In 2012 the Forerunner 910XT was introduced, which is a development of the 310XT. It features a touch sensitive screen as well as vibration alerts. The Forerunner 610 was released in the spring of 2011. It was touted as providing "unmatched reliability in sweaty, rainy conditions." The releases included the addition of a touch-sensitive bezel on the 410, presumably, although heavily debated, allowing for easier scrolling and selection of functions. In 2010, the Forerunner 110, 210 and 410 were introduced.
In 2010 a firmware update added vastly improved open-water swimming metrics.
The 310XT was also the first watch of the Forerunner series to be waterproof, thus allowing its use for swimming and on all legs of a Triathlon, also thanks to an extended battery life. The new calorie consumption modeling in these devices was the result of Garmin's first collaboration with Finnish physiological analytics firm Firstbeat. New features included additional battery life and vibration alerts on the 310XT and advanced calorie consumption modeling on all watches. In 2009, Garmin produced three new models: the Forerunner 60 (an evolution of the Forerunner 50), the Forerunner 405CX (405 chassis), and the Forerunner 310XT (an evolution of the 305 chassis). The 405 also featured improved satellite discovery and connection. The Forerunner 405 was introduced in 2008 and is significantly smaller than its predecessors, only slightly outsizing a typical wristwatch. This feature has since become a staple of Garmin's more full-featured sport watches.
The Forerunner 50 also came packaged with a USB stick that allowed training data to be transferred wirelessly to one's pc. As opposed to GPS, this model paired with a foot pod to measure displacement. In late 2007, the Forerunner 50 was introduced. These models are smaller than the first generation and feature a more sensitive SiRFstarIII GPS receiver chip. In 2006, the improved 205 and 305 appeared. Garmin registered the name "Forerunner" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in August 2001 but released the first watches - the 101, 201, and 301 - in 2003. All models except the 101 include a way to upload training data to a personal computer and training software. The TomTom Spark 3 allows you to stream music from the watch to your headphones, for example. However, if you want a GPS watch with more features, I would suggest spending an extra $30 for the TomTom Spark 3 Cardio + Music.
It has a safe design, connects fairly quickly to GPS satellites, and lasts a while on a charge.
The Garmin Forerunner 35 is a good, but unexceptional, running watch. MORE: Fitness Tracker Buying Guide Bottom Line The Forerunner comes with a small clip-on USB charging cable, which was not only easy to carry, but stayed on the watch securely.
I wore the watch for a full week, going on three runs using GPS for about 45 minutes each time at the end of the week, the battery was half full. Garmin estimates that the Forerunner 35 will last up to nine days in watch mode and up to 13 hours in training mode. A Move bar at the bottom of the screen grows in length the longer you've been sitting, and only a good 5-minute walk will clear it. (Image credit: Jeremy Lips / Tom's Guide)įor the lazy types, the Forerunner 35 has a Move alert, which will buzz your wrist if you've been sitting too long.