Kuala Lumpur, 4 June 2025 - Malaysia –Garmin just dropped some serious heat for the running community, and honestly, these new releases are looking pretty impressive. The tech giant unveiled not one, but two new GPS running smartwatches – the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 – alongside a pair of heart rate monitors that are set to shake up how serious athletes track their performance.
What's Got Everyone Talking
Let's cut to the chase – these aren't just incremental upgrades. Both watches pack Garmin's brightest AMOLED displays yet, which means you'll actually be able to see your stats even when you're squinting through sweat on a blazing summer run. But here's where it gets interesting: they've added built-in speakers and microphones. Yep, you can now take calls directly from your wrist during those recovery walks.
The battery life alone is worth getting excited about. The Forerunner 570 pushes 11 days in smartwatch mode, while the flagship 970 stretches that to a whopping 15 days. That's the kind of longevity that'll make you forget what a charger looks like.
Forerunner 570: The Sweet Spot for Most Runners
The 570 feels like Garmin's answer to "what do most runners actually need?" It comes in both 42mm and 47mm sizes with some seriously fun colorways – we're talking raspberry with translucent bone/mango bands and amp yellow with whitestone/turquoise combinations that'll definitely turn heads on the trail.
At RM2,399 (available June 18th), it's positioned as the mainstream option that doesn't compromise on the features serious runners demand.
Forerunner 970: For Those Who Want It All
Now, if you're the type who gets lost even with GPS, the 970 is your new best friend. This beast adds full-color built-in mapping with turn-by-turn directions, plus some seriously nerdy features that data geeks will love.
The exclusive features are where things get spicy. Running tolerance tells you exactly how much weekly mileage your body can handle. Running economy measures your energy efficiency (though you'll need the new HRM 600 for this). And step speed loss? That's next-level biomechanics data showing how much you slow down when your foot hits the ground.
Oh, and there's a built-in LED flashlight because apparently Garmin thought of everything. The premium materials – sapphire lens and titanium bezel – justify the RM3,269 price tag, especially when you consider this is basically a computer on your wrist.
The Heart Rate Monitor Upgrade
The new HRM 200 (RM349) and HRM 600 (RM739) aren't afterthoughts – they're integral to getting the most from these watches. The HRM 600 particularly stands out with its ability to record activities independently, meaning you can ditch the watch for certain workouts and still capture everything.
Both monitors come in two strap sizes and promise more accurate heart rate variability data, which is becoming increasingly important for understanding recovery and training load.
The Bottom Line
Available July 11th for the heart rate monitors and June 18th for the watches, Garmin's latest lineup feels like a genuine step forward rather than just another annual refresh. Whether you're chasing PRs or just trying to stay consistent with your training, there's enough innovation here to make even seasoned Garmin users consider an upgrade.
The real question isn't whether these are good – they clearly are. It's whether you need all that tech to run faster. But hey, if the data helps you stay motivated and injury-free, that's probably worth more than the price tag anyway.