Garmin tactix Charlie GPS watch now official, coming next quarter

Garmin, the brand behind many premium wearables, is now back with a GPS connected watch that is the direct successor of the Garmin tactix Bravo. Naturally named Garmin tactix Charlie, the new wearable is described by the official press release as "a specialized tactical GPS watch with wrist-based heart rate."

As its name suggests, the Garmin tactix Charlie is the third-generation smart wearable in the tactix family. Its list of highlights includes preloaded full-color TOPO maps, wrist-based heart rate monitoring, over 26 built-in activities, a specific "Tactical" profile, as well as advanced performance metrics. This GPS watch can download and store up to 16 GB of map data via WiFi, also supporting Bluetooth and GPS with GLONASS.

Although it comes with a silicone strap, the Garmin tactix Charlie features a black titanium rear cover, stainless steel buttons, a scratch-resistant bezel, and an always-on 240 x 240 1.2-inch display with a domed sapphire lens for improved protection. Those who want to replace the silicone strap can grab any QuickFit-compatible band.

This GPS watch can go underwater to a depth of almost 330 feet and has an autonomy of up to 12 days in smartwatch mode or 20 hours in GPS mode (35 hours with GPS and UltraTrac power saving mode enabled). The Garmin tactix Charlie is compatible with the Connect IQ store and can interact with both Android- and iOS-powered handsets.

Right now, the estimated availability displayed on Garmin's website says "3 - 5 weeks," but those interested do not need to check back the product page again before placing their orders. All they have to do is to enter an email address, confirm their subscription, and then wait to receive a notification once the product is available.