Polar m600 smart watch with sports features

The company Polar did smart watches long before it became popular. The brand was initially focused on a small circle of people who are professionally involved in sports. With the growing popularity of smart watches, it became clear that it was impossible to continue moving in the same direction, and something needed to be changed. Garmin’s main competitor offered the user a device with a wide range of functions, so Polar had to do the same. Initially, sports devices began to add smart features, and the m600 model was one of the first versions with a similar approach. The Polar m600 review will tell you about what the brand has offered, and how successful the new device has turned out for the company.

Specifications

It should be noted right away that the m800 model was one of the company's first smart devices, and in fact the Polar m600 is an old watch converted to the requirements of modern times.. The main difference from the old model was the presence of the OS Android Wear. The choice is due to the fact that the company needed to make the device quickly, and to create its own operating system is long and difficult. The most popular option was chosen at the time of release, but due to the fact that Google periodically slowed down the support of its creation for smart watch, the Polar m600 turned out to be quite ambiguous. On the one hand, this is not the budget price tag, but on the other - a set of functions standard for a smart watch. As a result, the old fans did not receive all that they valued earlier, and the new buyers asked themselves a very reasonable question: what for, in fact, to pay that kind of money. Below these questions will be discussed in more detail, the characteristics of the Polar smart watches are the following:

• OS - Android Wear;
• processor - dual core MediaTek;
• memory - 4 GB / 512 MB, permanent and operational, respectively;
• display - TFT, 1.3 inches,
• screen protection - Gorilla Glass 3;
• Battery - 500 mAh;
• autonomy for Andoid / Apple in standby / sport - 2 days / 8 hours, 1 day / 8 hours;
• Sensors - heart rate, light, accelerometer, gyroscope;
• moisture protection - up to 10 meters;
• dimensions - 45 * 36 * 13 mm;
• interfaces - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GLONASS, GPS.

Design

The device comes in the following configuration:

• removable belt
• instruction,
• USB charging cable.

The main unit is made in black, the edging is made of metal. The watch is inserted into the belt and fastened with two buttons. This is unusual for smart watches and more suitable for low-cost fitness devices. Visually, Polar smart watches continue the familiar design of the brand, and they look like a sports accessory, they are not suitable for wearing with casual or classic clothes..

Management is carried out two buttonswhich are located under the screen and on the right side. The side switch turns the display on and off and also activates the backlight, the bottom one is used to activate the training mode. Both buttons are tight enough, which on the one hand is good, since accidental pressing is excluded, but during running it is quite difficult to press them.

Touchscreen display it conveys color well and everything is visible both day and night. Despite the fact that the coating is somewhat curved and glare, it does not cause serious inconvenience. Due to the fact that the screen is not very large, and due to the characteristics of the OS, the font is not very large, all sports modes, or rather the data in them are presented enlarged, it looks good and quite comfortable.

The straps are universal. Fit and fit for any hand.They are made in black and white, you can choose the one you like the most. Metal mount. The belt itself is made of silicone. It has grooves and, according to user feedback, over time they become clogged with dust. Another not very pleasant moment - over time, the side edges are erased and the belt does not look very presentable, as if greasy.

Charging from a laptop takes no more than 2 hours. The charging cable has a magnetic mount. It connects to the back of the watch. The connector is located at the bottom of the device. Just above is the optical sensor heart rate.

Important! The back cover is fixed with 4 bolts around the perimeter, which provides water resistance. The device can be used for swimming and even dive with it for 10 meters under water.

Functions

Polar m600 to some extent turned out a symbiosis of the two systems. Android Wear is responsible for smart functions, Polar - Flow sports system. It is worth noting that with Android the device works quite well, but when you connect the device to Apple, smart features are seriously curtailed. For example, you can not download additional applications for hours. Answer SMS, listen to music even from the memory of hours, you can not call as well.Mail will only be available from Gmail. All reviews agree that Apple and Polar m600 are not the best combination.

On the Android operating system, such problems do not arise, messages of instant messengers, letters, sms and calls arrive in a timely and correct manner. You can install additional applications. Works very well Google’s voice input feature.

Polar Flow responsible for the sports functionality of the model. Here everything is taken from the old versions and works qualitatively. The interface may seem complicated, but the quality of the information provided does not cause any complaints. A lot of training options - jogging, walking, strength exercises, swimming and much more. No only triathlon.

Workout activation carried by the central button. You can choose either from the calendar or by default. The heart rate sensor will turn on immediately and the connection to the GPS will begin.The search for satellites takes about 15 seconds.

Sports functionality of the model is not without some drawbacks.

1. Running lovers may not like what it is impossible to set a lap time, it is automatically calculated and cannot be changed.
2. Also can't see tilt informationThis is rather strange, because competitive devices with a similar price can do this.
3. One minus is that, despite tracking activity in 24/7 mode, the clock count the pulse only when training, for the rest of the time, only information about the number of steps is displayed.

Tracking sleep cycles in the model is implemented, but it is quite ordinary. All smart watches with a similar price can do that.

Conclusion

Polar m600 cannot be called a bad device. This is a standard smart watch with quite a familiar set of functions, which is a bit unimproved or trimmed. With a price of 28 thousand rubles, the device can hardly be called the best choice, since it is not the most interesting design, there is no pulse counting on an ongoing basis, some useful information in the running mode. The model quickly sits down, which also upsets those who purchased the device. Conclusion: the model will appeal only to fans of the brand,other users will find for the same money more interesting devices from other manufacturers.