Are Garmin Watches Still The Best?
Following a recent report that Garmin watches have experienced an outage, this has led to speculation whether these watches are still the best on the market.
The devices which retail for a cool £1,000 are heralded as some of the best in the smartwatch niche, with many people even ranking them above the Apple Watch.
However, a substantial number of customers around the world have filed complaints recently about the devices, stating a number of issues, including seeing only a blue triangle, while others revealed that the device would not progress past the start screen.
As a result, this has led to an outcry on social media, with many customers having logged on to vent their frustrations. The solution that Garmin offered though, which was resetting the device and connecting to the company’s app. It did, however, concede that this alone may not work and suggested that a complete factory reset could be a better solution.
Despite this though, there are customers who did just this and it appears that they still then experienced similar problems and one of the reasons that Garmin have put forward for this is that a bad update has prevented the GPS from working properly.
The devices that are understood to have been affected are the Approach Watch, Edge Cycling Computers, Epix Watch, Fenix Watch, Forerunner Watch, Instinct Series Watch, Vivoactive 4 and 5 plus the Venu 3 and 3S.
What Made Garmin Watches Attractive?
There were a number of reasons why Garmin swiftly established itself as the leader in Fitness-based smartwatches and it was these that helped to put them ahead of their competitors, amid suggestions that these are catching up with them.
The superior navigation and GPS was one of the reasons that gave Garmin an edge in the marketplace, with the company having integrated precise tracking capabilities in its devices which proved to be attractive with hikers, runners, triathletes and cyclists, all of whom needed GPS precision due to varying terrain such as off-road and remote areas. To enable this, Garmin tapped into multiplie satellite systems at once, unlike other brands, which helped make its device’s location identification even more accurate.
A reminder to check your daily suggested workout before you brave the snow. 😅 pic.twitter.com/ibGRyegdoH
— Garmin Fitness (@GarminFitness) January 31, 2025
Undoubtedly, the battery life on a Garmin device was one of the biggest selling points. With may of the other brands, this would be one or two days from maximum charge, however, Garmins can last up to a week – even longer depending on usage. This was a huge appeal, especially for endurance athletes.
In addition, Garmin devices offered significantly more advanced metrics than other brands, with the standout being pulse oximeters for altitude acclimitisation as well as heart rate, sleep analysis, stress levels and other advanced running dynamics.
Durability featured heavily in their design specifications and while other brands opted for ‘sleek and cool’, Garmin drilled down on its target market – the serious fitness guru into exttreme sports, working with many different terrains. As such, it built their devices to last, utilising sapphire glass and titanium which was seen as a major advantage.