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New Polar V800 Multisport GPS Computer with 24/7 Tracking

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Polar-V800-black-GPS-multisport-cycling-computer-watchIntroduced at CES last week, the new Polar V800 is a sleek wristwatch-based, function-packed GPS computer. The new Polar V800 is targeted as a powerful tool for multisport athletes looking to get the most out of their personal training programs while using a single device.

It combines the new trend of wearable health monitoring tech (like the Polar Fitness Tracker bracelet introduced at Interbike) with a multisport computer, providing constant accelerometer-based tracking of the wearer’s activity 24/7, including day-to-day activity and specific training sessions. With this additional data, it’s able to give you a better understanding of training loads and individual recovery needs.

More details after the break…

Polar Beat mobile training app
Polar Beat mobile training app for iOS and Android

The Polar V800 is packed with technology, including: a barometric pressure sensor altimeter; several internal accelerometers; Bluetooth Smart connectivity to add heart rate, cadence, speed, or stride sensors; in addition to low power GPS-based location, distance, and speed tracking. And it’s all controlled with a touch screen interface. It’s even waterproofed to allow heart rate tracking underwater while swimming. Power meter compatibility is coming this summer, likely timed for the coming release of the updated Bluetooth Keo/Polar Power Pedals. It should also be able to read data from Stages‘, Powertap and any other Bluetooth PM at that time.

The device is optimized for data analysis within the Polar Flow web tools and their iOS/Android Polar Flow app, the latter able to connect with the device via Bluetooth for wireless training data uploads. Battery life is rated at 14hr of hardcore training, 50hr of low power GPS tracking for less intense activity, and 30 days in the basic watch mode with daily activity tracking.

All of the display fields on the device are customizable, too, so you can tweak the visible data for cycling, running, swimming, triathlon, skiing, or pretty much whatever other activity you dream up.

With the Bluetooth Smart connectivity and GPS capabilities, this could also turn out to be one of the smallest full-function cycling computers available, and maybe the first watch to pair with a power meter once that update comes online at the start of the summer. Triathletes, go ahead and dance a little jig now. Add in the the 24/7 tracking and recovery planning, and it looks like there isn’t much this watch won’t do. Which is probably good, ’cause it doesn’t come cheap.

The V800 will be available in April for $450, or $500 including the heart rate strap, which is actually pretty competitive considering what it does, but you’ll have to weigh whether the waterproof wearability, all-day motion tracking and altimeter are worth paying for when many smartphone apps already handle most of the other features.

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Vincent
10 years ago

” first watch to pair with a power meter ”

Garmin 910XT triathlon watch already does that, with ANT+

loren_ch
loren_ch
10 years ago

Another Polar watch without barometric altitude… :((

Bas
Bas
10 years ago

will it upload directly to strava!? otherwise, bin it 🙂

something less bulky than the garmin 910xt would be nice, as would the underwater/swimming heart rate (garmin isn’t very good at that)

Eric
Eric
10 years ago

I need to answer my phone while slaying singletrack. Can I do that?

Tyler Benedict
Admin
10 years ago

loren – it has that, clearly stated in the features.

all – I checked with Polar’s customer service and here’s the reply regarding Strava: “The V800 syncs with our Flow web service which at this time cannot be synced with any other web service/app like Strava.”

Bas
Bas
10 years ago

: BIN IT!!! stupid people at Polar with their own standards and everything… i must say i was positively surprised with them using BT 🙂 baby steps…

What?
What?
10 years ago

Useless without Ant+ and Strava.

lonefrontranger
lonefrontranger
10 years ago

agreed that without ant+ and Strava, this is useless to a large sector of the market like myself that would like an all-in-one wearable device that pairs with power.

Matt
Matt
10 years ago

ANT+, GPS, Bluetooth, watch format, syncs to its own proprietary webpage and nothing else. So basically it looks to be a waterproof Motorola MotoACTV with a barometer and without a dedicated bike mount.

Sounds snarky, but it’s very nice to see some competition to the big, ugly, and overpriced garmins that seem to rule our cycling world.

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