- Casio’s GBX-H5600KI-5 Kanoa Igarashi watch has gone on sale
- It’s aimed at surfers, with a range of features for the sport
- It could rival the Garmin Fenix 9, which is due to be announced soon
Garmin is just about to launch the Fenix 9 watch, and it’s fair to say there’s plenty of hype surrounding the upcoming model. Yet Casio has just arrived to steal Garmin’s thunder with a new wearable that could take the air out of the Fenix 9’s sails — particularly when you consider who the devices are apparently aimed at.
Casio’s device is the wordily named GBX-H5600KI-5 Kanoa Igarashi. It’s just gone on sale in the US for $370, which translates to roughly £270 GBP / $515 AUD — way cheaper than the majority of Garmin’s range, and the Ultra-branded rugged adventure smartwatches from the likes of Apple and Samsung.
It makes up for its lack of a snappy moniker with a feature list that includes a tide graph function, plus moon, sunrise, and sunset info for optimal surf timing. It also boasts blood-oxygen sensors, a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, training load powered by Polar, and more.
On the design front, it comes in a dark brown case with lavender highlights. Because of the molding process, each watch has a slightly different look. There’s a MIP display that sports the signature of Japanese-American surfer Kanoa Igarashi, for whom the device is named. You’ll also find the number 50 on the wrist strap, which is a reference to Igarashi’s World Surf League bib code.
Designed for surfers
It’s that surfing connection that might rain on Garmin’s parade. Garmin’s Play Harder event — where the Fenix 9 is widely expected to be revealed — features a surfer as its livestream cover image, perhaps giving a hint as to what the Fenix 9 could be oriented towards.
But with Casio’s surfer-themed watch going on sale right before the Fenix 9 makes an appearance, picking a smartwatch for your surfing sessions just got a little more complicated. And then there’s the price: the Garmin Fenix 8 starts at $849.99 /£749.99 GBP / $1,499 AUD, a cool $480 / £480 GBP / $984 AUD more than Casio’s latest effort. The Fenix 9 is likely to be priced around $1,000 / £1,000 GBP / $1,399 AUD — if it is, the difference compared to Casio’s device will be stark.
Of course, you get a lot more from Garmin in terms of features, including a larger AMOLED screen and many more tools and metrics. But if all you want is a simple smartwatch to take out on your morning surf, Casio believes it has the answer — presumably much to the chagrin of Garmin.
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