Organizer
Gadget news
Emeet Airflow review: Air conduction earbuds made for the office
6:51 pm | July 24, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Headphones Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

Emeet Airflow: One minute review

If you haven’t heard of Emeet before, you’re not alone. Previously, the company only made other work-based tech products, like cameras and speakers. It also has two pairs of over-ear headphones, but the Emeet Airflow are the brand’s first pair of earbuds. 

The Emeet Airflow have an open-ear design, which uses air conduction tech by positioning a small speaker on the outside of your ear, not in your ear canal like most of the best wireless earbuds. This style has become popular over the last few years. Our best open-ear headphones guide is filled with options to suit a range of budgets. Smaller audio tech brands are introducing open-ear designs, and big tech companies like Bose are getting in on the action. 

Open-ear headphones are appealing because they free your ear canals, enabling you to listen to music while still hearing sounds around you. The complete opposite proposition to the best noise-cancelling earbuds and best noise-cancelling headphones. Ideal for runners, cyclists or people who generally would like to be more aware of their surroundings in any situation. Like those who need to be on hand at an office or listen out for their kids as they work at home.

They also appeal to people who don’t like the feel and fit of other kinds of headphones. Some people don’t like the stuffed-ear feeling they get from wearing a pair of the best true wireless earbuds in their ear canals. Or the pressure of the cups and headband when they’re wearing over-ears.

But although there’s a lot of appeal to this design, it’s not always easy to get right. I tested many of the buds in our best open-ear headphones guide, and several were a little fiddly to put on when I was also wearing glasses or were unstable when I wore my hair down. So, how did the Emeet Airflow compare? 

Surprisingly well. I initially had some minor fit issues when I had to position them behind my ears alongside glasses. But otherwise, they’re a secure and comfortable fit that I prefer over bigger name brands. The audio on offer here isn’t perfect. But for a pair of open ears, the sound is clear, can get loud, and is ideal for a work-based setting. 

A couple of added features make the Emeet Airflow unique, including a detachable mic – a bonus for upgrading work calls – and a charging case that claims to clean the buds with UV light. 

As long as you’re not expecting sonic excellence – which isn’t really possible where air conduction is concerned – the Emeet Airflow are a surprisingly solid choice of open-ear buds. They’re especially good if you’re looking for a pair of buds predominantly for the office or for making work-based calls, as they straddle the line between buds and a headset.

Emeet Airflow: Price and availability

Emeet Airflow

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
  • Cost $179.99 in the US 
  • £129.99 in the UK 
  • About AU$272 in Australia (actual pricing tbc)

The Emeet Airflow cost $179.99 / £129.99 / about AU$272, and they’re available now.

How do they compare to rivals? This price makes the Emeet Airflow a little cheaper than the similar 1More Fit Open Earbuds S50, which cost $149.99 / £149.99 / around AU$290, and a similar price to the JBL Soundgear Sense at $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$231.

The Shokz OpenFit are significantly more expensive at $179.95/£179.99/AU$289. Although the Shokz OpenFit are one of my favorite pairs of open-ear buds, so the elevated price does make some sense.

With this in mind, they’re priced in the mid-range, and I’d say performance-wise that adds up. I think it is possible to find better and cheaper true wireless buds, but if it’s the air-conduction style you want, this price represents good value. 

  •  Value score: 4 / 5 

Emeet Airflow: Design

Emeet Airflow

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
  • Stable fit compared to rivals
  • Comfortable 
  • Simple design

Looks-wise, the Emeet Airflow have a basic design that I’d describe as quite corporate. That’s probably because they strike me as a buds-meet-headset offering. That’s not to say they look bad or you can’t wear them outside of the office and, again, this is down to personal preference – in fact a few people I spoke to liked the more “serious” look and feel of these buds compared to sportier ones.

There are two large, shiny circles on the buds with the Emeet logo. This is the area you can tap to use touch controls. These worked well, especially because I managed to achieve a secure fit. This means activating a touch control doesn’t throw off the stability.

The buds have large hooks to sit behind your ear and position the speaker next to your ear canal. These hooks have a 1mm titanium memory steel wire inside, which makes them flexible and skin-friendly silicone on the outside. These buds also have stabilizing fins, which you can add for an even more secure fit. 

Weighing in at a mere 8.5g per bud, they’re incredibly light and on par with their competitors. The combination of their design, materials, and lightweight form made the Emeet Airflow a joy to wear, especially after I had adjusted them to my liking at the start – a process that took only a minute or two. 

Once I had them on, I found myself forgetting about them several times. The Emeet Airflow's design and fit make them perfect for work, but their comfort and stability also make them a great choice for sports and walking. There’s a little movement, but not enough to be a concern. 

The only time they moved a little was when I took them to the gym and used the cross trainer – then again, these aren’t explicitly for workouts, and they still fared exceptionally well on a rowing machine, while lifting weights and doing some functional fitness. They also have an IPX5 rating, meaning they're sweat-proof. But although sweat won’t damage them, it might have caused the fit to become a bit loose when I tested them. 

This comfortable fit experience elevates them above some key rivals, particularly the 1More Fit S50, a decent pair of open-ear buds that were just not crafted for smaller ears like mine. 

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Emeet Airflow: Features

Emeet Airflow

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
  • Multi-point connectivity
  • Detachable mic
  • 40-hour battery life

The Emeet Airflow has some handy features onboard, cementing them as a solid choice for offices, work and calls. 

The most interesting is the detachable mic, which easily slots into a port at the base of the buds – you can pick either side – making them more of a headset-meets-earbuds hybrid. This mic is small and thin, but there’s a little spot for it in the charging case, so you can keep it safe when you’re not using it.

Battery life is good at 8 hours from the buds and 40 hours from the case. This is more-or-less exactly the amount of time I got from them during testing; this varied a little depending on how many calls I made. The more calls, the quicker the battery seemed to drain. 

For comparison, the Shokz OpenFit have 7 hours of battery in the buds and 28 hours in the case, so the Emeet outperform them. Then again, the OneOdio OpenRock Pro have an exceptional 19 hours of battery in the buds and 46 hours from the case, so it is possible to get better if long-lasting power from this form factor is a priority.

The charging case isn’t small by true wireless earbuds standards, but it is slim and pocketable. It has a premium look and feel despite feeling like plastic. The case has an added trick up its sleeve as it cleans the earbuds as they charge. Emeet promises the case can sterilize 99.99% of common bacteria. This isn’t common, but I’ve seen similar tech in other true wireless bud cases – given they go into your ear canal it’s probably more necessary there. I doubt anyone would favor the Emeet buds over a rival for this feature, and it is hard to quantify whether it works, but this is down to personal preference.

The Emeet Airflow come with a small USB dongle. This allows you to connect them to a laptop. The process felt a little fiddly and annoying compared to the easy experience I had connecting them to my phone.

Emeet Tune is the accompanying app. It has many simple features, such as showing the status of the buds, allowing you to tweak the EQ, and customizing some on-ear controls.

  • Features score: 4 / 5

Emeet Airflow: Performance

Emeet Airflow

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)

Sound quality here isn’t excellent, but it’s surprisingly good considering the design of the buds. Music sounded clear and detailed with some richness and even bass – especially at higher volumes, likely due to the large 16.2mm drivers.

Tracks like ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle and ‘Got It Bad’ by Leisure sounded clear and melodic across the range, with bright vocals and pleasing drum beats, even at the highest volumes. Overall, I felt the Emeet Airflow were really well-suited to tracks like this, which are soulful and a little poppy with smooth basslines.

But don’t expect strong bass here or the feeling of immersion you’d get from a different, closed design. I noticed this lack of immersion most distinctly when it came to heavier rock or punk tracks, like ‘Beat Your Heart Out’ from The Distillers and ‘Sick, Sick, Sick’ from Queens of the Stone Age, which sounded fine, but flatter and less lively than other kinds of buds, especially at high volumes.

Emeet says the buds are designed to be anti-sound leakage. I tested this and had to ask a friend to get close to hear the sound. Playing ‘Burn The Witch’ by Queens of the Stone Age at full volume stood around 1 meter away; they could make out sound in that sort of tinny, distant way. To some extent, it’s impossible for no sound leakage with a pair of open ears but I felt like this performance was impressive. This makes me confident to recommend them for wear in most offices – just be wary about cranking the volume up to the limits.

As you’d expect, calls here sound great. This is thanks to the detachable mic, which improved clarity and made calls way more pleasing overall. But it isn’t necessary for decent call quality if you don’t like it because there are two built-in omnidirectional microphones in the buds, too. 

Emeet also offers what it calls a “VoiceCore algorithm,” which can filter out noises on both sides of the call up to 50dB. I definitely felt like taking calls with these buds was better than with other air-conduction earbuds I’ve tested.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Emeet Airflow: Scorecard

Emeet Airflow: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want earbuds for the office
These buds are great for work, sitting between buds and a headset. The design is simple, the mic makes calls better and the open-ear design is handy if you need to be readily available. 

You’ve been meaning to try an open-ear design
They’re not budget, but they’re an affordable option if, for whatever reason, you want to see whether open-ear buds are for you. 

Calls are important
The detachable mic elevates calls, making them clearer. You don’t need to use it for calls either. There are mics in the buds.  

Don't buy it if...

You need them for working out
These buds fared surprisingly well on walks and at the gym, but there are more secure options available from the likes of Shokz, as well as bone conduction options, which might suit high impact sports better.

You want audio excellence
For a pair of open-ear buds, they perform well. But if you’re wanting top-tier sound or ANC or anything else you’d expect from a higher-end pair of buds, you’ll need to adjust your budget and look elsewhere.

You want a stylish option
It’s not that these buds look bad, but there’s a corporate vibe to them that makes them a little less cool and sleek-looking than other options I’ve tested.

Also consider

Shokz OpenFit

These buds deliver good sound, awareness of your surroundings and a solid fit that should suit most people. Go for these if you’ll solely be wearing them for working out. 

Shokz OpenFit review

OneOdio OpenRock Pro

You'll get a huge 19 hours of battery from these buds, and 46 hours if you have the charging case with you, making these the best choice for all-day wear.

OneOdio OpenRock Pro review

How I tested

I wore the Emeet Airflow buds every day for three weeks. This gave me the chance to use them in different situations.

I used them to listen to music and podcasts while I was walking around a few different cities and the countryside. As well as on jogs along the beach and when I worked out at the gym. 

I paired them with an iPhone 14 Pro and mostly used Spotify and Apple Music to test them. I paired them with a laptop and used them to listen to movies on Mubi and Disney Plus.

I’ve tested lots of different headphones and earbuds over the past 12 years, especially devices that are designed for fitness. I’m particularly interested in audio tech that prioritizes comfort and ease of use. 

First reviewed: July 2024

Ordo Sonic Lite review: Simple and feature-light, but terrific value
12:59 pm | July 23, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

Ordo Sonic Lite: One-minute review

The Ordo Sonic Lite toothbrush is simple, affordable, and does the job very well. It compares favorably to others in its price category, like the Mode electric toothbrush (which only has one setting) and Colgate Hum (which has less pulses per minute). The Ordo Sonic Lite has a long quoted battery life at five weeks, so the lack of a charging dock isn’t an issue. During my tests, I found that it lasted even longer – I’d estimate that I made it to around six weeks before needing to charge it. 

It’s got an automatic two-minute timer, a setting for sensitive teeth, a 35,000 pulse-per-minute motor, and a light indicator that flashes red when the brush movement is being interfered with because you’re pressing too hard. 

However, let’s get this out the way now: this is not a terribly exciting toothbrush. It doesn’t oscillate, a function that’s scientifically proven to reduce plaque more effectively than simple sonic motors; it’s not “smart” in that it doesn’t interface with a companion app, and nor does it offer any brushing guidance beyond a two-minute timer. 

That said, at this very cheap price point ($39.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99) you don’t often get a toothbrush that;s stuffed with the features listed above, so those omissions aren’t major negatives from a design standpoint. Even though it’s a bare-bones product, everything is well-designed here. It uses USB-C charging and, while it doesn’t have a dock, it does have a hefty five-week battery life, so you won’t have to worry about charging it every week. 

For comparison, some of the other toothbrushes you can find in this price range, even from bigger brands like Colgate, offer less in some areas. For example, the Colgate Hum, which we’ve also tested, has a companion app, but it uses AA batteries, and its motor only reaches 30,000 pulses per minute. There’s unfortunately no travel case and no replacement heads included with the Ordo, but that’s not a dealbreaker when it’s this cheap; the head can be popped into a polythene bag inside a wash bag for easy traveling, and new heads are easy to find on Amazon or the Ordo website. 

Ordo Sonic Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Ordo Sonic Lite: Scorecard

Ordo Sonic Lite: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want simplicity
Hate the idea of needing an app to clean your teeth? This is the toothbrush to get. 

You don’t have a plug in your bathroom
No plug for a charging dock? The Ordo Sonic Lite only needs to be recharged every five weeks or so.  

You’re on a budget
It’s cheap, it’s good – no frills, no fuss. 

Ordo Sonic Lite

(Image credit: Future)

Don't buy it if...

You want an oscillating brush
Prefer a brush that uses a circular motion for a better clean? This isn’t it, and you’ll likely need to go up a price level. 

You want more modes
The Ordo Sonic Lite only has standard and soft modes, while other, pricier brushes generally have around four to six different settings.

You want a travel case
Other cheap brushes in this price range, like the Colgate Hum, come with a hinged plastic case.  

Also consider

Colgate Hum: 

One of the best cheap electric toothbrushes, the Hum comes with a companion app and travel case, but it runs on disposable batteries, which dents its eco credentials and ups the long-term cost. 

Read our full Colgate Hum review 

Mode: 

One of the most stylish electric toothbrushes at any price point, the Mode comes with a nifty wall-mount, but it’s slightly pricier and only offers one setting. 

Read our full Mode Electric Toothbrush review

How I tested

I used the Ordo Sonic Lite for six weeks, draining the battery down to test its lifespan and testing the two-minute timer and pressure-sensitive light features. I compared the speed of the motor and other specifications against its competitors, combining it with my personal experience to determine its place in our list of the best electric toothbrushes.  

First reviewed: June 2024

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review – probably Samsung’s best watch yet
4:00 pm | July 10, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Comments: Off

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is shaping up to be Samsung’s best smartwatch ever from a technical standpoint, based on our early hands-on and analysis. It takes Samsung’s usual design and flips it on its head, adding an endurance-watch twist – even more so than the adventure-focused Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro did when it debuted a couple of years ago.

Everything about the design has been changed to give this watch a more rugged feel. The strap is thicker, more durable and harder-wearing. The watch’s outer casing is now scratch-proof titanium, and the round watch face has been mounted on a squircle-style shape which Samsung is calling a “cushion”. The usual two buttons are here, but squeezed between the new protective casing surrounding the buttons is another orange button, which Samsung is calling a ‘Quick button’ – presumably because ‘Action button’ was already taken by the Apple Watch Ultra. 

All right, there’s no getting around it: Samsung has been copying Apple’s homework, and the comparisons between the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra are unavoidable. Even the naming conventions are the same, for crying out loud, and they do look very similar. They both have similar features, with more accurate GPS, emergency sirens, new Night modes with red illumination, and battery life that’s slightly too short to last you a weekend in the wilderness. 

However, during our tests we found that the Watch Ultra was easy and ergonomic to use, it was comfortable on the wrist, and it has an impressive list of features, even discounting the smorgasbord of options you get as a Wear OS user. Looked at side-by-side with Apple’s now two-year-old Ultra concept, it looks very derivative. However, considered in isolation, it looks like the best smartwatch Samsung has produced yet. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra specs

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Ultra-valuable: price and availability

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra will be available to buy on 24 July, and is available to pre-order now starting at $649 / £599 / AU$1,299. 

That makes it the most expensive Galaxy Watch yet – however, it’s cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra, while filling a similar niche for Samsung users, and it’s cheaper than some of the best Garmin watches that fill the same niche. The Garmin Epix Pro, for example, falls firmly into Samsung and Apple’s “outdoor-orientated watch with a lovely screen” territory, and is more expensive than Samsung’s offering.

Samsung’s butter-smooth AMOLED screen and refresh rate are better than the Epix Pro’s, and for less money. If you can put up with recharging the watch a few times a week, and want access to Wear OS’s library of third-party apps, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a very reasonable purchase at this price. 

Breaking the mold: design

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra shares its round-screen design with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. In fact, it’s the exact same screen as the 44mm version: a 480 x 480 full-color AMOLED with a Sapphire Crystal always-on display, with the option to switch it to a new infrared style Night mode. Whereas with the Apple Watch Ultra Apple attempted to transform the screen and make it bigger than ever, Samsung leaves a lot of real estate on the watch by declining to make that screen any larger than the biggest Watch 7 size, although I suppose sharing parts helps keep the costs down. 

The casing is made from scratch-proof titanium, while its thick silicone bands, redesigned especially for the Watch Ultra, are partially made from recycled plastics. That casing is fully dive-proof at IP68 10ATM ratings, and designed for extreme low and high temperatures to a “military grade” standard. 

While we certainly couldn’t take it up Everest or throw it in a fireplace during our testing process, I can confirm that it does feel satisfyingly weighty, and more “premium” than a regular aluminum Galaxy Watch, without being cumbersome, weighing in at 60g. Its battery caps out at 100 hours in low-power mode, according to my chat with Samsung’s VP of MX James Kitto, and lasts for “a couple of days” with moderate usage. 

Samsung’s usual two buttons let you cycle through options in the same way as they always have, and are used in conjunction with the powerful AMOLED touchscreen. However, we also have the Quick button now, which can be programmed to automatically start workouts, move onto other segments, or skip to the next workout profile with the new Multisports tile, for disciplines like triathlon. During my initial tests it all flowed very well and felt intuitive, and regular Samsung users will feel right at home despite the very different design. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Samsung’s usual two buttons let you cycle through options in the same way as they always have, and are used in conjunction with the powerful AMOLED touchscreen. 

However, we also have the Quick button now, which can be programmed to automatically start workouts, move onto other segments, or skip to the next workout profile with the new Multisports tile, for disciplines like triathlon. During my initial tests it all flowed very well and felt intuitive, and regular Samsung users will feel right at home despite the very different design. 

Well equipped for the wilderness: features

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

There’s lots of new stuff to talk about here. The emergency siren (which I elected not to test in Samsung’s private testing room, in case I was tackled by a security guard) is apparently ear-splitting, designed to let you signal for help if you get into difficulties in the great outdoors. The aforementioned programmable Quick button can be programmed to kick off a workout straight away, and hikes, runs, swims and rides make use of that new precision dual-frequency GPS for added accuracy. 

Those GPS workouts make use of older features, such as the TrackBack functionality first introduced on the 5 Pro. This allows you to retrace your steps on a GPS-driven route, following directions until you return to the point at which you deviated from your intended course. Very useful. Dive mode, just like on the Apple Watch Ultra, comes with a water lock and a functionality to eject any water in the system, accompanied by a series of very conspicuous beeps (I did test this feature, clearly). 

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Other features that are holdovers from previous years include health monitoring (with a new, upgraded Samsung BioActive sensor array) for heart rate, blood oxygen, heart rate variability, skin temperature, electrocardiogram heart health scans and body composition analysis using BIA, which estimates your ratio of fat to muscle to bone. I tried this and found the measurements within spitting distance of my last smart-scale measurement: a test I’ve tried before with Samsung watches. 

All this is powered by One UI Watch 6, Samsung’s Wear OS 5 skin, and the Samsung Health app. The latter is where much of the real magic happens in terms of health, with the app aggregating the information your smartwatch collects and processing it to offer you increased personalization and actionable insights into your health and fitness. Third-party apps on Wear OS also means that you can add lots of features and functionality to your watch that Samsung doesn’t offer as standard. Of course, I didn’t have time to test any of this during my brief hardware hands-on, so expect a more thorough breakdown as and when I update this review. 

Early verdict: enough bang for your buck?

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

While it’s cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is still the most expensive Galaxy Watch by a long way, so the build quality and additional features need to reflect that. And the good news is that this does seem to be, in terms of specs, the best Galaxy Watch we’ve seen yet – although for this price I expected an upgraded screen rather than a recycled one from this year’s mainline Galaxy Watch.

Still, building a titanium tank of a watch doesn’t come cheap, and there’s plenty to dig into here when I get the chance to head out for some runs and hikes to properly put the watch through its paces. The bump in features, rugged aesthetics, boost in GPS and enhanced safety tools all sound great. 

My only concern, as it always is with smartwatches, is that damned battery life. I need a powerful watch that’s able to record multiple GPS workouts over several days on a single charge, and if the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra struggles with that, then it may suffer the same pitfalls as its Apple namesake. 

Samsung Galaxy Ring review: The top smart ring for Samsung users
4:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

Over the last year or so, our long journey towards getting hands-on with the final version of the Samsung Galaxy Ring has been filled with rumors, surprise reveals, a few secret meetings, and plenty of pithy Lord of the Rings jokes. 

The smart ring is a brand-new format for Samsung, having previously been the province of startups like Oura Health – which makes our current best smart ring, the Oura Ring. Samsung has a lot riding on the Galaxy Ring being a success; based on known patent filings, Google and Apple are watching very closely, and presumably preparing (if they haven’t done so already) to develop prototypes of their own if the smart ring is deemed workable, helpful and – most of all – profitable. A new age of health-focused wearables has begun. 

Having finally handled the gold and black versions of the Galaxy Ring for a few minutes, there’s a lot I can now say about the Ring – although not much about how it works for me. Samsung says its wearable is designed to be a “set and forget” experience, with its unobtrusive form factor and long battery life contributing to the idea that you’ll barely need to think about the Ring while you’re wearing it. 

It’s water-resistant to 100 meters, lasts for almost a week (pushing up to 10 days when you combine it with one of Samsung’s best smartwatches, as they share the fitness-tracking load to extend the Ring’s battery life) and has several characteristics built into its construction that help to make it impressively scratch-resistant. 

It’s designed to be a passive wearable; while it does have some limited fitness application, its main focus is wellness, which is important to distinguish from fitness. Fitness is workouts. Wellness is a more holistic concept, incorporating an overall approach towards mental and physical wellbeing, recovery, and health. Sleep is a huge part of this, and sleep is the area that the Samsung Galaxy Ring is really designed to excel in.  

Samsung Galaxy Ring: specifications

We wants it, Precious: price and availability

Samsung Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

The Samsung Galaxy Ring costs both more and less than its chief competitor, the Oura Ring Generation 3 – allow me to explain. 

Samsung’s model clocks in at $399 / £399 / around AU$750 (AU prices TBC) and will be on shelves from July 24. For that price, you get the Ring, the charging case, and access to a sizing kit before your ring arrives to ensure that you get the perfect fit. 

This isn’t too dissimilar to its competitors: while Ringconn, Ultrahuman and Oura devices are cheaper (Ultrahuman Ring Air and Oura Ring Generation 3 both cost around $299 / £329 / AU$599, and Ringconn undercuts them both at $279 / around £220 or AU$420, market leader Oura also recommends that you pay a $5.99 premium subscription fee after the first six months to get the most out of your ring. 

So Samsung’s up-front costs are higher, but without a subscription, it works out cheaper than Oura long-term, although not quite as cheap as the Ultrahuman and Ringconn offerings. One distinct barrier to owning a Samsung Galaxy Ring that it’s important to mention is that it’s designed to work seamlessly with the Samsung Health app, so you’ll need one of the best Samsung phones to make the most of it.   

Reinventing the wheel: design

Samsung Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Up until now, I’d only seen and worn a prototype Samsung Galaxy Ring, but the final design is more or less identical to the early models I tried. It was comfortable to wear then, and during my brief tests with the actual ring, that hasn’t changed. It comes in sizes ranging from US sizes 5 to size 13, ranging in weight from 2.3g to 3g, and the exact battery size depends on your ring size: the bigger the ring, the longer it’ll last. 

However, the size you wear shouldn’t dramatically affect the performance of the Galaxy Ring; it’ll still keep going for most of the week, passively tracking your health. There’s no display on the ring, which is hardly surprising given its size (although that might not be the case with future versions), so you’ll need to check the Samsung Health app for updates on your ring’s battery life. 

You have the option of three colors; Black, Titanium Gold, and Titanium Silver. However, despite their appearance, all are constructed of scratch-resistant titanium. The materials aren’t the only durability feature Samsung has implemented here: the shape of the ring also stops it getting damaged. 

If you imagine looking at a section through the ring, most smart rings are either uniformly curved, or concave, so they bulge out slightly relative to the curvature of your finger. 

The Samsung Galaxy Ring on the other hand, has a concave shape, a design choice that Samsung has made in order to made to prevent scratches or wear and tear to the surface of the Galaxy Ring, as the protective raised edges function like the bezel of a sports watch. Samsung adopted a similar design with the adventure-focused Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which had a raised bezel to reduce the possibility of impact on its screen. Below, you can see an image of the concave Galaxy Ring alongside the convex Oura Ring Generation 3.  

Samsung Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

You can see another, top-down image below of the silver Oura Ring and the gold Galaxy Ring, and as you can see it’s tough to tell them apart.  Although the outside of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is very different to its rivals, the underside looks almost identical, with three raised nodules to improve skin contact.  

Samsung Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

The Galaxy Ring’s charging case is a big improvement on Oura’s. Oura offers a node on which you can place the ring, which plugs into a standard USB-C charger. Samsung has gone one step further and placed the nodule inside an engagement ring-style box, which has its own internal battery, similar to cases for earbuds. The box is transparent, so works with all ring colors, and it can be wirelessly or USB-C charged, and is good for five or six full charges. 

When I saw the box I had nightmares of the Ring having to be placed back in the box every 24 hours or so for an additional top-up, but the case is an added convenience, rather than a way to make up for a shortfall in the ring’s battery life.  

The inner circle: features

Samsung Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

The Ring isn’t stuffed with features in the same way as a Samsung Galaxy Watch might be: with no display, ways of interacting with the device or apps to speak of, it’s designed to be a “set and forget” tracker that passively monitors your health over the course of the week, looking at heart rate, sleep quality, skin temperature, blood oxygen sensing and much more. Galaxy AI allows it to intelligently monitor for unusual heart-rate data and flag inconsistencies. 

The Galaxy Ring is designed to be excellent at sleep tracking, just like the Oura, and Samsung has gone all-in here. All the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7’s sleep-guidance features, such as the use of sleep profiles (also known as chronotypes) represented by a cute animal to give you personalized guidance, and using algorithms driven by Galaxy AI to better analyze your sleep health, are all here. Likewise, your ring will generate an Energy Score for you each morning, based on the quality of your sleep and your general activity levels, which is similar to the best Fitbits’ Daily Readiness Score or Garmin’s Body Battery functionality. Collecting metrics via your Ring or Watch and scoring your wellbeing out of 100, Samsung Health can offer personalized advice, telling you to rest as much as you can, or telling you to get out there and give it your all. 

The Galaxy Ring records many of the same metrics as the Watch, and feeds them into the same app – Samsung Health – so the similarities are by design. It might put existing Samsung Galaxy Watch users off buying the Ring initially, but they do work together. Samsung says using the Ring in conjunction with your watch extends the Ring’s battery life by up to 30% and increases the accuracy of the metrics recorded; however, I suspect only Samsung power users will opt to buy both devices, unless they’re bundled together as part of a cellphone data package.  

Samsung Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Samsung)

Despite the fact that it’s a passive tracker, the Galaxy Ring does have some fitness applications too. It will automatically track walking and running workouts, logging them in the Samsung Health app so you don’t have to go through the process of retroactively ‘tagging’ workouts in a timeline of your heart rate data to explain any anomalies. However, this only works with walking and running, so any other form of activity using the ring, such as swimming or cycling, will need to be qualified in the Samsung Health app. 

Individual insights on steps, exercise, and blood oxygen levels are collected automatically, while food, water and medications can all be inputted manually into Samsung Health to create a more complete picture of your health. Menstrual cycle tracking is a big part of most health-tracking tools these days, especially trackers focused on wellness over fitness, and the Galaxy Ring doesn’t disappoint here either, predicting cycles based on overnight skin temperature.  

Outside of health tracking, Samsung’s even squeezed in some more general user applications too – and impressively the Galaxy Ring supports gesture controls. Simply pinch the air to dismiss an alarm on a Samsung Galaxy phone, or control a phone camera’s shutter, using the same pinch gesture to take the picture. Neat stuff, although it does of course require a Galaxy phone to work. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try this feature with a Galaxy phone during our brief tests. 

Early Verdict: preaching to the converted

Samsung Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Samsung)

Is the Samsung Galaxy Ring good? Yes, is the answer. Will it dominate the emerging smart ring scene? Not quite, simply because its best features only work with Samsung phones. It might be cool enough to get a few people to switch from their preferred brands, but buying a new phone just so that you can then buy a $399 / £399 / AU$750 device on top of that is a big ask for most people. 

Samsung users are going to get a real kick out of the Galaxy Ring if the promise of this tiny gadget can live up to a week of hard testing. Everyone else, however – including those who are committed users of the best iPhones – will be better off picking another ring, like an Oura or Ultrahuman. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is shaping up to be a very good wearable, but it’s not the One Ring to rule them all.  

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Similar looks with a performance boost
4:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: | Comments: Off

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is officially official, and while you might do a double take thinking its sleek, circular design is actually 2023’s Galaxy Watch 6, make no mistake – this is the tech brand’s latest and greatest for the masses. 

Launching alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which offers a more durable design and endurance features, and the Galaxy Ring, which almost aims to be an agnostic device, the Galaxy Watch 7 is more of an iterative revision, at least going on first impressions. 

I’ve spent a bit of time with the Galaxy Watch 7 – both the small 40mm and large 44mm models – and while it’s packaged in a familiar build, Samsung’s squarely focusing on improving the experience here. For performance, it has a new processor under the hood that speeds up the navigation and makes the Galaxy Watch feel more responsive – and, you guessed it, also helps power Galaxy AI features. It has an entirely new sensor stack – dubbed the BioActive Sensor – on the back to boost health and wellness capabilities. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 pricing and availability

Maybe, most importantly, Samsung isn't raising the starting price this year. Like the Galaxy Watch 6, the Galaxy Watch 7 starts at $299.99 / £289 / AU$549 for the 40mm and $329.99/ £319 / AU$599 for the 44mm with Bluetooth; those jump to $349.99/ £329 /AU$649 and $379.99 / £369 / AU$699 for LTE connectivity. 

If you’re already sold, Samsung is currently taking preorders for the Galaxy Watch 7 in both sizes. Shipments will begin on July 10, 2024, the same day as general availability. The Galaxy Watch 7 in 40mm comes in Green and Cream, while the 44mm in Green and Silver. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Specifications

A familiar build with new smarts

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

(Image credit: Future)

Distinguishing the Galaxy Watch 7 from its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 6, isn’t easy. That’s not to say it isn’t a fine-looking smartwatch – the Galaxy Watch 7 still takes the albeit expected form of a circular smartwatch with basically an all-screen front and smooth stainless steel sides. You still get two buttons on the right-hand side, but you might notice that there’s only one Galaxy Watch 7 model – there’s no Classic model this year, so while you can pick between a 40mm or 44mm display, it’s just the Galaxy Watch 7. 

Sure, you could opt for the more durable and a bit boxier Galaxy Watch Ultra, but something is missing on this year’s ‘standard’ model. The iconic moveable bezel that lets you easily navigate the interface is no longer an option with the Galaxy Watch 7. You’ll need to opt for last year’s Galaxy Watch 6 to get this great control, and it’s disappointing that Samsung didn’t bring this aspect into the present.

One saving grace is the attaching and detaching band mechanism that Samsung ushered in with the Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic. It’s as easy as pushing in on a tab and pulling the band out to swap them. There are a few new band designs, some of which look very similar to Apple’s lineup, but Samsung has added a bit of personalization with two pops of color sewn in near the top of the watch bands for the Galaxy Watch 7 – it’s a simple touch that adds a bit of personality. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

(Image credit: Future)

Under the hood, Samsung has made some more changes. A new Exynos processor is the first 3-nanometer chip in a smartwatch from the technology giant. It's promised to be three times faster for CPU tasks than the processor in the Galaxy Watch 6. While I haven’t properly tested the Galaxy Watch 7 yet or even run it through a workout, it felt ultra-responsive when swiping through tiles, opening apps, typing, doing general navigation, and demoing some new gestures.

The new chip also makes the latter possible – Double Pinch Gestures premiere with the Galaxy Watch 7, and like Double Tap on the Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2, they’re genuinely useful. You can pinch your finger and thumb together to trigger an action, pause playback, or even pick up a call. It’ll likely be especially handy when you don’t have a free hand. 

That enhanced processor is also bringing some Galaxy AI features over, like smarter suggested replies, as the AI will analyze the messages above it for something that makes a bit more sense. Rather than just sending a generic yes or no, it might actually say what you’re accepting or declining.

A whole new sensor for more intelligent wellness features

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 40mm, Energy Score

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

On the health and wellness side, Samsung is again casting a wide net with the Galaxy Watch 7, and to a degree, alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it really cements its place as the Samsung smartwatch for most folks. It’ll do some productivity here, and can still flex with a laundry list of fitness capabilities. 

For starters, one thing I’m eager to spend more time with is a completely redesigned BioActive Sensor on the back. Samsung says it’s more accurate than the Galaxy Watch 6’s sensor, and more powerful for providing deeper metrics; that latter is likely paired in tandem with how the brand analyzes data and presents it within Samsung Health. 

On day one, it will let you track AGEs, or advanced glycation end products, which indicate overall metabolic health. Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 7 offers a sleep apnea feature, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and which can detect signs of it after a testing period, alongside an AI-powered sleep-tracking experience that should be more accurate. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, BioActive Sensor

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Of course, like the Galaxy Watch 6, the Watch 7 can track heart rate, take an electrocardiogram, and detect irregular heart rate moments. You can also track a bevy of workouts right from your wrist; some will even be automatically tracked. Runners, hikers, and walkers will benefit from dual-band GPS on the Watch 7 as it can provide a more accurate map or history of your activity. 

You’re also getting two new health features: Energy Score and Wellness tips, which are about contextualizing and making all the data your Galaxy Watch collects more digestible. Energy Score is similar to Fitbit and Oura, maybe even rings on the Apple Watch, in that it takes your sleep and activity data to give you a number from 0 to 100 that sizes up how you’re doing. It takes sleep duration, heart rate, sleep heart rate variability, and activity into account, and adds some recommendations on improving or keeping that score up. If you opt into Wellness Tips, it will take the recommendation a step further and provide more actionable ones.

Energy Score and Wellness Tips are two features that I’m really eager to unpack further, and are great additions to Samsung’s wellness portfolio. They also make the Galaxy Watch 7 a smarter wearable, because they can provide context around all the data it’s collecting.

Early verdict

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 40mm

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

So no, we didn’t get a full redesign or radical changes with the Galaxy Watch 7 – it’s an upgrade mostly in terms of functionality year over year. Still, the new processor will keep WearOS with a Samsung skin running very smoothly, and powers some neat features in the productivity and wellness space. I hope that also extends to better battery life, but we’ll need to test the watch properly to see how that and the new activity features stack up.

Garmin Vivoactive 5 review: Health and fitness tracking finds a perfect balance
6:14 pm | July 2, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Garmin Vivoactive 5: One-minute review

This Garmin Vivoactive 5 review has found this latest sports and health tracking wearable a contender among the best running watches, placing it against the Garmin Venu 3 and even punching up at some of the Forerunner options. The Vivoactive 5 is cheaper than many a Forerunner, but still offers a stunning AMOLED display and over 30 sports tracking options, plus sleep and stress tracking, to name a few health options.

All that places the Vivoactive 5 as an excellent watch for those with an active lifestyle, who might not be power users or marathon runners. It's certainly vying for a spot as one of the best fitness trackers, and thanks to notification functionalities, its pebble-style design and of course that rich display, it even starts to make a play as an Apple Watch competitor.

While this model doesn't feature solar charging and sits at a very slim 11mm thin, making it smaller than the Vivoactive 4, it actually offers a more efficient 11-day top-end battery life. Slimmer and longer-lasting? A great sign for a sequel, especially when you consider the Vivoactive 5 retains a lot of the top-end fitness tracking, GPS-powered workout stuff that makes the best Garmin watches great.

You might also find the older models in the range suit your needs just fine (and will save you money too, compared to picking up a brand new model), so a look at our guide to Garmin Vivoactive 3 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4 might help you choose.

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Specifications

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Price and availability

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
  • £259.99 in the UK
  • $300 in the US
  • AU$499 in Australia

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 was launched on September 20, 2023 with availability to buy beginning in December, worldwide.

It was priced at $300 (£259.99 in the UK, and AU$499 in Australia) at launch, but can now be snapped up for around $249, at time of publishing. That’s a little less than the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music, and loads less than a Fenix 7 or Garmin Forerunner 965.

The Vivoactive 5 is a decent way to get Garmin watch tracking without costing you too much. If you want a more affordable alternative, you could opt for the Vivoactive 4.

  • Value score: 4/5

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Design and screen

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
  • Dimensions of 42.2 x 42.2 x 11.1 mm
  • 5ATM water resistance
  • 1.2-inch AMOLED display
  • Gorilla Glass 3 screen protection

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 hasn't changed much in form since a few models back but that is largely thanks to it being a very efficient and effective design that just works. You have a slimmer body than ever now at just over 11mm and it comes in a single 42mm size.

The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, meaning you won't need to worry too much about scratches, despite that slightly raised glass finish – which looks great but leaves it more exposed to damage.

Image 1 of 4

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 4

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 4

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 4

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)

The Vivoactive 5 is a little smaller, as well as slimmer, than its 45mm predecessor. But with that stunning high-res screen and longer battery life, it's a welcome change. The small watch itself combined with a silicone band makes for a barely noticeable wrist partner, which is great for sleep tracking and wearing overnight as well as all-day wear. While a Forerunner might feel a little more premium compared to the lighter finish here, with more plastic buttons, the trade-off for lighter watch which is less noticeable on your wrist is perhaps worth it.

Thanks to that 5ATM water resistance, you don't even need to take the watch off in the shower and can use it for swim tracking, in pool or sea as needed.

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 has a 1.2-inch AMOLED screen, upgrading the previous MIP display. This is a really bright and colorful display, which means clarity in direct sunlight as well as in use underwater. Crucially, this display is also more efficient, meaning it actually saves battery compared to the MIP display while looking better than ever.

The resolution is high, so you can read a lot of text on that small screen with ease. The colorful finish makes details clear and brighter, while also giving Garmin the chance to enhance its layout. The new layout makes it easier to read notifications without having to reach for your phone than a lot of other Garmin watches, even the ultra-premium ones.

You will likely be able to use this fuctionality for more features in future, like Ring doorbell alerts. To be clear, you'll need the Venu 3 for that right now, but a Garmin software update is all it could take to get the Venu 3's Ring doorbell interaction on the Vivoactive 5 in future, thanks to that do-it-all display.

  • Design score: 4/5

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Features

Two Garmin Vivoactive 5 watches on a pink background

(Image credit: Garmin)
  • Attractive and clear layout
  • Useful shortcuts
  • Two hardware buttons

The Vivoactive range only has two buttons, unlike the Forerunners or Fenix, which have five. This means touchscreen is the main interaction point and that works very well, with minimal smudges and marks on that resistant glass.

Touch a button to start or stop a workout, while the other can be used to track laps or workout segments. It's simple but works well, with the touchscreen during exercise reserved largely for flicking between data screens.

You have access to over 30 sports tracking options from the get-go, plus this uses the Garmin Connect IQ store for even more health and smart app options available from third-party developers. Although it's worth noting these can be a bit flakey at times, you can't judge the Vivoactive 5 as a unit on the merits of third-party app developers. Besides, I think it's quite charming, like using the internet in the nineties.

Long-press the buttons for shortcut access to useful features like watch controls or clocks and settings. These can be edited too so you do feel in quick control without much menu diving needed.

  • Features score: 4/5

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Performance

A woman working out in a gym with a ball

(Image credit: Garmin)

As previously mentioned, the Garmin Vivoactive 5 offers over 30 exercises to track, all with clear data screens that you can edit as you need. From the basics like running, cycling and swimming, to slightly more esoteric activities like golf, yoga and SUP – this has more than enough for most needs.

What makes the metrics really useful, aside from accurate GPS and HR monitoring, is the data on health. Pulse OX looks at your oxygen levels and Respiration monitors breathing rate which is helpful in periods of rest, sleep or during yoga. Body Battery is a tried-and-true Garmin Watch metric used to offer a window into how hard you're pushing yourself. That said, there is no Performance Condition or Training Readiness Score here, which is a shame, but you can still use Body Battery to get a good idea of when to rest and push.

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)

It's worth noting that this is a very impressive sleeper entry into the best golf watch ring. You can even connect to club sensors for super-rich data metrics in addition to the wealth of health tracking options on offer here.

The lack of Training Load is a shame, as this metric places your exercise into context and really helps when training hard, so you can see when to push yourself and what type of exercise will benefit your training – aerobic versus anaerobic, for example. Also having a number of hours to rest is a helpful figure to work with – and lets you feel you've earned a rest. This is all sadly lacking in the cheaper Vivoactive range, and available on more premium Garmin watches.

The GPS acquisition is definitely slower than on the Forerunners. That said, after an initial connection in a location taking over a minute, it was faster during subsequent tests at under 30 seconds. Accuracy was high once out and training, with HR and GPS both performing comparably to the Forerunner 965 when tested side-by-side. The Vivoactive 5 features the same Elevate V4 heart rate sensor, also on the 965, it would have been nice to see the more advanced V5 found on the Venu 3. Still, these omissions help keep the cost down, eliminating barriers to entry.

The screen offers lots of data options while training and thanks to the clarity of the AMOLED screens, these are genuinely useful, flitting between them all by using the touchscreen. However, the swimming workout profile locks the touchscreen down to avoid water-based touchscreen inaccuracies. On that subject, swimming lengths were measured very accurately, even when I changed between stroke types every few lengths.

For the price point, the fact this features an SpO2 oxygen saturation monitor is impressive. This is able to track two sets of data at once, using green and red lights, making it a lot more data-rich and accurate in other extrapolated metrics than lower-end watches.

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)

There is a lack of altimeter and metrics to count the number of floors climbed which isn't a deal breaker, although that floors climbed alert is missed when you lose it as a daily measure of active movements.

Sleep data is helpful with REM, deep sleep and light sleep stages, along with pulse oximeter and breathing data for that night. All of that adds up to a competitive offering that gives lots of insight into sleep each morning. I enjoyed the Morning Report which showed changes if I had a poor night's sleep, had drank alcohol or was feeling under the weather.

Having music onboard the watch is a real appeal, as it means going out for exercise without your phone as you connect Bluetooth headphones directly to the watch.

While you can store music onboard, realistically most people will prefer to use Spotify or Deezer and simply save playlists offline on the device. You need a paid subscription to the streaming service in question for these features and the controls aren't great, but it does work and is welcome at this price point.

The Vivoactive 5 initially lacked Garmin Pay in the UK, but that has now rolled out so you can tap to pay and truly explore phone-free.

Notifications from your phone apps work well, with WhatsApp allowing you to read messages as you go without the phone being opened. The options are minimal so it's not an Apple Watch competitor in that way, but is useful enough to stop you reaching for your phone as much.

Apps offer some useful information on your wrist like the weather or sunset times or useful surf data. It's all basic but can be genuinely useful.

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)

The Garmin Vivoactive 5's layout is modular, like other Garmins, so you can arrange to sort your most-used training profiles to the top of the menu, making getting started easy. But it can get cluttered with automatic recommendations, so it's best to put some time into tidying every now and then to make sure it's running at maximum efficiency.

Garmin says the Vivoactive 5 gets you 11 days on a charge, or six hours of GPS tracking with music or 18 hours without. In real world use that worked out to about a working week's worth of use with several GPS-tracked sessions, without music. That means going away for a weekend, with plenty of training, should mean you won't need to charge the watch until the middle of the following week. That's exactly what you want at this price point.

This is not the best Garmin for battery, by a long shot, but it does the job more than well enough while remaining extremely compact.

The charger uses a proprietary charger, which fits most Garmin devices and plugs into a USB-C port for a full charge in about an hour.

  • Performance score: 4/5
Image 1 of 6

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 6

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 6

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 6

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 6

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 6

Garmin Vivoactive 5

(Image credit: Future)

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Scorecard

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want a bit of everything

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is great for an all round measure of health, fitness and lifestyle. This gives more than enough data to keep you healthy without overcomplicating things.

You're on a budget

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is really affordable when you take into consideration how much you get for your money here, including that stunning AMOLED display.

Don't buy it if...

You have sports specific goals

If you want to drill into data to make sports progress using metrics then the Forerunner or Fenix series might serve you better, especially with Training Readiness features.

You want longer battery life

This does offer a powerful battery performance but there are far longer life options, some using solar, if that's your need.

Garmin Vivoactive 5: How we tested

Our reviewer wore the Garmin Vivoactive 5 as his primary smartwatch for over two weeks, and it accompanied him on some trips as well as during regular workouts. It was paired to a iPhone 15 Pro Max for the majority of the testing.

The tracking results were compared to historical results from the Garmin Forerunner 965 and Wahoo Tickr, as well as the built-in step counter on the smartphone to assess accuracy.

Garmin Vivoactive 5: Also consider

Garmin Vivoactive 5 just one of many considerations for you? Here's a trio of suggestions to look into:

Polar Vantage V2

A great multi-sport option perfect for runners. It doesn't hold music, but it can offer very sophisticated metrics and boasts an advanced suite of running features.

Read our full Polar Vantage V2 review

Garmin Forerunner 265

The more entry-level, cheaper Forerunner in Garmin's stable offers a great package of its key running features, plus one of it holds music. A great alternative for serious runners.

Read our full Garmin Forerunner 265 review

First reviewed: June 2024

Polar Grit X2 Pro review
7:58 pm | June 18, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: | Comments: Off

One-minute review

The Polar Grit X2 Pro is the brand’s attempt to introduce an outdoor sports watch that can compete with both long-term rivals and those brands that are new to the space.

The Grit X Pro was launched two and half years ago, and while it offered improvements on Polar’s first Grit watch, it was still lacking some big features to compete with the best running watches out there.

That changes with the Grit X2 Pro. By adding features such as free topographic maps, dual-frequency GPS, new biometric sensor technology and an AMOLED color screen, Polar is hoping to level the playing field somewhat and better compete with top-end rivals.

What we get with the Grit X2 Pro is an outdoor watch that definitely feels more in line with models such as the Garmin Epix Pro, the Suunto Vertical and the Apple Watch Ultra 2; but in many respects, it isn't a better watch than any of these.

Polar has definitely made moves in the right direction in terms of mapping and navigation to make the device a great outdoor companion, while adding a color screen and innovations such as dual-frequency GPS also heighten its appeal. Crucially, the software that wraps this all up has also improved.

The Grit X2 Pro is absolutely better than the Grit X, and also steps up on the Grit X Pro; but its price, along with the rival watches and features available around the same price, means it doesn’t quite stand head and shoulders above other outdoor watches right now.

Polar Grit X2 Pro: Specifications

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch worn on the wrist with clock face and step count

(Image credit: Future)

Polar Grit X2 Pro: Price and release date

The Polar Grit X2 Pro launched in March 2024 and is available to buy directly from Polar. It’s also available from watch-specific outlets such as First Class Watches. Priced at $749.95 / £649.99 / AU$1,099.99, it’s significantly more expensive than the Grit X Pro at launch.

Compare that to rival outdoor watches – the obvious comparison here is the Garmin Epix Pro (47mm edition), which comes in at $899.99 / £829.99 / AU$$1,529. There’s the Suunto Vertical (from £545), too, although unlike the Grit X2 Pro and the Epix Pro, it doesn’t include an AMOLED display. Also in this company is the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Value score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2 Pro: Design and screen

  •  Attractive, rugged design with nicely textured buttons 
  •  Bright and vibrant AMOLED screen 
  •  Built with military-grade durability 

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch on a log showing clock face and step count

(Image credit: Future)

You certainly can’t accuse Polar of trying to model the Grit X2 Pro on other outdoor watches; you won’t mistake it for an Apple Watch Ultra 2, Garmin Epix Pro or a Suunto Vertical, that’s for sure.

While the look is in keeping with its predecessor, the case size has grown from the 47mm of the Grit X Pro to the 48.6mm-sized case here. It’s slightly thicker (13.4mm compared to 13mm) and heavier (57g up from 47g), too. The Grist X2 Pro definitely has the stature and feel of a watch such as the Garmin Epix Pro. It isn’t the smallest watch that you wouldn’t think twice about wearing to bed, but neither is as hulking as the Coros Vertix 2S, for example.

The rear of the case is made from bio-based plastic, while you have a choice of either a stainless steel or titanium front case, with the latter pushing up the price. Both include the 5-button array of nicely textured buttons that are easily located and responsive when your hands are sweaty or you’re wearing gloves.

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch on the wrist showing bezel thickness

(Image credit: Future)

These are joined by a new 1.39-inch, 454 x 45 resolution AMOLED touchscreen, which delivers a step up on the Grit X Pro display for both screen estate and screen colour. The display is protected by Sapphire glass and is one you can keep on at all times, which you may well wish to do since the raise to wake support isn’t always reliable. There’s a new flashlight mode, but it’s of the kind that illuminates the screen as opposed to a unit that’s built into the watch case. A high-quality AMOLED, it displays a decent top brightness, accurate colours and offers excellent visibility both outdoors and indoors.

Holding that screen to your wrist is a very comfortable silicone strap with a stainless steel buckle; the strap is designed to help improve the reliability of optical heart rate tracking. You do have the option of a leather band, too, although you’ll have to pay extra for that luxury.

In terms of durability, the Grit X2 Pro retains the same MIL-STD-810H military standard of durability as the Grit X Pro, and arrives with the same waterproofing rating. This means it will happily handle being submerged in up to 100 meters of water, and the watch does offer both pool and open water swimming modes.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Polar Grit X2 Pro: Features

  •  Dual-frequency GPS 
  •  Free offline maps 
  •  Elixir sensor brings ECG measurements 

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch on the wrist showing offline maps

(Image credit: Future)

The addition of a few significant features see the Grit X2 Pro take a sizeable leap ahead of the Grit X Pro. The first is the addition of the free, topographic maps, with Europe and US maps already preloaded onto the watch. The Grit X Pro only offered the ability to view simpler breadcrumb trails via third-party app Komoot, so this is a massive change on the mapping support front.

This brings improvements on the navigation front, too, with support added for importing routes from Strava (if you have a premium subscription) – although this has also been rolled out to the Grit X Pro.

On the tracking front, much of what we’ve already seen introduced on Polar’s Vantage V3 watch has been added on the Grit X2 Pro. There’s new swimming metrics, the ability to view your vertical and 3D speed, and Polar’s new Work-rest-guide for indoor training, to prompt you when to rest and resume sets during workouts.

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch showing nightly skin temperature reading

(Image credit: Future)

However, the big one here for outdoor lovers is the dual-frequency GPS mode, which seeks to improve outdoor tracking accuracy when in deeply wooded areas, during adverse weather conditions, and when in the vicinity of tall buildings. While not new to outdoor and sports watches in general, it means the Grit X2 Pro joins the Vantage V3 and the Ignite 3 in benefiting from the latest positioning technology innovation.

Another promised advancement concerns the change in the sensor technology Polar includes in the Grit X2 Pro. Polar’s new Elixir sensor setup is designed to sit closer and more comfortably on your wrist. It packs in Polar’s latest generation optical heart rate sensor technology, along with the ability to track SpO2 levels and skin temperature at night. It also adds ECG measurements – although, unlike Apple or Samsung’s inclusion of an ECG sensor on their smartwatches, it isn’t designed for medical use. Instead, it’s there to help make the most of Polar’s fitness tests, which previously required an external heart rate monitor.

Polar also wants the Grit X2 Pro to be a better smartwatch, so the notification and music control features included on the Grit X Pro remain, with the added colour touchscreen now making what was pretty basic smartwatch support more engaging to use.

Features score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch elixir sensor

(Image credit: Future)

Polar Grit X2 Pro: Performance

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch showing hiking mode

(Image credit: Future)

Getting the watch setup with Polar’s Flow companion smartphone app can typically be a little hit and miss in terms of pairing watch to app, though thankfully it was straightforward here. Like the Vantage V3, the Grit X2 Pro does have a tendency to disconnect itself from the paired smartphone, which can at times be irritating if you’re relying on the notifications feature, for example.

When it’s time to get tracking, there are more than 150 sports profiles from which to choose, and you can control which ones show up on the watch from the Flow app. Polar has essentially taken what it offered on the Vantage V3 and presented them here in a more rugged frame.

Most notable over the Grit X Pro is the dual-frequency mode offered here, which in testing proved a strong example of how such a feature can boost outdoor tracking accuracy in problematic areas. It was certainly a cut above the Grit X Pro, holding up well in testing against watches offering similar support such as the Garmin Epix Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Grit X2 Pro isn’t the very best in class for this type of support, and does still have a habit of smoothing out corners like the Vantage V3, but overall it performed very well in our tests.

The Grit X2 Pro makes improvements to mapping and navigation support, too, which brings Polar’s outdoor watch much closer to Garmin, and now Suunto, in this regard. Having a splash of colour on-screen also makes using those features more pleasing.

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch navigation feature

(Image credit: Future)

Maps are easy to read, nicely detailed, and you can use both the touchscreen and physical buttons to interact with them. There’s support for turn-by-turn guidance – although, like the Vantage V3, it’s accessible only through third-party app Komoot; this isn’t the case for using Garmin and Suunto’s outdoor watches. Is it the best mapping and navigation support available on an outdoor watch? No. Is it a huge step in the right direction for Polar? Absolutely.

In terms of the other components that make up Polar’s sports tracking, such as its FitSpark suggested workouts, and its Training Load and Recovery Pro insights, features are certainly easier to engage with and metrics to absorb than elsewhere. The presentation of some training insights could perhaps benefit from being more simplified, because there are absolutely some useful insights here.

Sleep tracking is a standout feature for Polar’s watches, and that doesn’t change with the Grit X2 Pro. Nightly recharge measurements and being able to view your general energy boost from sleep are useful added sleep insights, that’s crucially underpinned by sleep tracking that beats what you’ll get from Garmin and Polar for accuracy.

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch showing cardio load status

(Image credit: Future)

Polar’s heritage is built on heart rate, yet the heart rate tracking performance on the Grit X2 Pro appears to fall in line with our experience of the Vantage V3. That new Elixir sensor array didn’t show any notable signs of improvement from Polar’s previous Precision Prime sensor sensor technology. It’s generally fine for steady-paced workouts, but even on easier runs, the maximum and average heart rate readings seemed a little off at times against both Polar and Garmin heart rate monitor chest straps at times.

Thankfully, Polar has addressed some issues regarding how smooth its software runs on its watches. It has boosted CPU speeds (from 120MHz to 275MHz) and ramped up the memory, all while keeping storage at the 32GB of the Grit X Pro. As a result, swiping through screens is a smoother experience, and performance doesn’t labor in the same way it did on previous Grit watches.

In terms of battery life, the Grit X2 Pro will get you through a week with features such as dual-frequency GPS mode and sleep tracking engaged. Polar quotes up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and 43 hours of GPS battery life. Those are the same numbers attached to the Vantage V3. If you decide to use those features regularly and turn the screen to always-on, battery life will drop to a maximum of five days. As such, if you can live without a 24/7 screen, the Grit X2 Pro will last noticeably longer between charges.

There’s a slight change with the charging setup here, too: the proprietary cable remaining the same as Polar switches from a USB-A to a USB-C connection when you want to power up that watch again.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2 Pro watch showing 'fueling' feature

(Image credit: Future)

Polar Grit X 2 Pro: Scorecard

Should I buy the Polar Grit X2 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

First reviewed: June 2024

AllTrails review: an essential app for hobbyist hikers and walkers
7:20 pm | June 11, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Apps Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

AllTrails: Two minute review

AllTrails is a hiking app that allows you to search for local hikes and trails, plan your routes ahead of time, and follow your progress along the route to ensure you don’t get lost. You can also rate the trail for other users, upload photos, follow other hikers and keep a virtual diary of your trail experiences. 

It was named Apple’s “iPhone app of the year” in 2023 – and for good reason: it’s a great community app, and one of the best fitness apps around, especially for hikers and nature lovers. It’s essentially Strava for hikers, rather than runners and cyclists, and the two share many similar features. These include showing your followers GPS maps of the trails you’ve walked; the ability to upload and share media; estimated stats such as calorie counts; and more accurate GPS-generated information such as distance, elevation and moving time. 

It’s missing some of Strava’s reliance on competition with aspects such as segments, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hiking isn’t trail-running or particularly competitive, and an AllTrails representative told me this was a deliberate choice. Features such as segments and leaderboards are unlikely to arrive on this particular community-based app. Competition can breed elitism, and AllTrails is designed to democratize hiking. 

In this, the app certainly succeeds. The average person who’s never hiked before can filter by length, difficulty or style of walk (such as “nearby”, “circular” or “pub walk”), pick a trail, read the reviews, and follow a GPS map all the way round. I’ve used the free version on For AllTrails+ members, where helpful haptic feedback hints alert the user when they stray too far from the trail, reducing the chance of the user even taking a wrong turn. 

Once the user has completed their walk, they can share their media, review by stars and add comments (such as “very muddy in winter, bring walking boots”). AllTrails then takes all this community information and uses it in its calculations to serve others the same trail. It’s a simple concept, and one that’s very well-executed; it’s well worth a free download for even the most occasional hiker. 

AllTrails app used on a hike

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Regular walkers and serious multi-day hikers will get more out of AllTrails+, which is competitively priced at $34.99 / £35.99 / AU$35.99. For the extras, you get more sophisticated filtering of local trails, those wrong-turn alerts, the option of 3D maps, the ability to download trails and save them for offline use (indispensable on more remote walks), and a Live Share tool. Live Share works like the LiveTrack feature on the best Garmin watches, broadcasting your location to anyone with the Live Share URL in case something goes wrong on the trail.

There’s very little to dislike about AllTrails: it’s a great community tool; the Plus version is reasonably priced, and every trail is vetted by a human before being shared with the community. Unfortunately, being largely user-driven, I did find some complaints online. These were mainly about the fact that the trails can be outdated or feature incomplete information, such as taking you across land that has been privatized.

I experienced one such issue during testing in the Lake District, with a small part of an AllTrails route attempting to lead me across a short stretch of private land. As previously mentioned, it’s worth checking the reviews and route before you go to see if the community has picked up on anything.

Smartwatch integration is a little underwhelming: maps are only shared to the watchOS or Wear OS via the premium version; otherwise, it’s a simple start/stop button and a few basic metrics. Another hiccup is that when using the free version, navigation is dependent on cell service, so more remote hikes require the premium version to follow the map as you go.

AllTrails: Specifications

AllTrails: Scorecard

AllTrails: Should I buy?

AllTrails app used on a hike

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Buy if it...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I used the free version of AllTrails on several hikes around the UK – in Wales, Cornwall and the Chilterns – and tested AllTrails+ on three hikes in the UK’s Lake District National Park. I examined the different kinds of filters on offer for searching out new hikes, tried both 3D and 2D map data on each of the AllTrails+ hikes I went on, and tested the map route and GPS accuracy against data from my Garmin Epix Pro.  

RingConn Smart Ring review: a solid alternative to the Oura smart ring
3:23 pm | June 4, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

RingConn smart ring: One minute review

The smart ring market is becoming crowded, and as more companies bring out devices to compete with the current best smart rings, we’ve noticed a drop in price. But there are issues with cheap smart rings, including poor quality and secretive manufacturing practices – which is the reason I’ve been somewhat wary about any new smart rings entering the race, including the RingConn Smart Ring. 

However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this model. While you couldn’t exactly class it as “cheap”, it comes in at significantly less than rivals. The big question is: how does it compare to the best smart ring out right now, the Oura (Gen 3)?

Well, having spent some time with it, the RingConn Smart Ring isn’t going to knock the Oura off the top spot; its design isn’t as refined and the app isn’t as fun to use. But it’s not far off. The RingConn Smart Ring is good value, offering a comfortable design, minimal scratching, solid data collection and an app that can be busy and slow to sync, but which ultimately gets the job done. 

So although RingConn’s smart ring isn’t the best smart ring I’ve reviewed, it certainly isn’t another device to add to the growing pile of disappointing and low-quality smart rings. It’s also refreshing to find a solid alternative to the Oura (Gen 3) and Ultrahuman Ring Air. 

RingConn smart ring: Specifications

RingConn smart ring: Price and availability

Ringconn smart ring

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
  • No subscription model
  • Costs $279 (which works out at about £219 and AU$418)

The RingConn Smart Ring usually costs $279 (about £219 and AU$418). However, it can often be found discounted on the official RingConn website. At the time of writing, it’s available for $259. 

At this price, it’s one of the cheapest smart rings on the market – especially among the models I’ve tested. Sure, you can find lower-quality smart rings at even better prices, but I wouldn’t be confident recommending them.

For comparison, the Ultrahuman Ring Air costs $349 / £280 / about AU$537 and the Circular Ring Slim comes in at $264 (about £209 / AU$405). The Oura (Gen 3) commands a $299 (about £230 / AU$420) price, but you’ll also pay a subscription price thereafter, which is $5.99 (about £4.50 / AU$8) per month. 

All things considered, the RingConn Smart Ring – along with the Ultrahuman Ring Air –  is my top option if you don’t like the idea of committing to a subscription plan. 

  • Value score: 4.5/5

RingConn Smart Ring review: Design

  • Unique squared-off design
  • Super comfortable
  • Less scratching than rivals

On first glance of the RingConn Smart Ring, you’ll notice its slightly unusual design; notably its subtle squared-off finish. While this shape might immediately put some people off, after initial apprehension, I’ve grown to love it and prefer it over other smart rings I’ve reviewed. 

Looks aside, it’s definitely up there with the Ultrahuman Ring Air as the most comfortable smart ring I’ve tested. Small and light, it measures 7.8mm wide and 2.6mm thick and weighs 3-5g, depending on the size you opt for. I’ve made previous comments in my smart ring reviews that anyone who thinks a tech-filled ring is indistinguishable from regular jewelery is in for a rude awakening; but as far as smart rings go, RingConn’s smart ring is fairly unobtrusive. 

Mine was a perfect fit; I simply requested my standard ring size, which is also the size I opted to get the Ultrahuman Ring Air and Circular Ring Slim models. However, you can ensure you get the correct size by requesting the free sizing kit. 

The RingConn Smart Ring stands out from rivals for a number of reasons, but most notably because it didn’t become quite as scratched during testing, despite wearing it most days (I did remove it when I was weightlifting). If you’ve read my Ultrahuman Ring Air review and Circular Ring Slim review, you’ll know that both devices suffered a series of scratches over only a few weeks of wear. Then again, I did test the matte black version of these smart rings, and the silver version of the RingConn Smart Ring, which could be the reason for the difference. 

The RingConn smart ring is made from titanium with a PVD coating and it arrives in three colors: black, silver and gold. It’s IP68 waterproof, which means you can wear it in the shower. That rating technically suggests it could handle a quick swim, too; but, personally, I wouldn’t want to risk it. 

  •  Design score: 4/5 

RingConn Smart Ring review: Features

Ringconn smart ring

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
  • An information-packed app
  • As much data as rivals
  • No detailed workout tracking

The RingConn Smart Ring is packed with sensors, and its app uses them to collect all sorts of data about your body. The main categories tracked in the app are sleep, activity, stress, and heart rate. 

You can dig down further into each of these categories to discover more. For example, click into the sleep section from the app’s main screen to see a sleep score out of 100, total time asleep, sleep efficiency, sleep stages, heart rate and SpO2 throughout the night, skin temperature, and respiratory rate. You’ll find similar in-depth metrics in each of the key categories. 

This might seem like a lot of data, but it’s standard compared to other high-end smart rings. This information is also presented in colorful charts and graphs, which can appear cluttered at first glance, but are easy to understand, especially if you’re used to deciphering the metrics that fitness trackers and smartwatches present. 

In a recent update, RingConn has added some badges to its app, which reward you for hitting certain goals – such as your optimal sleep time or wearing the ring for 10 days in a row. While I’m not really someone who is motivated by such badges and gaming elements, I know many people are, so it’s good that some fun has been added to the experience. 

As with all smart rings, don’t expect a workout-tracking feature – at least not one that works like it would with a fitness tracker or smartwatch with a screen. But what you see in the app is an activity category, which displays active calories, steps, time standing, activity intensity (which is judged by your heart rate) and an activity summary. The RingConn Smart Ring can sync with Apple Health and, in doing so, add fitness data from other sources that you can manually tag. But it isn’t like a fitness tracker that can measure a specific workout activity, like the way you’d select a run or pilates on your Apple Watch. 

  •  Features score: 3.5/5 

RingConn Smart Ring review: Performance

Ringconn smart ring

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
  • Excellent 7-day battery
  • Minor syncing issues
  • Great data collection

I found the RingConn smart ring collected a huge amount of data and, importantly, performed well compared to my Apple Watch Series 8 in terms of stress and steps, and offering similar metrics to the Ultrahuman Ring Air. It’s also great at spot readings, with real-time options for measuring your heart rate and SpO2.

I found the RingConn smart ring to be particularly accurate for sleep tracking, especially naps throughout the day. I had the flu during testing, so I was able to see how it coped with a lot of rest. It did tell me I wasn’t stressed several times when I was ill, and advised me to work out hard on those days; but I think this points to a broader problem with interpreting stress data.

The only downside to the performance was I had to wait a few minutes for the ring to sync to the app. This is hardly a deal-breaker, but it was noticeable. 

However, I enjoyed using the RingConn app overall. At times, I found the layout a bit busy – especially when I wanted to check my sleep score or steps for the day quickly. Nevertheless, it was great to have the option to dive into the data and discover more. 

The app has three main tabs. Insights is where all of the important data lives. Trends lets you see how the data looks over time, divided into weekly and yearly reports and breakdowns by categories, such as sleep and stress. The final tab is Me, which contains settings, battery information, and FAQs.

I liked a couple of elements of the RingConn app, including the fact that it tells you how much battery the smart ring has remaining, both as a percentage and as a number of days to expect. 

I also thought some of the visualizations worked well, such as the Wellness Balance feature. This visualization, at the top of the Insights page, displays Vital Signs, Sleep, Activity, and Stress Management as a radar chart. It's easy to see where you’re lacking each day. 

Overall, the app isn’t as elegant or stylish as that of Oura, but it’s way easier to use than many others – especially that of Circular, which I found unnecessarily confusing. 

One way the RingConn Smart Ring knocks the competition out of the water is with its fantastic week-long battery. RingConn promises you’ll get 5-7 days, but I managed just under 7. This puts it at an advantage over Oura (Gen 3), which is between 5-6 days, and the Ultrahuman Ring Air, which offers just under 6 days. It’s also a vast improvement over the Circular Ring Slim, which comes in at 2 days.

In addition, the smart ring comes with a 500mAh portable USB-C charging case that can top up your ring in about an hour. Offering the ability to charge your ring’s battery 18 times, it delivers more than 150 days of battery life. Not to mention, it’s also very cute and ideal for keeping your ring safe.

  •  Performance score: 4/5 

RingConn Smart Ring review: Scorecard

RingConn Smart Ring review: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I tested the RingConn Smart Ring for seven weeks with an iPhone 14 Pro. I wore it while I was working remotely from a co-working space and coffee shops, working out at the gym, swimming, while walking and travelling to the countryside for some hikes. This meant I had a great chance to test the ring out day to day, but also to see how it performed outside of my regular routine. 

I’ve been reviewing wearable tech for more than 12 years, with a focus on health and fitness devices.

The Pump review: Arnold Schwarzenegger offers his muscle-building expertise to the masses
6:15 pm | May 31, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: | Comments: Off

You’ve heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger. You’re familiar with the best fitness apps. Put the two together and what do you get? The Pump, that’s what. 

The app is Arnie’s latest way of offering his considerable training experience and expertise to “anyone with access to a phone”. 

Rather than providing thousands of bright video workouts like rivals such as Peloton, The Pump offers a select few long-term plans, a goal-setting framework for everyday life called “Action Plans”, and a blog-like “Community” section where Arnold’s team shares interesting info and like-minded users are able to chat. 

The workout plans are designed to help you hit one of two fitness goals: ”get big” or “get shredded”. 

Admittedly, this can seem like you’re not getting as much bang for your buck as you do with similarly-priced alternatives like Sweat and Centr, which put a vast library of fitness content at your fingertips. But that’s the whole point, The Pump’s creators argue. This is because the two pillars of any successful strength training plan are consistency and systematic progression. If you’re flitting randomly from class to class on a more expansive app, you’re unlikely to get either of these things.

The Pump, on the other hand, serves you with a limited number of longer-term plans to follow based on your fitness goals. Consistency is paramount, with workouts scheduled on set days and ticked off when you get them done. If you’re looking to build muscle then, paired with appropriate nutrition, this will get you results. 

Admittedly, this approach isn’t for everyone. If you just want to move more for your health or enjoy a varied fitness routine, look elsewhere. But if you’re a strength training fan looking to build muscle, picking up a subscription to The Pump could pay dividends. 

The Pump: Price and availability

Screenshots from Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Pump app

(Image credit: The Pump app)
  • $9.99 per month (£10.49 in the UK, approximately AU$15 in Australia)
  • $99.99 per year (£105.99 in the UK and approximately AU$150 in Australia)

You can download The Pump app for free, but you’ll need to pay $9.99 per month to unlock access to its training plans. Or you can save $20 by paying $99.99 for a full year. New joiners will also receive a seven-day free trial, so you can try before you buy. 

This is a fairly standard price for a fitness app. You don’t get anywhere near the amount of content you would from the likes of Peloton, which costs $12.99 per month for the App One membership, but everything that is there is all experience-based muscle-building gold.

From a training point of view, I’ve known people pay far more per month for a solid workout program, which is exactly what this app provides. 

Some might argue that the StrongLifts app is a cheaper alternative, with a free version available or a pro version costing just $50USD per year. However, the focus here is more on improving your strength for the big three lifts (the squat, bench press and deadlift), with these three lifts dominating most programs. That’s why I think the community element, wider bodybuilding scope and more varied sessions make The Pump a worthy extra investment for most people. 

  • Value score: 4/5 

The Pump: Design

  • Simple to navigate
  • Clean design

This app isn’t as busy as others I’ve tried like Peloton, Echelon and Freeletics, and that’s one of its strengths. 

There are five tabs – a homepage, workouts, community, action plan and profile – and each one is straightforward to use. The white text on a black background is easy to read, and I found navigation pretty intuitive. If anything, it could have benefited from a few more images from Arnie’s colorful career, but that’s just my preference. 

As mentioned in the intro above, there are a limited number of workout plans (not individual workouts) available. Those that show up are tailored to your answers in a quick induction (equipment available, goals, training experience – the usual culprits). 

As a new-starter, I found I had to complete a 90-day “The Foundation” program to gain access to any other plans. The focus is on drilling consistency; if you only have one workout at a time to focus on, you’re more likely to stick to the plan, and that’s a surefire path to results.

However, if you’re a seasoned gym-goer, you may not want to strip your training back to three days per week for 90 days before you can get return to your usual frequency. 

  • Design score: 4/5 

The Pump: Features

  • Everything you need to support training for muscle gain
  • Informative and enjoyable “community” blog
  • Minimal extras beyond a goal-setting page 

Features are limited on this app, and again, I’m not sad about it. They can be boiled down to three main offerings; workout programs, “Action Plans” and community. 

Workout programs should be pretty self-explanatory. Everyone starts with a 90-day foundations course to get them in the swing of things, then there are a few different plans to choose from depending on your answers in the intro questionnaire. 

For me, there was the prospect of unlocking muscle-building plans named “Next Level”, Foundations Continued”, and “The Classic Arnold Throwback”. The last option is a six-day-a-week lifting plan inspired by Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding training of old, which will send die-hard (wrong action film?) fans into raptures.  

Action Plans are Arnie’s tried and tested goal-setting method, both in and out of the gym – set a longer-term goal, identify something you can do every day to work toward achieving it, then tick off each day that you take this measure. I think some people will find this helpful, but I found it wasn’t something I kept coming back to. 

Finally, Community is set-up like an old-school blog, with posts showing up chronologically in a vertical feed. You’ll find nutrition tips, guest posts, muscle-building tricks and occasional Q&A’s with Schwarzenegger, and members have the opportunity to chat in the comments. This element, I loved. The blog posts aren’t just public relations fluff  – they’re genuinely interesting and useful. Expect insights from experts, interviews with actors and discussions on recent health and fitness research results. 

Screenshots from Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Pump app

(Image credit: The Pump app)

Schwarzenegger’s (roughly fortnightly) Q&A’s are a highlight too. There’s a real focus on inclusivity with users of all fitness levels celebrated for their successes. 

This is all overwhelmingly positive, so you might be wondering why The Pump only scores 3.5 out of five for its features below? The simple answer is that there just aren’t many of them. 

What is there is very solid, but I can’t award it a four or above knowing what rivals offer. The likes of Fitbit and Apple Fitness+ can link to their brands’ respective smartwatches, offering insights on sleep, nutrition-tracking and more. 

Meanwhile Peloton, Hydrow and the like offer a plethora of follow-along workouts with engaging videos and enthusiastic instructors, as well as the chance to hop onto exercise machines for a connected workout. 

The only videos I came across on The Pump were exercise demonstrations linked in each workout, as well as occasional nostalgic clips from bodybuilding’s golden era in the 1960s and 1970s. And, while I thoroughly enjoyed the throwbacks and insights from Arnold on how to get the most out of each move, this wasn’t enough to bump up the app’s overall score.

  • Features score: 3.5/5 

The Pump: Performance

  • Clean and easy to use
  • No problems
  • Doesn’t push the envelope

The Pump doesn’t get much wrong on the performance front, although some of this can be put down to the app not pushing the envelope particularly far. It’s intuitive to use with clean design, and I didn’t find any of the landing pages to be overcrowded as can sometimes be the case with busier fitness apps. Instead, it’s just a functional combination of text and buttons – no thumbnails or moving parts.

The app’s no-frills approach continued during my workouts. And, as someone who likes to keep their gym sessions largely analogue, I appreciated this. There were boxes to enter my reps and weight lifted for each set, helping me track my performance so I could progress my lifts week-on-week. This allows you to take advantage of progressive overload, which is the principle behind any successful strength-building plan.  

There was also an automatic timer to stop your rest times from outstaying their welcome, if that’s a common problem for you. If not, you can put your phone back in your pocket (or throw it aside, as lifters love to do). 

  • Performance score: 4/5 

The Pump: Scorecard

TechRadar fitness writer Harry Bullmore completing a workout from Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Pump app

(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)

The Pump: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested

I used The Pump app for a week, following its "The Foundation" workout plan, using its Action Plan feature to work towards a goal outside the gym, and regularly checking in on new posts in the Community section of the app. 

The Foundation program provided three full-body workouts to complete every other day during the week, so I headed to the gym and took them for a spin. 

Also consider

Next Page »