Garmin announces new Forerunner smartwatches, specifically designed for runners

Garmin earlier announced the official Malaysian release of the latest iterations in their Forerunner series that is “designed with the runner in mind”—the Forerunner 45, Forerunner 245, Forerunner 245 Music, and the range-topping Forerunner 945.

Each of the refreshed models now feature lightweight materials and a 5-button design that Garmin says is purposed to be intuitive and usable even with gloves on. There’s also compatibility with Garmin Coach across the board; integrated music capabilities and full-colour mapping are also featured.

Firstly, the beginner-friendly Forerunner 45 has heart rate monitoring, while also packing built-in GPS which will help to accurately track pace, distance, intervals, and other running statistics. With multiple activity profiles expectedly available, Garmin tells us that the smartwatch is designed to be worn 24/7, with sleep tracking available. You’ll get up to 7 days of battery life in “smartwatch mode”, while turning GPS on will reduce that to 13 hours.

The Forerunner 245 and Forerunner 245 Music smartwatches are a step up, and offer more advanced features for runners. This includes the ability to store up to 500 songs on the Forerunner 245 Music, with compatibility with streaming services like Spotify.

Both models will also include performance monitoring tools like VO2 max, while runners can connect the smartwatches to a heart rate strap that will allow them to view more running dynamics on the watch. Other features include a wrist-based Pulse Ox sensor that will let runners know how oxygen is being absorbed. Again, up to 7 days of battery life is expected, with 6 hours of GPS mode (with music) promised by Garmin.

The range-topping Forerunner 945 will hold even more songs—up to 1,000—and comes with a new feature. Training Load Focus will sort an athlete’s recent training history into different categories based on activity structure and intensity. Battery life is the best in the series: up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, 10 hours in GPS mode with music, or up to 60 hours in UltraTrac mode.

All of the models above are now available at RRPs of RM999 (Forerunner 45), RM1,450 (Forerunner 245), RM1,699 (Forerunner 245 Music), and RM 2,999 (Forerunner 945); you can purchase them at these stores:

• Garmin’s headquarters (AECO Technologies) 43, Jalan Jejaka 2, Taman Maluri, Cheras
• Midvalley Megamall
• Digital Mall Petaling Jaya
• 1 Utama Shopping Centre
• Taman Lagenda, Melaka
• Juru Autocity, Penang
• Bukit Indah, Johor
• Midvalley Southkey City, Johor
• East Coast Mall, Kuantan
• Kuching Vivacity Megamall, Sarawak (Garmin Premium Reseller)

For more information, click here.