Is the Garmin smartwatch worth buying for up to 80 million VND?

Garmin introduced the Marq Adventurer Gen 2, Damascus steel version in October in the international market for $3,100 (VND 78.9 million). This model has just been launched in the Vietnamese market for VND 79.990 million.

The price immediately became a controversial topic. "We don't teach rich people how to spend money, but I wonder why a smartwatch costs up to 80 million VND. It's too bulky for sports people but not luxurious, fashionable , or a long-standing brand," said Huy Vu, administrator of a running community in Ho Chi Minh City.

Expensive but lacks features compared to cheaper models

According to Fortune , although it is a luxury watch, the Marq Adventurer Gen 2, Damascus steel version does not seem to have any outstanding new internal features, most of which are similar to regular, cheaper watches like the Garmin Fenix 8 (priced at VND 27 million).

Garmin Marq Adventurer Gen 2 watch, Damascus steel version, price 79,990 million VND in Vietnam

Even Garmin's 80 million VND smartwatch is not equipped with new advanced features like the Fenix 8 series. "The Marq Adventurer Gen 2, Damascus steel version is equipped with 10 ATM water resistance but does not have water resistance for diving like the Fenix. It also does not support the ECG features of Garmin's new smartwatches," Fortune commented.

Techradar also agrees that the Marq Adventurer Gen 2 doesn't seem to have much difference in functionality compared to the Fenix 8 series.

Why Garmin watches are so unreasonably expensive

The reason the Garmin Marq Adventurer Gen 2, the Damascus steel version, is so expensive but lacks technological upgrades is because this model is simply an upgrade of the Marq Adventurer Gen 2 that was launched two years ago.

The main reason why this model is 33 million VND more expensive than the standard version is the material used. According to Garmin's introduction, the new version uses durable Damascus steel. The manufacturing process includes 80 layers of stacked steel, twisted into individual patterns, so each version will be unique.

Not only Vietnamese users, the sky-high price of Garmin Marq Adventurer Gen 2, Damascus steel version is also a hot topic of discussion on Reddit forum. "Prices are getting out of control", the short topic about Garmin's new smartwatch model.

In the comments section, many people agreed that Damascus is an expensive material, but they weren't crazy enough to spend more than $3,100 to buy a smartwatch with 2-year-old technology.

"For this price, Garmin should use gold instead of steel," commented user nyiregyi . Another user wondered: "For this price, it should run the best software on Garmin smartwatches today. Imagine owning this watch and then facing the same minor issues as other cheap models."

The selling price of a Garmin smartwatch version is up to 80 million VND.

While most users think that only "crazy people" would buy this model, some still believe that Garmin can find its own customer base. They are people with money to spare, completely indifferent to price, willing to spend a few thousand dollars to buy something that looks interesting, even if it becomes obsolete and worthless in 1-2 years.

Not long before, Garmin users around the world also continuously encountered the problem of 'rolling and crashing'. The problem started in July, and by November, many people simultaneously reported similar errors. After that, Garmin spoke up to confirm the problem and find a solution. Many people said they even regretted spending a lot of money to buy Garmin watches but the quality they received was so bad.

A Garmin Forerunner 965 user (priced at 16.5 million VND) said: "I really regret buying this model. Almost nothing is accurate. I swam 1km outdoors, the watch said I swam 600m. It takes a long time for the GPS to work. I eat about 3,200 calories a day but the watch says I'm burning 2,500 calories so I should gain weight, while I'm losing weight. The app is too complicated, my heart rate is constantly changing. They are selling you a cheap product at a high price."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dong-ho-thong-minh-garmin-gia-toi-80-trieu-dong-co-dang-mua-185241221223537967.htm