Wearables are getting a small showing at CES this year, with Garmin announcing the Forerunner 645 Music with a heavy emphasis on –
you guessed it: music playback.
The watch has a 1.2″ 240×240 resolution display behind chemically strengthened glass with a metal bezel, support for interchangeable (20mm) bands is also included. The watch includes a bunch of sensors including GPS (with GLONASS) as well as Barometric altimeter,
Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer and Thermometer. It’s powered by a battery that will last 7 days as a smartwatch or 5 hours when using the GPS with music.
The Forerunner 645 is first and foremost a sports watch, which means it has 24/7 heart rate monitoring, as well as embedded GPS to track you walk, run, ride or whatever else you want to. The watch will track your workout, gathering data including distance, pace, personal records and more, including your stroke data for swimmers.
Fitness apps, watch faces, widgets and many other apps are available through the Garmin Connect IQ store, making a comprehensive smart wearable.
It’s all in the name though and the Forerunner 645 Music is all about the music, with space to store up to 500 sogs on the device. Support for downloading and storing playlists from iHeartRadio and more for offline playback is supported, as is transferring your own music from a PC. Once you’re loaded with music, simply pair some Bluetooth headphones and start your workout.
The Forerunner 645 will also be supporting contactless payments through NFC with Garmin Pay. Garmin Pay is currently offered by ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and NAB, allowing customers to tap and pay for a bottle of water when they’re on a run without bringing their wallet.
Adam Howarth, General Manager Garmin Australasia said of the Forerunner645
Listening to music helps most of us keep our momentum going during those long or particularly difficult runs. Now, with the addition of integrated music and Garmin Pay, the Forerunner 645 Music will help give athletes the independence they’ve been looking for while still providing them with the quality and accuracy of our other running products that they have come to rely on.
The watch is available with either a black or cerise band and has a recommended retail price of AU$599.00.
