6 January 2017

More ways to personalise Garmin wearables at the Connect IQ Store

Garmin International has announced several new apps, data fields and watch faces available for Garmin users to download from its Connect IQ Store from companies including Uber, Trek, GU and Nuun.

Connect IQ, an open platform for third-party developers to create content for Garmin wearables, bike computers and outdoor handhelds, lets users customise their Garmin device to reflect their unique personalities and needs. Since its inception just two years ago, there have been more than 20 million Connect IQ downloads to the more than 3 million compatible devices that have shipped around the world.

“Connect IQ is a pillar of the Garmin wearables strategy which is centred on purpose-built devices for consumers who want to measure and enhance their active lifestyle pursuits, whether it’s running, cycling, swimming, golfing, boating, walking or simply being more active,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin VP of worldwide sales. “Just as each Garmin user is unique, so are all of the downloads available through Connect IQ. We’re excited to launch these new apps as we continue to integrate data from brands and developers and grow the Connect IQ store to make customising your Garmin device both useful and fun.”

One of the newest applications for Connect IQ is Uber ETA. Once a user has ordered a ride from the Uber app, Uber ETA will show the estimated time of the driver’s arrival directly on the Garmin wearable. Instead of going back and forth to the phone to see the status of the ride or key information about the driver, Uber ETA lets the user keep doing whatever they need to do while keeping track of their ride’s arrival on their wrist. Uber ETA will also provide the driver’s name, make and model of the car, license plate and guidance (direction and distance) to the pickup location.

Connect IQ downloads are also available for Garmin Edge GPS bike computers, including a new data field from Trek/Bontrager. Committed to cycling safety, the Connect IQ app from Garmin and Trek/Bontrager makes it easy for cyclists to get quick access to and control of their Bontrager headlights and tail lights without leaving the Edge activity during their ride. Cyclists see the battery level of multiple lights and control the light setting for each across automatic, daylight, nighttime and more.

Other new Connect IQ applications include a GU Energy Labs data field that reminds the cyclist Garmin Edge device when it’s time to fuel with GU Energy Gels while training and racing, as well as helping the athlete keep track of how many gels they should have eaten for optimal performance. Nuun Active Hydration users now have a new custom watch face to help them keep track of their step progress.

Garmin users will also benefit from other recently-released Connect IQ applications, including a widget from JOIN for cyclists that makes it easier to take part in group rides. In addition, various data fields are also available from Xert Advanced Power Analytics, including Maximal Power Available, Time to Exhaustion/Recovery, Fat/Carb Utilization, Strain Score and more. For runners, the Stryd IQ app displays data from a Stryd foot-mounted power meter onto a Garmin wearable to help improve running efficiency and longevity.

The Strava Live Suffer Score app is also available for both Garmin bike computers and wearables, analysing how much time the user spends in different heart rate zones, and measuring total activity effort with a simple rating. Also available for both wearables and bike computers, an update to the AccuWeather Edge MinuteCast Minute-by-Minute app that provides user with the most accurate hyper-local, by-the-minute precipitation forecasts for their active lifestyle. 

Interested?

Connect IQ is available on a wide range of Garmin products across of all of the markets the company serves, and each app, widget, watch face and data field can be downloaded at no charge to the user. The Connect IQ Store can be found at apps.garmin.com or in the device tab of Garmin Connect. It can also be found in the device page of Garmin Express, or the More section of Garmin Connect Mobile

Local availability and pricing will be announced on a later date

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about Garmin's versatile new multisport wearables and about Garmin's live services for its Drive models

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