The health-related wearable market in India is at nascent stage, with merely 30,000-40,000 units of wearable products (smart-watches and fitness bands) getting sold every month, according to Convergence Catalyst, a Bengaluru-based research consulting firm. However, gradually the segment is seeing an upward movement specially in metro cities. That is why in recent past we have seen some upbeat offerings like the Moto 360 smartwatch, the Samsung Gear, the Apple Watch and Fitbit’s wearables and low-end devices from Misfit, Xiaomi and GOQii in this segment. And, the new one to enter into the fray is US-based GPS technology provider Garmin that has launched a new activity tracker called Vivosmart HR in an exclusive partnership with Amazon India.
Garmin Vivosmart HR Priced at R14,999, the fitness band features sunlight display screen with touch support and offers continuous heart rate monitoring, counts floors climbed, calories burned and measures activity intensity. When you pair it with your compatible smartphone, you can receive text, calls, email, calendar and social media alerts, control music, and more. Here are details for you.
Basically, the Vivosmart HR is an updated version of Vivosmart which was launched last year. The company has added a couple of new things in this new version. A built-in continuous heart rate sensor has been added, its design has improved and it comes with more secure watch-like buckle. The band comes in two sizes — regular and extra regular. The regular band fits wrists up to 7.4 inches, while the extra large band fits wrists up to 8.8 inches.
The 1-inch, 160-by-64-pixel touch screen display in the middle of the silicone strap is able to provide crisp and large text on the screen. To access features—active minutes, calories burned, distance travelled, heart rate, music controls, notifications, steps, stairs climbed, and weather—you only need to swipe up or down. The device uses Bluetooth for connectivity and is compatible with Android 4.3 or higher, or iOS 9.
For pairing it with a smartphone, a user needs to download the Garmin mobile connect app. Once you have synched the device with your smartphone, you will get a array of statistics to choose from. Users can see activity goal progress distance travelled and floors climbed. The stats can also be broken up by activity, whether that is cycling, running, steps, or swimming.
During the review period, the device monitored the heart rate in different conditions and it was fairly accurate. However, for general things like running, when you compare it with some of the other fitness devices, you may come across slightly exaggerated data. The band is waterproof with a rating of 5ATM, it means that it is safe for swimming upto 164 feet of water.
Overall, the Vivosmart HR is an interesting smartband that track activities with accepted accuracy, offers clean display, notifications and decent battery life.
* Estimated street price: Rs 14,999
Source: financialexpress.com