Polar today unveiled what the smartwatch creator is calling “the world’s smartest and most advanced training computer.”
Polar is headquartered in Finland but has an office in Lachine, Quebec.
Designed for professional athletes and demanding amateurs, the Polar V800 with integrated GPS combines workout training with data. Users get a “true picture of your required recovery time before getting out there again. It’s technology you’ll want on your wrist 24/7.”
The smartwatch is set to be priced at $499.99. It was shown for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from January 7-10.
“Athletes have been waiting for our new flagship product and we are incredibly excited to be presenting it for the first time today. This is Polar’s smartest and most advanced training computer ever,” said Polar’s Marco Suvilaakso. “It is designed for the most demanding athletes and sports in the world. We know that its design, integrated GPS and smart training features will delight our customers, whether you’re running, swimming, cycling, skiing or even doing them all.”
Among the new features are smart and accurate monitoring of training sessions with an integrated activity tracker. During training the device automatically adjusts recovery status “to give a true account of how much rest you get in between hard sessions.”
It also provides analysis into training via the Polar Flow web service, meant to be used in combination with the device. A major update to the Polar Flow web service will be available when Polar V800 launches. Along with syncing data to the web, Polar Flow also connects users to a community of similarly minded athletes and friends.
It records the user’s heart rate during exercise and includes “the most accurate altitude readings” with a built-in barometric pressure sensor. Battery life offers up to 14 hours of training time, 50 hours in low power GPS mode, or 30 days in time mode with 24/7 activity monitoring. Moreover, it provides Running Index data on the user’s aerobic fitness and running economy to help avoid over-training. Users can access four weeks of training history at the touch of a button and can also share Polar Flow data with coach.