The story started with a Reddit post from a Garmin buyer who said they ordered a Fenix 8 Pro from Amazon and received an empty box. Amazon arranged a replacement, but that delivery was delayed, so the buyer placed another same-day order for the same watch.

That is where the story gets stranger. According to the buyer, the second package was opened in front of the delivery driver and the Garmin box was empty again. After that, they ordered directly from Garmin instead.

The post has since been picked up by a local news report, which has pushed the story beyond a normal Reddit complaint. It has also started a wider discussion among Garmin users about whether Amazon is still a safe place to buy expensive wearables.

This does not look like a Garmin issue

The important point here is that the complaint is not really about Garmin. The watch itself is not the problem, and there is nothing to suggest Garmin shipped an empty retail box.

This is about the delivery chain around high-value electronics. A Fenix 8 Pro is expensive, compact and easy to remove from its packaging. That makes it exactly the kind of product where a missing item can turn into a painful dispute between buyer, seller and delivery network.

The original buyer’s account also lines up with the concern many people already have about ordering small premium electronics online. Watches, phones, earbuds, cameras and computer parts are valuable enough to attract problems, but small enough to disappear without much effort.

For Garmin users, the awkward part is that Amazon is often the most convenient route. It may offer fast delivery, easy ordering and good stock availability. But if something goes wrong, the refund process can become far more stressful than the purchase itself.

Other Garmin users report similar experiences

The newer discussion around the news report includes several users sharing similar stories. One person said they ordered a Forerunner 955 Solar from Amazon UK to New Zealand and received an empty box. Another said they bought a high-end Garmin, only to find that the retail box inside the sealed Amazon parcel had already been opened and was empty.

That does not prove a widespread issue. It does, however, show that this is not the kind of story Garmin buyers immediately dismiss as impossible. Enough people have had odd experiences with expensive Amazon deliveries that the thread turned into a broader warning.

Some commenters suggested the problem could involve returns being placed back into stock without proper checks. Others speculated about theft somewhere in the warehouse or delivery process. The honest answer is that nobody really can prove exactly where the watches went missing.

Buying direct may feel safer for expensive watches

The obvious advice is to consider buying directly from Garmin or from a trusted physical retailer when the device costs hundreds or even thousands. That will not eliminate every possible problem, but it may reduce the number of parties involved if something goes wrong.

There is also a simple practical step for buyers. If you are receiving an expensive watch from Amazon, it may be worth recording the unboxing, checking the package weight and opening it as soon as possible. That might feel excessive, but empty-box disputes can become messy very quickly!

The post Garmin shoppers question Amazon deliveries after empty-box reports appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The test was simple enough. I wore Fitbit Air for a 5K run and compared the results against a high-end Garmin Forerunner, using the same route around central London in warm conditions. This was not a lab test and I would not pretend otherwise, but it was a useful real-world check of how close the two platforms come when you head outside for a normal run.

The Garmin recorded 4.96km, with an average pace of 6:01/km. Fitbit Air logged 4.92km, with a listed pace of 6:00/km. That is close enough to be encouraging, particularly given that Fitbit Air relies on Connected GPS rather than built-in GPS.

The heart rate result was the part that stood out most. Garmin showed an average heart rate of 135 bpm and a maximum of 147 bpm. Fitbit Air also showed an average of 135 bpm, with a maximum of 146 bpm. For a small, lightweight screenless device, that is a very solid match.

Running without a screen feels odd

The biggest difference is not the numbers. It is the feel of the run. Fitbit Air has no screen, so you do not get that glance-at-the-wrist habit that comes naturally with a Garmin.

You need to start the run from the smartphone app. In theory, you can still look at your phone during the session for live stats, but that changes the rhythm of the run. It makes the Fitbit Air feel less like a sports watch alternative and more like a passive tracker that happens to handle workouts.

That can be good or bad, depending on what you want. I found it slightly strange at first, because I am used to checking pace, heart rate and distance mid-run. After a while, though, it was also quite freeing. There is something clean about just running without a small dashboard on your wrist nagging for attention.

Still, anyone training to a pace target will feel the limitation quickly. A screenless device can work nicely for casual runs and background tracking, but it is less useful when you want to adjust effort in real time. Garmin wins that part before the run even starts.

The Fitbit Air is almost forgettable on the wrist

The upside of the Fitbit Air design is comfort. It is very light on the wrist and almost disappears once you start moving. That is not a small thing for people who dislike wearing larger watches while running.

Garmin gives you more data and more control, but it also feels like a watch. Fitbit Air feels closer to a simple band or pod. That makes it easier to imagine wearing it all day and all night, which is clearly the broader idea behind the device.

On this run, the lack of bulk was noticeable in a good way. I did not think about it once after starting. For a device built around passive health and fitness tracking, that is probably the point.

The core stats were surprisingly close

The headline comparison is tighter than I expected. Fitbit Air came in 40 metres shorter than Garmin, which is a small difference over a 5K effort. An identical 135 bpm average and only a 1 bpm difference in max heart rate is about as close as you could reasonably hope for in a casual field test.

That is a solid result for a small, screenless tracker using Connected GPS. For the basics most people check after a run, namely distance, pace, heart rate and calories, Fitbit Air held up well.

The gap appears when you look beyond those headline numbers. Garmin gives much more training context, including training effect, exercise load, stamina, power, cadence, stride length and running dynamics.

Fitbit Air keeps things much simpler. The stats don’t go as deep – and in a sense the smartphone app feels like it is still work in progress. This is where Google has some work to do. Fitbit Air can collect useful data, and this run suggests the core tracking is better than some might expect. The bigger question is whether the app can turn that data into something more useful without making the device feel overcomplicated.

The takeaway

I came away more impressed with Fitbit Air than I expected. Against Garmin, it was close on distance and heart rate, which are the numbers most people will care about after a normal 5K run.

It is not a Garmin replacement for runners who want on-wrist stats, built-in GPS and detailed training analysis. But that is probably not the right way to look at it. Fitbit Air feels more like a light, low-friction tracker that can handle a run well enough while staying out of the way the rest of the time.

That screenless design will divide people. Some runners will hate giving up live wrist stats. Others may enjoy the simplicity, especially if they mostly run by feel and check the results afterward.

For me, the surprise was not that Garmin gave the richer experience. That was expected. The surprise was that Fitbit Air got the basic run data this close while feeling almost invisible on the wrist.

The post I ran 5K with the Fitbit Air vs Garmin – and came away impressed appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Garmin Connect starts borrowing from social media playbooks

Up to now, Garmin Connect mostly treated social interaction as a two-way relationship. You connected with someone and both sides gained access based on shared permissions. The new system changes that structure quite a bit.

Garmin now says existing “connections” are becoming followers. Users can follow people they want to engage with, while mutual follows become “friends” inside the app. It is a setup that feels immediately familiar if you have used Instagram, X or Strava.

The app repeatedly reassures users that “nothing will change” in how they interact with connections. But under the surface, this is an important shift because it separates following from friendship.

That opens the door to more public facing profiles and creator-style engagement. Someone could share workouts publicly, attract followers and interact with a broader audience without approving everyone as a full connection.

Privacy settings now sit at the centre of the experience

Garmin clearly knows social features can become sensitive very quickly in a fitness app. The onboarding process spends most of its time walking users through privacy settings.

Users can decide whether follower requests require approval or whether anyone can follow automatically. Separate controls exist for profile visibility, activity sharing, steps and badges.

Garmin also offers several visibility layers including “Only Me”, “My Followers”, “My Followers and Groups” and “Everyone”. Activity privacy even includes a custom setting for assigning different privacy levels to different activity types.

That is a noticeable expansion compared to Garmin’s older setup. The company seems to be trying to strike a balance between social discovery and tighter control over health and fitness data.

Some of the wording is also quite deliberate. Garmin specifically reminds users that shared activity data may include heart rate and activity location. That suggests the company wants to avoid confusion before people suddenly discover their morning runs are visible to a much wider audience.

This could change how Garmin communities work

Garmin has slowly been leaning harder into community features over the past couple of years. Challenges, group features, comments, reactions and event participation have all become more visible inside Connect.

A follower system fits perfectly into that direction. It also creates a structure that could support athlete pages, creator accounts, coaching communities or public training journals much more cleanly than the old mutual connection model.

Strava already built a huge part of its identity around this type of social graph. Garmin has traditionally focused more on training metrics and hardware. But the lines between fitness platform and social platform have been getting blurrier for a while.

The post Garmin Connect adds followers and new privacy controls appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The key addition is a database column called screenlessDeviceCapable. The new APK also includes references such as SCREENLESS_DEVICE_CAPABLE, isScreenlessCapable and LimitedUI handler started for device.

That points to Garmin Connect being able to identify whether a device has no screen, or only a very limited interface. Some LimitedUI code existed before, but this update appears to tie it more directly to device capability handling.

The CIRQA link is possible but not confirmed

This will naturally raise questions about CIRQA. Garmin filed the CIRQA trademark earlier this year, with wording around stress recovery, alertness and performance. That already made it look like something different from a normal sports watch.

Now let’s be clear here – the APK does not include the word CIRQA. So there is no direct confirmation here.

But the new screenlessDeviceCapable flag fits the idea of a recovery band, discreet tracker or sensor-led Garmin device. It also fits a product that depends more heavily on Garmin Connect for setup, feedback and controls.

Garmin is using broader device wording

The APK also changes some wording from “watch” to “device”. That is a small change, but it fits the same direction.

A screenless Garmin product would not be a watch. It would still need to collect health and recovery data, but Garmin Connect would need to describe it in broader terms.

That does not mean Garmin is moving away from watches. It suggests Connect is being prepared for more types of hardware.

Connect Plus offers are also taking shape

The APK also adds more complete Garmin Connect Plus offer screens. New references include Exclusive Offers, Reveal Code, Hidden Code, No codes remaining and GC+ Required.

The text suggests annual subscribers, or users with at least six consecutive months of paid subscription, may get access to discount codes for selected Garmin devices and accessories. It also appears users may be able to generate up to two codes within a 180-day period.

That gives Connect Plus a more practical benefit. It turns the subscription into more than extra insights and premium software features.

Breathwork and meditation get new live-session files

Beyond that, Garmin has also added new breathwork and meditation files. These include structured live-session layouts and animation assets.

New strings include Breathe In, Breathe Out and Hold Breath. There are also new LiveActivitySessionService references, which point to more real-time session handling inside Garmin Connect.

That could help existing watches. It could also support a future screenless device where the phone app becomes the main interface during guided sessions.

Workout control is moving further into Connect

The APK adds wording around starting workouts in Garmin Connect, selecting a device to record workout data and sending a workout to a device.

This could simply improve multi-device handling. But it also makes sense if Garmin is preparing for devices that need more phone-side control.

A screenless tracker cannot offer the same on-device workout controls as a watch. Garmin Connect would need to do more of that work.

What this means

Garmin Connect 5.25 does not confirm CIRQA. But it does add a clear screenless device capability flag, and that is the part worth watching.

The safest read is that Garmin is preparing Connect for a device without a normal display. That could be a recovery band, a discreet health tracker or another sensor-led product. But given everything we know, don’t be surprised if CIRQA does drop in the weeks head.

The post Garmin Connect APK hints at screenless hardware amid CIRQA buzz appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The watch starts at $249.99 and goes on sale from May 15 on the company’s website. On paper, it replaces the Forerunner 55 as Garmin’s starter running watch, but the jump is big enough that this feels like a different category of product.

This is not just a basic Forerunner anymore

The Forerunner 55 was a useful running watch, but it came from a different Garmin era. It had a 1-inch MIP display, button-only controls and Garmin’s older Elevate Gen 3 heart rate sensor.

The Forerunner 70 moves to a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, adds touchscreen controls and upgrades the heart rate sensor to Elevate Gen 4. Garmin has also kept the five-button layout, which is still a sensible choice for running because sweaty fingers and touchscreens do not always get along.

That combination changes the feel of the watch straight away. It is still Garmin’s lower-cost Forerunner, but it no longer looks like a leftover from the older budget GPS watch playbook.

Garmin has also brought over more of its current interface. That includes widget glances, a newer sports UI, watch focus modes, larger font options, shortcuts, an on-device Connect IQ Store, a calculator, a battery usage widget and other small daily-use tools.

Training features move down the range

The bigger story is the training feature set. Garmin says the Forerunner 70 includes Training Readiness, Training Status, wrist-based running power and running dynamics.

That is a serious upgrade for this part of the range. Training Readiness uses recent activity, sleep, stress, HRV and recovery data to give users a clearer idea of whether they should train hard or take things easier.

Training Status looks more at the longer training picture. It uses recent load, fitness trends and related metrics to show whether training is productive, maintaining, strained or heading in the wrong direction.

Garmin has also added Acute Load, Load Focus, Load Ratio, Recovery Time and VO2 Max trending. For a watch aimed at new and aspiring runners, that is a lot of training context.

The interesting bit is not just that Garmin has added more charts. It has given beginners access to the same language of training and recovery that Garmin uses higher up the range.

Quick Workouts could be the most useful new feature

Quick Workouts may end up being one of the more useful additions. Instead of forcing users to build a structured session from scratch, the watch can generate workout options based on a desired duration and intensity.

That is a smart fit for the target buyer. Plenty of runners do not want to plan every interval session in Garmin Connect the night before. They want to head out, choose how long they have and get a session that makes sense.

Garmin Coach also gets broader support. The company says Run Coach now includes run/walk workouts and lower-volume plans, which should make the system more approachable for beginners or people returning after time away from training.

Daily suggested workouts are also part of the package. These adapt after each run based on recent performance and recovery, so the watch has a better chance of staying useful after the first few weeks of novelty wear off.

This is where the Forerunner 70 starts to make more sense. Garmin is not only selling GPS, pace and heart rate. It is selling a watch that can nudge someone into more consistent training without making the process feel too technical.

The sports list is much wider now

Garmin has also expanded the activity profile list quite aggressively. The Forerunner 70 includes more than 80 built-in sports apps, covering running, cycling, swimming, strength training, hiking, racket sports, winter sports, team sports and more.

That makes it a broader fitness watch than the old entry-level Forerunner idea suggests. It can track road cycling, mountain biking, gravel biking, pool swimming, strength training, jump rope, yoga, Pilates, hiking, rucking, boxing, mixed martial arts and a long list of outdoor and team sports.

It also supports external sensors such as heart rate straps, footpods, cycling speed and cadence sensors, cycling radar, cycling lights, RD Pod and Tempe. That gives it more room to grow with a user, especially if they start running first and then add cycling or structured workouts later.

This does not turn it into a full multisport watch. But it does make the Forerunner 70 less narrow than older starter Forerunners, which is probably the right call in 2026.

Route tools are a nice surprise

Another interesting addition is route support. The Forerunner 70 does not have offline maps, and Garmin has kept that feature for more expensive watches.

But it does support course and route following, along with Up Ahead, aid station or rest break timers and time cutoff tools. Those are surprisingly advanced features for a watch at this level.

For road runners, breadcrumb route following will often be enough. Trail runners who depend on full mapping will still want to look higher up the range, but Garmin has clearly given the 70 more navigation depth than a basic running watch normally gets.

Battery life remains a strong point

The Forerunner 70 offers up to 13 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. Garmin also lists up to 5 days with the always-on display enabled.

For GPS use, the watch goes up to 23 hours in GPS-only GNSS mode and up to 16 hours in All-Systems GNSS mode. It does not have dual-frequency GNSS, but that is not surprising at this price.

What the Forerunner 70 still misses

Garmin has left some clear distance between the Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 170. The 170 adds Garmin Pay, while the 170 Music adds phone-free music support from compatible third-party services.

The Forerunner 170 also gets an altimeter for floor climb, plus open-water swimming and guided meditation. The Forerunner 70 skips those, along with offline maps, triathlon and full multisport modes.

That split feels deliberate. Garmin has made the Forerunner 70 much more capable, but it has not made the Forerunner 170 pointless.

Initial thoughts

The Forerunner 70 looks like Garmin resetting expectations for its cheapest current Forerunner. It keeps the simple running-watch pitch, but adds the kind of display, training tools and software polish that make older budget models look dated.

At $249.99 on Garmin’s website, this is not a bargain-bin device. But it does look far more complete than Garmin’s old entry-level formula.

The most interesting part is how much Garmin has chosen not to hold back. Training Readiness, Training Status, running power, running dynamics, route following, Quick Workouts and a much larger sport profile list make this feel like a serious running watch for people who do not want to spend more.

The Forerunner 170 remains the better pick if you want Garmin Pay, music or a few extra sport features. But the Forerunner 70 may be the one that tells us more about Garmin’s direction. Entry-level no longer means basic, and that makes the new model a much stronger starting point for runners.

The post Garmin launches Forerunner 70 as its new entry running watch appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Garmin has priced the Forerunner 170 at $299.99, with the Music version at $349.99. The new models are due to go on sale from May 15 on the company’s website, alongside the lower-cost Forerunner 70.

The design barely changes

At first glance, the Forerunner 170 does not look like a dramatic hardware reset. It is still a small, lightweight AMOLED running watch with a 1.2-inch display, touchscreen controls and Garmin’s familiar five-button layout.

The dimensions have changed only slightly. The Forerunner 170 measures 42.6 x 42.6 x 11.9mm, compared with 43 x 43 x 11.6mm for the Forerunner 165. Which means the display bezels are smaller on the new device. But it is 2 grams heavier, coming in at 41g rather than 39g.

That means the upgrade story sits elsewhere. Garmin has not tried to make the Forerunner 170 look like a different kind of watch. It has made it act like a more capable one.

Training tools take the bigger step

One of the important upgrades is Garmin’s training analysis. The Forerunner 170 adds Training Readiness, Training Status, Load Ratio, Training Load, Training Load Focus, Improved Recovery Time and Unified Training Status.

The Forerunner 165 already covered the basics well, but it sat below Garmin’s more useful recovery and training-load tools. The 170 closes some of that gap.

This is noteworthy because the watch now gives runners more context around whether they should push, hold back or adjust training. It is not just recording runs. It is doing more of the interpretation Garmin usually reserves for pricier models.

Runners get more practical extras

Garmin has also added several running and workout features that were missing from the 165. These include Improved Intervals, Custom Alerts, Race an Activity, Grade-Adjusted Pace and Quick Workout.

Grade-Adjusted Pace is the one many runners will notice first. It helps make hilly runs easier to interpret by adjusting pace for terrain, rather than leaving users to guess whether a slower split was fitness, fatigue or gradient.

Quick Workout also fits the direction Garmin has been moving in recently. The watch becomes less of a passive tracker and more of a tool that helps you get started with structured training quickly.

Coaching becomes broader

The Forerunner 170 also expands Garmin Coach support. The Forerunner 165 includes Garmin Running Coach, but the 170 adds Cycling Coach, Strength Coach, Fitness Coach and on-screen workout muscle maps.

That makes the watch less narrowly focused. It still sits in the running range, but Garmin clearly expects users to do more than run.

This is probably the right move. Many buyers in this price tier run, cycle, lift, walk, travel and occasionally try other sports. The old entry-running-watch formula now looks a bit too narrow for that kind of use.

Battery life is not the reason to upgrade

Battery life is more mixed. Garmin lists the Forerunner 170 at up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, or up to 4 days with always-on display enabled. The Forerunner 165 is rated at up to 11 days.

The 170 does edge ahead in GPS-only GNSS mode, with up to 20 hours compared with 19 hours on the 165. But the older watch still has the higher rating in Battery Saver mode and All-Systems GNSS mode.

So this is not a battery-led upgrade. Anyone moving from the 165 to the 170 would mainly be doing it for the software, sport and training additions.

The sensor story is modest

The heart rate sensor does not appear to have changed. Both watches use Garmin’s Elevate Gen 4 optical heart rate sensor, so this is not a sensor-generation jump.

The clearest hardware addition is the gyroscope. That should help Garmin support a broader set of motion-based features and activity tracking use cases, although the more visible changes are still mostly software-led.

That is worth spelling out. The Forerunner 170 is not a hidden Forerunner 570 in a cheaper body. It is a better-equipped successor to the 165, with Garmin filling in some of the gaps that made the older model feel deliberately held back.

The activity list is much larger

The sport profile expansion is also noteworthy. Garmin has added profiles across cycling, water sports, outdoor recreation, winter sports, team sports, racket sports and combat sports.

The new list includes rucking, obstacle racing, mountaineering, road biking, mountain biking, gravel biking, bike commuting, eBiking, kayaking, rowing, stand-up paddleboarding, skiing, snowboarding, basketball, football, soccer, rugby, boxing and mixed martial arts.

This does not automatically make the Forerunner 170 a full outdoor or multisport watch. But it does make it more flexible for people who do not want every activity squeezed into a generic cardio profile.

Initial thoughts

The Forerunner 170 looks like Garmin correcting the 165’s biggest omissions. Training Readiness, Training Status, broader coaching tools and a longer activity list make it feel like a more complete product.

The catch is that battery life has not clearly improved, the heart rate sensor appears unchanged and the design remains very close to the outgoing model. This is not a dramatic hardware upgrade.

Still, the overall direction makes sense. Garmin has taken its compact AMOLED running watch and given it more of the training intelligence people now expect at this level. Forerunner 165 owners probably do not need to rush out and upgrade, but anyone choosing between the two should see the 170 as the more future-proof option.

You can check it out now on Garmin’s website.

The post Garmin Forerunner 170 brings proper training tools vs 165 appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

That is worth noting because Garmin discounts can often feel predictable. Older Forerunners get trimmed, last-gen outdoor watches drop a bit and newer models usually stay stubbornly close to full price. This sale has a slightly different feel because most of Garmin’s more recent watches are now part of the mix.

Many of these deals can also be picked up on Garmin’s website. So it’s not just Amazon.

Newer Garmin watches are in the mix

The Venu X1 is probably the most useful signal in the sale. It is still one of Garmin’s newer lifestyle-leaning watches, so any discount makes it worth a second look if you want a more polished daily wearable rather than a rugged outdoor device.

That does not automatically make it the best buy. The Venu 3 still looks like the stronger value option if you want Garmin’s health tracking, GPS and smartwatch basics at a lower price. The Venu 4 sits between those two, so the decision mostly comes down to how much you care about newer hardware versus saving money.

Venu 3 – $354.99, down from $454.99 (check price on Amazon).
Venu 4 – $499.99, down from $549.99 (check price on Amazon).
Vivoactive 6 – $259.99, down from $309.99 (check price on Amazon).
Venu X1 – $599.00, down from $699.99 (check price on Amazon).

Fenix 8 is the headline outdoor deal

The Fenix 8 discount is the one that will probably grab the most attention. It is still expensive, but a price cut on Garmin’s current outdoor flagship range carries more weight than the usual deal on a model nearing the end of its cycle.

This is not the watch to buy for casual step counting. Fenix makes sense if you care about mapping, durability, battery life and deeper training tools. It remains the Garmin line for people who want a watch that can handle outdoor use without feeling like a dressed-up fitness tracker.

Epix Pro Gen 2 is the value temptation here. It is older, but still gives you a lot of Garmin’s premium outdoor features for less money. Enduro 3 is more specific again, aimed at people who care about long battery life and endurance use above almost everything else.

Fenix 8 – starting at $749.99, down from $999.99 (check price on Amazon).
Epix Pro (Gen 2) – starting at $419.99, down from $569.99 (check price on Amazon).
Enduro 3 – $749.99, down from $899.99 (check price on Amazon).

Forerunner series: For the dedicated runner

The Forerunner discounts are probably the most useful for runners, but also the easiest to overthink. Garmin has several models on offer at once, from the simpler Forerunner 55 through to the newer Forerunner 970.

For most people, the cleaner picks sit in the middle. The Forerunner 165 gives newer runners a modern Garmin entry point, while the Forerunner 265 still looks like the better step-up choice for regular training. It gives you more depth without jumping straight into the top of the range.

The Forerunner 965 now looks more attractive because the 970 exists above it. That is often how Garmin deals become interesting. The older premium model suddenly becomes the sensible buy, while the newest model is there for people who specifically want the latest version.

Forerunner 55 – $168.00, down from $199.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 165 – $199.99, down from $249.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 255 – $242.90, down from $349.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 265 – $349.99, down from $449.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 570 – $459.99, down from $559.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 965 – $499.99, down from $599.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 970 – $649.99, down from $749.99 (check price on Amazon).

Instinct keeps the rugged option cheaper

The Instinct deals are easy to understand. These are the watches to look at if you want something rugged, practical and less expensive than a Fenix.

Instinct 3 is the more interesting discount because it is the newer watch. Instinct E keeps the price lower and the formula simpler, which may be enough for people who want outdoor tracking without paying for extras they will rarely use.

Instinct 3 – $299.99, down from $399.99 (check latest price on Amazon).
Instinct E – $199.99, down from $299.99 (check latest price on Amazon).

The best value may sit one step back

The newer discounts make the sale feel more current, but the better buys may still be the slightly older models. Venu 3, Epix Pro Gen 2, Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965 all sit in that useful zone where the feature set still looks strong, but the price has moved further from launch.

That is the bit buyers should probably focus on. Venu X1, Fenix 8, Forerunner 970 and Instinct 3 make the sale feel fresh. The older discounted models may be where the smarter money goes.

As usual, check the exact colour, case size and seller before buying. Amazon Garmin deals can vary a lot between versions, so one model can look heavily discounted while another barely moves.

The post Amazon cuts Garmin Fenix 8, Venu X1 and Forerunner 970 prices appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Smart rings are where most of the heat is

The most recent development is the one we covered last week. Just like Samsung previously, Zepp Health has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Oura in Texas. The company is claiming the Oura Ring Gen 3, Oura Ring Gen 4 and the Oura app use technology covered by six of its patents. The case focuses on the software and sensor systems behind activity tracking, sleep analysis and health scoring.

That makes the smart ring fight more interesting. Zepp Health is not just defending itself against Oura’s earlier action. It is now going after Oura directly.

Oura, on the other hand, had already filed an ITC complaint against Samsung, Reebok, Zepp Health and Nexxbase over smart wearable devices. That investigation was opened in December after Oura accused those companies of importing and selling devices that infringe its patents. It is one of the higher stakes routes because ITC cases can lead to import restrictions if a company wins.

But Oura has also trimmed part of that case. On April 28th, the ITC said it would not review an earlier decision allowing Oura to withdraw 22 patent claims. The withdrawn claims and the entire ’159 patent are now out of the investigation. That does not mean Oura has lost the case. It means the case has become narrower before the next heavier stages.

WHOOP is trying to protect the screenless band look

WHOOP’s Polar case has also moved forward. The recent update is that Polar has now formally answered WHOOP’s complaint, after earlier exploring a motion to dismiss.

That dismissal route did not go anywhere. Polar first tried to file a motion to dismiss, but the court required a pre-motion conference. After that conference in March, Polar withdrew its request to file a renewed dismissal motion. The court then told Polar to respond, and Polar filed its answer on April 10th.

So the case is now on the normal litigation track. WHOOP still argues that Polar Loop copies the look of its screenless tracker, including the faceless design, woven band, thin metallic side accents and clasp style. Polar denies the claims.

This is not about sensors or recovery algorithms. It is about trade dress, basically whether WHOOP can protect the look of a screenless band. That could become important if more brands try to make health trackers that do not look like watches.

WHOOP also has a separate case against Bevel in Delaware. The recent activity there looks procedural, mostly attorney appearances and early filings, so there is less to say for now. But taken together, the message is pretty clear. WHOOP is watching the screenless band space closely and is willing to go after rivals it thinks are getting too close.

Garmin and Suunto are fighting over watch tech

Sports watches are not staying out of the courtroom either. Suunto sued Garmin last year over several patents, including claims tied to golf shot detection, respiration tracking from optical heart rate data and watch design elements. Garmin has since responded with its own counterclaims.

Garmin’s counterattack makes the case more than a one way patent complaint. The counterclaims pull in technology around GPS antenna design, training and recovery metrics and flashlight hardware.

This case will probably move slowly. Patent disputes usually do. The useful point for buyers is that there is no immediate reason to expect Garmin or Suunto watches to disappear from shelves because of this.

Why this is happening now

The wearable market has matured. That is the short version. Early on, everyone raced to prove that wrist based health tracking, smart rings and recovery metrics could find an audience. Now the big product categories are clearer, so companies are trying to protect the territory they helped define.

Smart rings show this most clearly. Oura helped make the category mainstream. But other companies have moved in with cheaper or more specialised alternatives. Once that happens, patents become part of the competitive playbook. The same thing is now happening around screenless bands, where WHOOP wants to stop rivals from getting too close to its visual identity.

There is also a commercial reason. Hardware margins can get squeezed quickly. Subscriptions, health scoring systems and recovery insights are harder to differentiate than they used to be. If a company believes its rivals are copying core ideas, the courtroom becomes another way to slow them down.

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Reading between the lines

Garmin did not mention CIRQA by name in the earnings call, and that is not surprising. Companies rarely preview trademarked products before they are ready. But management repeatedly pointed to “advanced wearables” and strong demand in Fitness. Also mentioned were new products, which is exactly where something like CIRQA would fit.

“As strong as our product line currently is, we are planning to launch even more new products throughout the year, including some that represent new categories for Garmin.”

CIRQA is not a normal smartwatch trademark. The filing describes it as a body-worn sensor system connected to recovery from physical and emotional stress, alertness levels and performance. That sounds much closer to a screenless recovery wearable than a traditional sports watch.

“I think we typically release somewhere around 100 new products a year, and we would expect that 2026 is in line with that, if not slightly stronger as we look at some new things.”

Think less Forerunner and more a platform that competes with recovery-focused products from companies like Whoop. But with Garmin’s own approach to training readiness, sleep, stress and long-term performance.

Muscle Battery may be the second piece

The other clue is the Muscle Battery trademark, which appeared not long before CIRQA. The filing points to analysis of muscle oxygen saturation, or SmO2, which usually needs dedicated sensing rather than something a standard wrist watch can handle accurately on its own.

Garmin does not currently have a native device built around this kind of metric. Body Battery focuses on overall energy and recovery using heart rate variability, sleep and stress data from its watches. Muscle Battery sounds much more specific. It points toward muscular readiness, fatigue and training strain measured at a deeper physiological level.

That makes it easier to picture as a separate body-worn device or dedicated sensor that works alongside an existing Garmin watch. It would add another layer of performance data, feeding muscle-specific insights into the wider Garmin training and recovery system.

Garmin’s Q1 results show where the momentum is

Garmin started 2026 with strong numbers, reporting total revenue of $1.54 billion for the first quarter, up 11% year over year. Profitability also improved, with operating income rising and margins staying healthy across the business.

Outdoor, Marine and Aviation were important contributors, but the message from the earnings call was clear. Fitness continues to be one of Garmin’s most dependable engines for growth, and it is expected to play a major role through the rest of 2026.

Garmin also maintained its full-year guidance, which suggests confidence that this momentum will continue rather than fade after one strong quarter. Despite strong earnings, the stock dipped slightly after the release. That usually means investors were looking for either even stronger forward guidance or more aggressive commentary about the rest of 2026.

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Instead of premium titanium models packed with smartwatch extras, most of the top finishers showed up with lightweight, practical training watches built for one job: running well. Garmin Forerunner watches appeared on both men’s and women’s winners, while COROS and even Samsung also made the list.

Garmin Forerunner watches steal the spotlight

The biggest takeaway is probably the dominance of Garmin’s Forerunner line. Tigst Assefa was clearly wearing the Forerunner 255 during her record-breaking run. Sabastian Sawe’s watch is less clear, with some discussion now around whether he wore the same model or the more affordable Forerunner 55.

Either way, the bigger point remains the same. Garmin has much newer and much more expensive watches available, but the fastest runners in the world are still choosing lightweight, practical training watches over premium flagships.

The Forerunner 255 itself skips the AMOLED display and premium materials you get on higher-end devices like the Forerunner 965 or Fenix line. What it offers instead is low weight, excellent GPS accuracy, strong battery life and reliable training tools, which is exactly what matters during a marathon.

If Sawe was wearing the Forerunner 55, that would push the idea even further. It is one of Garmin’s more affordable running watches, focused almost entirely on core training features rather than advanced analytics or premium design.

For elite runners, comfort matters more than luxury. A lighter watch is easier to forget about over 42.2 kilometres, especially when every gram starts to count late in the race.

That is probably why Garmin’s simpler Forerunner models continue to show up on professional athletes. They do the core job extremely well.

COROS continues its elite running push

COROS also had a strong showing. Yomif Kejelcha, who finished in 1:59:41, was seen wearing the Pace 3, while Hellen Obiri wore the Pace 4 during her 2:15:53 finish.

This fits with COROS’s strategy over the past few years. The company has focused heavily on performance runners rather than general smartwatch buyers, and its Pace series reflects that. These watches are light, simple and built around training metrics instead of lifestyle features.

The Pace line has developed a strong following among serious runners because it offers a lot without unnecessary extras. London Marathon results like this only strengthen that image.

The Samsung surprise

The most unexpected watch in the group was probably Jacob Kiplimo’s Samsung Watch 8. Seeing a Galaxy Watch on the wrist of a runner producing a 2:00:28 marathon is not something most people would have predicted.

Samsung watches are usually seen as smartwatches first and sports watches second. They handle notifications, apps and daily lifestyle features very well, but they are not the first choice most marathon purists think of.

That makes Kiplimo’s choice interesting. It could be linked to sponsorship, personal preference or simply the fact that the latest Galaxy Watch models have become much stronger fitness devices than people give them credit for. Either way, it stands out in a field dominated by dedicated running brands.

What elite runners actually care about

One thing is very clear from this lineup. There were no bulky adventure watches, no ultra-premium titanium showpieces and no devices chosen mainly for smartwatch appeal.

Instead, the focus stayed on watches that disappear on the wrist. Reliable GPS, stable heart rate data, long battery life and low weight matter far more than bright displays or premium finishes.

Joyciline Jepkosgei’s Garmin Forerunner 955 fits that same pattern. It offers more advanced training tools than the lower-end Forerunners, but it is still built first and foremost for performance.

That is probably the best lesson from this year’s London Marathon. The world’s fastest runners are not necessarily choosing the most expensive watches. They are choosing the ones they trust when everything depends on the next step.

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