Garmin launches Forerunner 55 as easy-to-use GPS smartwatch in PH

Garmin invites all Filipino amateur and experienced runners to take their workout to the next level with the new Forerunner 55, an easy-to-use GPS smartwatch designed for people of all skill levels to track their stats and achieve their fitness goals.

With the simple press of a button, users can start their run or walk and track their time, distance, speed, pace, and heart rate right on their wrist. The Forerunner 55 also offers detailed running data, daily suggested workouts, and additional built-in sports apps.

“We know there are runners of all skill levels who prefer a simplified running watch,” said Garmin Asia Director Scoppen Lin. “With this in mind, the Forerunner 55 presents informative and digestible data that can help people reach their running goals and live a healthy lifestyle.”

Advanced running features

The Forerunner 55 offers runners a variety of tools to take their training to the next level. It has PacePro that guides runners in tailoring their efforts to a selected course or distance. Its finish time estimator lets users select a run distance and view their estimated finish time right on the wrist.

For those hoping to improve their running form, the Forerunner 55 features cadence alerts to let runners know when they have gone outside their target cadence range.

The Forerunner 55 makes switching workout routines easy, thanks to several built-in activity profiles, including track or virtual running, pool swimming, Pilates and HIIT. The smartwatch also has Garmin Coach training plans that offer on-screen guidance from expert coaches and free 5K, 10K, or half marathon training plans based on a runner’s goals.

All-day health and wellness tracking

The Forerunner 55 includes popular connected features to help runners stay in touch. Users can receive text messages and view social media updates, emails, and more directly on their Forerunner smartwatch.

Built-in assistance and incident detection let users manually or automatically send a message with their real-time location to emergency contacts. The Forerunner 55 will also automatically upload activities to Garmin Connect and allow users to download custom watch faces, data fields and, apps from the Connect IQ Store.

Get more runs and workouts in between charges with the Forerunner 55. It features up to 2 weeks of battery life on smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours on GPS mode. The Forerunner 55 is also available in three color variants – Monterra Grey, Aqua and Black.

Pricing and availability

The Forerunner 55 can be purchased for PhP 11,395 in all Garmin Brand Stores, official online Garmin stores (Kinetic.com.ph, Lazada, Shopee), and the Garmin PH Viber Community. The first 30 customers to purchase the Forerunner 55 will receive a free Garmin Thermos Flask Bottle in blue, pink, or silver.

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ASUS Zenbook 13 (UX325) hands-on

ASUS has officially launched the ZenBook 13 (UX325) in the country. Dubbed as the world’s thinnest laptop to house a full set of I/O ports, this ultra-light device promises to deliver power and performance wrapped up in a compact but sleek package.

We also did an unboxing over at our YouTube channel which you can conveniently watch below:

The unit we received comes in a very classy Pine Grey color and is adorned with the very familiar concentric circle design. Just a mere 13.9mm thin, the ASUS Zenbook 13 is an all-metal device weighing just a little over 1kg.

The 13.3-inch Full HD screen features ASUS’s NanoEdge display that makes it the center of attention with almost unnoticeable bezels all around. It also sports a matte, anti-glare screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. On top, we have the 3D IR HD Camera with Windows Hello support for secured logins through facial recognition.

Moving further down, we see it’s full-size, backlit keyboard with an edge-to-edge design. This makes it quite easy and natural to type on even for a laptop this small. The trackpad is glass-covered and doubles as a touch numeric keypad that lights up when activated. We did a quick test and found that the number pad was responsive and could detect whether we were using it to navigate the screen or to input numbers.

As mentioned earlier, this is the world’s thinnest laptop carrying a full set of I/O ports. On the left, you’ll find a full-size HDMI port and two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. The latter supports fast charging and even external displays up to 4K UHD. On the right, we have a standard USB Type-A port and microSD card reader.

We have two Harman Kardon-certified speakers on-board as well as microphones that support Cortana and Alexa voice-recognition.

When fully opened, the ZenBook 13 is slightly lifted on the rear end. This is the device’s ErgoLift hinge that lets the keyboard rest at the perfect typing angle. Not only that, but the raised rear end also allows for optimal cooling as well as enhancement of audio quality.

Internally, it’s powered by an Intel Core i5 processor matched with 8GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and Intel UHD Graphics. Connectivity features include Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

It carries a 67Wh battery that can supposedly last up to 22 hours. For charging, it uses a 65W power adaptor fitted with a Type-C plug for faster charging.

All of these specs and features make the ZenBook 13 a prime candidate for a reliable, not to mention very portable, device. We’ll be spending a little more time with the ASUS ZenBook 13 to really test its performance and capabilities so stay tuned for our full review coming soon.

Find out more about the Zenbook UX325 by visiting its official product page here and if you’re already interested in purchasing, you can head over to ASUS’s official E-store. For more information on ASUS and their other products, head on over their official Facebook page.

ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325 specs:

13.3″ LED Backlit Full HD NanoEdge display
ErgoLift hinge
Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor
Intel UHD graphics
8GB RAM
512GB SSD storage
Wi-Fi 6
NumberPad 2.0
Harman Kardon certified audio
67Wh battery
Windows 10 Home OS

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