Garmin Marq Gen 2 series arrives with longer battery life and new software features
Garmin has presented the Marq Gen 2, a new smartwatch series that starts at US$1,900 and £1,599 for the Athlete edition. Also referred to as the Marq (Gen 2) by Garmin, the smartwatch series consists of four other variants, the Adventurer, Aviator, Captain and the Golfer. While the five models hit different price points, they all have 46 mm cases built using Grade-5 titanium and AMOLED displays.
According to Garmin, all Marq Gen 2 SKUs should deliver superior battery life compared to last-generation models. Supposedly, the Marq Gen 2 series will last sixteen days in smartwatch mode, four days longer than the original Marq. In other words, Garmin's new smartwatches are slated to provide a third longer battery life than their predecessors. In that vein, Garmin claims to have included faster recharging technology too. Reputedly, all models will fully recharge in just an hour, for which Garmin has also bundled a new magnetic charger.
Unsurprisingly, the Marq Gen 2 series contains all the core features of Garmin's other high-end smartwatches. Additionally, the company has pre-installed Jet Lag Adviser, which should provide recommendations having analysed a range of factors, including caffeine intake. Moreover, the Marq Gen 2 series debuts Garmin SatIQ, a battery optimisation functionality that the company announced in August. In short, Garmin SatIQ determines what location service is needed to maximise battery life. As Garmin discussed in a blog post, the feature is coming to other smartwatches, such as the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955 series.
The Marq Gen 2 series is now orderable in one colour per model. At launch, the Adventurer costs US$2,100 (£1,899), with prices rising to US$2,200 (£1,999) for the Captain, US$2,300 (£1,999) for the Golfer and US$2,400 (£2,099) for the Aviator.
