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    Garmin introduces the Approach S3, a $349 touchscreen GPS golf watch

    Garmin introduces the Approach S3, a $349 touchscreen GPS golf watch

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    Garmin has just released the Approach S3, a dedicated golfing GPS watch that's a follow-up to its existing Approach S1.

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    Garmin Approach S3
    Garmin Approach S3

    Smartphones have put a dent in the dedicated GPS market, so Garmin has diversified its portfolio by offering dedicated devices for sports like golf, cycling, flying, and more. To that end, the company has just released the Approach S3, a dedicated golfing GPS watch that's a follow-up to its existing Approach S1. Garmin describes the watch as "rugged and waterproof," but the real draw is the 27,000 golf courses that are loaded into its memory, with updates being pushed out periodically. New features over the S1 include a "glove-friendly" touchscreen (we're not sure if this just means a resistive touchscreen) and "Green View," which lets you manually adjust pin placement as well as see a "true" image of the current green as it stands that day. Of course, the watch still tells you the distance between you and the hole, so you can adjust your shot accordingly.

    Garmin claims the watch will last for eight hours of playtime, or for four weeks as a day-to-day watch, before it needs a recharge — that's an extra week of day-to-day usage over the S1, but GPS usage time is unchanged. The Approach S3 will be available this month and will retail for $349.99. Fortunately, that price includes all of the map data — there's no additional subscription or purchase required.