Garmin’s Lily smartwatch has some neat tech onboard but feels stuck in the past

Garmin doesn’t make a watch called Ian or Gary, but it does now have one called Lily (from £179.99) – and that means it’s aimed at women. Let’s look at some of the other clues. It’s smaller, with a 34mm case and 14mm band, because it’s a well-known fact all men are over 6 foot tall and have wrists like lamp-posts. It can do menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking, which Garmin’s notoriously feminine Darth Vader watch also supports, and it comes in a range of colours called things like Cream Gold and Midnight Orchid. There’s no denying Garmin’s range can sometimes be a little utilitarian, but considering the Lily measures your respiration, heart rate, Pulse Ox, stress and sleep; tracks walks, runs, rides and various other activities; and delivers notifications from your phone to your wrist, just like any other smartwatch it makes, it could be considered a little outdated to target it in this way. We’ve got no problem with assumed feminine finishes, but why not offer the Lily in colours all the others come in too, you know, like Shed Brown or Carburettor Grey?