Garmin Introduces New Solar Charging Smartwatch

Kansas-based fitness tracking leader Garmin announced its first dedicated running smartwatch with solar charging, the Forerunner 955 Solar.

Sporting a Power Glass solar charging lens, the watch provides athletes with up to 20 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 49 hours in GPS mode. The product features an always-on, full-color display that is easily legible, even in direct sunlight.

“Athletes who strive to be the best seek the best training tools, and we are pleased to introduce the Forerunner 955 Solar to our lineup of premier GPS running smartwatches,” said Dan Bartel,  vice president of global consumer sales, Garmin. “With high-end training features and performance metrics, the Forerunner 955 Solar gives you the tools to chase your goals. No matter where, when or why you run, the Forerunner 955 Solar will help you go the extra mile.”

Some notable features of the watch:

• Solar charging: Power Glass solar charging gives athletes up to 49 hours of battery life in GPS mode.
• Training readiness: Learn each day how ready the body is to benefit from training by taking into account sleep, recovery time, HRV status, and additional metrics.
• HRV status: Track heart rate variability while sleeping to get a better handle on recovery and an overall wellness picture.
• Morning report: When paired with a smartphone, receive the day’s weather and daily workout suggestion, as well as information about last night’s sleep and HRV status. The report can even be customized so athletes can view only the details they want to see.