Outdoor adventurers will be excited to discover that Garmin Australia announced the Oregon 700 and 750t, an update to its most popular series of touchscreen outdoor handhelds.
Featuring high-sensitivity GPS and GLONASS support, the new Oregon 700 series has a redesigned GPS antenna for better reception and performance. The 700 series boasts the new Geocaching Live for wireless integration with Geocaching.com.
All of the new Oregon 700 models include more connectivity features1 like smart notifications, automatic software updates, downloads of data and fields and will be compatible with the Garmin Connect IQ™ for custom data fields[3]. All models feature a worldwide basemap with shaded relief, while the 750t adds preloaded TOPO Lite Australia and New Zealand maps.
“We are thrilled to introduce an update to the Oregon series of handhelds,” said Adam Howarth, General Manager, Garmin Australasia. “The enhanced antenna paired with new features like Geocaching Live and Connect IQ compatibility make these new Oregon units the ultimate rugged outdoor devices that can be customised to each user.”
The new Oregon 700 series features high-sensitivity GPS plus GLONASS support with a worldwide shaded relief basemap for easy navigation and a one-year subscription to BirdsEye satellite imagery for real-life terrain views[2]. The Oregon 750t have a built-in 8MP camera with flash capabilities for geotagged photos and comes preloaded with the TOPO Lite Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, all of the units have a built-in microSD card slot for more data storage.
In addition to mapping, all of the new handhelds have built-in ABC sensors: the barometric altimeter provides elevation data to accurately monitor ascent and descent, the barometer can be used to predict weather changes by showing short-term changes in air pressure, and the 3-axis electronic compass helps users keep their bearings, even when standing still. There is also an updated and simplified menu interface, which features a variety of profiles optimised for each activity such as hiking, tour cycling, climb, geocache, fish and more.
With a Wi-Fi connection or through the Garmin Connect Mobile app on a compatible smartphone[1], all of the new Oregon handhelds will have wireless integration with Geocaching.com for Geocaching Live.
Users will be able to wirelessly download cache descriptions, logs and hints, even if they’re out in the field. Once a geocache is logged as found, it will be automatically synced to the user’s Geocaching.com profile. Premium Geocaching.com members will also be able to sync their geocaching lists directly to their device. Users can even use the LiveTrack feature to broadcast their location to family and friends and let them know they’ll be the first to find a new geocache.
In addition to Geocaching Live, the Oregon 700 series have a variety of new connected features. These are the first GPS handhelds to be compatible with the Garmin Connect IQ platform, which was previously only available for Garmin wearables. With Connect IQ, Oregon 700 series users can customise their device with more data fields[4]. Users can also pair their handhelds with their compatible smartphone[5] for call, text and email notifications right on the device, as well as wireless software downloads and automatic data uploads to the Garmin Connect™ online community.
Featuring a three-inch sunlight readable touchscreen display with dual orientation capabilities, these devices have a rugged design with an IPX7 water rating5 to withstand the elements. These units also have a unique dual battery system, which is compatible with either AA batteries or an optional NiMH internal rechargeable battery pack. The new handhelds can get up to 16 hours of battery life using either option.
The Oregon 700 series units are available now for purchase. The Oregon 700 will have a Recommended Retail Price of AU$599; the Oregon 750t will have a Recommended Retail Price of AU$699.