This past month has been quite busy with smartwatch releases, yet we couldn't help but feel excited when Polar started teasing its latest wearable launch on social media platforms. We hoped it would be the Polar Vantage V3 – and our dreams came true!
Polar latest and greatest flagship multisport watch received a complete overhaul, with the main attraction being the new sensor setup called Polar Elixir, which includes an optical heart rate sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG sensor and a temperature sensor, said to collect more data than any other Polar watch to date.
None of the new sensors are groundbreaking – quite a few of the best smartwatches have them – but Polar always did an excellent job of making sense of data, making us hopeful the new platform will provide better training and recovery suggestions.
Polar claims the new sensor fusion platform minimises light leakage and dramatically reduces interference caused by arm movement. As a result, Elixir is said to improve power efficiency to provide 25% more accuracy in many of the most popular sports, including running and cycling. Polar also claims it improved its swimming algorithm for better pool distance measurement and added a barometer for better recognition of when you're in the water.
Another huge improvement is the inclusion of offline maps. Some of the best Garmin watches have this feature, but the Polar Vantage V2 missed out on this, so it's nice to see Polar adding this feature to the latest generation. Sadly, turn-by-turn navigation isn't native on the Vantage V3; instead, it's powered by Komoot, a third-party app.
The physical appearance of the watch has been updated, too. Now sporting a 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen with 462ppi resolution, an aluminium bezel and rugged, glove-friendly buttons, the Vantage V3 feels distinctively Polar yet modern. And for the first time in the Vantage V series, the new Polar Vantage V3 is fully compatible with standard 22mm wristbands, meaning no adapters are needed.
Polar Vantage V3 is said to have a 129% faster CPU speed compared to Vantage V2 and a dual-frequency GPS. This is the same processor powering the Polar Pacer Pro; however, the maximum CPU speed in Vantage V3 is higher – 275 MHz in Vantage V3 vs. 192 MHz in Pacer Pro.
The watch has all the features you might expect from a wearable geared towards training and recovery, such as 150 built-in sports profiles, Running and Cycling Performance tests, VO2 max and power zone estimations, sleep tracking, and more.
Despite the sizeable AMOLED display, the Polar Vantage V3 provides a battery life of up to 61 hours in single-band GPS mode, up to 47 hours in dual-band GPS mode and up to 140 hours in power-saving mode. Smartwatch battery life is up to 8 days.
The Polar Vantage V3 is available to pre-order from today, 11 October 2023, with delivery expected around 25 October. The recommended retail price is $599.90 in the US for the watch on its own and $649.90 for a set with Polar H10. UK price for Vantage V3 is £519 and £559 for a set with Polar H10. In Australia, the watch will retail for AU$ 899 and AU$ 999, respectively. For more info, visit Polar today.
