Garmin Forerunner 255 and 955 with bigger batteries and touchscreen!
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After countless leaks, Garmin has officially taken the wraps off its new Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955 running smartwatches. The former packs double the battery life while the latter model brings significant functionality upgrades on its display.
TL;DR
- Garmin introduced Forerunner 255 and 955.
- Forerunner 255 gets better battery life starting at $350.
- Forerunner 955 sports touchscreen starting at $500.
The Garmin Forerunner 255 and 955 feature minor aesthetic changes – notable improvements are found mostly under the hood. You still get the five mechanical buttons around the smartwatches with an overall flatter design compared to their predecessors.
Garmin Forerunner 255 is available in two sizes
Surprisingly, the company is now offering two sizes for the Forerunner 255: 41 mm and 46 mm. The Forerunner 255s is equivalent to the 41 mm variant with a 1.1-inch screen as opposed to the 1.3-inch of the larger smartwatch. Regardless of the size, you still get a non-touch Transflective MIP screen on the two.
The biggest upgrade is on the battery with the Forerunner 255 rated to last up to 14 days with normal use, which is double from the Forerunner 245. Meanwhile, the Forerunner 255s can last up to 12 days.
Enhanced connectivity and new monitoring features
Both the Forerunner 255 and 955 are getting health and fitness functionality enhancements. Garmin has introduced the HRV Status to the new smartwatches along with the Race Widget, Morning Report, and Running Power metrics. In contrast, the premium Forerunner 955 receives the additional Real-time stamina and Up Ahead features seen before on the Garmin Epix 2 and Fenix 7.
Garmin is also improving the sensors and connectivity on both lineups. There is now NFC for Garmin Pay and multi-frequency GPS for more accurate navigation and mapping. Specifically, the Forerunner 955 comes with preloaded maps and up to 2000 songs storage. In addition, users can now take advantage of the barometric altimeter on the Forerunner 255 and 255s.
Garmin Forerunner 955 features touchscreen and Solar option
Coming to the Forerunner 955 is a slightly bigger 1.3-inch display that now supports touch function. Users who prefer to navigate using the physical buttons can disable or enable the touchscreen through the settings. First on this runner series is the Solar option that can extend the battery life of the smartwatch by up to 5 more days from the rated 15 days.
Pricing and models
Pricing for all smartwatch models has been increased too. The Forerunner 255 in any size is priced at $350 (£329) while the Music edition costs $50 more. For the Garmin Forerunner 955, it now starts at $500 (£479) and $600 (£549) for the Solar-ready model. The two updated runner smartwatch series will be available starting this month and will be compatible with the Garmin Connect app.
Do you think the price hike for both Garmin smartwatches is reasonable? Hit us up in the comment section.
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