Garmin’s Fenix Chronos Smartwatch Bridges Gap Between Activity, Luxury

For those who enjoy both working out and going out, Garmin has designed a smartwatch that fits both lifestyles. Here are 10 of the best features of the Fenix Chronos.

At first glance, it’d be impossible to know that Garmin’s Fenix Chronos isn’t a traditional watch. The device comes with a round display and the customer’s choice of watchbands that one would find on a standard watch, including leather, stainless steel and titanium. The design is arguably one of the most attractive features of the Fenix Chronos.

The Fenix Chronos has a 1.2-inch round display with LED backlighting that’s designed to work in any environment. In fact, Garmin says its screen, which it calls the Chroma Display, can work in low-light conditions as well as direct sunlight. In other words, even though it has digital displays, it’ll show the time just like any other watch.

The Fenix Chronos comes with a number of activity-tracking features ranging from the ability to track how many steps a person has taken to how many calories he or she has burned and number of stairs climbed. There’s even a sleep mode that can measure how well a person slept.

Like other Garmin wearables, the Fenix Chronos works with Garmin Connect. The Garmin Connect platform can upload the wearer’s fitness information automatically to its mobile and desktop apps for ongoing tracking. Users can also share their workouts and other data with friends through social media.

The Fenix Chronos supports Garmin’s Connect IQ platform. With that support, users will be able to get free downloads from the Connect IQ store, including watch faces, widgets and apps. Connect IQ is a repository for users to add more functionality to the device. And it might be a useful companion with the Fenix Chronos.

The battery life in the Fenix Chronos depends on several factors, including how owners are using the device. However, in general, Garmin says the smartwatch can last up to 25 hours in battery-saver mode and up to 13 hours when it’s in GPS mode. In an ultra-low-power mode, it can last up to a week on a single charge.

Each Garmin Fenix Chronos comes with a silicone sport band designed for active use so wearers won’t harm its more luxurious watchbands. Garmin is trying to bridge the gap between activity and luxury, and it can’t do that with leather or metal wristbands. A silicone band, however, can get the job done.

Although it’s offering a wider array of devices now, Garmin hasn’t strayed too far from its roots. The Fenix Chronos comes with an EXO antenna featuring both GPS and GLONASS satellite reception. In addition, users will find an altimeter, barometer and compass. The smartwatch, therefore, can be used as a full GPS device, capable of helping users move about town without getting lost.

The Fenix Chronos works with a wide range of smartphones, including Android-based devices and iPhones. With that compatibility, users can see phone notifications, receive incoming calls, check on emails and get text messages from the watch face.

While other nice smartwatches can be purchased for a few hundred dollars, that’s not the case with the Fenix Chronos. Garmin’s latest smartwatch starts at $899 for the version featuring a leather band. Customers will pay $1,000 for the stainless steel version and $1,500 for the titanium option. Although that’s cheaper than some Apple Watch models, which can cost up to $17,000, the price range does put the Fenix Chronos toward the higher end of the smartwatch market.