Verdict
The Polar Vantage V3 is a really likable sports scout that at last brings the Polar flagship more in line of credit with the rival and addresses some of the bighearted bitch with its software program .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Polar Vantage V3 sees Polar bosom color for its latest multisports watch , as it play catch up with Garmin who ’s been rolling out the AMOLED sports vigil late .
Adding a spattering of color is n’t the only way Polar is prove to avert your eye by from spotter like theForerunner 965(£599.99/$599.99 ) and the newSuunto Race(£389/$449 ) . It ’s now added its own mathematical function backing , introduce a raw sensing element setup that can tag more than just heart rate , and is also promising to track your indoor and outdoor workouts in a more honest mode .
The last few Vantage vigil have been solid performing artist and the V3 on paper is a bit of a tracking powerhouse . I ’ve been testing the Polar Vantage V3 over a month to line up out if this is a not bad multisports watch to own . Here ’s my verdict .
Design and screen
The Polar Vantage V3 is a fully round picket that measures in at 14.5 millimeter thick and comes in just the one 47 millimetre sizing , so that ’s the same case size you ’ll come up on theGarmin Fenix 7 .
It does come in three color selection , so you ’ve got your selection of night black ( which I tested ) , sky blue air and sunrise apricot .
It ’s not an too deep lookout man and at 57 g does n’t count heavy either . There ’s nothing particularly standout about the look of the Polar Vantage V3 , but it ’s a jolly sleek , silken - looking sport watch that overall I ’ve really enjoyed don .
There ’s five physical buttons in sum , all with a prissy textured finishing and Polar has moved from a 1.2 - in , always - on colour touch modality display to a larger , 1.39 - inch , 454 x 454 declaration AMOLED one .
TheVantage V2 ’s screen also offer up a spattering of colour , but this is a step up in pretty much every way . It ’s a high-pitched quality screen that I ’ve had no problems consider my stats on , and you do have the choice to keep that silver screen on at all fourth dimension .
That case is attach to a silicone shoulder strap that is removable and does have a in effect - sized watch buckle to check that it delay put . I ’ve discover the strap did initially rend at the hairs on my wrist , but that seems to have subsided over longer terminal figure use .
In the box , Polar include a middling dinky excite cable television that jog onto the bottom of the case . It does n’t clamp especially tight to the watch and it does intend sum up another proprietary cable to your spirit .
Software and smartwatch features
Polar ’s software , and creating more of a smartwatch feel with that software , has follow a long way over the last few years .
While Polar does n’t fox as many features at you in this department as Apple or Garmin , what it does is endeavor to amend the simpler experience in the right way .
That starts with the more noticeable zip you get swiping and tap around the watch UI . The lag of previous watches seems to be a matter of the past . You ’ve got squeamish , adult watch widgets to show off your stats and they are upgrade by that AMOLED video display .
Polar will display telling from both Android phones and iPhones , you just ca n’t playact on them . There ’s a consecrate cover for controlling music dally on your earphone and that work with native and third party apps like Spotify . They do work well and while the presentment support is introductory , it works well enough .
If you like watch faces , there ’s a few to pick from here that are customisable , but the collection to choose from is n’t massively extensive .
alas , the V3 has the odd crotchet of disconnecting itself from my telephone set during the day . I ’m not sure this is done as a bill to hike battery , but if you ’re relying on feature of speech like weather updates throughout the sidereal day , it ’s not precisely ideal .
I can treat with there not being loads of smartwatch features if what does make the cut process , and you’re able to in spades say that here on the Vantage V3 .
Fitness tracking
Polar ’s credentials to make great multisports watches has never been in doubt , and whether I ’ve run , gone for a swimming or shoot the gym , the Polar Vantage V2 has held up well . The trouble is that Polar had to trade with the fact that its big rival was offering a dependable all - round parcel .
Things feel different on the Vantage V3 , and while it ’s not complete , there ’s by all odds reason to be cheerful about what Polar offers here .
I ’ll jump with the goodness and that ’s the addition of a new dual - frequency GPS mode to bring Polar in telephone line with the competition , as far as tapping into new engineering science designed to give outdoor physical exertion tracking a great accuracy hike .
I ’ve used this dual - band modality across a legion of other watches from Apple to Suunto and this is a good representative of look for to boost accuracy when you ’re near tall buildings or in built - up , wooded surface area that can impact on snap up a dependable sign . It ’s not the best version I ’ve used , but it ’s not far off what I ’ve experienced with Apple and Garmin on this front . It ’s a step in the proper guidance .
Another big plus is mapping . Previously , Polar relied on third - party apps to propose the ability to follow mathematical function on the sentinel . The trouble is you had to pay for sodding access . Now Polar offer its own mathematical function support , which frustratingly can only be synced over from the Polar Flow web and desktop app . There ’s no native point - to - point pilotage here either , but the addition of mathematical function in general assign it more in line of descent with Garmin ’s map support and it ’s another voguish move from Polar – if not a move they should ’ve made a long time ago .
Polar ’s ability to track your daily action might not be a huge reason to grab it , though its sopor tracking accomplishment are arguably more reliable than its rivals .
It get a pile of eternal rest metrics , include its own every night recharge measurements to let you know how well recovered you are from the premature day . I ’ve been using it alongside anOura Ring Gen 3smart ring and find the core sleep data to be nicely in line on most days .
Then we get to the not so neat , and I ’ll start with Polar ’s new philosopher’s stone sensor , which can track sum rate , profligate oxygen , skin temperature plus there ’s also an ECG sensing element to take on the spot ECG measuring when holding the top - exit button .
During exercise I ’ve found marrow charge per unit operation not that different from Polar ’s old sensor setup on the Vantage V2 . I ’ve used it against watches couple with Polar ’s own H10 essence rate chest shoulder strap admonisher and Garmin ’s HRM Pro+ chest strap and in the main found that affection rate graphs did n’t typically match even when not tackling high intensity level - style employment academic session . It was n’t tremendous , but it also did n’t finger like a huge step up on previous watches .
Those additional metrics Polar now offers are n’t design for aesculapian use and are there to fuel insight , particularly around recovery and making certain you ’re in good shape to educate . That adds to Polar ’s already pretty impressive rooms of training and analysis insights that offer something for newcomers and firm Polar fan . So something like FitSpark , which suggests physical exercise base on your exercise story , is a gravid feature for beginners . Polar ’s Training Load and Recovery Pro insights let you delve a little bass for those that take their training on a more hardcore horizontal surface .
Battery life
The battery living on the Polar Vantage V3 is very beneficial when you ’re using it without the filmdom set to always - on modality .
glacial states that the Vantage V3 can flow for 12 Clarence Day and bid 61 hour of GPS tracking . If you do activate the always - on musical mode , that ’ll drop from 12 days to less than 5 days reckon on the level of tracking you do during that time .
I ’ve used it with a admixture of keeping the concealment off 24/7 and turning it on , and the barrage fire life in general is pretty hearty . I become a hebdomad swear on using the not so great raise to stir up backup , and it was less than a calendar week when you go all in .
Basically , if you ’re willing to sacrifice being able to gaze at the concealment all the fourth dimension , the Polar Vantage V3 definitely offers an improvement on battery from the V2 , even with that color display now in gambling .
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Should you buy it?
The Polar Vantage V3 offers overall a great tracking experience and brings AMOLED and a operation boost to make it more desirable than previous Polar watches
While the Polar ’s smartwatch major power are for certain amend , it ’s still no match for Garmin on this front if you manage about feature like medicine , payment and having admittance to an app entrepot .
Final Thoughts
The Polar Vantage V3 is Polar ’s most likeable watch to date and it ’s not just because it ’s experience an AMOLED screen now . The performance is there too , in most departments , and the software both in feeling and performance is where it ’s needed to be for a while .
The obvious competition is theGarmin Forerunner 965 , which is the same terms as the V3 in the US and is cheaper in the UK . The 965 will give you more in the way of smartwatch lineament , however . There ’s also theSuunto Race , which is another exchange premium multisports watch that comes in less , but its software is n’t quite up to inscribe as Polar ’s .
If you ’re looking for a high - end , multisports ascertain that run slick , delivers a proficient performance on most fronts and a rich raiment of tracking and preparation feature , then the Polar Vantage V3 is well worth check out out . assure out ourBest take to the woods Watchguide for more options .
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How we test
We thoroughly test every smartwatch we review . We apply industry - stock testing to liken characteristic by rights and we use the watch as our primary twist over the review stop . We ’ll always say you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to go over a product .
FAQs
Yes , the Polar Vantage V3 does pop the question detached offline mathematical function , which can be download from the Polar Flow web app .
No , the Polar Vantage V3 does n’t let you toy music but will countenance you control music bet from your telephone set .
