Roxana Bikfalvi

Announcing Garmin Venu – A Stylish All-Round Sportswatch

Garmin recently launched its first-ever smartwatch with AMOLED display at IFA 2019, the Venu. This stylish wearable shares all smarts and functionality with the Vivoactive 4, another new release launched at the same event.

However, a quick look at the two reveals the brighter, more colourful display of the Venu, a feature that will probably make some waves among tech-savvy fitness enthusiasts.

Despite the more battery-demanding display, Garmin decided to make a statement with an always-on mode and various customisation options.

Like all Garmin smartwatches, the Venu certainly offers an impressive range of sports and fitness tracking features, including sleep and continuous heart rate monitoring. It comes with built-in GPS and a wealth of preloaded sports profiles. Furthermore, the Venu even features the acclaimed Body Battery energy monitoring alongside other interesting functions.

This model will be released sometime this autumn, but perhaps you’d like to know if it’s worth the hype. Let’s find it out.

Background

Garmin presented its latest wearables at IFA 2019, the Venu and the Vivoactive 4. Both are a progression of the Vivoactive lineup, and the only differentiating aspects between the two are display-driven.

The two smartwatches bring the various features of the separate editions of the Vivoactive line under the same umbrella.

Compared with the Vivoactive 3, the Venu comes with new offerings including music as standard, an always-on mode, live watch faces, new built-in workouts, and – obviously – the acclaimed AMOLED display.

Features

Firstly, it packs all the features you could expect from a Garmin wearable and some more. This new release delivers smart notifications on the wrist and pairs with both iOS and Android devices.

A few improvements compared to the previous Garmin line is the music feature as standard. You can stream music from Spotify, iHeartRadio, Deezer, or Amazon Music, so you can listen to your favourite tunes even if you don’t have the smartphone around.

The AMOLED display certainly brings in the wow factor, delivering punchy colours and superb visibility in sunlight. The always-on mode is a surprising addition considering the energy-thirsty display involved, but you’ll still get satisfactory battery life.

Indeed, the always-on mode on the Venu boasts different settings, including a low-power mode, as well as night time settings that turn off the face during the ‘do not disturb’ hours you’ve configured.

In this mode, you can get up to 3 days of juice; however if you opt for a classic display mode, you can extend the runtime to about 5 days in smart mode.

Like the newest Garmin smartwatches, the Venu also incorporates the Garmin Pay app for seamless contactless payments.

A nice addition is the Safety and Tracking, this feature enables you to send your location to your contacts either manually or automatically as long as your wearable and smartphone are connected.

Design

This wearable is not the brand’s sleekest smartwatch, but it’s not the ugliest either. It’s more stylish and smaller than many Garmin GPS watches, and its design combines a utilitarian nature with softer lines that make it look at home both at the gym and at the office.

An upgrade compared to the Vivoactive 3 is the presence of two navigation buttons instead of one. The touchscreen is also incredibly responsive and easy to use.

Designed to fit into any lifestyle, it comes with interchangeable silicone bands in various neutral colours. You can’t pick from fashionable metal or woven bands yet, but the future could surprise us considering that the model is not released yet.

Like most Garmin watches, the Venu is made to be worn 24/7. It features durable Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and is water-resistant to 5 ATM.

Fitness Tracking

The Venu is hard to beat when it comes to fitness tracking. It incorporates all features you’d expect from a capable wearable, such as multi-sports profiles, constant heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, and steps and calories count, however, the Venu has much more than the basics.

Likewise with other Garmin models, including the Vivosmart 4, the Venu impresses with the useful Body Battery that lets you monitor your energy levels. You can also keep your stress level under control and monitor your liquid intake to make sure you’re always hydrated – or that you didn’t drink too much on a Friday night out, that is.

Ladies deciding to wear this smartwatch benefit from a full menstrual cycle tracking feature where you can log your physical and emotional symptoms or learn about training and nutrition during this delicate period.

Yoga and breathing techniques dedicated to those who practice mindfulness meditation or oriental sports come as a fresh addition compared to previous Garmins.

Those who are not really into fitness but want to make a change for the better may also appreciate the preloaded animated workouts for Pilates, cardio, yoga, and strength training. Undeniably, a more versatile alternative compared to the Moov Now fitness tracker.

Main Advantages

All-round smart and sportswatch
Always-on AMOLED display
Easily visible in direct sunlight
A wealth of preloaded sports profiles and workout demonstrations
More features and apps available via Garmin Connect
Integrated GPS
Waterproof to 5 ATM

Main Disadvantages

Pricy compared to similar Garmin wearables
Lame workout completion screen

Competition

	Garmin Venu	Garmin Vivoactive 4	Garmin Vivoactive 3	Apple Watch 4
Display	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Sapphire crystal glass
Display type	AMOLED	Transreflective MIP	Transreflective MIP	LTPS OLED
Resolution	390 x 390 pixels	260 x 260 pixels	240 x 240 pixels	448 x 368 pixels
Size	43.2 x 43.2 x 12.4 mm	45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm	43.4 x 43.4 x 11.7 mm	44 x 38 x 10.7 mm
Weight	46.3 g	50.5 g	43 g	48 g
Band material	Silicone	Silicone	Silicone	Silicone
Water resistance	5 ATM	5 ATM	5 ATM	5 ATM
Connectivity	Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi	Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi	Bluetooth Smart, ANT+	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Heart rate monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Body Battery	Yes	Yes	No	No
Feminine health	Yes	Yes	No	No
Stress tracking	Yes	Yes	No	No
Smart notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Calorie count	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multi-sport profiles	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Interchangeable bands	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	Up to 5 days	Up to 8 days	Up to 7 days	Up to 18 hours

Summary

In conclusion, the Garmin Venu presents itself as a versatile device. It promises a lot, and even though we couldn’t actually test it yet, we can easily imagine the functionality it packs. Finally, if you don’t care too much about aesthetics and a fancy display, you’ll get the same functionality at a lower price with the Vivoactive 4. But if you want a capable last generation sports smartwatch that looks good when paired with formal wear too, then the Venu is undeniably a more than inspired choice.

Michael Kors MKGO Unveiled – A Sporty Chic Wearable

By Roxana Bikfalvi Leave a Comment

The Michael Kors Access MKGO smartwatch is one of the newest and most surprising wearables from the brand. Known for its commitment to inject some fashion sense into Google’s Wear OS devices, Michael Kors now impresses with its first sports-centric device.

Designed to integrate seamlessly into the active lifestyle, the MKGO comes in six bold looks and packs pretty much all the features we’ve come to expect from the latest Wear OS smartwatches.

But is its tracking power up to scratch? Let’s see.

Background

Michael Kors recently upgraded its smartwatch lineup with three new wearables running Wear OS platform, the Access Lexington 2, Access Bradshaw 2, and Access MKGO.

While the former two are upgrades of previous Michael Kors models, the latter sets itself apart as the brand’s first fitness-centred wearable.

This smartwatch is similar to other recently-announced Wear OS devices, such as the Puma Smartwatch. It sports the same Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset present on the Fossil Gen 5 and packs 512MB of RAM.

The brand’s decision to design such a sporty wearable is puzzling, to say the least, but the MKGO is undeniably an excellent choice for the fitness-addict looking for a smart yet stylish timepiece.

Features

Michael Kors MKGO’s exterior may stand out from its pack, but it still gets the same software treatment as other smartwatches from the brand.

It delivers on-wrist notifications and other functionalities you could expect from a last-generation Wear OS. Customisable side dials offer the ability to create shortcuts to your favourite features, and you’ll also get customisable watch faces.

Fossil already accustomed us to Spotify integration in addition to fast payments via Google Pay and integration of Google Assistant, and the MKGO features all three.

The internal storage capacity of only 4GB is a bit disappointing, especially since the other two devices in Michael Kors’ Fall 2019 Collection boast 8GB each.

Access MKGO is cheaper, though, so it could be an excellent option for those who like to live on the fast lane but don’t want to spend their weight in gold on a smartwatch.

Design

The Access MKGO is billed as Michael Kors’ first sportswatch; it combines nylon, aluminium, and silicone materials and strikes the perfect balance between comfort and style.

Critics claim the silicone strap is not as stylish as the metal counterpart offered by other Michael Kors wearables. But this smartwatch isn’t supposed to be elegant, and its sporty allure is flawless.

You can pick from six styles – three single-colour models available in red, black, and pink, and three more sophisticated designs including white and gold, silver with crystal-embellished silicone strap, and black/gold with crystal-embellished strap.

The latter two are undeniably the most sophisticated choices in the range, addressing mostly women, but we can safely say the watch has an overall unisex allure.

Fitness Tracking

Access MKGO is a capable but not exceptional fitness tracker. There aren’t any surprising features in its app drawer, only the usual you’d expect from a device built for fitness-oriented individuals.

The smartwatch relies on Google Fit and other third-party apps to deliver heart rate monitoring and step tracking. Sports profiles come as additions of the various apps rather than built-in features.

It does have built-in GPS, though, so you won’t have to carry your phone while you’re running, and you can also wear it while swimming or showering.

Main Advantages

Lightweight and comfortable to wear
Voice-activated Google Assistant
Water resistant up to 30 ATM
Built-in GPS
Google Pay feature
Compatible with Android and iOS mobile devices

Main Disadvantages

Limited fitness tracking functionality
On the expensive side considering its features and overall performance

Competition

	Michael Kors MKGO	Puma Smartwatch	Fossil Gen 5	Samsung Galaxy Watch
Display	AMOLED	AMOLED	AMOLED	AMOLED
Resolution	390 x 390 pixels	328 x 328 pixels	–	360 x 360 pixels
Size	43 x 43 x 17 mm	44 x 44 x 11 mm	44 x 44 x 12 mm	46 x 49 x 13 mm
Weight	–	28 g	–	46 g
Band material	Silicone	Silicone	Silicone / Stainless steel	Silicone
Water resistance	3 ATM	3 ATM	3 ATM	5 ATM
Connectivity	Bluetooth	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	Bluetooth	3G/LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Heart rate monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Smart notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	No	No	No	Yes
NFC Payments	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Calorie count	No	No	No	Yes
Multi-sport profiles	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life (Smart mode)	Up to 36 hours	Up to 24 hours	Up to 24 hours	Up to 7 days

Summary

Michael Kors Access MKGO could seem out of place in a collection designed to entice more people to wear Google-powered smartwatches. But this wearable has a lot of potential.

It looks good and offers top-line Wear OS software and hardware features for fitness enthusiasts. With its style, it could even motivate the more sophisticated couch potato to put on some matching MKGO outfit and hit the gym or at least get out for a stroll.

It might be a tad expensive for what it offers, but it is more appealing than similarly priced watches, including the Fossil Sport and Puma Sports Connected. Undoubtedly, a great choice for those who want to blend urban looks with smart functionality and sports comfort.

Moov Now – A Wearable Personal Trainer

By Roxana Bikfalvi Leave a Comment

In a wearable world dominated by Garmin and Fitbit, the Moov Now is rather an odd fit. A weird, screenless device that lacks all smart notifications smartwatches are known for because Moov Now isn’t supposed to be smart.

First of all, it’s supposed to be an ingenious fitness tracker that focuses on your athletic performance alone. Pair it with the Moov app, and you’ve got a third-millenium coach ready to train and motivate you whenever you feel like working out.

Furthermore, expect no annoying push notifications on how lazy you are compared to your peers nor calls or texts on your wrists. Just what you need to boost performance and achieve your fitness goals without distractions.

Background

Moov Now is a brilliant wearable fitness trainer and tracker that is designed with the performance-driven athletes in mind, it motivates you to beat your personal bests.

A range of dedicated sport profiles and various coaching options certainly make it suitable for most fitness-oriented individuals and voice notifications keep you on your toes and correct your form while motivational videos and in-app metrics further contribute to achieving your goals.

Packing most top elements a fitness tracker should have and also coming in at an attractive price tag, Moov Now is a brilliant device if you want to emphasise performance rather than procrastination.

Features

This is a stellar fitness tracker and virtual coach at a fraction of the price of other wearable devices – including the acclaimed Garmin and Fitbit smartwatches.

Designed for one thing and one thing only, it has no screen or smart features but certainly does what it’s supposed to do.

This fitness wearable tracks all athletic activity, correcting your movement based on the selected sport profile and transmitting the data to your mobile in an easy-to-analyse format. The app is simple and intuitive, rather like the Moov Now.

Finally, it is an exceptional way to keep an eye on your fitness level without getting distracted by all the bells and whistles conventional smartwatches come with.

Design

Moov Now is as simple as it gets. It consists of a small disc – the Omni Motion sensor – that sits quietly in a latticed rubber strap.

The design of the strap is weird yet attractive at the same time, it’s not fashionable nor luxurious but there is a sporty feel to it that inspires. Some people might find it disturbing, and if you suffer from trypophobia, this probably isn’t the right fitness tracker for you.

We do kind of like the minimalist, breathable design of this wristband. Slim and lightweight, it fits all wrists sizes, and you won’t even notice it’s there. Furthermore, a longer strap included in the package serves to keep the sensors around your ankle and monitor your running performance.

While there is nothing spectacular about the design, Moov still gave a stylish twist to this simple device by introducing various colour options for both band and sensor.

Waterproof and dustproof, it can be worn 24/7 so you can monitor your heart rate (with the Moov HR), sleep, and calories burnt.

Fitness Tracking

Designed to sit quietly on your wrist or ankle and monitor your activity, Moov Now has stellar fitness tracking features.

The small but capable Omni Motion uses three times more sensors than the higher-end smartwatches, and as a result, provides fantastic real-time accuracy.

Multi-sports profiles include running and walking, cycling, swimming, cardio boxing, and bodyweight.

Real-time coaching varies from audio and visual to in-app monitoring; the only profile that doesn’t have an audio or visual coach is swimming, due to understandable reasons.

Moov Now acts as a personal trainer in most ways. It tells you when you’re doing a poor job, how to improve your training, and lets you know when you’ve aced the movement. Minute-by-minute alerts for running, jogging, or swimming, also help you beat your personal bests.

This fitness tracker doesn’t have an outstanding HIIT functionality, but it still offers plenty of workout programs to help you step up your game.

Main Advantages

Monitors and records a wide range of fitness metrics
Outstanding battery life
Easy to configure and sync with your phone
Compatible with iOS and Android devices
Innovative and motivational

Main Disadvantages

Data syncing can be slow sometimes
A little less ideal for HIIT workouts
No heart rate monitor

Competition

	Moov Now	Whoop Strap 2.0	Polar M430	Lumo Run
Weight	15.1 g	Not specified	51 g	25 g
Band material	Latticed rubber	Nanostretch	Silicone	N/A
Water resistance	3 ATM	2 ATM	3 ATM	No
Connectivity	Bluetooth	Bluetooth	Bluetooth	Bluetooth
GPS	No	No	Yes	No
Heart rate monitoring	Yes – paired with Move HR	Yes	Yes	No
Smart notifications	No	No	Yes	No
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Calorie count	Yes	No	Yes	No
Multi-sport profiles	Yes	No	Running profile only	No
Battery life	Up to 6 months	Up to 44 hours	Up to 8 hours	Up to 1 week

How We Tested

To test all functionalities of the Moov Now, we wore it uninterruptedly for one week, trying it for as many types of workouts as possible.

The sensor is highly accurate and records all workouts brilliantly. It works wonders for all sports profiles, although it’s probably not as useful if you’re on HIIT. Besides recording the movement, it also does a great job in monitoring sleep.

We liked the voice commands that let you know what you’re doing wrong and how to correct it, while the video coaching available for some workouts is more than engaging.

Summary

Moov Now seems basic at first glance, but it can certainly put most smartwatches to shame. Furthermore, it records an impressive amount of metrics for most sports as well as correcting your movement and keeping you motivated.

Above all, the Moov Now is ultra-lightweight and comfortable to wear 24/7 and is one of the cheapest yet smartest wearable personal trainers for athletes and fitness junkies.

Garmin Vivosport – Max Tracking Power With Minimal Bulk

By Roxana Bikfalvi Leave a Comment

The Garmin Vivosport – one of Garmin’s range of entry-level fitness trackers – is one of the smallest wearables capable of ensuring all-round activity control and health monitoring.

It might not have the stylish look of a Fitbit nor the high-tech vibe of an Apple Watch, but it incorporates the best available technologies in an affordable fitness band.

It’s not made for the pros, but if you don’t have high athletic ambitions, it offers outstanding value for money and has all the basics a fitness-savvy individual might need.

Background

The minimalist Garmin Vivosport is a minimalist-looking fitness band designed to deliver enhanced fitness tracking and health monitoring.

It shares a wealth of features with the Vivosmart HR+ and is yet another addition to Garmin’s selection of affordable wearables such as the Garmin Vivosmart 3 and Vivoactive HR.

It offers complete activity tracking, but not at the levels specialised Garmin smartwatches do.

The redesigned version of the Vivosmart HR+, it has longer battery life, a slimmer band, and high-end features such as stress testing and the VO2 Max. It’s a worthy upgrade from the simpler models like the Vivofit 4 or Vivosmart 3.

Features

At first glance, the Vivosport seems expensive compared with other wearables in its class. It’s hard to tell how capable it is by just looking at it, yet it packs a wealth of interesting smart and fitness tracking features that justify the higher premium.

If all you need is a step tracker, you might as well save money and opt for a Vivofit 4 instead. The Vivosport’s real rivals are sportsbands like the Fitbit Surge or Samsung Galaxy Watch.

However, a particularly welcome addition compared to other entry-level Garmin smartbands is the presence of GPS, as well as a traditional accelerometer and heart rate sensor.

Smart notifications deliver texts, incoming calls, e-mails, and push notifications directly to your wrist, while the wireless mode lets you control the music on your phone.

The battery life is not outstanding, but it’s in line with other Garmin smarts. You can expect about seven days of autonomy in smart mode and up to eight hours in GPS mode, which is quite impressive considering that the colour display is always on.

Design

The Vivosport’s design is undoubtedly inspired by the Vivosmart 3. But while it has the same essential lines, it introduces important innovations, such as the colour display and the possibility to view it in both vertical and horizontal modes.

From an aesthetic standpoint, you can expect a sporty design in true Garmin style. There is nothing glamorous about the silicone strap, but it’s really comfortable to wear 24/7, even during the most extreme sports activities. Changing bands is impossible due to the unibody design, but you can pick from four band styles and two sizes.

An unwelcome change compared with the Vivosmart 3 is the slightly smaller display. Overall, this isn’t the most responsive or intuitive to use smartbands out there.

Fitness Tracking

The Vivosport provides a wealth of fitness and health tracking features, and it’s extremely accurate. As you would expect from a sportsband of this calibre, it comes with multi-sport profiles, recognises training sessions automatically, and tracks your performance both indoors and outdoors.

The integrated GPS delivers accurate travelled distance data, and you can set personalised alerts and check live progress updates. Despite being waterproof, a slight drawback is the lack of a swim mode.

For health tracking, the integration of VO2 Max and Fitness Age features is certainly welcome. First introduced on the Vivosmart 3, the VO2 Max monitors your blood oxygen levels during peak performance activity, helping you optimise your training sessions.

The Daily Stress function provides comprehensive reports about your periods of overload, while the Relax Timer enhances relaxation through timed breathing exercises – just what you need to ward off those stressors and negative thoughts.

Like every respectable fitness tracker, Garmin Vivosport incorporates heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking features, alongside calorie count, floors climbed, and auto goal challenges.

Main Advantages

Small but feature-packed
Integrated GPS
Accurate fitness tracking and health monitoring
Good battery life
Multi-sport profiles and smart notifications
Waterproof

Main Disadvantages

A rather small screen for a touchscreen
No swim modes
Bland design

Competition

	Garmin Vivosport	Garmin Vivosmart HR+	Fitbit Surge	Samsung Galaxy Watch
Display	Strengthened glass	Acrylic	Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass DX+
Resolution	72x144pixels	160 x 68px	N/A	360x360px
Size	9.7×19. x10mm	25.3×10.7x15mm	20.88×24.6mm	46 x49x13 mm
Weight	24.1 g	31 g	N/A	46 g
Band type	Silicone	Silicone	Silicone	Silicone
Water resistance	Swimproof	5 ATM	5 ATM	5 ATM
Connectivity	Bluetooth, ANT+	Bluetooth, ANT+	Bluetooth	3G/LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Heart rate monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Smart notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stress levels	Yes	No	No	No
Calorie count	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multi-sport profiles	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life (Smart mode)	Up to 7 days	Up to 5 days	Up to 7 days	Up to 7 days

How We Tested

To test the Garmin Vivosport, we wore it for all daily activities, from working and leisure to training and even to monitor my sleep. As I was expecting from a Garmin device, it delivers accurate metrics.

We particularly liked the always-on display that lets you use the smartband as a traditional timepiece. The anti-reflective display is fairly easy to see in daylight, although direct sunlight could make it a bit difficult to have a glimpse at it.

The Vivosport is lightweight and particularly comfortable to wear, albeit not fashionable. Yet, it’s a surprisingly capable sportsband.

Summary

Garmin Vivosport is a capable all-round smartwatch designed with the fitness-oriented individuals in mind. Perhaps not the best choice for the pros, who may be better off with a dedicated wearable, but definitely a smart pick for the regular guy or gal who wants to stay healthy and fit.

Sure, it won’t write history as the most remarkable smartband out there, but it offers an interesting mix of features and functions that are often lacking in similar devices. Undoubtedly, it offers good value for money.

Announcing the New Puma Smartwatch – A Wearable Designed for Athletes

By Roxana Bikfalvi Leave a Comment

Puma Smartwatch - A wearable for athletes

The Puma Sports Connected smartwatch comes as a breath of fresh air in a fitness world dominated by Garmin and Fitbit. It runs Google’s Wear OS and is perfect for athletes.

The brand launched its wearable at IFA 2019; a perfect fitness tracker designed in collaboration with Fossil and that sports the same core as Fossil Gen 5. It’s dedicated to fitness enthusiasts, but does it live up to an athlete’s expectations? Let’s see.

Background

Puma entered the tech sector in 2016 when it launched the first wirelessly connected self-lacing sneaker and wowed its fans with its newest Fi (Fit Intelligence) self-lacing shoes earlier this year, only a few months after the release of the classic RS-Computer running shoes in 2018.

While most smartwatch brands focus on creating more fashion-forward designs that look good outside the gym, with sporty lines and minimalist looks Puma has aimed its watches at those who don’t want to wear rose gold or stainless steel bands when lifting weights or during a sprint.

Puma’s new smartwatch will be available from November 2019 in black, white and neon colour for £269/$275/€279.

Features

Built in collaboration with Fossil, Puma Smartwatch resembles Fossil’s Sport smartwatch and comes with similar features.

It sports the acclaimed Google Wear OS and Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. However, with only 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage space it’s a tad behind Fossil in terms of performance.

The Puma will connect with your smartphone regardless of whether it runs on Android or iOS, and comes with all features you’d expect from a last-generation wearable, including Google Pay and Google Assistant.

A selection of faces lets you customise the always-on display and monitor metrics such as fitness or heart rate alongside the time. The Puma Sports Connected also comes with a weather app and is compatible with Spotify for seamless music streaming.

Design

Puma’s smartwatch design is simple and minimalist with a retro 1980s look. A sleek nylon case with sandblasted top ring express the fitness-oriented personality of this smart wearable.

It comes in three styles, and if you’d really fancy the rose gold, you can still enjoy it with one of the trims. Alternatively, you can pick from an all-black or black and neon model.

Despite the metal accents, this unisex smartwatch is surprisingly lightweight. The case is a good size for most wrists. The always-on screen offers the punchy colours and deep blacks expected from an OLED panel. Screen responsiveness is superb.

The silicone band has channels underneath to maintain airflow and prevent excessive sweating.

Fitness Tracking

In terms of fitness tracking, the Puma Smartwatch lacks the functionality of some Garmin or Fitbit models, but still has much to commend it, including classic fitness modes like step and workout tracking via Google Fit. It also packs a heart rate monitor and built-in GPS, so you won’t have to carry your phone while running if you want to map your route.

Various training apps and water resistance to up to 3 ATM complete this wearable’s fitness tracking abilities.

Main Advantages

Ultra-lightweight and comfortable to wear
Wear OS operating platform
Compatible with Android and iOS devices
Built-in GPS
Built-in functions including Google Assistant and Google Pay
Swimproof

Main Disadvantages

Retro design might not appeal to everyone
Less capable but more expensive than Fossil Gen 5
No speaker

Competitors

	Puma Smartwatch	Fossil Gen 5	Michael Kors Access	Samsung Galaxy Watch
Display	AMOLED	AMOLED	AMOLED	AMOLED
Resolution	328x328px	–	390x390px	360x360px
Size	44×44 x 11mm	44x44x12mm	41x 41mm	46×49 x13mm
Weight	28 g	–	–	46 g
Band material	Silicone	Silicone/Stainless steel	Stainless steel	Silicone
Water resistance	3 ATM	3 ATM	Swimproof	5 ATM
Connectivity	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	Bluetooth	Bluetooth	3G/LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Heart rate monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Smart notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	No	No	No	Yes
NFC Payments	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Calorie count	No	No	No	Yes
Multi-sport profiles	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Battery life (Smart mode)	Up to 24 hours	Up to 24 hours	Up to 24 hours	Up to 7 days

Summary

Puma’s first smartwatch might not be as exceptional as many of the smartwatches offered by the industry’s established names, but it promises a lot. We can’t judge a book by its cover, so we’ll have to wait until November to actually test it.

At first glance, Puma Smartwatch could be an excellent choice for runners, athletes, and fitness junkies in general. Time will tell whether it’s worth the hype but for now, we can only congratulate Puma for entering the game with such a fine-looking wearable.

Garmin Vivosmart 4 – A Glamorous Fitness Smartband

By Roxana Bikfalvi Leave a Comment

The Vivosmart 4 is Garmin’s proof that the brand doesn’t just cater for the athletes. This capable smartband doesn’t have all the bells and whistles present on other Garmin smartwatches, but it could be the perfect everyday wearable for the fitness-oriented individuals.

A selection of band colours and stylish metal accents – including the highly acclaimed rose gold – give this slim-profile fitness tracker a high-street fashion twist.

Wondering if it’s the right smartband for you? Read on to find it out.

Background

Garmin is best known for its high-end sports-specific devices, such as the Quatix 5 or Approach S60 – expensive wearables designed for the wannabe athletes.

But you don’t really need high athletic ambitions or afford an eye-watering price to get your hands on some Garmin smarts.

The Vivosmart range, together with the Vivofit and Vivosport, are Garmin’s answer to the Fitbit devices. A line of affordable trackers for the everyday user rather than the aspiring sportsperson.

Vivosmart 4 is a slimline, swim-friendly wearable loaded with a wealth of well-being and some fitness features. It is designed to help you stay healthier and ward off stress and burnout while becoming more active.

Features

The Vivosmart 4 is a smartband designed to keep you connected while you’re active, so you don’t have to stop walking or running to pull the smartphone out of your pocket.

Like most smart wearables, it features Bluetooth connectivity and delivers calls, texts, and social media notifications directly on your wrist. You’ll even be able to see what app the notifications come from, but you can’t actually see what a notification says.

Pairing the smartband with an Android device gives you the possibility to reply with preset text responses, though. The device also lets you control your phone’s music and access weather forecasts.

Interacting with the smartwatch through the touchscreen is a bit harder than imagined. The Vivosmart 4 doesn’t have a conventionally responsive display, and tapping requires some force if you want to get a response.

A physical button at the bottom of the screen makes it easier to return to the main menu or to access the settings, but it has limited functionality. No doubt, this isn’t your standard fitness tracker, but it’s still a quite nice device if you take the time to get used to it.

Design

Garmin Vivosmart 4 has nothing to do with the ugly-looking, chunky fitness tracking devices you might be used to. It’s a comfortable wearable that doesn’t look out of place at the office or when paired with a sleeker outfit.

It’s almost as fashionable as the Fitbit; the only downside is the unibody design that doesn’t let you swap bands or change the sporty style. This isn’t an issue, though, as you’ll have plenty of colour choices.

The Vivosmart 4 comes in two sizes and five colours. Metallic accents around the display and on the band clasp boost up the aesthetic factor; I like the eye-catchy rose gold accents on the unisex band that give it a feminine touch.

I also like that it’s much thinner than the Fitbit Charge and the Alta HR, but all this style has a price. Garmin compromised on the display, which is truly tiny and quite hard to use.

Fitness Tracking

Depending on your purpose, Garmin Vivosmart 4 can be the best activity tracker you’ve ever worn or one of the worst.

Starting off with the not-so-good, the device has pre-installed fitness profiles for a handful of activities, including running, walking, swimming, elliptical training, and cycling. However, it doesn’t excel in tracking any of these.

It lacks a GPS and doesn’t even have tethering capabilities to log mileage, which sometimes results in estimates that can be off even by a mile.

While it falls short when it comes to tracking activity, though, the Vivosmart 4 is a surprisingly capable health monitor.

It features sophisticated heart rate-based tools, including a SpO2 sensor that measures blood oxygen level while you sleep. The heart rate sensor also measures stress level, a useful feature that helps you understand which are your major stressors.

A Body Battery function estimates your energy reserves, and even if it’s not accurate at all times, it really is a useful feature.

Main Advantages

The OLED display is easily visible in all light conditions
Advanced sleep and stress level metrics
A fashionable takeover compared to other Garmin smartbands
Swim capabilities
Long-lasting battery

Main Disadvantages

Small and sometimes unresponsive screen
No GPS or GPS-tethering options
Sometimes inaccurate

Competition

	Garmin Vivosmart 4	Garmin Vivoactive 3	Fitbit Charge 3	Fitbit Alta HR
Display	Polycarbonate	Corning Gorilla Glass	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Gorilla glass
Resolution	48×128 pixels	240 x 240px	Not specified	Not specified
Size	15×10.5 x197mm–S/M 15×10.5×197 mm–L	43.4 x 43.4×11.7 mm	12.7 x 28 mm	15.24 x 41 mm
Weight	S/M: 16.5 g L: 17.1 g	43 g	30 g	29 g
Band material	Silicone	Silicone	Silicone / Woven	Silicone / Leather
Water resistance	5 ATM	5 ATM	5 ATM	Splashproof
Connectivity	Bluetooth Smart, ANT+	Bluetooth Smart, ANT+	Bluetooth	Bluetooth
GPS	No	Yes	Tethering	No
Heart rate monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Smart notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stress levels	Yes	No	No	No
Body Battery	Yes	No	No	No
Calorie count	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multi-sport profiles	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Interchangeable bands	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	Up to 7 days	Up to 7d	Up to 7d	Up to 7d

How We Tested

To test all the functions of the Vivosmart 4, we wore the smartband uninterruptedly for a week. The battery didn’t last up to 7 days, but that’s because we used all the features, including the Pulse OX advanced sleep tracking.

With the Pulse OX on, we got about five days of uninterrupted use; it charges fast and is ready to use again in about 2 hours.

While it wasn’t the most accurate for fitness tracking, it impressed us with its advanced health monitoring. No doubt, a great choice for the fitness-savvy yet not performance-obsessed individuals.

Summary

Garmin Vivosmart 4 is an amazing smartband that excels in pretty much all areas. It lacks a GPS; thus, it’s not quite as accurate as other Garmin wearables. It also has a really tiny screen. But as long as you can get past these two drawbacks, you’ll realise it’s one of the most stylish fitness trackers out there.

Whether this is the right device for you comes down to a few simple questions. Do you just want to keep tabs on your daily activity or need some motivation to work towards your fitness goals, or are you looking for advanced tracking features?

If you need advanced features, move on. In the other case, the Garmin Vivosmart 4 could be the right smartband for you.