2016 has proven to be a busy, yet successful year for technology company, Garmin International Inc., as they continue to expand their fitness tracking devices. Since January, Garmin has released glasses for cyclists, three golf-specific GPS monitors and smartwatches. Garmin just announced the release of another golf product, Approach X40.
With its fifty worldwide offices, Garmin focuses on creating GPS products for not only sports, but automotive, aviation, marine and outdoor activities that are an essential part for the lives of customers.
The announcement of Approach X40 is an attempt for Garmin to expand their outdoor devices. Approach X40 is a golf band that combines daily activity tracking and Garmin Elevate wrist heart-rate technology with golf data for more than 40,000 international courses.
“We’re thrilled to combine our golf technology and activity tracking into one sleek device,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Worldwide Sales. “The Approach X40 is the perfect all-in-one solution for golfers who want to know the distances on the course and track wellness data without the hassle of switching between multiple devices.”
From sunny days to rainstorms, the Approach X40 works through all weather conditions a golfer may face. The device includes a sunlight readable screen and is water resistant. While on GPS mode, Approach X40 can get up to 10 hours on the rechargeable Li-ion battery, or up to five days in watch mode with activity tracking, 24/7 heart rate monitoring and smart notifications enabled.
Features on Approach X40 include distances to the front, middle and back of each green, as well as bunker and water hazards. There are over 40,000 courses from around the world that come with no additional fees or subscriptions and the Green View feature displays the shape of each hole.
The device also incorporates AutoShot tracking. This measures and records the distances shot for post-round analysis and it gathers average distances for each club, longest drive per round and overall. Players’ shots can be overlaid onto one map so they can see trends present in their playing. AutoShot pairs with TruSwing club sensor to improve swing consistency with useful swing metrics available in real time.
Approach X40 also records daily steps, calories burned, distance, time of day, hours of sleep and alerts to stay active throughout the day. It also acts as a 24/7 heart rate monitor giving users have the freedom to exercise without a chest strap, which leads to more intensive exercises.
Additionally, by pairing with the Garmin Connect app golfers can share their scorecards and access stats, such as longest shot, average score and putts and can view hole-by-hole details of their individual trends and tendencies on different courses. Along with the app there are also 3D animations for golfers to see how individual mechanics impact ball flight and the results of their shots.
The slim and lightweight device is available in black, white and frost blue. It has a 1-inch touchscreen, that sends vibration alerts of incoming calls, texts, emails and more. The suggested retail price is $249.99.
