Garmin announces new Approach S62 golf smartwatch
Equipment

Garmin announces new Approach S62 golf smartwatch

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Garmin has long made GPS golf watches that have delivered quality displays, preloaded courses and given golfers the info they need to make golf-course decisions right on their wrist.

However, with their new Approach S62, the company is looking to push the golf GPS watch into a more technical smartwatch category, doing more than just spitting back GPS pings.

The new Approach S62 has a 1.3-inch color touchscreen, more akin to what smartwatch users would expect. Course information is mapped in full color, with diagrams and simple number displays. The watch also offers caddie-like functions for golfers, including a virtual caddie function which assesses wind speed, course layout and the golfer's own performance to offer advice to plays-like yardages.

The Approach S62 also has what's dubbed the PinPointer option for a golfer to indicate where on the green a pin is so the device can deliver exact yardages to the stick. A new Green View feature gives the golfer a view of the green as it actually is on the course.

All of the advice can be applied on 41,000 pre-loaded courses.

Further, the Approach S62 comes with what's called the Autoshot round analyzer, which measures and records shot distances when paired with the optional CT10 tracking sensors. (Putts and some around-the-green shots are not tracked.) The Garmin Golf app then delivers data and insights that a golfer might expect from competing performance-tracking platforms.

The watch also has a heart-rate monitor and a Pulse Ox sensor to estimate blood-oxygen saturation levels. There's activity-tracking functions for running, cycling and swimming.

Golfers can receive alerts on the device for emails and text messages. The Connect IQ store offers custom digital watch faces, apps and widgets.

The Approach S62 battery lasts up to 20 hours in GPS mode and 14 days in smartwatch mode. There are a variety of bands available, too.

The Garmin Approach S62 golf smartwatch is available for $500 and as a package with the CT10 sensors for $550.

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Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is a scratch golfer...sometimes.

Ballengee can be reached by email at ryan[at]thegolfnewsnet.com

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