It sounds like Garmin may copy the Apple Watch with a yearly Forerunner release
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The Garmin Forerunner 965 and 265 may arrive much sooner than expected. Usually Garmin rests its watches for at least two years before shipping an updated version, but that could change, frustrating fans who thought they were buying the latest technology last year.
The Garmin Forerunner 945 and 245 arrived in 2019, and an updated Garmin Forerunner 955 and 255 didn’t arrive until 2022, three years later. Technology had advanced to the point where updates were considered necessary, as the new watches had better recovery stats, improved fitness tracking, and more advanced GPS tools. Both watches have therefore earned their place on our list of the best Garmin watches.
However, a slew of rumors suggested the 965 and 265 watches would arrive this year, a major break from tradition. If that’s true, Garmin might be planning an annual release for the Forerunners, just like Apple is doing with its own watches.
That’s when the rumors started de5Krunner (opens in new tab) posted an image of a prototype Garmin Forerunner 265, which the site says came from an anonymous but reliable source. A new AMOLED screen was the biggest feature here, replacing the older memory-in-pixel display common on Garmin watches these days.
A early listing on a golf website (opens in new tab)published and quickly removed according to our sister site Adventure (opens in new tab), hinted at more details for the 965 and 465, including pricing, colorways and the fact that the 265 will have the Training Readiness rating, an updated version of Garmin’s Body Battery introduced with the Forerunner 955 and then rolled out to the Garmin Fenix range . Other leaks from retailers followed, such as the one below, suggesting the watches are ready to roll.
RunningDirect is the third online retailer to list the incoming Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965, and the first to confirm expected prices of €499.99 and €649.99. #garmin #forerunner #running #sports #wearables pic.twitter.com/kDvGbhEOqVJanuary 26, 2023
Analysis: copying Apple for all the wrong reasons
In our last few reviews of the Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 8, we’ve praised the watches but complained that the updates are extremely iterative. Very little hardware and technology has changed in the Apple Watch over the past few generations, and often only a few key features are introduced each year.
Every time an updated version is released and it doesn’t differ significantly, the incentive to buy a new watch gets smaller. If it’s essentially the same technology, why not get the older, cheaper model?
If Garmin wants to update its Forerunner line less than a year after the previous one, will it fall into the same trap? Folks who bought a Garmin Forerunner 255 over the holidays will understandably be annoyed when the 265 debuts in April, complete with a better screen and updated features. However, the 955 already uses Training Readiness scores, so it’ll have to debut something extra, like the long-rumored skin temperature sensor alongside an updated, buttery-smooth AMOLED screen, to justify the new model’s existence.
Will Garmin move to annual releases for other watches, rather than the Forerunner? If the rumors are true and this launch is a big money spinner, Garmin might consider changing its strategy to regular, iterative updates rather than overhauling its watches every few years. I prefer the current model as each new watch feels much more innovative, but there’s no denying that shiny new models are getting everyone’s attention.
However, it works for Apple because there are only a handful of watches in the lineup: the 8, the SE 2, and the Ultra. Garmin has a huge catalog of watches for every occasion, from the ultra-premium Garmin Enduro 2 to the low-cost Vivoactive range and everything in between. With a smorgasbord of watches already available, do we really need new ones every year? No. But money talks.