Garmin Forerunner 255 & 255s get listing on Singapore Government agency website
Multiple iterations of the Garmin Forerunner 255 have been listed on Singapore’s Telecoms Licensing System website. There will be a regular and small variant, and both will come with optional built-in music and Wi-Fi support.
We’ve had a number of leaks now on the upcoming Forerunner 255 watch. This will be an updated version of the popular 245 and before that the 235, which have long been devices of choice for runners. The 245 offer basic fitness tracking functionality and it has a pulse oximeter for monitoring your blood oxygen levels. It also offers a nice set of running performance metrics, cycling features and it supports swimming.
Released back in April 2019, it has been more than three years since we’ve seen a new version of the watch. However, the wait will not have much further to go.
Garmin Forerunner 255 two sizes, both with or without music
A few days ago we wrote about a Redditor from Germany who spotted an email Garmin sent to distributors talking about a June 1st launch. Along with the Forerunner 255, the 955 was also mentioned. Both watches will reportedly have some sort of native running power integration, along with a barometric altimeter, the new Stamina Metric and Morning Report.
Essential reading: Garmin Forerunner 245 vs 45: which running watch to choose?
Now we have the first official mention of the 255 on a regulatory agency website. Do a search on the Singapore Government TLS and you’ll see it sitting there for all to see.
The entry does not reveal anything new about the specs, but it does confirm which variants will be available. As rumoured, there will be a regular 255 and a 255s iteration for smaller wrists. No word yet on the actual sizes. To remind, the 245 comes in a 42mm diameter case. We might be looking at 42mm and 47mm for the 255 if Garmin follows the size options on the Fenix line.
The additional info that has been confirmed is that both the large and small 255 will come with an option to purchase with built-in music. The non-music variants will only have Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity. The music ones will also have the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity.
This is very much along the lines of the current Forerunner 245 line. This also comes in a music and non-music option. The major difference between the generations is the addition of another size. So no fancy solar options, we are not expecting an AMOLED display or anything like that. For that, you’ll need to go up in the Forerunner line.
It seems a bit strange that Garmin still plans to offer both a music and non music version. We can’t imagine the music chip and storage tech costs very much. You’d think they’d want to avoid the hassle of building and maintain two versions of the watch. But perhaps it is not so much to do with the music storage but the Wi-Fi capability which is needed to transfer the music which adds to the cost.
In any case it is good news for those who do not need music as it keeps their variant cheaper. The German Redditor leak says the Forerunner 255 with music will retail for €400 (around $425), without music for €350 (around $370).
Other than the above info, it is difficult to know what to expect. All things point to an iterative upgrade so if you were hoping for some ground-shaking news you might be disappointed. Of course, we do expect the latest generation sensors which should help with accuracy.
The Forerunner 955 has not been listed yet
What’s interesting about the Singapore listing is that the Forerunner 955 has not been mentioned. Perhaps the 255 will come out first with the 955 to follow at a later stage. Or maybe TLS will add the 955 entry in the coming days. We will keep checking and report back if and when they do.
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