The China launch is scheduled for 7 PM local time alongside the Find X10 series, and OPPO itself is already showing the Watch S2 in its event material. More importantly, several Chinese publications have now spent enough time with the watch to give us a pretty complete picture of what is coming.

It looks familiar, but gets even lighter

OPPO has not messed around much with the basic formula. The Watch S2 sticks with the circular design of the original OPPO Watch S, including the crown and secondary button on the right side of the case.

Thickness remains at just 8.9mm, while weight has dropped slightly from around 35g to 34.4g without the strap. There are three colours this time around, Mountain Shadow Grey, Vibrant Orange and Misty Pink, along with a new segmented sports strap designed to flex more easily around the wrist.

Up front is a 1.46-inch AMOLED display with a 464 x 464 resolution and 317 PPI. Typical brightness is quoted at 600 nits, rising to 1,500 nits outdoors and as high as 3,000 nits in supported workout modes. The watch also carries 5ATM water resistance and supports wet-touch operation.

So visually this is very much Watch S territory. The bigger changes are happening underneath.

FatMax is the big new feature

The main addition is something OPPO calls FatMax. Rather than simply showing calories burned or placing users into generic heart rate zones, the system attempts to identify the intensity at which an individual is oxidising fat at the highest rate.

The calculation uses personal information such as height, weight, age, sex and existing exercise data to establish a target heart rate range. OPPO says the estimate becomes more personalised as the watch gathers more data over time. During a workout, it can provide visual, vibration and audio guidance to help keep the user within that range.

The clever bit is how OPPO presents the result. The Watch S2 estimates fat burned in grams during the session and provides a post-workout FatMax analysis rather than simply showing total energy expenditure. More than 16 workout types are said to support the feature, including running, cycling and treadmill incline sessions.

There is also a dedicated incline treadmill mode that records gradient, distance and accumulated climbing. Workout information can be mirrored to a phone or tablet, which means heart rate and other metrics can remain visible without repeatedly checking the wrist.

Strength training has received attention too. The watch can reportedly recognise more than 65 strength exercises, count repetitions automatically and provide rest reminders. Afterwards, it can generate training-volume information and a muscle activation heatmap.

Health tracking goes beyond the basics

The sensor package includes ECG, optical heart rate, SpO2 and wrist temperature monitoring. OPPO claims its updated optical sensor provides 75% better resistance to interference and quotes 98.8% heart rate accuracy during exercise, although those are company figures rather than independent testing.

ECG readings take around 30 seconds using the large electrode built into the side button. Chinese pre-release material says the software can identify sinus rhythm and flag possible atrial fibrillation, while sleep tracking includes sleep apnea risk assessment.

There is also a 60-second health check that brings several measurements together and provides longer-term trend information. Both the ECG software and sleep apnea risk assessment are reported to have Chinese Class II medical device registrations.

Another addition is workout readiness. The AI exercise coach can use sleep, HRV and recent training load to assess the user’s current state and suggest appropriate exercise. That puts the Watch S2 closer to the recovery and readiness features that are becoming standard across higher-end sports watches.

It is worth noting that OPPO has not carried over every health experiment from its premium watches. The company’s Watch X3 sits much higher up the range, while the Watch S2 appears more focused on fitness, everyday health monitoring and keeping the hardware thin.

Dual-band GPS and two phones at once

Sports tracking covers more than 100 modes, with dual-frequency L1+L5 satellite positioning onboard. That part is not actually new for the S series, but keeping dual-band positioning in such a slim watch is still worth noting.

The more unusual feature is dual-phone connectivity. Watch S2 can reportedly remain paired with two phones simultaneously, including Android plus Android and Android plus iPhone combinations. Notifications, incoming calls and messages from the secondary device can then appear on the watch as well.

OPPO has also expanded its remote camera controls. Users can preview the phone camera on the watch, adjust zoom, trigger a timer and take photos remotely. A pinch gesture can be used as the shutter, with pre-release material quoting control distances of up to 10 metres outdoors and five metres indoors.

Fluid Cloud 3.0 handles glanceable information from more than 40 supported app scenarios, including food deliveries, transport, navigation, tickets and sports scores. As with several of the smarter Watch S2 features, much of this functionality is designed around OPPO’s Chinese software ecosystem.

As far as Battery capacity, this comes in is 330mAh. OPPO rates the Watch S2 for around seven days under normal use, up to 10 days in lighter usage and roughly four days with the always-on display enabled. A full charge takes about 90 minutes.

Price, release date

The main missing piece now is price. OPPO will formally unveil the Watch S2 in China on September 22, but given how much information is already circulating, there may not be many hardware surprises left for the stage. We are also yet to learn when/if the device will be coming to international markets.

Sources: Oppo, Sohu, ZOL.

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Up to now, the lack of any regulatory trail made it look like Samsung had simply skipped the Classic this generation. This filing suggests there may be a bit more to it.

The Watch9 Classic is named directly

The declaration was registered on August 14, around three weeks after Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2. And it has gone unnoticed.

It lists a long series of Samsung watches, including the Galaxy Watch FE, Watch7, Watch8 and Watch8 Classic. At the end of the list are three 2026 products: Samsung Galaxy Watch9, Samsung Galaxy Watch9 Classic and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

Samsung launched the Watch9 and Ultra2 on July 22. The Watch9 Classic did not appear at the event and is still absent from Samsung’s current smartwatch lineup.

That is what makes the filing unusual. This is not a codename that needs interpreting. The declaration uses the Galaxy Watch9 Classic name directly.

We had been watching for the model before launch. In our earlier Galaxy Watch9 coverage, software references suggested Samsung had been working on another Classic model. But regulatory filings were only appearing for the Watch9 and Ultra2.

When Samsung then launched those two watches without a Classic, it looked as though the model had either been cancelled or pushed back. End of story? Maybe not.

The Classic gap is still there

The Russian declaration does not include a specific Samsung model number for the Watch9 Classic. Older devices in the same document are more precise.

The Galaxy Watch8 Classic, for example, appears with its SM-L500 and SM-L505 model numbers. The Watch9, Watch9 Classic and Ultra2 are listed only by product name.

Still, we would not dismiss the filing. We have been following Garmin devices through the same Russian regulator, and several models we spotted there ahead of their official announcements went on to launch shortly afterwards. That does not mean the same will happen with the Watch9 Classic, but it gives these records more weight.

The timing is also notable. The filing arrived after Samsung had already announced its 2026 lineup, rather than months beforehand.

The company currently has the regular Watch9 and the more rugged Ultra2, but neither offers the physical rotating bezel that defines the Classic line. Anyone who wants that design still has to look at the previous-generation Watch8 Classic.

For now, the filing tells us only that the Galaxy Watch9 Classic name exists in regulatory paperwork. It does not tell us when Samsung plans to release it.

Source: RosAccreditation

The post Samsung Galaxy Watch9 Classic appears in filing appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The good news is that there is a workaround while Garmin investigates. Choose Resume first, then stop and save the workout from the activity-recording screen, even if resuming something you have already finished feels completely backwards.

How CIRQA workouts are disappearing

The problem appears when an activity is started directly from CIRQA and Garmin Connect later displays a prompt with Resume and End options. End sounds like the obvious choice when the workout is over, but owners say the prompt closes and the recording never appears in Garmin Connect.

Reports in Garmin’s support forum cover cycling, football and other activities. One owner says more than eight workouts disappeared before they realised this was not an ordinary syncing delay.

Garmin is investigating

Garmin has now passed the feedback to its internal team for further review and is contacting some affected owners for more information. The company has not formally called this a software bug or explained why the workout disappears. It has also not confirmed which versions of Garmin Connect or CIRQA firmware are affected. But all of this is under investigation currently.

For now, Garmin’s advice is to make sure both CIRQA and Garmin Connect are fully updated. When the app shows the “Activity in Progress” message, tap Resume, open the recording screen, then stop and save the activity from there before allowing the band to sync.

Firmware 3.20 does not appear to be the cause

The timing is worth clearing up because CIRQA recently received its large firmware 3.20 update. Owners started reporting disappearing activities before that release, so there is no evidence that version 3.20 caused the problem.

CIRQA is meant to collect fitness data quietly in the background, and losing the workout is about as bad as this type of device gets. Garmin has not given a timetable for a fix, so the odd-looking Resume route is the safest option until the company changes the workflow or confirms what is going wrong.

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The document in question is an EAEU Declaration of Conformity registered in Russia. It covers a long list of Garmin smartwatches, including existing products as well as several devices that had not been announced.

Tactix 9 is right there in the model list

Among them are Garmin tactix 9, Garmin tactix 9 Ballistics Edition and Garmin Enduro 4. There is no decoding of cryptic hardware numbers required here, those are the actual product names written into the declaration.

That July 23 declaration first mentioned these. It was later replaced, but the names did not disappear. Enduro 4, tactix 9 and tactix 9 Ballistics Edition remain in the newer August 31 paperwork as well, which makes a stray typo or temporary entry less likely.

Enduro 4 had already surfaced before. Our Garmin Connect 5.27 teardown found a connection between that device, Garmin internal product ID 5179 and the codename GOBI.

The tactix 9 is the fresher find. Garmin is still on the tactix 8 generation, which launched in early 2025, and we have not previously found a mention anywhere of tactix 9.

Seeing a Ballistics Edition listed separately also fits Garmin’s existing tactix setup. It does not tell us what the next watch will look like or what hardware will change, but it does suggest Garmin is already using both names in formal compliance paperwork.

The fēnix 9 gives this filing some credibility

The most useful part of the document may actually be a watch that has already launched. The July 23 declaration listed the fēnix 9 family, including several AMOLED, Solar and Pro variants, more than a month before Garmin officially unveiled the range on August 25.

In hindsight, those were real future products sitting in the same model list. That does not mean tactix 9 or Enduro 4 is about to launch next week, but it makes the unreleased names harder to dismiss as generic placeholders.

There is also an important limitation here. This is not a device-specific FCC-style filing, so there are no photos, radio details, dimensions or useful Garmin hardware IDs attached to tactix 9 or Enduro 4.

It is better viewed as confirmation that Garmin has these product names in its compliance system. It is the first time we see these devices mentioned by name by a regulator. As for the timing and hardware, those are still question marks.

Source: RosAccreditation

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And this has moved well beyond one random leak. We first uncovered the Race 3 family back in July, after unpublished text from Suunto’s own website appeared in Google results. Since then, two mystery Suunto watches have been travelling through regulators around the world.

Two Race 3 watches are coming

The July leak gave us the basic shape of the new range. Suunto’s indexed material referred to both the Race 3 and Race 3 S, apparently bringing the company’s large and small Race watches back under the same generation.

The Race 3 S packs a 1.32-inch AMOLED display, dual-band GPS and sapphire crysta. That screen size matches the current Race S, but sapphire glass would be a useful change because the standard Race S uses mineral glass.

The larger Race 3 is expected to keep the 1.5-inch AMOLED display introduced on the current generation. In our Suunto Race 2 review, we found that screen to be one of the watch’s strongest upgrades, alongside improved heart-rate accuracy, solid GPS performance and excellent battery life. That gives Suunto a pretty strong base to work from, so the more interesting question is what Race 3 adds beyond another round of hardware refinement.

The Race 3 generation looks tied to a much broader version of Suunto AI Coach. Leaked Suunto material points to conversational coaching, generated workouts and route suggestions that can sync directly to the watch.

The same material says Race 3 buyers would get three months of AI Coach included, with a paid plan planned for 2027. Suunto has not confirmed pricing or exactly which features would sit behind the subscription, so that part remains one of the bigger unknowns around the launch.

There are still some big gaps. We have no confirmed dimensions, weight, processor, optical heart-rate sensor or battery figures for either watch. Suunto’s leaked text also did not reveal whether the larger Race 3 will use sapphire glass, although that would hardly be surprising given the current Race 2 already does.

OW265 and OW266 fit the picture

The regulatory trail has become much stronger since July. Two unidentified Suunto outdoor watches, OW265 and OW266, have now appeared across regulators in South Korea, Singapore, Russia, the UAE and Indonesia.

When will Suunto Race 3 and Race 3 S launch?

To top everything off, the Race 3 S is already showing up at retail.

The newest clue cuts out the model-number guessing altogether. European outdoor retailer Snowleader has published product pages that actually use the Suunto Race 3S name.

At least Titanium Black and Titanium Orchid listings remain indexed, each showing a price of €498.90. A third Titanium Feather colour has also appeared in the retailer’s catalogue.

There is still no confirmed launch date, though. The best clue remains Suunto’s own leaked wording saying the Race 3 S will be available first and that the larger Race 3 will follow later in 2026.

Given the amount of regulatory activity, an official launch is probably not far off. September or early October look very likely for 3s, followed shortly after by Race 3. Beyond that we are entering the holiday shopping period when traditionally there are few new device launches.

The post Suunto Race 3 and Race 3 S are coming and here is what we know appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

If you want more reliable heart rate data during exercise than you typically get from the wrist, there are two main ways to go: a chest strap or an optical armband. Chest straps remain the obvious choice if accuracy comes first, while armbands are easier to put on and generally more comfortable if you do not like having something wrapped around your chest.

Why use a dedicated heart rate monitor?

For everyday tracking, the heart rate sensor on a smartwatch is usually good enough. Things get a bit more demanding once you start using heart rate to control a workout, particularly during intervals, harder runs or sessions where you are trying to stay inside a specific training zone.

That is where a dedicated monitor still makes sense. Chest straps generally react more quickly when your heart rate rises or falls, while armbands can offer a nice middle ground if you want something more comfortable. If you use heart rate zones regularly, the cleaner data can make it easier to judge effort rather than relying entirely on pace or how you happen to feel that day.

Heart rate zones themselves are useful for different types of training. Easier zones are typically used for aerobic and endurance work, while the higher zones come into play during threshold sessions and harder intervals.

Chest strap vs armband vs wrist

The three approaches measure heart rate in slightly different ways. Most chest straps detect the electrical activity produced by the heart with electrodes sitting against the skin. It is essentially a simplified version of the principle used by an ECG, which is why chest straps tend to respond particularly well when intensity changes quickly.

Armbands usually use optical PPG sensing, much like a smartwatch. The difference is where the sensor sits. Moving it higher up the arm can reduce some of the movement and fit issues you get at the wrist, while also making the device much easier to wear than a chest strap for some people.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are the most convenient option because you are probably already wearing one. They shine light into the skin and analyse changes in blood flow to estimate your pulse. Modern sensors have become very good, particularly during steady exercise, but movement, fit, cold weather and rapid changes in effort can still cause problems.

That is why there is no single best format for everyone. A chest strap still makes the most sense if accuracy is the priority. An armband is a good compromise if comfort matters more, while a wrist sensor is easily the most convenient for everyday use.

How much more accurate is a chest strap?

There is plenty of research showing why chest straps became the reference point for exercise heart rate tracking. One Cleveland Clinic study compared several wrist-based monitors with a Polar H7 chest strap and a three-lead ECG while participants ran on a treadmill.

The chest strap produced the closest agreement with the ECG throughout the test. The Polar H7 recorded a correlation coefficient of 0.98, while the Apple Watch Series 3 came next at 0.96. The other wrist devices tested were lower at around 0.89.

The gap also tended to increase as running speed went up. At rest and during easier activity, the difference between wrist and chest measurements was much smaller. Once participants were working harder, the limitations of optical wrist sensing became more noticeable.

It is worth putting those results into context. The study used devices that are now several generations old, and wrist-based heart rate sensing has improved considerably since then. It also took place on a treadmill rather than outdoors, so it does not perfectly reproduce real-world running.

The broader point still holds, though. Wrist sensors can work very well during steady exercise, but chest straps remain the safer bet when you care about rapid changes in heart rate. That matters most for intervals, threshold work, racing and other sessions where a delayed or incorrect reading can throw off the entire workout.

Armbands sit somewhere between the two. They still rely on optical sensing, so they do not have the same inherent advantage as an electrical chest strap. But moving the sensor away from the wrist often gives it a cleaner signal, while keeping the setup more comfortable and easier to put on.

Best heart rate monitor chest straps

Polar H10

Polar H10

Buy on Amazon

Battery:

Up to 400 hours, replaceable CR2025

Heart rate technology:

Electrical chest sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Bluetooth LE, ANT+ and 5 kHz GymLink

Water resistance:

WR30

The Polar H10 has been around for a long time now, but there is a reason it is still one of the easiest chest straps to recommend. We reviewed the H10 back when it launched and found it comfortable, accurate and very reliable, and not much has changed on that front.

The soft fabric strap uses silicone dots to stop it moving around during exercise, while the sensor itself can connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. ANT+ and Polar’s 5 kHz GymLink transmission are also supported, so it works with a wide range of watches, cycling computers, gym equipment and training apps.

There is onboard memory as well, although it only stores one training session at a time. That is handy if you want to train without carrying your phone, and the H10 is also water resistant to 30 metres for swimming. With up to 400 hours from a replaceable CR2025 battery, charging is something you simply do not have to think about.

It is not the newest heart rate monitor in this guide, nor does it try to throw a long list of extra training metrics at you. What it does very well is deliver dependable heart rate data with excellent compatibility, which is why the H10 remains such a strong all-round choice.

Pros

+ Excellent heart rate accuracy

+ Comfortable, non-slip strap

+ Bluetooth, ANT+ and GymLink support

+ Very long battery life

Cons

− Internal memory limited to one training session

− Few extras compared with newer premium chest straps

Wahoo TRACKR HEART RATE

Wahoo TRACKR HEART RATE

Buy on Amazon

Battery:

Over 100 hours, rechargeable lithium-ion

Heart rate technology:

Electrical ECG chest sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

ANT+ and up to three simultaneous Bluetooth connections

Water resistance:

IPX7

Wahoo TRACKR HEART RATE replaces the old TICKR generation with a much simpler proposition. It is still a straightforward chest strap built around accurate heart rate tracking, but Wahoo has finally moved away from the replaceable coin cell and given it a rechargeable battery.

Battery life is rated at more than 100 active hours, so this is not something you should find yourself charging particularly often. The sensor uses electrical heart rate measurement and can also provide HRV data to compatible apps. There is ANT+ support as well as up to three simultaneous Bluetooth connections, which makes it particularly handy if you train with several devices at once.

Comfort is another area Wahoo has focused on. The strap is slim and soft, while the pod sits fairly flat against the chest. There are also LED indicators that let you quickly check battery and connection status before starting a workout, which is a small thing but genuinely useful when you are trying to get out of the door.

The trade-off is that TRACKR keeps things pretty basic. There is no onboard workout memory, no running dynamics and no attempt to turn it into an all-purpose training sensor. But if what you want is an accurate, rechargeable chest strap that can talk to several devices at the same time, that simplicity is part of the appeal.

Pros

+ Accurate ECG-based heart rate tracking

+ Rechargeable battery with over 100 hours of use

+ ANT+ and three simultaneous Bluetooth connections

+ Comfortable, low-profile strap

Cons

− No onboard workout memory

− No advanced running dynamics

− Not designed for recording swim heart rate

Myzone Switch 2.0

Myzone Switch 2.0

Buy from Amazon

Battery:

3 to 6 months between charges

Heart rate technology:

ECG on chest, optical PPG on arm or wrist

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 4.0 and ANT+

Water resistance:

Waterproof to 10 metres

Myzone Switch 2.0 takes one of the more unusual heart rate monitors around and gives it a fairly substantial refresh. The big idea has not changed. You can wear the same sensor on your chest, arm or wrist, which means you are not stuck with a chest strap every time you want to track a workout.

How it measures heart rate depends on where you put it. On the chest it uses an ECG sensor, with Myzone quoting 99.4% accuracy. Move it to the arm or wrist and it switches to optical PPG, where the company quotes 95%. That flexibility is the real reason to choose it over a conventional chest strap. You can use ECG for harder sessions where accuracy matters most, then move it to the arm or wrist when comfort is more important.

Switch 2.0 also improves quite a few things from the original MZ-Switch. The sensor has upgraded hardware, a larger LED display and redesigned straps, while battery life is now rated at between three and six months depending on use. There is also up to 36 hours of onboard workout storage, so you do not need to keep your phone nearby.

Connectivity is good too, with both Bluetooth and ANT+ for linking to gym equipment, cycling computers and compatible apps. It can also track swimming when worn on the wrist and is waterproof to 10 metres. The downside is that you are paying quite a bit more than you would for a straightforward chest strap, but few alternatives give you this much freedom over how and where you wear the sensor.

Pros

+ Can be worn on the chest, arm or wrist

+ ECG measurement when worn on the chest

+ Up to 36 hours of onboard workout storage

+ Bluetooth and ANT+ support

+ Much longer battery life than the original Switch

Cons

− More expensive than a conventional chest strap

− Optical accuracy is lower when worn on the arm or wrist

− Arm strap is sold separately

Garmin HRM 600

Garmin HRM 600

Buy from Garmin

Battery:

Up to 2 months at 1 hour per day, rechargeable

Heart rate technology:

Electrical ECG chest sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Bluetooth and ANT+

Water resistance:

5 ATM

Garmin HRM 600 is the one to look at if you already train with a Garmin watch and want more than basic heart rate data. It sits at the top of Garmin’s current heart rate monitor range, combining an ECG chest sensor with running dynamics, standalone workout recording and swimming support.

Pair it with a compatible Garmin watch and it can add metrics such as stride length, vertical oscillation, ground contact time balance and step speed loss. The latter also feeds into newer features such as Garmin’s Running Economy metric. It can also provide pace and distance during indoor track and treadmill sessions, which makes it quite a bit more useful than a chest strap that simply sends across your heart rate.

The HRM 600 can record an activity even when you are not wearing a watch and sync the session directly to Garmin Connect afterwards. That also comes in handy for swimming, where it can store heart rate data underwater and pass it back to a compatible Garmin watch once the session is finished.

Garmin has also switched to a rechargeable battery this time around. Battery life is rated at up to two months if you use it for around an hour per day, and the sensor module can be removed so the strap itself can go in the washing machine. It is one of the more capable chest straps here, but a lot of that extra capability makes the most sense if you are already firmly inside the Garmin ecosystem.

Pros

+ Accurate ECG-based heart rate and HRV tracking

+ Advanced running dynamics with compatible Garmin watches

+ Can record workouts without a watch

+ Good swimming support and 5 ATM water resistance

+ Rechargeable battery and machine-washable strap

Cons

− Expensive compared with simpler chest straps

− Many advanced features require a compatible Garmin watch

− Battery life is shorter than coin-cell chest straps

Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt 2

Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt 2

Buy from Suunto

Battery:

Up to around 460 hours, replaceable CR2032

Heart rate technology:

Electrical ECG chest sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.4, up to three simultaneous connections

Water resistance:

30 metres

Suunto Smart Heart Rate Belt 2 is a much bigger update than the name suggests. It still handles the basics you would expect from a chest strap, including accurate heart rate and beat-to-beat R-R data, but Suunto has also packed in motion sensors, onboard memory and support for several devices at once.

The six-axis motion sensor is the standout addition. Pair the belt with a compatible Suunto watch and it can measure running metrics including cadence, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, flight time and left-to-right ground contact balance. That puts it much closer to Garmin HRM 600 territory than the simpler chest straps in this guide.

It can also store up to 20 hours of heart rate and R-R data when your watch is out of Bluetooth range. That is useful for swimming, team sports and other workouts where wearing a watch is awkward or not practical. The R-R data is also important for Suunto ZoneSense, which uses beat-to-beat information to assess exercise intensity.

Battery life is another big strength. Suunto quotes around 460 hours from a replaceable CR2032 cell with power saving enabled and running-form tracking switched off. It can also maintain three Bluetooth connections at the same time, although there is no ANT+ support, which is worth keeping in mind if you have older gym equipment or cycling gear that relies on it.

Pros

+ Accurate heart rate and R-R interval tracking

+ Detailed running-form metrics with compatible Suunto watches

+ Up to 20 hours of onboard heart rate and R-R memory

+ Very long replaceable-battery life

+ Three simultaneous Bluetooth connections

Cons

− No ANT+ support

− Running-form features require a compatible Suunto watch

− Onboard memory features are mainly aimed at Suunto users

Frontier X2 and Frontier Zone

Frontier X2 and Frontier Zone

View on Frontier’s website

Battery:

Zone up to 30 days typical use; X2 around 14 days

Heart rate technology:

Continuous single-lead ECG chest sensor

GPS:

None, uses connected phone or watch

Connectivity:

Bluetooth, one phone plus two external devices

Water resistance:

IP67

Frontier X2 and Frontier Zone are quite different from the other chest straps in this guide. Heart rate is only part of what they do. Both continuously record a single-lead ECG during exercise and use that signal to produce additional data such as HRV, breathing rate, Cardiac Strain, Training Load and Body Shock.

We have spent plenty of time with both. In our Frontier X2 review, one of the main strengths was the amount of physiological data available beyond heart rate. The newer Frontier Zone keeps that basic idea but simplifies the hardware, removes the small display, switches to USB-C and stretches typical battery life from around 14 days to as much as 30 days.

Both can work independently and save a workout to onboard memory, or broadcast heart rate over Bluetooth to compatible watches, cycling computers and training equipment. You can connect a phone plus two external devices at the same time. There is no ANT+, though, which makes them less flexible than Polar, Garmin and some of the other straps here if you still use ANT+-only equipment.

The Zone is the one we would lean towards now. Battery life is considerably better, the screen on the X2 never added much in practice, and the vibration alerts are genuinely useful for staying inside a training zone without constantly looking at a watch. There is a catch, though. Some features that came as standard with the X2, including live ECG streaming, ECG exports and Garmin Connect integration, now require Frontier Premium on the Zone.

These are also overkill if you simply want accurate heart rate during exercise. Their real appeal is the ability to record ECG continuously while you train and dig much further into what was happening during a session afterwards. They are health and fitness devices rather than replacements for clinical ECG equipment, but they offer a type of data you simply do not get from an ordinary heart rate strap.

Pros

+ Continuous ECG recording during exercise

+ Much deeper heart and training data than a normal chest strap

+ Can record workouts without a phone or watch

+ Useful vibration alerts for heart rate and training zones

+ Frontier Zone has much improved battery life and USB-C charging

Cons

− No ANT+ support

− Several Zone features require Frontier Premium

− More than most people need for basic heart rate tracking

Wellue VisualBeat Strap-Free HRM

Wellue VisualBeat Strap-Free HRM

Buy from Wellue (use code GW10 for 10% off)

Battery:

Up to 48 hours, rechargeable

Heart rate technology:

Electrical chest sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.0 and ANT+

Water resistance:

IP22

The Wellue VisualBeat is the odd one out here, and that is exactly why it earns a place in the guide. As we found in our hands-on review of the VisualBeat, you can wear it with a conventional chest strap or ditch the strap altogether and attach the sensor directly to your chest using disposable ECG electrode patches.

It still uses electrical heart rate sensing in either setup, so going strap-free does not mean switching to optical PPG. In our testing, the numbers were very close to a Garmin watch paired with a Polar heart rate monitor over a 15km run, and the same pattern continued across other workouts. The patches were also noticeably less obtrusive than wearing a band around the chest.

There is quite a bit packed into the sensor too. It has Bluetooth and ANT+, can record without your phone, and stores up to 10 sessions or 30 hours of data in total. The ViHealth app gives you live heart rate and ECG, while configurable vibration alerts can warn you when you move above or below your chosen heart rate thresholds.

The strap-free setup does have limitations. We found that the adhesive patches can start to come loose during particularly sweaty or intense workouts, in which case the regular chest strap is the safer choice. IP22 protection also means this is not a monitor for swimming. But if you dislike wearing a traditional chest strap and still want electrical heart rate sensing, the VisualBeat offers something genuinely different from the rest of this list.

Pros

+ Can be worn with a chest strap or adhesive patches

+ Accurate electrical heart rate sensing

+ Bluetooth and ANT+ support

+ Onboard memory for phone-free workouts

+ Customisable heart rate vibration alerts

Cons

− Adhesive patches can loosen during sweaty workouts

− Disposable patches need replacing

− IP22 protection means it cannot be used for swimming

Best heart rate monitor armbands

Polar Verity Sense

Polar Verity Sense

Buy from Polar

Battery:

Up to 30 hours, rechargeable

Heart rate technology:

Optical PPG sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Dual Bluetooth LE and ANT+

Water resistance:

WR50

Polar Verity Sense is the armband we would put at the top of the list right now. We covered the Verity Sense when it first arrived, and the basic idea still works very well. Instead of wrapping a sensor around your chest, it sits on your upper or lower arm and measures heart rate optically.

Comfort is the big attraction. The sensor itself weighs just 5 grams and the complete setup comes in at 19 grams, so it is easy to forget about once you start training. Moving the optical sensor away from the wrist also helps avoid some of the fit and movement problems you get with watches, although it is still an optical sensor and can lag behind an ECG chest strap when heart rate changes very quickly.

Polar has packed in plenty of useful extras as well. Battery life is now rated at up to 30 hours, while the 16MB of internal memory can store as much as 600 hours of training. You can record a workout without carrying your phone, or broadcast heart rate live using ANT+ and two simultaneous Bluetooth connections. Bluetooth range stretches to as much as 150 metres with the sensor in its holder.

Swimming is another area where the Verity Sense stands out. It comes with a clip that attaches the sensor to your swimming goggles, placing it against the temple rather than the arm. In swimming mode it can record heart rate as well as pool metrics, and WR50 water resistance means it is built for regular use in the water. If you want something more comfortable than a chest strap without giving up serious training features, this is probably the most complete armband option here.

Pros

+ Very comfortable and lightweight

+ Up to 600 hours of onboard workout storage

+ Dual Bluetooth and ANT+ support

+ Excellent option for swimming

+ Strong 30-hour battery life

Cons

− Optical sensing can lag during rapid heart rate changes

− Not as accurate as an ECG chest strap in every type of workout

− Proprietary charging cradle

Scosche RHYTHM24

Scosche RHYTHM24

Buy from Scosche

Battery:

Up to 24 hours, rechargeable

Heart rate technology:

Optical PPG sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Bluetooth LE and ANT+

Water resistance:

IP68

Scosche RHYTHM24 has been around for a while, but it still has a few tricks that most optical armbands do not. In our RHYTHM24 review, we found it comfortable, easy to wear and remarkably close to a Polar H10 chest strap during running.

It uses a combination of green and yellow optical sensors and can be worn on either the upper or lower arm. Once the strap is adjusted properly it stays in place well, and for anyone who dislikes having something wrapped around the chest, it is a much less intrusive way of getting heart rate data.

Where RHYTHM24 still stands out is the feature set. There are separate running, cycling, swimming, heart rate and HRV modes, along with duathlon and triathlon modes. It also has up to 13 hours of onboard memory, so you can train without carrying a phone or watch and upload the workout afterwards.

Battery life is rated at up to 24 hours and connectivity covers both Bluetooth LE and ANT+. IP68 water resistance also means it can be used for swimming, although heart rate is recorded to the device rather than transmitted live through the water. The hardware remains capable, but the software side has never been its strongest point. In our testing, the Rhythm Sync app felt much more basic than the hardware deserved.

Pros

+ Very good optical heart rate accuracy

+ Comfortable upper or lower arm fit

+ Up to 13 hours of onboard workout storage

+ Bluetooth and ANT+ support

+ Multiple sport modes including swimming and triathlon

Cons

− Rhythm Sync app is fairly basic

− Swim heart rate is recorded rather than transmitted live

− Older design than the Polar Verity Sense

Wahoo TICKR FIT

Wahoo TICKR FIT

Buy from Wahoo

Battery:

Up to 30 hours, rechargeable

Heart rate technology:

Optical PPG sensor

GPS:

None

Connectivity:

Bluetooth and ANT+

Water resistance:

IPX7

Wahoo TICKR FIT keeps things much simpler than the other two armbands in this guide. There is no onboard memory, swimming mode or long list of extra metrics. You put it on your arm, pair it with your watch, bike computer or phone and use it as an external heart rate sensor.

It uses an optical sensor and can be worn on the forearm or upper arm, with small and large straps supplied in the box. The whole setup weighs just under 20 grams, so it is easy to forget about during a workout. Wahoo also includes LED indicators that confirm when the sensor is switched on and connected.

Connectivity covers both Bluetooth and ANT+, although Bluetooth is limited to a single connection. Battery life is a strong point at up to 30 hours per charge, which actually puts it slightly ahead of both the Polar Verity Sense and Scosche RHYTHM24 on paper.

We have also compared TICKR FIT with competing optical armbands in our Polar OH1+ review. The appeal remains much the same today. It is comfortable, straightforward and widely compatible, but it lacks the onboard recording and swimming features you get from Polar and Scosche. If all you want is an optical heart rate sensor that sends your numbers to another device, that simplicity can work in its favour.

Pros

+ Comfortable and lightweight

+ Strong 30-hour battery life

+ Bluetooth and ANT+ support

+ Simple physical on/off button

+ Works with a wide range of watches, apps and bike computers

Cons

− No onboard workout memory

− Only one Bluetooth connection

− No dedicated swim tracking

The post Best heart rate monitor 2026: chest straps & arm bands for exercise appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Google did not exactly shout about it. The update notes focus on Gemini, extra hand gestures and general fixes, while Smart Wake quietly appeared inside the regular Alarm app.

A better way to wake up

A normal alarm does not care whether you are lightly dozing or halfway through a deeper sleep stage. It goes off at the chosen time, starts buzzing and leaves you to deal with the consequences.

Smart Wake takes a less rigid approach. As Google explained when it launched Pixel Watch 5, the feature monitors heart rate and movement during the 30 minutes before an alarm. It then looks for a period of lighter sleep and starts a gentler alarm before the final deadline.

The setting lives inside the standard Alarm app, so there is no separate sleep alarm to install or manage. Open an existing alarm, switch on Smart Wake and the watch turns the preceding 30 minutes into a wake-up window.

Smart Wake remains optional and is switched off by default. Anyone who wants the alarm to ring at one exact time can continue using it normally.

Google left it out of the update notes

Google’s September Pixel Drop announcement says older Pixel Watches are receiving Raise to Talk improvements, additional one-handed gesture integrations and bug fixes. Smart Wake does not appear anywhere in the published list.

The feature arrived alongside the September firmware, though, and it is appearing across the same generations included in that rollout. Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 4 receive build CP3A.260905.002, while Pixel Watch 2 gets CP3A.260905.002.E1.

Google’s documentation has not fully caught up either. Its Pixel Watch sleep support page still introduces Smart Wake beneath a section describing additional Pixel Watch 5 sleep features. That wording now gives the wrong impression about compatibility.

The rollout may still take some time to reach every eligible watch. Google distributes Pixel Watch firmware in stages, so two watches of the same generation can receive an update on different days.

Smart Wake formed part of Google’s sleep upgrade pitch for Pixel Watch 5. We also included it among the software additions in our Pixel Watch 5 versus Pixel Watch 4 comparison, alongside improved sleep-stage detection and new bedtime tools.

Its arrival on Pixel Watch 2, 3 and 4 changes that comparison. Smart Wake is no longer a reason on its own to spend money on the latest model, particularly for someone who mainly wanted a smarter morning alarm.

Pixel Watch 5 still has plenty of advantages. It offers newer hardware, more memory and storage, improved GPS processing and Google’s broader set of health and Gemini features.

The post Google brings Pixel Watch 5 Smart Wake to older watches appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

What older Apple Watches actually get

First, the compatibility bit. As we covered in our watchOS 27 release guide, the software runs on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11 and Series 12, along with Ultra 2, Ultra 3, Ultra 4 and SE 3. So if your watch is not on this list, you’ve lucked out.

But having watchOS 27 does not mean having the entire 2026 Apple Watch feature set. The older watches get the compatible software additions, including the redesigned Find My app, changes to Smart Stack, improved treadmill distance estimates and the new Cycle Tracking support for perimenopause and menopause.

That is the first bucket. These are watchOS features, so Apple can bring them to supported existing hardware without changing anything inside the watch.

The health features are where things get more confusing.

Readiness and Recovery HRV need the new watches

Readiness is not hiding somewhere in the settings of your Series 11. Apple limits the Readiness app to Series 12 and Ultra 4, and ties it to the new Health Sensing System introduced with those watches.

The new hardware takes background heart-rate readings every five seconds and can measure HRV as often as every five minutes. That denser stream of data feeds into Readiness, alongside sleep, recent activity, training load and other vitals.

We have already gone into why older Apple Watches miss out on Readiness, so there is little point going through the hardware argument again here. The important bit after the watchOS 27 rollout is simply that updating the software does not change that restriction.

Recovery HRV falls on the same side of the line. Apple now explicitly says that the feature is available on Series 12 and Ultra 4, so an older watch running watchOS 27 does not suddenly gain the new Recovery HRV metric.

That is separate from the HRV data older Apple Watches have recorded for years. Apple is now distinguishing Recovery HRV from Overall HRV on its newest watches.

Health Age is different again

Then there is Health Age, which you should not expect to find after installing watchOS 27 either. That one simply has not launched yet.

Health Age is part of Apple’s redesigned Health app, which the company says is coming later this year. It will sit inside a new Longevity section and compare things such as VO2 max, resting heart rate, sleep and HRV with your chronological age. Apple also says users will be able to add lab information such as A1c and LDL to give the system more context.

There is an important difference here, though. Apple currently says Health Age requires an Apple Watch, but it has not said that you specifically need a Series 12 or Ultra 4. So it would be premature to put Health Age in the same hardware-only bucket as Readiness and Recovery HRV.

The redesigned Health app is also due to arrive first in U.S. English. Apple has not given an exact release date yet, so Health Age is something to look for later rather than something that should have appeared with yesterday’s watchOS 27 installation.

The post watchOS 27 is out but these Apple Watch health features need new hardware appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Withings looks like it has another watch cooking. We dug through the latest Withings app and found repeated references to a device called HWA12, with enough supporting code around it to make this look like an actual upcoming product.

HWA12 is more than a random codename

The app doesn’t tell us what Withings plans to call it when it launches. There is no convenient “ScanWatch 3” label sitting there waiting to be found. But HWA12 is already being treated very much like a watch.

The first clue is simply how often it turns up. There are references to Allow installation of HWA12 and Enable HWA12, along with an Hwa12Visual class and a dedicated autosync component at com.withings.wiscale2.device.hwa12.autosync.

There is also a specific HWA12 setup flow. One resource is labelled hwa12Setup_searchingTitle, while others cover the device name and a dedicated marketing URL. That is quite a bit more infrastructure than you would expect around a placeholder that Withings isn’t planning to use.

Some of the actual text makes the type of device much clearer. During setup, HWA12 is associated with the message “Looking for your watch…”, while battery warnings refer to “Your Watch”.

So the safe conclusion is fairly straightforward. HWA12 appears to be a new Withings watch, although exactly which watch remains the bigger question.

The HWA number gives us another clue

Withings has used this naming scheme for its watches for years. Its current compliance documentation identifies HWA09 as the original ScanWatch, HWA10 as the platform behind ScanWatch 2, ScanWatch Nova and ScanWatch Nova Brilliant, and HWA11 as ScanWatch Light.

This means we shouldn’t automatically translate HWA12 into “ScanWatch 3”. HWA10 is a good example of why, because Withings has used the same underlying identifier across several retail models rather than assigning a new HWA number to each watch. But it seems to be the next generation platform.

I’ve spent plenty of time with the ScanWatch 2 in my full review, and Withings has continued developing that generation long after launch. It even gave ScanWatch 2 another sizeable software and battery update at IFA 2025, without turning it into a new HWA model.

There is no FCC filing yet

One place HWA12 has not shown up is the FCC database. Nor for that matter any other regulators. Withings’ own compliance pages also have nothing listed under that model number, so there are no public documents giving away its size, sensors or final product name.

For now, calling this ScanWatch 3 would be getting ahead of the evidence. But HWA12 itself looks pretty solid, and the combination of installation support, syncing, setup resources and explicit watch language suggests Withings has already started preparing its next piece of watch hardware inside the app.

APK teardown note

This article is based on an APK teardown. Code found inside an app can reveal features or devices that are under development, but there is no guarantee they will appear in a future public release.

The post Withings may have another ScanWatch-style device on the way appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

A smaller Watch S5 is on the way

The new model measures 41mm across and weighs 36 grams, with Xiaomi quoting a thickness of 9.9mm. That makes it noticeably smaller than the 46mm Xiaomi Watch S5 we covered earlier, which comes in at around 10.99mm thick and weighs 46 grams.

So Xiaomi has knocked roughly 10 grams off the watch while shaving a little over a millimetre from its thickness. The company describes the new version as light enough to be almost unnoticeable when worn, although we’ll need to get one on the wrist before judging that claim.

The design is also getting plenty of attention in Xiaomi’s early marketing. Images show several light-coloured finishes and strap combinations, including blue, green, white and purple options, along with a metal mesh strap.

That follows the direction Xiaomi took with the Watch S4 41mm. The smaller S-series model once again looks less like a scaled-down copy of the larger watch and more like a separate design aimed at people who want something lighter and less bulky.

Battery life drops to 14 days

The smaller case does come with a battery trade-off. Xiaomi is quoting up to 14 days for the Watch S5 41mm, compared with as much as 21 days for the larger S5.

Still, that’s a sizeable increase over the previous 41mm generation. The Watch S4 41mm was rated for up to eight days, so Xiaomi is claiming another six days from the new model.

A few new health features are confirmed

Xiaomi has also highlighted several features specifically for the smaller watch. One is what the company describes as more accurate female physiological cycle monitoring, which will also be used to provide exercise advice.

Dietary calorie management is another addition. Xiaomi hasn’t explained the feature in detail yet, so we don’t know how food intake will be entered, what data it will use or how closely it will tie into activity tracking.

The watch will also provide UV intensity prompts. Again, Xiaomi has only given us the headline feature for now rather than explaining exactly how it will appear or whether it relies on weather data, location data or another source.

HyperOS 4 is confirmed

The Watch S5 41mm will run Xiaomi HyperOS 4. Xiaomi says the new software brings smoother interaction, while connected-car controls are also mentioned as part of the feature set.

There are still some fairly big gaps in the specification sheet. Xiaomi hasn’t yet detailed the display, sensors, positioning hardware or connectivity options for the 41mm version, so it is too early to assume it simply carries everything across from the larger Watch S5.

We shouldn’t have to wait long for the rest. Xiaomi says the Watch S5 41mm is coming later this month, although it has not given an exact launch date yet.

Source: Weibo

The post Xiaomi confirms smaller Watch S5 41mm with 14-day battery appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.