Smartwatches have largely surpassed band-style wearables with screens in terms of wearable technology. The major holdout is Fitbit, whereas Garmin just unveiled the Vivosmart 5 today.
The 19.5 mm Vivosmart 5 lies between the 22.79 mm Charge 5 and the 17.62 mm Luxe in terms of breadth (or 16.8 mm Inspire 2). The 88 x 154 pixel (10.5 x 18.5 mm) OLED is situated in the center of an oblong acrylic bulge that has a button at the bottom. This touchscreen display in black and white is not constantly on, making it compatible with the Inspire 2. An AOD is included in the Charge 5, while a later update added it to the Luxe.
On the rear, in addition to a heart rate sensor, there is a plug-in charging socket and a pulse oximeter blood oxygen saturation monitor. Additionally, an accelerometer and ambient light sensor are included, and Bluetooth and ANT are used for connectivity.
The bands ( Black , White , and Cool Mint ) are interchangeable simply pulling the tracker out, which is a first for the Vivosmart portfolio. Since there is no internal GPS, position must be obtained from a phone. While there is a normal 5ATM water rating that is suitable for swimming, the battery is rated for up to seven days without pulse or sleep tracking.
Heart rate and blood oxygen saturation can be monitored continuously, although SpO2 testing may only be available upon request or at night. Additionally, breathing is monitored during the day, while sleeping, and while engaging in breathwork and yoga exercises.
Other features on Fitbit include women’s health tracking, on-device breathing exercises, stress tracking, water/fluids logging (still frustratingly app-only), and fitness age. Running, yoga, Pilates, cardio, mindful breathing, strength training, and other sports all have activity profiles on Garmin.
While the Charge 5 offers ECG, the Inspire 2 lacks SpO2 but does provide nighttime skin temperature (variation) tracking.
There are email, text, and other alert notifications among the smartwatch functions, and Android users can reply via SMS. Additionally:
When traveling, peace of mind is offered by the safety and tracking functions. Simply hold down the button for a short period of time to activate an aid alert that notifies specified emergency contacts of the user’s location via text message.
L-R: Inspire 2, Vivosmart 5, Charge 5, and Luxe
Basic calendar and weather apps are also available from Garmin, along with the ability to play and pause audio on your phone. Fitbit trackers lack these features, and the absence of music controls is still particularly bothersome. However, the Charge 5 does enable contactless payments.
Garmin’s Vivosmart 5 costs like the Charge 5 , but in terms of non-fitness features and capabilities, it is more comparable to the $130 Luxe or even the $100 Inspire 2 . Garmin, which likes to advertise no subscription necessary in a dig at Fitbit Premium, is a good option for those looking for a more rigorous fitness tracker, but overall the Google-owned portfolio feels more engaging and cutting-edge.
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