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The Garmin Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 255 are two of the most hotly anticipated launches from Garmin.
A Reddit user claimed to have been to a store in Germany and managed to see an early mail to retailers detailing the new watches.
The Garmin Forerunner 955 will be the top of the range multi-sports watch that is a popular choice with triathletes and runners due to its lightweight design vs the Garmin Fenix 7.
The previous Forerunner 945 launched back in 2019, with the Fenix 6 Pro launching a year later. Both watches had almost identical features; the Fenix 7 had more storage, a heavier and more rugged design, plus some additional golf features. It then later launched with solar models.
This time around, the Fenix 7 has already been launched, and it is likely that things will be similar.
The Forerunner 255 is geared more toward runners or an affordable multi-sport watch.
Garmin Forerunner 955 Features
At the moment, everything is just a rumour, but you can expect the FR955 will be very similar to the Fenix 7.
- The Garmin Forerunner 955 will use the new upgraded Elevate Gen 4 optical HR sensor and GPS sensor (multi-band remains unknown)
- It will also have real-time stamina, race time trend predictor and sleep scores
- There FR955 will now have solar model options
- Running power via an external device
- Morning Report
- It is expected that this will keep the normal transflective memory-in-pixel display. Nothing has been said about a touch screen.
Garmin Forerunner 255 Features
- Upgraded HR sensor and GPS
- It is believed the Forerunner 255 will be upgraded with a barometric altimeter which will aid with running power.
- There should be a new smaller Forerunner 255s
- Running power via an external device
- Morning Report
Running Power
One rumoured feature coming to both watches is running power. But, it is believed this will be via an external device.
However, Garmin already has basic running power when using the Garmin Running Power app and is used with a Garmin heart strap that has running dynamics. Then there is Stryd with its own app.
It is possible they may have fleshed this feature out more or just have it natively integrated into running dynamics. Or it could be some confusion from the Reddit user that reported it.
Currently, the FR245 is not officially supported for Garmin Running Power App, and this could be what the user means.
This is one of the areas that Garmin has fallen behind on. Polar has had built-in running power on their watches for a while now, including the new Polar Pacer Pro.
Presumably, Garmin is trying to perfect this data metric, but as others have said, being forced to use an external device could be a money grab.
Morning Report
A new morning report is believed to be on both watches. I assume this is the feature that was launched with the Garmin Lily, which will provide you with a daily summary and display helpful information each morning and including:
- A daily greeting
- Weather
- Body Battery
- Step Goal and Step Streak
- Women’s Health tracking (if enabled)
- Calendar
Price & Availability
- Forerunner 955 comes with a solar option for €650 (£545 / $683)
- Regular 955 for €550 (£461 / $578)
- Forerunner 255 (music) for €400 (£335 / $420)
- Forerunner 255 (no music) for €350 (£293 / $367)
All prices may be €50 more; the Reddit user believes the above prices were reduced by Garmin.
For reference, the current Forerunner 945 is listed as £500, and the Forerunner 245 Music is £300.
The watches are believed to launch on the 1st of June 2022 and they should be available to buy shortly after this.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
