Garmin debuts new Forerunner 955: now with a touchscreen, new performance metrics
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The new Garmin Forerunner 955 is the company's latest high-end sports watch and it might just be the biggest upgrade to the Forerunner 9xx series as it now comes with a touch screen, the option to get it with solar charging, plus it adds a bunch of new performance metrics and features.
The Forerunner 955 replaces the Forerunner 945 with LTE that was launched last year, and mostly looks the same: it has a 46.5mm diameter in a body that at 14.4mm is only a fraction thicker than before. It also comes with a familiar fiber-reinforced polymer body and about the same light weight of about 50g.
This being a Forerunner, it comes with a Transflective MIP display that is extremely power efficient and easy to see outdoors, but the screen itself is a bit larger. The previous generations used a 1.2-inch display with a 240px resolution, while the Forerunner 955 goes with a 1.3-inch screen with a 260px resolution.
The most impressive new feature, however, has got to be that this screen is now touch enabled, so you can swipe and tap as you wish. At the same time, you still have your familiar 5 buttons, if you prefer to use them instead.
Forerunner 955 summary:
- One size at 46.5mm, 14.4mm thick, 52g weight
- Priced at $500, Solar model costs $600
- Touch screen! Also, screen is a bit larger
- Gorilla Glass DX screen
- 5ATM water proofing
- Battery life up to 15 days (42 hours in GPS mode)
- Stores up to 2,000 songs
- NFC, Garmin Pay
- HRV Status and other new recovery features
- Pre-loaded maps
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New Features
Morning Report, Training Readiness, HRV Status, Race Widget, Running Power
This being the higher end Forerunner watch you get all the features available in the cheaper Forerunner 255, and then some on top of that.
The list of the new features includes Morning Report, a neat summary of your night sleep and recovery.
A brand new metric you have is HRV (heart-rate variability) Status that shows you your heart rate over the night as well as over a 7-day period.
You also have a couple of new performance widgets like the Race Widget and Running Power. The Race Widget is a one-stop shop for training tips, suggested workouts, weather forecasts and estimated finish times for your courses. The Running Power widget measures your running performance and efficiency in real time, but it requires an additional accessory like a compatible chest strap.
Preloaded maps
One feature you don't get on the Forerunner 255 is pre-loaded maps and that one can be a life-saver if your travels often bring you to places where there is no cell phone coverage.
And this feature would work much better with the new touch screen and overall larger screen, so it's great having it on board.
Real-time Stamina
This metric was previously available on the Garmin fenix series for example, and the gist of it is to help users manage their effort while running or cycling, basically it tells you how much gas you have left in the tank and manage your pace accordingly.
You also have the neat Up Ahead feature that shows you nearby locations as you work out, which can also be quite helpful.
What do you think about the new Garmin Forerunner 955?
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