Garmin’s new D2 Air X10 adds voice controls for $550

By Michael Allison Updated April 21, 2022

Garmin today introduced a new smartwatch aimed at pilots and people who love flying. With the Garmin D2 Air X10, a successor to the older D2 Air, the company has built a typical smartwatch experience with a discrete aviation mode that builds in features that pilots would find necessary as well as added a little extra on the top.

The Garmin D2 Air X10 has one major upgrade over the previous D2 Air model — the inclusion of voice functionality. Allowing pilots to keep their hands free while on the go, the D2 Air X10 can now be used in tandem with your phone’s digital assistant, (Siri or Google Assistant depending on whether you use iOS or Android) to dictate texts and ask the typical queries you’d want to know as an air enthusiast. With a starting price of $550, it’s probably worth considering if the existing Garmin D2 Air is a better fit with its $500 price point.

Garmin's new Air X10 watch in multiple colors. — Garmin

“The D2 series has quickly proven itself to be the choice for pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike who need a purpose-built smartwatch that’s as functional in the air as it is on the ground,” Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing said in a release. “Not only does the D2 Air X10 offer built-in aviation tools for every phase of flight, it’s the first aviator smartwatch with convenient on-device calling and voice assistant features to keep up with your life on the go.”

Even if you’re not going to be summoning Siri or Google Assistant on your wrist, the Garmin D2 Air X10 has all the basics you’ll expect from all of Garmin’s best smartwatches. This means a long battery life rated up to seven days of passive use, a Gorilla Glass 3 display with an always-on option, built-in music apps with support for up to 650 songs from Amazon Music, Deezer, and Spotify, contactless payments powered by Garmin Pay, and so on. More specifically to its Air line, the D2 Air X10 comes with features for tracking your flight before take-off, during flight, and after landing. The watch will also automatically log your fights, with seamless transfer to Garmin’s Pilot app for pilots, flyGarmin, for aviation enthusiasts.

The Garmin D2 Air X10 is now available for purchase directly from Garmin in ivory or black color options.

Topics

Michael Allison

Mobile News Writer

A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…

Mobile

I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps

The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Mobile

The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far

Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Mobile

Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look

Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.