Polar

Google and Apple released new smartwatches recently, but there remains a big difference between these smartphone companions with a one-to-two-day battery life and focused GPS sports watches that are aimed at athletes. Both types of wearables are focused on providing health and wellness data, but GPS sports watches are focused on athletes who are trying to improve their performance.

Also:Buying an Apple Watch? How to pick the best one for you

A few years ago, I trained exclusively for a half marathon with the original Polar Vantage V watch and found it extremely helpful. It had a full, custom training plan that even included core, mobility, and strength training sessions. Polar has now announced its newest Vantage V3 premium multisport watch -- and it looks to be the best watch ever released by Polar. 

The Polar Vantage V3 features Polar Elixir, which brings together four sensors to help capture all of the data necessary to help you understand your baseline and motivate you to improve. The Elixir system includes a first-generation pulse oximeter, ECG, and skin temperature sensors, along with Polar's fourth-generation optical heart rate sensor.

Polar

Polar is well known for its industry leading optical heart rate-sensing technology, so the fourth-generation sensor is sure to perform well. The latest generation is designed to minimize light leakage, improve power efficiency, and provide 25% better accuracy when compared to the third-generation sensor.

A lovely, high-resolution 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen display is present, with sleek Nordic design elements in the watch casing and button design. Dual-frequency GPS, offline maps, and new processor help to provide a responsive device on your wrist. Topographic maps are pre-installed in the 32GB of onboard storage, with turn-by-turn support provided by Komoot.

Polar CEO Sander Werring stated:

Athletic progress is defined by goals; setting them, working towards them, surpassing them, and setting the next ones. This requires a vast amount of personal insight only achievable through measuring and analyzing highly accurate data about your performance. This knowledge, paired with personalized guidance, is the ultimate key to progress. Polar Elixir is the determined result of years of R&D, backed by real science to offer a personal guidance tool unlike anything else on the market. The level of insights and accuracy that Polar Elixir offers highlights how Polar's commitment to innovation impacts not just its products, but the wearables industry as a whole.

Unlike the unique bands in past Polar Vantage V models, standard 22mm straps are supported without any need for an adapter. Polar advertises up to 68 hours of GPS tracking with single frequency GPS, and 50 hours with dual-frequency enabled. Eight days of use in smartwatch mode are advertised.

Also: The best blood pressure watches available

More than 150 sports profiles are supported. The Polar Vantage V3 also supports all of the software functions present on the Polar Grit X Pro in addition to new features, such as Polar's advanced Smart Coaching algorithms. 

A 30-second ECG can be measured with the Vantage V3 and, in typical Polar fashion, the blood oxygen meter was validated by international protocols and its accuracy is similar to commercially available fingertip pulse oximeters.

Also: Polar Grit X Pro Titan review

The Polar Vantage V3 is available now for$599.90 in Night Black, Sky Blue, and Sunrise Apricot. A bundle that includes the Polar H10 heart rate chest strap sells for$649.90.

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