The Garmin Vivomove Sport: A Stylish Hybrid Smartwatch That Falls Short on Battery Life
Smartwatches have become ubiquitous, offering a tempting blend of convenience and fitness tracking. However, not everyone wants a screen plastered on their wrist. If you crave the style of a traditional watch but yearn for smartwatch features, the Garmin Vivomove Sport promises the best of both worlds. It blends a classic analog watch face with a hidden display for smart notifications and fitness tracking. But does it truly deliver on its hybrid promise? Let’s delve into this detailed review to see if the Garmin Vivomove Sport lives up to the hype.
Garmin Vivomove Sport Price in India
The Garmin Vivomove Sport is available in India for Rs. 18,990 for the sole 40mm variant. It comes in four stylish color options: Cocoa, Cool Mint, Ivory, and Black, catering to diverse tastes.
Garmin Vivomove Sport Design
The Garmin Vivomove Sport boasts a unisex design with a 40mm dial, though this might feel a bit small for those with larger hands. Despite the compact size, the watch exudes a sense of refined elegance. Its circular metal dial sits atop a polymer case, promising durability to withstand accidental knocks.
The watch seamlessly integrates with 20mm silicone straps, offering a comfortable and secure fit. The quick-release functionality allows for easy strap changes, enabling you to customize your look with various 20mm strap options. The bundled straps are of high quality, ensuring both comfort and style.
The Vivomove Sport’s design truly shines in its clever integration of a hidden OLED display in the lower half of the watch face. This display is only visible when activated by a double tap or raising your wrist, maintaining the sleek aesthetic of a traditional watch. The absence of any buttons on the watch further contributes to its clean and minimalist look.
On the underside of the watch, you’ll find the heart rate and SpO2 tracking sensors as well as the charging mechanism. Garmin claims the Vivomove Sport is water-resistant up to 5 ATM, making it suitable for everyday wear and even light swimming.
Garmin Vivomove Sport Software, Features, and Ecosystem
The Garmin Vivomove Sport runs on proprietary software, but seamlessly connects to both Android and iOS devices using the Garmin Connect app. This ensures compatibility with a wide range of smartphones, making it a versatile choice.
While the app allows for responding to messages when paired with an Android phone, this feature remains unavailable for iPhone users. You can receive notifications for incoming calls and even choose to accept or reject them, but answering calls through the watch is not possible due to the absence of a speaker or microphone.
Another notable omission is the lack of in-built GPS. This means the Vivomove Sport relies on the paired smartphone for location data, which could be a drawback for those seeking to go for runs without their phone.
Fitness Tracking Features
The Garmin Vivomove Sport offers an array of fitness tracking features, accessible through its intuitive touch-based interface. By swiping across the glass display, you can access various tracked parameters, including:
- Steps
- Distance
- Body Battery (Predicts Energy Levels)
- Stress Levels
- Heart Rate
- SpO2
- Respiratory Rate
All these parameters are synced with the Garmin Connect app for detailed analysis and tracking. This app also allows you to track various workout activities, providing you with comprehensive data on your fitness journey.
The watch seamlessly integrates its functionality with the traditional analog hands. When interacting with the OLED display, the hands cleverly relocate to the nine and three positions, ensuring the display remains unobstructed. Navigating through the different menu options requires a combination of swipes and taps, which can feel a bit clunky at first. However, it becomes more intuitive with time and use.
Garmin Vivomove Sport Performance
To gauge its accuracy, the Garmin Vivomove Sport was tested for over a month and its results compared to the Apple Watch Series 7. During a 1km walk, the Vivomove Sport registered a distance of 0.98km, demonstrating minor but acceptable deviation despite the absence of in-built GPS. Step tracking was also quite accurate, measuring 994 steps for every 1000 steps counted manually.
The Vivomove Sport consistently tracked heart rate continuously, providing real-time data on even subtle fluctuations. Comparison with the Apple Watch Series 7 revealed readings within the same range, demonstrating reliable accuracy. SpO2 tracking also proved accurate, aligning with the results of a medical-grade pulse oximeter. Notably, the Vivomove Sport also allows for SpO2 tracking during sleep, a feature that requires activation and comes with a significant impact on battery life.
Sleep Tracking & Battery Life
Sleep tracking on the Garmin Vivomove Sport was surprisingly accurate. It not only tracked sleep duration but also accurately identified different sleep phases: deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and awake periods. This detailed insight into your sleep patterns can be valuable for understanding overall sleep quality and potential areas for improvement.
With SpO2 tracking enabled during sleep, the Vivomove Sport also tracks your SpO2 levels and respiration rate throughout the night, providing a comprehensive view of your sleep health.
Battery Life is unfortunately where the Garmin Vivomove Sport falls short. While you might expect a hybrid watch to offer a week-long battery life, it averaged just four days. This falls short of Garmin’s five-day claim. Enabling SpO2 tracking while sleeping further reduces battery life, with the watch barely lasting beyond two days. This relatively short battery life is disappointing, especially considering the hybrid nature of the watch and the price point. Ideally, Garmin could have incorporated a larger battery, particularly given the relatively small size of the dial. While the watch charges relatively quickly, taking about an hour using a standard 10W charger, frequent charging is a necessary inconvenience.
Verdict
The Garmin Vivomove Sport is a stylish and sleek hybrid smartwatch that seamlessly combines the aesthetics of a traditional watch with the functionality of a smartwatch. Its design is refined, and the inclusion of an unobtrusive, hidden display adds a modern touch without compromising on its classic look. The watch offers a comprehensive range of fitness tracking features, delivering accurate data on heart rate, SpO2, sleep, and more.
However, its high price point of Rs. 18,990 makes it a difficult sell, especially considering the lack of in-built GPS and the disappointing battery life. Alternatives like the Fossil Hybrid Smartwatch HR FB-01, for example, offer a similar set of features with a much more impressive two-week battery life at a significantly lower price point.
For those looking for a stylish hybrid smartwatch with a larger display and longer battery life, the Fossil Machine Gen 6 Hybrid might be a better choice, offering a similar price point but exceeding on its two-week battery life claim. Ultimately, the Garmin Vivomove Sport is a compelling option if you prioritize style and a compact design, but be prepared to compromise on battery life and consider the relative value offered by other options available in the market.
