Smarter, fitter, younger
Garmin has been pushing its activity tracking . After bypassing the number 2 in favor of the Vivosmart HR +, this wrist-placed wearable is the third generation of the Vivosmart of Garmin.
As Garmin does not only want to concentrate on heart rate monitoring with the Vivosmart 3, The decision is telling.
This is because it currently offers maximum, fitness and strength training, with rep counting too. A tall order really to cram all that.
- Garmin Vivosmart 3 at Amazon for US$49.47
Garmin Vivosmart 3 cost and release date
Garmin has managed to keep the purchase price of the Vivosmart 3 at the lower end with a launch price tag of $139.99/#129.99/AU$229. We’ve seen that price drop just a little bit since it launched and the cheapest we’ve seen it is the $90 85 mark.
This Vivosmart 3’s launch price was a must to help put it flawlessly contrary to the competition from action tracking specialist Fitbit, which offers a likewise sensor-filled Alta HR.
Of course, using the versions of the Apple Watch on wrists offering lots of tracking choices these activity trackers must deliver more than to justify the purchase price of more kit.
Are these brand new tracking metrics going to make the Garmin Vivosmart 3 a activity tracker?
Design
- Tough and comfy
- Not stunning looking
- Responsive touchscreen
Garmin hasn’t gone far away from its original design and has stuck to a simple yet powerful build. As such the Vivosmart 3 is not likely to turn many heads, but, importantly, you will barely notice it .
As a result of this slender silicone strap that this 21g action tracker can be worn night and day without you noticing it is there. Along with the color choices of black, purple and blue are dark, allowing them to slip into the background readily.
There’s a nice amount of stretch to buckle lock spans and that strap, so you can use the Vivosmart 3 loose without it impacting heart rate tracking.
It’s also waterproof, so it’s possible to swim, shower and bathe without taking it off, which lets you forget it’s there – perfect at night for sleep tracking then.
That silicone casing can also be tough, so you don’t need to worry about giving a knock or two, that can be handy if you’re considering swinging your arms about in a gym workout to it. The rocky screen performs well on this front.
This OLED screen seamlessly fits into the strap and offers plenty of brightness . Despite looking a little matt and tough in its end – that may seem almost steamed up at times – the touchscreen works surprisingly well.
Double taps begin and pause a workout while swipes zip between options – even if this worked. The resolution is fine for the task at 64 x 128 pixels onto a meagre 9.6 x 19.2mm display, though WhatsApp messages may have a reasonable bit of swiping to get through if they are long.
The sole complaint about the screen will be brightness and activation sensitivity. While the light detector adapts to offer a display that is enough to see in daylight, it can sometimes have a while.
It also appears that if your wrist exaggeratedly swings up to your 27, Garmin has opted for the wearable to perform it battery-safe and only trigger.
As a result you find yourself needing to inspect the time and just doing it over once to find an activation when out and wind up feeling a bit self conscious.
The charger is, of course, proprietary. The clip attaches easily, and the cable plugs to any USB charging port, which can be helpful the device clearly shows on screen when it’s charging. All nice and simple and this isn’t required but more on this later.
