Garmin unveils a bunch of new smartwatches, including one with an AMOLED screen
Just because Garmin unveiled a new collection of “multisport GPS watches” starting at a whopping $600 last week, that doesn’t mean the company has gone empty-handed to the IFA 2019 trade fair in Berlin. Incredibly enough, an additional five smartwatches have been officially announced, including two new Vivoactive variants, Garmin’s first-ever wearable device with a high-quality AMOLED display, and a pair of special Marvel-themed editions for hardcore fans of Captain Marvel and Captain America.
Garmin Venu – a premium mainstream smartwatch with a premium price tag
Garmin Vivoactive 4 and 4S – all of the essentials and even longer battery life
Apart from the less vibrant displays, it doesn’t look like you’ll be giving up much if you choose one of the refreshed Vivoactives over the all-new Venu. That’s because you get essentially everything you need here as well, from GPS functionality to music storage, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and even Garmin Pay support. The company is awfully vague about pricing info, revealing the MSRP is $349.99… for one of these two. We’re guessing the Vivoactive 4S, which could make the Vivoactive 4 rather prohibitive at 400 bucks or so. We should find everything out soon, as availability is set to begin “in September.”
Garmin Legacy Hero Series – special designs, engraved slogans, reasonable prices
Although the company doesn’t spell it out for us, the Captain Marvel Special Edition and First Avenger Special Edition smartwatches look an awful lot like a rebranded Vivoactive 4 and 4S respectively. In addition to exclusive character-themed watch faces, the two Legacy Hero devices come with sleek leather bands and premium stainless steel bezels paying homage to Captain Marvel’s photon powers and Captain America’s vibranium shield.
The Captain Marvel Special Edition Smartwatch features the Kree insignia printed on the lens and the words “higher, further, faster” engraved on the back. Meanwhile, the First Avenger Special Edition Smartwatch honors Captain America’s signature cockiness with the famous line “I can do this all day” etched on its rear cover. Interestingly, the two Marvel-themed wearables share a recommended price of $399.99 even though the First Avenger model is larger and boasts superior battery life. Both comic book-inspired gadgets are due out in October.