There’s an increasing trend of using Android Wear as the OS for specialty fitness wearables. At CES, Casio announced a rugged sensor-packed Wear device that also has a monochrome watch mode. Polar is continuing in that line with an Android Wear watch that doubles as an exercise wearable with an optical heart rate sensor, GPS, and activity tracking.
As an Android Wear device, the Polar M600 is quite average with its 1.3-inch color display, 4GB of memory, and 48 hour battery life. Of course, as a dedicated fitness device, its health and tracking features are much more advanced than anything offered on Wear. Polar users its proprietary 6-LED solution with algorithms to insure accurate heart rate and integrated GPS for 24/7 activity tracking. It tracks activity, sleep, steps, calories, and provides inactivity alerts.
On the software front, there are a number of Polar fitness apps, including Smart Coaching and Activity Guide, that can be accessed with a dedicated front button for easy training controls. Additionally, the Polar Flow service allows you to keep track of your activity from the companion Android and iOS apps. Users also have full access to the Android Wear app ecosystem and other features, like offline music and notifications.
Battery life on Wear is rated at two days, while the fitness tracking capabilities only last for 10 hours. The M600 is meant to be worn all day with waterproofing and swappable wristbands. It will be available for $329 later this year in Charcoal Black or Powder White, with a Polar Red band coming later in the year.
