One of Garmin’s notable new products for 2026 is the new Garmin Xero C2 chronograph. The company showcased its next-generation design right before SHOT 2026 started, and I saw it at Beretta’s customary pre-show range event. Of course, that day, I was expecting to see new handguns and shotguns. And I sure did, but I wasn’t expecting running into Garmin’s staff, which had a brand-new chronograph to show off. You’ll recall that the original Garmin Xero C1 launched at the end of 2023, which wasn’t too long ago.
Before shifting the discussion to the new Garmin Xero C2, it’s important to summarize its predecessor, the Xero C1, because doing so adds more context to the arrival of the new unit.
I’ve written this before and I’ll repeat here again: I’m of the opinion that the original Garmin Xero C1 chronograph continues to be among the most exciting product launches to have happened in the industry in the recent past.
I’ve used words like “game-changer” to describe it. Normally, that’s an adjective I like to avoid, as it’s quite overused (especially in this outdoor/gunwriting space). It’s so overused that reading it in an article just feels like lazy writing. However, in the case of the Garmin Xero C1, it was absolutely the right word.
When Garmin introduced the original Xero C1, that chronograph (a mini doppler radar, essentially) worked better and faster compared to any other consumer-grade chronograph on the market. It objectively dethroned the Labradar, which was what serious shooters had been using for more than a decade.
What The Garmin Xero C1 Brought To The Table
For starters, the Xero C1 was physically smaller than its competitors, which made it quite convenient to bring to the range. It was also extremely easy to set up and actually use. On the bench, the Xero C1 didn’t take up much space at all. It wasn’t finicky in trying to pick up extremely subsonic projectiles or blistering fast magnum rifle shots.
Its small size also meant it was easy to bring to any tactical rifle or precision course and deploy to help gather muzzle velocity data to factor into a DOPE card right there on the firing line.
Garmin also developed an app that made data-gathering extremely convenient. Not only was it physically easier to use and deploy the Xero C1, but so was harvesting all the relevant information from it.
I thought that the “cherry on top” was that the Xero C1 could be easily recharged like a cellphone while also having a very reasonable battery life. In summary, when the Xero C1 hit the scene, no other consumer grade chronograph could touch it. Pardon me for once more using another hype-phrase, but I do think the Xero C1 was responsible for a paradigm shift in consumer chronographs.
Enter The Garmin Xero C2
The portability, convenience, ease of use, the well-designed app and all other general features associated with the original Xero C1 apply to the new Xero C2. The original Xero C1’s form and function attributes still very much. And readers might have noticed that the price difference between the two models is $200. So what are the practical differences between the original unit and the latest one?
Compared to the Xero C1, the Xero C2 is built with upgraded hardware that provides it with more processing power, which means that the C2 doesn’t have to “think” as much in between shots being recorded. The C2’s external housing is also better ruggedized to support side or on-board mounting to a rifle’s handguard or accessory rail.
One of the challenges with the C1 (and all other chronographs) is that they take a bit of time in between shots to map out velocities. Sometimes when shooting rounds with a semi-automatic pistol or rifle, it’s easy to shoot more quickly than the device’s processor can capture the subsequent shots. Unfortunately this happens to the best of us, even when being careful. So it’s nice that the C2 can “catch” these shots.
However, don’t expect it to catch all the rounds fired aggressively, like from a blazing-hot Bill Drill either. (This was something I deliberately tried just to see what would happen). Garmin warns you that its ability to detect shots also depends on caliber and velocity. But after trying it myself with several different handguns and one revolver, this upgrade does work reasonably well and is notably different from the manner in which the Xero C1 recorded shots.
On The Software Side
In addition to processing capacity, the software, programming and UX aspects of the C2 also received updates. For example, while the C1 did connect to phones via Bluetooth to work with the Garmin Shotview app, the C2 also integrates with Garmin’s tactical smartwatches that are Applied Ballistics-friendly.
Note On the Shotview App: I’ve been a Garmin Xero power user for two years now, given my involvement in gun reviews. The Shotview App has undergone some upgrades, but the same app supports both the C1 and C2. Users can just toggle which unit they want the app to connect with. I also noticed that the main “sessions” screens displays information from both the C1 and C2.
The C2 comes with some new features that weren’t present on the original model including “decimal precision,” “downrange mode” and “data layout” settings.
Saved Sessions
My favorite software feature, perhaps as important or more than the quicker shot-processing, is the Xero C2’s “Saved Sessions” feature. It allows the end-user to record a session, end it and then later resume it. The gist is that an end-user can be recording some data with one type of ammunition, end the session and later resume that session with the same type of ammunition.
This brings a level of convenience to those who specifically need large sample sizes for statistical accuracy in load development and may not have time to do it all in one take or need to give ample time for the barrel to cool in between strings, etc.
In my case, it’s because it makes chronographing and reviewing multiple rifles simultaneously a little easier.
It used to be that if I were reviewing a hunting rifle, I’d shoot a group or two and leave the “meter running” on the chronograph while waiting for the barrel to cool down again. This was tedious but necessary. With Saved Sessions, I can shoot, capture the data and pause the session while the barrel cools. This affords me time to capture muzzle data for a different rifle while the first one cools and so on. It just makes life a little easier.
The $200 Difference
I am happy that Garmin has doubled-down and proactively launched a new and improved version of its original "gam-changer." But it also doesn’t mean that the Xero C1 is now old news. The improved processing ability and feature set are nice to have features, but it doesn’t make the C1 obsolete either.
For those who are price sensitive, it would boil down to determining whether the extra features justify the price increase. Or better yet, anyone on a budget in need of a chronograph like this one ought to be taking advantage of those selling their Xero C1s in favor of the newer models.
