Heads up – Big Garmin sales are out!!! The Garmin Fenix 8 is $250 off, the Forerunner 965 is $150, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is $249, and a ton of other Garmin gear has substantial discounts! Go check out the full list here!
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered what to do with all of the coolness that people write, and while I share a lot of it on Twitter/X and BlueSky, this is a better forum for sending it on to y’all. Most times these different streams don’t overlap, so be on the lookout at all these places for good stuff!
…hang tight, next week’s gonna be a busy one! For that matter, June is gonna be arguably the busiest June in as long as I can remember.
Sports Tech Deals:
We’re in the midst of the spring sports tech sale. Some of these end this weekend, some of these end closer to the US Father’s Day. And some of them, who knows when they end. Either way, there are some fantastic deals in here, especially if you were looking at a Fenix 8.
This is the first time we've seen the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on sale, and given it's $100 off, that tends to be the typical sale price for the holidays/Black Friday for the current/just-released version.
This is the activity tracker that both of our oldest daughters have used for years (age 8 & 9), as well as most of their friends now. They/we all like it. Check out my full in-depth review for all my thoughts. That said, the new Bounce 2 came out two months ago, and while my review isn't out yet, it's a far better product. But, quite a bit more too. The TLDR on that review will be that it's the best kids smartwatch/tracker to date (for both parents and kids), but obviously will cost you $100 more.
This is the lowest price we've seen on this to date. The Enduro 3 is simply the Fenix 8 with a MIP/Solar display (but without the scuba or voice calling features). It gets all the Fenix 8 features and updates otherwise.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support. Note: Availability on this deal fluctuates, just keep checking back, I'm sure it'll pop back again (it always does).
⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG.
⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG.
⚡ The Fenix 8 keeps getting all the new software features of the Fenix 8 Pro that was launched two months ago. Setting aside that Fenix 8 Pro which gained LTE & Satellite Messaging, this is otherwise the most capable sports watch on the market.
As a general rule, the Fenix E is the watch that literally nobody is buying, and makes no sense at higher prices. The hardware is simply the Epix Gen 2 with Fenix stamped on it. That watch is going for $400, though I expect we'll see it down to $300 over Black Friday. However, one *KEY* difference with the Fenix E, is that it includes all of the software features of the newer Fenix 8, whereas the Epix Gen 2 doesn't get all the new software features. Otherwise, save your $200.
⚡ This is (by far) the lowest price on the Forerunner 265, which was recently replaced by the Forerunner 570 (but at nearly twice this price). What's fascinating about this sale price, is it's well beyond the usual sale prices for Garmin for this product. This pricing is 100% an Kansas-themed 'Hello!' to COROS and their just released COROS Pace 4 at $249.
The Foreurnner 55 is a great option if you simply don't want to spend a ton, but still want a super-capable runners watch (and general activity/sleep tracking watch). I've heard a lot of you get it for teenagers that run, as a great/inexpensive way to track their runs, and still be a good everyday watch.
This is the lowest price to date on the Forerunner 965, which is logical given the Forerunner 970 came out this past spring (which essentialy adds a flashlight and some other running metrics/features).
The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, with both an AMOLED and Solar variants. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features.
The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, and the Solar edition in particular has 'unlimited' battery life in certain scenarios. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on the newest product in the entire Garmin Holiday 2025 sale lineup. This is basically a blend of a Forerunner 970, Venu 4, and Fenix 8...but super thin. It's argueably one of the best deals here at $599, though, Garmin is still clearly trying to figure out the right pricing to drive purchases.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the Vivoactive 6 on sale, which is essentially a Venu 4, but without the voice/calling/ECG features (and a few other tidbits). It's probably one of the best deals in Garmin's lineup (sale or otherwise).
⚡At $249, it's pretty much impossible to beat this deal in terms of bike computers. There's no competitive option that beats it on features/battery/etc at this price, or frankly anywhere near it. Sure, it doesn't have a touchscreen, but it's not as bad as it used to be (I did a stint on it this winter for a week or so, and was fine).
This is Garmin's radar without the light, so it's a bit smaller as a result. Same radar tech though, and compatible with Garmin/COROS/Hammerhead/Wahoo bike computers.
This is Garmin's standalone radar+taillight option, and $149 is pretty much the standard sale-price. Even despite all the new radars out there, this remains the most accurate option on the market. Now, only if Garmin would just re-release it with USB-C. C'Mon Garmin...maybe next year?
This is the first time this product has been on sale, since launching last spring. I'd argue it could have used a $100 off sale...but hey...they don't consult me.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've ever seen for this. This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness.
This came out last fall, and is the second time this has been discounted, but now to the lowest price to date. The key difference with the new Plus model is that it adds the ability to send photos and voice messenges via satellite. I've used it a bit, and it's pretty cool because it makes it a lot faster to just say something rather than type it out, but the $499 price seemed excessive. $399 makes it slightly more palatable.
Got all that? Good. Enjoy!
YouTube Videos This Week:
Here’s what hit the tubes over on the You of Tube, definitely don’t forget to subscribe there to get notified of videos the second they hit!
Stuff I Found Interesting Around The Interwebs:
Here’s a not-so-small smattering of all the random things that I stumbled on while doing my civic duty to find the end of the Internet:
1) Apple reportedly to re-number operating systems, including WatchOS: This actually makes a ton of sense. Especially for platforms that are updated annually (without fail), just makes it a heck of a lot easier to keep track of things. And in the case of watches, it should reduce confusion a bit. Because up till now, the Apple Watch #’s have been offset 1 digit from WatchOS #’s. Meaning, Apple Watch Series 10 came out with WatchOS 11. In any event, I’ll be there in person next week to dive into any name changes, and more importantly, the actual WatchOS changes.
2) Garmin May 2025 Quarterly Software Update: In case you’ve been ignoring the e-mails Garmin sent you over the past week, they added a slate of new features to mostly newish watches, including Rucking, Breathing Variations, pin passcode, and more. Most of these features have launched on other watches in recent months, and are now available to a wider range of watches.
6) Zwift Splits/Lap Feature Rolls Out:While previously outlined at Zwift Community Live, this feature is now live, allowing you to take/create splits.
7) Google Pixel 9 phones can now use GoPro cameras as camera source: Somehow I totally missed this (and seemingly, so did most of the internet). You can now select a GoPro as a camera source (secondary camera), sorta like how you’d do so for a webcam in Zoom. That’s pretty cool/interesting. I’d love to have that capability on iOS as well.
Just curious thoughts about what might happen first, Garmin releases an Enduro for smaller wrists, or Suunto releases a new Vertical with their updated on wrist heart rate sensor? I’ve narrowed down my search to these wishlist items. 😀
That’s a tricky question. Frankly, I have no idea. I feel like Garmin thinks/believes there isn’t a market for smaller sized MIP based displays in the ultra segment (beyond Instinct series). I think there’s probably some truth to that, in terms of the market size Garmin now needs to justify making a product.
If we look at UTMB finishers (for the full-length one, the one that would justify the battery needs), only 12% were women in 2023 (first stat I found). And of course, some portion of those will be fine with medium sized MIP units (and inversely, some portion of men will prefer smaller units).
Whereas Suunto has a bit more flexibility on what it takes to ‘make it worth it’ for them (even moreso applied to COROS too). Of course, as always, Garmin *hates* the idea of someone stealing their lunch. So eventually, if the demand is there, Garmin will make a smaller unit with those features. But it make take an iteration or two. I’d say it’d be interesting to see in a Fenix 9 (or whatever it’s called), if they bring back the smaller Fenix S sized MIP unit or not, which they ditched for Fenix 8. If not, then I’d argue that fate is sealed.
Where can you see breathing variations? My Forerunner was updated to include them a while ago but for the life of me I can’t figure out where is this data located.
1) In Garmin Connect , under the same page as sleep stats (look at left side).
2) On the watch, within the sleep stats section for last night, akin to things like sleep phases/stages
Note that it does require PulseOx be enabled (during sleep), otherwise it won’t show up.
Is it rolling out in stages? I have it now on my 265S and I got the email noting it is also rolling to the 255 and Venu3.
My husband hasn’t gotten the notices I did (has pulse ox on already) and neither of use sees a way to display the info in connect. Don’t want to bother my Dad about it if it’s not 100% up and running.
Looking at Garmin Forums (and my own 955 Solar) it seems that, despite the Breathing Variations being present in beta changelogs and in press materials on the update, they actually weren’t rolled out to 955.
Thanks for acknowledging my Escape Collective story documenting Matthew Lefthand’s record-breaking 24-hour virtual ride. He is an amazing athlete who’s primed and ready to rewrite the ultra-cycling record books.
Hey Ray, do you have any plans to drill down into Gamin’s May 7, 2025 sunsetting of cycling maps on their Edge devices? My first reaction is that this is another Garmin shift to subscription revenue. As typical with Garmin, the details are confusing and the impacts probably won’t be clear for a while. They have something similar going on with watch mapping as well.
Their previous service approach really made travel navigation easy. Now it may mean going back to openstreetmap and similar. This is a PITA and probably kills off a lot of the newer Edge mapping associated options, such as POI, visible segments, etc.
While I think their communications are confusing AF (kinda the norm), on this particular item, best I can tell, this is a non-issue. Or at least a non-issue for anyone with the last two generations of Edge devices.
Essentially, the “Garmin Cycle Map” was a specific branded product name, that for a long-long time, you had to buy (or download the free OSM maps). Then, starting with the Edge 530/830/1030 series in 2019, Garmin started including those maps free of charge.
Following that in the Edge x40 series, the maps are still free, but now transitioned to Garmin’s “TopoActive” series, that includes basically more data in them (namely, topographic details). Still, naming and extra bits side, it was still free to Edge users. These maps were also made available to the x30 series.
Roughly speaking, this same transitioned happened on the wearables, though I’d have to dig back further to see exactly when they transitioend to the TopoActive maps. I feel like that was a long-long time ago.
At the end of the day, nobody has lost maps. They’re all still there, free as they were before. Just now fully consolidated under TopoActive that you’d have likely been using anyways for many years.
TLDR: This is just crappily worded statement from Garmin, introducing confusion, and then a bit of internet clickbait out there made it worse.
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FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2024 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Just curious thoughts about what might happen first, Garmin releases an Enduro for smaller wrists, or Suunto releases a new Vertical with their updated on wrist heart rate sensor? I’ve narrowed down my search to these wishlist items. 😀
Thanks!
That’s a tricky question. Frankly, I have no idea. I feel like Garmin thinks/believes there isn’t a market for smaller sized MIP based displays in the ultra segment (beyond Instinct series). I think there’s probably some truth to that, in terms of the market size Garmin now needs to justify making a product.
If we look at UTMB finishers (for the full-length one, the one that would justify the battery needs), only 12% were women in 2023 (first stat I found). And of course, some portion of those will be fine with medium sized MIP units (and inversely, some portion of men will prefer smaller units).
Whereas Suunto has a bit more flexibility on what it takes to ‘make it worth it’ for them (even moreso applied to COROS too). Of course, as always, Garmin *hates* the idea of someone stealing their lunch. So eventually, if the demand is there, Garmin will make a smaller unit with those features. But it make take an iteration or two. I’d say it’d be interesting to see in a Fenix 9 (or whatever it’s called), if they bring back the smaller Fenix S sized MIP unit or not, which they ditched for Fenix 8. If not, then I’d argue that fate is sealed.
Where can you see breathing variations? My Forerunner was updated to include them a while ago but for the life of me I can’t figure out where is this data located.
It’ll show up in two places:
1) In Garmin Connect , under the same page as sleep stats (look at left side).
2) On the watch, within the sleep stats section for last night, akin to things like sleep phases/stages
Note that it does require PulseOx be enabled (during sleep), otherwise it won’t show up.
Is it rolling out in stages? I have it now on my 265S and I got the email noting it is also rolling to the 255 and Venu3.
My husband hasn’t gotten the notices I did (has pulse ox on already) and neither of use sees a way to display the info in connect. Don’t want to bother my Dad about it if it’s not 100% up and running.
Looking at Garmin Forums (and my own 955 Solar) it seems that, despite the Breathing Variations being present in beta changelogs and in press materials on the update, they actually weren’t rolled out to 955.
Thanks for acknowledging my Escape Collective story documenting Matthew Lefthand’s record-breaking 24-hour virtual ride. He is an amazing athlete who’s primed and ready to rewrite the ultra-cycling record books.
Hey Ray, do you have any plans to drill down into Gamin’s May 7, 2025 sunsetting of cycling maps on their Edge devices? My first reaction is that this is another Garmin shift to subscription revenue. As typical with Garmin, the details are confusing and the impacts probably won’t be clear for a while. They have something similar going on with watch mapping as well.
Their previous service approach really made travel navigation easy. Now it may mean going back to openstreetmap and similar. This is a PITA and probably kills off a lot of the newer Edge mapping associated options, such as POI, visible segments, etc.
While I think their communications are confusing AF (kinda the norm), on this particular item, best I can tell, this is a non-issue. Or at least a non-issue for anyone with the last two generations of Edge devices.
Essentially, the “Garmin Cycle Map” was a specific branded product name, that for a long-long time, you had to buy (or download the free OSM maps). Then, starting with the Edge 530/830/1030 series in 2019, Garmin started including those maps free of charge.
Following that in the Edge x40 series, the maps are still free, but now transitioned to Garmin’s “TopoActive” series, that includes basically more data in them (namely, topographic details). Still, naming and extra bits side, it was still free to Edge users. These maps were also made available to the x30 series.
Roughly speaking, this same transitioned happened on the wearables, though I’d have to dig back further to see exactly when they transitioend to the TopoActive maps. I feel like that was a long-long time ago.
At the end of the day, nobody has lost maps. They’re all still there, free as they were before. Just now fully consolidated under TopoActive that you’d have likely been using anyways for many years.
TLDR: This is just crappily worded statement from Garmin, introducing confusion, and then a bit of internet clickbait out there made it worse.