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Garmin was established in 1989 by electrical engineers Gary Burrell and Min H. Kao. The company name is a portmanteau derived from the first names of its founders:

• Gary Burrell
• Min Kao

Their vision was to bring GPS technology—which had previously been largely restricted to military and government applications—to everyday consumers. Garmin released its first commercial GPS receiver in 1991, initially serving the aviation market before expanding into automotive navigation and, subsequently, consumer wearables.1

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Garmin became a dominant manufacturer of portable GPS navigation devices for automobiles. As smartphones with built-in navigation became widespread, the company shifted its strategic focus towards wearable technology, fitness, aviation, marine systems and outdoor navigation, sectors in which it remains a market leader.2

Garmin’s stated mission is:

“To be an enduring company by creating superior products for automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor and sports that are an essential part of our customers’ lives.”

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The company aims to:

Become the global leader in every market it serves by offering products known for superior quality, innovation, and value.

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Garmin operates across five primary business divisions.

Fitness

This is the company’s most recognised category, comprising smartwatches and fitness trackers designed for running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, gym training and health monitoring. Popular product families include Forerunner, Venu, vívoactive, Lily, Instinct, Fenix and Enduro.

Outdoor Recreation

Products in this segment are designed for hiking, camping, mountaineering, hunting and exploration. The range includes rugged GPS watches, handheld GPS navigators, satellite communicators and dog tracking systems.

Aviation

Garmin is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of avionics. Its product portfolio includes flight displays, GPS navigation systems, radar, autopilot systems, engine monitoring and cockpit management systems. Garmin avionics are installed in thousands of commercial and private aircraft globally.

Marine

The company manufactures marine electronics such as fish finders, sonar systems, chartplotters, marine radar, boat autopilot systems and marine communication equipment. These products are widely used by both recreational boaters and commercial vessels.

Automotive & OEM

Garmin continues to produce navigation and fleet-management technologies, including GPS navigation devices, dash cameras, fleet management systems and OEM navigation solutions for automakers.2

Garmin manufactures a broad range of devices, including:

• GPS smartwatches
• Fitness trackers
• Cycling computers
• Running watches
• Dive computers
• Golf GPS devices
• Marine chartplotters
• Fish finders
• Aviation avionics
• Automotive GPS units
• Satellite communicators
• Handheld GPS navigators
• Action cameras (historically)
• Dog tracking collars

Fenix

A premium multisport GPS watch aimed at outdoor enthusiasts and endurance athletes. Features include GPS navigation, offline maps, solar charging on selected models, long battery life, advanced training metrics and tools for hiking and mountaineering.

Forerunner

Designed primarily for runners, this series offers pace analysis, VO₂ Max estimation, recovery time tracking, training readiness scores, race predictions and music storage on selected models.

Instinct

Built for durability, the Instinct line features a military-inspired rugged design, water resistance, GPS, compass functionality and solar charging options.

Venu

A lifestyle smartwatch featuring an AMOLED display, comprehensive health monitoring, music storage, contactless payments and smartphone notifications.

vívoactive

A fitness-focused smartwatch that balances sports tracking capabilities with everyday usability.

Enduro

Optimised for ultra-endurance athletes, offering exceptional battery life for extended activities.

Lily

A compact smartwatch designed with a fashion-forward aesthetic whilst retaining core health and fitness features.

Modern Garmin wearables commonly include heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, blood oxygen (Pulse Ox) sensing, sleep monitoring, stress tracking, Body Battery™ energy estimation, VO₂ Max, Training Status, Training Readiness, Recovery Time, HRV (Heart Rate Variability), menstrual and pregnancy tracking, ECG functionality on supported models and regions, incident detection and safety tracking. Feature availability varies by model.2

Garmin devices synchronise with Garmin Connect, the company’s companion platform. This ecosystem allows users to track workouts, analyse fitness progress, create training plans, sync routes, monitor sleep, share activities, connect with coaches and join communities. Garmin also offers an optional premium tier, Garmin Connect+, whilst continuing to keep existing Garmin Connect features and user data available at no cost.3

Garmin products integrate numerous technologies, including multi-band GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, SatIQ™, solar charging, AMOLED displays, MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) displays, Pulse Ox sensors, Garmin Pay, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+, LTE on selected models and InReach® satellite communication.

Garmin is recognised for excellent battery life, accurate GPS tracking, advanced sports metrics, rugged hardware, offline mapping, reliable navigation, strong aviation and marine expertise, and a broad product ecosystem.

Garmin competes with companies including Apple, Samsung, Polar, Suunto, Coros, Fitbit (Google) and Amazfit. Competition varies significantly by product category, ranging from consumer wearables to specialised aviation and marine electronics.

Garmin follows a vertically integrated business model, designing, manufacturing, distributing and supporting many of its products in-house. The company emphasises long-term investment in research and development, manufacturing facilities and its workforce.2

Garmin sells products in over 100 countries and maintains offices, manufacturing facilities and support centres across North America, Europe, Asia and other regions. Its technologies are used by millions of consumers as well as professionals in the aviation, marine, fitness and outdoor industries.2

Garmin played a significant role in popularising consumer GPS technology during the 1990s and later became a leading innovator in sports wearables. The company introduced the Forerunner series in 2003, widely recognised as the first GPS-enabled running watch, helping to establish the modern market for GPS sports watches.4

1. About us | Garmin
2. About Garmin
3. Archiving the video and newsroom post here, before they inevitably break their promise. Don’t become the boiling frog
4. Garmin Celebrates 20 Years of the Forerunner, The World’s First GPS Smartwatch | Press Release | Garmin Philippines