Garmin Trots Out Forerunner 50 Sports Watch

Garmin's new Forerunnner 50 sports watch doesn't offer GPS, but lets users track their workouts using wireless syncing, heart monitor, and foot pod.

Garmin International has launched its latest sports watch, the Forerunner 50, and although the watch doesn’t offer the GPS capabilities for which the company is well known, it does offer tools to let user track their walking and/or running workouts, and sync that data wirelessly to their PC.

“A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to come at a great sacrifice of time and money,” said Garmin sales VP Dan Bartel, in a statement. “The Forerunner 50 provides runners, walkers and cyclists with a cost-effective training tool that is compact and convenient.”

The utility of the Garmin Forerunner 50 is built around a wireless USB ANT Stick: the idea is that users pop it into a USB port on their PC and it automatically syncs workout data from the watch to the computer wirelessly using Garmin’s own low-power ANT+Sport wireless tech. Depending on the model and options users purchase, the Forerunner 50 can monitor and record heart rate, speed, and distance using a separate heart rate monitor and foot pod. The watch can record up to 7 hours of data and up to 100 laps, and calculate speed, cadence, steps, and the approximate number of calories burned. Users can also track their workouts over time using the Garmin Connect online training site. Unlike its predecessors, the Forerunner 50 does not offer GPS capabilities, but nor is it as bulky.

The Forerunner 50 should be available in October; a version with the ANT Stick and heart monitor will have a suggested price of $99; a version with the ANT Stick and foot pod will go for $149. Expect to pay $199 for a Forerunner 50, ANT Stick, and both the heart monitor and foot pod.