Garmin has announced the launch of its first GPS wrist watch for serious mountaineers and outdoor discoverers. The watch has been developed together with professional mountain guides and provides comprehensive navigation capabilities – Garmin says the fenix “sets new standards for outdoor watches with optimised ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) sensors”.
Sporting a classic round watch design in high-strength housing with a scratch-resisting display, the fēnix is built to endure the toughest outdoor conditions and also makes a stylish day-to-day timepiece. Garmin will be showing the fēnix for the very first time to the international trade and media at the Outdoor exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from July 12th to July 15th.
“We are working hard with professional mountain guides from all over Europe to ensure that fēnix sets a new benchmark for mountaineers. It packs Garmin’s leading and trusted outdoor technology into a robust, wrist-worn GPS watch that ambitious mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts can 100% rely upon,” says Martin Resch, Garmin’s EMEA Product Manager, Outdoor. “Being able to hike, climb or walk “hands- free” whilst still having access to precise information on elevation, position and weather change forecasts will be a game changing asset for any adventurer. For the first time, all essential information you need in order to navigate to your destination and back home safely are available right from your wrist with the new Garmin fēnix.
You can see the full list of features and functions at the Garmin link at the bottom of the page, but here are some of the highlights:
Plan, Navigate and Track:fēnix includes a comprehensive navigational toolset that allows users to plan trips, create routes and record waypoints. Outdoor enthusiasts can navigate to GPS coordinates along a track or route, towards waypoints or along any other selected bearing. A navigation arrow provides clear directional guidance and Garmin’s pioneering TracBack® function can guide one safely back to base camp along a good visible and easy to follow track line displayed on the device. This provides mountaineers with the
confidence and peace of mind to guide them to their ambitious targets.
Using the BaseCampTM desktop application, fēnix users will be able to easily plan trips and share their adventures with friends and family. Also included is a worldwide basemap displaying cities nearby. fēnix is equipped with both ANT+ capabilities and Bluetooth® to wirelessly share tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches with other compatible Garmin devices. A Basecamp mobile app allows users to easily transfer waypoints and tracklogs to view them on the go on a more detailed map and larger screen of select smartphones.
Altimeter, Barometer and Compass:
fēnix is equipped with ABC sensors to provide explorers relevant real-time information. The built-in altimeter shows elevation data to accurately monitor ascent and descent, the barometer can be used to predict weather changes by showing short-term trends in air pressure and a 3-axis electronic compass keeps the user’s exact bearing whether they are moving or not. Utilising its high sensitivity GPS receiver, fēnix can auto-calibrate its ABC sensors and also auto sets the time based on location. Paired with tempeTM, Garmin’s new external temperature sensor, fēnix is the first outdoor watch that provides an accurate ambient temperature reading.
Measure Performance:
Similar to Garmin’s world leading GPS running watches, fēnix provides comprehensive real-time performance monitoring for athletes such as trail runners and ski mountaineers. With lap and autolap function and important performance data e.g. distance, vertical speed and pace, ambitious mountaineers can keep track of their progress during their outdoor training or other fitness activities. fēnix is also compatible with Garmin’s premium heart rate monitor for heart rate information or with a speed/cadence sensor for distance, (speed and cadence while on a bike). All displayed data fields are fully customisable from the wrist.
The Garmin fēnix is expected to be available in the Autumn 2012 and will have a suggested retail price of £349.99.
RELATED LINKS
garmin.com/fenix.