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As usual with Garmin, their new product launches first thing in the morning, which may break the embargo they have imposed on bloggers and journalists.
This Garmin Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 255 Now live and available for purchase from the Garmin website.Currently, there is no sign Edge 1040 Bike computer, rumored to be coming soon.
There’s nothing particularly surprising about the new watch, as most of the information has leaked over the past few weeks.
Garmin Forerunner 955 Price and Availability vs Fenix 7
As with most features we know, the most important thing for me is the confirmation of price and availability.
The Forerunner 955 Solar is £549.99, available in white or black and ships within 1-2 weeks.
The non-solar Forerunner 955 is £479.99 and is also available in white or black with 2-3 weeks shipping.
In contrast, Phoenix 7 Solar/standard models are £690 and £599 respectively. There aren’t many discounts on Amazon, and the standard Fenix 7 is £580.
The older Forerunner 945 is currently on sale at Garmin for £500. There are very few offerings through third parties, Wiggle still lists it as £460, and Amazon renews the option for £350. There seems to be no reason to choose this option on the new watch.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs 945 vs Fenix 7 battery
One of the great things about Garmin is battery life. Acknowledging what was previously disclosed:
| Forerunner 955 | Forerunner 945 | Phoenix 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| smart watch | 15 days | 14 days | 18 days |
| Smart Watch + Solar | 20 days | Not applicable | 22 days |
| System-wide GNSS mode Plus multiband with music |
8.5 hours | Not applicable (10 hours GPS + music) |
no description |
| GNSS/Multiband No Music | 20 hours | Not applicable | 23 hours (sapphire only) |
| solar energy on it | 22 hours | Not applicable | 26 hours (sapphire only) |
| Only GPS, no music | 42 hours | 36 hours | 57 hours |
| solar energy on it | 49 hours | Not applicable | 73 hours |
| Ultratrac mode: | 80 hours | Not applicable | no description Maximum battery is 136 hours |
| solar energy on it | 110 hours | Not applicable | no description Maximum battery is 289 hours |
Garmin Forerunner 955 Features
The overall feature set is very similar to Fenix 7, with a few additions. A notable feature is that multi-band GNSS is standard, while the Fenix 7 requires the Sapphire model.
The following are highlights, not an exhaustive list of features.
Larger display and touchscreen
Not much to say here. You have a slightly larger display with a higher resolution while maintaining nearly the same size as the previous generation. It also has an upgraded touchscreen.
Running power
We knew it was coming, but now it’s confirmed. Running Power is now natively integrated into the watch, but you need a Garmin device that provides running power. They declare Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Pro monitor. I think the HRM-Run or Tri should work, but Garmin doesn’t seem to sell these on their website anymore.
heart rate variability status
It sounds like this could be an important useful upgrade that affects several other features. HRV used to require manual testing, but the watch will now perform the test during sleep and should be one of the best ways to gain insight into your current condition.
training preparation
This will use your HRV as well as sleep quality, recovery, training load and more to give you an insight into your training readiness for the day.
training status
This has existed in previous devices, but now it uses new metrics such as HRV status, your recent workout history and performance to easily understand your overall effort – and whether your training is working, peaking or stressful.
acute load
I’m sure it’s different from the phrase they used to use, but it seems to be the same data you get under a 7 day load page on an older device.
morning paper
This appears to be one of the features that will be rolled out to all new watches (and possibly older devices as well). It’s a simple feature that gives you a daily overview when you wake up in the morning.
real time endurance
This is one of the important features introduced on Fenix 7, so it is used for FR955. Use this data to track and manage your physical activity—and help avoid striving too hard when you start running or cycling.
Multi-band GPS and full-color built-in map
Again, this was introduced with the Fenix 7 series and should offer more accurate GPS and faster lock times.
comprehensive
Most of Garmin’s recently released watches have been very disappointing with incremental upgrades. They’re still great; it’s just that they’ve gotten a little better; only incremental improvements (similar to most phone releases).
The same could be said here, but I love that Garmin came out with a feature-packed watch without a corresponding price hike that we’re all too familiar with.
That’s quite a price gap from the Fenix 7-series, and it has quite a few extras.
