Polar Replace Provides Maps Factors of Intrest, Charging Throughout Exercises, and Extra

As promised again within the fall, Polar has launched their Q1 firmware replace for the Polar Vantage V3 and Polar Grit X2 Professional, below the FW3.0 umbrella. This replace brings with it the next new options:

– Provides mapping factors of curiosity (to the map database), comparable to campgrounds, shelters, and many others…
– Provides ‘Discover my cellphone’ function, if you lose your cellphone within the sofa cushions, utilizing the watch to search out it
– Provides two new analog watch faces, and three new digital watch faces
– Provides charging throughout exercises/coaching (for stupid-long adventures)
– Provides alerts for leaving your cellphone behind (together with different new alerts)
– Provides potential to see accomplished route on watch in coaching abstract (and swim kinds in pool abstract)
– Provides new coaching begin and pause views exhibiting extra particulars
– Revamps Cardio Load Standing suggestions (modifications phrases, extra on this beneath)
– Plus a bunch of different bug fixes/tweaks/enhancements

As famous, this replace is just out there for the Vantage V3 and Grit X2 Professional, whereas the not too long ago launched Polar Vantage M3, which additionally has mapping, received’t see these options until the ‘Q2’ replace.

Thus, I’ll get my singular piece of (sturdy) criticism out of the way in which up entrance right here, however this choice is simply weird. In any case, the *whole level* of Polar standardizing on a single OS platform, as they touted for these three watches, was to permit for a concurrent platform the place the *solely* distinction was the precise {hardware} styling between the three watches. The seemingly made-up delay for these options to the M3 isn’t serving to Polar’s gross sales right here, since that’s the one of those newish Polar merchandise that’s truly competitively priced. Sigh.

In any case, listed here are the remainder of the discharge notes indicating all of the smaller updates/tweaks:

– Enhancements on often too excessive optical coronary heart fee (OHR) readings throughout coaching periods.

– Enchancment to show brightness in brilliant sunny circumstances: now you can briefly allow the excessive brightness mode throughout coaching by urgent the highest left button (LIGHT).

– Improved Route Steerage begin logic: Beginning your route mid-point now picks up your present location and recalculates routes from the place you’re, as an alternative of guiding you to your set place to begin.

– Mounted points associated to 3D pace calculations, offering extra correct readings throughout elevation modifications and terrain variation.

– Mounted a bug that brought about for some customers incorrect pool swimming distance calculations.

– Enchancment to compass calibration: When the watch detects that the compass wants calibration, it is going to show the message: “The compass is barely off. Do you wish to calibrate it?” You possibly can then determine whether or not to calibrate the compass. In the event you select to not, the message won’t seem once more throughout that coaching session. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to calibrate the compass later in the course of the session by the navigation menu if wanted.

– Different minor updates and bug fixes

Keep in mind first although you’ll have to replace the watch (utilizing desktop or cellphone apps):

However, and that is actually essential, you’ll additionally have to replace the maps for it, since that comprises the POI database. That’s a bit messier, since it’s good to use a desktop pc to obtain, and if on a Mac, you’ll additionally want a third occasion app to get the machine to indicate up in your Mac. Observe that in my case, the maps confirmed Nov twenty fifth, 2024 as the latest. That labored out simply advantageous although, and the POIs had been in there.

In any case, as soon as that’s executed, you’re good to go.

The New Replace:

First up, let’s have a look at the brand new mapping bits. In any case, that’s in all probability what you’re right here for. After getting the maps to your machine, you’ll now see numerous factors of curiosity (POI) on the map set, assuming you’ve downloaded the detailed view. Scrolling round close to me, I didn’t instantly see any, although scrolling a bit additional I noticed a cemetery.

Nonetheless, what’s cool is should you open up the menu you’ll be able to see an inventory of all close by waypoints, together with sorted by kind.

As soon as you choose one, you’ll be able to select to see it on the map, in addition to path to it.

Observe that is ‘because the crow flies’ distance, versus routable distance, since Polar doesn’t have routable maps (which means, it is determined by on-line platforms to present turn-by-turn instructions within the route file, reasonably than doing it on the fly).

The subsequent function is ‘Discover my Telephone’. Once more, that is helpful if you’re carrying the watch however can’t determine the place your cellphone is. So long as your cellphone is inside Bluetooth vary (thus, inside a couple of rooms), it’ll discover it and begin buzzing your cellphone. It’ll additionally present estimated distance to the cellphone, and, as you’ll be able to see, slightly map of the final identified GPS location of the cellphone on the map.

Subsequent, there’s the flexibility to cost the machine throughout exercises/coaching. That is principally aimed toward very lengthy treks, or multi-day situations. Observe that there nonetheless isn’t a ‘Resume Later’ choice, which might be superb and possibly a bit extra helpful for most people desirous to do multi-day hikes (in any other case you mainly have to go away the GPS session recording at evening).

Subsequent, you’ll discover a brand new UI when you choose a sport mode, in addition to pause. This UI makes it a bit extra clear that it is best to truly look ahead to the GPS earlier than going (as a result of not ready makes issues waaaaay worse). I like this:

Lastly, Polar has revamped a bunch of their Cardio Load Standing phrases. I’ll simply allow them to clarify it:

The Cardio Load Standing calculation has been up to date to offer extra actionable suggestions in conditions the place the load has been low, comparable to if you end up simply beginning to practice or recovering after an intensive coaching interval.

Now we have added a brand new standing: Recovering. That is proven when you’ve been overreaching prior to now 14 days. As your coaching load decreases, you’ll now see “Recovering” as an alternative of “Detraining”.

With the earlier Cardio Load Standing calculation, you would attain “Overreaching” too shortly, for instance, if you had been simply beginning to practice or starting to make use of the Coaching Load Professional function. This might give the impression that you simply had been coaching too arduous, even should you weren’t. Now we have adjusted the standing to raised replicate if you end up coaching at a productive stage. In related conditions, you’ll now see “Productive” as an alternative of “Overreaching”.

Right here you’ll be able to see the brand new phrases displayed inside the watch:

Received all that? Good. Now go and get your watches up to date should you haven’t already! And once more, don’t overlook to obtain the brand new maps.

Going Ahead:

These are good updates, and actually greater than Polar let on about again this previous fall. I additionally admire that Polar launched these on the legit begin of Q1, as an alternative of a ‘March thirtieth’ kind of date vary. I suppose that doesn’t shock me, Polar is often fairly good at predicting future launch dates on issues. It’s nearly like they’ve no-effs-given venture managers who hold everybody on monitor.

In fact, nearly all of those options are already on competitor gadgets, however typically maintaining is sufficient – particularly when you’ve got a loyal fanbase already, making certain they don’t have cause to leap ship can do the trick.

That mentioned, I feel Polar must closely re-evaluate their plans on holding again the Vantage M3 replace till Q2. There’s simply no logical cause for that, and as Suunto has very simply demonstrated, providing a robust competitor watch within the sub-$400 vary is yielding good success for them. Polar, together with Suunto and COROS, received the break of their lives this week when Garmin bizarrely determined to not add maps to the Intuition 3 collection (priced in the identical vary, and certainly one of Garmin’s hottest product collection). A choice that will seemingly indicate we in all probability received’t get maps on an assumed Forerunner 265 successor this spring (sometimes on this similar value ballpark). Although, the overwhelming adverse suggestions on the web the final 48 hours may change their considering.

Level is, Polar has been given a ‘Woah’ second, and shouldn’t waste it. Get that replace out earlier than it’s too late. Within the meantime, for these on the Vantage V3 and Grit X2 Professional, welcome to your campsite!

Thanks for studying!