum battery and toughness.

Both share dual-band GPS, offline routable maps, Zepp Coach AI, and the same core running metrics. The $110 price gap buys you more than double the battery, military durability, a bigger screen, and a flashlight.

If you want the full head-to-head breakdown with spec tables and detailed recommendations, we wrote a complete comparison of the Active 3 Premium vs T-Rex 3 that covers display, battery, durability, and value in depth.

Storage

4GB. Enough for maps, music, and podcasts–but not all of them at once. The Ultra 2 has 32GB, which is overkill for most people but does mean you can load up way more topo maps. Most folks can get by fine on 4GB, though.

The Verdict

$169.99 gets you:

✅ Premium build with sapphire display
✅ Four-button navigation
✅ Offline routable maps
✅ New running metrics
✅ Decent battery

Trade-offs? Single-band GPS and less battery than the Max. But most runners will take the features over the extra week of battery.

Honestly? This makes the T-Rex Ultra 2 hard to justify unless you need serious ruggedness or three-day battery life. That's saying something.

Should You Buy It?

Buy if:

You want the most watch for your money
Offline maps and navigation are appealing
You prefer a smaller, lighter watch
You like having buttons in addition to touchscreen

Skip if:

Battery life is everything (get the Max)
You run in technical terrain where multiband matters
You want the toughest build possible (T-Rex line)

Eliud Kipchoge Ditches COROS for Huawei: What That Means for the Running Watch World

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

One of the biggest stories in running watches just got bigger. Eliud Kipchoge — the man who has broken the two-hour marathon barrier — is no longer partnered with COROS. Now, he's teamed up with Huawei.

The timing is notable. COROS publicly acknowledged their partnership with Kipchoge and the NN Running Team ended on November 21, 2025. By January 2026, Huawei had already stepped in as the team's new "technology partner." And on February 26, 2026, Huawei made it official: Kipchoge is now a global ambassador for the WATCH GT Runner 2.

This isn't just a sponsorship swap. It's a signal.

Image via COROS

What We Know

The partnership terms aren't public — financials, contract duration, exclusivity clauses, all that is undisclosed. What we do know is that Huawei isn't just slapping Kipchoge's face on ads. They're framing this as a proper product development partnership. The language in their announcements talks about "co-creation," athlete feedback loops, and using elite data to improve algorithms.

Kipchoge's quoted as saying he wants to help Huawei reach "millions of runners" and improve the smartwatch experience through his feedback. Whether that's marketing speak or genuine product input remains to be seen — but the structure is there.

Image via Huawei

Why Kipchoge Left COROS

This is the question everyone's asking, and honestly, we don't have a clear answer. COROS's public farewell was warm and retrospective — "thanks for all the miles" — but didn't get into why.

Some speculation on Reddit (worth taking with a grain of salt): maybe Kipchoge wanted to align with a bigger brand? Maybe COROS didn't need him anymore? Maybe it was just time? The PACE 4 launched in late 2025, which some pointed to as potential timing.

What we do know: COROS still has a strong product lineup. The PACE 4 is their latest, and it's lighter (32g) with longer battery (41 hours GPS) than the Huawei offering. Losing Kipchoge is a branding hit, but not necessarily a product one.

Why Huawei Wants This

Huawei isn't subtle about what they're doing here. They want credibility in the running watch space — a category where Garmin has long been the king.

Here's the thing: Huawei sells a ton of wearables globally. They're huge in Asia. But when serious runners think "GPS watch," they think Garmin. COROS. Polar. Not Huawei.

Kipchoge changes that calculus. He's not just any athlete — he's THE marathoner. Having him associated with the GT Runner 2 immediately positions it as a "serious running watch," not just another fitness tracker.

The co-development angle is smart too. Instead of just saying "Kipchoge wears this," they can point to his actual feedback shaping features. Whether that translates to better product or is just marketing remains to be seen, but the strategy is sound.

The Timing Problem

There's one wrinkle in all this: the Huawei WATCH GT Runner 2 is already here, and early reviews are... mixed.

DC Rainmaker, a well-respected independent reviewer, tested the GPS and found it doesn't quite live up to Huawei's "20% more accurate" claims. That's not ideal when your entire pitch is built on precision.

The partnership is supposed to enable rapid iteration — elite feedback driving firmware updates — but for now, the product shipped with some questions to answer. Kipchoge's involvement might accelerate fixes, or it might amplify scrutiny.

We'll see how the product evolves.

What This Means for Runners

If you're in the market for a running watch, here's the real talk:

COROS PACE 4 is lighter, has better battery, and doesn't require you to think about trade restrictions. Available everywhere COROS sells.
Huawei WATCH GT Runner 2 is thinner, has solid smartwatch features (payments via Curve), and now has the biggest name in marathoning vouching for it. But no US availability, and GPS accuracy needs to be proven.

For everyday runners, the choice probably comes down to ecosystem: COROS if you want pure running focus, Huawei if you want a fuller smartwatch experience.

For elites and serious amateurs? The Kipchoge factor might matter — or it might not. We'll need to see if the product delivers.

Image via COROS

The Bigger Picture

This partnership tells us something about where Huawei is headed. They have the scale (millions of wearables sold), they have the manufacturing, and now they have the credibility play in running.

If Huawei keeps investing in this category — and the Kipchoge partnership drives real product improvements — they could become a genuine Garmin competitor in the next few years.

COROS will be fine. They have a loyal following, strong products, and a brand built on running. Losing Kipchoge stings, but it's not fatal.

The real question is whether Huawei's entry will push everyone to innovate faster. Competition is good for runners. More accurate GPS, better battery, smarter training features — that's what we all win from.

Bottom line: Kipchoge chose Huawei, and that tells you everything about where he thinks the running watch market is heading. Watch this space.

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 Review: Finally, A Serious Garmin Alternative?

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:15:00 GMT

Is the GT Runner 2 is a legitimate competitor to Garmin's Forerunner line or are GPS issues going to plague this lightweight running watch.

The Hardware: Titanium That Actually Feels Premium

Right out of the box, the GT Runner 2 feels different from most fitness trackers. The titanium case is 43.5mm — notably smaller than the original's 46.4mm — and at just 34.5 grams without the strap, it's genuinely light. Huawei says it's 10% lighter than the previous model, and after a month of wearing it, I'll take their word for it. This is one of the most comfortable running watches I've worn.

The 1.32-inch AMOLED display is gorgeous. We're talking 466 x 466 pixels at 352 PPI, with a claimed 3,000 nits of brightness. In practice? It's readable in direct sunlight without squinting — a rarity in this category. The second-generation Kunlun Glass offers better scratch resistance than Gorilla Glass without the brittleness of Sapphire. I've logged plenty of runs, and the screen still looks pristine.

Colors are bold: Dawn Orange, Dusk Blue, or Midnight Black. The orange is eye-catching without being tacky.

GPS Accuracy: Huawei's Big Claim

This is where it gets interesting. Huawei is touting what they call a dielectric bezel design — essentially, the bezel itself acts as the GPS antenna. They're claiming 20% better accuracy than the previous model, especially in urban canyons and tunnels where most watches struggle.

GPS accuracy results seemed mixed so far in various reviews.

The watch supports dual-band GPS (L1 + L5) across six satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, and NavIC. That comprehensive satellite support matters in real-world conditions.

Heart Rate: Finally, Wrist-Based You Can Trust

Here's where Huawei might actually beat Garmin at their own game. The TruSense optical heart rate sensor claims ±5 BPM accuracy, compared to the ±10 BPM of the previous generation.

One caveat: heart rate tracking in pool swimming still has issues. That's pretty common across all optical sensors, so no major knock there.

Running Features: Marathon Mode and More

Huawei went all-in on running features:

Running Power: Calculated from the wrist, complete with power curves. No foot pod required. My testing showed ballpark agreement with Stryd and Apple Watch Ultra 3 — close enough for training purposes.
Dynamic Lactate Threshold: Automatically determines your LTHR during runs. It's not perfect, but it's in the ballpark.
Marathon Mode: Developed with Eliud Kipchoge. Offers structured race preparation, real-time pace charts, gap tracking against target times, and fueling reminders. During my long runs, the fueling reminders actually worked — a small feature that matters when you're running on empty.
Training Load & Recovery: Tracks your training stress and suggests recovery time. It's not as sophisticated as Garmin's Training Status, but it gets the job done.

The watch supports over 100 sports modes, including trail running, cycling, swimming, golf (with over 17,000 course maps), and freediving up to 40 meters. The 5 ATM + IP69 water resistance means you can swim without worry.

Battery Life: 32 Hours of GPS

The battery is a standout feature:

Typical use: Up to 14 days
GPS mode: Up to 32 hours
Fast charge: 15 minutes gets you 15-45%

The battery life is remarkable. If you're training for a marathon or ultra, you could conceivably do a 100-mile race and still have battery left.

Compare that to the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which needs charging every couple of days with heavy GPS use. It's not even close.

Daily Use: The Good and The Quirky

Day-to-day use is mostly positive. The interface is intuitive — honestly, easier to navigate than Garmin in some ways. The rotating crown works well, though it's small and tricky to use with gloves.

A few quirks worth noting:

The button layout took some getting used to. On Garmin, the bottom button goes "back," but on Huawei, it acts as "Enter/Go."
The strap uses a velcro-like design that's a little odd to tighten initially.
Music support is for MP3s copied from your phone — no Spotify streaming like you'd get on Garmin or Apple.

The smartphone app, though, is the main pain point. It's cluttered, poorly localized for Western users, and Strava syncing was unreliable during my testing. If you live in the Huawei ecosystem (mostly Asia), this might not bother you. If you're used to Garmin Connect or Apple Health, the transition will be frustrating.

The Price

£350 (about $440 USD), or €399 in Europe. No US release, which is a shame given the ongoing Huawei restrictions.

For context, that's nearly half the price of a Garmin Forerunner 970 — a direct competitor that retails for $700+.

The Verdict

Outstanding hardware, ecosystem still catching up.

Pros:

Class-leading GPS accuracy in urban conditions
First wrist-based heart rate sensor I'd actually train with
32-hour GPS battery is industry-leading
Intuitive interface, easier than Garmin
Titanium build, Kunlun Glass, 3000-nit AMOLED display
Marathon Mode is genuinely useful
Running power and dynamic lactate threshold

Cons:

Smartphone app is cluttered and poorly localized
Strava syncing unreliable during testing
No Spotify support
No US availability
Heart rate struggles in pool swimming

Should You Buy?

If you're already in the Huawei ecosystem and want a quality small-format running watch: absolutely. The hardware delivers, and the GPS/heart rate accuracy is genuine.

If you're a Garmin user considering a switch: watch closely. The GT Runner 2 proves Huawei can compete on the technical stuff. The ecosystem is the remaining gap — if Huawei fixes the app experience, Garmin should be worried.

Bottom line: Huawei made a real running watch this time. It's not a toy — it's a competitor. At half the price of a Garmin Forerunner 970 with better battery life and comparable (sometimes better) GPS accuracy, the GT Runner 2 is the value play of 2026.

Huawei Band 11 Pro Review: The Best Budget Fitness Tracker You Can Buy?

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Huawei dropped two new fitness trackers. The Band 11 and Band 11 Pro are here, and honestly, they punch way above their weight class.

What's the Difference?

The Band 11 Pro is the one you want. Aluminum case (not plastic), built-in GPS so you can leave your phone at home when you run, and a 1.62-inch AMOLED display that actually looks good in sunlight.

The regular Band 11? Same screen, same sensors, same battery — but no built-in GPS. You'll need your phone for tracking runs. At $43 vs $80, it's a solid budget option, but the Pro is worth the extra $37 if you run outdoors.

That Screen Though

We're looking at 286 × 482 pixels crammed into 1.62 inches — that's 347 PPI. You literally cannot see individual pixels. Text is crisp, notifications are readable, and Huawei bumped up the brightness for outdoor use. In direct sunlight? No squinting required.

Compare this to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 or Garmin Fenix line and you're saving hundreds. Maybe thousands. The display tech here is what you'd expect from a watch twice the price.

Built-In GPS: The Key Difference

This is what sets the Pro apart from the regular Band 11. The Pro has its own GPS chip. You can head out for a run, leave your phone on the kitchen counter, and still get accurate pace and distance data.

The standard Band 11 relies on your phone's GPS. It's fine if you always run with your phone, but it's limiting. For $37 more, the Pro gives you freedom.

Health Tracking

Both bands include Huawei's full health suite:

Heart rate monitoring (optical sensor)
Blood oxygen (SpO2)
Sleep tracking
Stress tracking
Emotion tracking (yes, really)

The Pro also throws in Pulse Wave Arrhythmia Analysis — a feature usually reserved for premium devices. It's not a medical device, but it's a nice extra for catching potential issues early.

The 9-axis IMU (accelerometer + gyroscope + magnetometer) handles movement tracking across exercises. 5 ATM water resistance means you can swim with these — no problem.

Battery Life

Here's where budget trackers usually fail. Not here.

Light use: Up to 14 days
Typical use: About 8 days
Always-on display: 3 days
GPS on: Less, obviously

That 300mAh battery delivers. Most people will charge once a week. That's Apple Watch territory, except you're paying a lot less.

Charging is magnetic — snap it on and go. Simple.

Build Quality

The Pro weighs just 18 grams. That's light. The aluminum case feels more premium than the polymer version on the standard Band 11. Colors are green, blue, or black.

The regular Band 11 comes in more playful colors — beige, white, purple — but swaps aluminum for polymer on some versions. Worth noting if build quality matters to you.

Price

Band 11: ~$43
Band 11 Pro: ~$80

At these prices, you're getting display tech and sensors that would cost $300+ in an Apple Watch or Garmin. That's a crazy good deal.

The Verdict

If you want a reliable fitness tracker without the smartwatch premium, get the Band 11 Pro. Built-in GPS alone justifies the $80. The screen is excellent, battery life is great, and you get health tracking that rivals devices twice the price.

The regular Band 11 is fine if you're on a tight budget and always run with your phone. But the Pro? That's the one.

Bottom line: Huawei just raised the bar for budget fitness trackers. The Band 11 Pro delivers where it counts — display, GPS, and battery — without the flagship price tag.

Garmin Slashes Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED Price by $300

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:55:00 GMT

Garmin has made a significant move in the ultra-premium smartwatch space, permanently reducing the price of its Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED lineup. The 51mm model drops from $1,999 to $1,699, while the 47mm version now sits at $1,199.

A Strategic Price Shift

This isn't a temporary sale — Garmin says the price cut is permanent. That signals something bigger than just clearing inventory. The company appears to be betting big on MicroLED as the future of its flagship line, and wants more athletes to take the plunge.

For context, the MicroLED display technology offers better brightness than standard AMOLED — but it comes with a trade-off: slightly worse battery life. That's been a tough sell at nearly $2,000. By dropping the entry point to $1,199, Garmin narrows the gap between the regular Fenix 8 and the premium MicroLED versions.

Why Now?

The timing is interesting. We're expecting the Fenix 9 later this year, and it seems Garmin wants to move more Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED units before the next generation arrives. This could also be a preemptive strike against Apple's Watch Ultra 3, which dominates the $800–$1,000 range.

Notably, the price cut is currently US-only. Europe and the UK haven't seen the adjustment yet, and standard AMOLED Fenix 8 models haven't changed in price. That suggests Garmin is testing the waters — watching how the US market responds before rolling it out elsewhere.

What This Means for Buyers

If you've been eyeing the MicroLED Fenix 8 Pro, now's a solid time to buy. It's brighter than AMOLED (excellent outdoor visibility), though the trade-off is slightly worse battery life than the AMOLED version. At $1,199 for the 47mm, it's within reach of serious athletes who previously might have settled for the standard AMOLED version.

The price drop also signals confidence that MicroLED is ready for mainstream adoption. Expect to see more MicroLED options in the Fenix 9 lineup later this year.

The US price cut could expand to other markets soon. We'll be watching to see if it reaches the UK and Europe — and whether standard Fenix 8 models get similar treatment.

Garmin Rolls Out Major Feature Update for Venu, Fenix 8 Pro, Forerunner and More

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Garmin has announced a substantial software update for several of its popular smartwatch lines, bringing features previously exclusive to the Fenix 8 series to a broader range of devices. The update includes enhanced gear tracking, course planning tools, sleep insights, and new accessibility options that significantly expand what older devices can do.

Gear Tracking Gets a Major Upgrade

The most significant addition for athletes and adventurers is a completely revamped gear tracking system in Garmin Connect. This addresses one of the most requested features from serious athletes who need to track equipment wear over time.

Expanded Gear Types

Users can now track an expanded list of gear types including:

Running shoes
Skis
Bike components
Wheelchairs
And more, with the ability to include notes and photos

Collections and Database

The update introduces gear collections, allowing users to group multiple items together and assign them to the same activity type. Additionally, Garmin has built a gear database directly into Garmin Connect, making it easier to find specific shoe brands and bike models without manual entry.

Automatic Assignment

Auto-assign gear to specific Garmin Connect activities to track stats automatically—saving time and ensuring consistent tracking across all workouts.

Wrist-Based Tracking

Perhaps the most exciting addition: users can now track their gear stats and see a progress bar showing how close their gear is to the end of its life directly from their compatible Garmin smartwatch. This is particularly valuable for runners who want to replace shoes at the optimal time to prevent injury, or cyclists tracking brake pad and tire wear.

Course Planner

Previously seen only on higher-end Fenix models, course planner is now rolling out to more devices. This feature is invaluable for race preparation:

Cut-off times: Set time goals for each segment
Rest plans: Plan recovery breaks into your race strategy
Checkpoints: Mark key locations along the course
Aid stations: Know exactly where support will be available

The course syncs to the watch for on-wrist guidance during the race, making this essential for ultramarathoners and ironman participants who need detailed pacing strategies.

Sleep Alignment

Garmin is expanding its sleep tracking capabilities with sleep alignment—a feature that shows users how aligned their sleep is with their circadian rhythm. The feature also displays sleep consistency directly on the watch, helping users understand not just how long they sleep, but how consistent their sleep patterns are.

This builds on Garmin's existing sleep tracking and adds a layer of insight that can help users optimize their rest schedules for better recovery and performance.

Lifestyle Logging on Wrist

A significant convenience update: users can now log behaviors like caffeine and alcohol intake directly from their watch. The lifestyle logging feature then shows how these choices impact sleep, stress, and heart rate variability—giving users concrete data on how their daily habits affect their recovery.

This is particularly useful for athletes who want to understand the real impact of their evening coffee or post-race celebration on their recovery metrics.

New Accessibility Features

Garmin has added several meaningful accessibility improvements:

Spoken data: Hear the time of day, health data, and more spoken directly from the watch face
Hourly alerts: Get audible alerts for the start of each hour
Color display options: New color modes for various forms of color blindness including gray scale, red/green, green/red, and blue/yellow combinations

These additions show Garmin's commitment to making their devices work for a broader range of users.

Mixed Session and Fitness Coach

The popular mixed session feature—first introduced on the Fenix 8—allows athletes to track multiple activities in one session rather than saving separate activities. This is ideal for brick workouts, adventure races, or any multi-discipline training session.

Garmin Fitness Coach provides personalized workout plans based on fitness level, activity history, and background information. Plans include:

Time duration workouts
Heart rate-based cardio workouts varying in intensity
Optional strength workouts
Over 25 activity types to choose from

This brings personalized coaching to devices beyond the premium Fenix line.

Other Notable Updates

Trucking Features

New features specifically for professional truck drivers help them stay connected, track health metrics, follow workouts that fit into standard break times, manage schedules, and enjoy extra convenience at travel plazas—all from their watch.

Varia Voice Alerts

Cyclists can now get audible alerts from their paired Varia radar directly on their smartwatch, letting them know about approaching vehicles. This improves safety without requiring riders to look at a screen or wear separate audio equipment.

Compatible Devices

The update is rolling out to:

Venu X1
Vívoactive 6
Fenix 8 Pro
Forerunner 570
Forerunner 970
And more

Users can update by enabling automatic updates in their device settings and syncing with Garmin Connect, or by using Garmin Express on desktop.

What This Means for Garmin Users

This update demonstrates Garmin's commitment to long-term software support. Many of these features first appeared on the Fenix 8 series but are now available on devices that are nearly a year old. For users who bought a Forerunner 570, Venu 3, or Vívoactive 6, this is a significant value addition that keeps their devices competitive with newer models.

The Gear Tracking Revolution

The gear tracking enhancement is particularly noteworthy—it addresses a long-standing request from serious athletes who want better lifecycle management of their equipment. Being able to see shoe wear progress directly on the wrist without pulling out a phone is a quality-of-life improvement that makes daily training easier.

For competitive runners, knowing exactly when to replace shoes can prevent injury and optimize performance. The old method of guessing or counting miles is primitive compared to having your watch tell you exactly how much life is left in your soles. Cyclists benefit similarly—tracking brake pads, tires, and chain wear from the wrist means no more manual spreadsheets.

Sleep and Recovery Insights

The sleep alignment and lifestyle logging features bring advanced health insights to the mid-range devices, blurring the line between premium and mainstream offerings. Understanding how a late-night coffee affects your next morning's recovery gives athletes data they can act on.

Accessibility Matters

The new accessibility options show Garmin is thinking beyond typical athletes. Color blindness affects approximately 8% of men, and having watch options that work for them is important. The spoken time feature helps visually impaired users get value from their devices.

Competitive Strategy

This wave of updates also signals something about Garmin's competitive strategy. With Apple and Samsung pushing annual upgrades, Garmin's approach of continuously improving existing hardware is a powerful differentiator. When someone buys a $500 Forerunner 570, knowing they'll get meaningful updates two years later makes that purchase easier to justify.

What Wasn't Included

Notably absent from this update: advanced AI-powered training insights. Garmin seems to be taking a cautious approach, rolling out features only when polished. Also missing: new mapping features beyond course planner.

How to Update

The update is rolling out now over the next few weeks. Users should enable automatic updates in device settings, sync with Garmin Connect, or use Garmin Express on desktop.

The Bottom Line

This is one of the most substantial feature updates Garmin has released for mid-range devices. The gear tracking alone justifies the update, and combined with sleep alignment, course planner, and accessibility features, it makes a compelling case for choosing Garmin over competitors who leave older devices behind.

Garmin Fenix 9: CEO Teases Major 2026 Launch

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Garmin is preparing for a big year in outdoor wearables. During the company's Q4 2025 earnings call, CEO Cliff Pemble dropped hints that have the fitness tech community buzzing: the Fenix 9 is almost certainly coming in the second half of 2026.

Concept art showing potential Fenix 9 design (AI generated for illustration purposes)

The Writing on the Wall

Pemble stated that Garmin expects "full year growth in Outdoor to accelerate in 2026 compared to 2025, driven by a significant number of new product introductions." He went on to say they "expect stronger performance in the back half of the year due to the timing of product launches."

When pressed by analysts about whether this signaled a Fenix launch, Pemble neither confirmed nor denied—instead doubling down on the message that "many of our launches would occur in the back half of the year."

This aligns perfectly with Garmin's recent release cadence. The Fenix 8 launched in August 2024, followed by the Fenix 8 Pro in September 2025. A Fenix 9 arriving in late summer or early fall 2026 would maintain the company's now-established 12-month flagship refresh cycle.

The Business Case for Fenix 9

The timing makes business sense for Garmin on multiple fronts. The outdoor segment—which includes Fenix, Instinct, and related watches—saw flat growth in Q4 2025 and only 5% growth for the full year. This is underwhelming compared to the 33% growth in the fitness segment, which includes Venu, Forerunner, and Vivoactive.

With the outdoor segment carrying the highest operating margin in the company at 66%, a compelling Fenix 9 launch in H2 2026 would address the growth gap while maintaining those premium margins. The product would also reassure investors that Garmin's flagship franchise isn't structurally slowing—a critical concern for a company whose stock price often moves on Fenix cycle news.

There's also the competitive pressure to consider. Apple and Samsung have been aggressive with their Ultra watch lines, and while Garmin dominates the dedicated sports watch market, the lines between fitness trackers and premium smartwatches continue to blur. A fresh Fenix 9 helps maintain mindshare among serious athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who might otherwise be tempted by the Apple Watch Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

The Fenix Evolution: A Quick Recap

To understand where the Fenix 9 might go, it's worth looking at how the line has evolved:

Fenix 6 (2019): Established the multi-sport flagship standard, introduced solar charging options
Fenix 7 (2022): Added touchscreen and LED flashlight
Fenix 7 Pro (2023): Introduced backlit MIP display and brighter LED
Fenix 8 (2024): First with AMOLED display and speaker/microphone
Fenix 8 Pro (2025): Introduced MicroLED, first to drop MIP option

The Fenix 8 (shown) and Fenix 8 Pro set the stage for what comes next

Each iteration has pushed the boundaries on battery life, display technology, and feature set. The Fenix 9 will likely continue that trend while addressing some of the user criticisms that have emerged.

What Could the Fenix 9 Bring?

While nothing is confirmed, industry insiders and reviewers have high hopes for the next generation:

Display Options: The Great MIP Debate

The Fenix 8 Pro introduced MicroLED but dropped the traditional MIP (memory-in-pixel) option entirely. This upset a vocal segment of the Fenix loyal base who prefer MIP for its sunlight readability and battery efficiency.

Many hope the Fenix 9 might offer a choice between MIP, AMOLED, and MicroLED—giving users the outdoor readability they want without sacrificing the option for a vibrant AMOLED experience. Alternatively, Garmin could release an Enduro 4 as the MIP alternative to the Fenix 9, reviving the Enduro line as the battery-focused alternative.

The Return of Smaller Sizes

The Fenix 8 Pro only came in larger case sizes (47mm and 51mm), leaving users with smaller wrists wanting. While the standard Fenix 8 offered a 43mm option, the Pro line went big. A return to a more compact option in the Fenix 9 Pro would broaden the watch's appeal—particularly among female athletes and those with narrower wrists who have been underserved in recent generations.

Solar AMOLED: The Holy Grail

Garmin's Power Glass solar charging currently only works with power-sipping MIP displays. The technology cannot offset the power consumption of AMOLED screens in their current form. If the company can crack solar charging for AMOLED, it would be a major innovation—and potentially signal the end of MIP displays entirely.

This would allow Garmin to offer the best of both worlds: an AMOLED display that looks brilliant indoors while still achieving respectable battery life through solar charging. It's a technical challenge that competitors have yet to solve, and doing so first would be a significant competitive advantage.

A Faster Processor

The Fenix 8 Pro responds pretty quickly when you're navigating the menus and loading maps, but it could definitely be snappier. A faster processor would make the process of panning around Garmin's impressive maps feel more fluid—particularly important for trail runners and hikers who rely on navigation features.

Smartwatches on a yearly update cycle almost always include a processor upgrade as part of a new model, and this is becoming more common on sports watches too. A more powerful chip could also enable on-device machine learning for advanced training features.

Free or Reduced-Cost SOS Alerts

Google and Apple launched watches with satellite connectivity in 2025, and both offered SOS alerts that were free for two years. Garmin's approach requires a paid subscription for satellite safety features, which can be a hard sell at $15 per month or $150 per year for the InReach subscription.

While Garmin's satellite service offers more comprehensive global coverage than competitors, the cost barrier prevents some users from taking advantage of potentially lifesaving technology. Making basic SOS alerts free or included would be a significant differentiator.

Blood Glucose Monitoring

Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is something all smartwatch makers seem to be investigating, but it's yet to appear in any consumer device at scale. If watches could monitor blood glucose levels through lights and sensors, it would most importantly be a potential life-saver for diabetics, but also handy for endurance athletes tracking their fueling and trying to avoid bonking during long training sessions and races.

While unlikely for the Fenix 9 given the technical challenges, it's on everyone's wish list for the near future.

Competitive Landscape

The Fenix 9 won't launch into a vacuum. Here's what Garmin is up against:

Apple Watch Ultra 3: Apple's latest offers improved battery life and satellite connectivity, though it remains a more lifestyle-focused device compared to Garmin's dedicated sports focus. The integration with Apple's health ecosystem is unmatched, but serious athletes often find Apple's sports tracking lacking compared to Garmin's depth.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: Strong competitor in the Android space with sleek design and decent sports tracking, though Samsung's focus remains broader than dedicated athletics. Samsung has closed the gap on some features but still trails Garmin in battery life and advanced navigation features.

Coros: Has been aggressive on battery life and price, offering compelling value propositions particularly with the Pace 3 and Vertix 2. However, they lack Garmin's ecosystem depth and mapping capabilities.

Polar: Continues to offer compelling optical heart rate technology and training analysis features but has lost market share to Garmin in the premium segment. The Vantage V3 is a solid device but doesn't have the same breadth of features.

Garmin's advantage has always been depth—more sports profiles, better mapping, superior battery life, and an ecosystem that serious athletes depend on. The Fenix 9 will need to maintain that lead while addressing the gaps that have emerged.

The AI Factor

One area where we might see significant advancement is in training analysis and recovery recommendations. While Garmin already offers robust training status features, the integration of more sophisticated AI could take this to the next level. Competitors like Apple and Google are investing heavily in on-device AI, and Garmin will need to keep pace.

Satellite Technology

The inclusion of satellite messaging in the Fenix 8 Pro was a major step, and we can expect this feature to become more refined in the Fenix 9. Both Apple and Google have made big plays in this space, and Garmin will need to ensure its satellite offerings remain competitive—whether through improved messaging, better coverage, or more flexible subscription options.

Should You Wait?

For those considering a Fenix 8 Pro today, the writing is on the wall: a new flagship is months away. Whether to wait or buy now depends on your needs and timeline.

Buy now if:

You need a watch for an upcoming race or event
You're coming from a much older Fenix (5 or older)
You find a great deal on Fenix 8 Pro

Wait if:

You can hold out until fall 2026
You're primarily curious about the latest features
You're coming from a Fenix 7 or 8 and can tolerate your current watch

One thing is certain: Garmin's outdoor division is about to have its biggest year yet. Whether the Fenix 9 delivers on the hype remains to be seen, but based on CEO Pemble's hints, it should be worth the wait.

Garmin Fenix 8 Gets Major Software Update: Everything New

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Garmin has released a substantial software update for its flagship smartwatch lineup, bringing Version 21.25 to the Fenix 8, Fenix 8 Pro, and Enduro 3 (with the Tactics 8 receiving version 21.27). The update, which has been in public beta for several months, adds a wide range of new features beyond simple bug fixes—something that Fenix owners have come to expect from Garmin's commitment to long-term software support.

A Feature-Rich Update

What makes this update notable is that Garmin didn't just patch bugs—they added meaningful new functionality across multiple categories. The update touches everything from basic watch face settings to advanced sports tracking features, demonstrating Garmin's continued investment in its current-generation hardware even as rumors of the Fenix 9 circulate.

The software is rolling out now, and users should see the update land automatically when syncing their watches with Garmin Connect.

Training Plans Get an Upgrade

One of the headline additions is a new set of training plans that "focus on timed workouts, cardio workouts, and optional strength workouts." This expands on Garmin's existing coaching capabilities, which already included running, cycling, and triathlon plans through Garmin Coach.

The new fitness plans are designed to be more structured than traditional free-form training, giving users guided workouts with specific intervals and targets. This positions the Fenix 8 even more strongly against competitors like Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, which have been pushing into structured training territory.

New Glances Expand Wrist-Based Quick Views

Garmin added several new glances—the quick-view widgets accessible by scrolling through your watch face. These additions focus on daily health tracking and convenience:

Weight Tracking Glance: Shows your last-logged bodyweight alongside a trend comparison. Users can see how their weight from the last seven days compares to the previous month. The widget also displays weigh-in data from the past week and four-week trends.

Battery Performance Glance: Provides detailed insights into battery health and usage patterns. This is particularly valuable for Enduro 3 users, who already enjoy extended battery life but now get deeper visibility into power consumption by individual apps and features.

Lifestyle Logging: The Lifestyle Logging feature, which rolled out to Garmin Connect last year, now has a dedicated glance for on-wrist logging. Users can log habits directly from their watch without opening the smartphone app—a small but meaningful quality-of-life improvement.

Sports Score Widget: A particularly noteworthy addition for American users, this widget lets users track their favorite sports teams directly from the watch. Users can select leagues, choose teams, and see upcoming game schedules and season stats without reaching for their phone. The implementation is surprisingly robust, showing not just standings but also upcoming matchups.

Sleep Insights: The sleep glance now includes "insights to the sleep glance for your ideal bed time and wake time." This builds on Garmin's existing Sleep Coach functionality, adding personalized recommendations based on sleep consistency and recovery data.

User Interface Improvements

Beyond the new glances, Garmin made several UI/UX enhancements:

Always-On Display Seconds: Users can now display seconds on their watch face in always-on mode. However, Garmin warns this will impact battery life, and the feature's compatibility varies by watch face design—digital faces show seconds, while analog faces may not.

Red Shift Evolves: The popular red shift mode (which reduces blue light exposure in the evening) has been expanded into "color shift" with an additional option to enable the mode two hours before scheduled sleep time, not just during sleep mode itself.

Font Scaling Improvements: The Garmin Messenger widget now respects system font size settings, making it more accessible for users who prefer larger text.

Accessibility Menu: A new dedicated accessibility menu has been added, consolidating color filters and other accessibility options in one place.

Speaker and Audio Get Attention

The Fenix 8 series brought built-in speakers and microphones to the Fenix line for the first time, and this update expands what you can do with them:

Voice Command Expansion: Users can now launch the Health Status app with voice commands. The voice settings menu has also been reorganized into separate voice command and voice feedback sections.

New Voice Alerts: A new voice alerts menu lets users choose audio output (watch or paired device) and customize alerts for guidance, laps, pace/speed, heart rate, power, timers, workouts, and activities.

Cycling Safety Alerts: When paired with a Garmin Varia radar, users now get audible alerts for vehicles approaching from behind—a significant safety feature for road cyclists.

Alarm Sound Overhaul: Perhaps surprisingly, Garmin added dozens of new alarm tones. Previously, users were limited to just one tone option. The new update includes various chimes, tones, and even musical options. The Fenix 8's speaker can now produce more varied sounds beyond simple beeps, and a new "quiet start" option gradually increases volume to avoid jarring wake-ups.

Music Controls: Album art background support was added to music controls, though some users report inconsistent results depending on the music service.

Sports Profile Enhancements

For athletes, several notable additions:

Mixed Session Activity: A new activity type lets users build custom multi-sport workouts by combining any profile they choose. This is ideal for cross-training sessions where you might switch between running, cycling, strength training, and other activities within a single session.

Activity Stage Status: A new swipe-accessible menu during activities provides quick access to settings without stopping your workout.

Post-Dive Guidance: For diving enthusiasts, the update adds post-dive activity guidance, advising when it's safe to engage in high-altitude activities or other physical exertion after a qualifying dive.

Course Planner: While not fully live at the time of this update, Garmin is rolling out course planner features that will let users plan races with cutoff times, rest plans, checkpoints, and aid stations through Garmin Connect.

Bug Fixes

The update also addresses several issues:

Blank screen when using the music player during an activity
Device crash after loading a cycling course
Backcountry Ski workout profile issues
Partial failures when connecting the watch to Wi-Fi

What This Means for Fenix 8 Owners

This update demonstrates Garmin's ongoing commitment to its current-generation devices. While competitors sometimes reserve the best features for new hardware releases, Garmin continues to add meaningful functionality to devices that have been on the market for over a year.

The Fenix 8 launched to strong reviews, earning a full five stars in our assessment, and this update further solidifies its position as the best Garmin smartwatch for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes who need rugged, long-lasting wearable technology.

Fenix 8 owners should update their watches as soon as possible to take advantage of these new features.

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 Review: A Garmin Fenix Alternative for Half the Price?

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 launched today and it's their most ambitious attempt yet to directly compete with Garmin's Fenix 8 yet. At $549.99, it's less than half the price of a Garmin Fenix 8, but does it deliver Fenix-level performance? I dug into in-depth reviews from three top sports watch experts to find out what they really thought after weeks of real-world testing.

Design and Build Quality: Premium Materials at a Budget Price

The T-Rex Ultra 2 is a beast. This is the largest watch Amazfit has ever released, coming in at a 51mm case size—significantly bigger than the 48mm T-Rex 3 Pro. The weight has increased by 15g compared to its predecessor, and the strap width has grown from 22mm to 26mm.

According to DCRainmaker, "It's a big chonkin' watch. It is the biggest watch that Amazfit has ever released." Chase The Summit noted that even compared to other flagship sport watches, "it's really not that big"—placing it squarely in the same ballpark as the Garmin Fenix 8 and COROS Vertix 2S.

The build quality received universal praise. The bezel, buttons, and back panel are all made from Grade 5 titanium—a genuine upgrade from the T-Rex 3 Pro's plastic back. The display is protected by sapphire crystal, and the watch carries a 10 ATM water resistance rating with dual diving certification.

As DesFit put it: "At this kind of price, most of us would expect premium materials. And with the Ultra 2, they use grade 5 titanium for the bezel, the back plate, as well as the buttons."

The design has also been refined. Chase The Summit appreciated that "the angles on the new T-Rex Ultra 2 aren't so aggressive—the octagon shape of the T-Rex 3 Pro is much more pronounced where on the Ultra, it's almost a round watch." He called it "more refined" and "more subtle" than previous models.

Display: Bright and Beautiful

The 1.5-inch AMOLED display is a significant upgrade, featuring 480×480 resolution, 322 ppi pixel density, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. This makes it larger and brighter than the 1.14-inch, 454×454 display on the 51mm Garmin Fenix 8.

DesFit found the display impressive: "Tons of pixels, tons of contrast, and tons of colors. It's a really nice display." He kept it on auto-brightness and found it "seemed to do a pretty good job for the most part of adjusting the display brightness appropriately."

The green LED flashlight is a notable addition—replacing the red option on the T-Rex 3 Pro. DCRainmaker explained that "the theory behind the green light is that it gives you better night vision goggle compatibility."

Battery Life: Truly Exceptional

Battery life emerged as the T-Rex Ultra 2's standout feature. The 870mAh battery (25% larger than its predecessor) delivers up to 30 days of typical use and up to 50 hours of high-accuracy GPS tracking.

DCRainmaker put it to the test with real-world workouts: "I started the run at 95% and at 3 hours and 1 minute later, it was down to 87%. So basically 8% battery burn or 2.666% battery burn per hour, which again is super impressive and above their specs."

His trail run with always-on display and navigation enabled burned only 2% per hour—"really impressive and above their specs."

DesFit achieved approximately two weeks of battery life with "everything on and all the features" including always-on display and sleep tracking. For GPS-specific activities, Amazfit claims 50 hours in highest accuracy mode without route navigation, and around 28 hours with route navigation.

Chase The Summit summed it up: "This has some very good battery life."

GPS and Navigation: Major Improvements

The T-Rex Ultra 2 includes preloaded global base maps (terrain maps), with contour and ski resort maps available for download from the Zepp app starting March 2026. Storage has doubled from 32GB to 64GB, with approximately 30GB available for maps.

DCRainmaker noted a significant improvement: "They've increased the detail in the contour maps. In other words, trails should show as trails as opposed to roads." He showed an example where "it does indeed show the actual trails now is little dotted line trails as opposed to the road."

The addition of checkpoints for navigation routes was praised, though DCRainmaker noted "there's a lot of weird categories here that don't make a ton of sense" compared to industry standards.

Software and Features

The Ultra 2 runs on Amazfit's BioTracker 6.0 PPG biometric sensor—the same as the T-Rex 3 Pro—paired with a full suite of environmental and motion sensors. It supports over 180 sports modes, includes Hyrox-specific modes, and offers diving options.

One-tap measurement checks most vitals in 45 seconds. The free food logging feature in the Zepp app—similar to Garmin's paid Connect+ offering—lets users log meals via photo, barcode, text, or voice.

Voice memos during workouts and advanced pace metrics like grade-adjusted pace are new additions. The Zepp Flow voice control works offline.

However, DCRainmaker warned: "Not all of them actually work" — some software features feel unfinished compared to Garmin's polished offering.

Heart Rate Accuracy: The Achilles Heel

Heart rate accuracy remains a concern. As DesFit explained: "A potential disadvantage to this size and weight of watch is heart rate accuracy during workouts where in general a larger and heavier watch can bounce around the wrist more than something smaller and lighter. These kinds of optical heart rate sensors don't like any sort of movement."

Chase The Summit confirmed this is still an issue: "Heart rate accuracy during high-movement activities remains a concern."

The good news: the watch supports external Bluetooth heart rate sensors if you need more accuracy.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Exceptional battery life (exceeds official specs)
Premium Grade 5 titanium build
Bright 3,000-nit AMOLED display
Preloaded global base maps
Built-in LED flashlight with green option
10 ATM water resistance + diving certification

-Garmin-compatible 26mm QuickFit bands

Excellent value vs. Garmin Fenix 8

Cons

Large size may not fit smaller wrists
Some software features feel unfinished
Heart rate accuracy during high-movement activities
Sleep tracking can be uncomfortable with large case
Display software quirks (sleep mode not auto-disabling)

Competition Comparison

At $549.99, the T-Rex Ultra 2 enters premium territory previously dominated by Garmin, COROS, and Suunto. Here's how it stacks up:

Feature	Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2	Garmin Fenix 8	COROS Vertix 2S	Suunto Vertical
Price	$550	$1,100+	$799	$699
Display	1.5" AMOLED, 3000 nits	1.4" AMOLED	1.4" AMOLED	1.4" AMOLED
Battery (GPS)	50 hours	49 hours	60 hours	60 hours
Water Resistance	10 ATM + DIVING	10 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM
Storage	64GB	32GB	32GB	32GB
Titanium Build	✅ Full	✅ Partial	✅ Full	❌ SS

The Amazfit undercuts the competition significantly while matching or exceeding key specifications. Only COROS and Suunto offer comparable battery life at higher price points.

The Verdict: Who Should Buy It?

The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 represents the most convincing alternative to Garmin yet. Chase The Summit called it "a genuine alternative to Garmin" at "half the price." DesFit concluded it's "competing with watches costing twice as much."

If you want Fenix-level features—dual-band GPS, offline maps, diving certification, exceptional battery—without the $1,100+ price tag, this is your watch. The battery life alone justifies the price for ultra-endurance athletes.

However, if you need polished software, best-in-class heart rate accuracy, or have smaller wrists, you might want to look elsewhere—or pair this with a dedicated heart rate strap.

For those who've been waiting for Amazfit to truly challenge Garmin, the wait is over.

Featured Image Description for AI Generation

A rugged outdoor smartwatch with a black titanium case and dark gray magma band, shown in an outdoor trail running setting. The watch displays a terrain map with a route line. Early morning golden hour lighting, nature background with blurred trees, product photography style, shallow depth of field, 4k resolution, adventure/outdoor aesthetic.

Price: $549.99 / £549.95
Available: February 19, 2026 from Amazfit.com and Amazon

Meta Smartwatch Returns: Malibu 2 Targets 2026 Launch with Health Tracking and AI

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Meta is making a second attempt at the smartwatch market. According to reports from The Information, the company plans to launch a health-tracking smartwatch with AI features later this year, marking its return to the wearable space after scrapping an earlier project in 2022.

The device, code-named "Malibu 2," represents Meta's renewed ambition in the wearables market, where it will face off against established players including Apple, Google, Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit. The timing is notable: Meta's smartwatch arrival coincides with broader industry shifts toward AI-integrated wearables and continued growth in the health tracking category.

From Failure to Fresh Start

Meta's first smartwatch attempt never made it to market. In 2022, the company cancelled its smartwatch project citing technical challenges and cost-cutting measures during a broader restructuring of its hardware division. That device reportedly featured dual cameras and was designed to function as both a fitness tracker and a controller for Meta's metaverse ambitions.

The Malibu 2 takes a different approach. Rather than positioning the smartwatch as a metaverse controller, Meta appears to be focusing on core wearable fundamentals: health tracking and AI integration. This strategic pivot aligns with market realities—consumers have shown far more interest in fitness-focused wearables than VR-connected wrist devices.

The new watch builds on Meta's recent hardware success with the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, which launched to strong demand last year. In fact, the glasses proved so popular that Meta had to pause international expansion due to "unprecedented demand and limited inventory." The smartwatch could serve as a companion device, potentially replacing the neural wristband currently used for gesture controls on the AR glasses.

Health Tracking and AI: The Core Features

According to reports, the Malibu 2 will offer health-tracking capabilities similar to those found on existing smartwatches, including heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, and likely sleep tracking. The device will also feature a built-in Meta AI assistant, integrating the company's conversational AI technology directly into the wrist-worn form factor.

This AI-first approach differentiates Meta's offering from competitors. While Apple Watch and Garmin devices have added AI features over time, Meta is positioning its smartwatch as an AI-native product from the start. The integration would allow users to interact with Meta's AI assistant for tasks like setting reminders, answering questions, and controlling smart home devices—all from their wrist.

The combination of health tracking and AI places Meta squarely in competition with Apple's rumored AI wearable plans. Reports indicate Apple is working on its own AI-enabled smart glasses that could launch as early as next year, creating a potential head-to-head battle between the two tech giants in the AI wearables space.

Market Context: A Crowded Field

The smartwatch market has grown significantly since Meta's first attempt failed in 2022. Apple Watch continues to dominate the premium segment, while Google has consolidated its position through the Fitbit acquisition and Pixel Watch lineup. Samsung's Galaxy Watch remains strong, and Garmin continues to appeal to athletes and fitness enthusiasts with its multisport-focused devices.

For Meta, the challenge is twofold. First, the company must convince consumers that its smartwatch offers something distinct from existing options. Second, Meta needs to prove it can deliver a quality hardware product—something it has struggled with in other categories, despite successes with Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban glasses.

The timing of the Malibu 2 launch also raises questions about Meta's hardware strategy. The company is reportedly delaying its mixed reality glasses, code-named "Phoenix," until 2027 as it works to streamline its AR and MR roadmap. The smartwatch's arrival in 2026 suggests Meta is prioritizing more immediately marketable wearables over futuristic hardware that remains technically challenging.

Ecosystem Considerations

One advantage Meta may leverage is its existing ecosystem. The smartwatch would integrate with Meta's social platforms, potentially offering unique features for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp users. Notifications, messaging, and even social fitness features could differentiate the device from competitors who lack Meta's social infrastructure.

However, this integration could also raise privacy concerns. Meta's handling of user data has drawn scrutiny from regulators and consumers alike, and a smartwatch collecting health data—heart rate, sleep patterns, activity levels—would likely face additional scrutiny.

The company's partnership with Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica could also influence the smartwatch's design and distribution. Ray-Ban has proven adept at making technology-enabled eyewear that doesn't look like traditional VR headsets, and similar design sensibilities could inform the smartwatch's aesthetic.

What This Means for Consumers

If Meta successfully launches the Malibu 2, consumers will gain another option in an increasingly competitive smartwatch market. The addition of a major new player could drive innovation and potentially lower prices as companies compete for market share.

For those already invested in the Apple or Google ecosystems, switching to a Meta smartwatch may not make sense. But for users who prefer Android or are already using Meta's VR products, the Malibu 2 could offer a compelling integrated experience.

The AI integration is particularly worth watching. If Meta can deliver a genuinely useful AI assistant on the wrist—something that goes beyond what smartphone assistants already offer—it could establish a new category expectation. The question is whether the company can execute on this vision while delivering the health tracking accuracy that consumers expect from modern wearables.

Looking Ahead

The smartwatch market shows no signs of slowing. With the global fitness tracker market projected to reach $34 billion by 2035 and AI integration becoming increasingly standard, Meta's timing is opportunistic. The company enters a mature market with established players but also significant room for differentiation.

Apple's response will be crucial. The company is reportedly working on AI smart glasses and has continued to expand Apple Watch's health capabilities. If Meta can execute on the Malibu 2, it could force Apple to accelerate its own wearable AI features—or risk losing ground to a competitor with massive social platform reach.

For now, the details remain limited. Pricing, exact specifications, and availability are still unclear. But Meta's revival of its smartwatch ambitions signals that the company sees wearables as a critical piece of its hardware strategy—a recognition that the future of computing may be increasingly worn rather than held or viewed through headsets.

The Competitive Landscape

Meta enters a smartwatch market that has matured considerably since its first attempt. The competitive environment includes several distinct player categories:

Premium Leaders: Apple Watch dominates the high-end segment with its seamless integration with iOS and an established health ecosystem. Google's Pixel Watch has gained traction among Android users seeking a premium experience, leveraging Google's AI capabilities and Fitbit's health expertise.

Fitness Specialists: Garmin continues to command serious athletes with its precise GPS tracking, extended battery life, and advanced training metrics. Fitbit, now under Google ownership, occupies the mid-range with a focus on health optimization rather than technical specifications.

Budget Options: Xiaomi and Amazfit offer capable devices at significantly lower price points, particularly in markets outside North America and Europe. These brands have found success by delivering essential features at accessible prices.

Emerging Players: Samsung maintains a strong position with Galaxy Watch, particularly among users embedded in the Android/Samsung ecosystem. Huawei continues expanding its wearable lineup despite regulatory challenges in Western markets.

Against this backdrop, Meta must find white space. The company's strengths—AI capabilities, social platform integration, and hardware design partnerships—could provide differentiation. The question is whether these strengths translate into compelling wearable features or remain nice-to-have additions that don't justify switching ecosystems.

Technical Challenges Remain

Building a competitive smartwatch is technically demanding. Key challenges include:

Battery Life: Consumers expect multiple days of use between charges, yet powerful processors and always-on displays drain batteries quickly. Balancing performance with longevity requires careful engineering—something Apple and Garmin have mastered through custom silicon and optimized software.

Health Sensor Accuracy: Consumer-grade heart rate monitors and SpO2 sensors have improved dramatically but still vary in accuracy. Medical-grade precision remains elusive at consumer price points, and companies must manage expectations while continuing to improve.

Water Resistance: Smartwatches need to survive swimming, sweating, and rain. Achieving adequate water resistance while maintaining sensor quality and comfortable wear is a delicate balance.

Software Ecosystem: The watch is only as useful as its app ecosystem. Meta will need to convince developers to build for its platform—a challenge when Apple and Google dominate existing developer relationships.

The AI Integration Question

Meta's decision to lead with AI integration is strategic but carries both opportunity and risk. On one hand, AI assistants on wearables represent the next frontier, potentially enabling use cases that smartphone assistants cannot match. Picture asking your watch to summarize incoming messages, suggest workouts based on your schedule, or provide real-time translation during conversation.

On the other hand, AI features require reliable connectivity and cloud processing—or powerful on-device AI chips that consume battery. The implementation details matter enormously. A sluggish or inaccurate AI experience could frustrate users rather than delight them.

Meta has invested heavily in AI across its product lines, from content recommendation algorithms to conversational assistants. Translating that investment into a compelling wrist-worn experience will require hardware and software teams to work in close concert—a coordination challenge that has tripped up other companies attempting to enter the smartwatch market.

The Glasses Connection

One intriguing aspect of Meta's wearable strategy is the potential synergy between smartwatches and smart glasses. The Ray-Ban Display glasses currently use a neural wristband for gesture controls—a band that reads electrical signals from forearm muscles to interpret hand movements.

A Meta smartwatch could potentially replace this dedicated wristband, offering similar functionality in a more versatile package. Users could control their glasses, receive notifications, and interact with AI assistants—all from a device they already wear daily.

This ecosystem approach distinguishes Meta from competitors who treat each device as a standalone product. If Meta can create seamless interactions between its wearable lineup—smartwatch, smart glasses, and VR headsets—it could offer an integrated experience that Apple and Google struggle to match.

What Comes Next

The smartwatch market's growth trajectory suggests room for new entrants. With global fitness tracker adoption continuing to rise and AI capabilities opening new possibilities, the category remains dynamic. Meta's entry, if it happens, will test whether brand recognition and ecosystem integration can overcome late-mover disadvantages.

For now, the industry watches and waits. The success or failure of Malibu 2 will reveal whether Meta has learned from its earlier missteps—and whether the company can deliver hardware that matches its ambitious vision for AI-integrated wearables.

The coming months should bring more details about specifications, pricing, and availability. Until then, one thing is clear: the smartwatch market just got more interesting.

Sleep Tracker Market to Hit $34B by 2035: Inside the Fitness Tracker Boom

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:05:00 GMT

The global fitness tracker for sleep monitoring market is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by rising health awareness, increasing sleep disorders, and continuous advancements in wearable sensor technology. Valued at USD 8.88 billion in 2026, the market is projected to reach USD 34.15 billion by 2035, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.15% over the forecast period.

This explosive growth reflects a fundamental shift in how consumers approach personal health. Sleep tracking has evolved from a novelty feature to an essential health metric, with wearables now capable of monitoring sleep stages, heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen (SpO₂), and even respiratory patterns. The convergence of sophisticated sensors, smartphone integration, and AI-driven insights has transformed sleep trackers into comprehensive wellness companions.

Market Drivers and Consumer Trends

The sleep tracker market is being propelled by several interconnected factors. First, awareness of sleep's impact on overall health has skyrocketed. Studies linking poor sleep to cardiovascular issues, cognitive decline, and metabolic disorders have motivated consumers to take a more active role in monitoring their rest patterns. The World Health Organization and various health agencies have emphasized the importance of quality sleep, creating a cultural shift toward data-driven wellness.

Second, the prevalence of sleep disorders is on the rise. Conditions like sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome affect millions globally, driving demand for accessible monitoring solutions. Consumers no longer need to visit sleep clinics for basic assessment—modern fitness trackers provide actionable insights from the comfort of home.

Third, sensor technology has matured significantly. Today's wearables feature photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors for heart rate monitoring, accelerometers for movement detection, and some even include electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors for stress tracking. These components work in concert to deliver increasingly accurate sleep stage classification.

Regional Dynamics: North America Leads, Asia Pacific Surges

North America accounted for the largest market share in 2025, a position driven by high consumer awareness, widespread wearable adoption, and the presence of industry giants like Apple, Garmin, and Fitbit. The region's advanced technological infrastructure, coupled with strong smartphone penetration, created fertile ground for sleep tracking adoption. In the United States specifically, fitness trackers have become mainstream, with users ranging from tech enthusiasts to health-conscious individuals seeking personalized sleep insights.

However, the most dynamic growth is expected in the Asia Pacific region. Countries like China, India, and Southeast Asia are witnessing rapid adoption of wearable technology, supported by rising disposable incomes, expanding e-commerce channels, and growing digital health awareness. Local manufacturers have responded by offering devices with Mandarin interfaces and integrated services tailored to regional preferences. China's wearable market, in particular, has seen aggressive pricing from brands like Xiaomi and Huawei, making sleep tracking accessible to younger consumers and urban professionals.

Segment Analysis: Smartwatches Dominate, Smart Bands Rise

The smartwatch segment dominated the market in 2025 and continues to lead due to its multifunctionality. Modern smartwatches offer continuous sleep tracking alongside heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, GPS, and increasingly, advanced health features like ECG and blood oxygen measurement. This all-in-one proposition appeals to consumers seeking comprehensive health insights without wearing multiple devices.

Apple Watch remains the category leader, especially after its February 2025 software update added sleep stage tracking, respiratory rate monitoring, and personalized sleep schedules through the Health and Sleep apps. The integration with Apple's broader health ecosystem creates a seamless experience that keeps users within the Apple ecosystem.

However, the smart band segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. These devices appeal to cost-conscious consumers and first-time wearable users who want essential sleep tracking without premium pricing. Key advantages include lightweight designs, extended battery life (often 7-14 days on a single charge), and increasingly capable sensors. Xiaomi and Amazfit have dominated this segment with aggressive pricing and feature-rich devices.

Distribution Channels: Online vs. Offline

The online segment dominated distribution in 2025, benefiting from the convenience of e-commerce, competitive pricing, and detailed product comparisons. Platforms like Amazon provide user reviews, spec comparisons, and frequent discounts that drive purchasing decisions. The rise of direct-to-consumer models from brands like Whoop and Garmin has further accelerated online sales.

Yet, the offline segment is projected to grow at the fastest rate going forward. Many consumers prefer to try wearables before purchasing, especially for devices that require proper fit for accurate sensor readings. Specialty retailers and electronics stores offer hands-on demonstrations, personalized fitting, and after-sales support that builds consumer confidence. This trend is particularly strong in emerging markets where brick-and-mortar retail is expanding rapidly.

Key Players and Competitive Landscape

The sleep tracker market features a diverse competitive landscape:

Apple continues to lead the premium segment with Apple Watch integration, offering sleep tracking alongside comprehensive health monitoring through the Health app ecosystem.

Garmin positions itself at the intersection of fitness and health, with devices targeting both casual users and serious athletes. The announced Garmin Index Sleep Monitor represents an interesting diversification—a screenless upper-arm tracker focused specifically on sleep accuracy.

Samsung has strengthened its offerings through the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch lineup, adding features like Sleep Environment Report and Sleep Time Guidance to Samsung Health.

Fitbit (Google) remains a major player, particularly in the fitness band segment, with established sleep tracking algorithms and a strong brand identity around wellness.

Xiaomi and Amazfit dominate the value segment, offering capable sleep tracking at price points accessible to mass markets.

Whoop has carved a niche in performance-focused sleep analytics, emphasizing recovery metrics and strain tracking for athletes.

Huawei continues expanding its wearable lineup with health monitoring features, despite market challenges in certain regions.

Emerging Challenges

Despite the optimistic outlook, manufacturers face significant challenges. Sleep tracking accuracy remains inconsistent across devices and users, as sensor performance can vary based on skin tone, body composition, and wearing position. The industry continues to grapple with balancing consumer expectations for medical-grade accuracy against the limitations of consumer-grade sensors.

Privacy concerns also loom large. Sleep data reveals intimate details about users' lives—their schedules, health conditions, and daily routines. Companies must demonstrate robust data protection practices to maintain consumer trust, especially as health data becomes increasingly valuable to insurers and employers.

Technology Deep Dive: How Sleep Tracking Works

Modern fitness trackers employ multiple sensor technologies to capture sleep data. The primary sensor is the optical heart rate monitor using photoplethysmography (PPG), which measures blood volume changes through the skin. By analyzing heart rate variability—the time interval between consecutive heartbeats—algorithms can distinguish between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM stages.

Accelerometers complement PPG sensors by detecting movement throughout the night. When combined with heart rate data, this movement information helps refine sleep stage classification. Some advanced devices also incorporate ambient light sensors to detect sleep environment conditions.

More recent innovations include temperature sensors that track skin temperature fluctuations, which correlate with circadian rhythms and can indicate ovulation or illness. Some wearables now include galvanic skin response (GSR) sensors that measure electrical conductivity changes linked to stress and emotional arousal.

The software side has evolved equally dramatically. Machine learning models trained on millions of sleep records can now achieve accuracy rates exceeding 80% compared to polysomnography (PSG) lab equipment, though significant variation exists between devices and individual users.

What This Means for Consumers

For everyday users, the implications are significant. Sleep trackers provide objective data about habits that were previously difficult to quantify. By revealing patterns—the impact of late-night screen time, alcohol consumption, or irregular schedules—these devices empower users to make informed lifestyle adjustments.

However, experts caution against becoming overly fixated on numbers. Sleep quality is subjective, and a device that reports "poor" sleep may not align with how refreshed someone actually feels. The best approach uses tracker data as one input among many, not as the definitive measure of rest quality.

For athletes, sleep tracking has become essential to training optimization. Companies like Whoop and Garmin emphasize recovery metrics, using HRV to determine whether the body is primed for intense training or needs rest. This quantified approach to recovery has revolutionized how coaches and athletes periodize training cycles.

The Future of Sleep Tracking

Looking toward 2035, several trends will shape the market. Integration with smart home devices is accelerating—beds that adjust firmness based on sleep data, thermostats that optimize bedroom temperature, and lighting systems that align with circadian rhythms will create holistic sleep environments.

Medical-grade sleep monitoring is another frontier. While consumer devices cannot diagnose sleep disorders, they serve as valuable screening tools. Companies are exploring partnerships with healthcare providers to create pathways for users with suspected sleep apnea or other conditions to receive professional evaluation.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) represent another convergence point. Though primarily designed for diabetes management, these devices generate data relevant to sleep—blood sugar fluctuations can significantly impact rest quality. Some users already combine CGMs with fitness trackers for comprehensive metabolic monitoring.

The sleep tracker market's trajectory reflects broader societal priorities shifting toward preventive health and quantified self-improvement. At $8.88 billion today and projected to exceed $34 billion by 2035, the opportunity is substantial. For consumers, this means increasingly sophisticated devices at various price points. For manufacturers, the challenge is balancing innovation with accessibility while addressing the very real concerns around accuracy and privacy that come with monitoring something as intimate as sleep.

Apple's AI Pendant: What We Know About Apple's Next Wearable

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:20:00 GMT

Apple is making a significant pivot into AI-powered wearables. Following the relative flop of the Humane AI Pin and the moderate success of AI-integrated smart glasses from competitors like Meta, Apple is reportedly accelerating development on three new AI wearables: smart glasses, an AI pendant, and camera-equipped AirPods. The most intriguing of these is the AI pendant—an AirTag-sized device that could serve as an "eyes and ears" extension of the iPhone.

What Is Apple's AI Pendant?

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's engineers are developing a compact wearable roughly the size of an AirTag that can be pinned to clothing or worn as a necklace. Unlike the Humane AI Pin—which attempted to replace the smartphone—Apple's approach treats the pendant as an iPhone accessory, leveraging the phone's processing power for most AI tasks.

The device would function as an always-on camera with an integrated microphone, designed to channel commands to Siri and provide visual context about the wearer's surroundings. Some Apple employees have reportedly dubbed it the "eyes and ears" of the iPhone.

Form Factor and Design

Apple is exploring two primary ways for users to wear the device:

Clothing clip: A pin-style attachment that secures to shirts, jackets, or bags
Necklace: A dedicated necklace chain or cord with the pendant attached

The device itself would be compact—approximately the size of an AirTag (roughly 1.5 inches in diameter). This represents a deliberate choice by Apple to pursue subtlety over spectacle. Unlike smart glasses, which make a visible statement about the wearer's technology usage, the pendant fades into the background as a fashion accessory.

Technical Specifications

While details remain limited, here's what we know about the AI pendant's potential hardware:

Component	Expected Specification
Size	AirTag-sized (~1.5" diameter)
Camera	Low-resolution, always-on
Microphone	Yes, for Siri input
Processor	Dedicated chip (similar to AirPods/Apple Watch)
Primary Processing	iPhone-dependent
Power	Battery (capacity unknown)
Charging	Wireless (likely MagSafe)

The onboard chip would be comparable to those found in AirPods or the Apple Watch—adequate for basic tasks but not designed for heavy on-device AI processing. This aligns with Apple's strategy of leveraging the iPhone's superior processing capabilities rather than cramming advanced silicon into a small form factor.

How Would It Work?

The AI pendant would function as a passive AI observer, continuously gathering contextual data through its camera and microphone. Here's a breakdown of its intended functionality:

Always-On Camera

The low-resolution camera would constantly monitor the wearer's surroundings, feeding visual data to Siri. This enables features like:

Visual question answering: Look at a restaurant and ask "What are the hours for this place?"
Context-aware reminders: Pass by a store and receive a reminder to pick up groceries
Navigation assistance: Get real-time information about points of interest
Object recognition: Identify products, plants, or other items on demand

Siri Integration

The microphone would allow voice interaction with Siri, acting as a hands-free conduit to Apple's AI assistant. Unlike the display-heavy approach of the Humane AI Pin, Apple's pendant would rely heavily on audio output—either through the iPhone's speaker, connected AirPods, or potentially a built-in speaker (still under consideration by Apple engineers).

Processing Architecture

Unlike standalone AI devices that attempt to handle everything on-device, Apple's approach mirrors the Apple Watch's dependency on the iPhone:

On-device: Basic sensor processing, microphone audio capture
iPhone processing: AI visual analysis, Siri command processing, complex computations
Cloud (potential): Advanced Apple Intelligence features requiring server-side processing

This architecture makes sense given the device's small form factor. By leaning on the iPhone's A-series or M-series chip, Apple can deliver sophisticated AI capabilities without compromising battery life or thermal performance in a tiny package.

Apple's Three-Pronged AI Wearable Strategy

The AI pendant is just one piece of Apple's broader wearable AI strategy. According to multiple reports, Apple is simultaneously developing:

1. AI Smart Glasses

Targeting a 2027 launch, Apple's smart glasses aim to compete directly with Meta Ray-Bans. Unlike current AR glasses, these would be AI-first with a voice-based interface. Key details:

Camera system: High-resolution camera for photos/videos + secondary camera for AI context (similar to LiDAR)
No display: Deliberate choice to prioritize battery life and subtle design
Materials: Premium acrylic elements and high-end finishes
All-day battery: Embedded in the frame

2. AI Pendant

The pendant represents Apple's most experimental AI wearable. Still in early development with potential for cancellation, it targets a niche audience wanting AI assistance without the social signal of glasses.

3. AirPods with Cameras

Perhaps the most surprising addition, camera-equipped AirPods are reportedly further along in development than the pendant. Expected as early as 2026, these would feature low-resolution cameras for environmental awareness while maintaining the core audio functionality users expect.

Market Context and Competition

Apple isn't alone in pursuing AI wearables. The space has seen significant activity:

Humane AI Pin

The most notable failure in this category, the Humane AI Pin cost $699 and required a monthly subscription. Despite high expectations, reviews were scathing—critics cited slow response times, awkward interactions, and the fundamental flaw of attempting to replace rather than complement the smartphone. HP acquired Humane for $116 million in early 2026.

Meta Ray-Bans

Meta's collaboration with Ray-Ban has proven more successful, shipping over a million units. Unlike the AI Pin, Meta's approach maintained the familiar form factor of traditional glasses while adding AI capabilities incrementally.

Samsung and Others

Samsung is also reportedly working on AI wearables, though details remain scarce. The competitive landscape is quickly evolving, with major tech companies betting that AI-powered accessories will be the next big platform shift.

Analysis: Why Apple's Approach Differs

Apple's strategy with the AI pendant reveals several key insights:

1. Complementary, Not Competitive

Unlike the Humane AI Pin, which attempted to replace the smartphone, Apple's pendant explicitly complements the iPhone. This reflects Apple's philosophy of ecosystem integration—each device enhances rather than replaces another.

2. Subtle Over Spectacular

By choosing a pendant form factor, Apple targets users who want AI assistance without the social attention that comes with smart glasses or pins. This aligns with broader fashion-tech trends where discretion is valued.

3. Leveraging Existing Infrastructure

The iPhone dependency isn't a limitation—it's intentional. Apple can deliver advanced AI capabilities by tapping into the processing power users already carry, avoiding the thermal and battery constraints that plagued the Humane AI Pin.

4. Incremental Market Entry

Rather than launching all three devices at once, Apple appears to be testing the waters. AirPods with cameras (most familiar form factor) could launch first, followed by glasses, with the pendant representing the most experimental offering.

What We Don't Know

Several questions remain unanswered:

Pricing: No estimate yet, but likely $99-149 given the AirTag comparison
Launch date: Could launch as early as 2027, but the pendant specifically remains uncertain
Privacy implications: Always-on camera raises significant privacy questions Apple will need to address
Battery life: Critical factor for an always-on device
On-device storage: For caching data between iPhone syncs

Bottom Line

Apple's AI pendant represents a thoughtful approach to AI wearables—leveraging existing infrastructure, maintaining ecosystem integration, and choosing subtlety over spectacle. While the device could still be canceled, it signals Apple's serious commitment to the AI wearable category.

The key differentiator from competitors will be seamless iPhone integration. By treating the pendant as an extension rather than a replacement for the iPhone, Apple avoids the fundamental mistake that doomed the Humane AI Pin.

We'll continue tracking developments as more information becomes available. For now, expect to hear more about Apple's AI wearable lineup at WWDC 2026.

Featured Image Description for AI Generation: A sleek, minimalist metallic pendant in silver or titanium finish, approximately the size of a small coin, with a small camera lens visible on one side. The pendant hangs from a thin, elegant chain against a clean white background. The design is subtle and fashion-forward, suggesting high-end jewelry rather than technology. Apple-esque aesthetic with clean lines and premium materials.

Sources: Bloomberg, TechCrunch, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, CNET, Tom's Guide

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Everything We Know So Far

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Huawei is poised to shake up the budget fitness tracker market with the upcoming Band 11 Pro. Leaked details reveal a significant upgrade over its predecessor, featuring built-in GPS, a brighter AMOLED display, and a premium titanium-aluminum build—all at an expected price point that could undercut competing options from Xiaomi and Fitbit.

Launch Details

Multiple sources confirm the Huawei Band 11 Pro will make its global debut on February 26, 2026 during an "Innovative Product Launch" event in Madrid, Spain. This timing positions Huawei just ahead of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, allowing the company to generate buzz before the world's largest mobile technology exhibition.

European markets, particularly Germany, can expect the tracker to hit shelves in early March 2026, with pricing anticipated between €50 and €70 depending on the casing material and regional variants.

Design: A Premium Evolution

The Band 11 Pro represents a notable design shift from the Band 10. While maintaining the signature rectangular form factor, Huawei has introduced significant refinements:

Display: 1.62-inch AMOLED panel with 482 × 286 pixel resolution
Brightness: Up to 2,000 nits peak brightness (some reports suggest up to 3,000 nits)
Build Materials: Choice of aluminum or titanium-aluminum alloy casing
Weight: Just 14 grams without strap
Water Resistance: IP67 rating with 50-meter (5 ATM) water resistance

The renders appearing in Huawei's Smart Life and Health apps confirm production-ready hardware with final designs. Color options include green (braided fabric strap), blue (silicone strap), and black—expanding beyond earlier leaks that showed only green and blue variants.

A physical button on the side marks a first for the Band series, suggesting improved user interaction beyond the touchscreen-only interface of previous models.

Technical Specifications

Display

Specification	Value
Panel Type	AMOLED
Size	1.62 inches
Resolution	482 × 286 pixels
Peak Brightness	2,000-3,000 nits

The increased display size and resolution represent meaningful improvements over the Band 10's 1.47-inch 194 × 368 panel. The higher pixel density should deliver sharper text and more detailed metrics at a glance.

Battery & Power

Specification	Value
Battery Capacity	300mAh (Pro) / 180mAh (standard)
Battery Life	Up to 14 days (power saving) / ~10 days typical
Charging	Proprietary magnetic charger

The 300mAh battery paired with efficient hardware should deliver competitive endurance. For context, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 typically manages 14-18 days, so Huawei's 10-day typical figure appears conservative—real-world usage could easily exceed expectations depending on settings.

Sensors & Connectivity

Built-in GPS (significant upgrade from connected GPS only)
Optical heart rate sensor (PPG)
SpO2 blood oxygen monitoring
9-axis IMU (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer)
Ambient light sensor
Bluetooth 5.0+

The inclusion of built-in GPS stands out as the most significant specification upgrade. This enables users to track runs, cycles, and outdoor workouts directly from the band without carrying a phone—a feature typically reserved for premium fitness watches.

Health Features

Step tracking
Continuous heart rate monitoring
Blood oxygen (SpO2)
Stress monitoring
Guided breathing exercises
Sleep tracking with HRV analysis
100+ sports modes (estimated)

Market Positioning & Competition

Huawei has strategically timed the Band 11 Pro launch to capture early-2026 fitness enthusiasm. At the €50-70 price point, it directly challenges:

Xiaomi Smart Band 10 - Similar price, no built-in GPS
Fitbit Inspire 4 - More expensive, limited ecosystem
Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 - Limited availability outside Samsung ecosystem
Amazfit Band 7 - Similar price point but older hardware

The "Pro" designation signals Huawei's intent to blur the line between basic bands and full smartwatches. By adding premium materials (titanium-aluminum), built-in GPS, and a physical button, the Band 11 Pro targets users who want advanced features without paying smartwatch prices.

Technical Comparison

Let's look at how the Band 11 Pro stacks up against key competitors on paper:

Feature	Huawei Band 11 Pro	Xiaomi Smart Band 10	Fitbit Inspire 4
Display	1.62" AMOLED	1.74" AMOLED	0.76" OLED
Resolution	482 x 286	336 x 480	100 x 64
GPS	Built-in	Connected only	Connected only
Battery	300mAh	185mAh	130mAh
Water Resistance	5 ATM	5 ATM	5 ATM
Price (est.)	€50-70	~€50	~€80

The comparison reveals Huawei's strategic advantage: built-in GPS at a comparable or lower price than competitors without this feature. The 300mAh battery also significantly exceeds the Xiaomi Band 10's 185mAh cell, which should translate to longer between charges despite the GPS hardware.

Ecosystem Considerations

One factor that often gets overlooked in spec sheets is ecosystem integration. The Band 11 Pro will connect exclusively through Huawei's Health app, which has both strengths and limitations:

Strengths:

Deep integration with Huawei's health metrics
Huawei's sleep analysis algorithms are considered industry-leading
Good sync with Strava and other third-party platforms

Limitations:

No Google Fit sync (relevant for Android users invested in Google's ecosystem)
No Apple Health integration for iOS users
Huawei's app interface can feel clunky compared to Fitbit's polished experience

For users already embedded in the Huawei ecosystem—whether through a Huawei phone, MateBook, or other devices—the Band 11 Pro makes obvious sense. For iPhone users or those relying on Google Fit, there's likely a learning curve.

Original Analysis

The Band 11 Pro addresses several longstanding limitations in the Band series:

Built-in GPS: This is the killer feature. Previous Huawei bands relied on connected GPS, requiring users to carry their phones during outdoor workouts. The addition of standalone GPS fundamentally changes the use case—from "phone companion" to "independent workout tool." Runners and cyclists can now leave their phones at home while still capturing accurate pace, distance, and route data.

Premium Materials: The titanium-aluminum build elevates perceived quality. Budget fitness bands have long suffered from "cheap plastic" associations. Huawei's material choice signals that you don't need to spend $300+ for a premium feel. The 14-gram weight is remarkable given the GPS hardware—typically GPS adds significant bulk.

Brighter Display: The 2,000+ nits peak brightness addresses a common complaint about fitness bands—poor outdoor readability. At this brightness level, the display should remain legible even in direct sunlight. Combined with the larger 1.62-inch screen, users won't need to squint at their wrist during outdoor activities.

Physical Button: A seemingly small addition, but the side button represents Huawei listening to user feedback. Touch-only interfaces on fitness bands can be frustrating during sweaty workouts or cold-weather conditions where touchscreen responsiveness suffers.

Concerns Worth Noting:

Without Google Mobile Services (due to US sanctions), Huawei bands still lack full Google Fit integration. Users invested in Google's ecosystem may face friction when trying to sync data between platforms.
The €50-70 pricing is estimates; actual US pricing could be higher due to regional factors, tariffs, and distribution costs.
Long-term software support remains a question mark, as Huawei's update track record for older bands has been inconsistent.
The lack of NFC payments at this price point isn't unexpected, but competitors like Fitbit offer contactless payments on some models.

What We Don't Know Yet

Several details remain unconfirmed:

Official US availability and pricing
NFC payment support
Exact storage capacity for music
Wireless charging vs. proprietary cable
Huawei Band 11 (non-Pro) exact specifications

Bottom Line

The Huawei Band 11 Pro looks like a compelling option for fitness enthusiasts seeking advanced features at an accessible price point. The combination of built-in GPS, premium materials, and a bright AMOLED display addresses the most common criticisms of budget fitness bands.

We'll need to wait for official pricing and availability details, but if Huawei maintains the €50-70 range, the Band 11 Pro could become the default recommendation for anyone wanting GPS tracking without spending $200+ on a dedicated sports watch.

Stay tuned for our full review once the device launches.

Garmin Venu X1 Review - The Best AMOLED Garmin We've Seen?

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

I've been wearing the Garmin Venu X1 for the past few weeks, and honestly, this watch has surprised me. It's Garmin's thinnest watch ever at just 8mm thick, yet it packs in a massive 2-inch AMOLED display and most of the sports features you'd find on a $1,000 Fenix 8. At $799, it's not cheap, but you're getting a lot of watch.

Design & Display

Let's talk about that display first because it's stunning. This is the biggest screen Garmin has ever put on a watch - bigger even than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The 2-inch AMOLED panel is incredibly bright and crisp, with colors that pop. It's genuinely the best display I've seen on any Garmin watch.

The form factor is what really makes this watch special though. At just 8mm thick and 34g without the band, this is one of the thinnest GPS watches on the market. Compare that to the Venu 3's 12.5mm thickness or the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and you can literally fit two Venu X1s inside the thickness of that Apple watch. It disappears on your wrist in a way that chunkier sports watches simply can't match.

The build quality is solid with a titanium caseback and sapphire crystal glass protecting that beautiful display. The included nylon band is comfortable and has velcro adjustment, though like all fabric bands, it does hold onto moisture after swims or sweaty workouts.

One interesting design choice: this watch only has two buttons. That's fewer than the Venu 3 (three buttons) and way fewer than the five buttons you'll find on Forerunner or Fenix watches. You'll need to use the touchscreen more often, but I found the moisture rejection works well even with sweaty hands.

Features & Software

This is where things get interesting. Despite being a "Venu" watch, the Venu X1 runs software that's closer to a Forerunner 970 or Fenix 8. Here's what's included:

Navigation:

Full offline TopoActive mapping - fully routable, not just a base map
Round-trip routing and course loading
Turn-by-turn directions through the built-in speaker
ClimbPro for hiking

Training:

Training Readiness score
Training Status
Endurance Score and Hill Score
Race planning with predicted finish times
Voice notes (yes, you can record voice memos from your wrist)

Other goodies:

Built-in LED flashlight with white and red modes
Speaker and microphone for Bluetooth phone calls
Garmin Pay NFC
About 100 sport profiles

The watch launched missing some features that the Forerunner 970 had (Running Tolerance, Running Economy), but Garmin added those via firmware updates after launch. That's a good sign that they'll continue supporting this watch - something the Venu series hasn't always been known for.

Battery Life

Here's the honest truth: battery life is the Venu X1's weakness. With always-on display, I'm getting around 3 days. Without AOD but with regular use including GPS activities (40-60 miles per week), you're looking at 3-5 days. Garmin claims 8 days in default mode, but that's pretty optimistic unless you're barely using the watch.

For GPS activities specifically, you get about 16 hours with default settings. You can stretch that to around 24-28 hours if you really maximize battery savings (lowest brightness, GPS-only mode, no AOD), but that's a far cry from the week+ battery life you'd get from a Fenix 8.

If you're coming from other Garmin watches, the battery will feel short. If you're coming from an Apple Watch, it's probably fine.

What It Misses

At $799, there are some notable omissions:

No ECG: The hardware simply isn't there, and Garmin has confirmed it won't be added. That's a miss for a premium watch in 2025.

No dual-band GPS: This is unusual. Most Garmin watches at this price point have multi-band GNSS. The good news? Garmin's single-band GPS is still typically excellent - I wouldn't stress about this unless you're running in dense urban areas or canyons.

5 ATM water rating: That's 50 meters, fine for swimming but less than the Fenix 8's 10 ATM.

The Verdict

The Garmin Venu X1 is a fascinating device. It takes almost everything great about the Fenix 8 lineup - the software, the mapping, the training features - and squeezes it into a dramatically thinner and lighter body with a better display.

Who's it for? If you want the most advanced Garmin sports features but hate chunky watches, this is your watch. The form factor is genuinely revolutionary for a sports watch this capable.

Who should skip it? If battery life is your top priority, get a Fenix 8 or Forerunner 970. And if you need ECG, look elsewhere.

For me, I've genuinely enjoyed wearing this watch. The combination of premium features in such a slim package is compelling. Yes, the battery is a tradeoff, but for everyday wear and reasonable training loads, it's been enough.

Best for: Athletes who want Fenix-level features in a Venue-sized package, or anyone upgrading from older Venu models who wants the best display Garmin makes.

What do you think - is the Venu X1 worth the premium over a Venu 3, or would you rather save up for a Fenix 8? Let me know in the comments!

Suunto Race 2 Review - Finally Fixed the Heart Rate Issue?

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

I've been testing the Suunto Race 2 for the past few weeks, and I can confidently say this is the update that Suunto fans have been waiting for. The original Suunto Race had incredible GPS tracking and mapping capabilities, but the optical heart rate sensor was its Achilles heel. Suunto clearly listened to the feedback, and the Race 2 addresses that and so much more.

Design & Build

The Race 2 keeps the same 49mm case diameter as its predecessor, but it's now thinner (12.5mm vs 13.3mm) and lighter. The stainless steel version comes in at 76g, while the titanium model is just 65g - that's a significant reduction from the original's 83g. I really appreciate the thinner profile because it sits better on the wrist during activities and slides under sleeve cuffs much easier.

The display has grown from 1.43 inches to 1.5 inches, but the resolution stays at 466x466 pixels. What changed is the brightness - now hitting 2,000 nits at peak, compared to just 600 nits before. In direct sunlight, this thing is incredibly easy to read. The sapphire crystal glass remains standard, which is great for scratch resistance.

One design change I'm mixed on: the original Race had these beautiful ridged bezels that gave it an elegant, industrial look. The Race 2 is much more minimalistic, looking almost identical to the smaller Race S. It's still a good-looking watch, but I do miss that distinctive bezel design from the original.

The new magnetic charging cable is a welcome improvement. The old charger was finicky and would sometimes not make proper contact. This new one snaps in securely and charges reliably.

Heart Rate Sensor - The Big Fix

This is the story of the Race 2. Suunto completely redesigned the optical heart rate sensor, moving from a single LED cluster to six LEDs with four large light receivers. The difference is night and day.

In my testing, the Race 2 stayed much closer to my chest strap than the original Race ever did. For running, it tracked within a few beats per minute throughout most workouts. There were occasionally some initial calibration issues in the first minute or two, but after that, it locked on and performed well. This is a massive improvement over the original Race, which often drifted significantly during high-intensity efforts.

For cycling, the results were even better - nearly perfect in most of my indoor and outdoor rides. Even during weight training and HIIT sessions, where optical sensors typically struggle, the Race 2 performed admirably. It's not quite as good as a chest strap, but it's gotten much closer.

GPS Accuracy

Suunto has always excelled at GPS tracking, and the Race 2 continues that tradition. It uses dual-band GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS) and the results were excellent in my testing. On trail runs, the track followed my actual path closely, with sharp corners and clean transitions.

In New York City, one of the hardest environments for GPS, the Race 2 performed well overall, though I did notice slightly more deviation compared to some competitors in the tightest urban canyons. For most users in typical conditions, GPS accuracy won't be a concern - it's rock solid.

The battery life claims are impressive: up to 55 hours in dual-band GPS mode, 65 hours in single-band, and up to 200 hours in power-save mode. As a smartwatch, you're looking at around 12-18 days depending on usage. With always-on display and regular training, I got about 10 days, which is solid for an AMOLED watch.

Software & Features

The Race 2 runs Suunto's familiar interface with a touchscreen and three buttons (including a digital crown). The new processor - twice as fast according to Suunto - makes a noticeable difference. The UI feels snappy, maps scroll smoothly, and there's none of the lag that sometimes plagued the original Race.

The watch supports over 115 sports modes, including 22 new ones. You get offline topo maps with 32GB of storage, breadcrumb navigation, route guidance, and climb profiling. The maps show roads and trails but lack street labels and points of interest - that's something competitors like Garmin do better.

One area where Suunto falls short is smartwatch features. There's no NFC for contactless payments, no offline music storage, and no speaker for voice feedback (though it can connect to Bluetooth headphones for audio cues). The palm-to-sleep gesture that works on Garmin watches isn't here either - if you cover the display in a dark room, it stays illuminated. These feel like missed opportunities at this price point.

Training features include body resources (similar to Garmin's Body Battery), recovery time, training load, and the Suunto Coach pacing guidance. The new multi-sensor pairing is finally here - you can now pair multiple sensors of the same type, like two different heart rate monitors for different activities.

Battery Life

Here's the breakdown for GPS battery life:

Performance mode (dual-band): Up to 55 hours
Endurance mode: Up to 65 hours
Ultra mode: Up to 90 hours
Tour mode: Up to 200 hours

In daily smartwatch use with always-on display and regular training, I averaged about 10 days between charges. Without AOD, you could push closer to 18 days. For a bright AMOLED watch with these specs, that's competitive.

The Verdict

The Suunto Race 2 is the upgrade that the original Race needed. The heart rate sensor is vastly improved, the display is brighter and larger, the body is thinner and lighter, and the interface is snappier. If you owned the original Race and were holding back because of heart rate concerns, this is your reason to upgrade.

Who's it for? Serious athletes who want excellent GPS tracking, long battery life, and accurate heart rate monitoring without the bulk of a Fenix. The Race 2 is a proper sports watch that prioritizes performance over smartwatch features.

Who should skip it? If you need NFC payments, offline music, or the most advanced training metrics, look at Garmin or Coros. And if the $499 price feels steep, the Race S at $349 still offers 90% of the features in a smaller package - just with less accurate heart rate tracking.

For me, the Race 2 hits the sweet spot. It's not perfect - I'd love to see better smartwatch integration and that bezel design back - but when it comes to core sports tracking, Suunto has delivered.

Best for: Trail runners, cyclists, and multisport athletes who want exceptional GPS accuracy, great battery life, and finally, trustworthy heart rate data.

What do you think - is the Race 2 the upgrade Suunto needed, or is the price getting too close to Garmin territory? Let me know in the comments!

Suunto Run Review - The Best Budget Running Watch?

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

I've been testing the Suunto Run for the past few weeks, and I have to say, I'm genuinely impressed with what Suunto managed to pack into a $249 watch. This isn't just a stripped-down version of their higher-end watches either—it's a genuinely capable running watch that happens to be incredibly lightweight and affordable.

Design & Build Quality

The Suunto Run comes in four colors—lime, frost gray, all-black, and coral orange—and I tested the lime version. The 46mm case is primarily plastic with a stainless steel bezel, and it weighs just 35-36g with the included nylon strap. That's remarkably light—you honestly barely notice it's on your wrist.

The 1.32-inch AMOLED display is bright and vibrant with excellent color reproduction. However, I will say that the 600-nit peak brightness is lower than some competitors. In direct sunlight, I found myself angling my wrist or squinting a bit to read the data. It's usable, but not class-leading.

The nylon strap that comes in the box is actually really nice. It's breathable, has a secure Velcro closure, and dries quickly after swimming. The watch is QuickFit-compatible, so you can swap in a silicone band if you prefer—and Suunto says they'll offer silicone options later in 2025.

One design change I could do without: the new 4-pin magnetic charger. DC Rainmaker called it "absolutely horrific" in his review, and while that's a bit harsh, I get it. The magnets are weak, and you have to align it just right or it won't charge. It's definitely the weakest part of the hardware.

GPS Accuracy

This is where the Suunto Run really shines. Despite being a budget watch, it includes dual-band GNSS—GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS all on two frequencies. That's remarkable at this price point.

In my testing across trail runs, road runs, and cycling sessions, the GPS tracking was consistently excellent. The watch tracked my path accurately, handled sharp corners without cutting them, and even performed well in challenging environments like tree-covered trails. Even during high-speed cycling descents with rapid direction changes, the GPS stayed rock solid.

The new track run mode is a nice addition too. You tell it which lane you're in, and it calibrates to give you precise distance tracking around the oval. It's not quite as perfect as Apple's track database approach, but it's incredibly close—good enough for serious track workouts.

Heart Rate Sensor

The optical heart rate sensor has been slightly updated from the Race S with a new optical lens designed to apply more even pressure on your skin. The results? Pretty good, but not perfect.

For steady-state activities like easy runs and outdoor cycling, the Suunto Run tracks within a few beats per minute of my chest strap. During interval workouts and high-intensity efforts, it occasionally drifts—which is pretty standard for optical sensors. The sensor struggles most with weight training and CrossFit-style movements due to arm flexing and wrist position changes.

The bottom line: it's better than the original Suunto Race and slightly improved over the Race S. It's "mostly acceptable" as DC Rainmaker put it, but if you're doing serious interval training, you'll want a chest strap.

Battery Life

Here's the breakdown:

Smartwatch mode: Up to 12 days (without always-on display)
With always-on display: Up to 5 days
GPS Performance mode (dual-band): Up to 20 hours
GPS Endurance mode: Up to 30 hours
GPS Power-save mode: Up to 40 hours

In real-world use with sleep tracking, HRV monitoring, and about an hour of outdoor activity daily, I got roughly 4-5 days between charges. That's decent for an AMOLED watch, though Coros watches still edge it out on battery.

Software & Features

The Suunto Run runs on a completely different platform than the Race series—which means no Suunto Plus app store support. That's a bummer if you're used to custom apps, but Suunto has pulled many popular features into native functionality.

The watch has 34 sport modes, including track running, trail running, marathon prediction, triathlon, pool swimming, and even weight training. There's structured workout support, but you can't sync TrainingPeaks workouts to the watch—only export completed workouts.

What's included:

Dual-band GPS with excellent accuracy
Offline music storage (4GB, MP3 only—no Spotify)
Voice feedback to headphones without the app
Breadcrumb navigation (no offline maps)
Recovery metrics and training load tracking
Metronome (both audible and vibration)
Hydration and nutrition reminders
Barometric altimeter and compass

What's missing:

Offline topographic maps
Suunto Plus app store
NFC payments
Advanced cycling sensor support (no power meters)
Structured workout sync from third-party apps

The breadcrumb navigation works well enough—you can import routes from Strava and follow the trail. But if you need full offline maps, you'll need to spend more on the Suunto Race S.

The Verdict

The Suunto Run is an exceptional value for runners who want dual-band GPS, a bright AMOLED display, and offline music without spending $500+. At $249, it's competitively priced against the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Coros Pace 3, while offering features those watches don't.

Who's it for? Runners who want premium GPS accuracy, lightweight comfort, and music playback without breaking the bank. If you're coming from an older Garmin or Coros, this is a compelling upgrade.

Who should skip it? Cyclists who need power meter compatibility, runners who need offline maps, or those who rely on third-party workout apps. And if you need the absolute best optical heart rate sensor, you might want to look elsewhere—or budget for a chest strap.

For me, the Suunto Run hits a sweet spot I didn't expect to like as much as I do. It's not perfect—the charger is annoying, the display could be brighter, and heart rate accuracy has room for improvement—but at $249, it's hard to complain.

Best for: Budget-conscious runners who want flagship-level GPS accuracy without the flagship price.

What do you think—could you switch to the Suunto Run, or do you need more features? Let me know in the comments!

OnePlus Watch 3 Review: The Wear OS Battery Champion?

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 17:00:00 GMT

I've been wearing the OnePlus Watch 3 for the past couple of months, and I have to say — this thing is a battery beast. Five days on a single charge with an AMOLED display? That's basically unheard of in the Wear OS world. Let me break down everything you need to know.

The Big Story: Battery Life That Actually Delivers

Here's the deal: the OnePlus Watch 3 runs not one but two operating systems simultaneously. There's Wear OS 5 for the full smartwatch experience, and then a low-power RTOS running in the background for basic functions. When you're not actively using apps, it switches to RTOS and sips power instead of guzzling it.

The result? Up to 5 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, and up to 16 days in power saver mode. I've been testing it with daily workouts and always-on display, and I'm getting about 4.5 days — which is still incredible for a Wear OS watch.

"The OnePlus Watch 3 is one of the best looking smartwatches I own." — Rob ter Horst, Quantified Scientist

This isn't some theoretical battery life either. This is real-world usage. Notifications, always-on display, GPS workouts, sleep tracking — everything enabled. And it still lasts a full work week. Compare that to the Pixel Watch 3 (maybe 1.5 days) or Galaxy Watch 7 (similar), and you start to understand why this is such a big deal.

Design: Big, Beautiful, and Premium

Let's not beat around the bush — this is a big watch. At 46.6mm, it's not for small wrists. But what you get for that size is gorgeous.

The 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display boasts 466x466 resolution and up to 2,200 nits of peak brightness. That's as bright as the Apple Watch Ultra 2. I had zero issues seeing this watch in direct sunlight — it's genuinely impressive.

The titanium bezel and stainless steel case give it a premium feel that rivals watches costing twice as much. After 100 days of use, Matt LeGrand noted in his long-term review that he couldn't find visible scratches even under macro lens inspection. That's thanks to the sapphire crystal glass.

The new rotating digital crown makes navigation so much easier than touchscreen alone — especially during workouts when your fingers are sweaty. You can scroll through notifications, access quick settings, and navigate menus without smearing the display.

The Dual-Engine Architecture

This is the secret sauce. Most Wear OS watches run a single OS and drain battery quickly. OnePlus figured out that you don't need full Wear OS running when you're just checking time or tracking steps.

The dual-architecture works like this:

Wear OS 5 handles apps, Google services, and full functionality
RTOS (real-time operating system) handles basic functions when the screen is off

When you raise your wrist, it seamlessly switches to Wear OS. When you lower it, it goes back to RTOS. You barely notice the transition, but your battery definitely notices the savings.

Health Features: Finally Getting Serious

OnePlus added meaningful health upgrades this generation:

Wrist temperature sensor — tracks skin temp overnight
Improved heart rate sensor — Gen 5 optical HR
ECG functionality — available in some regions (FDA pending in US)
60-second health check-in — measures heart rate, SpO2, mental wellness, wrist temperature, sleep quality, and vascular age

The vascular age feature is fascinating — it compares your cardiovascular health to your actual age. In my testing, it was consistently generous (I'm apparently years younger than my birth certificate says). Whether that's accurate or optimistic is debatable, but it's a unique data point.

The 60-second health check-in is quick and convenient. It gives you a snapshot of your current health status without needing a full workout session. Great for morning check-ins or before/after flights.

GPS and Workout Tracking

The dual-frequency GPS (L1 + L5) is accurate for running and cycling. I took it on several runs comparing it side-by-side with my Garmin, and the routes matched up closely — within a few meters typically.

There's support for 100+ sports modes, but only 11 offer "professional modes" with detailed metrics. For casual fitness enthusiasts, that's plenty. Triathletes will want to look elsewhere — the swim tracking had issues with stroke detection in my testing.

The workout app is clean and easy to use. Starting a run is one button press, and the display shows all the metrics you'd want: pace, distance, heart rate, splits, and more.

Software: ColorOS Meets Wear OS

This is where things get complicated. The OnePlus Watch 3 runs both ColorOS (for OnePlus-specific features) AND Wear OS 5. The result is... mixed.

On the positive side:

Smooth performance thanks to the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip
Quick pairing with Android phones
Nice companion app with detailed stats

On the negative side:

Some redundancy between ColorOS and Wear OS features
Not all OnePlus features work with iPhones
The software experience isn't as polished as Pixel or Galaxy

For Android users, this is probably fine. For iPhone users, I'd think twice — you might lose some functionality.

The Not-So-Great

No watch is perfect, and the OnePlus Watch 3 has some drawbacks:

It's huge — definitely try it on in person before buying
Sleep tracking interpretation can be questionable (one night it said I had low deep sleep when I actually slept 8+ hours)
Swim tracking has issues with stroke detection
No LTE option yet
ECG still not FDA cleared in the US despite having the hardware

The size is the big one. This is a chunky watch. If you have smaller wrists or prefer something more subtle, look elsewhere. The 43mm version helps somewhat but still isn't small.

Battery Charging

The magnetic charging puck is convenient. Zero to 100% takes about 90 minutes. You get a few hours of use from a 15-minute charge, which is handy for travelers.

OnePlus claims the watch can last up to 16 days in Power Saver Mode, which disables most smart features. That's essentially become my travel mode — when I'm going off the grid, I switch to Power Saver and don't worry about charging for two weeks.

The Verdict

The OnePlus Watch 3 isn't perfect, but it's easily one of the best Wear OS watches you can buy right now — especially if battery life is your top priority.

Best for: Android users who want the best battery life without sacrificing smartwatch features. If you're tired of charging your watch every day or two, this is the answer.

Look elsewhere if: You have small wrists, need LTE, want the absolute best fitness tracking accuracy (Pixel Watch 3 beats it there), or are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem.

At $329 for the 47mm version, you're getting premium build quality, excellent display, and battery life that competitors can't match. It's not cheap, but it's priced competitively against the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 7.

What do you think — is 5 days of battery worth the chunky size? Drop your thoughts below!

COROS NOMAD Review: The Outdoor Adventure Watch You've Been Waiting For?

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

I've been eyeing the COROS NOMAD since it launched, and after spending some quality time with it, I can confidently say this is one of the most interesting adventure watches COROS has ever made. At $349, it's positioned to take on the Garmin Instinct series — and in many ways, it actually beats Garmin at its own game.

First Impressions: It's a Looker

The NOMAD sports a rugged, outdoor-ready design that immediately reminds you of the Garmin Instinct. But that's not a bad thing — in fact, COROS has added their own spin with a metal reinforcement ring around the plastic bezel. It feels solid, purposeful, and ready for whatever you can throw at it.

The 1.3" MIP touchscreen display is brighter and more contrasty than previous COROS MIP watches. Is it as vibrant as AMOLED? No — but that's kind of the point. MIP displays excel in direct sunlight, and the NOMAD delivers there.

What's New: More Than Just a Pretty Face

COROS packed a ton of features into this watch:

Full offline color maps (32GB storage) — something the Garmin Instinct can't match
Dual microphone with voice notes — first COROS watch with a mic
Action button — customizable extra button on the left side
8 fishing modes — for the anglers out there
Offline maps with street names and POIs

The battery life is impressive: 22 days of regular use, 50 hours with all GPS systems, and 34 hours in dual-frequency GPS mode.

The Voice Notes Feature

I'll be honest — I was skeptical about the voice notes feature. But COROS implemented it better than I expected. You can record geo-tagged voice memos during activities or while navigating. The watch even transcribes your notes automatically, which is a nice touch.

That said, there's no speaker to playback notes on the watch itself — you need your phone for that. And you can only create voice notes when you have GPS signal, which limits its usefulness in some scenarios.

Navigation and Maps

The NOMAD follows COROS's existing mapping playbook but adds street names, POIs, and trail/road separation. These are being rolled out to other COROS watches, but the NOMAD gets them out of the box.

You can download maps directly through the COROS app, and the process is straightforward. The watch supports turn-by-turn navigation, breadcrumb trails, and route following — everything most adventure seekers need.

Sports and Fitness

With over 80 sport profiles, the NOMAD covers pretty much everything:

Running (road, trail, track)
Cycling (road, MTB, gravel)
Swimming (pool and open water)
Climbing (outdoor and indoor)
Fishing (8 different modes!)
And much more

The optical heart rate sensor is the same as other recent COROS watches — mostly accurate for casual use, but if you're doing high-intensity workouts, I'd recommend a chest strap.

Battery Life: The Real MVP

This is where the NOMAD shines. In testing, I got a full day of hiking with GPS always on, and the battery only dropped 10%. That's incredible. Most users will easily get 2-3 weeks of daily use between charges.

Daily Use

As an everyday watch, the NOMAD is comfortable and practical. The widgets show your activity, sleep, HRV, and recovery data. Sleep tracking has been accurate in my experience, and HRV values have aligned with my Oura and Whoop data.

The Competition

At $349, the NOMAD undercuts the Garmin Instinct 3 ($399-$499) while offering color maps, voice notes, and music playback that Garmin doesn't. However, the Instinct has an LED flashlight, solar charging options, and the massive Connect IQ app ecosystem.

Should You Buy It?

The COROS NOMAD is a fantastic adventure watch. It nails the basics — GPS accuracy, battery life, mapping — while adding features like voice notes that actually work. The MIP display won't be for everyone, but if you prioritize battery and readability in direct sunlight over vibrant colors, this is a winner.

Best for: Hikers, trail runners, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts who want robust navigation features without breaking the bank.

Consider the Garmin Instinct 3 instead if: You need AMOLED, want solar charging, or rely heavily on Connect IQ apps.

Consider the COROS Pace Pro if: You want AMOLED and are okay with a smaller watch.

Final Thoughts

COROS has delivered something special here. The NOMAD proves you don't need to spend $500+ for a capable adventure watch. It's not perfect — the lack of a speaker and limited voice note use cases are minor drawbacks — but the overall package is compelling.

The MIP vs AMOLED debate is personal, but for outdoor use, I think MIP makes more sense most of the time. Your battery will thank you.

What do you think — is the COROS NOMAD the adventure watch you've been waiting for, or would you stick with the Garmin Instinct? Let me know in the comments below!

Garmin Forerunner 570 Review: The Mid-Range Champion?

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

I've been running with the Garmin Forerunner 570 for the past few weeks, and I can see why it's generating so much buzz in the running community. This is Garmin's new mid-range flagship, replacing the popular Forerunner 265, and it's packed with features that blur the line between "mid-range" and "flagship."

What's New

The Forerunner 570 isn't just a minor refresh — it's a significant upgrade in many ways. Here's what you get that's new:

Bright AMOLED display — One of the brightest screens Garmin makes
Gen5 optical heart rate sensor — Same sensor found in the Fenix 8 series
Speaker and microphone — Take calls directly from your wrist
Skin temperature tracking — Overnight temperature readings
New running features — AutoLap by timing gates, training load ratio, race time predictor

The 570 comes in two sizes: 42mm and 47mm. I tested the 47mm version, and at 47g, it's surprisingly light on the wrist.

The Price Problem

There's no way around it — $549 is a lot for a mid-range running watch. That's $100 more than the Forerunner 265 launched for, and it's getting close to the Forerunner 965 ($599). As DC Rainmaker pointed out in his hands-on review, Garmin seems to have combined the Venu 3's smartwatch features with the 265's running features... and their prices too.

That said, you are getting a lot for that money. The AMOLED screen is gorgeous, the Gen5 heart rate sensor is a genuine improvement, and having a speaker for calls is surprisingly useful.

Performance

In my testing, the GPS accuracy has been excellent — exactly what I'd expect from Garmin. The new Gen5 heart rate sensor performs better in tough conditions like cold weather intervals and downhill running, though optical heart rate still has its limitations during high-intensity efforts.

Battery life is solid:

Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days (47mm)
GPS only: Up to 18 hours
With music: Up to 9 hours

The Verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 570 is an excellent running watch that's held back by its price. If you're coming from a Forerunner 255 or 265, you'll love the upgrade. If you're looking for the best value, the COROS Pace 4 at $249 is hard to beat. But if you want that Garmin ecosystem and the brightest screen in its class, the 570 delivers.

Best for: Runners who want flagship features without flagship prices

Skip it if: You already have a Forerunner 965 or want the absolute best value

What do you think — is the Forerunner 570 worth the premium, or should Garmin have kept the price lower? Let me know in the comments below!

Apple Watch Series 11 Review: The Best Apple Watch for Most People?

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:51:00 GMT

I've been testing the Apple Watch Series 11 for the past few weeks, and it's Apple's most refined smartwatch yet. With new health features and improved durability, let's dive in.

What's New

The Series 11 brings several meaningful upgrades:

Hypertension notifications — First for Apple Watch
Sleep apnea alerts — Another health first
2x scratch-resistant display — Apple claims it's twice as tough
Thinnest design ever — Despite the durability improvements
S10 chip — Slightly improved performance
Workout Buddy — Apple Intelligence-powered coaching

Health Features

The big story here is health. Apple added two significant features:

Hypertension notifications — The Series 11 can alert you if it detects elevated blood pressure patterns
Sleep apnea detection — Uses accelerometer data to notice breathing disturbances during sleep

These are meaningful additions that put Apple ahead of competitors in consumer health tracking.

Battery Life

Battery life remains solid:

24 hours of normal use
36 hours in Low Power Mode
Fast charging support

For most people, this means charging every night — standard for Apple Watch.

The Verdict

The Apple Watch Series 11 is the best Apple Watch for most people. It has nearly all the features of the Ultra 3 at a much lower price ($399 vs $799).

Best for: Anyone on Series 9 or older who wants the latest health features.

Consider waiting if: You have a Series 10 — the upgrades are incremental.

What do you think — is the Series 11 worth the upgrade? Drop your thoughts below.

Apple Watch SE 3 Review: Apple's Best Value Watch?

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:02:00 GMT

I've been wearing the Apple Watch SE 3 for the past few weeks, and honestly, Apple's budget watch has me reconsidering everything I thought I knew about the SE line.

The Big News: Same Brains as the Expensive Watches

Here's the wild part: the Apple Watch SE 3 has the exact same S10 chip, 4-core neural engine, and 64GB of storage as the Apple Watch Series 11 ($349) and Ultra 3 ($799). That's the same internals in a $249 package.

Apple also gave the SE 3 the new 5G modem that was announced with the Series 11 and Ultra 3. That's a first for the SE line.

Always-On Display: Finally!

The biggest addition to the SE 3 is the always-on display. Previous SE models skipped this, but now you can check the time without raising your wrist. It's a small change that makes a huge difference in everyday use.

Battery Life

The SE 3 gets 18 hours of battery life, which is standard for Apple Watch. However, it now supports fast charging — you can get 8 hours of use from just a 15-minute charge. That's a nice upgrade from the SE 2.

Health Features

The SE 3 includes:

Wrist temperature sensor
Sleep apnea notifications
Fall Detection
Crash Detection
On-device Siri

Notably missing: ECG app and Blood Oxygen app (those are Series 11/Ultra exclusive).

The Verdict

The Apple Watch SE 3 is an incredible value. With the same processor as watches costing 2-3x more, plus the always-on display, this is the Apple Watch I'd recommend to most people.

Best for: Anyone wanting an Apple Watch without spending $349+

Consider Series 11 if: You want ECG, Blood Oxygen, or the brighter display

What do you think — is the SE 3 the best Apple Watch value, or is it worth upgrading to the Series 11? Drop your thoughts below.

COROS APEX 4 Review: A True Ultra-Endurance Watch?

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:45:00 GMT

I've been testing the COROS APEX 4 for the past few weeks, and it's a solid evolution of COROS's ultra-endurance line. Building on the Apex 2, this model adds a speaker and microphone — a first for COROS — while keeping that signature massive battery life. Let's dive in.

Design and Build

The APEX 4 looks similar to its predecessor, but there are some notable changes. The most obvious addition is the speaker and microphone on the side — the first time COROS has included these on any watch. This lets you receive calls directly on the watch and hear audio alerts.

The build is premium: titanium bezel, grade 5 titanium buttons, and sapphire glass over the display. It's available in two sizes — 42mm and 46mm — and comes in black or white.

One thing to note: the APEX 4 uses a MIP display, not AMOLED. This is actually a feature for some users who prefer the always-on readability of MIP, but it's a departure from the Pace 4's vibrant AMOLED.

Battery Life

Battery life is where the APEX 4 really shines:

Daily use: Up to 22 days
Full GPS: 65 hours
Power-saving: Even longer

This is one of the longest-lasting GPS watches you can buy. For ultra-endurance athletes doing multi-day events, this is a huge selling point.

New Features

The speaker and microphone open up new possibilities:

Receive phone calls directly on the watch
Audio alerts during activities
Voice notes (like on the Pace 4)

The APEX 4 also has offline global maps — a step up from the breadcrumb navigation on the Pace 4.

The Verdict

The COROS APEX 4 is a fantastic ultra-endurance watch. The 65-hour GPS battery is unbeaten, and the addition of speaker/mic is a nice touch.

At $429/$479, it faces tough competition from the Garmin Fenix E, Suunto Race 2, and even COROS' own Nomad ($349 with similar features).

Best for: Ultra-endurance athletes, multi-day hikers, anyone who prioritizes battery life above all else.

Consider the Nomad instead if: You want similar features for $130 less.

What do you think — is the APEX 4 worth the upgrade? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

COROS Pace 4 Review: The Best Budget Running Watch?

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:00:00 GMT

I've been testing the COROS Pace 4 for the past few weeks, and it's clear this is an evolution, not a revolution. Building on the popular Pace 3, COROS added an AMOLED display, built-in microphone, and better battery life — all while keeping the price at just $249. Let's dive in.

Design and Build

The Pace 4 looks a lot like its predecessor, but there are some notable changes. The most obvious is the new 1.2" AMOLED touchscreen display — a big upgrade from the MIP screen on the Pace 3. It's bright, vibrant, and easy to read in any lighting condition.

One of the standout features is the weight. At just 32 grams with the nylon band, this thing disappears on your wrist. I honestly forgot I was wearing it sometimes. The 43.4mm case is the same size as the Pace 3, but the overall feel is more premium.

COROS also added a third button — the "action button" on the left side. This lets you quickly toggle between map view and data pages during activities. It's such a simple addition, but it makes a huge difference when you're on a run and don't want to fumble through menus.

Battery Life

Battery life has always been a COROS strength, and the Pace 4 delivers:

Daily use: Up to 12 days
Full GPS: 20 hours
Power-saving GPS: 40 hours

For most runners, this means charging once every two weeks — maybe less. The new magnetic charging cable is much easier to use than older COROS chargers.

Heart Rate Sensor

The Pace 4 uses the same optical heart rate sensor as the Apex 4 and Nomad. In my testing, the results were mixed. Some runs were accurate; others showed the familiar cadence lock issues that have plagued COROS watches. If you're doing high-intensity interval training, I'd recommend a chest strap for best results.

Software and Features

One of the best things about COROS is that nearly all the software features from the higher-end watches are available here. You get:

Breadcrumb navigation
Voice notes
Training plans
Recovery tracking
200+ sport modes

The built-in microphone lets you record voice notes during workouts — handy for jotting down how you felt without stopping.

The Verdict

The COROS Pace 4 is an excellent budget running watch. It's lightweight, has great battery life, and delivers most of the features you'd find in watches twice the price.

The $249 price point makes it one of the best values in GPS running watches today.

Best for: Runners who want a lightweight, capable GPS watch without spending $500+.

Consider the Pace Pro instead if: You want offline maps and don't mind spending the extra $50.

What do you think — is the Pace 4 worth the upgrade from the Pace 3? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

Suunto Vertical 2 Review: The New AMOLED Battery King?

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The Suunto Vertical 2 represents a major evolution in Suunto's adventure watch lineup. Released in October 2025, this flagship adventure watch brings a stunning 1.5" AMOLED display, built-in LED flashlight, and the best battery life we've seen on an AMOLED adventure watch. Starting at $599 for the stainless steel version ($699 for titanium), it competes directly with the Garmin Fenix 8 series, Coros Apex 4, and Polar Vantage V3.

But how does it really perform? We gathered reviews from five of the most respected voices in the GPS watch community to give you the complete picture.

Design and Display

The Vertical 2 features a 1.5" LTPO AMOLED touchscreen display that's incredibly bright — up to 2,000 nits according to multiple experts. This is a massive upgrade from the original Vertical's MIP display.

"This display is fantastic in just about any lighting condition. You could be in direct sunlight at off angles and the worst case scenario with the sun shining down over your shoulder and you can still read what's going on." — Dave Dillon, Chase The Summit

The watch is slightly larger than the Race 2 at 49mm case size and 13.3mm thick, weighing in at 86g (steel) or 74g (titanium). Unlike the Race 2's rotating crown, the Vertical 2 uses three large physical buttons — a design choice Suunto made for reliability with gloves or wet conditions.

Battery Life: The Real Story

This is where the Vertical 2 truly shines. Despite the power-hungry AMOLED display, Suunto has managed to deliver exceptional battery performance:

Daily smartwatch use: Up to 20 days
GPS performance mode: Up to 60 hours (dual-band GPS, always-on display)
Endurance mode: Up to 75 hours

"The best AMOLED battery life in the market. Period." — Ray Maker, DCRainmaker

DCRainmaker put this to the test during a 70km, 15-hour hike and estimates he got about 50 hours of GPS tracking — calling it "super impressive."

However, there's one trade-off: unlike the original Vertical, there's no solar charging option on the Vertical 2.

Heart Rate Accuracy

The heart rate sensor has been updated to match the Race 2, but the results are mixed:

Indoor cycling: Excellent (correlation of 1.00 per Quantified Scientist)
Running: Mixed (two out of three runs good, one had issues)
Outdoor cycling: Mediocre on some testers

"The heart rate tracking results are somewhat mixed. I would say for indoor cycling, at least for that one session did really well on me. For running, two out of three were pretty good, but one wasn't great. And for outdoor cycling, it just didn't do well on me." — Rob ter Horst, Quantified Scientist

Multiple experts recommend pairing a chest strap for the most reliable heart rate tracking during high-intensity activities.

GPS Accuracy

This is one area where the Vertical 2 excels consistently:

"GPS accuracy is quite good. Comparing it side by side with my Fenix 8 and other test devices, things are looking really good in that department." — Dave Dillon, Chase The Summit

The watch uses dual-frequency (multi-band) GPS for maximum accuracy.

LED Flashlight: A Game-Changer?

The built-in LED flashlight is unique to the Vertical 2 (the Race 2 doesn't have it). It's useful for everyday tasks like finding keys in the dark or navigating a dark hotel room.

"The flashlight is simply awesome." — Des Yap, DesFit

However, some experts note the implementation is a bit clunky:

"To turn the flashlight off, I push the middle button. The light turns off, but I don't go back to my watch face. I'm stuck in this menu state. I wish I could just long press that top button to make the flashlight turn on mid-activity." — Dave Dillon, Chase The Summit

The flashlight casts a wide, diffused beam — not as bright as the Garmin Fenix 8, but useful nonetheless.

Sleep Tracking

If sleep tracking is your priority, the Vertical 2 won't impress:

"Sleep stage tracking just isn't the strong point of the Suunto brand... it's mediocre, in line with competitors like Garmin and Polar." — Rob ter Horst, Quantified Scientist

Deep sleep accuracy was around 50% in testing — not terrible, but not great either.

What Experts Are Saying

The Positives

Best-in-class AMOLED battery life
Bright, beautiful AMOLED display
Excellent GPS accuracy
Useful LED flashlight
Premium build quality
Free offline maps

The Negatives

Heart rate sensor can be inconsistent
Sleep tracking is mediocre
No rotating crown (buttons only)
Flashlight UI needs refinement
No solar charging option
Pricey ($599-699)

The Verdict

After synthesizing reviews from five experts, here's the consensus: the Suunto Vertical 2 is an excellent adventure watch that's particularly well-suited for ultra-endurance athletes and outdoor adventurers who prioritize battery life and GPS accuracy.

"I was initially disappointed when I heard about the Vertical 2, but after wearing it for a month I was proven wrong — I'm now pretty impressed and believe it could be the new benchmark for AMOLED watches in terms of battery life." — Matt LeGrand

Best for: Outdoor adventurers, hikers, trail runners, and anyone who wants the best battery life on an AMOLED adventure watch.

Consider alternatives if: Heart rate accuracy is critical for your training, you prefer a rotating crown for navigation, or you want the best sleep tracking (Garmin or Apple Watch may be better).

Polar Grit X2 Launches Globally—But Not in the U.S. Due to Tariffs

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:32:03 GMT

Polar has just unveiled the Polar Grit X2, a rugged multisport GPS watch positioned as a more compact and affordable alternative to its flagship Grit X2 Pro. The Grit X2 officially launched on June 4, 2025 across Europe and other international markets – notably everywhere except the United States. While fitness enthusiasts in the U.K., EU, and many regions can buy the Grit X2 starting today, American customers have been left waiting. Polar has a U.S. release planned later in the year, but no firm date or price has been confirmed. The company hasn’t given an official reason for excluding the U.S. at launch, but many observers point to ongoing tariffs and trade-war tensions as the likely culprit.

Polar Grit X2 at a Glance: Compact Adventure Watch

The Polar Grit X2 is a premium outdoor sports watch designed for athletes and adventurers who found the Pro model too bulky or pricey. It packs essentially the same capabilities as the high-end Grit X2 Pro, but in a smaller form factor and at a significantly lower price point. Polar describes the Grit X2 as “a compact, robust outdoor watch crafted for big adventures and everyday performance,” equipped with advanced training tools, a sapphire glass AMOLED display, and precision navigation with full-color maps.

Key Features and Specs:

Display & Build: 1.28-inch AMOLED touchscreen (416×416) with sapphire crystal. Stainless steel bezel. MIL-STD-810H certified. 62g weight.
Sensors: Elixir™ biosensors: optical HR, ECG, SpO₂, skin temperature.
GPS & Navigation: Dual-band GPS, offline full-color topo maps, 32GB storage, turn-by-turn routing, hill and elevation tools.
Training & Software: Polar Flow OS, 130+ sport profiles, sleep/recovery tracking, running power, FitSpark™, Nightly Recharge™, FuelWise™, Training Load Pro™.
Battery Life: Up to 90 hrs (GPS Eco), 30 hrs (high-precision GPS), 7 days smartwatch mode. User-replaceable battery option (~€40).

Overall, the Grit X2 delivers nearly identical functionality to the Grit X2 Pro, with minor trade-offs in screen size, materials, and battery capacity, but at a substantially lower price and smaller form factor.

Launch Details and Global Availability

Polar launched the Grit X2 on June 4, 2025, just in time for summer adventures. It retails for £399 / €479.90 (~$540 USD), undercutting both the Grit X2 Pro and rivals like Garmin’s Fenix 8 series. It is available in Night Black and Brown Copper, with swappable 22mm silicone straps. The launch includes most global markets except the United States, which is set to receive the device later in 2025.

U.S. Delay: Blame the Tariffs?

Though no formal reason was given, analysts suggest the delay stems from 2025's escalating U.S. trade tariffs—10% on Chinese goods and 20%+ on EU imports. For a company like Polar, which uses global supply chains, these duties could hike prices or erode margins. To avoid launching at an uncompetitive price or low profit, Polar may be holding out for a more favorable trade environment.

Reactions and Outlook

The launch has drawn praise internationally and frustration from U.S. fans. YouTube reviewers and forums have dubbed the release "weird" and “frustrating.” Still, many applaud the value: a smaller Grit X2 Pro alternative with premium features and long battery life. Polar may aim for a fall or holiday U.S. launch if conditions improve.

Conclusion

The Grit X2 hits a sweet spot: compact, rugged, feature-packed, and more affordable than most competitors. While Europe and other regions enjoy it now, the U.S. delay underscores how trade policy can directly affect tech launches. With any luck, American athletes won’t have to wait too long.

Everything New in the Garmin Forerunner 970 (Compared to the 965)

Thu, 15 May 2025 08:32:03 GMT

Garmin Forerunner 970 – Garmin’s latest top-tier GPS triathlon watch, officially announced May 15, 2025, is packed with new hardware and training features. It succeeds the Forerunner 965 as the flagship Forerunner, adding premium materials and triathlon-focused innovations. Key upgrades include a brighter 1.4" AMOLED display, a rugged sapphire crystal lens with titanium bezel, a built-in LED flashlight, and the first-ever Garmin Triathlon Coach adaptive training plan.

The Forerunner 970 is designed for performance-driven athletes, offering advanced training tools, recovery insights, and connected features to help triathletes and runners reach their next personal record.

Hardware and Design Upgrades

Premium Build

The Forerunner 970 maintains a 47 mm case size like the 965, but is slightly thinner. It introduces sapphire crystal glass (replacing the 965’s Gorilla Glass DX) and a titanium bezel for greater durability. This aligns the 970 with Garmin’s premium Fenix/Epix series. The watch weighs approximately 56 g (versus 53 g for the 965).

AMOLED Display

Both the 965 and 970 use a bright 1.4" AMOLED color touchscreen (454×454 px). Garmin touts the 970’s screen as its brightest smartwatch display yet, paired with a 5-button layout for reliable operation in all conditions.

New LED Flashlight

Borrowing from the Fenix line, the FR 970 includes a built-in LED flashlight integrated into the watch face edge, useful for low-light training and nighttime safety.

Speaker and Microphone

The 970 adds a built-in speaker and microphone, enabling Bluetooth phone calls, voice assistant support, and on-watch voice commands—new to the Forerunner series.

Next-Gen Heart Sensor + ECG

Garmin upgraded from the Elevate v4 optical HR sensor to Elevate v5. The FR 970 supports on-demand ECG recordings via the new sensor and Garmin ECG App, marking the first Forerunner with electrocardiogram capability.

Skin Temperature Tracking

A new sensor on the 970 tracks variations in skin temperature, improving menstrual cycle tracking and providing insights related to exercise intensity, sleep environment, and health conditions.

Battery Life Comparison

Due to the brighter display and added hardware, the 970 offers mixed battery life compared to the 965:

Smartwatch Mode: FR965 up to ~23 days vs FR970 up to ~15 days.
GPS-only Mode: FR965 ~31 hours vs FR970 ~26 hours.
SatIQ GNSS Mode: FR970 ~23 hours vs FR965 ~22 hours.
All-Systems + Multi-Band GPS: FR970 ~21 hours vs FR965 ~19 hours.
GPS + Music: FR970 ~12–14 hours vs FR965 ~8–10.5 hours.

Health, Wellness, and Smart Features

Evening Report

The 970 introduces an Evening Report summarizing nightly sleep, next-day workouts, weather, and calendar events, complementing the Morning Report feature.

Breathing Variations

Tracks breathing variability during sleep via the Pulse Ox sensor, providing insights into sleep quality and potential health issues.

Women’s Health

Improved menstrual cycle tracking, including accurate period and ovulation predictions.

On-Watch Maps

Like the 965, FR970 features onboard color topo maps and built-in navigation.

VIRB Camera Remote

Acts as a remote for Garmin VIRB action cameras—new to the 970.

Music and Payments

Both 965 and 970 have onboard music storage/streaming and Garmin Pay, with the 970 adding speaker playback capability.

Advanced Running & Performance Metrics

Running Tolerance

Suggests a recommended weekly mileage to prevent overtraining based on recent running stress.

Running Economy

Measures energy efficiency during runs (requires Garmin HRM 600 chest strap).

Step Speed Loss

Quantifies deceleration at foot strike, aiding in optimizing running form (requires HRM 600 strap).

Projected Race Time & Pace

Enhanced race predictor estimates finish times and paces, updating continuously based on training progress.

Training Readiness & Load

Carries over Garmin’s Training Status, Readiness scores, acute training load, and VO₂ max metrics.

Recovery Insights

Provides recovery time recommendations and all-day stress tracking, with the Evening Report offering next-day readiness insights.

Triathlon & Multisport Features

Garmin Triathlon Coach Training Plans

Adaptive training plans that adjust daily workouts across swim, bike, and run disciplines based on performance, recovery, and fitness.

Expanded Multisport Profiles

Adds dedicated Duathlon, Brick workouts, and Pool Swim Triathlon profiles.

Custom Multisport Workouts

Allows creating detailed multisport workouts (e.g., brick sessions) via Garmin Connect.

Auto Transitions and Tracking

Supports automatic multisport transitions, triathlon splits, and structured training integration.

Power Modes for Long Events

Customizable battery modes extend battery life during long races, crucial for Ironman-distance events.

Garmin Triathlon Coach – New Adaptive Training Plan

Adaptive Multisport Training

Garmin Triathlon Coach dynamically adjusts training sessions based on real-time performance and recovery metrics across all triathlon disciplines.

Personalized & Goal-Driven

Customize training volume/intensity for specific triathlon distances (Sprint, Olympic, 70.3, Ironman), with weekly structured workouts viewable and customizable via Garmin Connect.

Forerunner 970 vs 965 – Feature Comparison

Feature/Spec	Forerunner 965	Forerunner 970
Lens Material	Gorilla Glass 3 DX	Sapphire Crystal
Bezel & Build	Fiber-reinforced polymer	Titanium bezel
Display	1.4" AMOLED	1.4" AMOLED (Garmin’s brightest)
Flashlight	No	Built-in LED flashlight
Speaker & Mic	No	Bluetooth calling, voice assistant
ECG	No	Yes
Skin Temperature	No	Yes
Battery Life (smartwatch/GPS)	~23 days / ~31 hrs	~15 days / ~26 hrs
Battery Life (multi-band + music)	~8.5 hrs	~12 hrs
Multisport Profiles	Basic Triathlon	Adds Duathlon, Brick, Pool Triathlon
Garmin Triathlon Coach	No	Yes
Custom Multisport Workouts	No	Yes
New Running Metrics	No	Running Tolerance, Economy, Step Speed Loss
Evening Report	No	Yes
Price at Launch (USD)	$599.99 (2023)	$749.99 (May 2025)

Pricing, Availability, and Early Coverage

The Forerunner 970 is priced at $749.99 USD, launching May 21, 2025. Early reviews highlight the AMOLED display, built-in speaker, and innovative Triathlon Coach training plan as significant upgrades over the 965. Garmin positions the FR970 as the premium multisport watch offering advanced training metrics and a superior hardware build for serious athletes.

Galaxy Watch 8 Leak // Samsung Ditches Round Design for Squircle Revolution

Thu, 15 May 2025 03:46:37 GMT

The smartwatch world is buzzing with excitement following a significant leak revealing what appears to be Samsung's biggest design change to its flagship wearable line in years. According to recently discovered firmware files, Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 series may abandon its iconic circular design in favor of a "squircle" shape reminiscent of the Apple Watch and last year's Galaxy Watch Ultra. This dramatic shift represents a potential turning point for Samsung's wearable strategy, potentially signaling the company's recognition that rectangular displays might better serve the functional needs of modern smartwatch users. The leaked images show both the standard Galaxy Watch 8 and the returning Galaxy Watch 8 Classic featuring this new squircle design while maintaining certain distinctive elements that have made Samsung's watches popular among Android users. As we await the official announcement expected in July 2025, this leak provides fascinating insights into Samsung's evolving design philosophy and how it might reshape the competitive landscape of premium smartwatches.

The Leaked Design: Samsung's Circular Evolution Becomes "Squircle"

The recent leak exposed through One UI 8 Watch firmware files has provided a surprising glimpse into Samsung's next-generation smartwatch design. Animation files discovered within the code clearly show both the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic sporting a new "squircle" chassis – a square shape with rounded corners – representing a significant departure from Samsung's long-standing circular watch designs. These images appear in firmware files with codenames "Fresh8" for the standard Watch 8 and "Wise8" for the Watch 8 Classic, suggesting these are indeed the upcoming models slated for release.

According to the leaked images, both models will maintain circular displays despite their squircle chassis, creating an interesting hybrid design. The design appears to lift the side buttons further out from the body, potentially improving accessibility and tactile feedback. The Galaxy Watch 8 will reportedly maintain its two-button configuration, while the Classic model appears to add a third "Quick Button" similar to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Classic Model Returns with Premium Enhancements

After skipping the Watch 7 series, the Classic model is returning. The Classic variant has historically featured premium elements like a rotating bezel, which may return. The Watch 8 Classic is expected to include a stronger vibration motor and possibly be available in only one size this year, unlike previous dual-size options.

One UI 8 Watch: A Major Software Overhaul

Samsung is skipping One UI 7 Watch and jumping to One UI 8 Watch, likely based on Wear OS 6. New features include integration with Google Gemini AI for smart assistant actions, a contextual "Now Bar" interface activated by gestures, and overall improved usability and visual design.

Battery-Preserving Features and UI Improvements

One UI 8 Watch includes an adaptive battery charging system that stops charging at a preset level (e.g., 95%) and resumes below a threshold. These features, combined with a slightly larger 435 mAh battery and a 3nm processor, should improve battery longevity and daily endurance.

Interface improvements include App Shortcuts (customizable 2×1 or 2×2 tiles), Shuffle Watch Face (auto-switching favorites), and Recommend Watch Face (AI-powered suggestions).

Hardware Specifications and Performance Expectations

The Galaxy Watch 8 will likely reuse the Exynos W1000 processor, with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. Connectivity will include Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, NFC, and LTE support. AMOLED screens with 2,000 nit brightness and 60Hz refresh rates are expected to return, offering premium display quality.

Enhanced Health and Fitness Capabilities

The Watch 8 is expected to retain the BioActive Sensor, which tracks heart rate, ECG, and body composition. With dual-band GPS and 5ATM/IP68 water resistance, it’s built for fitness tracking, outdoor activities, and health monitoring.

Market Positioning and Competition

The squircle design aligns Samsung closer with Apple’s aesthetic, diverging from Google’s Pixel Watch, which stays round. Samsung appears to be targeting multiple segments with the standard, Classic, and Ultra lines, possibly starting at $299 for the 40mm Watch 8.

User Reactions and Design Philosophy

Early reactions to the squircle design are mixed. Samsung seems to be prioritizing practical screen usability over the visual appeal of a circular body, reflecting a broader industry trend.

Release Timeline and Expectations

The Galaxy Watch 8 is expected in July 2025 during Samsung’s Unpacked event, with availability likely in late July or early August. Variants will include standard (40mm, 44mm) and Classic, each with Wi-Fi and LTE models. Pricing is expected to match or slightly exceed previous models.

Anticipating the Official Reveal

Samsung may continue hinting at the new design ahead of its reveal. Marketing may focus on balancing tradition and innovation while tying in with Samsung’s broader product ecosystem.

Conclusion: A Pivotal Moment for Samsung's Wearable Strategy

The Galaxy Watch 8 represents a bold evolution in Samsung’s design language, blending circular legacy with a squircle form factor. Coupled with a powerful software update and premium hardware options, this generation may mark Samsung’s most significant leap forward in the smartwatch space.

Garmin Watch Floats 150 Miles to Ireland and Reunites with Owner

Tue, 06 May 2025 19:46:37 GMT

A Garmin sports watch lost by a swimmer in Tenby, Wales has completed an extraordinary 150-mile solo voyage across the Celtic Sea, washing up on a remote Irish beach three weeks later with its electronic functions still intact. This remarkable maritime journey culminated in an equally impressive digital reunion, as environmental artist Sean Corcoran discovered the watch on a secluded beach near Waterford, Ireland, and used social media to track down its owner in just 20 minutes. The watch, still attached to its flotation device, not only provides a fascinating case study of Celtic Sea currents but has also been used by safety organizations to highlight the importance of proper buoyancy equipment for open water swimmers.

The Incident: Loss and Discovery

The Moment of Loss in Welsh Waters

In early April 2025, Martina Morgan, originally from South Africa and now living in Pembrokeshire, was enjoying an open water swim with friends at North Beach in Tenby when disaster struck. The Garmin sports watch she was wearing, secured to a yellow buoyancy float, unexpectedly came loose from its attachment. As Morgan noticed her watch floating away, she faced a split-second decision familiar to many open water swimmers: risk swimming after a drifting object potentially being carried by dangerous currents, or prioritize personal safety and let it go.

"I was gutted," Martina told The Pembrokeshire Herald. "It was quite far out by the time I noticed. I waved goodbye to it and thought that was the last I'd ever see of it." The watch held both practical and sentimental value for Morgan—it had been a Christmas gift from her husband Ed and served as an essential tool for tracking her swimming routes and distances. Despite her disappointment, Morgan's fellow swimmers correctly advised against pursuing the watch as it drifted toward deeper waters.

North Beach in Tenby, while popular with swimmers, sits on the southern Welsh coast directly exposed to the Celtic Sea's powerful currents and tidal influences that can quickly carry floating objects offshore.

An Unexpected Find on an Irish Beach

Three weeks later and 150 miles away, environmental artist Sean Corcoran was exploring a remote area of shoreline known as Ladies Cove near Waterford in southeastern Ireland. This secluded bay, part of Ireland's Copper Coast, required Corcoran to scramble down a steep cliff to access the beach—an effort that would lead to an extraordinary discovery.

"When I found the float and saw there was a watch attached, it felt a bit like finding a message in a bottle," Corcoran said. What caught his attention was not initially the watch itself, but the bright yellow flotation device to which it remained securely attached throughout its trans-maritime journey.

Upon retrieving the watch, Corcoran was surprised to discover it was still functional despite three weeks at sea. "When I got it home I pressed a button on the watch and the recharge symbol came up so I knew it worked," he explained. "I was surprised it had only been in the water for three weeks; it looked like it had been exposed to the sun for several months."

The discovery presented Corcoran with a mystery—who had lost this watch, and where had it come from? The watch's remarkable preservation after such a journey also raised scientific questions about its path across the Celtic Sea and the conditions it had encountered along the way.

The Scientific Journey

Celtic Sea Currents and Their Patterns

The watch's 150-mile journey from Tenby to Waterford provides a fascinating real-world demonstration of the complex current systems operating in the Celtic Sea. This body of water, part of the Atlantic Ocean between Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany, is characterized by distinctive oceanographic patterns that made the watch's specific trajectory possible.

According to oceanographic research, prevailing southwesterly winds and south-to-north water transport on the shelf influence the movement of water in the region. These prevailing patterns help explain how an object released from the Welsh coast could find its way to Ireland's southeastern shores.

Studies of Celtic Sea circulation patterns indicate that surface currents—like those that would have carried the floating watch—are heavily influenced by wind and seasonal variations, capable of sustaining long-distance transport for floating objects.

Environmental Factors Influencing the Watch's Path

The flotation device attached to the watch played a crucial role in its journey. Without this buoyancy aid, the watch would almost certainly have sunk to the seabed shortly after being lost. Instead, the bright yellow float kept the watch at the surface, where it could be carried by wind-influenced surface currents.

Research into subtidal and rotary current movements suggests the watch may have taken a non-linear route—zigzagging, circulating in eddies, or drifting through looping paths before eventually making landfall in Ireland.

Analysis of Time and Distance Traveled

The watch traveled approximately 150 miles in 21 days, requiring an average speed of just over 7 miles per day, or about 0.3 miles per hour. This velocity falls within the capabilities of surface currents in the Celtic Sea. Oceanographers confirmed the timeline and route were entirely plausible given the prevailing April conditions.

The Human Connection

Social Media as a Recovery Tool

Once Corcoran discovered the watch, he turned to social media to locate its owner—a decision that would prove remarkably effective. He posted about his find in a local Facebook group called "I am Waterford," asking for help identifying the owner of the device.

The watch contained Ed Morgan's mobile number, which hundreds of users quickly identified as British. The post received over 250,000 views within 24 hours, and the Morgans were located just 20 minutes after the initial post went up.

The Role of Community in Object Recovery

Corcoran was able to connect with Ed Morgan, confirming that his wife Martina had lost the watch in Tenby. The story's quick resolution highlights how digital communities can rapidly solve real-world mysteries.

The post’s follow-up thanked the online community and announced the watch would be mailed back—"making the return journey in an envelope this time."

Interview Insights

"I am very grateful to the people and to Sean," Martina Morgan said. She confirmed the watch would go right back on her wrist for more swims—and would be secured "a little more securely next time."

Corcoran admitted he initially feared the watch might belong to someone who had gone missing at sea. He was relieved to learn everyone was safe.

Safety and Environmental Implications

RNLI Perspectives on Water Safety

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) praised the flotation device's role in keeping the watch afloat and visible, calling the story a "lighthearted but valuable" teaching tool about buoyancy aids.

The RNLI used the story to reinforce broader safety messaging: flotation devices save lives—and sometimes your gadgets too.

Security Recommendations

This incident underscores the importance of securely attaching valuable items when swimming. Experts now recommend:

Using flotation devices with secure compartments
Double-checking attachment points
Employing redundant fastenings
Registering electronics and storing contact info on them

Environmental Considerations

While this story had a happy ending, it reminds us that even well-used gear can become marine debris. Environmental artist Corcoran is often involved in beach cleanups, giving him a unique appreciation of the need for responsible equipment use.

Technical Resilience

The Watch’s Durability

Corcoran charged the watch and found it "working perfectly," including the stored data. That’s astonishing after three weeks in saltwater and sun.

Garmin and other manufacturers could view this as an unexpected real-world product test, demonstrating the value of robust waterproofing and corrosion-resistant materials.

Comparison to Other Marine Recoveries

Most electronics fail quickly when immersed in saltwater. This Garmin survived and functioned—a rare case of technological resilience.

Conclusion

The story of Martina’s Garmin watch is more than a curiosity. It’s a parable about resilience—of devices, of currents, and of communities working together across borders. It’s a tale of technology, tides, and the unexpected routes that connect us all.

From safety lessons for swimmers to oceanographic insights for scientists, and social media magic for everyone else—this small watch’s voyage has made a big impact.

Casio G-Shock GBA-950 Review // Fitness Tracking, Battery, and Fit

Sun, 04 May 2025 09:11:00 GMT

The Heritage of G-Shock

The G-Shock story began in 1981 when Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe dropped and broke a cherished watch given to him by his father. This pivotal moment inspired him to create a virtually indestructible timepiece. Assembling a team of just three members, dubbed "Team Tough," Ibe established the ambitious "Triple 10" design criteria: a watch that could withstand a 10-meter drop, resist 10 atmospheres of water pressure (100 meters), and offer a 10-year battery life.

After developing over 200 prototypes, the team was still struggling to achieve their goals. Inspiration struck Ibe during a chance visit to a playground, where he observed a bouncing rubber ball. This observation led to the critical insight that the center of the ball remained relatively unaffected by external impacts. This revelation inspired the revolutionary "floating module" concept that would become the foundation of G-Shock's legendary durability.

The first G-Shock, the DW-5000C, debuted in April 1983, featuring a shock-resistant design with ten protective layers around the quartz timekeeping module. These included a urethane rubber bumper, stainless steel case, hardened mineral glass watch crystal, and the innovative floating module that allowed the quartz mechanism to float freely in a urethane foam cradle.

Evolution Through the Decades

Since its inception, the G-Shock line has experienced tremendous evolution and diversification. In 1985, Casio released the DW-5500C, the first G-Shock to feature a mud-resistant structure. The first analog-digital model appeared in 1989 with the AW-500. Throughout the 1990s, G-Shock expanded its technological capabilities, introducing the first sensor-equipped watch with a thermometer in 1992 and the ISO-certified 200-meter dive watch Frogman DW-6300 in 1993.

The brand continued innovating with its first solar-powered model, the Raysman DW-9300, in 1998, and the introduction of radio-synced time calibration with the GW-100 in 2000. The 1990s also saw G-Shock evolve beyond purely functional tool watches to become fashion statements, establishing collaborations with streetwear and lifestyle brands that continue to this day.

In 1996, G-Shock ventured into luxury territory with the launch of the first "Full Metal" MRG-100, born from Ibe's mission to create a steel-cased watch maintaining the brand's signature toughness while being suitable for formal occasions.

The G-SQUAD Series: Sports-Focused G-Shocks

The GBA-950 belongs to Casio's G-SQUAD line, specifically designed to support fitness enthusiasts with training-oriented features. The G-SQUAD series embodies the concept of "urban sports," providing comfortable support for everyday training activities.

Previous iterations in this evolutionary line include the GBA-800 and GBA-900 series. The GBA-900, which immediately preceded the GBA-950, established several key features that have been refined in the newest model, including step tracking, Bluetooth connectivity, and fitness data monitoring.

The GBA-900, launched at a price point of ¥18,700 (~$131), offered features such as distance measurement, step counting, and smartphone connectivity. It featured dimensions of 51.3 × 48.9 × 16.6 mm and weighed 61 grams.

GBA-950: Design and Engineering Innovations

Refined Dimensions and Weight

The GBA-950 represents a significant refinement in the G-SQUAD lineup, with more compact dimensions of 48.5 × 43.9 × 16 mm and a lighter weight of 53 grams compared to its predecessor. This reduction in size and weight enhances comfort for all-day wear during various activities.

Integrated Structure and Band Design

A standout engineering feature of the GBA-950 is its integrated band and bezel structure, similar to that used in Casio's GA-B001 and GA-V01 models. This design approach contributes to both the watch's durability and its comfortable fit on the wrist.

The band design is particularly innovative, having been co-developed with Japanese "folding engineering" company Outsense. Utilizing origami-inspired folding technology, the band offers enhanced comfort through improved flexibility and a reduced lug size. This thoughtful engineering creates a more natural fit against the wrist, addressing a critical need for sports-oriented timepieces.

Visual Design and Display Features

The GBA-950 maintains the analog-digital layout of its predecessors while refining the visual presentation. The core layout features traditional analog hands for hours, minutes, and seconds, complemented by digital displays for additional information and functions.

Compared to the GBA-900, the GBA-950's inner dial appears cleaner with slimmer edges around the display, and the side button labels feature bolder, more legible fonts. One notable functional change is the relocation of the light button to the front of the watch, improving accessibility.

A distinctive visual element is the large resin hour markers that incorporate luminous material both mixed into the resin and printed on the top surface. Combined with luminous hands, this design enhances legibility in low-light conditions. The watch also features a double LED light system with an LED light for the dial and an LED backlight for the LCD display, both offering auto light, super illuminator, and adjustable afterglow timing options.

Color Options

GBA-950-1A: Black with green accents
GBA-950-2A: Purple/black with bold purple elements
GBA-950-7A: White/gray with neon yellow markers

Each model presents a distinctive aesthetic while maintaining the same functional capabilities and structural integrity.

Technical Specifications and Performance

Core Specifications

Casio Module 5737
CR2025 battery (~2 years lifespan)
Analog + digital LCD display
Dual LED illumination (dial + LCD)

Durability and Resistance

Shock resistant (Carbon Core Guard structure)
200m water resistance (20 ATM)
Resin case construction

Connected Features and Smartphone Integration

Bluetooth for automatic time calibration
Casio Watches app for settings, data logs, manuals
Call, email, and text notifications when connected

Fitness and Activity Tracking

Daily step counter
Distance and pace via smartphone GPS
Running time, calorie estimates, auto-laps
Exercise intensity level display

Data Management

App sync for training/life logs
Long-term performance tracking

Utility and Timekeeping Features

Dual time zone
Stopwatch (45-lap memory)
Countdown timer (5 intervals, auto start)
5 alarms, hourly chime, battery warning
Operation sound on/off

GBA-950 vs. GBA-900 Comparison

Feature	GBA-950	GBA-900
Dimensions	48.5 × 43.9 × 16 mm	51.3 × 48.9 × 16.6 mm
Weight	53g	61g
Case Structure	Integrated band/bezel	Traditional design
Light Button	Front-facing	Side-mounted
Band Design	Origami-style	Urethane standard
Price (Japan)	¥25,300 (~$176)	¥18,700 (~$131)

Market Positioning and Availability

Launched in Japan: May 4, 2025
Price: ¥25,300 (~$176)
Global release expected
Target: fitness enthusiasts, G-Shock collectors, durable-watch seekers

Conclusion

The Casio G-Shock GBA-950 represents a thoughtful evolution of the G-SQUAD connected sports watch lineup, offering meaningful improvements in design, comfort, and functionality. By refining rather than revolutionizing the formula established by its predecessors, Casio has created a watch that should appeal to both longtime G-Shock enthusiasts and newcomers seeking a durable fitness companion.

The integration of smartphone connectivity and fitness tracking features addresses modern user expectations, while the two-year battery life and traditional button-based interface maintain the reliability and ease of use that have long been G-Shock hallmarks. The origami-inspired band design and more compact dimensions demonstrate Casio's continued commitment to ergonomic innovation, even within a well-established product category.

For fitness enthusiasts who value durability over touch screens and appreciate the distinct G-Shock aesthetic, the GBA-950 offers a compelling combination of features at a reasonable price point. While not as feature-rich as dedicated smartwatches, its focused functionality and long battery life may actually be advantages for many users.

As the line between traditional watches and smart wearables continues to blur, the GBA-950 carves out a distinctive middle ground—connected enough to be relevant in the smartphone era, but true enough to G-Shock's heritage to maintain its distinct identity. This balance, perhaps more than any specific feature, may be the GBA-950's greatest achievement.

Garmin’s $100 Million Tariff Hit // Are Higher Watch Prices Coming for Everyone?

Thu, 01 May 2025 08:12:03 GMT

Garmin, a global leader in GPS-enabled devices and smartwatches, faces a pivotal year as new U.S. tariffs threaten to add $100 million in costs to its 2025 financials. This development, set against the backdrop of robust sales and product innovation, is poised to reshape not just Garmin’s pricing strategy but the broader watch market. Here’s a comprehensive look at what’s happening, why it matters, and what consumers and investors should expect.

The Tariff Shock: What’s Happening?

A Sudden Cost Surge

During its Q1 2025 earnings call, Garmin’s CEO Clifton Pemble outlined the company’s expectation of a $100 million gross impact from tariffs this year. The tariffs stem from recent U.S. trade policy changes, including elevated duties on goods manufactured outside the U.S.—notably Taiwan, where Garmin assembles most of its wearables.

Key Details:

Baseline Tariff: Garmin assumes a 10% tariff on all products made outside the U.S., including Taiwan.
Potential Escalation: Taiwan briefly faced a 32% tariff before a pause; the risk of higher rates remains.
China-Sourced Components: An additional 145% tariff applies to materials imported directly from China, though Garmin’s direct sourcing from China is limited.
Revenue Exposure: About 25% of Garmin’s revenue is from U.S. sales of products made outside the country, mainly in Taiwan.

The Financial Fallout

Despite reporting an 11% year-over-year revenue jump and a 13% rise in profits for Q1 2025, Garmin’s stock dropped nearly 10% after the tariff news broke. The company even raised its full-year revenue guidance to $6.85 billion, but did not increase its net income forecast due to anticipated margin pressure from the tariffs.

Why the Market Reacted:

Profit Margins Squeezed: The $100 million in extra costs will compress margins unless offset by price hikes or cost-saving measures.
Uncertainty: The fluid trade environment and risk of further tariff escalation create unpredictability for future earnings.
Investor Caution: Even with Garmin’s strong cash reserves and debt-free balance sheet, the prospect of higher costs and lower margins spooked investors.

How Tariffs Affect Garmin’s Pricing—and Yours

Will Watches Get More Expensive?

The short answer: almost certainly, yes—at least in the U.S. market.

How Tariffs Translate to Higher Prices

Factor	Impact on Garmin Watches
Tariff Rate	10% baseline, risk of 32% on Taiwan
Application	Tariffs apply to import (not retail) cost
Mitigation	Some costs may be absorbed; most likely passed on to consumers
Competitive Pressure	All major brands face similar tariffs, reducing price undercutting

Example:
A $450 Garmin watch could see its U.S. retail price rise to $470 to maintain historical profit levels—an increase of about 4.4%. If tariffs jump to 32%, the increase could be much steeper, though not directly proportional since tariffs apply to import costs, not final retail prices.

Product Launches as a Bellwether

The upcoming Forerunner 970 release will be a key test case. Its pricing will signal how much of the tariff burden Garmin intends to pass to consumers. Recent launches, like the Instinct 3 Tactical, already show $100 price jumps over standard models, hinting at a trend toward higher premiums.

The Broader Watch Market: A Rising Tide of Prices

Garmin is Not Alone

The entire watch industry—luxury and mainstream alike—is grappling with tariff-driven cost increases.

Luxury Brands Respond

Rolex: Raised U.S. prices by about 3% starting May 1, 2025.
Omega: Implementing a 5% average price hike.
Cartier, Breitling: Expected to follow with 3–5% increases.
Secondary Market: Pre-owned watches in the U.S. may see 10–31% price hikes as import costs rise and domestic inventory becomes more attractive.

Why the Increases?

Brands try to maintain global price consistency and avoid cross-border arbitrage.
Retailers and brands may absorb part of the tariff, but most of the increase is passed to consumers.
The secondary market may initially benefit from lower-priced domestic inventory, but prices will likely rise as new inventory is imported at higher costs.

Supply Chain Complexity: Why Garmin Can’t Simply “Move”

Not Just Where, But What

Garmin’s supply chain is complex. While final assembly is in Taiwan, many critical components—like display panels, batteries, and sensors—still come from China. U.S. trade law increasingly focuses on the origin of component value, not just final assembly location. For tariff purposes, Garmin’s watches are considered Taiwanese-made if the main PCBA is produced there.

Mitigation Strategies:

Absorb Costs: Garmin could take the hit to margins, but this is unsustainable long-term.
Raise Prices: Likely for premium models, where demand is less price-sensitive.
Reshoring: Moving assembly to the U.S. is possible but costly and slow.
Supply Chain Diversification: Seeking alternative suppliers or locations, but this takes time.

Consumer Impact: What to Expect

Higher Prices, Fewer Choices, Slower Innovation

Consumers in the U.S. should brace for:

Higher retail prices on new Garmin watches and other imported brands.
Potential delays or fewer model refreshes as companies manage costs.
Slower innovation cycles if R&D budgets tighten due to margin pressure.
A shift toward the secondary market for both luxury and mainstream watches.

Who Gets Hit Hardest?

Entry-level buyers: More price-sensitive segments may see smaller increases, but even modest hikes could deter new customers.
Premium buyers: Less sensitive to price, but may face the largest absolute increases.
Retailers: May see squeezed margins and lower sales, especially if consumers delay purchases or seek alternatives.

Garmin’s Financial Resilience and Strategic Outlook

Strong Cash Position, Conservative Guidance

Garmin remains financially robust, with $3.9 billion in cash and no debt. The company’s 2025 pro forma EPS guidance remains unchanged at $7.80, as management expects foreign exchange benefits and cost mitigations to offset much of the tariff impact.

Strategic Actions:

Mitigations in Place: Some cost-saving measures are already implemented, others are in progress.
Selective Price Increases: Garmin will likely be strategic, raising prices where competition is weak and absorbing costs where necessary.
Ongoing Monitoring: The company is closely watching tariff developments and may adjust strategies as the trade environment evolves.

The Big Picture: A New Normal for the Watch Industry

Tariffs as a Structural Shift

The current tariff environment is not a temporary blip but signals a structural shift in global trade for consumer electronics and watches. Brands across the spectrum must adapt to a world where higher costs and complex trade rules are the norm.

Key Takeaways:

Consumers: Expect higher prices, particularly in the U.S., and consider purchasing sooner rather than later if you’re eyeing a new watch.
Retailers: Prepare for margin pressure and possible inventory challenges as tariffs filter through the supply chain.
Investors: Garmin’s financial health is strong, but profit margins will be under pressure until the trade environment stabilizes.

Conclusion

Garmin’s projected $100 million tariff impact is a bellwether for the entire watch industry. While the company’s financial strength and strategic flexibility offer some cushion, higher costs will inevitably reach consumers—especially in the U.S.—in the form of higher watch prices. This shift is mirrored across luxury and mainstream brands, signaling a broader trend of rising costs and changing market dynamics in the global watch sector.

Instinct 3 Tactical Edition // Where Durability Meets Tactical Precision

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:46:37 GMT

Garmin has officially launched the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition, introducing a rugged smartwatch designed for those who demand performance under pressure. Built for military personnel, tactical professionals, and hardcore adventurers, the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition combines durability, solar charging, and specialized tactical features into one powerful device.

What Makes the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition Special?

Garmin’s Instinct series has always stood for ruggedness, but the Tactical Edition pushes this even further. Here's what sets it apart:

Night Vision Mode: Adjusts the display to be compatible with night vision goggles, keeping your operations covert.
Stealth Mode: Disables wireless communications and stops storing GPS data, offering enhanced operational security.
Kill Switch: A rapid shutdown option to instantly erase user data if the device falls into the wrong hands.
Applied Ballistics Solver: Integration with the Applied Ballistics Ultralite app provides real-time shooting solutions for tactical and competitive shooters.
Jumpmaster Mode: For airborne operations, including HALO/HAHO jumps.
Waypoint Projection: Set and navigate to projected coordinates in the field.

Built for Tough Environments

The Instinct 3 Tactical Edition is tested to military standards (MIL-STD-810) for thermal, shock, and water resistance (rated to 10 ATM). It’s not just waterproof—it’s also built to handle the harshest climates and environments.

The case is constructed from fiber-reinforced polymer, while the scratch-resistant display is designed to remain readable under direct sunlight. Whether you’re diving into the ocean, scaling a desert mountain, or operating in arctic conditions, this watch keeps up.

Power That Lasts

Thanks to Garmin’s advanced solar charging technology, the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition can achieve unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode—provided you're in sufficient sunlight.

Here’s a quick look at battery life specs:

Smartwatch Mode: Unlimited with solar, up to 40 days without
GPS Mode: Up to 70 hours, or 200 hours in Max Battery GPS Mode
Expedition GPS Activity: Up to 60 days

This ensures that users can depend on the device even during long missions or backcountry adventures without frequent charging.

Tactical and Fitness Features

Aside from tactical-specific functionalities, the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition also offers comprehensive fitness tracking:

Wrist-Based Heart Rate Monitoring
Pulse Ox Sensor for blood oxygen levels
VO2 Max Estimation
Stress Tracking and Sleep Monitoring
Multi-GNSS Support (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo)

It’s built for endurance athletes as much as it is for tactical operators.

Navigational Excellence

The Instinct 3 Tactical Edition includes advanced navigation tools to keep users oriented:

Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Breadcrumb Trail Mapping
ABC Sensors (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass)
Trackback Routing to help return to a starting point safely

Whether navigating urban streets, remote trails, or battlefield terrain, users can trust Garmin’s reliable positioning systems.

Applied Ballistics: Tactical Precision on Your Wrist

One standout addition is compatibility with Applied Ballistics Ultralite, a system traditionally used in standalone ballistic calculators.

With a subscription, users can get:

Real-time ballistic solutions
Environmental data integration (temperature, altitude, wind)
On-the-fly adjustments without needing a separate device

This integration positions the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition as not just a smartwatch but an operational tool for precision shooting.

Color and Style Options

The Tactical Edition of the Instinct 3 is offered in rugged colorways like Black, Coyote Tan, and Olive Drab, reinforcing its tactical roots. The rugged silicone strap is interchangeable, letting users customize the fit and style as needed.

Pricing and Availability

The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition is priced at $499.99 USD and is available immediately through Garmin's website and authorized retailers.

While it carries a premium over the standard Instinct 3, the additional features—especially for users operating in extreme environments—justify the investment.

Final Thoughts: Who Is It For?

The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition is not just a smartwatch; it’s a mission-ready tool for those who push beyond limits. Whether you're an elite operator, a first responder, an extreme adventurer, or simply someone who demands tactical-grade capabilities from your gear, the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition delivers.

It’s rugged. It's versatile. It's ready when you are.

10 Years of Apple Watch // From Fashion Statement to Health Tech Leader

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 11:48:00 GMT

April 24, 2015 marked the beginning of a new era in wearables when the original Apple Watch went on sale. In the decade since, Apple has sold over 200 million smartwatches, transforming the device from a fashion-forward companion to a powerful health tool.

The Beginning: The Original Apple Watch

In 2015, it wasn’t the “Series 1”—it was just the Apple Watch. It came in two sizes, had a capacitive touchscreen, a digital crown, interchangeable bands, and an optical heart rate sensor. But even then, there were issues. One of the early controversies was “TattooGate,” where darker tattoo ink interfered with the heart rate sensor’s light-based measurements, causing inaccurate readings or even locking users out of their devices.

September 2016: Series 1 and Series 2

Apple introduced two new versions: the Series 1 with an updated processor and the Series 2 with built-in GPS, swim-proofing, and a brighter 1000-nit display. This was also the year Apple partnered with Nike for the first time, launching the Apple Watch Nike+, which included run-focused watch faces.

By the end of 2016, Apple had sold 11.9 million watches, surpassing Rolex to become the world’s top-selling watch brand by revenue.

Series 3: Cellular Freedom

Launched in 2017, Series 3 introduced cellular connectivity, allowing users to take calls, send texts, and stream music without their phones. It also included a barometric altimeter and the first heart rate alerts for unexpected spikes when inactive.

Series 4: Design Refresh and ECG

In 2018, Apple rolled out a new design with edge-to-edge displays, increased case sizes (40mm and 44mm), and introduced fall detection and ECG capabilities for detecting abnormal heart rhythms. These features set the tone for Apple's future health ambitions.

Series 5: Always-On, Compass, and More

The 2019 model brought an always-on display and a built-in compass. Apple also added a noise detection app and cycle tracking for menstrual health. For the first time, titanium models were offered, expanding into the luxury watch segment.

Series 6 and SE: Blood Oxygen and Accuracy Boost

In 2020, the Series 6 added blood oxygen monitoring (later disabled in the U.S. due to a patent dispute). It also marked a major improvement in GPS accuracy. Apple launched the more affordable SE model, offering many core features at a lower price.

Series 7: Bigger and Smarter for Triathletes

Released in 2021, Series 7 featured a larger screen, thinner bezels, and better durability. WatchOS 9 introduced a triathlon mode with touchless transitions—automatically detecting when users switch from swim to bike to run.

Series 8, Ultra, and SE 2: Rugged and Refined

In 2022, Apple launched three models: Series 8 with crash detection, a second-gen SE, and the all-new Apple Watch Ultra. The Ultra brought a rugged 49mm design, dual-frequency GPS, and doubled battery life. It was a favorite among adventurers and athletes.

Series 9 and Ultra 2: Refinement Over Revolution

The 2023 updates focused on performance, with a new chip and a “double tap” gesture for quick interactions. While not groundbreaking, they laid the foundation for more gesture-based controls.

Series 10: Bigger, Smarter, and Focused on Sleep

Launched in 2024, the Series 10 introduced sleep apnea notifications and larger case sizes (42mm and 46mm). The Ultra 2 got a sleek all-black edition with a carbon diamond-like coating.

What Comes Next?

Looking ahead, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 are expected this September. Rumors point to blood pressure trend monitoring, satellite emergency calling, and possibly 5G RedCap for low-power connectivity. Apple may also be laying the groundwork for smarter on-device AI with more neural engine cores.

Some users hope to see features like an action button on the Series 11, more battery life, a slimmer body, and a redesigned heart rate sensor to bring back SPBO2 monitoring.

Final Thoughts

From its humble beginnings to a full-fledged health device, the Apple Watch has consistently evolved year after year. Whether you’re celebrating the 10th anniversary by closing your rings or simply appreciating how far smartwatches have come, one thing is clear: Apple’s not done innovating.

Can GPS Watches Help Keep People with Dementia Safe?

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:46:37 GMT

Global Positioning System (GPS) watches are increasingly being adopted as assistive technologies for individuals with cognitive impairments such as autism, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. These devices offer significant benefits in terms of safety, independence, and peace of mind for both patients and caregivers. However, their implementation also raises ethical concerns and practical challenges.

The Need for GPS Watches in Cognitive Impairment Care

Cognitive impairments often lead to behaviors such as wandering or disorientation, posing serious risks to individuals' safety.

Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease: Wandering is a common symptom, with over 60% of Alzheimer's patients experiencing it at some point. This behavior can lead to injuries or fatalities if individuals become lost or enter unsafe areas.
Autism: Children and adults with autism may wander due to sensory overload or curiosity, making GPS devices essential for ensuring their safety.

Caregivers face immense stress in managing these risks while trying to preserve autonomy. GPS watches offer a solution by providing real-time tracking, geofencing, and emergency communication features.

Benefits of GPS Watches

Enhanced Safety

Real-time tracking enables caregivers to quickly locate individuals who wander. Geofencing allows for virtual safety zones with alerts if boundaries are crossed. Many devices also include fall detection sensors that notify caregivers in case of a fall or sudden movement.

Promoting Independence

These watches allow users to move freely within predefined zones, supporting their autonomy while ensuring safety. Discreet and comfortable designs help individuals wear them without feeling overly monitored or stigmatized.

Reducing Caregiver Stress

With smartphone-linked alerts and monitoring, caregivers can check in without constant physical supervision. This reduces burnout and allows caregivers to balance other responsibilities.

Cost Savings

GPS tracking may reduce the need for search-and-rescue operations and prevent hospitalizations related to wandering, lowering overall care costs.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

Despite the benefits, GPS watch usage raises important concerns:

Technical Limitations

Some devices may experience signal loss or technical errors, leading to delays or false alerts. Battery life is another issue—if a device dies mid-day, it stops being useful.

Design Issues

Large or unattractive devices may discourage wear. Some individuals may remove or misplace the watch, especially if they do not understand its purpose or feel discomfort.

Ethical Concerns

Constant tracking introduces questions about privacy and autonomy. For people with advanced dementia or those unable to give informed consent, the ethics of continuous monitoring can become murky.

Real-Life Applications

Several studies highlight the usefulness of GPS watches in real-world settings:

A feasibility study in Yorkshire, England found that GPS trackers improved independence and reduced caregiver burden in dementia patients. Participants experienced fewer restrictions and delayed transitions to full-time care.
The Alzheimer's Society partnered with Ravencourt Living to develop safer walking tools with geofencing and SOS buttons. Feedback highlighted the value of simplicity and reliability in these tools.

Recommendations for Implementation

To ensure GPS devices are both effective and ethically responsible:

Design: Watches should be lightweight, durable, and visually appealing. Longer battery life is crucial.
Training: Caregivers must understand how to use the devices effectively while respecting users’ dignity.
Privacy Policies: Data should only be accessible to authorized caregivers or healthcare professionals.
Customization: Devices should be adapted to suit individual needs and preferences, especially for users sensitive to wearable tech.

Conclusion

GPS watches represent a powerful tool for enhancing the safety and independence of individuals with cognitive impairments like autism, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. For caregivers, they offer peace of mind and reduced burden. However, thoughtful implementation—addressing ethical concerns, technical challenges, and user comfort—is essential. With continued innovation and compassionate design, GPS watches can play a meaningful role in supporting vulnerable populations and their families.

Polar’s New Subscription Just Dropped — But Is It Worth Paying For?

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 11:32:03 GMT

Polar has introduced a new subscription-based training program for its GPS watches – a bold move in a market increasingly skeptical of paywalled features. Coming on the heels of Garmin’s controversial Connect+ subscription launch, Polar’s offering arrives amid heated debate over the value of add-on services for devices that users already paid a premium for. This article takes a deep dive into Polar’s new Fitness Program subscription – examining its features, pricing, content, device compatibility, and user experience – and compares it head-to-head with Garmin’s Connect+ service. We adopt a critical, journalistic tone to assess whether Polar’s subscription delivers enough value to justify its cost, ultimately suggesting that in its current form, it may not be worth the price for most users.

Overview of Polar’s Fitness Program Subscription

Polar’s Fitness Program is a premium, adaptive training service integrated into the Polar Flow ecosystem. It builds upon Polar’s existing training features (like the free FitSpark daily workout suggestions) by offering more comprehensive and long-range guidance. Announced in April 2025, Polar pitched the Fitness Program as "an exciting new way to stay active with adaptive, science-backed training plans" tailored to each user’s fitness level and recovery. In essence, it’s a personalized coaching plan within the Polar Flow app, designed to remove guesswork from your workout routine by telling you exactly what exercises to do each day and week.

Key features include:

Adaptive cardio-based workouts
20 progressive training levels
Weekly planning with rest days
Video guidance for strength/mobility workouts
Personalized workout prescriptions based on HR data
Automatic syncing with Polar watches

Unlike one-off training plans aimed at a single race or goal, Polar’s program is open-ended and adaptive. During setup, you input (or Polar auto-detects) your fitness background and training frequency. The program then generates a weekly schedule of workouts, mixing cardio, strength, and mobility sessions. Workouts are structured by heart-rate zones, not pace or distance.

Features and User Experience: Adaptive Training in Action

The daily experience involves guided workouts that adapt based on your readiness (sleep, recovery metrics). Hard sessions are dialed down if you're fatigued. Polar pushes workouts to your watch, so it’s ready to go each day.

Strengths:

Smart recovery-aware scheduling
Smooth integration with watches
Video demos for strength routines

Weaknesses:

App and web UI feel dated
Coexistence with FitSpark and race plans can be confusing
No social/community or challenge features

The plan tracks progress with a gamified "leveling" system and weekly summaries. However, engagement tools like badges, community comparisons, or challenges are missing. It's a solitary, not social, experience.

Pricing and Value Proposition

At launch, the subscription costs €9.99/month (approx. $11/month USD). There's no annual plan yet, but one is expected (~€70-€80/year). A 14-day free trial is offered.

Device Compatibility: Most current and many past Polar watches.

Availability: Initially Android-only in Europe; iOS and other regions coming Q2 2025.

This pricing is higher than Garmin Connect+ ($6.99/month) and others like Fitbit Premium or Apple Fitness+. Early adopters are asked to pay full price without discounts or annual options.

Is it worth it?

That depends. If you already use FitSpark or a third-party plan, this adds polish and adaptivity, but not necessarily innovation. For budget-conscious users, the free tier likely offers enough guidance.

Comparison: Polar Fitness Program vs Garmin Connect+

Feature	Polar Fitness Program	Garmin Connect+
Price	€9.99/month (no annual yet)	$6.99/month or $69/year
Focus	Adaptive training/coaching	Analytics, insights, social features
Training Plans	Yes – structured, progressive	Free on Garmin devices
Videos	Yes – human demo videos for workouts	Yes – limited to Connect+ content
New Metrics/Analytics	None beyond existing Polar Flow	Yes – AI insights, performance dashboards
Social/Community	None added	Enhanced LiveTrack, badges, profile flair
Device Compatibility	All recent Polar watches	Most Garmin devices
Free Tier Impact	No change to free features	Some new features now behind paywall

Garmin Connect+ adds new analytical layers and social tools, while keeping its core training plans free. Polar charges for training structure and coaching, which Garmin users get at no extra cost. This is a tough comparison for Polar.

Critical Perspective: Should You Subscribe?

Here are the key reasons not to subscribe (at least for now):

Overlap with free features: FitSpark and race plans already offer structured guidance.
Lack of innovation: The program repackages existing ideas with modest polish.
Subscription fatigue: Customers are tired of being asked to pay for features they expected to be included.
Missed opportunity: Polar’s promising new recovery band (360) is not yet available to consumers, where a hardware + subscription bundle could have had more appeal.

If you’re a Polar loyalist who wants extra structure, it may be worth trying the free trial. But for most users, the value isn’t compelling enough to pay monthly.

Conclusion: Proceed with Caution

The Polar Fitness Program isn’t a bad product. It’s solidly executed and integrates well. But in a world where Garmin and others offer similar (or better) training guidance for free, Polar’s subscription feels late, overpriced, and a bit tone-deaf.

Unless you find that the structured plan dramatically improves your training motivation or results, you’re likely better off sticking with the free tools you already have. At $10+ a month, it just doesn’t clear the bar.

Our recommendation: Try the trial, but hold off on subscribing long-term. Watch to see if Polar adds more value or adjusts pricing. For now, it's a decent idea that lacks the polish and punch to truly justify the price tag.

Verdict: Not worth it — yet.

Garmin Faces Tariff Trouble // What It Means for Consumers

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 10:40:32 GMT

President Donald Trump's recent announcement of sweeping tariffs, including a 10% baseline tariff on all imports and higher, country-specific rates on nations like China and Taiwan, is poised to create significant challenges for many industries. Garmin, a global leader in GPS navigation and wearable technology, is one of the companies likely to feel the effects. This article explores how the new trade policies could affect Garmin's operations, supply chain, pricing strategies, and overall business.

Overview of Trump's Tariffs

On April 2, 2025, Trump unveiled what he called "reciprocal tariffs" under the banner of "Liberation Day." These include a 10% blanket tariff on all imported goods, with steeper rates for certain countries—34% for China and 32% for Taiwan among them. Technology and electronics are among the sectors most directly impacted.

While the administration argues the tariffs will stimulate domestic manufacturing, critics warn of increased inflation, global trade disruptions, and added pressure on American consumers and businesses alike.

Garmin’s Global Supply Chain at Risk

Garmin's business model relies on vertical integration, allowing it to control much of its production process. A key part of this model involves overseas manufacturing—primarily in Taiwan and China. With those regions now subject to high tariffs, Garmin's cost structure faces immediate and significant strain.

Taiwan, home to a large share of Garmin’s manufacturing operations, is now subject to a 32% tariff. China, where some components and production still take place, faces combined tariffs exceeding 60%. That leaves Garmin with limited flexibility in its current supply chain setup.

How Tariffs Could Impact Garmin

Rising Production Costs

The most immediate consequence of the tariffs is a spike in manufacturing costs. Components and finished products imported from Taiwan and China will now be significantly more expensive. Garmin must decide whether to absorb these costs or shift the burden to consumers.

Higher Prices for Consumers

If Garmin chooses to pass costs along, consumers could soon see price hikes across its product range—from fitness trackers to marine navigation systems. In a market where devices like the Forerunner and Fenix already carry premium price tags, even a 10–15% increase could impact buying decisions.

Supply Chain Disruption

Garmin has previously announced plans to diversify production by expanding facilities in Southeast Asia. However, these won't be operational until at least 2026. In the meantime, the company may struggle with rerouting logistics and managing supplier relationships under the new tariff regime.

Competitive Pressure

Garmin risks losing market share to competitors that are less exposed to tariffs or manufacture in countries not targeted by the U.S. For example, brands like Suunto and Polar could benefit if they’re able to maintain lower pricing.

Inflationary Ripple Effects

Broader inflation is another factor. If consumers are already feeling economic pressure from price increases in food, fuel, and other categories, a price hike on wearables could significantly dampen demand for Garmin’s products.

Garmin’s Strategic Options

Diversify Manufacturing

Garmin may accelerate plans to move production to lower-tariff countries. This process, however, takes time and may not offer immediate relief.

Absorb Some Costs

In segments where competition is fierce—like mid-tier smartwatches—Garmin may absorb a portion of the tariff impact to maintain its pricing edge. This approach, however, risks narrowing margins.

Expand U.S. Production

Garmin already has manufacturing capabilities in the United States. Expanding these facilities could help dodge tariffs entirely, but would require a long-term investment and potentially increase labor costs.

Lobby for Exemptions

Garmin may follow the lead of other tech companies by lobbying the U.S. government for product-specific or component-specific tariff exemptions.

Focus on Premium Features

By continuing to innovate and add advanced features to its products, Garmin could maintain pricing power and justify any increases to consumers.

Wider Industry Impact

Garmin is far from alone. Tech giants like Apple and Amazon are also navigating similar tariff-related challenges. Industry-wide, we may see:

A slowdown in innovation as R&D budgets tighten
Shifted release timelines for new products
Increased consumer hesitation on upgrades

The ripple effects could be significant across the broader tech economy.

Conclusion

Trump’s new tariff strategy presents real challenges for Garmin, threatening to drive up production costs and disrupt carefully optimized supply chains. In the short term, consumers could see noticeable price hikes on Garmin’s most popular devices. In the long term, the company must adapt by diversifying production, investing in domestic facilities, or finding new ways to deliver value.

Garmin has built a strong reputation in the fitness and outdoor tech market. How it navigates this turbulent policy shift may define its trajectory for years to come.

How Trump's Tariffs Could Add $170 to the Apple Watch Price

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 09:40:32 GMT

President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs have sent shockwaves through global markets, placing Apple and its popular wearable devices directly in the spotlight. Analysts now predict that Apple Watch prices could surge by as much as 43% in the coming months, potentially pushing the price of a $399 device to over $570. This article explores the wide-ranging implications of Trump’s "Liberation Day" tariffs, including their effect on Apple Watch pricing, supply chains, and consumer purchasing behavior.

The "Liberation Day" Tariffs: A Global Economic Shake-Up

On April 2, 2025, President Trump unveiled a sweeping tariff initiative dubbed "Liberation Day." Under this plan, all goods imported into the United States face a new 10% baseline tariff, with many countries subject to significantly higher rates. The new tariffs are particularly punitive for countries central to Apple’s manufacturing and supply chains. Vietnam, where roughly 90% of Apple Watches are assembled, now faces a staggering 46% tariff. China, still a crucial part of Apple’s supply network, is hit with a combined 54% levy. Other affected countries include Taiwan, India, and Malaysia, all integral to Apple’s global operations.

These tariffs are intended to incentivize domestic manufacturing and rebalance trade relationships. However, the global response has been swift and combative. China has already announced reciprocal tariffs, while Canada and the European Union have expressed discontent and signaled retaliatory measures. The resulting trade tensions are already reshaping the landscape for multinational companies like Apple.

Apple’s Supply Chain Under Pressure

Apple has spent years diversifying its manufacturing base, moving production away from China to countries like Vietnam and India. Despite these efforts, the company remains deeply reliant on countries now affected by the new tariffs. Approximately 80% of Apple’s production is still tied to China in some form. Even components such as processors, displays, and sensors are sourced from regions now facing import levies.

The Apple Watch is especially vulnerable due to its heavy reliance on Vietnamese assembly and components from Taiwan and China. Each segment of the supply chain is now subject to tariffs, creating a compounding cost effect that dramatically increases the final price of each unit.

Price Hikes Looming for Consumers

The impact of these tariffs is expected to be most visible when Apple releases the Apple Watch Series 11 in September 2025. Analysts warn that the device, if subject to full cost pass-through, could see price increases of up to 43%. This would raise the price of a standard Apple Watch from $399 to approximately $571. Premium models could break the $1,000 mark, significantly altering Apple’s pricing strategy and market positioning.

Some analysts suggest a more conservative increase of around 10%, still enough to influence consumer behavior. The decision of how much of the additional cost Apple absorbs versus passes on will depend on numerous factors, including market competitiveness and customer price sensitivity.

Strategic Challenges and Possible Responses

Apple is now faced with a complex strategic puzzle. The company could attempt to absorb some of the increased costs, though doing so would cut into profit margins. Alternatively, Apple might seek tariff exemptions, a strategy that worked during Trump's previous administration. However, this time the political climate may be less favorable.

Accelerating manufacturing relocation or redesigning products to source components from low-tariff regions are other options, but these are long-term solutions that won’t offer immediate relief. Given the speed at which the tariffs take effect, Apple is likely to face tough decisions about pricing and production very soon.

Consumer Behavior and Market Impact

Consumers will likely respond to price increases in several ways. Some may delay upgrades or opt for lower-tier models. Others might explore alternatives from brands like Samsung, Garmin, or Coros, especially if those companies can maintain more stable pricing.

The introduction of higher tariffs during a period of already high inflation adds to the financial strain many consumers feel. This may normalize elevated prices over time, but in the short term, it could hurt Apple Watch sales and disrupt upgrade cycles.

Broader Economic Implications

The broader economic context amplifies the significance of the new tariffs. Apple’s stock dropped sharply following the announcement, with billions in market value erased in a matter of days. Investors are concerned about shrinking margins and potential declines in sales.

These tariffs also raise wider inflationary concerns. As prices rise across various product categories, economists warn of an inflationary wave that could affect everything from electronics to food. For consumers and businesses alike, these developments signal a period of economic uncertainty.

The Road Ahead

With tariffs set to take effect on April 9, 2025, and the Apple Watch Series 11 expected in September, Apple is on a tight timeline to respond. Consumers watching closely may choose to make purchasing decisions ahead of the tariff impact, while Apple must weigh its strategic options carefully.

Ultimately, the situation underscores the fragile balance between globalization and national economic policy. The Apple Watch, once seen as a symbol of sleek innovation, now becomes a case study in how global politics can reshape the everyday products we rely on.

Key Takeaways

New tariffs could increase Apple Watch prices by 10% to 43%.
The Apple Watch Series 11 will be the first to reflect the full impact.
Apple may pursue exemptions, absorb costs, or redesign products.
Consumer behavior could shift, with delayed purchases and interest in alternatives.
The situation marks a turning point in global supply chain strategy and consumer electronics pricing.

Garmin Connect+ Sparks User Backlash Over New Subscription Fees

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:32:03 GMT

Garmin's recent launch of its subscription service, Garmin Connect+, has sparked widespread controversy and backlash among its user base. This move, which introduces premium features at a cost of $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually, has been met with criticism from loyal customers who feel betrayed by the company’s shift toward a paywalled model. This article explores the reasons behind the backlash, the features of Garmin Connect+, and the broader implications for Garmin’s reputation and business strategy.

Garmin Connect+: What It Offers

Garmin Connect+ is designed as a premium tier within the Garmin Connect app, offering several new features aimed at enhancing the user experience. These include:

Active Intelligence: An AI-powered tool providing personalized health and activity insights.
Performance Dashboard: Advanced visualizations of training data to track progress over time.
Live Activity: Real-time metrics like heart rate and pace during workouts, accessible via smartphones.
Exclusive Coaching Guidance: Personalized training programs with expert content for running and cycling.
Enhanced LiveTrack: Expanded functionality for sharing activity progress with friends and family.
Social Features: Exclusive badges and challenges for motivation.

While these features are optional and do not affect existing free functionalities, they represent a notable shift in Garmin's longstanding value proposition.

The Backlash: Why Are Users Angry?

The launch of Connect+ has ignited frustration across online communities. Users cite several reasons for their dissatisfaction.

Betrayal of Trust

Garmin has built its brand on a no-subscription model. Customers who purchased high-priced devices felt secure knowing they’d have full access to features without recurring charges. Connect+ changes that narrative.

Fear of Subscription Creep

Many fear that while current features remain free, future functionality may increasingly fall behind paywalls. This so-called "subscription creep" could devalue Garmin devices over time.

High Device Costs

Garmin watches already command premium pricing. Adding a subscription on top of devices like the $1,000+ Fenix series feels excessive to many users.

Competitor Comparisons

Other brands like Coros and Suunto still offer full-featured platforms without subscriptions. Garmin's move brings it closer to Fitbit and Whoop, both known for requiring monthly fees.

Perceived Low Value

Some argue that the features offered in Connect+—like AI insights or digital badges—don’t provide enough value to justify the subscription price.

Community Reaction

Reddit threads criticizing the Connect+ rollout have exploded with activity, with many users calling it a "slippery slope" and vowing to look elsewhere for their fitness tracking needs.

Popular reactions include:

“Garmin was great because I didn’t have to pay extra every month. That’s over now.”
“It’s not about the $7. It’s about trust.”
“If they start locking more features behind Connect+, I’m selling my Fenix.”

Broader Implications for Garmin

Damage to Brand Loyalty

Garmin's no-subscription model was a major draw. Reversing course may erode long-standing user trust.

Competitive Landscape

Subscription-free alternatives like Coros could benefit from Garmin’s misstep, especially among cost-conscious and high-end users.

Financial Strategy

Recurring revenue is attractive to investors. Still, Garmin risks alienating its core audience if not handled with transparency.

Risk to Premium Segments

Users of Garmin’s high-end watches—those most likely to feel aggrieved—are also among the most vocal and influential. Losing their support could impact both sales and reputation.

What Garmin Could Do Next

To address the backlash and preserve customer goodwill, Garmin may consider:

Reassuring users that core features will remain free.
Offering clear, tangible value in Connect+ to justify the cost.
Providing discounts or benefits to users of premium devices.
Actively engaging with the community to address concerns.

Conclusion

Garmin Connect+ represents a pivotal moment in Garmin’s evolution as it joins the subscription economy. While the service brings new capabilities, it also challenges the values that endeared Garmin to its user base in the first place.

As the company seeks to balance innovation with user trust, how it handles this rollout will be critical in determining whether Connect+ is seen as a step forward or a stumble that compromises its core identity. For now, the backlash is loud, and Garmin must decide how to respond.

Garmin’s Vivoactive 6 Brings Premium Features to the Masses

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:38:37 GMT

Garmin has recently unveiled its newest addition to the Vivoactive series, the Vivoactive 6, positioning itself as a compelling option within their lineup of fitness-focused smartwatches. This latest iteration aims to bridge the gap between dedicated sports watches and lifestyle-oriented smartwatches, bringing a host of new features that were previously exclusive to Garmin's higher-end models.

What's New in the Vivoactive 6?

While maintaining the core strengths of its predecessor, the Vivoactive 6 introduces enhancements across both hardware and software:

Revamped user interface with new controls and navigation
Added approximately 50 new sport profiles and apps
Smart Wake Alarm that wakes users during light sleep stages
Running Dynamics support including Ground Contact Time and Stride Length
Running Power directly from the wrist
PacePro pacing strategies
Breadcrumb-style Course and Route following
Daily Suggested Walk Workouts
Mobility profile for flexibility and strength
Workout Animations for strength training
Increased data fields per screen (up to 8)
More custom data pages
Added magnetic compass
8GB of internal storage (doubled from 4GB)
Expanded GPS support with Beidou and QZSS

Design and Color Options

The Vivoactive 6 maintains a lightweight, 42mm design and 1.2” AMOLED display (390x390 resolution). It's available in four color options: black, white and gold, green, and pink.

Vivoactive 6 vs. Vivoactive 5: A Comparison

Feature	Vivoactive 6	Vivoactive 5	Notes
User Interface	Revamped, more intuitive controls	Legacy circular controls	Major upgrade
Sport Profiles	+50 new options	Basic profiles	Huge expansion
Running Dynamics	Built-in	Not supported	New
Running Power	Built-in	Not supported	New
PacePro	Included	Not available	New
Course Following	Included	Not available	New
Smart Wake Alarm	Included	Not available	New
Workout Animations	Included	Not available	New
Compass	Magnetic	None	New
Internal Storage	8GB	4GB	Doubled capacity
GNSS Support	GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS	GPS, GLONASS, Galileo	More satellite coverage
Display & Size	1.2" AMOLED, 42mm	1.2" AMOLED, 42mm	Same size, slight brightness boost
Battery Life	11 days smartwatch, 21 hrs GPS	11 days smartwatch, 21 hrs GPS	Similar
Price (USD)	$299	$299 at launch	No change

Core Features That Remain

AMOLED display with vibrant color and touch responsiveness
Elevate Gen4 heart rate sensor with pulse ox
Sleep tracking with sleep score
HRV Status tracking
Offline music from Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music
Activity tracking (steps, calories, etc.)
Body Battery and stress tracking

Competing in the Mid-Range Market

At $299, the Vivoactive 6 aims directly at the Apple Watch SE and Samsung Galaxy Watch FE. While it doesn’t include features like a speaker, microphone, or ECG, it outperforms on fitness tracking thanks to Garmin's robust data ecosystem and GPS capabilities.

Conclusion

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is a well-rounded fitness smartwatch that takes everything people loved about the Vivoactive 5 and builds on it with a more advanced feature set. From breadcrumb navigation and running power to workout animations and an improved UI, it's clear that Garmin is serious about delivering a rich, sport-forward smartwatch experience without creeping into the high-end price range.

For fitness enthusiasts seeking a reliable, data-driven smartwatch at a mid-range price, the Vivoactive 6 checks nearly every box.

Premium on a Budget // Amazfit Bip 6 Impresses at $79

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:38:37 GMT

The Amazfit Bip 6 smartwatch has officially entered the market, offering an impressive array of features at a remarkably low price point of $79.99. As a successor to the Bip 5, this new wearable from Amazfit is packed with upgrades that make it a standout choice for budget-conscious fitness enthusiasts and tech-savvy users alike. Below, we delve into the design, features, performance, and overall value of the Amazfit Bip 6.

Design and Build Quality

The Amazfit Bip 6 sports a lightweight aluminum alloy frame combined with fiber-reinforced polymer, giving it a premium feel without adding bulk. Weighing just 27.9 grams and measuring 10.45mm in thickness, the watch is comfortable to wear for extended periods, including during sleep tracking sessions. Its square-shaped design is reminiscent of the Apple Watch, featuring rounded edges and a flat tempered glass display that enhances durability.

Available in four stylish colorways—Black, Charcoal, Stone, and Red—the Bip 6 offers versatility to match various personal styles. The silicone strap is breathable and washable, making it ideal for workouts and daily use.

Display: Vibrant and Functional

One of the standout features of the Bip 6 is its 1.97-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 380 x 450 pixels. This screen delivers sharp visuals and vibrant colors, boasting an impressive peak brightness of 2,000 nits—making it easily readable even under direct sunlight. The display supports customizable watch faces ranging from classic analog designs to data-packed digital options.

While the screen does not offer an always-on display mode by default (to conserve battery life), users can enable this feature during workouts for continuous visibility of stats.

Battery Life: Exceptional Longevity

Battery life is another area where the Bip 6 excels. Powered by a 340mAh battery, it promises up to two weeks of typical usage or six days with heavy use. Even when enabling power-intensive features like GPS tracking and sleep monitoring, the watch performs admirably. This efficiency makes it a convenient choice for users who prefer minimal charging interruptions.

Charging is facilitated through a magnetic puck compatible with USB-C cords—a practical solution for modern tech users.

Health and Fitness Tracking

The Amazfit Bip 6 is equipped with Amazfit’s advanced BioTracker 6.0 PPG sensor, which provides precise measurements for heart rate, SpO2 levels, stress monitoring, heart rate variability (HRV), and sleep tracking. The sleep tracking feature delivers detailed insights but may occasionally overestimate sleep duration compared to higher-end devices like the Pixel Watch.

With support for over 140 workout modes—including niche activities like kite flying and swing pumping—the Bip 6 caters to diverse fitness needs. Notable additions include HYROX Race tracking and Smart Strength Training, which automatically monitors reps, rest times, and muscle engagement during workouts.

The built-in GPS system enables accurate activity tracking and offline navigation with turn-by-turn directions—a feature typically reserved for high-end smartwatches like Garmin models. However, limitations such as restricted map browsing capabilities may deter advanced users seeking comprehensive navigation tools.

Smart Features

The Bip 6 integrates several smart features that enhance its versatility:

Notifications: Users can receive call alerts, text messages, social media updates, calendar reminders, and more directly on their wrist.
Voice Assistant: The Zepp Flow voice assistant allows hands-free control of settings and readiness scores but exhibits some lag compared to competitors like Siri or Google Assistant.
Camera Remote: A feature exclusive to iPhones enables camera control via the watch.
Offline Maps: While not flawless in execution, this feature offers basic navigation support for outdoor enthusiasts.

However, certain advanced functionalities like mobile payment options are absent—a tradeoff that reflects its budget-friendly pricing.

Software: Zepp OS Integration

The Amazfit Bip 6 runs on Zepp OS rather than Wear OS or other mainstream platforms. While this proprietary operating system ensures compatibility across Android and iOS devices without sacrificing core features, it does come with some drawbacks. Navigation through menus can feel clunky due to questionable design choices like billboard-style animations that slow down interactions.

On the positive side, the Zepp app provides detailed health insights and personalized coaching without requiring premium subscriptions. It also introduces an AI-powered food journal that scans food labels to log nutritional information—a handy tool for users focused on calorie tracking.

Comparison with Competitors

The Bip 6 competes directly with budget smartwatches like Fitbit's discontinued Versa lineup and entry-level Garmin models. Despite its affordable price tag:

It offers features like offline maps and dual-band GNSS navigation that are typically found in high-end devices costing several times more.
Its heart rate accuracy rivals pricier options like the Apple Watch Ultra 2 during casual fitness tracking sessions.
The AMOLED display matches premium standards seen in flagship smartwatches like Apple Watch Series models.

However, limitations in software polish and GPS navigation mean it may not fully replace higher-end alternatives for advanced users.

Pricing and Availability

At $79.99 (£79.90), the Amazfit Bip 6 delivers tremendous value for its price. Compared to its predecessor—the Bip 5—it introduces significant upgrades in display technology (AMOLED vs. TFT), battery life (14 days vs. 10 days), health sensors (BioTracker 6.0 vs. older versions), and build quality (aluminum alloy frame).

Its affordability makes it an attractive option for first-time smartwatch buyers or those seeking robust functionality without splurging on flagship models.

Conclusion: A Game-Changer in Budget Wearables

The Amazfit Bip 6 redefines what consumers can expect from affordable smartwatches by packing premium features into a sub-$100 device. With its vibrant AMOLED display, long-lasting battery life, comprehensive fitness tracking capabilities, and stylish design, it emerges as a compelling choice for everyday use.

While minor software quirks may detract from its overall experience for advanced users accustomed to high-end devices, these shortcomings are easily outweighed by its exceptional value proposition. For anyone looking to enter the smartwatch market without b

Rucking and Breathing Insights // Inside the Latest Garmin Fenix 8 Beta

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 16:38:37 GMT

Garmin continues to refine its flagship Fenix 8 smartwatch series with the release of beta versions 15.16 and 15.17, showcasing its commitment to innovation and user-centric development. These updates introduce new features and improvements tailored to specific user needs, further solidifying the Fenix 8 as a top-tier choice for outdoor enthusiasts, tactical users, and athletes.

Beta Version 15.16: Rucking Activity and Expanded Features

Released on March 27, 2025, beta version 15.16 introduced over 60 changes, including the addition of a dedicated Rucking activity. This feature allows users to log the weight of their backpack during walking or hiking, enhancing fitness tracking by accounting for the added resistance. Rucking, rooted in military training, is gaining popularity as a functional workout that builds endurance and strength.

Key Features in Beta Version 15.16:

Rucking Activity: Tracks pack weight, load-adjusted pace, calorie burn, and endurance metrics.
Rep-Counting 3.0: Improved functionality for strength training.
Voice Commands: Expanded support for activities like Jumpmaster and Dive Planning.
Daily Suggested Workouts: Enhanced visibility in the Garmin Connect app.
Activity Improvements: Updates to Climbing and Jump Rope profiles.
Morning Report Redesign: Includes updated weather layouts.
Body Battery Display: Now provides a 24-hour summary graph.

This update also delivered bug fixes across features like passcodes and skin temperature measurements. However, ECG and Dive functionalities remained disabled during beta testing.

Beta Version 15.17: Breathing Variations Support and Golf Notifications

Released just a day later on March 28, beta version 15.17 introduced additional refinements focused on wellness and activity enhancements.

Key Features in Beta Version 15.17:

Breathing Variations Support: Enhances sleep and stress analysis.
Golf Notifications: Wake the display for improved readability during golf activities.
Navigation Enhancements: Adjusted directional arrow sizing for better map navigation.
Music Player Layout: Refined interface for controlling smartphone music.
Bug Fixes: Addressed memory issues affecting navigation reliability.

As with the previous beta, ECG and Dive features remained inactive.

Impact of Updates on User Experience

Catering to Niche Activities

The inclusion of Rucking underscores Garmin's attention to specialized fitness activities.
Golf improvements cater to a key segment of Garmin’s premium smartwatch users.

Wellness Tracking Enhancements

Breathing Variations adds new depth to Garmin’s wellness insights.
Updates complement existing Body Battery and stress tracking features.

Navigation Reliability

Fixes in beta 15.17 improve outdoor navigation experiences, especially for hiking and trail running.

Music Control Optimization

UI tweaks to the music player offer easier controls, enhancing smartwatch functionality.

Challenges in Development

ECG Functionality: Still disabled, possibly due to ongoing regulatory or technical hurdles.
Dive Features: Yet to be rolled out, limiting the appeal to diving users despite hardware readiness.

Conclusion

The Fenix 8 series continues to evolve as Garmin integrates innovative features through rapid beta updates. With additions like Rucking activity tracking and Breathing Variations Support, Garmin demonstrates its commitment to catering to diverse user needs while maintaining its reputation as a leader in multisport smartwatches.

These updates not only enhance the watch's functionality but also position it as a versatile tool for outdoor enthusiasts, tactical users, golfers, and wellness-focused individuals. As Garmin prepares for stable releases of these features, the Fenix 8 series remains an essential choice for those seeking cutting-edge technology combined with rugged durability.

Garmin Connect+ // AI, LiveTrack, and Enhanced Training Tools

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 07:32:03 GMT

The landscape of fitness technology is ever-evolving, and with it, the monetization strategies of the companies that power our tracking and training. Garmin, a long-standing titan in the world of GPS watches and fitness trackers, has recently made a significant shift by introducing its first paid subscription tier for Garmin Connect, dubbed Garmin Connect+. This move, announced in early 2025, has sparked considerable discussion among users, raising questions about value, the future of the free Garmin Connect platform, and the broader trend of subscriptions in the fitness tech industry.

Garmin Connect+ at a Glance: What's Included?

The new premium plan, Garmin Connect+, is available for $6.99 per month or $69 per year in the USA. A 30-day free trial is available to all Garmin users, allowing them to explore the new features before committing to a paid plan. The subscription unlocks the following features:

Active Intelligence

Powered by AI, this feature provides personalized insights and suggestions based on a user's health and activity data.
The AI offers daily summaries, workout follow-ups, and end-of-day guidance, potentially incorporating metrics like sleep quality, HRV, and training load.
While promising, early reports suggest mixed results with some insights appearing too generic.

Performance Dashboard

Provides customizable graphs and charts via the Garmin Connect web interface.
Allows comparison of fitness data over time, such as power zones, distance trends, and pace progress.
Exclusive to the web platform at launch, raising concerns about accessibility for mobile users.

Live Activity

Allows real-time mirroring of workout data from Garmin watches to the Garmin Connect app during indoor workouts.
Especially useful for activities like treadmill running and strength training, providing a larger view of metrics.
Currently limited to indoor activities, but expected to expand in the future.

Training Guidance

Enhanced educational content for Garmin Coach users, including expert tips and videos to improve training.
Differentiated from AI insights, focusing more on structured training plans and advice.

Expanded LiveTrack Features

Offers automatic text notifications for designated contacts when activities begin or end.
Provides personalized LiveTrack profile pages with previous activity history.
Allows users to embed LiveTrack maps on other websites.

Social Features

Includes custom profile frames and exclusive badge challenges.
Gamification aspects intended to enhance user engagement but viewed as less essential by most.

User Reactions and Industry Trends

The introduction of Garmin Connect+ has been met with a spectrum of reactions. While some users appreciate the enhanced features, others are frustrated by the paywall imposed on functionalities they feel should be included with Garmin's premium-priced devices.

Key Concerns

Garmin previously emphasized the free nature of Garmin Connect, and users worry that valuable features will increasingly be gated behind subscriptions.
Comparison to competitors like Apple and Coros who offer similar features without additional fees.
Fear that future software improvements may focus more on Connect+ users than those on the free platform.

Industry Perspective

Subscription-based models are becoming standard in the fitness tech industry, with competitors like Whoop, Fitbit, and Apple all offering paid services.
Garmin's move into this space reflects broader trends toward monetizing software features rather than relying solely on hardware sales.

Conclusion

The launch of Garmin Connect+ marks a significant shift in Garmin's strategy. While the new features offer potential value for those willing to pay, many users feel this is a step away from Garmin’s original promise of accessible fitness tracking. The coming months will reveal whether Connect+ can strike the right balance between offering premium features while continuing to support the robust free platform Garmin users have come to expect.

Apple Watch’s Big Leap // Cameras and AI by 2027

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 05:32:03 GMT

The integration of cameras into future Apple Watch models represents a pivotal shift in wearable technology, positioning the device as a hub for artificial intelligence (AI)-driven interactions. According to recent reports, Apple plans to embed cameras in both the standard Apple Watch Series and Ultra variants by 2027, enabling advanced "Visual Intelligence" features that allow the device to interpret and respond to its surroundings. This innovation aims to transcend traditional health and notification functions, transforming the Apple Watch into a proactive AI assistant capable of object recognition, environmental analysis, and contextual information retrieval.

Evolution of the Apple Watch: From Fitness Tracker to AI-Powered Companion

The Foundation of Health-Centric Design

Since its debut in 2015, the Apple Watch has prioritized health monitoring, integrating sensors for heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, and electrocardiogram (ECG) readings. The Series 9 and Ultra 2 models refined these capabilities with temperature sensing and improved GPS accuracy. However, the device’s reliance on iPhone pairing limited its autonomy.

The AI Inflection Point

Apple’s 2024 "Apple Intelligence" rollout introduced foundational AI models for text prediction and health insights. The proposed camera integration aims to enable real-time environmental analysis, enhancing health metrics and enabling new functionalities such as translating foreign text or identifying hazardous objects.

Technical Implementation of Camera Integration

Design Challenges and Innovations

Apple is testing under-display camera technology for the standard model, while the Ultra model will feature a side-mounted camera near the digital crown. These designs aim to balance image quality and aesthetic integrity.

Sensor Specifications and Performance

The Ultra’s camera may use a 1/2.8" CMOS sensor with 0.1 lux low-light sensitivity, enabling functionality in diverse environments. Computational photography techniques will enhance image quality despite motion blur from wrist movements.

Power Management and Thermal Constraints

To address power consumption, Apple is developing a hybrid processing system where initial image capture occurs on-device, with further analysis offloaded to the iPhone or cloud. Improved thermal management from the S10 chip’s 3nm architecture will help maintain user comfort.

Visual Intelligence: Core Features and Applications

Real-Time Object Recognition

The Apple Watch will use AI to identify objects in the environment and provide relevant information, such as translating text or providing health-related alerts.

Enhanced Accessibility and Language Translation

The wrist-mounted camera will improve gesture recognition and text translation, making the Apple Watch a valuable tool for accessibility.

Health Monitoring Advancements

Apple is exploring health-related functionalities such as hemoglobin measurement and skin cancer screening through visual analysis of skin patterns.

Market Implications and Competitive Landscape

Projected Adoption Rates

The smartwatch market is expected to grow significantly, driven by AI enhancements. Apple’s integration of Visual Intelligence could boost adoption rates, particularly in regions with high disposable income.

Competitive Responses

While Samsung and Garmin focus on video call functionality and rugged designs, Apple’s emphasis on AI-powered contextual awareness sets it apart.

Ethical Considerations and Privacy Safeguards

Surveillance Concerns

Apple addresses privacy concerns through hardware indicators and on-device processing, ensuring that only anonymized metadata is shared with cloud servers.

Regulatory Compliance

Apple is working to comply with the EU’s AI Act, which mandates transparency for biometric data collection.

Future Directions

Towards Autonomous Wearable AI

Future models may eliminate iPhone dependency through on-device large language models and satellite connectivity for cloud-free operation.

Integration with Augmented Reality

Apple’s Vision Pro AR glasses could integrate with the watch camera for enhanced spatial computing capabilities.

Conclusion

The camera-equipped Apple Watch represents a paradigm shift in wearable technology, transitioning from reactive health tracking to proactive environmental interaction. By harnessing Visual Intelligence, Apple aims to create a new standard for wearable technology, balancing AI capabilities with user trust and privacy considerations.

Amazfit Users Frustrated Over Zepp App 9.5 Bug // What's Going Wrong?

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:32:03 GMT

The latest update to the Zepp app, version 9.5, has left many Amazfit smartwatch users frustrated and concerned about the accuracy of their fitness tracking. A significant bug has emerged, affecting crucial metrics such as the Exertion score, Training Status, and Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) points. This issue has sparked discussions across various platforms, with users seeking answers and solutions from Zepp Health, the parent company of Amazfit.

The Exertion Score Bug

What is the Exertion Score?

The Exertion score is a relatively new feature introduced with Zepp App 9, designed to help users track their daily energy expenditure. This metric aims to provide a comprehensive view of a user's physical activity and recovery, encouraging them to reach a 100% score through workouts. The score is calculated using personal recovery data and Readiness information, offering a personalized goal for each user.

The Problem

Following the Zepp App 9.5 update, users have reported significant issues with their Exertion scores. The problems include:

Scores not reflecting recent workouts
Exertion scores resetting to 0 after activities
Unexpected drops in progress despite consistent exercise

These issues are not isolated to a single Amazfit model but have been reported across various devices, including the popular Bip 3 Pro and T-Rex 3 smartwatches.

Impact on Other Metrics

Training Status

Users have also reported issues with their Training Status, which helps athletes understand their fitness level and recovery needs. Inaccurate data could lead to improper training decisions, potentially affecting performance and increasing the risk of overtraining or undertraining.

Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI)

The PAI metric, developed in collaboration with researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is also affected. Users are not receiving accurate PAI scores, undermining their fitness tracking efforts.

Technical Details of the Bug

Affected Versions

The bug appears to be linked to Zepp App version 9.5. While iOS users have received subsequent updates (versions 9.5.1 and 9.5.2), Android users remain on version 9.5.0. It's unclear if these updates have resolved the issue for iOS users.

Possible Causes

Data synchronization issues between the smartwatch and the Zepp app
Errors in the algorithm calculating the Exertion score and related metrics
Conflicts with other recent updates or features introduced in version 9.5

User Impact and Reactions

Fitness Tracking Disruptions

Accurate data is essential for users to monitor progress, set goals, and make informed training decisions. The sudden unreliability of key metrics has left many users feeling frustrated and uncertain about their fitness data.

Community Response

The Amazfit user community has been actively discussing the issue on Reddit, YouTube, and forums like XDA, with many seeking solutions and temporary fixes.

Potential Solutions and Workarounds

While waiting for an official fix from Zepp Health, users have attempted various workarounds:

Restarting the Zepp app
Restarting Bluetooth and location services
Restarting the Amazfit smartwatch
Clearing the app’s cache
Unpairing and re-pairing the smartwatch with the phone

Looking Forward: What’s Next?

Zepp Health has yet to release an official statement acknowledging the issue. Users are encouraged to report problems via the Zepp app under "Profile > User Feedback." Regular updates and open communication from Zepp Health will be crucial to restoring user trust and maintaining their competitiveness in the smartwatch market.

Conclusion

The Zepp App 9.5 update bug affecting Amazfit smartwatches highlights the ongoing challenges of maintaining reliable fitness tracking systems. How Zepp Health addresses this issue will significantly impact user satisfaction and their position in the competitive wearable market.

Polar and TrainingPeaks // A New Era of Structured Training

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 14:32:03 GMT

Polar, a leader in sports and fitness technology, has announced a groundbreaking integration with TrainingPeaks, a popular app for endurance athletes and coaches. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Polar's ecosystem, offering enhanced functionality and convenience for athletes of all levels. Below is an in-depth exploration of this new agreement, its features, benefits, and implications for users.

Overview of the Integration

The partnership between Polar and TrainingPeaks allows users to seamlessly sync structured workouts and training plans from TrainingPeaks to Polar's sports watches via the Polar Flow app. This integration is currently available as a public beta and is compatible with all current Polar sports watches, as well as many older models like the Polar Vantage V and M430.

Key Features:

Automatic Syncing: Workouts created on TrainingPeaks or prescribed by a coach are automatically transferred to the Polar Flow app and subsequently to the user's watch.
Real-Time Guidance: During training sessions, users receive real-time instructions on metrics such as heart rate zones, speed, and power targets.
Post-Workout Analysis: After completing a session, workout data is automatically synced back to TrainingPeaks for detailed analysis.

How It Works

To enable the integration:

Users must link their Polar Flow account with their TrainingPeaks account through the app's settings.
Once connected, planned workouts from TrainingPeaks appear on the user's Polar watch in real time.
The watch provides phase-by-phase guidance during workouts, ensuring athletes meet their training goals effectively.

This feature supports both free and premium TrainingPeaks subscriptions. New Polar device purchases also come with a complimentary 30-day trial of TrainingPeaks Premium, offering access to advanced analytics and customizable workout builders.

Benefits for Athletes

1. Enhanced Convenience
- Automatic syncing saves time and reduces the risk of errors when transferring data.
1. Improved Performance Tracking
- Real-time feedback during workouts helps athletes stay within target zones.
1. Comprehensive Analysis
- Post-workout data is sent back to TrainingPeaks for deeper insights, allowing coaches to refine training plans.
1. Compatibility Across Devices
- Integration works with most Polar watches, including older models, making it accessible to a broad range of users.

Technical Details

Supported Features:

Structured workouts
Real-time guidance on heart rate zones, speed, and power
Automatic mapping of expanded training zones into Polar's five-zone system
Compatibility with activities like running, cycling, swimming, and strength training.

Getting Started:

Users can activate the feature through the Polar Flow app by navigating to "Settings > Partners > Connect > TrainingPeaks." Feedback from beta testers will be used to refine the experience.

Implications for the Fitness Industry

This collaboration positions Polar as a more competitive player in the wearables market, dominated by brands like Garmin and Apple. By integrating with TrainingPeaks—a platform widely regarded as essential for endurance athletes—Polar is addressing a key gap in its ecosystem.

Competitive Edge:

Aligns Polar with industry leaders who already offer similar features.
Enhances Polar's appeal among athletes who value data-driven training.

Future Potential:

The partnership could pave the way for additional integrations with other fitness platforms, further expanding Polar’s ecosystem.

Conclusion

Polar's new agreement with TrainingPeaks represents a significant step forward in wearable fitness technology. By combining Polar’s expertise in heart rate monitoring with TrainingPeaks’ robust training tools, this integration offers unparalleled convenience and functionality for athletes. As the beta phase progresses and user feedback is incorporated, this integration is likely to become an indispensable feature for Polar users worldwide.

Suunto Vertical Week 2025 // Climbing for a Cause

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:32:03 GMT

The Suunto Vertical Week 2025 was a remarkable global event that united nearly 240,000 participants in a collective effort to climb over 121 million vertical meters. This annual celebration of elevation gain, organized by Suunto, offered a unique blend of physical challenge, community spirit, and environmental advocacy.

Record-Breaking Achievements

Participants collectively climbed 121 million vertical meters, surpassing the initial goal of 1 million meters by an extraordinary margin of 121 times. The event attracted nearly 240,000 participants from around the world, marking it as one of the most successful editions in its history.

Diverse Activities and Global Participation

The event welcomed athletes and outdoor enthusiasts from various disciplines, including trail running, skiing, hiking, cycling, and mountaineering. It encouraged participants to engage in muscle-powered activities to contribute to their total elevation gain.

Environmental Advocacy

Suunto partnered with Protect Our Winters (POW) Europe to raise awareness about climate change. For every 100 vertical meters climbed, €1 was donated to POW Europe, up to a limit of €10,000. This initiative highlighted the event's commitment to sustainability and protecting natural environments.

Competitive Spirit

The event featured country rankings based on average ascent per session and total ascent. Austria led in average ascent per session (399m), while France topped the total ascent rankings. Individual achievements were also celebrated, with ten participants climbing over 14,000 meters during the week.

Innovative Tools and Features

Participants used Suunto's advanced GPS watches and apps to track their progress. Features like Climb Guidance, altitude profiles, vertical speed tracking, and Normalized Graded Pace enhanced the experience. The SuuntoPlus Vertical Week app allowed real-time monitoring of cumulative ascent and provided comparisons with previous years' rankings.

Prizes and Community Engagement

Suunto incentivized participation by offering prizes such as the Suunto Vertical Titanium watch and Suunto Wing headphones. Winners were selected from participants who joined through the Suunto app. A Strava challenge was also integrated into the event for broader community engagement.

National and Activity-Based Achievements

The event highlighted which countries excelled in specific activities:

Spain dominated trekking activities with an average ascent of 628m per session.
Slovenia led hiking with an average ascent of 555m per session.
Italy excelled in cross-country skiing with an average ascent of 340m per session.

What Made This Event Special?

Global Unity for a Cause: The event brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds to achieve a common goal while supporting environmental conservation.
Focus on Sustainability: Linking physical activity with climate advocacy through donations to POW Europe emphasized the importance of protecting outdoor spaces.
Advanced Technology Integration: Suunto's cutting-edge tools empowered participants to optimize their performance and enjoy a seamless experience.
Community Spirit: The combination of friendly competition, shared goals, and rewards fostered a sense of camaraderie among participants.

Conclusion

Suunto Vertical Week 2025 was not just an athletic challenge but a celebration of human endurance, environmental stewardship, and technological innovation. It set new benchmarks for participation and impact while inspiring individuals worldwide to keep climbing—for themselves and for the planet.

The DMA // A Game-Changer for All Wearable Brands (like Garmin)

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:32:03 GMT

The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) represents one of the most significant regulatory interventions in the digital economy in recent years, with far-reaching implications for wearable technology manufacturers across the industry. As the legislation reshapes how tech giants operate within the EU, it creates unprecedented opportunities for companies striving to offer improved integration with previously closed ecosystems. This comprehensive analysis explores how the DMA is fundamentally altering the playing field for wearable companies and what consumers can expect in the coming years.

The Digital Markets Act: A Regulatory Revolution

The Digital Markets Act, which came into force in May 2023, represents the European Union's most ambitious attempt to regulate digital markets and promote fair competition. Unlike previous frameworks, the DMA targets large online platforms—designated as "gatekeepers"—that control critical digital infrastructure, imposing strict rules on their operations.

Defining the Gatekeepers

The European Commission has designated six companies as gatekeepers: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft. To qualify, a company must have a strong economic position, operate in multiple EU countries, and connect a large consumer base to many businesses. Apple's designation is particularly relevant, as iOS restrictions have long created barriers for third-party wearable integration.

Current State of Wearable Integration

Before the DMA, wearable manufacturers faced significant challenges integrating their devices with iOS:

Limited notification functionality
No ability to reply to messages
Lack of background connectivity
Strict restrictions on third-party apps and watch faces

This has created a fundamentally different user experience for iPhone users compared to Android users, where most features work seamlessly.

How the DMA Changes Everything

The DMA's interoperability requirements mandate that gatekeepers like Apple must provide "free and effective interoperability" with third-party devices. This means wearable manufacturers can expect:

Enhanced notifications
Improved background syncing
Better device pairing
Potential cellular integration

The European Commission has warned Apple about compliance, with a full implementation deadline set for mid-2026.

What This Means for Wearable Companies

For wearable manufacturers, the DMA could eliminate many of the integration disadvantages their devices face when paired with iPhones and other closed systems. This change could transform the competitive landscape by allowing companies to offer a more cohesive experience across multiple platforms.

Challenges and Opportunities

Implementing these changes will require significant technical effort from gatekeepers and wearable companies alike. However, the potential benefits in improved functionality, expanded market share, and enhanced consumer choice make the challenge worth tackling.

Conclusion

The EU’s DMA marks a turning point in the wearable technology landscape. For companies across the industry, this regulation could represent their best opportunity yet to compete on a level playing field with the dominant ecosystem controllers. As 2026 approaches, the industry will be watching closely to see how these changes unfold.

Why 66% of Garmin Users Aren't Switching Despite Major Outage

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:32:03 GMT

The January 2025 Garmin global outage—dubbed "Garmageddon III" by frustrated users—presented a significant test for the company's relationship with its customers. Despite thousands of smartwatches displaying the dreaded "blue triangle of death" and leaving fitness enthusiasts unable to track their activities, a surprising majority of users remained loyal to the brand. A poll conducted by TechRadar shortly after the incident revealed that 66% of respondents (246 out of 356) expressed continued trust in Garmin and had no intention of switching to competitor devices. This remarkable display of brand resilience offers valuable insights into how specialized technology companies can maintain customer loyalty even through significant service disruptions.

The January 2025 Garmin Crisis: Anatomy of a Global Crash

In late January 2025, Garmin users worldwide suddenly found their devices unresponsive when attempting to use GPS-related functions. The issue, which became known as "Garmageddon III," manifested as devices freezing on the startup screen or displaying a flashing blue triangle icon. The root cause was traced back to expired or corrupted satellite pre-cache files, which triggered system crashes across a wide range of Garmin's most popular models.

Affected Devices

The outage impacted several Garmin devices, including:

Forerunner Series (165/255/265/955/965)
Vivoactive 5
Venu 3 Series
Edge 1040 and other Edge series cycling computers
Descent Mk3
Epix Gen2
Fenix 7 and 8 Series
Instinct 3 Series
Tactix 7 Series

User Impact

The timing of the crash was particularly disruptive for dedicated athletes. Social media platforms and forums quickly filled with complaints from frustrated users unable to record their workouts. Notably, DCRainmaker was among the first to document the widespread nature of the problem.

Garmin’s Response

Garmin's initial response was somewhat restrained, acknowledging the issue via a brief statement on their website and offering a temporary fix. The company quickly isolated the issue to corrupted satellite files and provided instructions for users to manually remove the corrupted files.

Brand Loyalty Factors

Despite the disruption, many users remained loyal to Garmin due to several factors:

Specialized features for serious athletes
Superior battery life
Durable, reliable hardware
Significant investment in the Garmin Connect ecosystem

Lessons Learned

Garmin's resilience highlights several key lessons:

Specialization creates forgiveness
Perceptions of hardware reliability can outweigh software issues
Communication during crises is essential
Rapid identification and fixes can mitigate damage

The Future for Garmin

Garmin’s ability to maintain brand loyalty despite service disruptions underscores the importance of consistent product quality and specialized features. However, the one-third of users who expressed dissatisfaction signals that Garmin still has work to do to address emerging challenges in the wearable technology space.

How Apple’s Liquid Sensor Patent Could Make Apple Watch a Medical Powerhouse

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 12:46:37 GMT

Apple has recently been granted a patent for an innovative blood pressure monitoring system that utilizes a liquid-filled sensor, potentially bringing this long-awaited health feature to future Apple Watch models. This technology represents a significant leap in wearable health monitoring, using a new approach inspired by traditional blood pressure measurement but adapted for wrist-worn applications. The advancement could position Apple at the forefront of cardiovascular health tracking, making continuous and reliable blood pressure monitoring a reality for millions of users.

The Evolution of Health Monitoring in Apple Watch

Since its launch, the Apple Watch has steadily evolved into a powerful health tool, adding features such as heart rate tracking, ECG readings, blood oxygen monitoring, and even sleep tracking. However, blood pressure measurement has remained a missing feature, largely due to the technical challenges of miniaturizing an accurate monitoring system into a wrist-worn device.

Apple has been exploring various patented methods for blood pressure tracking for years. Previous attempts by competitors, such as Samsung and Huawei, have used optical sensors to estimate blood pressure, but these have faced accuracy issues, requiring frequent calibration. Apple's latest patent suggests a more sophisticated liquid-based approach that could finally solve these challenges.

Apple's Liquid Sensor Patent: A Breakthrough in Blood Pressure Tracking

The newly granted patent describes a wearable blood pressure monitoring system that uses a liquid-filled sensor chamber rather than traditional air-based systems. This chamber, embedded in the Apple Watch’s band, works alongside a pump and inflatable compression system to measure systolic and diastolic pressure with greater accuracy.

How It Works

The inflatable chamber applies controlled pressure to the wrist.
A liquid-filled sensing chamber detects minute vibrations and pressure fluctuations in the arteries.
A vibration sensor identifies the key points where blood flow resumes after compression (mimicking traditional blood pressure cuff readings).
The system records systolic and diastolic readings based on precise pressure changes.

Unlike air-filled systems, liquid sensors are non-compressible, allowing for more accurate transmission of pressure fluctuations. This could result in far greater precision than current smartwatch-based blood pressure monitoring solutions.

Why Liquid Sensors Matter

One of the biggest challenges in wrist-based blood pressure monitoring is accuracy. Medical professionals traditionally use upper-arm cuffs because they fully occlude the brachial artery, providing highly accurate readings. The wrist, however, presents challenges due to its smaller arteries and greater movement variability.

Apple’s liquid sensor system could solve this by:

Providing more stable pressure transmission than air-based cuffs.
Offering better sensitivity to detect blood flow changes.
Reducing the need for frequent recalibration, improving user experience.

Competitive Landscape: How Apple Stacks Up

While Samsung and Huawei have introduced blood pressure monitoring features in their smartwatches, these implementations require frequent calibration and have limited clinical reliability.

If Apple can deliver a clinically validated blood pressure tracking system with higher accuracy, it could dominate this space—potentially making the Apple Watch a must-have medical device for users with hypertension or cardiovascular conditions.

When Could This Feature Launch?

While patents don’t guarantee an immediate product launch, industry analysts predict that blood pressure monitoring could arrive in the Apple Watch Series 11 or Ultra 3 in late 2025. Apple has historically waited until its health features meet high accuracy standards before releasing them, so the feature might still be undergoing development and regulatory approval.

The Future of Apple Watch as a Medical Device

Apple’s investment in health tech suggests that the Apple Watch will continue evolving beyond fitness tracking into a serious medical-grade wearable. This new blood pressure sensor could pave the way for further advancements, such as:

Continuous blood pressure monitoring without manual checks.
Integration with Apple Health for long-term tracking and doctor insights.
New AI-powered health analytics to predict cardiovascular risks.

Conclusion

Apple’s newly patented liquid-based blood pressure monitoring system could revolutionize wearable health tracking by bringing accurate, clinically useful blood pressure readings to the Apple Watch. If successfully implemented, this feature would make Apple’s smartwatch one of the most advanced health wearables available—bridging the gap between consumer technology and real medical-grade monitoring.

While the timeline for release is uncertain, this patent shows that Apple is committed to solving one of the most complex challenges in smartwatch health tracking. As wearable technology continues to evolve, Apple’s innovation in blood pressure monitoring could have a major impact on how millions of users manage their cardiovascular health.

Garmin Study Confirms // More Exercise Equals More Happiness

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:50:03 GMT

Garmin's collaborative research with Harvard and Oxford universities has uncovered compelling evidence linking daily exercise habits to happiness levels, with data suggesting that burning more calories correlates directly with greater subjective wellbeing. The groundbreaking study, launched in mid-2024, leverages smartwatch technology to provide unprecedented insights into the relationship between physical activity, sleep patterns, and emotional wellbeing.

Groundbreaking Research Partnership Examines Happiness Metrics

Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) has released preliminary findings from its innovative Health and Happiness Study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from Harvard University and Oxford University. Launched in June 2024 at the Lugano Happiness Forum, this pioneering research examines the complex relationship between happiness and wellbeing using data collected from smartwatches and smartphones.

The study represents a significant advancement in understanding happiness determinants through wearable technology. As the exclusive smartwatch provider for the research, Garmin's role involves leveraging high-quality sensor data from its devices to track various physiological and activity metrics that might influence happiness levels.

"As a collaborator on more than 1,000 research studies and clinical trials, the Garmin Health team is uniquely positioned to provide smartwatches with excellent battery performance, high-quality sensors, and dynamic API or SDK integration for monitoring and reporting," explained Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing.

Innovative Methodology Combines Subjective Reports and Objective Measurements

The research methodology combines traditional subjective happiness reporting with objective biometric data. Participants receive surveys on their smartphones three times daily, asking them to identify their current happiness levels and recent activities. These self-reports are then cross-referenced with data collected from their Garmin smartwatches, creating a comprehensive picture of how various factors influence wellbeing.

This approach allows researchers to establish connections between subjective experiences of happiness and objective measurements like physical activity, sleep quality, and heart rate variability. The pilot study demonstrated high retention rates, suggesting participants found value in monitoring their emotional states throughout the day.

Key Findings: The Exercise-Happiness Connection

Direct Correlation Between Calorie Expenditure and Happiness

Perhaps most notably, the data revealed a clear pattern: increased physical activity directly correlates with higher happiness levels. According to Garmin's analysis, there appears to be a dose-response relationship – the more calories a person burns during workouts, the higher their subjective feeling of happiness.

Garmin shared a graph constructed from the study data visualizing this relationship, showing a positive correlation between calorie expenditure and happiness ratings. This finding supports what many fitness enthusiasts have long suspected – regular exercise contributes significantly to emotional wellbeing beyond just physical health benefits.

Sleep Quality's Critical Role in Happiness

The study also confirmed the essential role of adequate sleep in maintaining positive emotional states. Participants who consistently achieved quality sleep, as measured by their Garmin devices, reported higher happiness levels and reduced stress compared to those with poor sleep patterns.

This finding underscores the interconnected nature of physical wellbeing and emotional health, suggesting that comprehensive wellness approaches should address both activity levels and recovery periods.

Age-Related Emotional Stability Patterns

Interestingly, the research uncovered variations in emotional stability across different age groups. Older adults demonstrated more consistent emotional states, while younger participants showed greater variability in their happiness levels throughout the day.

This pattern suggests that emotional regulation may naturally improve with age, potentially offering insights into how different demographic groups might approach happiness and stress management.

Social Activities Boost Happiness Significantly

Beyond physical metrics, the study found that participants reported feeling happiest when engaged in cultural and social activities, during meals, or while spending time with friends and family. This finding highlights the multidimensional nature of happiness, incorporating both physiological and social components.

"Respondents were found to be happiest when involved in cultural and social activities, eating, or spending time with friends and family," the research noted, suggesting that a balanced approach to wellbeing should include both physical activity and meaningful social connections.

Expanding Research Scale and Future Implications

Following the promising results from the pilot phase, researchers are now expanding the study to include more than 10,000 participants worldwide. This larger sample will help corroborate the initial findings and potentially uncover additional patterns and correlations between physical activity, sleep, and happiness.

Micah Kaats, Principal Investigator from Harvard University, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: "The Health and Happiness Study is thrilled to work with Garmin as our exclusive smartwatch collaborator. Garmin's unique combination of advanced wearable technology, a health-conscious user base, and a strong commitment to improving lives through data makes them the ideal partner for this groundbreaking research".

Potential Applications for Health Policy and Technology

The findings from this study could have far-reaching implications for both health policy and wearable technology development. By establishing clearer links between physical activity patterns and mental wellbeing, the research may inform more effective public health initiatives aimed at improving population happiness.

For Garmin and other wearable technology companies, these insights could guide the development of more sophisticated wellness features that go beyond simple activity tracking to provide meaningful guidance for emotional wellbeing.

Conclusion: The Measurable Path to Happiness

While the study's initial results need further corroboration through the expanded global research phase, they provide compelling evidence for what many have intuitively understood: regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and meaningful social engagement significantly contribute to happiness and reduce stress levels.

As wearable technology continues to evolve, studies like Garmin's Health and Happiness research demonstrate how these devices can move beyond basic fitness tracking to provide deeper insights into the complex factors that influence our overall wellbeing. For Garmin users and the general public alike, the message appears clear – maintaining active lifestyles and prioritizing adequate sleep represents a measurable path toward greater happiness.

The study continues to accept applicants as it expands to its full global scale, potentially offering even more nuanced understandings of the relationship between physical activity and happiness in the coming years.

More details on Garmin's website

Apple's Detachable Watch Patent // Redefining Continuous Health Monitoring

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:46:37 GMT

Apple has been granted a groundbreaking patent for a future Apple Watch featuring a detachable watch body that allows health sensors embedded in the band to continue monitoring a user's vital signs even when the main watch unit is removed. This design could transform how users interact with wearable health technology by solving a persistent challenge: maintaining continuous health monitoring during charging cycles and other situations when wearing the full watch is impractical.

The patent, officially granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on March 18, 2025, represents a major evolution in Apple's wearable strategy and could position the company’s health monitoring capabilities closer to dedicated fitness trackers like Whoop, which focus on uninterrupted biometric tracking.

The Patent's Core Innovation: Splitting Functions Between Watch Body and Band

The newly granted patent describes a smartwatch system consisting of two key components that can function both together and independently: a detachable watch body and a sensor-equipped band. This approach addresses several limitations of current wearable technology by dividing functionality between the two elements based on how frequently certain features are needed.

According to the patent, the band would house sensors necessary for continuous health monitoring, allowing it to remain on the user’s wrist while the main watch body—containing the display, processor, and other power-intensive components—can be removed for charging or during activities where a full watch might be cumbersome.

"Systems of the present disclosure can provide a watch with a watch body and a band device that can be used together or independently of one another," states the patent. "The band device can provide continual operation of its functions even in the absence of the watch body."

This design eliminates a key problem with current smartwatches: removing the watch for charging results in gaps in health data collection, which can be particularly problematic for sleep tracking and continuous heart rate monitoring.

Facilitating Multiple Operation Modes

A key aspect of the patent is its focus on facilitating operation in multiple modes to provide flexibility while maintaining core health tracking functionality. This modular approach signals a shift in wearable design, where smartwatches evolve into more adaptable systems.

The patent explains: "Neither the watch body nor the band device need to independently include components that provide every function that will be desired by the user. Instead, functions that are desired on a continual or long-term basis can be provided by the band device, and functions that are desired on an intermittent or short-term basis can be provided by the watch body."

Real-World Applications and User Benefits

Uninterrupted Health Monitoring During Charging

One of the biggest advantages of this design is the ability to continue health monitoring even while the main watch body is charging. Currently, Apple Watch users must remove the entire device to charge, leading to gaps in biometric data. With health sensors remaining on the wrist, users could maintain continuous tracking of key health metrics.

This would be particularly valuable for conditions that require constant data collection, such as heart rhythm irregularities or sleep apnea monitoring.

Enhanced Sleep Tracking Comfort

The detachable design could greatly improve the Apple Watch’s sleep tracking experience. Many users find the current watch too bulky for comfortable overnight wear. With a sensor-equipped band, users could detach the main watch body at night while still capturing essential sleep data.

Extended Battery Life for Critical Functions

Separating core health monitoring from power-hungry features like the display could allow the band to operate for much longer periods between charges. This approach mirrors the functionality of fitness trackers like Whoop, which prioritize long-term biometric tracking over smartwatch features.

Versatility for Different Activities and Occasions

The modular design also provides flexibility for different activities. Users could remove the watch body for formal occasions while still tracking activity and health metrics. Similarly, during workouts, some may prefer the lighter weight of just the band.

Technical Implementation and Challenges

Power Management and Battery Life

A major challenge will be ensuring adequate power supply for the band when it operates independently. The patent mentions "power sharing" between the watch body and band, suggesting some form of energy transfer. However, when the components are separated, the band would require its own battery and ultra-efficient power management.

Sensor Technology and Placement

The patent does not specify exactly which sensors will be embedded in the band, but based on Apple’s existing technology and prior patents, likely candidates include:

Heart rate monitor (PPG)
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Blood oxygen (SpO2)
Temperature sensors
Accelerometers for activity tracking

Apple has previously explored integrating ECG and blood pressure monitoring directly into the watch band, indicating that advanced sensor integration is part of its long-term strategy.

Data Storage and Synchronization

When the watch body is detached, the band must store health data until it can sync with the full watch. This requires onboard memory and a seamless data transfer process upon reconnection.

Comparison to Existing Technologies

The Whoop Approach

The Whoop fitness tracker is a prime example of a wearable focused exclusively on continuous health monitoring. Whoop operates without a screen, offering 24/7 tracking for strain, recovery, and sleep.

Apple’s patent suggests a hybrid approach—combining Whoop-style continuous monitoring with the full smartwatch experience. This could appeal to both fitness enthusiasts who need uninterrupted data and casual users who want smartwatch features.

Current Apple Watch Limitations

Apple’s existing watches have gaps in health monitoring due to battery life constraints. For example, the blood oxygen sensor on current models takes intermittent readings rather than continuous tracking. A sensor-equipped band could enable more frequent measurements, providing deeper health insights.

Broader Context: Apple’s Health Monitoring Strategy

Evolution of Apple’s Health Sensors

Apple has steadily expanded the health capabilities of its smartwatches, from ECG functionality in the Series 4 to blood oxygen monitoring in later models. This patent suggests that Apple aims to address continuous monitoring gaps while improving user comfort.

Expanding Apple’s Patent Portfolio

Apple has filed multiple patents related to health-focused wearables, including:

A patent for stretchable fabric-based bands with built-in sensors
A patent for respiration rate measurement through wearable devices
A patent for continuous watch bands designed for enhanced sensor accuracy

These filings indicate a long-term commitment to wearable health innovation.

Patent Disputes and Legal Challenges

The Masimo Dispute

Apple recently faced a lawsuit from medical technology company Masimo over its blood oxygen sensor, leading to temporary sales restrictions of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 in the U.S.

The AliveCor Case

AliveCor sued Apple over ECG functionality, though the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed after the patents were ruled unpatentable.

These legal battles highlight the complexity of health-related patents and could influence Apple’s future wearable innovations.

Future Implications and Market Impact

Potential Release Timeline

Patents often take years to materialize in commercial products, if at all. However, given the strong user benefits and Apple’s focus on health tracking, this concept could appear in a future Apple Watch model.

Market Differentiation

If implemented, this technology could give Apple a major advantage over competitors like Samsung and Google, whose smartwatches still require full removal for charging.

Expanding Apple's Health Ecosystem

Continuous monitoring would enhance Apple’s growing health platform, providing more comprehensive biometric data for both individual users and healthcare providers.

Technical Considerations for Implementation

Secure Attachment Mechanism

Apple must design a connection system that is secure yet easy to detach for everyday use.

User Interface Adjustments

If the main watch body is detached, the band would need alternative ways to notify users of health alerts, such as haptic feedback or small indicator lights.

Material and Design Challenges

Creating a band that houses advanced sensors while maintaining comfort and durability presents significant engineering challenges.

Conclusion

Apple’s patent for a detachable Apple Watch with continuous health monitoring represents a potential breakthrough in wearable technology. By separating core functions into a modular system, Apple could solve key pain points such as charging interruptions, sleep tracking comfort, and long-term health data continuity.

While technical challenges remain, the potential benefits for users are significant. If Apple brings this concept to market, it could redefine how smartwatches approach health tracking—offering a seamless blend of functionality, flexibility, and continuous biometric monitoring.

The smartwatch industry is evolving, and Apple's innovative patent suggests the next step: a future where wearable health technology is not only smarter but also more adaptable to users’ real-world needs.

How the World Sleeps // Garmin’s Latest Sleep Data Reveals Surprising Trends

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 07:46:37 GMT

Want the how-to instead of the data? This page is the data report. If you want to know what your Garmin score means and how to raise it, read the dedicated guide: Sleep Score Explained: How It's Calculated and What's a Good Score.

As we approach World Sleep Day 2025, Garmin's latest sleep score data offers a unique glimpse into how people worldwide are sleeping. The analysis of millions of users' sleep patterns reveals improving global trends, significant variations by region and demographics, and ongoing debates about the accuracy of wearable sleep tracking.

Understanding Garmin's Sleep Score System

Garmin's sleep score is a numerical rating between 1 and 100, designed to measure sleep quality based on multiple physiological metrics. Scores are categorized into four ranges:

Below 60: Poor
60-79: Fair
80-89: Good
90-100: Excellent

The scoring system is powered by Advanced Sleep Monitoring, a feature available on most Garmin smartwatches and fitness trackers. These devices use heart rate, heart rate variability, and movement detection to estimate sleep stages and overall sleep quality.

Key Sleep Metrics Tracked by Garmin

Total sleep duration
Time spent in each sleep stage (light, deep, REM)
Sleep movement and restlessness
Respiration rate and heart rate trends

By combining these factors, Garmin provides insights into both the quantity and quality of sleep, helping users monitor their long-term sleep health.

The Technology Behind Sleep Tracking

Garmin’s sleep tracking estimates sleep stages based on heart rate variability and motion detection. In the Garmin Connect app, users see their sleep data as a color-coded timeline:

Light sleep: light blue
Deep sleep: dark blue
REM sleep: pink
Awake periods: gray

The accuracy of these measurements depends on the device's sensors and algorithms, with variability across different models and firmware updates.

Global Sleep Insights: How the World Sleeps in 2025

Garmin's latest sleep data reveals that the average global sleep score in 2024 was 72, up from 70 in 2023. This suggests users may be adopting better sleep habits or improving their understanding of rest through tracking.

Three out of four Garmin users had sleep scores in the "Fair" or "Good" range.
Elite athletes recorded higher average sleep scores, showing a connection between training and recovery.
Women slightly outperformed men in sleep quality, with an average score of 71 compared to 70.

Age-Based Sleep Trends

Garmin’s data shows a gradual decline in sleep scores with age, which aligns with established sleep science.

Ages 13-30: 73
Ages 31-40: 71
Ages 41-50: 70
Ages 51-60: 68
Ages 61-70: 66
Ages 71-80: 63

These findings highlight how sleep architecture changes over time, leading to lighter, more fragmented sleep in older adults.

Regional Sleep Patterns

Garmin’s sleep rankings by country show some surprising results:

Best Sleepers: Iceland (77), Finland (77), Venezuela (76)
United States: 73, among the lowest for developed nations
United Kingdom and Ireland: Improved sleep scores, ranking in the global top 10

These variations suggest that cultural habits, work-life balance, and environmental factors all play a role in sleep quality.

Sleep and Athletic Performance

Garmin's data highlights a clear connection between exercise and sleep quality.

Elite athletes (those logging at least 95 miles of running or 210 miles of cycling per week) had an average sleep score of 74.
Regular exercise helps regulate sleep cycles, but intense workouts too close to bedtime can reduce REM sleep.
Recovery tracking is becoming a priority, with Garmin integrating more HRV-based insights into sleep monitoring.

These findings reinforce the importance of sleep for physical and cognitive performance.

How Accurate Is Garmin’s Sleep Tracking?

Garmin’s sleep tracking is useful for trends but not as precise as clinical sleep studies.

Studies comparing Garmin to polysomnography (PSG) found that it overestimates light sleep and underestimates deep sleep.
REM sleep detection is still a challenge, with accuracy below 50% in some studies.
User feedback is mixed. Some report strong correlations with how they feel, while others note discrepancies.

What Experts Say

Sleep researchers emphasize that wearables provide insights but are not medical devices.

Sleep scientist Matthew Walker estimates that consumer sleep trackers are around 60% accurate compared to clinical sleep studies.
Experts agree that tracking trends over time is more useful than focusing on individual nights.

How to Improve Your Garmin Sleep Score

Want to boost your sleep score? Here are some science-backed strategies:

Stick to a regular sleep schedule: consistency improves sleep efficiency.
Exercise regularly, but avoid high-intensity workouts before bed.
Reduce alcohol consumption: it disrupts REM sleep and increases wake periods.
Optimize your sleep environment: a cool, dark, and quiet setting improves rest.
Track long-term trends: weekly and monthly patterns are more meaningful than single-night fluctuations.

These small changes can lead to better sleep, improved recovery, and higher Garmin sleep scores over time.

Conclusion

Garmin’s sleep score system provides valuable insights into global sleep trends, athletic recovery, and demographic differences. While not as precise as clinical studies, it offers consistent tracking to help users improve sleep habits.

With global sleep scores trending upward, sleep tracking technology is playing a role in raising awareness about the importance of rest. As wearable sensors and algorithms evolve, accuracy will improve, making sleep tracking an even more powerful tool for long-term health.

For now, Garmin users should focus on consistency over perfection, using their sleep score as a guide to better rest and recovery.

Check out the full Garmin blog post with all of the stats here.

7 Hidden Garmin Features You Probably Aren't Using But Should

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 14:32:03 GMT

Garmin smartwatches have evolved into sophisticated devices packed with capabilities that extend far beyond basic timekeeping and activity tracking. Many users, however, barely scratch the surface of what these powerful wearables can do. The difference between a casual Garmin owner and a power user often comes down to knowledge of features tucked away in menus or activated through gestures that aren't immediately obvious.

These hidden functions can transform your Garmin experience, making your watch more intuitive, more useful, and better suited to your specific needs. This guide explores seven underrated Garmin features that could revolutionize how you use your device daily.

1. Palm Cover to Return to Watch Face

When navigating deep within your Garmin’s menu system, there’s a simple gesture that instantly returns you to the main watch face without repeatedly pressing the back button. By covering the entire screen with your palm for a moment, your watch immediately exits whatever menu you’re in and returns to the watch face.

This feature serves a dual purpose: it provides quick navigation back to your starting point and turns off the backlight, helping conserve battery power. It’s particularly helpful when you need to return to your main display without fumbling with multiple button presses, especially during workouts or outdoor activities.

2. Customizable Hot Keys and Shortcuts

Garmin allows you to set up personalized button shortcuts, also known as "hot keys," to quickly access frequently used functions. This feature dramatically improves efficiency by allowing you to program specific button combinations for quick actions.

For example, you can set a long press of the back button to bring up timers, activate a flashlight, or even mark a GPS location. Some users creatively use this to mark where they parked their car, an elegant solution to a common problem. To configure hot keys, navigate to System > Settings > Hot Keys or Shortcuts on your device.

3. Enhanced GPS Accuracy with Multiple Satellite Networks

Most Garmin users settle for the default GPS settings, unaware that they can significantly improve location tracking accuracy by enabling multiple satellite networks. Instead of relying solely on the American GPS system, you can also connect to GLONASS (Russian) and Galileo (European) networks for improved positioning.

This setting enhances tracking accuracy, particularly in dense forests, cities with tall buildings, or mountainous terrain. To activate this feature, press START/STOP, select an activity, then go to GPS settings and choose your preferred satellite combination. While this option consumes slightly more battery, it provides more reliable data for serious athletes and adventurers.

4. Incident Detection for Safety

Garmin’s Incident Detection feature is a potentially life-saving tool that automatically detects falls or sudden impacts and sends your real-time location to emergency contacts.

When triggered, the watch initiates a countdown timer. If you don’t respond, it assumes you’re in distress and automatically notifies your emergency contacts. This feature is particularly useful for runners, cyclists, and hikers who often train alone. To enable it, configure your contacts in the Garmin Connect app under Safety & Tracking settings.

5. Garmin Share for Direct Watch-to-Watch Transfers

Garmin Share allows you to transfer locations, routes, and workouts directly between compatible Garmin watches, without requiring a phone or internet connection.

This is incredibly useful when meeting friends for a trail run, hike, or bike ride. Instead of explaining a route, you can send it directly to another Garmin user. To share, access the item (such as a course or waypoint), look for the Share option, and select a nearby Garmin device.

6. Connect IQ Custom Data Fields

Garmin’s Connect IQ store offers specialized data fields that can significantly enhance your training insights. Instead of relying only on pre-installed options, you can download custom metrics for better performance tracking.

For example:

Peter's (Racer) Pacer lets you correct race distances manually to adjust for GPS inaccuracies.
Rolling Average Pace provides a smoother pace reading to help with consistent effort during training.

To use custom fields, download them from the Connect IQ store via the Garmin Connect app, then add them under Activity Settings > Data Screens on your watch.

7. Map Settings and Overlays for Enhanced Navigation

For Garmin watches with mapping functionality, adjusting map overlays can transform your navigation experience.

One of the best settings is Terrain + Elevation Overlay, which provides a real-time visual of hills and valleys along your route. This is especially useful for trail runners and hikers. Some watches also suggest popular running routes based on community data, helping you discover the best paths in unfamiliar areas.

To adjust these settings, start an activity, hold the menu button, and navigate to Map Settings to explore different overlays.

Conclusion

Your Garmin device contains dozens of features you might not be using, capabilities that can make your experience more convenient, efficient, and tailored to your lifestyle.

From simple shortcuts like the palm gesture to return to the watch face to sophisticated tools like incident detection and custom data fields, these seven features showcase how much power is packed into modern Garmin wearables. Take some time to explore these settings, tweak your device, and unlock the full potential of your smartwatch.