Garmin, a leader in the sports accessories market for years, has announced a new fitness tracker for the less athletic people. Coming tp Best Buy later this month, the Vivosmart is a daily activity tracker that also includes several features typically found in smartwatches, such as alerts to incoming calls and text messages.
The Vivosmart, which will retail for $169 or $199 when bundled with a chest-strap heart-rate monitor, is an updated version of the Garmin Vivofit. The new Vivosmart is sleeker and thinner than its predecessor and packs in several new capabilities. At its core, as a daily activity tracker, it measures the number of steps taken in a day, distance traveled, calories burned, hours slept, and your progress toward goals you set.
The lightweight curved band is water resistant (up to 50 meters), and its rechargeable battery lasts up to seven days, according to Garmin. The on-device OLED display remains hidden until activated, either by gesture, touch, or an incoming alert from a connected smartphone.
Another feature in the new Vivosmart is a move alert, meaning the wristband will prompt you to move if you've been sitting still for too long—an hour by default. It also has a "find my phone" feature that, when activated, sounds a loud alarm on your phone to help you locate it.
In previewing the product, the Vivosmart seems to have a much sturdier design than the Samsung Gear Fit, another touch-screen smartwatch/fitness tracker. The main problem with the Gear Fit is that its screen is so sensitive that you have to slow your breathing and heart rate, like a biathlete before firing, just to interact with it. In other words, it is very difficult to operate the touch screen while being active. Upon first look, the Vivosmart doesn't seem to be nearly as sensitive.
The Vivosmart will come in five different colors and will be available exclusively through Best Buy at first. Other features include the ability to connect to compatible heart-rate monitors and bike-speed sensors, both ANT+ and Bluetooth (BLE) equipment. Users will also be able to track different activities while wearing the band.
For more advice, see PCMag's guide to choosing a fitness tracker.