Garmin Vivomove HR: essential info
You no longer need to compromise fashion for function. Vivomove HR is a hybrid smartwatch with activity tracking, wrist-based heart rate, notifications and a touchscreen display. This is one of three new devices Garmin announced last week in its Vivo series.
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Garmin is hoping Vivomove HR will appeal to those that like traditional looking timepieces, but don’t want to miss out on the latest high tech on offer. CSS Insight projects a large proportion of future wearables growth to be driven by a rise in smart analogue watches.
“When we first introduced the Vívomove last year, it was geared towards customers who wanted a beautiful timepiece first and activity tracking functions second,” said Andrew Silver, Garmin EMEA product manager.
“With the new Vívomove HR, not only is the design as elegant as ever, the wearable technology is cutting edge. We’re the first on the market to offer a hybrid smartwatch with both wrist-based heart rate and a digital touchscreen display. And you get all of that without losing the classic, timeless look of an analog watch.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the Vivomove HR.
Design
Garmin’s first generation Vivomove is a smart looking hybrid designed with simplicity in mind and the second generation timepiece looks to be no different. The stylish watch has a circular body, no digital crown and swappable bands.
We popped along to Garmin’s stand at IFA and were very impressed with the exquisite design and delicate work that must have gone into building such a device. This is something a fashion brand, such as Fossil, would be extremely proud of.
The original Vivomove features two bars on the screen that allow you to view you step progress and inactivity at a glance. The second generation device goes a step further by actually adding a 9.6 mm x 19.2 mm OLED display to the face of the watch.
When the display is off, there is no way of telling that there is anything different about the device, tap firmly towards the bottom and it magically appears. It also appears when you quickly turn your wrist. The watch hands even dynamically move out of the way when you swipe through your messages, heart rate and more.
Vivomove HR measures 43 x 43 x 11.6 mm. It comes in two sizes, one to fit small/medium wrists with a circumference of 122-188 mm, and another for large wrists with a circumference of 148-215 mm. There are two designs to choose from, the Sport with a silicone strap and the more upscale Premium with leather straps and a full steel body. Both are lightweight, with the first coming in at 40.8 grams and the second at 56.5 grams.
Battery life is fairly decent. The swim rated device will keep going up to 5 days in smartwatch mode and up to 2 weeks in normal mode. There is also built in memory which is good for 7 timed activities and up to 14 days of activity tracking data.
Functionality
This is a pretty feature packed device. Typically, hybrid watches try and keep things simple and only dish out the basics in terms of activity tracking, but Vivomove HR is different.
As the name implies, the device throws heart rate tracking into the mix. So far the only hybrid timepiece to track heart rate is Nokia Steel HR. In addition to the optical heart rate sensor, under the hood you will find an accelerometer, barometric altimeter and ambient light sensor.
In terms of fitness tracking, you will get info on steps, sleep (total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep), distance, calories, floors climbed, heart rate and intensity minutes. Your fitness data is automatically uploaded to the accompanying Garmin Connect app.
The heart rate sensor will keep tabs on your resting heart rate, perhaps the most important indicator of your health and fitness. You can also use it to monitor which zone you are in when you heart rate zone train. There is also Garmin Move IQ which can recognize and log movements for certain activities such as walking, running or cycling, and inactivity reminders.
In addition to this, you’ll find some more advanced features such as VO2 max and fitness age. In case you are aspiring towards a more tranquil existence, Vivomove HR lets you know whether you are having a calm, balanced or hectic day. You can then use the relaxation timer to work through deep breathing exercises, and lower your stress.
Finally the watch will also alert you to incoming emails, texts and calls based on your setup preferences, and you can send quick replies via the touchscreen. You can even control your music from the device and subscribe to social media updates.
Price and availability
With the Vivomove HR, Garmin may have raised the bar when it comes to hybrid timepieces. A beautiful looking device, that offers quite comprehensive fitness tracking and smartwatch features.
As mentioned, there are two versions to choose from, the Vivomove HR Sport and the fancier Vivomove HR Premium. Both will be available in Q4 2017.
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