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I wore the Garmin Lily 2 Active for a month, and it showed me women’s wearables don’t have to be pink and patronizing

6:54 pm | April 8, 2025

Garmin Lily 2 Active: One-minute review

The Garmin Lily 2 Active is a sleek, slim, great-looking smartwatch built for fitness, and that’s exactly what sets it apart from the rest of the Lily 2 lineup. To make things clear, there’s the original Lily 2, the Lily 2 Classic, and now the Lily 2 Active. While they all look similar, this newer Active version comes with two big upgrades – built-in GPS and longer battery life – making it a stronger choice for people who are serious about tracking their workouts.

The original Lily 2 and Classic models handled health and fitness well already (you can check out our Garmin Lily 2 review for more on that), but this version feels tailor-made for anyone who trains outdoors. That’s mostly thanks to the built-in GPS. In the other models, you’d need to connect to your phone to track routes. Here, you can leave your phone behind.

The Lily 2 Active is designed with smaller wrists in mind – whether that’s women or anyone who prefers a lighter, more compact smartwatch. Its 38mm case and narrower strap make it one of the most wearable fitness watches out there. Back when wearables first hit the market, many felt chunky and oversized. And I say that as someone who’s 5’7” with an athletic build – so I can only imagine how those early designs felt on truly petite wrists.

But don’t let the smaller size fool you, this is a fully-fledged fitness smartwatch. It has what Garmin calls a “hidden display,” meaning the screen disappears behind a patterned lens when not in use. The black-and-white liquid crystal screen looks more Kindle than Apple Watch, which won’t appeal to everyone. It’s not ultra-bright, and the touchscreen experience is a little different. But I actually liked it. Plus, the lack of a big, bright screen means you get far better battery life – up to nine days on a single charge – than even the best Apple Watches.

Under the hood, it’s packed with all the health, sleep, and fitness tracking features Garmin does so well – including heart rate, heart rate variability, pulse ox, and sleep tracking. All of that data feeds into Garmin’s app, where it’s turned into clear charts, sleep scores, fitness age estimates, and the brand’s clever “Body Battery” score – a simple way to check how much energy you’ve got left in the tank.

As you’d expect, fitness tracking is excellent. You get all the standard metrics, plus accurate GPS that’s fast to connect and delivers a full route map after your workout. So yes, it’s smaller and sleeker than most rivals, but it’s still powerful and a genuinely great option for anyone who wants a stylish fitness watch without compromise. Read on to find out what I thought after a full month of testing the Garmin Lily 2 Active.

Garmin Lily 2 Active review: Price and availability

The Garmin Lily 2 Active in green on a concrete surface — (Image credit: Garmin)

Garmin Lily 2 Active is $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$499
Released in September 2024

The Garmin Lily 2 Active is priced at $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$499, which makes it more expensive than the standard Lily 2, priced at $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$429. But that extra cost gets you two solid upgrades: built-in GPS and a longer battery life – small changes, but ones that make a big difference if you’re into fitness tracking.

In terms of competition, the Lily 2 Active sits in a bit of a grey area. It’s pricier than many of the best fitness trackers, but still cheaper than most of the full-featured best smartwatches.

Take the latest Apple Watch Series 10, for example, it comes in at $399 / £399 / AU$649, and gives you a bright color screen, plenty of apps, and all the bells and whistles. But if you’re not looking for all that extra functionality, the Lily 2 Active might be a better fit.

On the flip side, you’ve got more affordable trackers like the Fitbit Luxe, which is around $109.95 / £109.99 / AU$199.95. It’s sleek and slim, but it doesn’t offer the same depth of fitness tracking, GPS, or overall build quality.

You could even compare it to the best smart rings, which are becoming a popular pick for people – especially women – who want wellness data without a bulky smartwatch. The Oura Ring 4 currently comes in at $349 / £349, and the Ringconn Gen 2 Air ring is around $199 (about £185 / AU$380). But while smart rings excel at sleep and recovery data, they’re not fitness-first devices.

In short, the Garmin Lily 2 Active is fairly priced for what it offers. It’s not cheap, but you’re paying for Garmin’s proven fitness tracking expertise in a stylish, compact design, and that’s a combo that still feels pretty unique in the wearable space.

Value score: 4/5

Garmin Lily 2 Active review: Specifications

Garmin Lily 2 Active review: Design

Slim and sleek 11mm thick case
Weighs just 29g
Comes in a range of stylish colors

Let’s start with what makes the Lily 2 Active really stand out, the design. This is a slim, lightweight smartwatch built with smaller wrists in mind – and it nails that brief.

I’m usually wary of tech “designed for women,” because let’s face it, that often just means pink and patronizing. But in the case of smartwatches, there is a real need for smaller options. Because while wearing the Lily 2 Active, several people asked me what it was, surprised to see a smartwatch that looked this compact. It’s a clear reminder that not everyone wants, or needs, a chunky wearable.

Becca wearing the Garmin Lily 2 Active in green — (Image credit: Garmin)

The watch case is just 11mm thick and weighs 29g, making it one of the lightest fitness watches I’ve worn. The silicone strap is also slimmer than average, incredibly comfortable and easy to swap thanks to the quick-release button. While you can fit smaller straps to other Garmin models, the slimmer casing here makes doing so more appealing.

The display is a 34mm liquid crystal monochrome screen, which gives the watch a more e-reader feel than something like the Apple Watch. Whether that’s a good thing or not depends on your taste. Personally, I like it; I don’t miss the bright screen. In fact, I love the trade-off for longer battery life. Bold, bright displays look great, but they drain power fast. That said, some people I asked didn’t love the screen, especially those used to the more punchy visuals of the Apple Watch.

Becca holding the Garmin Lily 2 Active so you can see the buttons on the side. — (Image credit: Garmin)

Design-wise, there’s a decent range of colors and combinations, with both strap and casing options. You’ve got Jasper Green with a matching silicone band, Lunar Gold with a Bone strap, and Silver with a Purple Jasmine band. I tested the Jasper Green version and really liked it – subtle, classy, and stylish without being flashy.

A lot of smartwatches “for women” lean too hard into rose gold and unnecessary bling – or at least they used to back in the earlier days of wearable reviews. This one gets the balance just right. It looks good, goes with everything, and still turns heads enough for a few people to ask me about it.

One final note. If you’re comparing this to the original Lily 2 or wondering whether it’s worth the upgrade, the design is nearly identical. So if looks are your only concern, you might not notice much difference. The real upgrades are under the hood.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Garmin Lily 2 Active review: Features

Built-in GPS
Deep wellness tracking
Garmin Coach training plans

One of the biggest upgrades the Lily 2 Active brings to the table is built-in GPS. Unlike the original Lily 2, which relies on connected GPS (i.e. using your phone’s signal), the Active version has its own GPS onboard. That’s great news for outdoor workouts. It means more accurate tracking and one less reason to bring your phone along.

You also get Garmin Coach, an in-app coaching tool designed for structured training plans. It’s aimed at runners or cyclists training for specific goals, like a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. You tell the app about your current routine, and it gives you a tailored plan with workouts, video content, and updates from your virtual coach. I tested the 5K plan during my review, and found it really easy to follow – a great alternative to third-party running apps, and one that keeps everything in one place.

The Lily 2 Active connects via Bluetooth and ANT+, so it pairs easily with your phone and other devices. You can also control music playback from your phone, but there’s no onboard music storage – worth noting if you like to leave your phone behind on runs.

As for health and wellness features, the Lily 2 Active is surprisingly packed for such a compact watch. There’s water intake tracking, women’s health tracking (including basic period prediction and the option to log symptoms and moods), and a wide range of fitness and recovery insights thanks to Garmin’s onboard sensors. You’ll get data about you heart rate, pulse ox, sleep, heart rate variability, respiration rate, stress levels and more.

All of this feeds into Garmin’s Connect app, where it’s turned into useful metrics like your Body Battery (a daily energy gauge), Fitness Age, and a breakdown of your sleep stages. It’s one of the most comprehensive wellness ecosystems you’ll find in a smartwatch – and it’s especially impressive given the Lily 2 Active’s size.

Features score: 4.5 / 5

Garmin Lily 2 Active review: Performance

Excellent battery life (up to nine days)
Accurate tracking and responsive GPS
Comfortable to wear day and night

Garmin’s performance really shines in the app experience, and I’d argue it’s just as important as the hardware. The Garmin Connect app might not have a sleek, nice-looking aesthetic (smart ring brands really lean into this), but it’s clean, functional, and packed with actionable data. The home screen is customizable with “cards” that show whatever you care about most – heart rate, stress, calories burned, sleep, intensity minutes, and more. That ease of use is crucial when you’re collecting this much data – it means the insights are actually useful.

Fitness tracking is another strong suit. There are loads of workout modes, from running, cycling, and walking to gym activities like HIIT, rowing, weightlifting, and even snowboarding and tennis. Press the top left button to start a workout, scroll through the list, and off you go. The GPS was quick to connect and reliably mapped my routes on runs and walks.

During outdoor runs, you can swipe through screens showing pace, heart rate, lap time, and more. You can even customize these to display your key metrics or set alerts for heart rate zones and lap splits.

I used it mainly for running, where GPS performance was solid and the mapping worked well. I also tested it during weightlifting – you just need to manually log rest periods, which was slightly annoying at first but easy once I got the hang of it.

The Lily 2 Active also plays well with other fitness ecosystems, including Strava, which is a big win for runners and cyclists.

Outside of workouts, the watch is simple but easy to use. The display doesn’t light up automatically when you lift your wrist – you need to flick it or tap the button, which took a little getting used to. Navigation is mostly through swiping, and you can customize the watch face to display key info like time, steps, Body Battery, and more. There’s also a handy little quick-access circle button at the bottom of the screen you can program with shortcuts.

Garmin’s Body Battery feature is something I genuinely found useful. It gives you a read on your energy levels throughout the day, based on a mix of heart rate, HRV, and activity data. I’m often wary of outsourcing how I feel to a device, but this was surprisingly spot-on – a good way to sense when to push and when to rest.

Stress tracking is another interesting one. It uses HRV to measure physical stress rather than emotional stress, but I found it helpful – especially as it explained dips in my Body Battery. Again, it’s not just tracking data, but helping you understand it.

And then there’s sleep tracking, which is honestly fantastic. Despite being a watch, it held its own against the smart rings I tested it alongside. It nailed my wake-ups and restlessness during the night, and gave me a clear, well-presented graph each morning with a simple sleep score.

And finally, the battery life. Garmin claims up to nine days, and in my testing, I regularly hit eight to nine. That’s a huge win. I love my Apple Watch, but having to charge it daily is frustrating, especially when you want to track sleep. The Lily 2 Active, with its low-power screen, comfortably lasted over a week per charge. That’s a game-changer for anyone who doesn’t want to be constantly tethered to a charger.

Performance: 4 / 5

Scorecard

Should I buy the Garmin Lily 2 Active?

Buy it if…

You like a more subtle screen
The monochrome display isn’t as bold as rivals, but it’s easy on the eyes and helps stretch the battery to 9 days.

You have smaller wrists
The compact 38mm case, slim strap, and lightweight design make it one of the most wearable fitness watches around.

You value wellness insights
Features like Body Battery, sleep tracking, and stress monitoring make this great for everyday wellbeing, not just workouts.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a serious training or adventure watch
It’s durable and well-equipped, but lacks the rugged build, onboard maps, and high-end performance features of Garmin’s more advanced watches.

You want a bright, always-on screen
This display is stylish and functional, but it won’t suit those who prefer big, bold visuals like the Apple Watch.

You want music without your phone
There’s no onboard storage, so you’ll need your phone nearby to listen to tunes during workouts.

Garmin Lily 2 Active: Also consider

Apple Watch Series 10

A fantastic all-round smartwatch that’s big, bold, and packed with features. Plus, it comes in a variety of case styles. But it’s significantly more expensive than the Lily 2 Active, and the battery life tops out at just 18 hours.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 10 review

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

A sleek, circular smartwatch with excellent health and fitness features. It’s a great pick for Android users – especially if you’re drawn to the Lily 2 Active but have a Samsung phone.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review

How I tested the Garmin Lily 2 Active

Tested it for a month
Wore it 24/7
More than a decade of experience testing health and fitness tech

I tested the Garmin Lily 2 Active for a full month, paired with an iPhone 14 Pro.

Aside from charging and showering (it is waterproof, but I didn’t fancy risking it with soap and shampoo), I wore it 24/7. I took it on outdoor runs, gym sessions, long walks, workdays in my home office, coffee shop outings, evenings on the sofa, and while I slept. Safe to say, it’s been tested across all kinds of settings and activities.

I’ve spent more than a decade reviewing health and fitness tech – from early wearables like the now-defunct Jawbone Up, to today’s smart rings, trackers, and full-on smartwatches. I’ve tested lifestyle-friendly devices as well as those built for serious training, so I know what matters when it comes to fit, comfort, performance, and long-term wearability.

First reviewed in April 2025

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The CMF Watch Pro 2 feels like more of a spin-off than a sequel

9:00 am | February 6, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: GPS | Comments: Off

CMF Watch Pro 2: One minute review

The CMF Watch Pro 2 is undoubtedly one of the best cheap smartwatches you can buy right now, if not the absolute best pick, and it wins huge points purely for its incredibly affordable price tag.

Despite the cost-saving efforts, it has an impressive design and build and comes with plenty of features that make it a perfect beginner smartwatch for anyone new to the form factor. The screen is perfectly adequate, the software works well enough, and there are myriad smartwatch features including workout tracking, sleep monitoring, GPS, and more.

However, it lacks a couple of key features, including NFC payments, and it can't really be used in water. Also, some of its features, like raise and tap to wake, as well as workout detection, are a little temperamental. Perhaps my biggest issue with it is that I prefer the larger, squircle shape of the previous model, but I've reviewed it here on its own merits.

Nothing still sells both, and it's a big departure from what I believe is the ultimate smartwatch success formula. However, it does deliver some good upgrades, including a better display and more watch faces.

CMF Watch Pro 2: Specifications

CMF Watch Pro 2: Price and Availability

$69 / £69 / AU$99
Four colors

The CMF Watch Pro 2 is available now in two colors from Nothing's website as well as from retailers like Amazon. It costs $69 / £69 / AU$99 but does occasionally see discounts of up to 25%.

There's only one size, the 42mm watch face, available in four colors: Blue, Ash Grey, Orange, and Dark Grey pictured here.

Pound for pound, this has to be the best-value smartwatch you can buy on the market right now, considering it's compatible with both iPhone and Android and it has an impressive feature set. It only gets a 5/5 because I can't award a higher score.

Value score: 5/5

CMF Watch Pro 2: Design

Cool circular display
Divisive change from the 1st-gen
Solid, premium build

You're going to hear a lot of "for a $69 watch" in the next few minutes. But honestly, for a $69 Watch, the CMF Watch Pro 2 is a really impressive piece of design.

Nothing is famous for making cool-looking tech gadgets, and the CMF Watch Pro 2 is no different. However, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. I'm very much team "smartwatches should be squircle," but the CMF Watch Pro 2 eschews the design of the first CMF Watch Pro in favor of a completely circular design more akin to the Google Pixel Watch 3. It's a big change, and one fans of the first watch might not like. The 42mm display is housed in a 45mm chassis, and the rather thick bezel is tapered towards the middle to create a unique bowl effect.

While the styling is divisive, it's certainly not generic. The digital crown is also premium and feels nice and responsive to use. My only build gripe is the liquid silicon strap, which is pretty thin and not very premium-feeling. That being said, it is comfortable, and I didn't experience much in the way of wrist fatigue during any of my testing.

The bezel is interchangeable, so you can pop it off and replace it with a purchased alternative to change up the style and color of your watch pretty quickly. This is another fairly unique feature that you won't really find on other smartwatches.

The display is a 1.32-inch AMOLED measuring 466x466. It's a slight upgrade on the previous generation, now putting out 620 nits of peak brightness with a 60fps refresh rate, vs 58Hz and 600 nits in the old one. The display is considerably smaller than the previous model, another divisive change. However, the overall shift makes the watch much smaller in profile, so people with smaller wrists or those who want a more unintrusive experience will prefer this.

The screen has a new auto-brightness feature, as well as five levels you can manually select from. At 620 nits peak, it's not exactly a looker (even the Apple Watch SE 2 puts out 1,000 nits) but it's perfectly adequate. In fact, for a $69 watch, it's definitely a decent display.

Some colors look a little washed out, like the temperature dials on my multifunction face. But colorful faces like the Prismatic Time face definitely have some pop to them. There are some weird pixel-shifting issues I've seen on some of the interfaces, lines that should be straight are wonky in places, but I can't tell if this is a hardware or a software issue. At a glance, it's not really that noticeable.

Durability-wise, the CMF Watch Pro 2 comes with an IP68 water rating. That means it's dustproof and can withstand immersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. However, Nothing says the Watch Pro isn't suitable for use while swimming, in the shower, saunas, steam rooms, or any kind of water sports or activity. Basically, water is a no-go, which is definitely a key weak spot.

Design score: 4/5

CMF Watch Pro 2: Features

Lots of sports tracking and health metrics
Bluetooth, GPS, heart rate metrics
No NFC

For a $69 watch (I won't stop), there's an awful lot going on here. The CMF Watch Pro 2 offers a myriad of features you'd expect to find in a smartwatch, with a couple of key missing features reflective of the price.

Let's start with what you do get. Underpinning most of the best smartwatches these days is health and fitness, and the CMF Watch Pro 2 offers 120 sport modes, as well as five smart recognition activities that can detect your workouts without manual input (I'll get to whether this works in the Performance section). Some exercises even have a warm-up option that triggers a quick slew of animated warm-up stretches and movements before you work out, something you won't even find on any of the best Apple Watches.

Health tracking delivers an Active Score, round-the-clock heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, sleep tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, step count, calories, resting heart rate, and alerts for abnormal heart rate and blood oxygen.

You also get key features like reminders, music controls, a remote camera control, a calendar, a calculator, and alarms. The Watch Pro 2 works with both iOS (13 and above) or Android (8.0 and above), so you should get plenty of cross-compatibility and synchronization between features like reminders and alarms on your watch and whichever smartphone you use.

You'll also get a Find My Phone feature, flashlight, and a voice assistant functionality, although I found the latter one is a bit of a gimmick, it's supposed to trigger your phone's voice assistant, and while I could see the watch waking up Siri on my iPhone, I couldn't actually ask questions or use it for anything.

Crucially, the Watch Pro 2 lacks NFC, so can't be used to make mobile payments from your wrist, which might be a deal breaker for some.

Features score: 4.5/5

CMF Watch Pro 2: Performance

Decent workout tracking
Some obvious quirks
Snappy day-to-day use
Good battery life

I'll start with the performance positives because there are a couple of quirks with the CMF Watch Pro 2 you should be aware of.

I generally found workout tracking to be consistent. A direct test with my Apple Watch Series 10 for an indoor run measured almost identical readings for distance traveled. The average heart rate was just one bpm off, and the range was pretty much spot-on. As far as workout tracking on a smartwatch can be accurate (the jury is out on just how useful it is generally), I'd say the CMF Watch Pro 2 delivers pretty reasonable accuracy across the board.

I've seen other reviews comment on GPS quirks, but I didn't experience any issues with it. Battery life on the Watch Pro 2 is pretty impressive, rated for up to 11 days of typical use, 9 days of heavy use, or 25 hours using GPS. I've found that generally to hold true in testing, and the battery life is definitely one of the positives.

While syncing with iOS and my iPhone was generally seamless, it doesn't play nice with Apple's notifications because these are restricted for third-party hardware. As such, iOS Focus modes don't work, one consideration for iPhone users. Notifications are pretty limited in use also, whereas you can respond to them in watchOS on devices like the Apple Watch or Wear OS, all you can do is read and dismiss them here.

As you might have picked up, the CMF Watch Pro 2 runs Nothing's proprietary smartwatch software rather than Wear OS. I actually prefer the look and feel over Wear OS, but like Wear OS, some elements of the UI remain poorly optimized for the circular display. Scrolling and swiping were very snappy overall, and I never experienced any performance lags. In fact, the Watch Pro 2 is noticeably snappier than even the Garmin Instinct 3 I was recently hands-on with.

Throughout my testing, I couldn't get 'raise to wake' to work at all. I even wrote this portion of the review, describing it as the CMF Watch Pro 2's biggest flaw and one that really hobbled the user experience. Then, out of nowhere, the feature began to work perfectly.

Now, whenever I lift my wrist, the watch immediately springs into life. Tap to wake is less reliable, and I've seen other reviews flag that raise to wake is an issue. So while I can no longer say it doesn't work full stop, it is definitely quirky and a problem to watch out for.

Workout detection does work, sort of. While out walking, my watch notified me that I was doing exactly that and asked if I'd like to track the experience. I tapped yes, but the tracker started from zero. Workout detection on Apple Watch is always running in the background, so if you get a detection notice after 10 minutes of walking, that 10 minutes of activity is included in your metrics. The Watch Pro 2 starts from scratch, which isn't exactly how I'd expect workout detection to function. Basically, it's handy if you forget to start your workout and need a reminder.

One final flaw, the vibration motor isn't nice. It resonates at just the wrong frequency and shakes the whole watch with an annoying, high-pitched buzz, it's the only part of the experience that feels cheap.

Performance score: 3/5

CMF Watch Pro 2: Scorecard

CMF Watch Pro 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You've never had a smartwatch before

This is a perfect beginner smartwatch, an easy investment to see if using one is for you.

You're on a budget

You'll struggle to find a better smartwatch at this price.

Don't buy it if...

You like water

Nothing warns against use in any kind of water, so this is not the pick if you want a watch you never have to take off.

You want true software synchronization

Both Apple Watch or Wear OS models are going to offer better integration with their respective operating systems

CMF Watch Pro 2: How we tested

I used the CMF Watch Pro 2 over a number of weeks, as a daily smartwatch, during workouts, and more. I tested all of its main features and it was connected to an iPhone for the duration of testing.

CMF Watch Pro 2: Also consider

The original CMF Watch Pro is still fantastic, similarly priced, bigger, and has more battery life. It's a great alternative, as there aren't a ton of improvements in the new one.

Read our full CMF Watch Pro Review

For exactly the same price, this Amazfit offers a similar experience with a more Apple Watch-esque design. It's GPS is impressive and it's light and comfortable, but you won't get the same build quality or workout tracking accuracy. Really, consider this pick vindication that Nothing is king of the cheap smartwatch.

Read our full Amazfit Bip 3 Pro Review

First reviewed: February 2025

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active review: Too many corners cut

7:15 pm | January 6, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: GPS | Comments: Off

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: One-minute review

Writing this Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active review, I wasn’t exactly expecting it to hit our list of the best fitness trackers on the market — it’s startlingly cheap, designed for people who just need the fundamentals of health tracking. However I wasn’t expecting it to miss the mark so much.

Released as an even-more-affordable alternative to the already-affordable Xiaomi Smart Band 9, the Active model cuts the cost, as well as some corners, from that predecessor. However, it cuts so many corners that, like a really bad lapidarist, it leaves nothing left to appreciate.

Testing a cheap fitness tracker like this, you have to expect some compromises, but the Band 9 Active takes it too far. Many different health tracking metrics were easily proven wrong, with GPS reading poorly compared to data from our smartphone and heart rate information being laughably inaccurate. Calorie burn predictions were also dubious, unless I truly did only burn double-figure calories in an hour-long weights session.

One surprise exception was sleep tracking, which to me seemed vaguely reliable — at least, compared to distance or heart rate. If you just want a cheap and feature-sparse sleep tracker, this could be a valuable option.

Still, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active really struggles to prove itself as a useful health tracker given how ropey the testing results were. It fares a little better with its ‘smartwatch’ lifestyle functions as it was quick to send through notifications and let you control music.

It’s par for the course for fitness trackers to opt for offering a range of features, with the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active trying to track loads of metrics and health considerations. However, it seems that Xiaomi’s focus on breadth over depth has resulted in a wearable that’s hard to recommend. If you want a fitness tracker that has all the good bits of the Band 9 Active and few of the issues, opt for the standard model or the bigger and pricier Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active being worn in a park. — (Image credit: Future)

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Specifications

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Price and availability

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active alongside the standard and Pro versions. — (Image credit: Future)

Costs $44.99 / £19.99 / AU$42.99
Cheaper alternative to Band 9
Released in October 2024

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active was unveiled in China in October 2024, alongside the Band 9 Pro, and was slowly rolled out globally over the subsequent months. It’s now available to buy in most countries globally including the US, UK and Australia.

You can buy the Band 9 Active for $44.99 / £19.99 / AU$42.99, so it’s an incredibly cheap fitness tracker — though you don’t need to know currency conversions to know that some folks get it cheaper than others. I found some significant price fluctuations on Amazon, with Australian shoppers on the retailer getting a variation of a few dollars depending on the color option, and UK buyers being shown prices literally twice as high as on Xiaomi’s own website! So shop around to find the best price.

That’s a roughly $15 / £15 / AU$20 drop in price compared to the Xiaomi Band 9, a healthy discount that means that the budget band will likely undercut the original one even when the middle child is on sale. The cost also roughly matches the Xiaomi Band 8 Active from last year.

There aren’t many cheap fitness trackers at this price bracket that bear mentioning, so the Active’s competitors are all (relatively) pricey alternatives like the other Smart Band 9 models and options from Samsung and Fitbit if you can find them reduced. More on competition later.

Value score: 4.5/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Design

Display doesn't look great
Rectangular body plus strap
Fairly well protected against bumps and water

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active has a pretty utilitarian design. Its body measures 4.6 x 2.7 x 1cm and weighs 16.5g, so it’s pretty small, and it totes a 1.47-inch display with a 172 x 320 resolution.

The band is made of TPU, which feels like a rubbery plastic, and can be adjusted for a wide range of wrist sizes. You can pick up the Active in black, beige or light pink, and your choice is reflected in the band’s body and strap.

With a 5ATM water resistance, the watch can withstand submersion in water at up to 50 meters — however, there are no swim tracking modes on the band, making this a feature you won’t need to test.

I bumped and bashed the Band 9 Active a fair few times during testing and it didn’t show a mark — it’s a good pick for clumsy wearers. It’s also small enough that you can wear it to bed without it being too noticeable and annoying.

The display, frankly, doesn’t look great, but that’s what you’re getting for your low entry fee. You can put your own photos as your watchface too which is a nice touch, even if faces end up looking a little like old-school RuneScape characters.

Design score: 3/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Performance

Many metrics seem inaccurate
Poor at pulling data from smartphone for GPS
50 sports tracking modes in all

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers about 50 different fitness tracking modes, roughly a third as many as its two siblings though all the basics are covered (and then a few). Before you remark about how many that is, bear in mind that not all fitness tracking modes are equal.

Basically all of the fitness modes track time and heart rate, and some throw GPS in on top — the reason you’d pick between different tracking modes is so it’ll show up as a different entry in your fitness log, and because you can set different workout goals for different activities.

For testing purposes I used outdoor running, outdoor cycling and strength, but the fill list includes everything from badminton and baseball to billiards and ‘back’ (back workouts, that is).

Unfortunately, they’re not great: most of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active’s fitness tracking features don’t work as they’re supposed to.

Here’s an example: one testing day I ran to my gym, which is usually 1.6km but the ‘outdoor running’ mode only recorded it as 1.4km. Then at the gym, I turned on ‘strength’ mode for my workout, and it told me I was at a low heart rate — despite the fact I hadn’t caught my breath after the run, and could feel my heart rate to be elevated.

The GPS issue is the most pronounced; multiple times during testing the watch wouldn’t report the full distance of a run or cycle (or, on one occasion, any distance at all, instead of the 4km I had cycled). From my testing, I seemed to lose on average 20% of the distance I actually traveled. It seems to be an issue with how the watch connects to your phone, as the Active only has Connected GPS (which utilizes your phone’s GPS, instead of having it built-in). I would have considered it being an issue with my phone, had I not tested the Band 9 Pro immediately before the Active.

The heart rate issue is also a shame — it’s one of the most important metrics that people use fitness trackers for, so the fact that it’s so obviously inaccurate is a real shame.

Now for a surprise: sleep tracking worked pretty well, surprisingly so given the rest of the performance. It was acccurate in terms of timing, even if I lay in bed reading before sleeping or remained prone for a while after waking up. It also offered basic-but-useful breakdowns of types of sleep (REM, deep, etc) as well as wake-up times and your resting heart rate (for however accurate that is…). If all you want out of a fitness tracker for is sleep tracking, this budget option might be alright.

Performance score: 2/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Features

Mi Fitness app used on phone
Music playback, notification handling and more
14-day battery life

Beyond the iffy fitness tracking options, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active more or less ticks all the feature boxes you’d expect for a cheap fitness tracker.

Through Bluetooth with your phone it can tell you the weather, control your music (well, skip, back a track and play/pause) and ping you with notifications. I recommend customizing which notifications get sent to your tracker, lest you want to be pinged every few minutes with the latest weather report.

The Band 9 Active connects to your phone via Bluetooth 5.3 and the connection was faultless during my testing — except, of course, for the weird GPS issue. You connect to the Mi Fitness app, which can bring you a few extra ways to use your band.

The main one (for me) is that it gives you more depth to examine your past workouts, with a rough GPS map and other metrics. You can also see the results of various metrics tracked via the watch like training load, stress, energy and your vitality score.

You can also use the app to customize your watch to a limited degree — like I said you can set a background photo or pick from a wide range of other displays. You can also tweak some settings of the fitness tracking metrics and set a password for the tracker.

Xiaomi cites the battery life for the Band 9 Active at being 18 days, or about two-and-a-half weeks. From my testing, I’d say you can reliably get two weeks of use out of the band before needing to charge it, but that extra four days may be a stretch if you’re not sparing with your use.

Performance score: 3.5/5

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Scorecard

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You're only in it for sleep tracking
If you only want a sleep tracker, and don't care about other health features, then you'll find the Band 9 Active fit for purpose.

You don't care about health at all
Just want a way to control your music, see notifications and check on the weather from your wrist? Then the Band 9 Active is fine for you and you won't need to spend any more.

You want a simple user interface
The Band 9 Active strips some features from its siblings, but this makes it very simple to use for technophobes or seniors..View Deal

Don't buy it if...

Your budget goes any higher
For only a small price increase, you can buy the Smart Band 9 which is a lot better in every way.

You care about tracking heart rate, calories or location
I've already mentioned in detail how iffy the fitness tracking modes of the Band 9 Active are. Don't use it if you actually care about tracking your health.

Also consider

Xiaomi Smart Band 9

For only a small price increase, you can buy this fitness tracker which fixes all of the Active's problems, plus looks nicer and lasts for longer.

Read our full review

Fitbit Inspire 3

A few years of price cuts means that the Fitbit Inspire 3 is fairly affordable, though it'll still set you back the equivalent of several Band 9 Actives.

Read our full review

First reviewed: January 2025

Garmin Dash Cam X310 review: a feature-packed 4K dash cam that’s Garmin’s best yet

1:59 pm | October 28, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Dash Cams Gadgets Vehicle Tech | Tags: GPS | Comments: Off

Garmin Dash Cam X310: one-minute review

The Garmin X310 is a 5-star dash cam that is compact, easy to use, and shoots 4K video with HDR at 30 fps. It ticks a lot of boxes, while also looking and feeling like a quality product, reliably recording high-quality footage, and packing several routes for upgrading – from a parking mode, to the option for live remote viewing and connecting several synchronized dash cams to one vehicle.

It all works very well, as Garmin dash cams have for years now, and the integrated polarizing lens is a nice bonus. But the X310 is expensive, and while 4K video is nice to have, it doesn’t offer enough to convince owners of Garmin’s last flagship, the Dash Cam 67W, a reason to upgrade. However, if you’re new to dash cams and have the budget, this is a fantastic option and one of the best dash cams available.

Garmin Dash Cam X310: price and availability

As of October 2024, this is the new flagship of the Garmin dash cam range. It is priced at $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$679 and is available now.

It sits above the equally new X210 ($299.99 / £259.99 / AU$499), the X110 ($199.99 / £199.99 / AU$349) and the entry-level Dash Cam Mini 3 ($149.99 / £149.99 / AU$249).

Garmin Dash Cam X310: specs

Garmin Dash Cam X310: Design

This is Garmin’s flagship dash cam, but it’s still remarkably compact, at 70 x 42.2 x 19.5 mm. It’s about twice the size of the tiny Dash Cam Mini 3, which considering the X310 has a 2.41-inch display on the back and 4K capabilities, is mighty impressive.

The simple, rectangular body houses two buttons on the right (for power and manually saving a recording), a USB-C port on the left, and a microSD card slot on the bottom. Garmin doesn’t include a memory card with this dash can, which feels a bit mean considering the high price and that this is their flagship model.

Garmin’s fantastically simple windshield mount makes a welcome return for this generation of dash cam. It’s a short arm that attaches to the dash cam with a ball-and-socket joint for plenty of adjustability, then fixes to a magnetic metal disc, which then sticks to the windshield with adhesive. The disc stays on your windshield, while the dash cam can be removed whenever you like, then snaps back into place magnetically when you need it.

The whole mounting system takes up far less space than that of any other dash cam brand, and makes for a discrete installation.

Garmin Dash Cam X310: Performance

The specs alone should be enough to tell all you need to know. It doesn’t feel long since 4K dash cams represented a brave new world, and a world where video quality didn’t necessarily live up to expectations. There are no such concerns with the Garmin X310.

By default, it records 4K resolution with HDR at 30 frames per second, and the footage looks fantastic. You could argue that 4K is overkill for a dash cam, and while you may often be right, there‘s no denying the quality displayed here. Videos are smooth and full of detail, with accurate colors and nice control over the exposure and white balance.

The X310 also lets you record in 1080p Full HD with HDR at 30 fps, or if you drop the HDR the frame rate can be cranked up to 120 fps. The latter is a perfectly good option, and results in even smoother footage that retains plenty of detail when paused, thanks to all those extra frames. But the default 4K option is probably what most buyers will stick with, and for good reason. This produces some of the best video I’ve seen from any dash cam – and certainly the best from one as compact as the Garmin X310.

Previously an optional extra, Garmin now fits its dash cams with an integrated polarizing filter. This is designed to reduce windshield reflections and on a sunny day we found it did a great job. The blue fabric dashboard of our test car (used for the daytime recording in this review) was practically invisible, and didn’t once reflect across the windshield.

Nighttime recordings lose some detail, naturally, and there’s more noise as the camera battles against the low light. Footage is still very good though, and while vehicle license plates generally aren’t readable on the move, they come into clear focus when stationary and in reasonably close proximity.

One small downgrade from Garmin’s previous flagship, the 67W, is how the lens field of view has shrunk from 180 degrees to 140. I always liked how Garmin’s lenses were wider than the competition, but losing 40 degrees in pursuit of a less distorted image – one that suffers less from a curved fisheye effect at its edges – isn’t such a big deal.

Using the X310 is as easy as ever. You don’t even have to create a Garmin account, if you don’t want to. Just insert a microSD card (there isn’t one included in the box), plug it in to the 12-volt (lighter) socket and away you go; it starts recording when the car is switched on. The 2.4in touchscreen can be used to adjust settings, like video resolution, so you don’t need to use Garmin’s Drive app either, if you don’t want to.

That said, the app is used to handle software updates (one was available when we began our review), and it’s an easier way to access the dash cam’s settings menu. Here, I chose to switch off the collision warning system, since it twice alerted me to an imminent collision, despite my car being parked at the time. On one occasion there wasn’t even another vehicle passing by. The app is also where you set up Vault, an optional subscription service where recordings are uploaded to Garmin’s cloud storage via your smartphone’s internet connection. It’s a handy feature, but at £9.99 a month I feel it doesn’t offer enough, especially versus the Nextbase iQ smart dash cam with its connected features. I’m happy to have recordings saved to my microSD card instead, where they can be transferred to my phone manually.

Paying for Vault also unlocks the Parking Guard function, which requires a constant power supply (cables sold separately) and an active Wi-Fi connection, such as to a hotspot left in the car. With all that set up, the dash cam will alert your phone when it senses a collision (or potential theft) and provide a live view.

Lastly, Garmin’s voice control system works as well as ever. It’s a handy way to turn the microphone off, or manually save a piece of footage (although pressing a button or tapping the screen does the same thing).

Should you buy the Garmin Dash Cam X310?

Buy it if...

You want 4K video
This dash cam shoots 4K video with HDR at 30 fps. The results are fantastic, with lots of detail, accurate colors, balanced exposure and very little grain, even at night. There’s also an option for 1080p at 120 fps, if you prefer.

You need GPS
Integrated GPS means all your video recordings include your vehicle’s speed and location, using GPS coordinates. These can act as crucial pieces of evidence if you’re accused of causing a collision.

You’d like the option for expansion
Although it works great on its own, the X310 can be improved. Garmin sells a permanent power cable to enable the parking mode. After that, you can add a Wi-Fi hotspot to your car and access the dash cam remotely via the Drive app, then through the same app you can add up to three more Garmin dash cams, all recording in sync to provide 360-degree coverage around your vehicle.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a tight budget
This is an expensive dash cam and 4K video is very much a luxury that many drivers can do without. Dash cams can cost very, very little, and while we wouldn’t necessarily recommend the cheapest possible model, there are many alternatives that cost a third of the X310.

You want the smallest dash cam
The X310 is compact for what it offers, but if you want one even smaller you should look at the equally new Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 instead. It lacks a screen (and GPS) but is truly tiny.

You already have the Garmin 67W
Garmin’s latest flagship, the 67W, is still a great dash cam. The X310 adds 4K video and a polarizing lens, yet costs over 50 percent more. If you have a 67W and it still works fine, the new model isn’t worth upgrading to.

How I tested the Garmin Dash Cam X310

I installed the Dash Cam X310 into two cars
I used the dash cam during multiple journeys, during the day and also at night
I set up the dash cam using the Garmin Drive smartphone app

I installed the Garmin X310 in two different cars and used it frequently for a variety of journeys during the day and at night. I tried out its various features and transferred video recordings to both my smartphone and computer for a closer look.

First reviewed October 2024

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 review: same great design, now with less glare

7:34 pm | October 18, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Dash Cams Gadgets Vehicle Tech | Tags: GPS | Comments: Off

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3: one-minute review

When it comes to compact dash cams, Garmin proves with the Mini 3 that it’s still the market leader. This is a tiny dash cam that shoots Full HD with HDR at 30 fps, and is so small it practically disappears behind your rear-view mirror, for a near-seamless installation. It also has a decent voice control system, and the smartphone app works well for adjusting settings and downloading stored footage.

That said, the Mini 3 is a very small upgrade on the three-year-old Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 and, other than an integrated polarizing lens, offers no real incentive to upgrade. If you have an earlier Garmin Mini dash cam, then keep it. But if you’re looking for a very small Full HD dash cam, this one has to be at the top of your list, it's one of the best value dash cams out there.

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3: price and availability

Launched in September 2024, the Mini 3 is part of a new family of dash cams from Garmin. As with previous generations of Dash Cam Mini, the 3 is Garmin’s entry-level model.

Available now, the Mini 3 is priced at $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$249. This makes it slightly more expensive than the Mini 2, which arrived back in the summer of 2021. The new model is available now.

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3: specs

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3: Design

The new Garmin Mini 3 looks almost identical to its predecessor, except for how it’s now designed to be mounted horizontally instead of vertically. This helps it hide more neatly behind the central rear-view mirror of most cars, and means the microSD card slot and microphone mute button are now on the bottom of the device instead of the side.

There’s still a USB port on the right-hand side, but this has been upgraded to USB-C, and there’s still a big button on the rear for manually saving footage. This can be handy for when you witness an incident but aren’t directly involved.

Garmin’s fantastic (and fantastically simple) windshield mount returns once again with the Mini 3. This attaches to the dash cam with a ball-and-socket joint, then sticks to the windshield with an integrated adhesive pad. There’s plenty of adjustability, but the ball of the mount is gripped tightly enough by the socket of the dash cam to prevent it from moving as you drive.

Also included in the box is a USB-C to USB-A cable and an adapter for plugging the dash cam into your car’s 12-volt socket. The adapter has a pair of USB-A connections, so you can power the dash cam and charge your smartphone at the same time. I’d have preferred a pair of USB-C ports instead, given that’s what almost all smartphones now use, but that’s a small criticism.

As with previous generations of Garmin Dash Cam Mini, a microSD card is not included in the box, so you’ll need to provide your own.

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3: Performance

Despite its tiny proportions, the Mini 3 records HDR video at Full HD. It does so through a 140-degree lens with a built-in polarizing filter designed to cut down on windshield reflections. Apart from the addition of the filter, this is the same specification as the Mini 2 – and, as a result, the footage produced by the Mini 3 looks pretty similar too.

That’s no bad thing. Footage is sharp and clear, with nicely balanced exposure and enough detail for easily reading vehicle license plates, street signs and road markings; all the things you rely on a dashcam to pick up with great clarity. There were practically no reflections at all in the footage we captured, even on a sunny autumn day, and although not Hollywood quality, the 1080p video (at 30 frames per second) looked plenty good enough for such a tiny dashcam.

Nighttime footage isn’t as clear, of course, but even well after sunset there’s enough detail to work out what’s going on. Vehicles and road markings are clearly visible, however number plates cannot be read as reliably as they can during the day. I also noticed some reflection on the windscreen from my car’s infotainment display, but this was upwards in the top of the camera’s view and well out of shot.

Day and night, the Garmini Mini 3 produces very good footage, especially considering how tiny this dash cam is. Although I obviously couldn’t test the crash detection function, I noticed how the dash cam saves a portion of footage when the driver brakes firmly. So even if you don’t actually hit anything, you’ll have evidence of what could have been a near-miss. As ever, the sensitivity of the dash cam can be adjusted in the app settings menu, which is handy if you find it triggers too easily, such as over speed bumps or potholes.

As for additional features, the Mini 3 has access to Garmin’s voice control tech. It’s always worked pretty well, throughout the history of the Garmin Dash Cam range, and is equally good here. You can ask the dash cam to manually save a recording, or turn the microphone on/off. It’s a nice-to-have but something you’re unlikely to use frequently.

As with other Garmin dash cams, the Mini 3 has a parking mode that alerts your smartphone when a collision is detected while parked. However, this requires a hardwiring kit to give the camera a constant source of power (sold separately), an active WiFi connection and a subscription to Garmin’s Vault cloud storage service. For some buyers this will add unnecessary expense and complexity, but if you can provide the all-important WiFi connection it can turn your dash cam into a round-the-clock surveillance system.

Another fringe-case feature of Garmin dash cams is how up to four can be synced up together. That way, you can have one facing forwards and one rearwards, then even a couple facing to the sides if you have a large vehicle that might benefit from 360-degree recording. Remember though, each dash cam will need a 12-volt or USB socket for power.

Should you buy the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3?

Buy it if...

You want a distraction-free dash cam
Since there’s no screen, there’s absolutely nothing to distract you. It’s even possible to mount the Garmin Mini 3 behind the rear-view mirror, so it’s almost completely out of the driver’s sight.

You can manage without GPS
If you just need video – without speed, direction and location data – this is the dash cam for you. GPS data can be added to recordings if you sync the Mini 3 with a compatible Garmin dash cam equipped with GPS.

You don’t need 4K video
Unless you have a big budget, there’s every chance you can do without 4K video from your dash cam. The Full HD footage of the Mini 3 looks plenty good enough for its purpose, and compared to 4K takes up far less storage space too.

Don't buy it if...

You already have the Mini 2
The new Mini 3 is a very small upgrade on the three-year-old Mini 2, so if you still have that dash cam and it’s working fine, we recommend you stick with it.

You want GPS
As with the previous two generations of Mini, Garmin’s smallest dash cam lacks GPS. This adds location, speed and direction-of-travel data to your recordings, so if you feel you need those metrics you’ll have to look elsewhere.

You prefer dash cams with displays
Since it’s so small, the Mini 3 has no display. This means you’ll need to use the free Garmin drive app to adjust settings and check the camera’s point-of-view during the setup process. It also means you can’t view footage on the dash cam itself, and instead recordings need transferring to your phone or computer.

How I tested the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3

I installed the Mini 3 into my own car
I used the dash cam during several journeys, during the day and also at night
I set up the dash cam using the Garmin Drive smartphone app

I installed the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 in my own car and used it over the course of a couple of weeks. This included journeys during the day and at night, and gave me a good opportunity to inspect how the camera performs in various lighting conditions. I also tried out the Garmin Drive app, which is used to see a live view of the camera and adjust settings during the setup process.

First reviewed October 2024

Oura Ring 4 review: a future-proof smart ring with a subscription attached

7:36 pm | October 17, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: AI, Australia, GPS, USD | Comments: Off

Oura Ring 4: One minute review

The Oura Ring Generation 4 is better than the Samsung Galaxy Ring – provided, that is, you subscribe to the $5.99-a-month Oura Ring membership program. It’s more comfortable thanks to the lack of nodules, it’s got theoretically better heart rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature recognition thanks to the way its sensors are designed, an AI ‘Oura Advisor’ service, sophisticated women’s health tracking insights, ‘stress’ and ‘resilience’ metrics along with all the features available on the app to previous-gen Oura Ring users.

It’s a wonderfully-designed Ring, supremely comfortable to wear at night thanks to the lack of protruding inner nodes, easy on the eye, and available in six metallic finishes, all externals comprised of tough titanium. The redesigned app is great, providing detail and context missing in other smart rings with the use of timelines and easy-to-add ‘tags’. Battery life is good, with the Oura Ring matching expectations and lasting around six days as advertised with multiple workouts.

Automatic workout tracking also works terrifically, and is now able to be used for more than walking and running. The ring is able to correctly identify up to 40 different workout profiles, and I really enjoyed this aspect: it correctly identified running and yoga after I listed them as two of my most common workout types. I tried one of the guided meditations from the app’s Explore content section and felt as though it was comparable to other mindfulness services, like the Calm app. It really does feel like a futuristic wearable in every respect, from its design to its performance.

However, it’s also pricier than its contemporaries. The Samsung Galaxy Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air are expensive wearables, but once you buy them, that’s it. The Oura Ring is also a premium device, starting at $349 / £349 (Australia pricing is TBC) with the added subscription acting as a paywall to access almost all features other than your Readiness, Activity and Sleep scores. I can understand a premium device demanding a premium price (I recently gave the pricey Garmin Fenix 8 a coveted five-star rating) but the ongoing nature of the subscription means the Oura Ring does lose half a point in the value stakes.

Garmin also continues to add new features to its devices via software on a regular basis, just like Oura. Unfortunately, Oura makes you pay for these, and only gives you a one-month free trial; comparable services, like Fitbit Premium, often give you six months free as an incentive to sign up. That said, it’s a really excellent service, and I can’t recommend it enough – if you can afford it. If you’re on a budget, though, rival smart rings offer almost as much versatility in a better-value package.

Oura Ring 4: Price and availability

$349 / £349, with Australia prices TBC
$5.99 subscription (priced in USD across all regions)
Some colors incur an additional cost

As previously stated, the Oura Ring 4 starts at $349 / £349, with Australia pricing TBC as it’s currently unavailable in that region. Some designs and colorways cost more, with Rose Gold being the most expensive at $499 / £499.

The Oura Ring Membership, which is required if you want to unlock the ring’s full potential, costs $5.99; you get one month free when you purchase the ring. As mentioned above, If you’re going to buy the ring, you really have to subscribe to see its full potential.

The Oura Ring’s closest rival, the Samsung Galaxy Ring, costs $399 / £399 (around AU$750). That’s $50 / £50 than the base-model Oura Ring, but with no subscription attached, and other smart rings tend to hover around this price or cheaper. I don’t think the subscription is poorly priced, but as with a Whoop or a Fitbit, it smarts to pay a premium for the device, only to then have to keep paying in order to access your own data.

Value score: 3/5

Oura Ring 4: Design

Simple and elegant
More comfortable than the Generation 3
Redesigned app

The Oura Ring 4 is beautifully designed, and makes several leaps forward ahead of its competitors. All colorways are made of titanium now, with options of Black, Silver, Brushed Silver, Gold, Stealth (gray) and Rose Gold available. A notch on the underside of the ring shows which orientation it should be worn in.

It doesn’t have the concave design of the Samsung Galaxy Ring to protect its surface: its body is more of a traditional ‘straight’ wedding ring design. It’s tough, and should withstand a bit of beating up, but if you care about the look of your ring you will want to go careful. After a week of wear I can see some very light scratching on the surface of my Brushed Silver model, and I’m certainly too nervous to wear it to the gym without gloves.

However, the important changes here are on the underside of the ring. Gone are those skin-contact nodes, and in their place are flat sensors. These sensors are, Oura says, better at detecting signals than those on the previous models, and the ring can now be twisted 30 degrees in any direction and still take an accurate sensor reading thanks to the option of new pathways for the LED’s signals to travel. The other upside of the ring’s lack of three-dimensional nodes is that it’s more comfortable than ever to wear, especially for sleeping. It’s quite thick for a ring (but not for a smart ring, I suppose) but unlike even the best smartwatch it can be worn either to bed or during the day, and in either case you could genuinely forget you’re wearing it.

The Ring now has more sizing variety than ever, ranging from sizes 4 to 15. The larger sizes offer slightly longer battery life, up to eight days in comparison to the old Oura Ring’s maximum of seven. Of course, it also means those with slender fingers and thicker fingers can get an Oura Ring too.

The app has also seen a comprehensive redesign. Following the lead of Fitbit Premium, all content is organized across three tabs (Today, Vitals and My Health), with additional granular features available via a drop-down menu at the top-left of the screen. It’s simple and intuitive to navigate, showing your scores at the top of the page and providing options to break each one down into more detail if you want to. It’s really intuitive to use, and a logical progression from the old app.

Design score: 5/5

Oura Ring 4: Features

Sleep, Activity and Readiness scores
Underpinned by other metrics such as Resilience
AI health tool

There’s a whole bunch to talk about here. The Oura Ring 4 goes some way towards making itself a real fitness tracker, rather than a passive health monitor, by automatically detecting up to 40 kinds of workouts. It still doesn’t have onboard GPS (understandably, as it’s tiny) but it can crib from your phone’s GPS if you enable location settings.

The three main scores are Sleep, Activity, and Readiness, and each one can be broken down into an inordinate amount of granular detail. Activity, for example, can be broken down into separate factors such as ‘move every hour’, ‘meet daily calorie goals’, ‘training frequency’ and so on. The Timeline, a feature unique to Oura as far as I know, allows you to add context to binary data by adding tags at certain points like ‘alcohol’ or ‘yoga’ or ‘grief’. If a tag doesn’t suit your needs, you can save your own note, which creates a comprehensive health journal, and a better reason to scroll back through the app.

You can identify trends using specific information, such as deep-sleep states or heart-rate variability over a year. Other interesting metrics include Resilience, which details how well you respond to sources of stress, and Cardiovascular Age, to identify how healthy your heart might be. If you’re 32 and you have the heart of a 25-year-old, it’s likely that you’re doing pretty well. If you have a 45-year-old heart? You might want to do a bit more cardio.

Elsewhere, the app packs an AI health tool called Oura Advisor under the beta-testing program, Oura Labs. Asking this AI questions like “How can I improve my running speed?” offers good (if generic) advice, and responds to follow-up questions. Women’s Health tracking is reportedly detailed and accurate (although, of course, I haven’t tested this particular feature myself). All this builds on an absolute ton of app-based features that were already available in previous versions, ready for health nerds to dive into. Full marks.

Features score: 5/5

Oura Ring 4: Performance

The Oura Ring 4 in Silver on the new charger. — (Image credit: Future/Matt Evans)

Battery performs as described
Metrics are interesting and easy to navigate
Automatic workout tracking is responsive

I really enjoyed using the Oura Ring 4. I drained its battery down, which for my Size 10 ring took five and a half days of constant use, including several workouts. It was comfortable to wear, and I only took it off a handful of times, such as when doing the washing up. The Ring picked up two separate runs automatically, and offered comparable stats to my smartwatch, minus the more specific stride and cadence information I get from Coros.

Sleep tracking was highly accurate: Oura boasts some of the best sleep tracking in the business, said to be comparable to a professional polysomnography machine, and it didn’t disappoint. It clocked a night of ‘fair’ sleep when my wife and I stayed with a friend, including the correct periods of wakefulness and an accurate wake-up time, rising to ‘good’ when I was back in my own bed the following evening. I added a ‘stay elsewhere’ tag to that night on my Timeline, and I can reuse that tag whenever I sleep in a bed that’s not my own from now on.

The metrics I received were interesting and easy to navigate (however, they are orientated for long-term use, so Oura is still calculating things like my Cardiovascular Age as it requires around two weeks of use to do so), and the in-app meditation content was more or less comparable to alternatives such as Calm. I completed several different sessions, and enjoyed the experience both times.

Performance score: 5/5

Oura Ring 4: Scorecard

Oura Ring 4: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You’re excited about wellness

Data nerds are going to love the depth they can go into with this tiny device.

You want to track sleep

Oura’s sleep-data harvesting is pretty much the gold standard.

You hate smartwatches

This is the device to replace your smartwatch while you wear a snappy analog number.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget

Oura’s ongoing subscription is essential, making its already-premium price a bit of a slap in the face.

You need GPS

Need dedicated GPS data for outdoor sports? Save your cash and get a good running watch.

You like staying connected

Want a wearable for maps, checking Whatsapp messages, and taking calls? Smart rings aren’t for you.

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Oura Ring for a week, draining the battery down completely and sleeping with it every night. I went on several runs, comparing its health stats to those from a Coros smartwatch, and tried some of its in-app meditation content. I tested Oura’s Health Advisor service, the Timeline functionality, and dove into the app as much as possible.

Redmi Watch 5 Lite arrives with an AMOLED screen, Bluetooth calling, and GPS

12:08 pm | September 25, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AMOLED, GPS | Comments: Off

Xiaomi's Redmi launched the Redmi Watch 5 Active last month, and today, the brand introduced the Redmi Watch 5 Lite. The Redmi Watch 5 Lite looks similar to the Watch 5 Active but packs an always-on AMOLED display instead of LCD. It measures 1.96" diagonally and is brighter with 600 nits peak brightness. Its resolution is also higher (502x410 pixels) and supports 200+ cloud watch faces, of which 50+ are customizable, and 30+ are always-on (AOD). The Redmi Watch 5 Lite runs HyperOS and is compatible with smartphones running Android 6 or iOS 12 and above. It also comes with Alexa and...

Honor Band 7 review: Budget-friendly fitness tracker with great features

5:20 pm | April 3, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: GPS | Comments: Off

Honor Band 7: One minute review

If you're after a budget-friendly fitness tracker then look no further than the Honor Band 7. It's remarkably similar to the Huawei Band 8 and the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 and, with similar prices, it's difficult to set them apart.

The Honor Band 7 boasts an incredible 1.47-inch AMOLED display which is lovely to look at and engage with. Color graphics are displayed with clarity and brightness, even when outside in the bright sun. The display itself is large enough to present enough health and fitness data so you can avoid needing to launch the app too often.

Tracking data seems pretty reliable across the board, although if you want the most accurate results then you'll need to invest in one of the more expensive trackers that you can find in our best fitness trackers guide. If you'd just like to keep track of steps, heart rate and Sp02 levels, then the Honor Band 7 has everything you need.

I knew there wasn't going to be the luxury of onboard GPS, but I was disappointed to find that tethered GPS could only be activated from a connected phone rather than from the tracker itself. This unnecessary additional step proved to be rather annoying especially when I wanted to just get up and go without getting my phone out of my bag or pocket.

Despite this, I actually really enjoyed using the tracker. It was a pleasure to interact with and I'm not sure you'll find anything better for the price.

Honor Band 7: Price and availability

$59.99 US
£49.99 UK
Around AU$96.50

The Honor Band 7 is available for $59.99 in the US and £49.99 in the UK, which equates to around AU$96.50 in Australia. This is priced very similarly to other budget fitness trackers, such as the Huawei Band 8 and the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro.

The only customization in terms of colorways on offer is the color of the bands, with the three options being: Meteorite Black, Pink, and Emerald Green. Make sure you choose wisely, because the band is not removable.

For the price, you'll get a large AMOLED screen, 96 workout modes, and 14 days of battery life.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Honor Band 7: Design

1.47-inch AMOLED screen
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) not metal
Three band colours

The design of the Honor Band 7 is almost identical to that of the Band 6. Considering Honor is releasing a new version every two years, it's disappointing not to see some level of upgrade in the size and design of the screen.

The standout feature of the Band 7 is its 1.47-inch AMOLED screen. It's big, bright, and beautifully responsive. The fact that the screen is full-color rather than mono means all the extra details and interface graphics Honor has taken the time to include really pop. I had no issues with fingerprint marks, and the interface transitions were smooth and reliable.

The tracker itself is made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a spray coating applied to make it look metallic. Despite it looking great, there's no getting away from the fact that it is still of plastic construction, especially when you touch it or get up close to it.

The band comes in three different colors including Meteorite Black, Pink, and Emerald Green. The version I was testing is the pink one, although it's more of a rose gold color in reality. The silicone band is unfortunately non-removable, which is admittedly common for budget fitness trackers like this. It's usually used as a feature to set more premium alternatives apart, although some cheaper trackers like Fitbit Inspire 3 can also detach from their bands.

At 29 grams, it is double the weight of the Huawei Band 8, but it is still comfy and light to wear. I had it on all day and all night for a couple of weeks and had no problems whatsoever with it feeling uncomfortable.

The software interface is where the tracker excels. The graphics are beautifully designed, with just the right amount of data included on each screen. The homescreen can be customized using a range of watch faces, with each one displaying different stats.

The design ethos is replicated in the Honor app, which enables users to see a significant extra level of detail and reports on heart rate, oxygen levels, and activities tracked.

Design Score: 4/5

Honor Band 7: Features

Detailed heart rate and step count info
Optical heart rate and SpO2 sensor
GPS tethered from phone only

One of the most used features of any fitness tracker is the step count. The Band 7 tracks these while displaying the results in a graphic that shows how much progress has been made. The number of steps is tracked with accuracy and presented alongside the number of exercise minutes and active calories burned. Considering most users only want tracked steps as a guide, the accuracy level is more than sufficient.

The optical sensor tracks both heart rate and Sp02 levels. These are available on most fitness trackers, and, even though the results were far from inaccurate on the Band 7, you'll definitely find more reliable results on more expensive trackers such as the Garmin Vívoactive 5.

The stress tracking feature is calculated using heart rate variability collected during manually-activated stress tests, while automatic sleep tracking also uses heart health data to collect information.

Aside from health tracking, the Honor Band 7 can also record data when exercising. By picking from a range of different workout modes, including running, cycling, and rowing, users are presented with a set of analytics, including the time, heart rate, and steps.

GPS tracking can be activated by tethering it to your smart phone. My biggest issue with this fitness tracker is that this GPS functionality can't be activated from the tracker, even if it is close to the connected phone. Workouts that require GPS tracking must be launched from a phone instead. This is an annoying and unnecessary step that makes the process of launching workouts more involved than it needs to be. Nevertheless, a good chunk of features for a band at this price.

Features score: 4/5

Honor Band 7: Performance

Quick and responsive
Generally accurate tracking data
14 days of battery life, 10-12 days for heavy usage

The 180mAh battery on the Honor Band 7 is really good, and I was surprised given how much the device costs. The advertised length of battery life is 14 days, an amount of time that very much matched my experience, especially during weeks in which I wasn't doing much exercise.

As soon as I started using it for my daily commute alongside other exercise activities, I found the battery draining more quickly. No surprises there. Even though Honor promises 10 days for heavy usage, I actually found it to be nearer to 12. It's always nice when the reality is better than expected.

Charging a watch like this every couple of weeks is no trouble at all, especially considering it takes less than an hour to go from empty to full charge. You'll want to keep it within the magic 20-80% to maximize the life of the battery but that's easily done by keeping an eye on the battery life through the watch interface.

When it comes to metrics, I ran stress tests at different times of the day and during different events in my everyday life. I generally found the Band 7 would report my stress levels as normal even at times when I felt noticeably stressed and could tell that my heart rate was raised. I certainly didn't feel like I could trust it.

Automatic sleep tracking provides data that is broken down into sleep stages and the duration of each stage. It's almost impossible to verify the reliability of this data, and fitness trackers are not renowned for being the most reliable anyway. That being said, during my testing period, I was up numerous times during the night and I did find that the tracker was able to identify every one of them.

The tracker itself has a waterproof rating of 5ATM, which means the Honor Band 7 is theoretically able to withstand pressures up to 50m depth, an industry standard among smart wearables these days. I never made it this deep, but had absolutely no problems wearing it in the shower or submerging it in water.

Performance score: 4/5

Honor Band 7: Scorecard

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Honor Band 7

I wore the Honor Band 7 non-stop for two weeks and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. During this time, I used every single feature and carried out a range of different exercise workouts, including running, swimming, and cycling. Throughout all of this I kept track of my heart rate, my stress levels, and my oxygen levels, amongst other similar health measureables.

I used the app to control the device as well as run a number of more advanced tests that were not possible with the watch on its own.

First reviewed: April 2024

G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 review: the smart Casio G-Shock to do it all

12:00 pm | April 1, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: GPS | Comments: Off

Two minute review

The Casio G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 will stand out on any wrist thanks to its bold, angular design – and, in this model's case, punchy yellow finish. This watch screams tough at first glance and Casio is selling on that basis. It might be big enough to get knocked as you wear it, but it's built to take every hit, making it a contender for the best running watches.

It comes with an optical heart rate sensor and full GPS to place it in the running against even the best Garmin watches out there. In fact, this has the Garmin Enduro 2 squarely fixed in its sights, competing on the more extreme tracking with a thermometer, barometer, pressure sensor, altimeter and more onboard. While the Casio tracks well, it doesn't offer maps. This makes it a little limited as a true adventure companion.

However, the Rangeman does pack in solar charging, which will enable you to continue using basic functionality even once the bulk of battery life has been consumed. Although note that with a battery life that lasts up to two months and up to 19 hours in GPS tracking mode, the watch has you covered.

Despite looking chunky, a soft urethane band and double-pin buckle actually mean the Rangeman is comfortable to wear and effortless to find the right fit – presuming your wrist is large enough to pull off this over-sized statement watch.

G-Shock Rangeman: Price and availability

The G-Shock Rangeman is available now worldwide, priced at $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$999.99.

There are two versions available, the yellow GPR-H1000-9 model reviewed here, and a black variant named the GPR-H1000-1. Other than color differences, they're essentially the same model and share an identical price.

Since launch, both models have been available on various third-party websites at a reduced price. At time of publishing, the Rangeman can be bought for as low as £375 / $480 / AU$725.

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Casio G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 — (Image credit: Future)

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G-Shock Rangeman: Design

Comfortable strap and accurate clasp
Rugged exterior
Too chunky for some

The G-Shock Rangeman is all about that chunky, rugged design and bold looks, which makes it both unique and attractive. But it's worth saying right from the outset that if you have a smaller wrist then this watch might feel a little bulky and heavy. That said, its super comfy strap and very accurate clasp system – plus relatively low weight at 92g – ensure it's as comfortable as a statement watch of this kind can be.

Primarily, this is a button-based beast, so you won't have to suffer touchscreen fingerprints or difficulty controlling screens while taking part in sport or activity. But the flip-side is that you have to scroll through the menus to get to what you want. That said, G-Shock menus are very intuitive, having been developed over many generations of watch, and since the buttons are all mud- and water-protected, they work well. If I have one gripe here it's that the up and down options are on the left, which means you need to use your thumb, rather than fingers, which I found a little awkward or at least took some getting used to.

The display is a negative MIPS, which is a far cry from the color displays on other watches of this kind – and a shock, if you're moving from an AMOLED. That said, it's super clear in daylight, gets you a long battery life, and also offers high contrast so that even underwater it's very clear to read – which was actually helpful when swimming.

The Rangeman has a waterproof rating of 200 metres, yet after a half-hour pool swim the watch's screen appeared to fill with a bubble of some sort that was visible across the screen, and remains still now. The watch works fine, but is now showing this odd line that's definitely worrying. In reality, we'd hope that you could send this back to Casio for a replacement if you suffered the same.

The companion app from Casio is decent and allows you a way to control the watch without all those menus. So if you want to re-order the sports available or setup the data screens, for example, you can do that far more easily through the app, which makes it genuinely helpful. The app is also a better, clearer way to view any data –sleep scores and daily steps metrics, for example.

Design score: 3.5/5

G-Shock Rangeman: Features

Tracks many sports
Offers so many sensors
Lacks music

The G-Shock Rangeman is absolutely crammed full of features and sensors, delivering the ability to track nine activity types: trekking, running, biking, gym workout, interval timer, pool swimming, open-water swimming, trail running, and walking. And while taking part in an activity, you have access to data such as distance, direction, altitude, climbing speed, time, pace, heart rate, and burned calories.

Swimming offers stroke count, distance and heart rate, as well as a timer with the option to record splits – so all you could want from a swimming watch then. This works both indoors in a pool as well as outdoors for open water swimming, where the GPS can also help with your data readouts. The screen is fantastically clear above and underwater, and I found the stroke count accurate when compared with the Garmin Forerunner 965.

The lack of onboard music, available with most Garmin watches now, was certainly missed here; there's no option to connect headphones and enjoy music during activities. While it isn't a deal breaker, it certainly would have been a welcome feature at this price point.

Solar charging is a great addition here, since it helps to keep the watch function going for pretty much forever. While the GPS and heart rate tracking might leave you out of battery for the sports modes, you'll still have access to the G-Shock time and date basics. The features the watch part offers include a stopwatch, a 60-minute countdown timer, world times, four different alarms, power saving, and a full auto backlight that illuminates for either 1.5 or five seconds, depending on your preference.

While this doesn't pack all the dedicated surf smarts of the G-Shock G-Lide surf watch, you do still get helpful tide data such as 3,300 points for the tide graph. You also have phone notifications – although, on this screen they're a faff to read. I found myself simply using them as an alert before reaching for my phone – helpful, if you want the phone on silent.

Features score: 4/5

G-Shock Rangeman: Performance

Accurate GPS and health tracking
Excellent battery performance
Quite bulky for daily wear

It soon became clear while testing the G-Shock Rangman that wearing it to bed for sleep tracking was not the most comfortable. I did get used to it, but it was never what I'd call a comfortable experience – but this would apply to all brands of "oversize" watch. During the day, there was no slipping this under a sleeve either. As such, the watch was on show constantly, clearly getting attention with that bright yellow finish.

To be clear, this is a comfy watch, and that strap fits perfectly. It's just chunky, and if you find yourself knocking it on things at first, don't be surprised. This shouldn't worry you, however; that tough exterior appears to be able to handle more than a knock or six. That said, there was an issue with the display on this test unit.

After swimming, it looked like half the screen was filled with water; I pressed down and this moved about under the surface of the screen's top-cover. The watch continues to work just fine, only the screen has this half-filled finish. You can see it in the picture below, where it looks like a trick of the light showing the top third as lighter; but this is water or, perhaps, air inside? Either way, it's disappointing when Casio claims that the G-Shock Rangeman is good for a 200m of diving depth – double that of most Garmins.

In use, the watch performed well. Heart rate was a little on the high side, and quick to jump when compared to a Garmin and chest strap, but this generally levelled out after a while. For cycling, the Rangeman was helpful, where adjustments appeared quickly; but for running , where pure accuracy is ideal, this could have been a little smoother. GPS worked well, with the watch adapting quickly and recording metrics such as speed, pace and distance accurately.

While the menus are dense, the watch is intuitive to navigate, meaning you can access lots of data relatively easily while exercising. It's only really the smaller screen that limits you here, with it often far easier to wait and view the dive data once it had synched.

Performance score: 3.5/5

G-Shock Rangeman: Battery Life

Two months standby
19 hours with GPS
Solar powered extras

Casio has certainly used all that chunky G-Shock frame space well when it comes to batteries, since the Rangeman offers up to two months off a single charge. For use just as a watch, that time is extended further thanks to the solar charging smarts, which sees the watch keep going for basics such as time telling.

As you'd expect, it's with GPS use that a smartwatch battery is really tested, and in this regard the Rangeman achieved 19 hours in GPS mode – although that's with intermittent location acquisition. In reality, with it left turned on, battery is nearer to 14 hours. Still, that's plenty for most exercise sessions, while an easy to attach bespoke clip-on charger that uses USB, will bring the Rangeman back to full charge in just a few hours.

One of the great things about this watch is that you can keep using the Rangeman as a watch alone for months, without charging – say , if you're injured and don't need GPS tracking – topping it back up once you're back to activities.

Battery life score: 4.5/5

G-Shock Rangeman: Buy it if…

G-Shock Rangeman: Don't buy it if…

Also consider

First reviewed: March 2024

Polar Vantage V3 review: This incredible GPS watch would have been 2023’s best all-round fitness watch, beating Garmin and Apple, if it wasn’t for one small detail

6:30 pm | December 16, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: Garmin Forerunner, GPS, UK, US | Comments: Off

Polar Vantage V3: One minute review

The Polar Vantage V3 is the update to Polar’s flagship premium multisports watch, which launched back in 2020. So we’ve waited a few years for its successor and Polar has rewarded that wait with some big features.

The headline addition might be the new AMOLED screen, but Polar has also introduced its new Elixir biosensor that can now deliver blood oxygen, skin temperature and heart rate via ECG to arm you with more metrics. It’s also adding offline maps and dual-frequency GPS to deliver more accurate outdoor data.

While the Vantage V2 was a solid offering from Polar, the Vantage V3 sees things step up a notch and it now feels like a better match for the competition. It's meriting an inclusion in our best running watch guide.

I’m still not entirely convinced its core heart rate powers are the best, but the Vantage V3 is definitely a multisports watch that stands out for all the right reasons.

Polar Vantage V3: Specifications

Polar Vantage V3: Price and availability

$599.90 in the US
£519 in the UK
$899 in Australia

The Polar Vantage V3 was announced in October 2023 and is available to buy now directly from Polar and a small collection of retailers currently. It has a current RRP of £519 in the UK, $599.90 in the US and $899 when purchasing it in Australia, around the same asking price as the Garmin Forerunner 965.

Value score: 4/5

Polar Vantage V3: Design and screen

New AMOLED touchscreen
Heavier than Vantage V2
Nicely textured buttons

The Vantage V3 is Polar’s performance watch, so unlike its Grit series, it’s offering high grade materials, all while keeping things relatively light and comfortable to wear day and night.

It still measures in with a 47mm case like the V2 but is now thicker at 14.5mm compared to the 13mm thick case on the Vantage V2. It’s also got heavier, jumping from 52g to 57g. Those changes ultimately don’t alter the experience of strapping the V3 on. It’s still a pretty sleek-looking watch with aluminium in the case and the bezel to give it an attractive metallic frame.

The strap attached to that case is a workout-friendly silicone one, though you wouldn’t think it at first glance as Polar has clearly tried to give it the appearance of a traditional watch strap. I’m not sure I entirely love the feel of it though as it sits very snug towards and can pull at hairs. Both strap and watch case are waterproof up to 50 metres depth, which does mean you can use it in water but is a downgrade on the stronger 100 metre waterproofing available on the V2.

Around that aluminium case lies five physical buttons and they still have that nicely textured finish that makes them nice to press, even with sweaty or wet fingers. That surrounds a 1.39-inch, 454 x 454 resolution AMOLED touchscreen with Gorilla Glass on top to protect it against scratches. Along with the added pop of colour it’s a bigger display, and while there is a thin black bezel around the edge it’s well hidden by Polar’s predominantly black coloured watch faces.

It's a great AMOLED panel, with deep blacks, good max brightness and I’ve had no issues viewing it indoors, outdoors or in a swimming pool. The screen can be kept always-on with the raise to wake gesture support not as responsive as I’d have liked. What is nicely responsive is the software running on the V3. It’s slick, doesn’t lag and is a massive improvement on the experience of interacting with its predecessor.

When you need to charge it Polar includes a proprietary charging cable that clips into the port just below that new sensor array. It’s not the most secure of charging setups, and you just need to be mindful it’s out of the way of anything that might knock it out of place.

Design score: 4.5/5

Polar Vantage V3: Features

Dual-frequency GPS
Free offline maps
Elixir sensor array

The Vantage V3 takes everything that was good on the V2 and aims to make improvements in some pretty important departments.

On the tracking front, Polar’s introduced dual-frequency GPS to enhance outdoor tracking accuracy for activities like running, when using the watch near tall buildings, in bad weather or densely forested areas. It’s now also adding free offline maps to join the existing turn-by-turn guidance offered by the Komoot app support.

There’s still over 150 sports profiles offered and Polar is bolstering one sport in particular, promising additional swim metrics including automatically detecting swimming style.

Around the back of the watch is where you’ll find Polar’s new Elixir sensor array, which sees a change in the design of the optical setup that’s now capable of capturing blood oxygen, skin temperature, take ECG heart rate measurements, with the upgraded Gen 4 version of Polar’s optical heart rate sensor also in tow.

Polar continues to offer rich sleep and training features, so you’re still getting access to its Training Load Pro and Recovery Pro insights, with Polar’s FitSpark suggested daily workouts and FuelWise fueling reminders for endurance athletes also still on board. It’s added the voice guidance support from the Ignite 3 along with the Work-Rest-Guide, which uses heart rate data to dictate when you should rest between workout sets.

On the smartwatch front, Polar still keeps things simple once again, offering the ability to view your notifications, change watch faces and control music playback on your paired smartphone. The added AMOLED screen and boost in CPU performance certainly makes these features much nicer to use day-to-day.

Features score: 4.5/5

Polar Vantage V3: Performance

Welcome dual-frequency GPS accuracy boost
Heart rate still so-so
Delivers good battery life and overall performance

The V3 is Polar’s premium multisports watch, so it’s giving you the best the company has to offer in watch features. It’s bringing in the dual-band GPS support it debuted on the Polar Ignite 3, it’s boosting the mapping and navigation features it introduced on its Grit outdoor watch and the new Elixir sensor aims to offer boost in accuracy to improve the reliability of sports, wellness and sleep tracking.

Polar’s dual frequency GPS, which like Apple, Garmin and Suunto among others, means the V3 can use the L1 and L5 frequency bands to enhance positioning tracking accuracy. I wasn’t massively impressed with it on the Ignite 3 where Polar first introduced it, but it’s certainly more reliable here on the V3. I’ve been using it alongside Garmin and Suunto’s similar modes and while just slightly off on the distance tracking compared to the Garmin and Suunto, it wasn’t enough to cause any concern. Mapped routes inside the Polar Flow app didn’t raise any alarms either.

Polar says it’s also boosted the swimming metrics on offer, so I hit the pool along with the Form Swim Goggles and Garmin Forerunner 965, two swim trackers I know deliver good tracking accuracy in the water. Despite delivering good core swim data, I can’t say I saw anything particularly groundbreaking here. You’ll get quickest pace and average pace stats along with average and max cadence metrics and that’s really about it.

Then there’s the reliability of that new Elixir sensor, which promises an upgraded optical heart rate sensor, though I can’t say the accuracy has been massively upgraded for me. Even on steady paced workouts I found the optical heart rate sensor tended to report lower average heart rate readings and maximum heart rate readings seemed higher against a heart rate monitor chest strap. It’s not a terrible performer, but it’s also not the best performance I’ve seen from a wrist-based heart rate monitor. If in doubt, pair up an external heart rate monitor.

Polar’s Elixr sensor array also brings new blood oxygen tracking, skin temperature tracking at night, and ECG measurements when you hold your finger on the top physical button for 30 seconds. All of these new metrics place the onus on your simply tracking and analyzing trends, which can help you decide whether you should be taking it easy or you’re in good shape to have a strenuous day.

That insight also works in tandem with Polar’s rich sleep tracking, something that does separate it from the sports watch competition. Along with core sleep tracking stats, it’s offering you nightly recharge measurements, nightly skin temperature and the boost from sleep insights, which feels similar to Garmin’s Body Battery energy monitor. Crucially, the sleep data is some of the most reliable I’ve come across on a watch and it held up well against the Oura Ring Gen 3’s great sleep tracking.

Another big positive is that unlike previous Polar watches, comprehensive sleep tracking doesn't show a huge drain on battery, which on the whole, is a big improvement on the Vantage V2. There’s now a bigger 488mAh capacity battery, which Polar says can last for up to 12 days in its daily watch mode and 61 hours in training mode, up from 40 hours. I found the Vantage V3 could last a week with regular tracking using the top GPS accuracy mode. When you opt to keep the screen set to always-on, you’re going to get less than 5 days, and using features like GPS will see a further dent too.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Polar Vantage V3: Scorecard

Polar Vantage V3: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Garmin Forerunner 965

Garmin's top-tier running watch, now with an AMOLED screen.

Read our Garmin Forerunner 965 review hereView Deal

Apple Watch Ultra 2

The best running and adventuring watch for Apple users and weekend warriors.

Read our Apple Watch Ultra 2 review hereView Deal