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Sports Watch Update 2022
V2.380 – 7 April 2022
This frequently refreshed & super-detailed post shows which GPS Run, Bike and Triathlon sports devices are rumoured to be pending release, available NOW, discontinued or which are due to be superseded.
Elsewhere on the site, there are detailed opinions about specific models, future devices and sports tech trends. Oh! and LOTS of detailed hands-on reviews on virtually all of the key run/tri watches and bike computers that you can BUY NOW.
If you are here for the first time and interested in ‘future sports devices & feature sports tech developments‘ then this entire post and another discussing the future of individual features (also linked at the end) will be of interest. Please note that some info is based on ‘quality leaks’ and some on part-substantiated rumours and the extrapolation of past product release cycles, wider technological changes & their availability. Most of these new product predictions will happen but the precise timing will differ.
Table of Contents | Jump To
Recent Highlights and the INBOUND Queue
2021 had a good start with many sports tech devices released. It soon became apparent that even the likes of Apple and Garmin had supply chain issues. Add to that R&D delays caused by remote working or Covid-related staff absentees then the products are simply not there to be released in anything like the numbers that were expected at the start of 2021. To cut a very long story short, hopes for new tech are pushed to January 2022 and, in many cases, it will be even later
The full list of everything, past & future is towards the end of this post.
The general trend is one of the iterative releases of bike computers and sports/fitness watches where technical components are updated and, usually, one major new software feature is introduced at the same time as the new sports device.
Here are headlines from recent months and likely headlines for the months to come:
- LAUNCHED: Garmin Epix (Fenix 7X with lights!) (January 2022)
- LAUNCHED: Fenix 7 series (January 18, 2022), new Solar improvements, all-model Touchscreen and Dual-frequency GPS – as covered in this link which has more detailed leaks and thoughts).
- LAUNCHED: Garmin Instinct 2 and 2s
- LAUNCHED Garmin D2 Air X10
- LAUNCHED: Garmin D2 Mach 1
- LAUNCHED: Tag Heuer Calibre E4
- LAUNCHED: Skagen Falster Gen 6 (Fossil, Wear OS)
- LAUNCHED: Suunto 5 Peak
- LEAKED: High end, Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2
- LEAKED: Google PixelWatch (Q2.2022. Wear OS 3)
- LEAKED: Samsung Watch5 (yep! Aug-Sep 2022, Samsung leak)
- LEAKED: Garmin Edge 1040, garmin.com leak reported here for Q3.2022.
- LEAKED: New Coros Apex Pro Gen 2 models Q3/Q4 2022.
- LEAKED: Stages Cycling M200 nad L200 next-gen bike computers
- EXPECTED: Garmin Venu 2 Plus (more photos emerging)
- EXPECTED: Garmin Forerunner 955 (Solar & maybe Touchscreen…eesh…this completed product already exists and could be released as early as Spring. Likely Q2.2022)
- EXPECTED SEP 2022: Garmin Vivoactive 5 / 5s https://fccid.io/IPH-04095 / https://fccid.io/IPH-04094
- EXPECTED: Forerunner 255 & 655 (or 245+/645+ /Music). Likely date H2.2022 (no firm intel)
- EXPECTED: Edge 1040 Q3.2022
- EXPECTED: Edge 540 and 840 likely 2023 tho could be this year
- EXPECTED: Apple Watch 8 & Watch 8 Explorer September 2022
- EXPECTED: Apple Watch SE Gen 2 2022, likely September.
- ? EXPECTED: Garmin Venu SQ LTE (intel was wrong for a Xmas release)
- POSSIBLE: MARQ v2? v1 released circa 13 MAR 2019…a two-year lifecycle could give this soon
- EXISTS: Garmin Vector AIR, RALLY AIR??
Monthly Commentary
H2.2021 was quieter than hoped for. No new Fitbits. No new Garmin sports watches and even Apple struggled to get Watch 7 on the shelves. Nothing new will now be released until January and then we can expect a bumper year of new sports tech, providing Omicron Covid doesn’t further skew supply chains.
Garmin Running & Triathlon Tech for 2022
If you analyse previous release cycles, a LOT of Garmin products were due for a refresh in 2021.
Good intel says that Garmin were ready to release new products in the run up to Christmas 2021 but were hit by chip shortages
There are realistic chances of Garmin releasing a new version of just about any of their existing models. Clearly they won’t all happen. Nevertheless, my STRONG SUSPICION is that 2022 will be a MASSIVE year for new models from Garmin. If you hope for a new watch or bike computer every month for the first 6 months then you might just get that.
The big move for high-end running tech in 2022 will, for sure, be AMOLED. We will very soon see an AMOLED Fenix, called Epix.
Instinct 2will emerge in February with a small option as well. New components will take the back seat to unlimited (+Solar) battery life and CIQ compatibility for the first time.
The Forerunner 955 absolutely already exists and will come in 2022 but not until at least the spring and maybe as late as Q3.
The Venu SQ and Venu 2/2-Plus signal Garmin’s continued intent to take the smartwatch market seriously and Garmin Lily backs that point up further by attacking the small-wristed, mostly-female market squarely. These markets are incredibly competitive and Garmin’s sporting edge over the competition is eroded bit by bit each year. Apple obviously has a stranglehold on the iOS market for smartwatches and Google/Fitbit may make Garmin’s job ever-harder in the Android space as Wear OS grows in 2022. Nevertheless, Garmin will roll the Vivoactive 5 dice one more time which could be a make-or-break time for Garmin. A failure to further progress market share against Apple/Fitbit and Samsung in the pure-smart space would mark a slow, long-term turning point for their fortunes.
For all new higher-end iterations from Garmin in 2022 expect to see LTE as an option, perhaps even in the high-end bike computer formats like Edge 1040 😉
Garmin has just about refreshed all their accessories to include BLE and ANT+ support. The most glaring omission is the footpod. Whilst I would like to see a direct STRYD-competitor, it’s more likely that Garmin will introduce wrist-based and PERHAPS also a new iteration of the RD-POD
Suunto, Polar, Wahoo, Coros & Other Sport-focussed GPS Watches
I don’t expect anything excitingly new here in the entirety of 2022 unless either Suunto or Polar goes deeper with Wear OS, which is unlikely in the latter’s case.
Coros will most likely iterate the Apex/Apex Pro which is a well-made Venu/Vivoactive competitor but lacking in smarts and trying to compete as a finely made and more sporty version in a crowded part of the market.
Polar has iterated almost all their range except the Unite. That one next but then what?
For Suunto, the next ‘obvious’ new watch is the Suunto 7 gen 2 (Wear OS) which would be the only possibility of a game-changer. Suunto has just iterated Suunto 5 to the 5 Peak. We also saw with Suunto 9 PEAK that Suunto is also considering a variety of case/screen sizes as well as new quality case materials to augment their usual approach that lets buyers customise their watch.
The Wahoo Rival competes against the V2/935/945 as a true sports watch. I could possibly see a refreshed Gen 2 model in late 2022 but far more likely is a continuous improvement in the features of the existing RIVAL (starting soon!).
The sporty-smart-fitness watches then sit as uneasy bedfellows at the low/mid-price points, all trying to differentiate themselves from the out-and-out smartwatches made by the smartphone manufacturers (Samsung, Apple, etc). The main differentiator of these products seems to be their claimed sportiness/healthiness. Ultimately an app or two on an Apple Watch will do the same job(s) and therein lies the long-term fate of companies like Polar & Garmin.
However, even early intel about Apple’s Watch 8 suggests no changes to the new 41mm/45mm case formats but rather progress with new health-related sensors and sleep metrics (heard that before?). This means a focus on general health and wellness and NOT on becoming more competitive with more serious sports watches. Sure, the Apple Fitness+subscription service will improve but I suspect that the rumoured Watch competitor to the Fenix was simply a MASSIVE over-exaggeration of the slightly more rugged and dust-proof Watch 7 that we’ve already seen.
2022 sees these brands & products at an interesting juncture.
- Polar has thrown the refresh dice for 2021. Where next? A move to Wear OS, a revamped web platform? Newer sensors or just a same-old, same-old round of new refreshes?
- Suunto has more scope to refresh its product line further. However, it is smaller than Polar and we must not forget that their Chinese owners will be looking to massively boost the brand’s fortunes in the Far East. So this could be the start of growth for Suunto globally it’s just that we won’t see much of it in the West.
- Coros are likely to iterate rather than release new models. They have a conundrum though, the app needs significant work and, with the exception of the Pace 2, Coros must realise that their company strengths are “quality materials” and “features” – their products definitely sell well when they get the price right (Pace 2). Thus if a next-gen Apex could be $200/£150 cheaper, then it might be a game-changer. At the current price levels, it’s just tickling the toes of the Garmin Venu rather than giving it a stern push
- I can’t see Wahoo releasing another watch in the foreseeable future but as a company, they have a huge range of options open for their progress. I guess the next move is either an iterated Kickr or new Roam – each of which could easily be as late as Q3.2022
- Smaller companies like Sigma, Mio Labs and one or two others may well treat us to more good-value and focussed products in 2021/2022.
From all that, what I see as interesting are a Suunto 7 gen 2 (2022 would fit past product lifecycles); a feature-full & revamped Coros data platform (unlikely – what currently exists will be extended); and many more Wahoo RIVAL features like an expansion of running power. None of those is a certainty. In fact, I’d probably bet they don’t all happen! This could make for a boring 2022 unless you are a Garmin-lover or a Wear OS lover.
Smart Fitness, Wear OS, WatchOS & Similar Smarts
The game is set to be: Apple’s watchOS vs Google/Fitbit/Samsung’s Wear OS vs Domination of low prices by chinese brands
Proprietary sports platforms like Garmin, Polar, Suunto will still be here in a year’s time. But…
I would bet money that this year will bring: high-end Fitbits/Pixel, Apple Watch 8, Apple Watch SE Gen 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch5. Sadly I will get very poor odds on that bet!
The Wear OS bounce has started and will be more obvious by mid-2022, as we see the impact of
- Re-purposed Fitbit devices ported to Wear OS
- and/or Google Pixel Watch
- Accelerated take-up of the new SnapDragon 4100/4100+ processors (eg by Fossil) and next gen 5xxxx are already talked about.
- New strategic movers into Wear OS like Oppo, although at least one Oppo watch will skip Wear OS.
- Samsung has at least partly committed to Wear OS. It’s likely they will go all-in.
- Casio has just released their first Wear OS watch on G-Shock (Protrek too), there could be more
- There appears to be a bezel-less Google Pixel, perhaps branded as a Fitbit by Google
- Further, Wear OS platform updates
Interestingly, Samsung appears to have exclusive access to Wear OS 3 on its Galaxy Watch4 models, at least for a while. The future of Wear OS appears to be a Google/Fitbit and Samsung duopoly perhaps with Fossil hanging on in the periphery. That could be a pattern that continues for years – ie Samsung/Google giving themselves exclusive access to the latest version of Wear OS for over 6 months.
Interestingly, the image above shows two of 10 new watch faces for the as-yet-unreleased Google Pixel Watch that will run Wear OS 3. Notice the Fitbit logo? Kinda gives a slam dunk to prove that Fitbit will run Wear OS 3.
Huami (Amazfit/Zepp), Huawei, Realme, Redmi, TicWatch and others will continue in the battle of the budget smartwatches. Several of these have significant sales figures in some Far Eastern markets and some of the products might even be described as increasingly competent. Indeed what we are perhaps seeing right now are the Chinese companies building up significant competencies and sales volumes in their domestic markets before using that strength in other geographic markets. Most of them lack the ability to be cross-sold with a top smartphone from the same brand.
There will be an Apple Watch 8 in Sep 2022, preceded by watchOS 9 in August.
Bike Computers – Hope or Hopeless?
Garmin is clearly dominant in this sector and Wahoo is clearly the main challenger brand. The jury is firmly OUT on the potential longterm impact of Karoo 2 but it is ‘one of the great hopes’ with a realistic chance of success
Other than an occasionally misplaced FCC filing, Wahoo is very good at keeping quiet, so don’t expect any leaks…just hope quietly for something exciting. But Wahoo already has a medium-format and large-format performance satnav. Those models cover most of the bases so, other than an iterative model strategy, what gaps are there in the bike computer market for a significant number of profitable sales?
Apple, Google and maybe “China” will eventually clean out the watch markets but Garmin holds a dominant position with bike computers. Many challengers exist to Garmin’s Edge Series but only Wahoo/Hammerhead(Android) seem to be coherent challengers and they are lagging behind if the number of features is how you judge bike computers. Will Bolt 3/Roam 2 be able to withstand an onslaught from Edge 540/840? It’s an interesting market position to debate as Garmin Edge will NOT pull further ahead either in terms of features or market share as their tech is already well-advanced and their market position too dominant. Catching up in each of those respects is MUCH easier than Garmin pulling further ahead. Interestingly the next Edge we see will be the Edge 1040 (leak first reported here) and that will be followed by the 140/840/540 in 2023. The 1040 might bring LTE, Solar, predictive ClimbPro and a new GNSS chipset.
How difficult is it for smaller companies to catch or even beat Garmin at cycling? Read this: How to Beat a Garmin Edge. The answer is ‘VERY‘. If there is ever some new product to beat Garmin it will likely be another device based on Android. Why?… Answer: “apps” and a shorter, easier product development cycle, which sounds a bit like the Karoo!! Go figure.
I suspect that Garmin doesn’t care too much about lower price points, so Bryton, Sigma, Lezyne, CatEye, Polar and other smaller bike computer companies can fight out the price-per-feature battle in that very messy and less profitable arena. One hopeful rumour even suggested that Polar might release a bike computer but I think that ship has sailed especially considering Polar’s reluctance to support ANT+ on their watches (their newer chest straps DO support ANT+)
There are good, well-featured bike computers like Stages L50, Sigma ROX 12 and the high-end Bryton models but all of them, in my opinion, lack that certain ‘je ne sais quoi‘ that could propel them to the same levels as Wahoo – although a new Stages Dash is likely for April 2022. But when you contemplate that the ever-successful Wahoo BOLT Gen 1 prospered even past its 4th birthday, then you have to conclude that it’s not high technology that bike riders necessarily want. Maybe it’s the ‘just works’ factor or the platform or the brand image.
Garmin also doesn’t seem to care too much about MTB, gravel or e-bike specific models. Maybe they know something that we don’t? (A: probably!). Maybe the SPD Rally pedals are the first indication that Garmin will take off-road more seriously. (Don’t forget, cargo biking, electric bikes and many other bike markets are growing and might be attractive distractions to Garmin)
Lists of All GPS Sports Watches & Bike Computers
This is my opinion of current & future devices across the GPS running/cycling market. Updates to this will be issued as and when information emerges which may include rumours, although please note that any information provided to me under NDA by manufacturers will *NOT* appear here and I won’t talk about it as I always honour agreements I make either written or verbal. So there will be a few more surprises over and above all of this 😉
Garmin – Current and Rumoured Models
🔴 = Discontinued or effectively discontinued and replaced
🔵 = Expected Future Model or ‘very recent’.
| Category | Links to Review and opinion article | Price Check Link | Comments | |
| Bike | 🔴Edge 1000 | Superseded | ||
| Bike | Edge Explore | Current: Jul 2018’s smaller version of the Edge 1030. Most performance features removed. Good for navigation | ||
| Bike | Edge 1030 | Price Check | Current, Q3-Q4.2019 saw big updates to the 1030 to match the new 530/830. | |
| Edge 1030 Plus (2020) | Price Check
Price Check: Bundle |
Edge 1030 Plus was June 2020 | ||
| 🔵 Edge 1040 (2022) | ||||
| Bike | Edge 20,
Edge 25 |
Price Check | Entry-level cycling computer | |
| Bike | Edge 130 | Price Check | Entry-level cycling computer with very interesting specs. May 2018 | |
| Bike | Edge 130 Plus | Price check
Price Check: MTB Bundle Price Check: HRM Bundle |
Jun-20 | |
| 🔵 Edge 140 (due 2021) | ||||
| 🔴 Edge 200,
Edge 500, |
Price Check | |||
| Bike | 🔴 Edge 510 | Price Check | Effectively Discontinued | |
| Bike | 🔴 Edge 520 | Price Check | Still a great cycling computer and getting CHEAPER but a bit slow with no maps | |
| Bike | Edge 520 PLUS | Current. Updated hardware capability (CIQ3), maps and software. Replaced by faster 530 | ||
| Bike | Edge 530 | Price Check | Available May 2019 | |
| 🔵 Edge 530 Plus | Spring 2021 | |||
| Edge 540 | 540 could be Spring 2022 | |||
| Bike | 🔴 Edge 800, 810 | Effectively Discontinued | ||
| Bike | Edge 820 | Price Check | Top-end, medium-sized, nav cycling computer. Dodgy touchscreen. Replaced by 830 | |
| Bike | Edge 830 | Price Check | May 2019 | |
| 🔵 Edge 830 Plus | Spring 2021 | |||
| Edge 840 | 840 could be Spring 2021 (or 830+) | |||
| Bike | 🔵 Edge MTB (something more than the 530 MTB bundle) | There are gaps in the market here at least two price points. It could be filled by Garmin – just like the Instinct did for budget outdoors. | ||
| Outdoors | 🔴 Epix | Nice But Effectively Discontinued and replaced by Fenix 5X | ||
| Outdoors | 🔴 Fenix, Fenix 2, Quatix | Price Check | Effectively Discontinued, not as good as subsequent models. | |
| Outdoors | 🔴 Fenix 3 Fenix 3 HR + variants | Price Check | Current, still great devices | |
| Outdoors | Fenix 5 PLUS, 5s PLUS, 5x PLUS | Price Check | Garmin’s flagship model for 2018-2019. These are notably updated Fenix 5 models. Superseded in with better hardware in the Fenix 6. | |
| Outdoors | 🔴 Fenix 5, Fenix 5s, Fenix 5x | Price Check 5 | Garmin’s flagship model for 2017-2018.
Caveat Emptor. The Plus version is the one you want to buy NOT these… |
|
| Outdoors | Tactix Bravo (disc), Tactix Charlie, Tactix Delta (2020), Descent MK1/MK22s, D2 Bravo, D2 Charlie, Quatix, D2 Delta (& S and PX) Solar & Sapphire | ‘military’/hunting, diving, aviation, solar, durable variants of Fenix 5/6 | ||
| Outdoors | Fenix 6, | Price Check | ||
| Fenix models are 6S (Base, Sapphire and Pro), 6 (Base, Sapphire and Pro) 6x (Pro and Solar) | ||||
| 🔵 Tactix Delta, D2 Echo, | ||||
| 🔵 Descent MK2i (Q4.2020) | ||||
| Quatix 6 (2020) | ||||
| 🔵 D2 Delta (base, sapphire, solar) | ||||
| Fenix 6 (further Solar and Sport variants for 2020) | ||||
| 🔵 Enduro | Ultra Watch | |||
| Outdoors | 🔵 Fenix 7 | Q1.2022 | ||
| Outdoors | 🔴 Fenix Chronos | Price Check | Super Premium: Quality innards, Quality shell and finish. F5s firmware. Expensive. Replaced by the MARQ. | |
| Outdoors | MARQ (effectively Fenix Chronos 2) | Announced. the MARQ range is the Fenix range in a fancy shell eg MARQ ATHLETE is a 945 in an expensive shell. | ||
| Aviator (aero), Captain (marine), Athlete (multi-sport), Expedition (Hike/Outdoors), Driver (car). | ||||
| MARQ Commander 1 Oct2019. | ||||
| Outdoors | 🔵 MARQ2/CHRONOS3 | Q2.2022 | ||
| Outdoors | Instinct | Price Check | Oct 2018 A cut-down outdoors-focussed Fenix. Kinda | |
| Instinct Solar (plus Tactical, Camo and Surf versions) | Price Check | Jul 2020 | ||
| The Instinct Tactical edition is now available and differs only with the NIGHT VISION and STEALTH modes, as well as the JUMPMASTER profile. |
|
August 2019 TACTICAL COYOTE edition | ||
| Outdoors | Instinct 2 (possibly SOLAR version) | Due in 2021. This WILL eventually come as the Instinct is popular. My guess is Q3.2022 | ||
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 210, Forerunner 220, Forerunner 225 | Effectively Discontinued | ||
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 230 | Probably won’t be replaced. Effectively Discontinued. | ||
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 235 | Price Check | Replacement 245 & 245M released | |
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 235L | Apr 2018’s cut-down version for the Chinese market. | ||
| Run | Forerunner 245 & Forerunner 245 Music | Current | ||
| 🔵 Forerunner 255 (2021) | ||||
| Run | 🔴Forerunner 25 | Price Check | Entry-level run/sports watch | |
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 30 | Entry-level run/sports watch | ||
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 35 | Price Check | Entry-level run/sports watch | |
| Run | Forerunner 45, 45S | Current, Announced April 2019
FR45 Plus, August 2020 silent announcement |
||
| Forerunner 45 Plus | ||||
| 🔵 Forerunner 55 (2021) | ||||
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 610, Forerunner 620 | Effectively Discontinued but good enough | ||
| Run | 🔴 Forerunner 630 | Great device, superseded | ||
| Run | Forerunner 645 and 645M | Current. | ||
| 🔵 Forerunner 655 (2022) | 655 Overdue. may never materialise | |||
| Run/Tri | Forerunner 735XT | Current, great mid-range tri watch (no barometer). it’s the last remaining CIQ2 device hence next to be replaced | ||
| Run/Tri | 🔵 Forerunner 745 | September 2020, top-end smaller tri watch | ||
| Run/Tri | 🔴 Forerunner 910XT | Great tri watch in its day, still good enough if you can find one | ||
| Run/Tri | 🔴Forerunner 920XT | Price Check | Great tri watch…all you need really. Sometimes CHEAP | |
| Run/Tri | Forerunner 935 | Still a Top tri watch, no gimmicks | ||
| Run/Tri | Forerunner 945 | Top Tri Watch, all the features plus LOTS of gimmicks. LTE for 2021 | ||
| 🔵 Forerunner 945LTE (June 2021) | ||||
| 🔵 Forerunner 955, Q2-3.2022 | ||||
| Forerunner 955 LTE, yup it WILL happen | ||||
| Fitness | 🔴 Vivoactive | Price Check | Effectively Discontinued | |
| Fitness | Vivoactive 3 | A contender to Fitbit Ionic and Apple Watch 3 | ||
| Fitness | Vivoactive 3 MUSIC, Vivoactive 3M | VA3 with music. Q2.2018 | ||
| Fitness | Vivoactive 3 Plus Music LTE Verizon | Jan-19 | ||
| Fitness | Vivoactive 4 & 4S with a great AMOLED screen on the top-end VA4 called VENU. | Sep-19
23 Sep 2020 |
||
| Venu SQ
Venu Plus to follow? |
||||
| 🔵 Vivoactive 5 (q2.2022) | ||||
| Fitness | 🔴 Vivoactive HR | Great device, effectively Vivoactive 2, replaced by Vivoactive 3 | ||
| Fitness | Vivofit 2, Vivofit 3, Vivofit 4 | December 2017: supersedes VivoFit 3. Vivofit 5 due for Xmas 2019. | ||
| Fitness | 🔴 Vivomove | Price Check | Dress watch, superseded September 2017 | |
| Fitness | 🔴 Vivomove HR | Sept 2017 | ||
| Fitness | Vivomove 3 / 3s /Style / Luxe | Sep-19 | ||
| Swim | 🔴 Swim | Effectively Discontinued | ||
| Swim | Swim 2 | Oct-19 | ||
| Swim | Swim 3 | 2023? this will be on a 3-4 year release cycle if it continues to be sold |
Polar, Suunto, Wahoo, Fitbit, Apple, etc – Current and Rumoured Models
Category Links to either a review, opinion article or your local AmazonLinkComments
| Manufacturer | Category | Review, opinion article Links | Price Check Link | Comments |
| adidas | Run | 🔴Smart Run | Discontinued | |
| Amazfit (Xiaomi-Huami/Zepp) | Run | Bip (#A1608 – Bip S Supercedes) | Price Check |
Current products |
| Pace (#A1612, #A1602) | Price Check | |||
| Huami is renaming to ZEPP | ||||
| Bip Lite (#A1915) | ||||
| Bip S (2020) | ||||
| Ares (Rugged, hexagonal Bip, May 2020) | ||||
| Xiaomi Mi Watch Color (2020), plus sports edition | ||||
| Amazfit (Xiaomi-Huami) | Run | Pace 2 | Pace 2 is Stratos. The only difference between the Chinese (A1609 Amazfit Pace 2) and the International version (A1619 Amazfit Stratos) is the firmware. | |
| Amazfit Stratos 2 means Stratos (A1619) | ||||
| Amazfit (Xiaomi-Huami) | Fitness | Verge, Verge Lite, | Current model A1811 (Lite #A1818), as over 1 Dec 2018 now selling in the USA. Verge 2 / Nexo imminent with eSIM. | |
| Verge 2 / Nexo | ||||
| 🔵 GTR, GTR2, GTR 3 | GTR2 released Aug2020
GTR 3 released October 2021 |
|||
| 🔵GTS , GTS2 | GTS2 announced Aug 2020, it’s their version of the apple watch | |||
| 🔵Neo | Garmin Instinct rip off Aug 2020 | |||
| Amazfit (Xiaomi-Huami) | Run/Tri | 🔴STRATOS 1/2 | Current, Multisport 2018 watch. Intl versions v1 & v2 are same. | |
| 🔵STRATOS 3 | STRATOS 3 Aug 2019 – model #A1929 | |||
| Huami Amazfit T-Rex – model #A1919, | ||||
| 🔵T-Rex | ||||
| 🔵Ares | ||||
| Apple | Fitness | 🔴Watch Series 1 (Sport), | Current, great pricing on the AW3 beware inferior hardware compared to AW4. | |
| 🔴 Watch Series 2 w/Nike, | ||||
| Series 3 GPS+Cellular, | ||||
| Apple | Fitness | 🔴 Watch Series 4 w/Nike | Current. A notable hardware upgrade from the AW3. Discontinued | |
| Apple | Fitness | 🔵 Watch Series 5 | Aluminium, stainless steel, titanium and ceramic versions as well as the 40mm and 44mm versions. Also a Nike co-branded version. | |
| Apple | Fitness | 🔵 Watch Series 6
Watch SE Gen 2 (likely September 2022) Apple Watch Series 7 – Sep 2021 Apple Watch Series 8 (may have ‘explorer’ variant) Sep 2022
|
WatchOS 8 September 2021,
|
|
| Bontrager | Bike | TREK Ride Time Elite, Trip 300, Bontrager Garmin Edge 1030 | low spec own-branded devices and Bontrager-branded Garmin device | |
| Bryton | Bike | RIDER 100, 310, 330, 410, 450h, 530E, Rider 530 T, aero 60, one, Rider 860, Rider 420 | Current, 450E is the top model @<$200 with all functions even 310 @<$150 supports a PM (Full model list here). Aero 60 is a fully-featured bikenav. The Sep 2019 Rider 860 and Rider 420 might see the 860 as the new top-end model built on Android – a first for Bryton | |
| Bryton | Bike | RIDER numerous other models | Effectively Discontinued | |
| Casio | Outdoors | Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 | Current, replaced by F20/F30 announced Aug 2018 | |
| WearOS | ||||
| Casio | Fitness | Pro Trek Smart WSD-F21 HR | Sep 2019. Updated F20 with oHR | |
| WearOS | ||||
| Casio | Outdoors | Pro Trek Smart WSD-F30 | Announced: Jan 2019, replacing WSD-F20. Expect a WSD-F40 in Jan 2020 😉 | |
| Casio | Outdoors | |||
| WearOS | Casio G-Shock Move GBD-H1000
G-Shock Pro GSW-H1000 (Wear OS) |
|||
| CatEye | Bike | STEALTH 50, Stealth EVO, STEALTH EVO, STRADA, PADRONE Smart+, Stealth evo+ CC-GL51 (2015), full spec’d Aventura | 2016 models are current (full model list here), Avventura might only be available in Japan | |
| COROS | Run/Tri | Pace Multisport M1 | Current, the Garmin 735XT lookalike | |
| Pace 2 | 2020 should see an update of the Pace, as Coros return to revisit their road running roots | |||
| COROS | Run/Tri | Apex 42mm 46mm | Current Oct 2018. Highly credible endurance run and tri alternative. A competent small format is available. Jan 2019 a special edition announced for 46mm. | |
| COROS | Run/Tri | Apex PRO | Q4.2019 Somewhere between Apex and Vertix | |
| COROS | Outdoors | Vertix | Current May 2019. Premium case and SpO2 | |
| CooSpo | Bike | BC200 | Current (hey! they made the effort to include power meter support, I made the effort to include it in this list, I’ve no idea who they are) | |
| Epson | Run/Tri | 🔴ProSense 17, 🔴ProSense 57, 🔴ProSense 307, 🔴ProSense 347 | Discontinued | |
| 🔴SF-series | ||||
| Fitness newOS | After failing to buy Fitbit, Facebook will enter the market possibly with WearOS possibly in 2022. | |||
| Fossil | Fitness WearOS | Sport | Nov-18 | |
| Fitbit | Fitness | 🔴Blaze | Price Check | Replaced by Versa |
| Fitbit | Fitness | 🔴Charge, Charge 2 | Discontinued | |
| Fitbit | Fitness | Charge 3 | Price Check | Current |
| Fitbit | Fitness | 🔴Versa, | THE current SE version has Fit Pay payments | |
| 🔵 Versa 2 | Versa Lite – March 2019 | |||
| Versa 2 – available 15 September 2019 with Aug 28th Announcement | ||||
| Versa 3 / Versa 3 SENSE | September 2020 | |||
| Fitbit | Fitness | 🔴Charge HR (Band) | Discontinued, replaced by Charge 2, Charge 3, Charge 4 (2020). | |
| Fitbit | Fitness | Ionic | Current, September 2017 | |
| Fitbit | Fitness | Ionic 2 | Overdue, might never happen | |
| Fitbit | Fitness | Ionic Adidas | Announced Feb 2018, has an Adidas app | |
| Fitbit | Fitness | 🔴Surge | Superseded by Ionic | |
| Fossil | Fitness WearOS | Puma SmartWatch | Sep 2019 (Prob same watch inside as the Fossil sport) | |
| Michael Kors MKGO | Sep 2019 (Prob same watch inside as the Fossil sport) | |||
| Emporio Armani Smartwatch 3 | Emporio Armani Smartwatch 3 | |||
| Fossil | Fitness | Sport | Sport Uses 2019 Snapdragon processor. Fossil is a BIG WearOS watch producer for many sub-brands. Sport uses a new 3100 processor. | |
| WearOS | ||||
| Fossil | Fitness WearOS | Gen 5
Gen 6 (27 Sep 2021) |
Still 3100 chipset but looks sweet and runs smoothly enough
4100/4100+ chipset for fall premium models |
|
| Giant | Bike | NeosTrack | Cycling Computers. The NeosTrack is a reasonably high-spec model. | |
| Neos ANT+ | ||||
| AXACT 13W | ||||
| Fitness WearOS | Pixel Smartwatch | To be released in 2020 maybe. Unclear if a SPORT/FITNESS version will be released as well. | ||
| Decathlon | Bike | BC900 | Cycling Computer, records power | |
| iGSPORT | Bike | iGSPORT iGS618 | Cycling Computer, I think these guys are owned by Xiaomi and could be one to watch at the budget end | |
| Hammerhead | Bike | Karoo | Feb 2018. | |
| Expect even more significant firmware updates throughout 2020 | ||||
| Hammerhead | Bike | Karoo 2 | Cycling Computer, small format, Xmas 2020 | |
| Huawei | Fitness WearOS/Harmony OS | Fit, Watch 2 Sport, Watch GT Active | Price Check | WearOS and a good spec. Current (Watch 2 was 2017 with an incremental 2018 update) The Fit was effectively the “Watch 1 Sport”. |
| Watch Gt2e | Watch 3 Watch GT and this was codenamed FORTUNA (GT is not WearOS anymore) | |||
| Watch 3 GT Runner | To run Harmony OS | |||
| Huawei | Fitness WearOS | Honor Magic | WearOS and a good spec, November 2018 | |
| Huawei | Sport ?WearOS? | Honor GS Pro/Kanon | Q4.2020, TomTom map partnership could be interesting | |
| Huawei | Proprietary Android? | Watch Fit | ||
| Lezyne | Bike | Mini, Macro Plus GPS (Macro, Macro Easy, Micro, Micro Watch, Super Pro (Super GPS), Mega, Watch variants | MEGA announced July 2018 | |
| MACRO EASY GPS announced Jul 2019 | ||||
| Macro Plus & Super Pro are revamped from earlier models, announced Jul 2019 with FE-C…cheap, sturdy and highly featured. | ||||
| Full, current list here | ||||
| LG | Fitness WearOS | Watch Sport | Price Check | Current, apparently one of the better WearOS devices – certainly spec looks the best. Watch2 has seen e-sim in China only |
| LG | Fitness WearOS | LM-W315, LM-305, LM-W325, LM-W319, | LM-W315 could be called ICONIC. With one of the other models being the ICONIC SPORT. LM-W319 could be as soon as Sep 2018 (likely this is now the W7 which is a non-sports hybrid.) but a Watch3 derivative will be 2019. | |
| Mont Blanc | Fitness WearOS | Summit 2 | Announced – several quite advanced sporty features | |
| MIO/MiTAC/Magellan | Bike | Cyclo 605, | Nice devices. The 505HC appears to now be discontinued and replaced with a slightly superior 605HC (Q2.2017). Other models include Cyclo 210 (re-announced Aug2018?), 400, 405, 405HC, Discover/Plus (May 2020) | |
| Discover | Unsure of the situation in USA with sister company MAGELLAN. Who have dated ECHO/SWITCH run/bike products | |||
| Discover Plus | ||||
| 🔴505HC+ others | ||||
| Mio Labs | Running | 🔴 Mio Alpha 2 | revolutionary at the time | |
| Mio Labs | Running/Triathlon | mioEXP | First sports watch in a long time by Mio. in fact since about 2015. Triathlon focussed and looking good for Q4.2020 | |
| Misfit | Fitness WearOS | Vapor | Price Check | WearOS. Replaced by Vapor 2 |
| Misfit | Fitness WearOS | Vapor 2 | WearOS. Current. | |
| MiVia | Fitness | Run 350 | 2017 Fitbit Versa look-alike | |
| Mobvoi | Fitness | Ticwatch 2 aka Ticwatch Active | 2017 budget sports watch with GPS & Music | |
| Mobvoi | Fitness WearOS | Ticwatch E2 | 2018 budget sports watch with GPS & Music, the replacement for Ticwatch E | |
| Mobvoi | Fitness WearOS | Ticwatch S2 | CES2019 replacement for Ticwatch S (ie S1). S=Sport | |
| Mobvoi | Fitness WearOS | Ticwatch S | 2017 WearOS 2.0 budget sports watch. Ticwatch E is a cheaper and non-sport version. Ticwatch 2, Active and Classic are different – not WearOS. Replaced by S2. | |
| Mobvoi | Fitness WearOS | Ticwatch Pro
Ticwatch Pro 3 TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS Ticwatch E3 |
WearOS 2.0, Pro 3/Ultra & E3 have snapdragon 4100 | |
| 🔵 Ticwatch Pro, 4G LTE
🔵 new Ticwatch Pro Jul 2019 with LTE (USA only). |
||||
| Moto (brand bought by CE) | Fitness WearOS | 100S and 200 will be Wear OS probably Snapdragon 3100.
|
||
| 🔴360 Sport – 2nd Gen/Sport | Price Check | |||
| 🔴Gen 3 November 2019
🔴Moto G Smartwatch,(Summer 2021) 🔴Moto Watch,(Summer 2021) 🔴Moto One,(Summer 2021) 🔵Moto Watch 100S and Moto Watch 200 – by March 2022 |
||||
| New Balance | Fitness WearOS | RunIQ | WearOS. Current | |
| Omata | Bike | Omata One | Price Check | Trendy Bike Computer Current |
| BKK, OnePlus | Fitness | Likely WearOS
Sister brand RealMe introduce Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro Vivo (2020) Vivo (2021) |
Probably due Q4.2020, probably based heavily on the Oppo Watch
RealMe are a cheap and proprietary OS. June 2021.
|
|
| BKK, Oppo | Fitness Android
Fitness Wear OS |
Watch
Watch (Wear OS Version) Watch 2 |
Looks like an Apple Watch with very limited EU/USA availability as of July 2020. Based on Android
Wear OS version released 31 Jul 2020 Watch 2 – 27 Jul 2021 |
|
| Ordnance Survey | Bike | OS Horizon GPS | High-quality MAPS on a bikenav | |
| OS Velo GPS | ||||
| OS Trail Bike GPS | ||||
| OS Trail 2 Bike GPS (2019) | ||||
| Polar | Bike | V660 | V650 refresh 2020? Well Overdue…perhaps never | |
| Polar | Run/Tri | 🔴 Vantage V
Vantage V2 EDITION |
V800 replacement | |
| There are no published plans to take the features any further. Polar will fix bugs though. | ||||
| V2 new for October 2020 | ||||
| Who knows if they will iterate either the hardware or software. | ||||
| Polar | Run/Tri | Vantage V Titanium | high-end case variant of the Vantage V | |
| Polar | Run/Tri/Outdoors | Grit X
Grit X PRO Grit X PRO Titan |
Polar Grit X – outdoors version of Vantage V | |
| Polar | Run/Tri | 🔴 Vantage M | More run-focussed than the V model and a bit more than the M430. | |
| I’m not convinced there will be a Vantage M lite model ie something to theoretically replace the M200. Looks like the Ignite/Unite covers that. | ||||
| No intel on the M2. My guess would be Q1.2021 | ||||
| Polar | Fitness | A370 | A360 replacement with linked-GPS | |
| Polar | Fitness | A380 | I guess you could speculate that there is an A380 due but I would not be so sure that Polar (or anyone else beyond Garmin/Fitbit) will pursue a premium band format. | |
| Polar | Fitness | 🔵 Ignite | Fitness & Running watch. With GPS. Scope for a 3Fitness-like model with no GPS. Scope also to beef up the shell quality a little. | |
| Polar | Run | M200 | Entry-level oHR running/sports watch 2016. Replacement due in 2020 maybe? M200 looks out-of-date | |
| Polar | Run | 🔴M400 | Replaced by M430 in Q1.2017 | |
| Polar | Run | M430 | An optical M400, released. this is mostly replaced by the Vantage M, although the Vantage M has notable extra stuff kinda making it a model higher. M430 has been confirmed as remaining in the Polar product set as a full-featured running watch BUT it will not receive new functionality. | |
| M430 looks out-of-date | ||||
| Polar | Bike | 🔴M450 | Replaced by M460 in Q1.2017 | |
| Polar | Bike | M460 | M450 with STRAVA LIVE. M460 looks out-of-date | |
| Polar | Run WearOS | M600 | WearOS sports watch for Android | |
| Polar | Bike | V650 | A good Bike Nav Cycling device. Might get an ANT+ refresh but fine as-is. Does Polar want to go down the route of giving this proper onboard maps? | |
| Polar | Run/Tri | 🔴V800 | One of the greatest multisport watches of all-time, replaced by Vantage | |
| Samsung | Fitness | 🔴Gear Sport | Price check | Current (Gear Fit Pro is BAND format and the Samsung Gear Fit Plus could be the 2018 version of that) |
| Samsung | Fitness | 🔴Galaxy Watch Active | Galaxy Sport is Galaxy Watch Active | |
| Samsung | Fitness | 🔵 Galaxy Watch Active2 | Jul-19 | |
| Galaxy Watch2 (never existed) | ||||
| Galaxy Watch3 (SM-R840)
Galaxy Watch4 / 4 Classic |
Aug 2020
Galaxy Watch 4 Released 27Aug with Wear OS 3 (4 is the sport version) Galaxy Watch5 leaked November 2021 for release in Aug/Sep 2022 |
|||
| Sigma Sport | Bike | Rox GPS 7.0, ROX GPS 10.0, Rox GPS 11.0, Rox 12.0 Sport, id.TRI, id.FREE, Ro 2.0, Rox 4.0, Rox 11.1 | Good feature set, current. | |
| Rox 12.0 Sport June 2018 looks like a massive leap forward for the company. Highly competent bikenav | ||||
| id.TRI is a very interesting budget TRI offering | ||||
| Full list of Sigma products here | ||||
| Skagen | Fitness WearOS | Falster 2 | With GPS & oHR added, this now counts as a sports watch. It aims to be seen as the prettiest WearOS | |
| Falster 3 | Falster 3 uses the fastest processor | |||
| Sony | Fitness WearOS | Smartwatch 3 SWR50 | Price Check | WearOS. Current |
| SoWatch | Fitness | SoWatch | IndieGogo – Sports and other stuff | |
| Pioneer | BIKENAV | SGX-CA500, SGX-CA600 | Cycling Computer looks nice. OSM, ANT+, power | |
| Full list here | ||||
| Specialized | Bike | SpeedZone Sport / SpeedZone II | Basic Cycling Computers | |
| SRM | Bike | PowerControl 7 (PC7) / 8 (PC8) | Cycling Computer | |
| Stages | Bike | Dash (L10) | Cycling Computer. cheap and well-featured | |
| Stages | Bike | Dash L50, M50
Gen 2? |
New models for release Q1-2.2019
Not sure we will get a Gen 2. |
|
| Suunto | Various | 🔴 Ambit 3 variants (Peak, run, Sport…) | Still great devices. In many ways superior. Discontinued | |
| Suunto | Various | Ambit 4 | The SPARTAN TRAINER is the replacement to the AMBIT3 and then to the Suunto 5 | |
| Suunto | Various | 🔴 Ambit/Ambit 2 | Effectively Discontinued | |
| Suunto | Run/Tri | 🔴 SPARTAN Sport | Current, OK to buy now | |
| Suunto | Run/Tri | 🔴 SPARTAN Sport with oHR (WHR) | Current | |
| Suunto | Outdoors | 🔴 Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro | Current | |
| Suunto | Run/Tri | 🔴 SPARTAN Trainer | New outdoor variants in Jan 2018, superseded in 2019 with Suunto 5 | |
| Suunto | Outdoors | 🔴 SPARTAN Ultra | Current, OK to buy now. Suunto 9 is an effective replacement | |
| Suunto | Fitness | 🔴 Suunto 3 | Current. A low-end model with interesting specs. GPS only from a paired and present smartphone. | |
| 🔴 Suunto 3 Fitness (April 2018)
Gen 2 overdue but may not happen. |
The Suunto 3 dropped the FITNESS suffix in 2020 and DOES have very slightly different hardware | |||
| Suunto | Fitness | Suunto 9 Baro (spring 2018)
Suunto 9 Peak (smaller) |
Current. High-end Spartan ULTRA replacement. My GUESS is that this will iterate next in some way in 2021 (no intel) | |
| Suunto | Fitness | Suunto 7
Gen 2 perhaps due in H2.2022 (Aug) |
Wear OS Smart sports watch | |
| Suunto might iterate bi/tri-annual versions of 3/5/7/9 | ||||
| Suunto | Run/Tri | 🔵 Suunto 5 from May 2019
Gen 2 due but may not happen |
Good mid-range tri watch. Replacement for SPARTAN Trainer. Due a refresh in 2021 | |
| Tag Heuer | Fitness | Connected Gen 1 | Wear OS on snapdragon 3100 and a big price tag. yet still a smart fitness watch | |
| Connected Gen 2 | ||||
| Connected Gen 3 | ||||
| Timex | Run/tri | IronMan R300 | #Sigh | |
| TomTom | Run | 🔴 Adventurer | TomTom sports division is closed down. Firmware updates as of 8 May 2018 | |
| 🔴 Runner 3, Spark 3 | ||||
| TomTom | Run | 🔴 Spark, Runner, Runner 2 | Effectively Discontinued, there was never a Spark 2 | |
| Vivo | Smart | Watch | Smartwatch running FunOS, from BKK who own Oppo, Realme and One Plus. | |
| Withings | Fitness | Move & Move ECG | CES2019, Sweet Fitness ecosystem | |
| Withings | Fitness | Steel HR Sport | Current | |
| Wahoo Fitness | Bike | 🔴 ELEMNT | A great cycling computer, due a refresh. Might not happen if ROAM is seen as the replacement | |
| Wahoo Fitness | Bike | 🔴 ELEMNT BOLT (launched in 2017!) | A great cycling computer, due a refresh | |
| Wahoo Fitness | Bike | ELEMNT ROAM (Sep 2019) | Colour version of a super-sized Bolt with navigation | |
| Wahoo Fitness | Bike | 🔴 ELEMNT MINI | Cut down cycling computer no GPS, no power compatibility, Wahoo-only sensors. Due a refresh but unlikely | |
| Wahoo Fitness | Run/Tri | ELEMNT RIVAL (Nov 2020) | A mid-tier, mass-market triathlon watch. Gen 2 is not imminent and I would instead inspect another watch or two from Wahoo before a reinvigorated RIVAL. Maybe a small format RIVAL maybe a run-only rival. | |
| Wahoo Fitness | Bike | BOLT 2 | 25 May 2021 | |
| XPLOVA/Acer | Bike | 🔴 G3, G5, E5, E7 | Effectively discontinued | |
| XPLOVA/Acer | Bike | X3 EVO
X2 (May 2021) |
Current, FYI they are releasing a turbo trainer Q3.2019
X2 Bolt-sized unit, most features except maps. |
|
| XPLOVA/Acer | Bike | 🔴X5 (March 2017) | Superseded by X5 EVO | |
| XPLOVA/Acer | Bike | X5 EVO (Nov 2017) | Current, refreshed model. onboard video, guess there’ll be an X6 next… | |
| Zepp | Smart Fitness Watch | Zepp E
Zepp Z |
Zep E: 2x Apple watch wannabes
Zep Z: likely sports watch |
Notes
- There are many other low-priced brands, several of which are visual rip-offs of the main brands’ models.
- Some low-priced brands include PARNERME, UWEAR, GoLife, GooPhone, Reabeam, FitCare, iGPSport, Xoss
- There are probably also some Kickstarter and Indegogo type new models planned. My broad opinion is that if this is the first sports watch from a company with no track record then you will lose your money or, at best, receive a pile of junk. Spend a little bit extra and instead get a real product now.
- If you’ve found a brand that I’ve not listed above and the price looks too good to be true…there’s probably a reason. Just go for the brands above…eg Lezyne & Bryton offer cheap and perfectly good bike computers that support complex usage.
What have I missed? Are there others?
Note: information that has become available about accessories is NOT included here as there are too many of them to keep up-to-date with. There are also too many Power Meter variants for me to keep track of. I have more than a passing interest in PMs for triathlon disciplines but I don’t keep an eye on the whole market – the document I keep up-to-date on PM is my guide to the best power meter. I’m generally going to exclude wrist bands from the lists above, like the Vivokids v2, although some bands have sneaked in there already.
Lists of all Firmware Updates
- Suunto Spartan is here: link to Suunto.com
- Suunto 5 is here: link to Suunto.com
- Suunto 7: is here: link to Suunto.com
- Suunto 9 is here: link to Suunto.com
- Suunto 3 is here: link to Suunto.com
- Polar updates are here: link to Polar.com
- Garmin updates are here: link to gpsinformation.net
- Elemnt Updates are here: link to wahoofitness.com and here
- Fitbit updates are here: link to Fitbit.com
- Hammerhead Karoo is here: link to Hammerhead.io
- Lezyne is here: link to Lezyne.com
- WatchOS 5 is here: link to Apple.com
- WatchOS 6 is here: link to Apple.com
- WatchOS 7 is here: link to Apple.com
- WatchOS 8 is here: link to apple.com
- Stages DASH is here: stagesdash.com
- Sigma Rox 12 here: sigmasport.com
- Mio Cyclo: mio.com
- Coros: link to Coros.com
- Bryton: Facebook page for announcements
Please let me know of any I’ve missed
Also useful for checking compatibility and new ANT+ devices. VERY occasionally you might see a special ‘leak’ appear here first by accident.
- thisisant.com
- ANT+ Specification updates here: thisisant.com
Subscriber-Only Content
This link covers a discussion of the trends in emerging technology and new technology – for example covering payments, GPS, OHR, Safety, Mapping and much more.
Recommended Reading: Endurance Technology Trends
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