We speak with Garmin Asia’s Assistant General Manager, Scoppen Lin, who shares some valuable insights into the industry about the innovation and evolution of the Forerunner series
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
Fitness trackers and smart watches are no longer nice-to-haves but must-haves for the modern everyday athlete.
In an age where we are becoming highly impatient consumers, and at a time where sports wearables are as easily accessible to just about everyone as ordering lunch from the food court, it can be difficult for us to appreciate the evolution, research and redesign that has gone behind our latest gadgets.
SportPlus.sg recently had the privilege of speaking with Garmin Asia’s Assistant General Manager, Scoppen Lin, in celebration of 20 years of the Garmin Forerunner, as part of its launch of the its latest Forerunner 965 and 265 models.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
Garmin has certainly come a long way having first started in aviation with GPS navigation in 1989, before expanding to various industries including automotive, marine, outdoor, and fitness wearables in 2003.
Over the past two decades since then, the Forerunner series has been providing precise data analysis for runners including tracking data such as distance, speed, and heart rate.
In fact, in 2022 alone, over 320,000 new Forerunner users were added in Asia, and despite the pandemic, running activities by Garmin users in Asia increased by 24% from 2020 to 2022.
1. Congratulations on reaching the 20 year milestone for Forerunner! The Garmin Forerunner series has become a modern icon, opening up limitless possibilities for sports lovers. How would you personally define the Forerunner yourself, and set it apartfrom Garmin's other popular offerings such as the Fenix?
Scoppen: Thank you! I would personally define the Forerunner as the perfect running companion, catering to runners of different levels. With its accurate GPS system, and features known to Garmin watches such as the Morning Report and HRV Status, the Forerunner recommends the best possible actions for my next run.
At Garmin, we have many watches for different demographics. For example, if you’re into golf you would be more suited to getting an Approach. The Forerunner was made for runners in mind. Aside from activity and sport specific smartwatches, we have our popular lifestyle ranges such as the Venu range as well as the vívomove range, where function meets fashion, making these wrist gems a great addition to any wardrobe. Meanwhile, the fēnix series would be perfect for outdoor enthusiasts.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
2. Garmin has broken down Forerunner's evolution into 3 parts - 2003 - 2010: From Wild Ambition to Practical Application, 2011 - 2018: Running Science Proven by Data, 2019 - 2023: The Zenith of Your Training is Daily Life. How significant were each of these stages in the evolution of the Forerunner to become the watch it is today in 2023?
Scoppen: From 2003 - 2010, Garmin conceptualised the idea of a running smartwatch to actualising it, this is where the birth of the world’s first GPS running watch, and what would be the start of a 20 year legacy in the running smartwatch community.
From 2011 - 2018, it was about fine-tuning the science and innovation behind the Forerunner. Introducing features such as WIFI/Bluetooth connectivity to your phone, Garmin’s Running Dynamic feature and a better battery life, Garmin continues to progressively improve the hardware and software features of the watch to stay relevant and meet the demands of runners.
Finally from 2019 - 2023, the focus is on designed for runners by runners, with user feedback propeling innovation. With the acquisition of Firstbeat Analytics (a leading provider of physiological analytics for health, fitness and performance ) in 2020, Garmin continues its reputation in providing accurate, detailed and insightful data on performance and progress to help our consumers to reach their peak physical condition.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
3. In 2022 alone, over 320,000 new Forerunner users were added in Asia, and despite the pandemic, running activities by Garmin users in Asia increased by 24% from 2020 to 2022. What would you attribute the rise in popularity of both the Forerunner and running in generalto?
Scoppen: The Forerunner has always been the leading running smartwatch in the market, 20 years of the Forerunner is a testament to that. Interest and popularity in running during the pandemic was no surprise, especially in Singapore during the (covid-19) lockdown where activities such as running and hiking took a spike as people were getting restless being stuck at home and needing an outlet to leave their homes.
It would only be natural for people who took a greater interest in running during and continued to do so after the pandemic restrictions, to use the Forerunner as their choice of running companion due to the precise and useful data Garmin provides, as well as the analysis of these data that help runners craft a personalised training plan.
As the saying goes, if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together! Communities are an important space where people can connect through the same interest and express and support each other in a safe environment. The Garmin Run Club has helped Singaporeans develop good running habits and form support and camaraderie with other runners.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
4.The Forerunner 965 and 265 has been branded as designed by runners, for runners. How important is it to have actual runners be part of the design process for the series?
Scoppen: At Garmin, we closely monitor the evolving needs and preferences of our target audience, in this instance it is runners. Engaging with customers through surveys, focus groups and social media interactions, we gathered their feedback to produce the optimal Forerunner to date. As runners ourselves we understand the pain points and features that would be truly beneficial to a runner. It’s important to take note of the end users’ feedback, to ensure we produce a product that aligns with their daily needs.
5. The Forerunner 965 and 265 has also been labelled as the most progressive watches featuring AMOLED touchscreens. Will Garmin's other watches also follow suit in this direction, and apart from new colours, how does this set you apartfrom your competition?
Scoppen: In an ever competitive and evolving market, we’ll continue to ensure our devices remain technologically advanced, aligning with market demands and more importantly our customers' needs.
For example, with the AMOLED touchscreen being introduced to the Forerunner series, customers were worried that this would compromise the battery life of the smartwatch. But in fact, the Forerunner 965 has a stronger battery life compared with its predecessors.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
Our commitment for quality hardware as well as advanced software features helps to set us apart from our competitors.
Garmin offers a variety of products to cater to varying consumer lifestyle demands. For instance, in our outdoor wearables like fēnix and Instinct series, we also introduced a breakthrough Power Glass solar charging lens technology to offer an even more rewarding battery life. By replacing previous solar panels with a super-transparent glass lens, we have created devices built for extreme outdoor adventure.
Combined with Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) display technology, this produces a clear and legible screen suitable for smart wearable devices, maintaining high clarity and low power usage even under direct sunlight.