Garmin launches Forerunner 70 and 170

Garmin said on Tuesday, May 12, that it had launched two new entry-level running watches, the Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 170, as it pushes features previously reserved for pricier models further down its lineup. The company said both devices add training-readiness, heart-rate-variability status, Garmin Coach plans and daily suggested workouts aimed at newer runners. Garmin’s U.S. newsroom said the Forerunner 70 will start at $249.99, while the Forerunner 170 will start at $299.99 and the Forerunner 170 Music at $349.99. ### Which features are Garmin moving into cheaper watches? Garmin said the two watches share a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, touchscreen controls, a five-button layout, built-in GPS and wrist-based heart-rate tracking. The company also said both models include training-readiness, training status, wrist-based running power, running dynamics, advanced sleep tracking, sleep coach, breathing variations and HRV status. (garmin.com) The May 12 press release also said Garmin Coach plans now adapt daily using health and recovery metrics, while daily suggested workouts include new run-walk sessions. Garmin framed the devices as tools for “new and aspiring runners,” in comments attributed to Susan Lyman, Garmin’s vice president of consumer sales and marketing. (garmin.com) ### What separates the Forerunner 70 from the 170? Garmin’s product pages say the Forerunner 70 is the lower-priced model, while the Forerunner 170 adds Garmin Pay contactless payments, floor-climb tracking and extra cycling metrics when paired with accessories. The 170 Music version also adds onboard music downloads for phone-free listening. Battery life is one of the clearer differences. (garmin.com) Garmin says the Forerunner 70 lasts up to 13 days in smartwatch mode, while the Forerunner 170 lasts up to 10 days. That means the cheaper model has the longer quoted smartwatch battery life, even as the 170 carries the broader feature set. (garmin.com) ### What do the prices look like in Britain and the United States? Garmin’s UK store lists the Forerunner 70 at £219.99 and the Forerunner 170 at £259.99, both marked “Available to order on 15 May.” The U.S. press release lists suggested retail prices of $249.99 for the Forerunner 70, $299.99 for the Forerunner 170 and $349.99 for the Forerunner 170 Music. The UK pricing places the two new watches above Garmin’s older entry-level Forerunner 55, which Garmin still lists on its UK site. (garmin.com) The preliminary context for this story said the Forerunner 55 had dropped to £109.99 in Britain this week, but Garmin’s currently accessible UK product page did not display a verifiable current price in the retrieved page text, so that figure could not be independently confirmed here. (garmin.com) ### Why does this launch matter inside Garmin’s running range? Garmin’s own materials position the Forerunner 70 and 170 between the older beginner-tier watches and the company’s more advanced running devices. The company says the new models pull “premium running and training features” from higher-end Forerunners into easier-to-use watches for first-time or developing runners. (garmin.com) For buyers, that means features such as HRV status, training-readiness and adaptive coaching are no longer limited to Garmin’s more expensive watches. Garmin’s product pages also continue to steer shoppers upward: the Forerunner 170 adds payments and cycling metrics, while the 170 Music adds offline audio. (garmin.com) ### When can people actually buy them? Garmin’s U.S. newsroom and UK store both point to the same sales timing. The company said the watches will be available to purchase on Garmin’s website starting May 15, 2026, with UK order pages already live ahead of that date. May 15 is the next concrete milestone in the rollout. (garmin.com) Garmin’s listed starting prices are $249.99 in the United States for the Forerunner 70 and £219.99 in the United Kingdom, while the Forerunner 170 starts at $299.99 in the United States and £259.99 in Britain.