Garmin is known for making some of the most popular smartwatches to date. The American tech giant has a history of making GPS-enabled portables dating back to the 90s. The Garmin Forerunner series is the right choice for people who live and breathe sports. And the latest entry to the list, the Garmin Forerunner 55 and Forerunner 945 LTE is no exception.
So, we’ll look in detail at the specifications, features, and price of the new Forerunner 55. Garmin Forerunner 55 is the direct successor to the Forerunner 45 and the 45 Small (45S).
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The 2 year-long wait is worth it when we look at what the Forerunner 55 has to offer. The minimalist design of the watch gives it an appealing look similar to its predecessors. Let’s see if it is the best smartwatch for running or maybe the best smartwatch for running.
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Garmin Forerunner 55 Specifications, Features, and Price
| Display | 1. 1.04″ MIP Color Display 2. Resolution: 208 x 208 pixels 3. Resolution: 208 x 208 pixels |
| Weight | 37 grams |
| Features | 1. Heart Rate Monitoring 2. Irregular Heart Rate (Increased Heart Rate) 3. Advanced Running metrics 4. Garmin Coach 5. Cadence Alerts 6. Sleep monitoring 7. Woman’s Health 8. Stress Tracking |
| Navigation | Built-in GPS, GLONASS, & GALILEO |
| Waterproof | 50 meters |
| Battery Life | 1. Up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode 2. 20 hours in GPS mode |
The Design
As said above, the minimalist design of the watch gives it an appealing look. And that alone will keep it distinct from the competition. The circular dial of the watch comes in a lower profile, similar to the Forerunner 45. Also, the display used in both the Forerunner 55 and 45 is identical in size and resolution.
The watch is protected by the much renowned chemically strengthened glass. The display measures 1.04 inches (or 26.3mm) in diameter and has a resolution of 208×208 (rather odd for a circular screen).
Still, the Forerunner 55 is 1g heavier than the 45. However, the Forerunner 45 scores in the plethora of colors the user can choose from, and it even comes in two different case sizes. And for some reason, Garmin decided to keep it simple and minimal this time.
The wristband on the Forerunner 55 also seems to have not changed much from its predecessors. The user could enjoy the premium comfort of the lightweight silicone wristband as they did in the Forerunner 45. The hard keys on the watch also follow the same design as its predecessors. Two on the left and three on the right.
Health and Fitness Tracking Features
Garmin Forerunner 55 comes with the best-in-class health and fitness tracking features. Accuracy and precision are always crucial for a tracker, and Forerunner 55 delivers it exactly right, like any Garmin product. As always, the Forerunner 55 retains all the features from the 45. This includes the following health and fitness tracking features.
- Heart rate monitoring.
- Abnormal heart rate alerts (high and low).
- Daily resting heart rate.
All-day stress monitoring and sleep monitoring to better improve your health.
- Body Battery Energy Monitor – It is a feature that uses the deep algorithms present on the smartwatch including the Heart Rate
Variability data, Stress data, and Activity to show the energy left in your body. - Relaxation Breathing Timers – Useful to relieve the user from rather stressed
- Fitness Age – A feature that suggests workouts and lifestyle routines best suited
for the user’s age.
Apart from all the above features, Garmin added the following features to the Forerunner
55.
- All-day respiration rate.
- Relaxation Timers is a nice upgrade to the Relaxation Breathing Timers in the
previous models. - Hydration – To keep the user hydrated throughout the day.
- Woman’s health – A set of features includes a menstrual cycle tracking feature that
will be extremely useful for a woman.
Sensors
The Garmin Forerunner 55 comes with the following sensors to gather all the data required for the watch to process.
- Built-in GPS enables the watch to manage on its own.
- GLONASS and GALILEO sensors further improve navigation and tracking with the
help of satellites. - Accelerometer to get spatial information like tilt, motion, etc.
- Garmin Elevate Wrist Heart Rate Monitor is a fancy name for a heart rate sensor.
But it does the job it claims neatly, maybe a little more.
Smart Features
Cramming sensors into a small package is not as hard as tailoring the features in demand. And the people behind Forerunner 55 have done great at that.
- The device offers simple and reliable connectivity with a smartphone.
- Connect IQ lets the user customize the watch face the way they seem fit. There is
a decent collection of widgets and apps. - The user could use the Smart Notification feature to keep their phone in the
- Calendar and Weather come as standard features.
- The user can control the music playback on their phone with ease.
- Find My Phone and Find My Watch are extremely useful for people who tend to
forget stuff.
The LiveTrack, Incident detection, and on-demand assistance are great security additions. Lastly, the watch works like a charm with both iOS and Android devices.
User Experience
The watch has a great library of workout routines, that when followed correctly, do an excellent job at keeping the user fit. All necessary fitness-related features like steps counter, distance counter, calorie meter are great additions to the watch.
The watch also proves to be great for running exercises like running, treadmill running, track running, indoor track running, and virtual running. Swimmers will also appreciate the convenience of having a Forerunner 55 on their wrists.
The battery might be a concern for many when it comes to buying a smartwatch. Like its predecessors, the Forerunner 55 won’t you stranded anywhere on your run. Garmin claims a maximum battery life of 2 weeks in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS mode. Unless you are Forrest Gump, this might be the best smartwatch for running and maybe the best smartwatch for music.
Pricing
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The success of a product will always be judged to some degree by its price. This holds a fact for a smartphone, a smartwatch, or even a car. Garmin is a brand that has been long criticized for the pricing of its products, and again, the Forerunner 55 is no exception.
Priced at $199.99 (roughly $200), many would consider this one an overpriced product. But quality comes at a cost, and the Forerunner 55 is a symbol of accuracy and precision. Those two factors are hard to achieve, and yet Garmin managed to deliver.
Garmin Forerunner 55 Pros and Cons
To wrap it up
Garmin Forerunner 55 is an excellent product that does a fantastic job at what it claims. And it does that is a price tag we believe is justified, especially when we have to spend more than thrice to get a set of rollers for that computer.
