By Yoon Sung-won
Garmin released its new Forerunner 235 smartwatch, designed specifically for runners, here Tuesday.
The world’s top GPS navigation device maker pledged to boost its presence in the growing wearable device market in Korea by rolling out more diverse products with localized functions.
“Besides its new hardware and software features, Forerunner 235 supports an accurate optical heartbeat sensor and will be able to help runners analyze their vital statistics, and plan their training to ultimately improve their records,” said Daniel Chien, director of Garmin’s Asia-Pacific Sales Department, during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday.
“We will release more devices that fit the demands of the Korean market. We also plan to expand our product portfolio to premium models targeting fans of diverse outdoor activities such as cycling and triathlons.”
Garmin said it will establish a local after-sales service network to establish itself here for the long term.
“Korea’s wearable device market has doubled every year and Garmin’s goal here is to record greater growth than the market average,” Chien said. “We already have a complete roadmap of product launches through 2018.”
According to data by market researcher IDC, Garmin held a 4.6 percent share in the global wearables market in the first quarter. On the top of the list is FitBit with 24.5 percent, followed by Xiaomi’s 19 percent and Apple’s 7.5 percent. Samsung Electronics ranked fifth with 3.6 percent.
Garmin was founded in Kansas in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao as a startup providing military-use aviation GPS devices. Based on its location recognition and communication technologies, it has expanded its business to more than 30 countries, reaching out to the automotive, fitness and maritime device sectors.
Since being listed on NASDAQ in 2001, the company has been recording $2.8 billion in annual sales, Chien said.
He stressed that the Forerunner 235 can be differentiated from other smartwatches and smartbands already on the market as it is designed for both casual and professional users.
Forerunner 235 combines American GPS technology with Russia’s satellite navigation system GLONASS to dramatically boost location-tracking accuracy.
It is the first of the company’s wearables to adopt the Garmin Elevate optical heartbeat monitor. Besides heartbeat, the device embeds a pedometer and an accelerometer and thus can measure step counts, calorie consumption, maximum oxygen intake and sleep state.
User information can be uploaded to the database of Garmin’s community network called Garmin Connect for analysis.
As a smartwatch, the device can be synchronized to a smartphone to notify the user of incoming messages, emails and calls.
With both GPS and heartbeat sensors turned on, a fully charged battery of Forerunner 235 lasts up to 11 hours. The battery may run for about nine days if the functions are turned off, Chien said.
The smartwatch with a one-year warranty has been priced at 399,000 won including value-added tax, the company said.