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Garmin Forerunner 645 Review
2019 will mark the 30 year anniversary since the inception and creation of one of the best American companies. Garmin. But the thing is Garmin was not called Garmin from the very beginning. ProNav was the company’s name, and the first product that they manufactured was a basic GPS receiver. It was aimed for the strict marine market, and it was sold at a price of 2.500 dollars. Pretty hefty price for a GPS, but that was a novelty in the late ’80s.
But it was in 1993 that the team was assembled. Gary Burrell invited Min H. Kao to join the company and the rest is history. The very name of the company in fact - Garmin is a portmanteau of their first names. Gary and Min Hence Garmin. They just joined them together, and boom. A great name for a great company.
Just a few short years after the creation of Garmin the company, the US Army officially became their first and to this day their most loyal customer. Since Garmin has expanded their line of products, and now almost 30 years since the foundation offers avionics and even wearable technology.
But let’s take a closer look at the Forerunner 645. One of the company’s best items. Let’s have a closer look at the pros and the cons of the smartwatch. You can find out about them below in this review.
Hope you'll like the smartwatch and this review also. Enjoy.
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
500 songs download limit
Music synchronized with a streaming device
Accurately measures your heart rate
Allows payments to be made
Cons
Expensive
Brand
The essence of the Garmin brand is to create high quality and useful products. But having a useful product is one thing. Having useful and very high-quality products that are easy to use and fun at the same time is very difficult to achieve. Luckily Garmin has been nailing the fun and the practicality of their products for almost 30 years, and the Forerunner 645 model is no exception.
In the bare core of the operations, it’s a smartwatch, but any good smartwatch worth of salt will tell you that there’s so much more to be had. Even the company’s logo is exemplifying the ambition to go up. To go further. The blue arrow located on top of the letter N is a great nod to technology that started it all. The amazing GPS technology, but it’s also a reminder to always go up. And Garmin has been trying to be the leader in this type of technology for the past 3 decades now.
In the bare core of the operations, it’s a smartwatch, but any good smartwatch worth of salt will tell you that there’s so much more to be had. Even the company’s logo is exemplifying the ambition to go up. To go further. The blue arrow located on top of the letter N is a great nod to technology that started it all. The amazing GPS technology, but it’s also a reminder to always go up. And Garmin has been trying to be the leader in this type of technology for the past 3 decades now.
Weight
With a weight of just 42.2 grams, the Forerunner 645 is lightweight and pleasant to the wrist despite being made out of stainless steel in the bezel material, and Corning Gorilla type of glass in the lens material. The strap of the model is made out of silicone, and it not only fits nicely on the wrist, but it also will not slip that easily once in contact with moisture.
Basic features
Much like with the other smartwatches that are offered on the market, the Forerunner 645 does come with the standard clock features (telling of time and date, stopwatch, GPS type of synchronization, timer and so on). It also comes with few of the basic type of sensors (like GPS, Global navigation system, a great heart rate type of monitor, compass, thermometer and a fantastic barometric altimeter).
Among the other daily activities found on this smartwatch are the Bluetooth connectivity and your standard Wi-Fi type of connectivity but the more advanced type of features will come next in the next section.
Among the other daily activities found on this smartwatch are the Bluetooth connectivity and your standard Wi-Fi type of connectivity but the more advanced type of features will come next in the next section.
Advanced features
There’s something appealing in owning a smartwatch that could basically do anything. And we literally mean anything.
There are so many advanced features in the Forerunner 645 that just by naming all of them would require separate posts just for them. But let’s try and point out some of the great and interesting advanced features that actually make this item more fun and practical. Whoever said less is more obviously wasn’t thinking about this smartwatch.
Over here in this particular model, less is definitely more, and one of the most amazing advanced features is the ability to store up to 500 of your favorite songs. Jogging will certainly become a lot easier with your favorite tunes, and the addition of the LifeTrack will help a lot. Since this is an exercise based smartwatch, plenty of the advanced features are focused on physical activity.
The activity tracking features like the burning of the calories, and the stress tracking (that is allowed all day –during the day or night) are awesome. But so are the cardio and gym equipment type of features and the more advanced features that put a focus on the analysis in planning and training and the ones that measure the heart rate, the running abilities and the outdoor recreation type of activities.
Cycling and swimming features are also added so you can enjoy other types of fitness activities. Not just running.
But probably one of the most practical features in the Forerunner 645 that’s actually not health or exercise related is the ability to help you pay your bills. That’s right. Garmin Pay featured in this smartwatch is a type of payment solution that allows you to pay for anything at any time, without even the need to physically carry money or credit cards. How cool is that?
There are so many advanced features in the Forerunner 645 that just by naming all of them would require separate posts just for them. But let’s try and point out some of the great and interesting advanced features that actually make this item more fun and practical. Whoever said less is more obviously wasn’t thinking about this smartwatch.
Over here in this particular model, less is definitely more, and one of the most amazing advanced features is the ability to store up to 500 of your favorite songs. Jogging will certainly become a lot easier with your favorite tunes, and the addition of the LifeTrack will help a lot. Since this is an exercise based smartwatch, plenty of the advanced features are focused on physical activity.
The activity tracking features like the burning of the calories, and the stress tracking (that is allowed all day –during the day or night) are awesome. But so are the cardio and gym equipment type of features and the more advanced features that put a focus on the analysis in planning and training and the ones that measure the heart rate, the running abilities and the outdoor recreation type of activities.
Cycling and swimming features are also added so you can enjoy other types of fitness activities. Not just running.
But probably one of the most practical features in the Forerunner 645 that’s actually not health or exercise related is the ability to help you pay your bills. That’s right. Garmin Pay featured in this smartwatch is a type of payment solution that allows you to pay for anything at any time, without even the need to physically carry money or credit cards. How cool is that?
Fit
Due to the lightweight nature, the adjustable wristband made out of silicone, this particular Garmin model has a pretty amazing fit. Add to that the fact that the bezel is circular, reminiscent of an actual old-timey watch (as opposed to the delicate rectangular Apple smartwatch), the Forerunner 645 has an excellent fit on the watch. The model actually first with a circumference from 127 to 204 mm on the human’s wrist, and the bezel is sunlight-visible as well.
Battery
Here’s the kicker. The actual smartwatch when left to be just a smartwatch on the wrist has a battery with a life that lasts up to 7 days. However, if you use the model with both its GPS and music mode, the battery will probably last 5 hours top. On the other hand, if you decide not to use the music mode, and rely solely on the GPS model, it will last 14 hours max. Using both the GPS and the music mode at the same time will put the most strain on the battery, but it will give you up to 200 hours of solid activity data to go back to.
Accessories
While the charging cable and the Forerunner 645 style of music are the accessories included with the purchase, there are plenty of other additional accessories that you can add to customize and beautify your model. Accessories like three different apps (which will be detailed in the next segment), and the power pack style of batteries that are also designed by Garmin.
Other accessories include over 30 types of wristbands, a compact and elegant carrying case for easy transport when the smartwatch is not on your wrist, a handy charging clip, and three different types of sensors.
Other accessories include over 30 types of wristbands, a compact and elegant carrying case for easy transport when the smartwatch is not on your wrist, a handy charging clip, and three different types of sensors.
Apps
This particular item offers three different types of apps. The Garmin Connect Store And Mobile are almost self-explanatory, but the third Face-It app is really something. Fun and innovative, the app allows you to customize the face of the smartwatch with any photo that you have on your mobile phone. You friend, boyfriend and even dog can be featured on the face of the Forerunner 645, and by that, you can personalize your device and make it more intimate.
Comfort
A smartwatch that has plenty of features is great, but having a smartwatch that actually feels comfy and pleasant on the wrist is amazing. And several things contribute to the comfort of this particular model. The weight of just 42.2 grams first comes to mind. Secondly the display size of 30.4 mm in diameter, and the circumference on the wrist measuring 127 to 204 mm.
And last but not least, the materials used in the making of the smartwatch as also hella important. And three separate materials were used in three separate sections of the watch. First being the Corning Gorilla type of a glass used in the lens, high-quality stainless steel used in the bezel material and of course the silicone used in the band. Every single part contributes to the overall comfort not to mention the pleasant yet supportive feeling that you get while wearing the smartwatch.
And last but not least, the materials used in the making of the smartwatch as also hella important. And three separate materials were used in three separate sections of the watch. First being the Corning Gorilla type of a glass used in the lens, high-quality stainless steel used in the bezel material and of course the silicone used in the band. Every single part contributes to the overall comfort not to mention the pleasant yet supportive feeling that you get while wearing the smartwatch.
Flxibility
While the Forerunner 645 really comes with a silicone band, it can be purchased with a wristband made from leather as well. Leather is the second most popular choice if wristband, of course, but sadly doesn’t offer the flexibility of the silicone. The silicone remains top choice when it comes to the flexibility, and you can mix the bands with a silver or gold type of hardware. It’s up to you to choose but the variety is abundant so don't you worry. Yes, the silicone is by far the most flexible wristband, but the suede is not looking too shabby either.
Model
The word smartwatch has never been used more aptly than here in the Forerunner 645. Seriously. This watch is smart and there are plenty of features to prove it. There are 500 songs to your disposal that you can download and store in this model. Connect the watch with Bluetooth and you have an amazing free listening experience.
The Garmin Pay app allows you to pay for everything and at every time without the need to carry a wallet filled with money and credit cards. Who needs that? It can track your physical activity, your progress heart rate and your daily performance in several other sports other than running.
The Garmin Pay app allows you to pay for everything and at every time without the need to carry a wallet filled with money and credit cards. Who needs that? It can track your physical activity, your progress heart rate and your daily performance in several other sports other than running.
Style
As the company states on the official page, the watch was designed for the runners. It has an interface with 5 simple buttons for ease of use, and Chroma Display that’s so easy to understand and to read even the watch is exposed to direct sunlight.
Oh, and the sleek style of the watch allows you to pair it with just about any type of outfit. The bathing suit will work just fine, as its waterproof and nothing will get in the way of you and your favorite sports activity. You can swim and even shower while wearing it and nothing will ever damage or ruin the quality of the watch.
Oh, and the sleek style of the watch allows you to pair it with just about any type of outfit. The bathing suit will work just fine, as its waterproof and nothing will get in the way of you and your favorite sports activity. You can swim and even shower while wearing it and nothing will ever damage or ruin the quality of the watch.
Bottom line
Although rather simplistic in design with an oval face and silicone based wristband, the Forerunner 645 is anything but in design and ingenuity. With lots of basic and even more advanced features, this is a technological masterpiece. It’s really hard to find fault with even if you try your hardest for finding them, but if trying to nitpick, the 5 hours of battery life with both the GPS and music mode are not enough. Those are the two fund features in this item and it’s hard to exclude one just to save more battery life.
It comes with silicone, leather, and suede leather wristband and aside from the oval shape of the face it sadly doesn’t offer any other shape, like rectangular for instance. But besides the limitations in design, the limitations in the abilities practically don’t exist. With the multiple basic and very advanced features, this item is truly a sight to behold and a technological marvel. It’s waterproof and even allows you to pay everything that there’s a need for paying.
There’s no need for carrying a wallet with money or credit cards. You can do that from the wrist alone. But with the many sports features, it will try to keep you in shape as well. This is a fantastic item, that’s so worth buying. You'll love it and you'll end up wearing it even when you're not exercising. The amazing features it contains will make your phone and wallet obsolete, and this tiny device on your wrist will become your new favorite. See it for yourself.
It comes with silicone, leather, and suede leather wristband and aside from the oval shape of the face it sadly doesn’t offer any other shape, like rectangular for instance. But besides the limitations in design, the limitations in the abilities practically don’t exist. With the multiple basic and very advanced features, this item is truly a sight to behold and a technological marvel. It’s waterproof and even allows you to pay everything that there’s a need for paying.
There’s no need for carrying a wallet with money or credit cards. You can do that from the wrist alone. But with the many sports features, it will try to keep you in shape as well. This is a fantastic item, that’s so worth buying. You'll love it and you'll end up wearing it even when you're not exercising. The amazing features it contains will make your phone and wallet obsolete, and this tiny device on your wrist will become your new favorite. See it for yourself.
$269.99See Deal