Polar M600 Review: connected, but a little too

Polar returns to the field of sports watches and activity with the smartwatch Android Wear Polar M600. Designed for athletes already demanding far as concerns this has the distinction of also run on Android Wear. But this feature does is a real advantage?

THE SMARTWATCH ANDROID WEAR 2016 BY POLAR

The range of sports watches Polar widens. Already with vast consumer watches as the A300, others for the most informed sports, such as M400, if not downright “pro” in the image of the V800, it is now complemented by the smartwatch Android Wear Polar M600. Launched at 350 €, shows that big rectangular screen obviously wants to follow its complete sports training and daily activities, but also trying to innovate by adopting the Android Wear platform from Google. The door open to a range of extended functionality and, perhaps, some disadvantages …

Rather opulent with its Gorilla Glass screen 3 3.1 x 3.5 cm (display area of 2.2 x 2.4 cm to 240 x 240 px), water resistant to 10 meters (IP X8), incorporating GPS and 4GB of storage space to house music, the Polar M600 also has a cardio sensor. This is the first we meet with 6 LEDs. According Polar, it would be more accurate in its feedback with an argument nonetheless difficult to verify in the field. The watch features two buttons: one for navigation on the side, the second to start a workout just below the screen.

Exuding a sense of robustness, even if we can find a little invasive wrist – it yet weighs only 63 grams – the smartwatch Android Wear Polar M600 comes with a charger that loving owner the back of the watch. Good point: the electronic module of this watch can be detached from her bracelet. This will consider the replacement of a damaged strap or even to substitute one of another color or another material the day Polar want to develop this type of accessories.

Running the application Polar Flow through which it is possible to record his workouts – but also to plan – the M600 also supports Android Wear. This allows it to ship the feature package made available to manufacturers by Google, like notifications from asmartphone (Android, but iOS), SMS, voice searches, access to the music …

Rather easy to access despite the scope of its functions, the smartwatch Android Wear Polar M600 is a watch connected pleasant. Easy to implement, its daily use is rather intuitive; we have tested for 8 days paired with an iPhone 7 Plus.

However, it lacks a harmony of presentation between purely Polar monitors and those dedicated to Android Wear. The two worlds coexist, can meet (you can start a workout directly with the central button or by triggering in Android Wear, for example), but the union made still seems to lack harmony. It’s a bit like Polar tried to make a forced marriage. The need to go through two applications on the smartphone (Android Wear on one side, Polar Flow of the other) as a little complicated task.

And we come to wonder what relevance can have Android Wear a sports watch wholesale volume, which will not necessarily be worn on the wrist 7 days 7. As much as we may understand that watch watches engage in this breach, so here we begin to question … of course it is very nice to find under Android Wear many customization screens and other applications to enhance the functionality of its far as concerns, but is this really Polar that will seek a customer who will spend € 350 (30 € more than Apple watch Series 1) in the M600 whose primary purpose is to be a sports watch and an activity sensor? Note, of course, the M600 perfectly fulfills its mission at this level.

Tested on and running, the watch has fully met our expectations. The display of the heart rate zone wrist and basic information (distance, mileage …) was particularly relevant. The onboard gyroscope can even scroll through screens with a flick of the wrist without further intervention (a little tutorial when you first watch used to be familiar with these gestures).

Notifications wrist work devilishly good. They appear at the bottom of the screen, simply drag them up to read. For its part, a screen the “My Day” specifically dedicated to tracking of activity, shows the percentage of the activity carried out in relation to the target, the number of steps, distance and calories burned. The results of the sleep analysis are found, they, in the application. Please note also that if you sleep with the smartwatch Android Wear Polar M600 wrist as we have done, open the night light when you move the wrist and that it “wakes up” the watch can interfere …

We regret the slowness of data synchronization with the Polar Flow application on our smartphone. Moreover, we are not able to synchronize live shows or from an iMac or aMac Book Air; This is despite the update of Flow applications that were installed there.

We know and appreciate good this interface. Clear, legible but not too colorful, it offers multiple screens on smartphones: RSS (to at a glance the results of his daily activities); Activity (to a daily camembert, weekly or monthly); Training (to find the schedule of sports sessions); Notifications. It is pretty well tucked.

The cloud and despite our synchronization failure from a computer, the data is automatically found online accompanied by maps (also available on smartphone), heart rate curves …

We still love the little tool “Reliving” which creates a small music video outputs, focusing on certain data (maximum attitude, etc.).

At stake, a small personalized assessment is even offered. The assembly can be simply shared.

THE ANDROID WEAR SMARTWATCH BATTERY LIFE

On its website, Polar announced that the autonomy of 2 days for the smartwatch Android Wear Polar M600 “when connected to Android devices.” To mention he is iOS devices fortuitous? Finding: chained to an iPhone 7 Plus, the M600 “holds” only two days in normal use, a day and a half with a two-hour recording activity about matching geolocation. This is little.

And M600 prevents person when beating his heart will stop. A small sending email, as proposed on the Blaze Fitbit, for example, when going to full of energy, would not be too much. Especially Android Wear permits, right?

CONCLUSION

Excellent sports watch, perfect activity sensor, the smartwatch Android Wear Polar M600 wants to do well … too well without doubt. Of beautiful workmanship, it is a bit too large to argue with us 24h / 24. And lack of autonomy. Especially, the presence ofAndroid Wear proves questionable about a product more “sport” than “lifestyle”. On the matter, the opinions are likely to remain divided, with militants on both sides who will defend their arguments.

http://nsmartphone.com/smartwatch-android-wear-polar-m600/