It’s taken three years, but Polar is finally ready with a new iteration of the Vantage watch: the Polar Vantage 3. The V3 can track more than 150 sports. That includes tools that cater to more serious athletes, and not just the run of the mill consumer, like triathlon training.
There are also unique metrics like Training Load Pro, which tells you how much strain you place on both your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system during your workouts. There is also Wrist-Based Running Power, which calculates how much “power” you need to fight gravity and friction during a run. Lastly, Energy Sources tells you how the food you eat, from fats to carbohydrates, are being utilized during each workout session. Which kind of sounds like a glorified calorie tracker.
The company has also focused on improving the specs sheet for the one-size fitness multisport watch. CPU speed is now at 275 MHz, up from the V2’s 120 MHz. The manufacturer claims it will have 129% faster speeds when compared to its predecessor. Plus, it has 37 MB of RAM, which is dramatically up from the V2 and has roughly 32 GB of storage, squashing the V2’s 32 MB cap.
The case is still aluminum and the top Gorilla Glass, but the screen is bigger now at 1.39 inches. The AMOLED display has a resolution of 454 × 454, nearly double the V2’s MIP display, which had a 240 × 240 resolution. Oddly enough, the waterproof ranking was downgraded to WR50, the V2 had a WR100 mark on the other hand. Other changes to the watch’s overall function include: Bluetooth 5.1 and USB-C connectivity and a 488 mAh battery that will supposedly deliver up to 140 hours of training time.
The Vantage 3 also features new biosensors that are worth mentioning. There’s now a skin temperature sensor and Polar says the sensors are better at measuring blood oxygen levels. Plus there’s ECG function, along with what the company claims is the “most advanced optical heart rate” in its wearables to date.
The tracker that can be pre-ordered in sky blue, night black or sunrise apricot for $600. You can also buy the watch in a bundle set with the Polar H10 heart rate strap monitor for $50 more. Deliveries will begin on October 25.
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