Garmin to announce Forerunner 305 GPS/training wristwatch at CES

So just like they did earlier this year with the 301, Garmin seems set to reveal a new model in the Forerunner line of GPS watches at CES 2006, a radically redesigned wearable called the 305. Unlike its predecessors (the 301 and 201), the 305 looks much more like a real watch than a shrunken GPS handlheld glued to a wristband, and may even contain its antenna in the angled bottom half of the watch (useful for athletes looking to maintain a consistent signal). Other features targeted at the wandering runner/cyclist/geocacher include a heart rate monitor, speed, distance, pace, and calorie trackers, and a waterproof body. Even though the 305 is a lot more stylish than previous entrants to this category, with wristwatch tech like Fossil's Wrist PDA lineup having fizzled, the bigger question here is whether people really want all this info on tiny devices with small black-and-white screens and frustrating input methods.

[Thanks, Anthony]