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Garmin adds GPS to the Vivosmart fitness tracker

Garmin adds GPS to the Vivosmart fitness tracker

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The arms race continues

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Garmin

Garmin just announced the new Vivosmart HR+, an upgraded version of one of the company's flagship wrist-worn fitness trackers. The new model comes with a GPS radio, and is now able to automatically detect and track your activities thanks to the inclusion of the company's Move IQ software. That means you could take off for a run without hitting any buttons and, when you return, have an accurately-mapped record of your workout.

Like its predecessor, the new version of the Vivosmart HR+ is water-resistant, has a black-and-white display, and tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and heart rate. The price, in turn, has been bumped up to $219 from $149.

A tracker for every type

Of course, if the price scares you off but you happen to love Garmin products, there's no need to fret. The company once known for making dashboard GPS units currently makes an absurd amount of fitness-focused products — Garmin introduced the Forerunner 735XT multisport watch, the Vivomove analog watch with activity tracking, the Approach X40 golf tracker, and new versions of the Vivofit wristband and Vivoactive smartwatch in the last three months alone.

That makes for quite the dizzying product line, one that's hard for even us to keep straight sometimes. Much like rival Fitbit, Garmin's own products offer increasingly similar features, with the differentiation becoming more focused on interaction methods, style, battery life, and durability.