OPINION: 2024 is in the books and my favourite tech purchase of the year was my Garmin Forerunner 265 running watch.
I bought it late in the year after running a half marathon using my then iPhone 12 smartphone for GPS. It was excruciating. The further I ran, the more the Strava session over-estimated my completed distance. I’d hear 11 miles in my ear, when I was another .5 to the mile marker.
Mentally, it was an absolute killer. I’d trained adequately for this race, but the idea of having to run another 5-6 minutes to get where I thought I already was ruined the race for me.
So, I decided a running watch was the answer. Something with rock solid GPS that wouldn’t require me to bring my phone and would still allow me access to music.
I narrowed it down to a Garmin Forerunner 265 and the Apple Watch Series 10.
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I’d always liked the idea of having an Apple Watch, but always stopped short. I’m an Apple user to my core. If they brought out a iToothbrush I’d probably buy it. However, I always had a nagging suspicion an Apple Watch was a luxury that’d do more harm than good.
I was worried about becoming one of those people always glancing at their watch face as notifications came in – never focused on the conversation. Like that’s any better than just picking up their phone mid-conversation!
I was concerned my screen time issues would get worse. That’d I’d never really be able to disconnect, until I had to take it off to charge for an hour or so… every single day.
Yet, I loved the idea of it as a holistic health device, with an app ecosystem and interface I was comfortable with that would sync nicely with tech I already own like an iPhone and AirPods Pro.
I was torn.
Learning to love a Forerunner
Eventually, a deal made up my mind. $100 off the Garmin Forerunner 265 my marathon runner friend uses. If if it did enough for him it would do enough for me.
The problem was, I hated it. Immediately regretted it the purchase. I disliked the clunky UI, I disliked all the terrible watch face designs, I thought all the apps in the Connect store seemed low rent. I didn’t instinctively know how to find stuff and it annoyed me.
Mostly, I hated the connectivity with my smartphone. The buzz on my wrist distracting me as I worked. The little Gmail symbol popping up with a junk email from a clothing brand. The WhatsApp messages I already had coming to my desktop.
I was going to send it back.
Then I made a decision. Less is more. I stripped it down to the bare bones, allowing it to do only what I wanted it to do, rather than what it could provide.
No more smartphone notifications. Touchscreen turned off completely. A few synced playlists, and podcasts for my runs. That was it.
This device tracked my activity when I wanted to be tracked. It didn’t pester me to complete an activity ring at 10pm when I’m about to turn in. It gave me my morning report showing how well I slept, how ready I was to train (if I wanted to) and what the weather was going to be like
I developed a completely healthy and proactive relationship with this piece of technology. All of the usage was on my terms. That’s something that’s been missing from the tech experience for a while. In the past the tactile act of doing has underpinned the experience. Putting on a record, turning on a games console, pressing record on a camera.
Our smartphones have incredible access to us. Unless you’re very careful with your notifications and the use of Focus Modes, it can permeate your mindset in ways that are not productive or good for your mental health
I actually enjoyed using the Garmin. It wasn’t using me to promote products, get other people’s messages across, notifying me of social media stuff I don’t need to see, or show-off news headlines I didn’t want to see first thing in the morning.
It confirmed what, deep down, I already knew. I was right to be wary of spending money on an Apple Watch. It makes me wonder whether I should diversify further in 2025…
Perhaps a new set of running earphones? Because, of course, my AirPods Pro hate the Garmin watch!
