Garmin dismiss Smart Glasses – but leaves the door open for a new Varia Vision

…glasses have come and gone once, and the utility and the concerns around the use of those in public have always come up in the context. So I’d say it’s a wait-and-see thing. I think people want choices when it comes to things they wear, including watches and glasses. And so there may be some special use cases for those, but in general, we believe that the utility of a wearable is still very strong.[C. Pemble, CEO Garmin]

Earlier this year, I had some good intel that Garmin was considering microLED technologies for near-eye sports usage. So that means integrating with glasses or goggles for training in sports ranging from skiing to triathlon.

new Garmin Forerunner Naming Officially Explained…kinda

Garmin previously had its Varia Vision product that clipped onto glasses and was predominantly used for cycling, but that was discontinued years ago. There is still a need in many sports for near-eye performance data, perhaps live-streamed from a sports watch or other accessory. This could be in high-speed sports where glancing at a watch or bike computer adds danger, or it could simply be for the convenience of an avid runner or walker seeking route directions or an indication of live effort.

It’s a niche market. However, Garmin likes relatively niche markets where its technology commands a natural premium. But it wasn’t to integrate those technologies in sensibly easy ways, so producing smart sports glasses in various shapes and colours won’t happen. A clip-on might happen, and smart skiing goggles might happen.

Garmin Acquires MyLaps – what this means for our watches and bike computers

In a recent interview with Garmin’s CEO, Clifford Pemble, he rightly dismissed the fit of generic smart glasses to Garmin’s business model. Still, he left the door open for the special use cases I’ve just described for sports.

Take Out

I’m reasonably sure Varaia Vision will soon be rekindled in some form or other. I’d not really considered the skiing perspective until recently. Perhaps something to look forward to there in the fall/autumn?