GPS Sports Watches

GPS SPORTS WATCHES ARE ALSO SMARTWATCHES AND ACTIVITY TRACKERS NOW. BUT WHICH IS THE GOLD MEDALIST?

 

- Damian Hall 

WHAT’S ON TEST…

1 Fitbit Ionic

Can the king of the activity tracker step up (pun unintended) to make a convincing, premium sports watch? 

₹22,900, fitbit.com

2 Apple Watch Sport Nike+

Watch comes with Nike faces and has the Nike+ Run Club app built-in.

₹29,900,apple.com

3 Garmin Forerunner 645 Music

Can the GPS sports watch market-leader match more lifestyle models for comfort and ease of use?

₹39,990,garmin.com

Thanks to the combined rise of activity trackers and smartwatches, being a GPS sports watch simply isn’t enough nowadays. A premium sports watch must do everything: count steps, calories and sleep 24/7, relay notifications and be a desirable, brightly coloured vibrating gadget that people want to tap, swipe and constantly tinker with.

What’s fascinating about the three GPS sports watches on test is that they’re all trying to make the same thing, but coming at it from totally different angles. Garmin has long been the master of the sports watch, but has lagged behind on the more crowd-pleasing trendy smartwatch stuff. Apple knows all about that, but can it turn its hand to a genuinely credible premium sports piece to rival Garmin?

Meanwhile, can newer kid on the block, Fitbit, hitherto master of simpler activity trackers, up its game significantly enough to make a viable rival to these two?