Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE introduction – 15 new things it brings

LTE – Will I send an SMS?

Ehm, no. And you can't make a call from your watch either. In fact, you can't even upload eSIM. Everything works under Garmin's wings, so you pay a monthly fee to have access to all LTE features (the exact process and the fee amount for the Czech Republic is not yet known). However, this means that the watch will not be connected to your existing SIM card in any way, so you will not receive an SMS message or a call (if you have a phone connected via Bluetooth, then of course you will). Unfortunately, it won't even be possible to sync your playlists from streaming services. Wi-Fi will still be needed.

Garmin more or less used LTE again in what it does best. And that is sport. That's why Live Track and Live Event Sharing function can now work completely without a phone.

The Live Track feature let's you share your location, practice analysis and real-time data about your body, and the person tracking you can send you text and voice messages. For the voice messages it is needed to have headphones or a speaker connected. The tracking link will arrive in an email to your pre-set contacts, who will then be able to see a map and information about you, which is updated every minute (can be set up to 5 minutes).

Live Event Sharing feature is similar, but simpler. When activating this function, your friends receive a text message whenever you run the interval you set (eg 1 km). Pretty good for spamming, huh?

Concurrently, the assistance and incident detection feature was also improved. The watch sends an SMS and your location to your pre-set contacts. Now, the watch will also be connected to a call center, which solves these situations immediately. However, this function has only been confirmed in some countries, and it should be added to others later. Possibly to our country as well.

New optical sensor as on Venus 2

It's been a while since Venus 2 was released. Forerunner 945 LTE received the same new Elevate V4 optic sensor, which has a different layout and more openings for light reflection and more LEDs for better illumination.

Black, blue... And now white as well

Quite a few people on the internet were scared that the Forerunner 945 LTE was presented everywhere in white only. On the contrary, some people were very pleased with that. I really like the white version, but it occurs to me that the Forerunner 945 LTE now looks exactly like Forerunner 745. Anyway, it is also offered in black so don't worry. Unfortunately, the blue variant did not receive an upgrade.

Forerunner 945 got liposuction

The display of this model remained the same (1.2 inches), but Garmin narrowed this model by 2 mm and took away unnecessary space around the display.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a better photo. Forerunner 945 LTE (left), Forerunner 945 (right). Source: DCRainmaker

The smaller case caused that there is a less space for the battery, which paradoxically improved and worsened at the same time. The battery life reduced to 35 hours when receiving a GPS signal (originally 36) and extended to 12 hours when listening to music and receiving a GPS signal (from the original 10).

945 LTE (left) is slightly smaller than the previous 945 model (right). The size is now the same as Forerunner 745. Source: DCRainmaker

And what about sports functions?

Garmin worked the most on intervals. The watch can now recognize when you are resting, when you are working and display it correctly in the analysis. Added was also the open repeats feature, which, when turned on and after clicking the LAP button, allows the watch to recognize when you are resting, when you are running and display everything in a more detailed record of these intervals in real time. To tell the truth, I only know this upgrade from the description (the watch is not available in the Czech Republic yet), so I will talk more about it in a review after I get the watch in my hands.

More apps and a nicer look

Forerunner 945 LTE received, like Venu 2, a Connect IQ 4.0 support, which in reality means access to more demanding and creative third-party developer apps. So now the app developers can get more imaginative when making new apps and looks. The watch can handle it.

Garmin also slightly changed the face of the watch. But just a little. The individual widgets look a little different when you click on it. It is definitely a "cleaner" look, but not that big of a change to make your jaw drop.

The difference in widgets. Forerunner 945 LTE (left), Forerunner 945 (right). Source: DCRainmaker

This is just a short introduction, the rest will be talked about in a more detailed review. :)