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Garmin’s co-COO has confirmed that the MIP screen stays only until OLED matches it on battery life. The reflective display behind four generations of Fenix now has a stated end point. The chips inside are ageing too: paying $1,199 buys no faster processor than the cheaper fenix models, and some of those run a 2017 Bluetooth part with no Wi-Fi.
Newly announced Bluetooth 7.0 HDT is up to four times faster and could move training files, maps and lossless music between wrist and phone in seconds. No current watch has it. On cases, a full-metal shell blocks the radio signals inside, so every premium sports watch hides plastic somewhere, titanium included. Looking further ahead, phone networks are turning satellite messaging into a £3 add-on, and 6G will make inReach redundant.
Across the industry, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra tops the brand speed benchmark. Its lead comes from faster storage, since processor scores barely vary across the range.
A meta review of 51 scientific studies finds the activity rings used by Garmin and Apple look good but are harder to read than bars. And 26 of 52 outdoor brands sent nothing to a potential new customer in the 30 days after adding to a checkout basket.
Elsewhere: the HoloSwim 3 Pro puts GPS in swim goggles fro the first time, tested against Garmin and Apple Watch GPS tracks, not bad! Ten Polar features are now licenced to run on the £99.99 Moto Watch 2 Fit. Apple’s Wearables revenue fell 8%, but Apple Watch probably did not fall with it: more than half of September-quarter buyers were new to the product.
Goals tops Garmin’s watch face chart for October
Goals, a $1.99 face built around daily goals, was the most popular watch face on Garmin’s Connect IQ Store at the end of October 2026, ahead of Garmin’s own Face It.
Garmin watches often have old components – more proof emerges
Paying $1,199 buys no faster chips. Cheaper models run a 2017 Bluetooth part without Wi-Fi, and my GPS testing shows where upgrades do pay off.
Beetroot juice for athletes – the evidence
Concentrated nitrate shots make cyclists 2-3% faster over a time trial and extend time to exhaustion by up to 16%. Here is how it works inside the muscle, and why blood pressure pills cannot copy it.
Bluetooth 7.0 HDT is up to 4x faster – but not on your watch
Training files, maps and lossless music could sync between wrist and phone in seconds. It needs a new radio chip at both ends, so nothing you own today will get it.
Moto Watch 2 Fit Uses 10 Polar Features: What Each Does and Why Polar Wants It
Ten Polar tools run on a £99.99 Motorola, from overnight recovery to running fitness. Each one is explained here, along with what the deal is worth to Polar.
Garmin confirms – MIP is on borrowed time
Its co-COO says the reflective screen stays until OLED catches up on battery. Four Fenix generations of spec sheets show the GPS lead is now the biggest it has been.
Apple’s Wearables revenue fell 8% – Apple Watch probably didn’t
More than half of September-quarter buyers were new to the product, and outside shipment data showed growth through the first half. The company blames a tough comparison with last year’s SE 3 and AirPods Pro 3 launches.
Your Smartwatch Case – A Deep Dive. Is titanium all it’s cracked up to be?
A full-metal shell shields the radios inside it, so every premium sports wearable hides plastic somewhere. It compares Grade 5 and Grade 2, steel, aluminium, ceramic and polymer, explains six antenna workarounds, and names the one time Garmin dropped a size over it.
FUTURE OF WEARABLES: Temple says its own study beats Apple Watch
A sensor stuck to the side of the head stayed within 1.18 bpm of a taped chest strap on the treadmill, closest of six devices tested. The maker paid for and ran the trial, so independent results matter.
QUICK READ: Stryd data now works in Claude and ChatGPT
Every lap, Critical Power change and pair of shoes is open to an AI assistant you question in everyday language. Membership is required, and nothing can be edited yet.
Garmin Fenix upgrade guide – stay, or move to Fenix 9?
Verdicts for every model from the 6 to the 8 Pro, weighing features each generation kept for itself, ageing chips and how long Garmin keeps adding software.
Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra tops speed benchmark. Garmin, where are you?
Calculation scores barely move across the range. The lead comes from quicker storage reads and writes, and a Reddit theory about on-chip memory remains unconfirmed by Zepp.
6G will make Garmin inReach redundant
Phone networks are turning satellite into a £3 add-on, with app data already live in the US. By 2030 it will be built into the 6G standard. That leaves little for a standalone emergency subscription.
HoloSwim 3 Pro Review – GPS Smart Goggles
Built-in satellite tracking averaged 17.8 metres from Garmin and Apple Watch on a lake loop, and heart rate averaged 0.3 bpm off a Verity Sense. Nobody in the lane will notice them, but the training plans are basic and the app needs work.
New Garmin Edge Features For 1050 and 1040, 1060 goodies passed down the line
Strava Live Segments on any route, Garmin Messenger and backup data fields reach the x50 series and MTB, some in public beta today. The x40 series gets GroupRide sharing, road closures and heart rate training plans.
QUICK READ: Strava training data now works inside Gemini
Strava subscribers in the US can now connect their account to Google Gemini and ask about pace, races, streaks and how the weather affected a run. The link is read-only.
The Deep Dive Podcast
Listen to one of our recent discussions on the Deep Dive podcast – EP58 Garmin’s Tricky Wellness Accuracy Task With Wrist Based Accuracy (Ft. AI Insights)
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Last Updated on 7 November 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Ravemen FR1000: The light and the computer mount in one unit, so nothing else goes on the bars. Better than mine.
- Ravemen FR1500SE: 1,500 lumens hanging under your Garmin, for proper night rides.
- Ravemen FR1100SE: 1,100 lumens under your Garmin, and up to 46 hours on slow flash.
- Ravemen FR500: A brighter FR300 with the same mount.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red and infrared light for sore knees, Achilles and other joints after hard training. I use it.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
