Garmin today launched the world’s first dedicated GPS-running smartwatch with solar charging, the Forerunner 955 Solar and Forerunner 255 series GPS-running smartwatch in India. With the Power Glass lens for solar charging, the Forerunner 955 Solar gives athletes up to 20 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 49 hours in GPS mode.
The Garmin Forerunner 255 Basic in Slate Gray and Tidal Blue colors is available for Rs 37,490 in India. The Forerunner 255S Basic comes in powder gray for Rs 37,490. The Forerunner 255 Music and 255S Music in Black are available for Rs 42,990 each. The Forerunner 955 in black color costs Rs 53,490 in India, while the Forerunner 955 Solar variant in black color costs Rs 63,990.
All watches are available today via Garmin Brand Store, Helios watch store, Just in time, Croma, Amazon, Flipkart, Tata CLiQ, and Synergizer. Some watches may not be available at certain stores.
Forerunner 955 Solar
The Forerunner 955 Solar has an always-on and full-color display. The responsive touchscreen complements the traditional 5-button design and provides easy access to daily health and other functions. With a Power Glass lens for solar charging, the Forerunner 955 Solar gives athletes 50% more battery life — up to 20 days in smartwatch mode and up to 49 hours in solar-powered GPS mode.
Designed with the runner in mind, the Forerunner 955 Solar adds innovative new features such as heart rate variability (HRV), a workout readiness score, and a race widget to help athletes better prepare for upcoming races.
Runners and triathletes can further leverage the device by automatically synchronizing indoor and outdoor workouts from Garmin Connect, the Tacx training app, and other third-party platforms. The Forerunner 955 Solar is also compatible with Garmin Coach, which offers free 5K, 10K, and half marathon training plans that adapt to a runner’s goals and performance.
The Forerunner 955 Solar also supports built-in music (download up to 2000 songs from playlists on Spotify and Amazon Music, smart notifications for calls, text messages, social media updates, and alerts from an athlete’s iOS or Android smartphone. Also, safety and tracking feature such as sending an athlete’s live location to chosen emergency contacts – or automatically sending a message if an incident is detected.
While riding indoors, athletes can also control a Tacx Smart trainer via ANT+ technology directly from the watch for course simulation, automatic resistance changes, and training prompts when using courses or training sessions. Finally, the look can be personalized with custom watch faces, data fields, and apps and widgets from the Connect IQ Store.
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Forerunner 255 Series
Forerunner 255 series GPS running smartwatches come loaded with features and include full triathlon support, new workout stats, improved smartwatch features (when paired with a smartphone), and more. The smartwatches last up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and 30 hours in GPS mode on a single charge. The Forerunner 255S and Forerunner 255S Music are available in 41mm cabinets, while the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 255 Music are available in 46mm cabinets.
Like the 955 Solar, the Forerunner 255 Music and Forerunner 255S Music can store up to 500 songs on the watch, including playlists from Spotify and Amazon Music from an iOS or Android smartphone. It can also connect to users’ wireless headphones for phone-free listening.
The Forerunner 955 solar and Forerunner 255 series track overall well-being 24/7. Every morning, the smartwatch provides a personal score of users’ sleep quality, sleep stages, heart rate, stress, Pulse Ox, and breathing data. Pulse Ox on the wrist monitors oxygen saturation levels in the blood, while a Body Battery feature shows the user’s current energy level. Women can use the women’s health tracking app to track their pregnancy and adjust their training to plan future races based on where they are in their menstrual cycle.