Garmin announces three new Fenix 5 smartwatches, new inReach satellite communications devices, and adds Uber, other apps to its Connect IQ Store
LAS VEGAS (BRAIN) — Garmin announced several new products in features as the Consumer Electronics Show prepared to open here this week.
Context & Ripple Effects
At CES 2017, Garmin is doing two things that define its next decade: putting satellite communications into its product line with new inReach devices, and opening the Connect IQ Store to mainstream third-party apps like Uber. The first turns a niche expedition tool into a consumer feature; the second pushes its sport watches toward everyday use.
Both bets paid off along the lines the later coverage shows. Satellite connectivity graduated from standalone inReach units into the flagship watch itself — culminating in the $1,200+ Fenix 8 Pro with satellite and cellular tools — while the app-store strategy matured within months into payments, via the $299 Vivoactive 3 with Garmin Pay.
First-order effects
- Buyers at CES get a three-model Fenix 5 lineup plus dedicated inReach satellite communicators, splitting Garmin's offering between wrist-based fitness and off-grid messaging hardware.
- Uber and other third-party apps arriving in Connect IQ make Garmin's watches usable for errands and transit, not just workouts.
Second-order effects
- Satellite communications become a premium-tier differentiator inside the Fenix line itself, supporting the steady price climb the later coverage tracks — $800-$900 Pro models by 2023, then a $1,200+ flagship with cellular.
- An app ecosystem built for daily utility gives Garmin a retention layer beyond hardware specs, which the Vivoactive 3's Garmin Pay extends into contactless payment months later.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, satellite and cellular connectivity stop being separate products and become the dividing line between mid-range sport watches and a premium safety-and-communication tier — exactly where the Fenix 8 Pro lands in 2025.
- Sport-watch platforms consolidate around owned software stores and services (Connect IQ, Garmin Connect) rather than device sales alone, echoing how Garmin had already positioned itself as a data partner in ecosystems like Nike+ back in 2015.
The trend: Fitness smartwatches are evolving from activity trackers into satellite-connected safety devices, with connectivity features driving an escalating premium price ladder.