GoKawiil
Tech News
Retailers are discounting several Garmin smartwatch models early as part of pre-Labor Day promotions, according to a roundup from ZDNET. The deals target fitness-focused buyers, including those training for marathons, looking to save on GPS running watches before the official holiday sales period begins.
A ZDNET reviewer who has used Apple Watch since its debut in 2015 switched to the revived Pebble Time 2, a stripped-down smartwatch with a 1.5-inch color e-paper display, stainless steel casing, heart rate and sleep tracking, and long battery life. The device lacks advanced features like cellular calling or extra sensors, but the reviewer found its simplicity and lack of constant notifications appealing amid a desire to be less digitally connected.
Several widely-used smartwatches, including Google's Pixel Watch 2, Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, and multiple Apple Watch models, will lose software support in 2026. The devices will continue basic functions like fitness tracking and notifications but won't receive further feature updates or, in some cases, security patches. Apple is reportedly retiring five watch models in a single watchOS release, one of its largest support cuts to date.