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Right off the bat, I’ll put a disclaimer out there – I like the Polar products, and use a Polar Vantage M daily for tracking my jogging and bike riding (and the gym sessions, whenever that opens up again). The Polar Ignite was the first foray into a less intense watch, and now they’re back with the Polar Unite in that same vein.
Actually, in many ways, the Polar Unite seems quite similar to the Ignite. You’ve got the same single-button case (so, touchscreen interactivity is the key here), and a very vivid screen.
In terms of how it would be to use the new Polar Unite, I’m just guessing here (as we’ve not seen it in person) but I’d say our Polar Ignite review will give you a very good sense of the watch, including some comparisons to the Vantage M. The big difference here is the price – the Polar Unite is available for just $150 which really gives some strong competition against, say, Fitbit and other brands, while making a watch that’s a bit more accessible (ie, you don’t have to be training for a marathon to get one) for the average user.
One other thing to note here before we sign off – the Polar Unite does not have on-board GPS. It can talk to your phone to get GPS info, but if you want to just go out with your watch and have it track your progress and leave the phone at home, this isn’t the one for you. On the other hand, if you just want a better picture of your general fitness and sleep habits, the Polar Unite looks like a solid affordable option. polar.com/unite
Tech Specs from Polar
- Measurements: 43.4 x 43.4 x 10.4 mm
- Display
- Color touch display (IPS TFT) with Ambient Light Sensor (ALS), resolution 240×204.
- Asahi glass lens
- Materials
- Glass fiber reinforced polymer case.
- Stainless steel button
- Weight: 32g
- Battery
- 174 mAh Li-pol battery.
- Battery life up to 50 h in training mode (with wrist-based heart rate and connected GPS), up to 4 days in watch mode with continuous heart rate tracking
- Wristbands
- Silicone with snap & slip buckle.
- Standard 20 mm watch wristbands.
- Multiple wristband options available as accessories.
- Sizing: S-L: wrist circumference 130-210 mm
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth Low Energy.
- Custom USB charging adapter for charging and data synchronization
- Water Resistance: Water resistant 30 m (ISO 22810, suitable for swimming)
