The hotly-anticipated Garmin Forerunner 955 fitness watch reportedly appeared in a listing on US retailer Beach Camera’s website, providing a load of new details before being taken down.
First reported by Gadgets and Wearables, the site listed the Garmin Forerunner 955 in its “whitestone” colorway, presumably the same shade as the whitestone Garmin Forerunner 745. Although the listing was removed by the time we got there, G&W claims there was a load of new details revealed, such as a touch-screen display in addition to Garmin’s usual five buttons.
The watch also looks set to pack solar charging capabilities like the top-end Enduro and Instinct watches. This lines up with previous leaks that suggested we’d see both solar and non-solar versions hit shelves. This solar version was described as having a maximum of 15 days battery life on non-GPS mode, far less than the Enduro’s mammoth 50 days when supported by solar charging, and 42 hours in GPS.
Other changes include a new “Forerunner” engraving on the casing and a 32GB memory. This is much more than the 14.5GB present on the Forerunner 945, and we’re expecting it to be capable of storing music natively just like its predecessor. The leak even included the watch’s dimensions; 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches.
The watch was said to be listed for US$499. As it was a US retailer, there was no word on prices in the UK, Australia or other regions.
Analysis: Forerunners confirmed?
This is not the first time we’ve heard about the Forerunner 255 and 955 gearing up for a launch in June, and if retailer listings are ready to go, it’s a clear indicator these watches are coming very soon.
More surprising are the specs, which list several key upgrades over the 945. We weren’t expecting a touch-screen display, for instance, and this leaves us wondering if both of the rumored new Forerunners will end up with touch-screen technology.
It’s great to hear there’s lots more memory this go-round, and the watch is likely to be reasonably priced if the leaks are true. After all, you can still find higher-end 945s on sale for US$549.99, so to have this solar charging version of the 955 retail for less seems like a great step. It’ll be interesting to see if any corners have been cut to facilitate this rumored price drop.
