We expected Bluetooth sensor compatibility (it’s not here….yet). We did NOT expect a barometric altimeter but it’s here. We did expect all the clever Firstbeat power/HR related algorithms to help you better understand your physiology. We did NOT expect the pre-installed, new TrainingPeaks app (that’s here). We’re delighted there is no touchscreen in sight!
The STRAVA-stuff, GROUP Live Tracking and support of most Garmin sensors was a shoe-in for inclusion.
It has all the nice MOVE IQ and activity tracking and smartphone integration you obviously expected.
You can call it the Fenix 5t (t=tri) if you like; for that is what it is. It is NOT the new Forerunner 920XT…there will not be a rectangular-faced one of those. Ever.
The interesting things for me are:
- Market positioning: It’s built and positioned as cheaper/lower than the regular Fenix 5. That’s risky but reflects the reality of the specialist tri market.
- It’s round (as expected but not as hoped for)
- It’s more of the flavour of a Forerunner 735 but a bit more featured-up. Actually my criticism of the 735 was that it was not a ‘proper’ tri watch. The 935 clearly is. Although some of us are still inclined to say that it’s really a running watch tat’s very good at tri functionality 😉
PRE-ORDERS (USA): HERE at PMC
So here you go. All the specs in Garminlorious detail.
| Lens Material | glass |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Case material | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| QuickFit™ watch bands | yes (22 mm) |
| Strap material | silicone |
| Physical size | 47 x 47 x 13.9 mm |
| Weight | 49 g |
| Water rating | 5 ATM |
| Battery type | rechargeable lithium-ion |
| Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Display size | 1.2″ (30.4 mm) diameter (good) |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels (fairly good) |
| Color display | Yes |
| Battery life | Smart Mode: Up to 2 weeks |
| GPS/HR mode: Up to 24 hours | |
| UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 60 hours without wrist heart rate | |
| Memory/history | 64 MB |
| Sensors | |
| GPS | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes |
| Compass | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes |
| Auto Pause® | Yes |
| Auto scroll | Yes |
| Auto Lap® | Yes |
| Manual lap | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes |
| Customizable alerts | Yes |
| Vibration alerts | Yes |
| Audio prompts | Yes |
| Finish time | Yes |
| Virtual Partner | Yes |
| Virtual Racer™ | Yes |
| Training Status (lets you see if you’re training effectively by tracking training data, such as VO2 max and anaerobic threshold, and comparing it to recent data) | Yes |
| V02 max | Yes |
| Training Load (combines heart rate and VO2 max to score your intensity over 28 days’ time to help ensure you’re in the optimal range to meet your goal) | Yes |
| Training Effect (aerobic) | Yes |
| Training Effect (anaerobic) | Yes |
| Course guidance | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | Yes |
| Personal records (running, cycling, swimming) | Yes |
| Segments (Live, Garmin) | Yes |
| Auto multisport activities | Yes |
| Manual multisport activities | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes |
| Hot keys | Yes |
| LiveTrack | Yes |
| Group LiveTrack | Yes |
| Heart Rate Features | |
| HR zones | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes |
| HR calories | Yes |
| % HR max | Yes |
| % HRR | Yes |
| Recovery time | Yes |
| Auto max HR | Yes |
| HRV stress test (measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| HR strap compatible | yes (ANT+™ and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) |
| Records heart rate while swimming | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) |
| HR Broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+™ to paired devices) | Yes |
| Running Features | |
| Preloaded run profiles | Running, Indoor Running, Trail Running |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes |
| Running dynamics | Yes |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio (the degree of ‘bounce’ in your running motion and the benefit ration to stride length) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Ground contact time and balance (shows how much time, in the running motion, your foot is on the ground rather than in flight and lets you check your running symmetry) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Stride length (real time) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes |
| Physiological measurements | Yes |
| Performance condition (after running for 6–20 minutes, compares your real-time condition to your average fitness levels) | Yes |
| Lactate threshold (through analysis of your pace and heart rate, estimates the point where your muscles start to rapidly fatigue) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Run workouts | Yes |
| Personal records (running) | Yes |
| Race predictor | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | Yes |
| Cycling Features | |
| Preloaded cycling profiles | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking |
| Courses (compete against previous activities) | Yes |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | Yes |
| Race an activity | Yes |
| Time/distance alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goal) | Yes |
| Interval training | Yes |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Strava features (Group LiveTrack, live segments) | Yes |
| Compatible with Vector™ (power meter) | Yes |
| Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible third-party ANT+™-enabled power meters) | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (with sensor) | yes (ANT+™ and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) |
| Swimming Features | |
| Preloaded swim profiles | Pool & OWS |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories) | Yes |
| Stroke recognition | Yes |
| Pool lap recognition | Yes |
| Swim workouts | Yes |
| Stroke efficiency (SWOLF) | Yes |
| Automatic intervals | Yes |
| Advanced swim (drill, rest timers) | Yes |
| Open-water swim distance | Yes |
| Multisport mode | Yes |
| Clock Features | |
| Time/date | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes |
| Timer | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | |
| Step counter | Yes |
| Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | Yes |
| Calories burned | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes |
| Distance travelled | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes |
| TrueUp™ | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes |
| Daily Smart Features | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® Smart, ANT+™, Wi-Fi® |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps) | Yes |
| Smart notifications | Yes |
| Calendar | Yes |
| Weather | Yes |
| Music controls | Yes |
| Face It™ watch face creator | Yes |
| Find my Phone feature | Yes |
| VIRB® remote | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android®, Windows® |
| Compatible with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes |
| Find My Watch feature | Yes |
| Outdoor Recreation Features | |
| Preloaded outdoor recreation profiles | Lots |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes |
| Back to start | Yes |
| TracBack® | Yes |
| UltraTrac™ mode | Yes |
| Elevation profile | Yes |
| Distance to destination | Yes |
| Barometric trend indicator | Yes |
| Storm alert | Yes |
| Trail run auto climb | Yes |
| Vertical speed | Yes |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes |
| Compatible with BaseCamp™ | Yes |
| GPS coordinates | Yes |
| Projected waypoint | Yes |
| Sight ‘N Go | Yes |
| Dual grid coordinates | Yes |
| Additional | |
| Additional | tempe™ support |
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