Touch screen

Well, also heard horror stories concerning touch screens so I am pretty happy it's not on the 935 (haven't had a touchscreen sportswatch myself btw, just repeating what I heard).

Things like ghost presses, especially issues in rain and stuff...

Well, I'm also coming from a 630 and I'm happy that the 935 doesn't have a touchscreen. Altough I'd not even say something against it if and only if I could disable the touchscreen while activities and still having full control of the watch via buttons.

The touchscreen was nice while checking/changing settings at home but I never found it useful within runs (esp. when it was raining cats and dogs). It just gave me too many "oh fu**k" moments when it accidently did stuff like stopping a run that I just paused.

I don't miss the touchscreen at all...much more legible without a touchscreen.

I owned a 630 and I have a 935.

The touch screen of the 630 sounded amazing in theory but in practice there were so many issues.
- ghost presses in the rain
- hard to use with gloves (supposedly normal gloves would work, but that was hit or miss; sometimes they would work 20 minutes into a run, when they were damp enough with sweat, I guess). "touchscreen gloves" worked much better even though they supposedly weren't necessary.
- very laggy response (e.g. switching screens in Run activity or dwmap). This may be due to a slow CPU and not the touchscreen per se, but it really limited the usefulness. If I had four screens on a long run "workout", I could forget about looking at the third or fourth one because it would be impossible to swipe 2-3 times with accuracy while running hard.

That being said, the touch screen does open up possibilities, such as having interactive data fields that accept touch input and a music control screen on your run activity where you can just tap the controls instead of multiple button presses just to do one thing (long press MENU, scroll to your button, press select).

What would've been great is if the touchscreen were optional (so the watch still had five buttons and everything was doable without touch), and if you could disable it. And if it were responsive, and worked properly during winter and in the rain.

I'm sure the responsiveness would be less of an issue with the 935's processor, but everything else seems to be a complaint with most Garmin touchscreen watches.

The only time I found touchscreen an advantage was for quickly changing data screens on a run but it is hardly difficult to do so on the 935 with just the buttons.

The only time I found touchscreen an advantage was for quickly changing data screens On a run but it is hardly difficult to do so on the 935 with just the buttons.

You could always set it to auto scroll (slow to fast). As for the touchscreen, had they included this on any of their watches, I wouldn't be here right now. From the screen being a smudgy mess to the eventual scratches (the 935 is not sapphire glass) to the constant accidental screen changes (which can include setting an activity by accident like, say, the run function that starts looking for GPS and burn battery unnecessarily) to poor usage in rain (or sweat), there is no good reason to include it in my opinion. Even offering to lock the touch out (user option) wouldn't sway me.

Also, the soft buttons (going on 4th month and have yet to feel a soft button) do not equate to "not-functioning" buttons. The satisfying click that disappears with use doesn't mean the buttons aren't working anymore. Things like this are aesthetic touches for user comfort (physical and psychological). Microsoft, for example did this with their surface tablet and the kickstand click. It didn't add anything, just gave the user a warm feeling to hear it "Click" when employed.

The day ANY company creates a touchscreen that doesn't leave behind fingerprints, functions under moist setting properly and can recognize when a finger is on it vs, randomly hitting something that makes it function will be the day i'm on-board with touch screens, until then; it's a dealbreaker for me on a sportwatch.

Before my 935 I had a Nike Edition Apple Watch which also had a touchscreen. The touchscreen was one of the main reasons for getting rid of it! As others have said, ghost presses in the rain and even simple interactions such as stopping a workout with damp fingers was a real faff some days. So without some big improvements to the technology, on a smart watch that is aimed at fitness and exercise, touch screens get a big thumbs down from me

I wouldn't have bought this watch if it had a touch screen. Totally agree with all the criticisms. I had an Apple WAtch, and got rid of it because the touch screen was just killing my runs and doing goofy things all the time. I never had a 600 series Garmin either.

Thanks for everyone's feedback! I guess I am the only one likes touch screen. :-) Kidding of joking here; from reading your feedback above, I think I don't hate touch screen is that I hate running in the rain (when it rains, I switch to indoor track). Therefore, I've never experience the major bad experience/issue of touchscreen in the rain.

I like my new 935 more and more as I continue exploring it. I hope I will get used to the buttons and grow to like it shortly.

My last touchscreen Garmin was the 610 which I used for running only. Forget rain, a good sweat would give the watch a fit. Also take into account the 935 is made to be used for swimming. I'm sure touchscreen on a sport watch can be done well, but all I need is a bunch of phantom presses during the swim portion of a triathlon.

FYI I've had some of my best runs in the rain and snow. You're missing out IMO.