Forerunner 610

Released April 2011

Garmin's first touchscreen GPS running watch, with vibration alerts, structured workouts and Training Effect.

Type: Smart and sports
Sizes: 45.7 mm
Movement: –
Power reserve: –
Display: –
Battery: 8 h
Water: –
GPS: Single-band
Weight: 72 g

What reviewers say

TechRadar and Gear Institute praised the compact fit, GPS performance and extensive training tools, while both considered it expensive. TechRadar found the touchscreen responsive even with gloves; Gear Institute appreciated the simpler controls but found touch input and the small screen text harder to use at a glance.

From techradar.com and gearinstitute.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Case sizes: 45.7 mm
Always-on display: Yes
Display detail: Backlit 25.4 mm touchscreen, 128 × 128 pixels; up to four data fields per training page. Panel technology is unpublished in the maker's specification.

Health and fitness

ECG: No
Blood oxygen: No
Skin temperature: No
Sleep apnoea alerts: No
High blood pressure alerts: No
Body composition: No
Fall detection: No
Crash detection: No
GPS: Single-band
Sensors: High-sensitivity GPS receiver and ANT+ support for heart-rate straps, foot pods, GSC 10 cycling sensors, weight scales and compatible fitness equipment. No optical wrist sensor.
Fitness features: Training Effect, Virtual Partner, Virtual Racer, interval and custom workouts, run/walk alerts, Auto Lap, Auto Pause and Auto Scroll; vibration alerts for pace, heart rate, time and distance.
Safety features: Navigate to a stored location or back to the start; no base maps.

Battery and connections

Battery life (maker's claim): Up to 8 hours
In low-power mode: Up to 28 days
Mobile data option: No
Works with: No phone pairing
Battery life detail: Rechargeable 200 mAh lithium-ion battery; up to eight hours with GPS, four weeks in power-save mode or one week with forty-five minutes of GPS training each day.
Charging: Magnetic contact cradle with USB power.
Connectivity: ANT+ wireless computer uploads through the included USB ANT stick; Garmin Connect and Garmin Training Center. No direct phone pairing.
Storage: Up to 1,000 laps and 100 saved locations.

Design

Weight (lightest version): 72 g
Software: Garmin
Case materials: IPX7 immersion protection, one metre for thirty minutes; the owner's manual says it is not intended for swimming.
Size: 45.7 × 63.5 × 14.2 mm without the strap; 72 g. Width is used as the case size.
Bands: Replaceable wrist strap; optional fabric strap.
In the box: Watch, AC adapter, USB charging cradle, USB ANT stick and documentation; heart-rate strap included in some bundles.

Pros and cons

Pros

Touchscreen with four custom data fields per page
Training Effect and Virtual Racer features
ANT+ sensor support and wireless computer uploads

Cons

No wrist heart-rate sensor or phone pairing
IPX7 protection is not a swimming rating
Eight-hour GPS battery claim

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Sizes	Movement	Power reserve	Display	Battery	Water	GPS	Weight	Released
GarminForerunner 110	Smart and sports	45 mm	–	–	–	8 h	–	Single-band	52 g	2010
GarminForerunner 210	Smart and sports	45 mm	–	–	–	8 h	–	Single-band	52 g	2010
GarminForerunner 410	Smart and sports	48 mm	–	–	–	8 h	–	Single-band	60 g	2010

Sources

Photo: garmin.com.cn

Garmin Forerunner 610, Three-quarter view with time display: Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 610, Opposite three-quarter view with menu display: Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 610, Physical bezel and direction display detail: Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 610, Physical bezel and time display detail: Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 610, Physical bezel and heart-rate display detail: Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 610, Physical bezel and virtual racer display detail: Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 610, Physical bezel and virtual partner display detail: Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 610, Physical bezel and auto-function menu detail: Garmin

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