Garmin Forerunner 920XT multisport watch – first look
We look at the new Garmin 920XT, arguably the biggest multisport launch of 2014
Almost three years after the launch of the Forerunner 910XT, Garmin have announced its replacement: the 920XT. Yes, the name might not get your tri senses tingling but don’t let it fool you, the 920 is far from just a revamp of the existing unit.
Garmin are marketing it as what you’d get if you combined the Edge 510 bike computer, FR620 run watch, Garmin Swim and new Vivosmart fitness tracker into one unit.
We’ve got our mitts on one of only three test models in the country. Visually it’s smaller, slimmer and smarter than the 910 and comes in a choice of blue/black or red/white colourways. The screen is full colour, and the unit has ANT+, Bluetooth Low Energy and WiFI connectivity to sync to your sensors/power meter and smartphone.
Swim-wise, Garmin have included the ability to add swim workouts so that you can plan in drills, sets and rest, plus there’s also the ability to add a note to each step in case you need extra info. They’ll also be providing support for brick sessions into Garmin Connect soon, so that if you do a bike-run session it’ll appear as one workout, whereas currently it appears as two separate activities.
As well as extra bike and run functions, the most noteworthy news from the Garmin camp is that they will be opening up the platform to third-party app developers. So eventually the 920 could become more of a sport/smart watch hybrid as independent developers get creative with the watch’s capabilities.
The Garmin is now retailing for £389.99 (or £419.99 with included HR run strap) at www.garmin.com.
Mike Anderson
