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Garmin 920XT

301 bytes added, 21:16, 11 January 2015
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* The 920XT supports Garmin's Connect IQ, which allows for the creation of apps in much the same way you can run apps on Android or iOS. Just like the original iPhone, this has the potential to be revolutionary, making the 920XT an extensible platform for future functionality.
* The 920XT is quite a bit bigger than devices like the [[Garmin 620]] that look more like a traditional watch. However, I have tiny wrists (less than 6 inches) and I found 920XT was far more comfortable than watches like the [[Polar V800]].
* The display on the 920XT has is color and a good sized color display size that is easier to read than some watches. Unlike the [[Garmin 620]], the color display on 920XT is quite strong. I'm not sure that color adds much functionality, but it does make the 920XT more visually appealing. While the 920XT has a slightly smaller display than its predecessor, the 910XT, it has nearly twice the resolution, creating a far crisper display.
* Like the Garmin 620 and Fenix 2, the 920XT will show and record [[Cadence]], Vertical Oscillation (VO) and Ground Contact Time (GCT). The 920XT has a nice display of Cadence, VO, and GCT that gives a color coded indication of how well you're doing.
* The 920XT can be configured to alert you when a metric is out of range. The alert for [[Cadence]] is particularly useful. The Cadence alert will work when it's using the internal accelerometer for Cadence, as well as the HRM-Run strap or a Footpod.
* The 920XT includes There is a metronome to help you keep your Cadence where it should be, which is a really nice feature. The metronome can be set to make a sound and/or vibrate. The vibration option is nice so you don't annoy people you're running with. You can set the alert to go off every second, fourth, or sixth beat.* The Like many recent Garmin running watches, the 920XT can display the [[Firstbeat| Firstbeat Training Effect]], an indicator of how hard a training session is. While I find this useful, it's important to remember that the Training Effect is strongly biased towards intensity rather than duration. * The 920XT includes There is also support for the [[Firstbeat| Firstbeat Estimate of Recovery Time]] before the next workout, which I also like, though you have to take this with a large pinch of salt.
* The 920XT will cache the GPS satellite locations for the next few days to reduce startup time. This is particularly useful when travelling to a new location as older devices can take minutes to get a fix when travelling. I hate standing around on a street corner in the cold, dark, early hours of the morning waiting for my watch to tell me I can start running. In my testing the satellite acquisition was always very rapid, and the 920XT is sensitive enough to get a fix inside my house.
* The 920XT uses There are six real buttons rather than a touchscreenon the 920XT, which I think is much better when you're running. The buttons are well placed and easy to use.
* The prediction of your [[VO2max|V̇O<sub>2</sub>max]] worked well for me, but I would not rely on its accuracy.
* The 920XT will upload your workouts to Garmin Connect via WiFi without needing a computer. It will also link to a smart phone to upload a workout as it takes place, which is nice for folks tracking you during a race, though it means wearing the watch and the phone together. If you plug the 920XT into a computer it will function as a flash drive, giving you direct access to your workouts as '.FIT' files. This provides compatibility with a wide range of software.
* The 920XT will not display [[Heart Rate Variability]] but it is possible for it to record [[Heart Rate Variability]] for later analysis. To enable this recording, you need to download a special FIT file from the firstbeat.com web site. (It's quite probable that [[Connect IQ]] will enable apps to provide this functionality in the future.)
* The 24 hour battery life is good enough for many ultramarathons, and the extended mode allows for 50 hours with degraded GPS accuracy. In my informal testing of the extended mode, the 920XT did not perform as badly as I expected.

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