36 thoughts on “Garmin 945LTE Feature Catchups – Plus, Where Are All The New Garmins?”

1. That would be a first. Garmin NEVER wait to have a working product before shipping do they?

   1. now, now.

      1. It’s true though, certainly for every Garmin device I’ve owned (and I’ve had quite a few dating back to the FR201). Garmin have no concept of QA.

2. Fenix 6 series is still very much a bug riddled work in progress, two years since release. Not much point releasing a Fenix 7 until they’ve finished work on the current models. (6X Pro Solar owner)

   /sarcasm

   1. will be same codebase, so might as well please the shareholders

3. possible on 13th of october, Garmin Developer Conference?

   1. i dont think it can be much later than that. pretty much all christmas wearable tech i’m assuming will appear in the next 3ish weeks
      but i don’t think a GDC is a reason to do the major money-spinning Christmas release. i could be wrong

4. I know everybody here is waiting for the fenix 7 but it’s not really true that we haven’t seen any new garmins this year. i count 4 – enduro, venu 2, fr 55 and fr 945. roughly on par with previous years?

   1. I think Venu 2 is the only thing that could be considered somewhat new this year.

      – FR945LTE is effectively FR945, with just an updated OHR package and limited LTE connectivity; Polar’s V2 that was kicked around for being a minor upgrade had more changes both hardware- and software wise.

      – FR55 is FR45, with a bunch of 245 features pulled down, all to defend $200 range against Pace 2

      – Enduro is basically a non-Pro Fenix 6X Titanium Solar, with a very cool strap, and a big ass battery (or maybe slower CPU or both)

      1. 945LTE has a better processor and a better size than 945.
         If Garmin had called it 955 no one would say a word and a lot of people buy it very happy. They named it as 945LTE, a major marketing failure, IMO.

      2. ha ha, yes true! i think because it was smaller tho they were targeting a subtly different demographic (smaller wrists) to get new customers rather than people to upgrade the 945.

      3. kinda, a bit unfair tho as it looks like the internal architecture has some significant changes too

      4. I agree with Nick; everything else is the sort of step that you saw with the HR variants of the Fenix 3, or the Plus versions of the Fenix 5 – incremental, but not enough to call it a whole new model.
         One reason I agree is that the Venu 2 is the only unit that’s come out that actually supports the new ConnectIQ version 4.0 & features announced in last year’s developer conference. I find it hard to believe that was the planned roadmap, to have only one device supporting it when you’re halfway to the next major version, if they stick with their typical schedule of one major version every two years.

   2. yes we had those but it’s unheard of (I think) for there not to be a Q3/4 product launch.
      Plus I vaguely remember seeing a new Varia and a new smart weight scale somewhere, can’t remember the timeframes for release tho.

5. By the way, any of that beta goodness coming to Fenix 6?

   There’s a lot of hand wringing around the latest 19.20 production release and a small 19.21 beta with a single lonely bug fix, all stuck up there for almost two weeks now.

   I’d guess if we aren’t seeing any fresh beta drops on the Fenix side in the next few weeks, it might be an indication things will be coming as part of the Fenix 7 announcement. The opposite could also be true: a new beta for F6 with FR945 features means no F7 this year.

   1. fenix 6 has different internals…venu2 and 945lte prob the same/similar???

      i should be on it tho as i have a f6pro now.

6. Any thoughts on the devices that lose FCC confidentiality tomorrow?

   https://www.reddit.com/r/Garmin/comments/pounxd/fcc_filing_fenix_7_models/

   1. hi
      i think the first pair of filings are dashcams or other handhelds
      the third one? IDK. if it were a venu 3/3s or vivoactive 5/5s it would be in two sizes ie two filings. i’ve not looked at it in detail tho. it seems to have ant+ , so it is worth a closer look if someone has the time.

      maybe a Venu SQ gen 2 (Venu Sq LTE) is best bet? priced low to avoid competition with a apple se gen 2 (which didn’t materialise). would be up against fitbit (they’ve said they are releasing expensive devices)

7. Even if they have the pandemic risks to their supply chain minimized it is probably okay to slow down the rate of incremental product introductions for a bit. People enthusiastically waiting for the F7 are probably not going to jump to another brand.

   I think pattern of launching a product with a new version number every 12-18 months is gradually becoming less critical. After a buyer has replaced a perfectly acceptable product with the latest version a few times they start to wonder if they should just blindly skip the next revision. The wait for something even better isn’t that hard to endure.

   1. yes, i think that is true. certainly, it is the case with Apple Watch users on the various Apple forums who seem to often wait 2-4 years.

      That said, Garmin has its shareholders to please (money speaks) and there are always new adopters who buy just-released products for considerable premiums (me!).

      It ‘feels’ to me that 3 years is the right length of time to see a proper, holistic, step-change in technology that merits a materially new version from the tech perspective. But even that is complicated by a plethora of components that each seems to be improved every 2-3 years and so manufacturers can sort of justify the monicker of a new model each year as, invariably, ‘something’ has changed

8. Maybe a hint of new features coming to Garmin users(native power…).. is the email from Stryd adding some mayor features for everyone not only for subscribers ( as I commented here some days ago, when Garmin made a movement, Stryd and Form would be forced to change their actual business model).

   1. It is interesting that Stryd back-pedalled on their training plans being for subscribers only. It would seem that if Garmin releases a watch with power so would they release coaching plans as well for power. I am a 945LTE and am hoping that I don’t regret my purchase and that if Garmin releases a 655 or some kind of new running watch that the 945LTE could be upgraded to it.

      tfk, why do you think Garmin referenced the Body Battery and Strength as 2.0? The Venu 2 never referred to either as 2.0. I was thinking that might be a hint at some new tech. From what I have seen on the FCC applications, the 3 devices expiring tomorrow IPH-04157 and IPH-04158 and IPH-04159 on 10/13 are all GPS automotive units. All the other devices with applications are showing the standard 180 days till the short term confidentiality expires. Interestingly, they all had testing done in 2020 which would potentially indicate that they were meant to be released in 2020 or earlier but due to COVID have been delayed.

      Finally, tfk do you have any inside scoop on a whoop like band or vivosmart 5 coming? Any updates on the whoop 4.0?

      1. 2.0: IDK. It certainly sounds good. There could be some new tech to come linked to it.
         3 devices: ok, that makes sense
         180 days: maybe they are intended to be brought forward and released sooner?
         whoop like band from garmin: no intel
         updates on whoop: just posted something. it looks like November

         sorry!!! I wasn’t much help there.

         edit: FR945LTE has good tech in it. I would be surprised if it doesn’t get all the new top-level sports features for AT LEAST a year.

      2. Let’s hope the 945LTE gets top level features for a year, but honestly I’m worried it’ll get left behind quickly.

         This beta took months (2, I think) and honestly still has some issues and notable items described in the manual that aren’t there (i.e. some of the power manager settings and a few widgets, battery life in smartwatch mode nowhere near specs – I get roughly half)

9. There are no competition in the market – nothing new from Suunto, Polar is Planning to release GritX Pro, as a name suggests it will be only upgrade to current GritX and no software upgrades for VV2. Coros is the only one promising competitor to Garmin, but it still have to grow a little bit. So relax, there will be no new F7 and 955 this year 🙂 Also HRV and OHR technologies reached its limits and others like glucose/lactate monitoring are not mature enough to be introduced into smartwatches.

10. about 2.0 versions, i don’t know exactly what Garmin means, but the new Fitness Age on Forerunner 945 is also called Fitness Age 2.0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgR3DjYvnA8

    1. ah well spotted.
       i was aware it had changed. mine used to be 18 but now it is more closer to my real age. that said i think i am very fit for my age group on a population basis and would say the old and current estimates are both wrong

11. Excellent thread. I’m ramping my training back up after a few years of heavy parenting, and am ready to go back to Garmin/Suunto/Polar as I’d relied on them since the Garmin 305. I’ve been on an AW5 since release, want a Fenix 7, and am frustrated that there’ll likely still be a while to wait for what will undoubtedly be a 6 Pro with LTE and maybe OLED. I could get a 6 Pro Solar now, but would be irritated when the 7 appears. Standard.

    1. i just got a 6pro if it’s any consolation

       1. It is – but the LTE is the standout for me…I’d really like the InReach connectivity at times when my GPSMap 66i would be overkill. Love the blue/white Pro Solar, and if my patience breaks that’ll be the one 🙂

12. Excellent thread! Any idea if the fr255 will come out this yr?

    1. no intel, sy
       possible, but next spring much more likely for earliest release date.

13. Connect CIQ5 seems coming to Fenix 6 series and actual forerunners too (Posted in Garmin forums). It could indicate that fenix 7 wouldn’t come out before 2022.

    1. ty

14. Any idea if the Fenix 7 features will make it to the 945LTE

    1. almost certainly

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