Is the 235 really that bad?

Change the data fields on the Heart Rate data screen for each activity profile, if you're of a mind to do so at all. You'll lose the option to do so after updating the firmware to version 4.30 or later. Perhaps you'd want to change one of the two data fields on that data screen to the newly available Strava Suffer Score (Connect‑IQ) data field, and their other data field to Lap‑HR. Some FR235 users have been whinging about the loss of the undocumented feature to which no user has a rightful claim.

Could you possibly elaborate on this a little more?

That's why I'm hesitant to upgrade - don't fully understand all the watch has to offer yet and am afraid I'll upgrade with no shot to downgrade and miss something along the way.

That being said - Put the watch on fully charged yesterday at 3pm. All default settings, tracked about 40 mins of activity, had smart notifications come through sporadically throughout the night, didn't download any Connect IQ apps...i look at the battery this morning and it's well below half. As i said above - the watch shipped on 3.30 - could the poor battery life just be due to the old firmware? i thought i read somewhere that with all day HR tracking, about an hour a day of activity and smart notifications on - i could expect several days of battery life? don't mean to be 'that guy' - just curious is all and trying to get a feel for what my expectations should be for this thing.

thanks for all of the info, by the way - very helpful.

Could you possibly elaborate on this a little more?

There are five basic data screens for the factory-installed Run, Run Indoor, Bike, and Bike Indoor activity profiles (or, some would say, ‘apps’) on the FR235, namely:

[TABLE="class:all"]
[TR]
[TH]Name[/TH]
[TH]Place in data
screen cycle[/TH]
[TH]Number of
data fields[/TH]
[TH]User-selectable
data fields[/TH]
[/TR][TR]
[TD="align:center"]Screen 1[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]Mandatory[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]Between 1 and 4[sup]†[/sup][/TD]
[TD="align:center"]All[sup]†[/sup][/TD]
[/TR][TR]
[TD="align:center"]Screen 2[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]Optional[sup]†[/sup][/TD]
[TD="align:center"]Between 1 and 4[sup]†[/sup][/TD]
[TD="align:center"]All[sup]†[/sup][/TD]
[/TR][TR]
[TD="align:center"]Heart Rate[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]Optional[sup]†[/sup]
but only available
when HR is monitored[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]2[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]None[sup]‡[/sup][/TD]
[/TR][TR]
[TD="align:center"]HR Zone[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]Optional[sup]†[/sup]
but only available
when HR is monitored[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]1[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]None[/TD]
[/TR][TR]
[TD="align:center"]Clock[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]Optional[sup]†[/sup][/TD]
[TD="align:center"]1[/TD]
[TD="align:center"]None[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[sup]†[/sup] By user-accessible option expressly provided in the navigable Menu tree.
[sup]‡[/sup] Prior to firmware v4.20, it was possible to select the data fields by using a shortcut that is an undocumented feature designed to apply to Screen‑1 and Screen‑2, but (seems to have been) inadvertently applied to the Heart Rate screen as well. Garmin has since rectified the oversight.

i thought i read somewhere that with all day HR tracking, about an hour a day of activity and smart notifications on - i could expect several days of battery life?

It's what the technical specifications published by Garmin on the FR235's product page state/imply. If a full charge will deliver monitoring and data recording for 11‑hours of (let's say, for the sake of simplicity, continuous) training, then each hour of training can be expected to consume ~9%. Alternatively, if a full charge will deliver nine days of “watch + activity tracking + notifications + heart rate” (without monitored training), then each day can be expected to consume ~11%. So, in your use case, the total battery power consumption would be ~20% per day including an hour of monitored training activity.

Some earlier versions of firmware and the WHR module reportedly failed to deliver battery life in that ball park.


There is some ">‑IQ that is only available in firmware v4.30">suggestion that the new Strava Suffer Score data field requires a version of Connect‑IQ that is only available in firmware v4.30, so my earlier suggestion may not work. All the same, if you're of a mind to do so, you should select a couple of HR-related fields for the Heart Rate data screen (which needs to be customised separately for each activity profile) before the option disappears (after upgrading the firmware).

I would also wouldn't recommend buying either the 235 or the 630. I would say that the best products of the Forerunner line at the moment are the 230 and the 735XT but that's my own opinion.

Changed my opinion...love it!

I edited my previous message in this thread this morning but am making a separate message to ensure the correction is noted. Turns out I had a problematic unit. Due to the weak vibration I had mentioned, I called customer service for a replacement which came yesterday. This new unit has beautiful vibration strength and much improved 24/7 HR, but also (2 things I hadn't realized were not up to par on my 1st unit) louder key press sounds and easier syncing with the app. So, I only have love for the 235 now and would heartily recommend it without reservation.