garmin va3 original running watch also so smart!
Traditionally, professional sports watches and smartwatches have been two different categories of products, with distinct differences in appearance and functionality. However, with the development of the smart wearable market in recent years, the boundaries between these two types of watches have become increasingly blurred. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S3 have started to lean towards the sports and health sector, while sports watches led by Garmin have maintained their professionalism while also catering to users' daily life scenarios. Garmin's newly launched Vivoactive 3 is a standout among them.
To align with mainstream smartwatches, the Vivoactive 3 features a popular round touchscreen. It is also the first running watch to use Garmin Pay mobile payment, meaning you can go for a run and buy water at a convenience store by simply swiping the watch, eliminating the need for a phone or wallet.
P.S. Currently, Garmin Pay is not available in China and will be officially launched early next year.
Now, Wild Play has received the Chinese version of the Garmin Vivoactive 3 smart sports watch, and I will share my user experience with you (hereafter referred to as the Garmin VA3).
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is available in three colors: Cool Black, Slate Black, and Ivory White (we have the Cool Black version).
The Slate Black (dark gray metal bezel + black case + black silicone strap) has a PVD-coated screen and is priced at 2,480 yuan.
The Cool Black (silver metal bezel + black case + black silicone strap) and Ivory White (silver metal bezel + white case + white silicone strap) are priced at 2,180 yuan.
Dimensions: 43.4 x 43.4 x 11.7 mm, suitable for wrist circumferences of 127-204mm
Weight: 43g
If it weren't for the name Garmin VA3 indicating that this is the third generation of the Vivoactive series, many might think it is a completely new product line from Garmin, as it is hard to see the traces of the previous two generations.
Firstly, the large square screen of the previous two generations has been replaced by a round touchscreen, which significantly enhances its aesthetic appeal.
The bezel is made of textured metal with fine strip decorations at the hour marks, completely shedding the plastic feel of sports watches. Compared to the previous two generations, it looks more like a real smartwatch, pairs well with outfits, and is suitable for work and formal social occasions.
The watch case does not use a metal body but continues with plastic material, making it very lightweight at only 43 grams, even lighter than the FR935. I am very willing to wear it 24 hours a day.
On the back of the watch, you can see the 3-LED optical heart rate monitor in the center, the same as the one used in the Fenix 5 series and FR935. It is Garmin's latest generation Elevate heart rate monitor, flush with the back cover, with no protrusions, making it comfortable to wear without causing pressure marks.
In addition, the heart rate monitor has been optimized for power consumption. For example, it quickly detects the wearing status; as soon as you move the watch, the optical heart rate monitor lights up with a green light and automatically turns on. However, if it detects no skin contact, it immediately turns off.
Compared to previous products (which would turn on the heart rate monitor periodically even when not worn), the Garmin VA3's heart rate monitor is much smarter, which also helps improve battery life.
Above the optical heart rate monitor is the charging port, which is the same as the one used in the Fenix 5 series, FR935, and the Vivosport band launched at the same time as the VA3. The charging cable is also the same, finally resolving the long-standing issue of inconsistent data cables for old users.
The Garmin VA3 uses a common quick-release structure for the strap.
Operation: Surprisingly responsive touchscreen with a hidden buff on the side
To align with mainstream smartwatches, the Garmin VA3 has also adopted a new approach to operation, supporting three methods: touchscreen, side swipe control slider, and physical buttons, used in combination.
This is also the first time in five years that Garmin has used a touchscreen operation method (the last time was with the Forerunner 610 released five years ago). The side swipe control slider is mainly designed for old users who are not used to using a touchscreen during sports. Here is a detailed introduction:
1. Touchscreen:Swipe up and down and tap the screen to turn pages and select options, long press to enter the settings menu.
For modern people used to touchscreens, the VA3's touchscreen operation is much easier to use than the left-three-right-two button operation of other Garmin watches. The touchscreen is very responsive, and it works normally even when sweating heavily during exercise or in the rain, including when there is water on the screen. The only issue is that it is too sensitive; sometimes it turns pages automatically when accidentally touched by a sleeve. So, I usually lock the screen during exercise to prevent accidental touches.
2. Side swipe control slider:On the left side of the Garmin VA3's bezel, you can see a noticeable design with ridges, which is the side swipe control slider. As the name suggests, sliding up and down can switch menus.
The user experience is relatively smooth, and it can be operated while wearing gloves, giving a high-tech feel. However, it is definitely not as convenient and accurate as direct touchscreen operation. Especially when first using it, I often swiped past the desired option, requiring some time to adapt to the sliding position and distance.
Actually, many years ago, the Garmin FR405/410 used a similar touch bezel, but it was not continued due to poor user experience. This time, the Garmin VA3 is a new attempt, possibly designed for users accustomed to Garmin button watches and not used to touchscreen operation during sports. However, based on my personal experience, I feel that the touchscreen is already sufficient, and I don't have a high demand for the side swipe control slider.
3. Physical buttons:There is a physical button on the right side of the watch that can be pressed short or long. Long press to enter the settings menu, short press to return.
4. New bidirectional screen design:The Garmin VA3's screen can rotate 180°, allowing users to choose the screen orientation according to their usage habits.
For example, I am used to wearing the watch on my left hand with the crown facing right, making it easier to use my thumb to slide the bezel control slider and my index finger to press the button.
If someone has the opposite habit, they can set the crown to face left. This can be set on both the watch and the mobile app.
1. Sports Functions
Although the Garmin VA3 is a product that can compete with mainstream smartwatches, it has not forgotten its original intention in sports monitoring. It is very professional in this aspect. The hardware configuration includes GPS+GLONASS dual-mode positioning, optical heart rate monitor, barometer, electronic compass, and altimeter, supporting over 15 sports modes including running, swimming, and golf.
For daily wear, it can record daily exercise and sleep data in real-time, including steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, high-intensity activity time, all-day stress score, and sedentary reminders.
After pairing with a phone via Bluetooth, exercise data is automatically uploaded to the Garmin Connect Mobile app, where more detailed data can be viewed.
(Steps)
(High-intensity activity time)
(All-day stress score)
(Floors climbed)
After pairing with a phone via Bluetooth, exercise data is automatically uploaded to the Garmin Connect Mobile app, where more detailed data can be viewed.
2. Smart Functions
Notification Push: After connecting to a phone via Bluetooth, the Garmin VA3 can also perform more smartwatch functions, including viewing incoming calls, emails, WeChat messages, and other third-party app notifications, so you never miss important information.
Weather Viewing: Includes current temperature, climate, daily high/low temperature, relative humidity, etc. It not only displays the day's data but also provides hourly precision and a seven-day weather forecast.
Music Control: This function can replace earphone controls, allowing you to play music with a single click without opening your phone, and it supports skipping tracks.
3. New UI Design
In terms of software, the Garmin VA3 uses the latest version of the UI, with interaction effects similar to those of the Fenix 5/FR935. Combined with touchscreen operation, it aligns well with the operating habits of modern electronic products and is easy for beginners to use.
It is worth mentioning that the shortcut function page of the Fenix 5 is also inherited in the Garmin VA3. Long press the physical button to enter this page, which includes eight hotkeys: power off, Garmin Pay, find phone, save location, do not disturb mode, connect phone, screen brightness adjustment, and screen lock.
In terms of battery life, the official website states that the Vivoactive 3 can be used for 7 days in watch mode and 11 hours in GPS mode. In actual experience, wearing the watch almost every day, with 1 hour of exercise per day and Bluetooth connection (with phone notifications) on all day, it can last about 5 days. In GPS mode, a full charge lasts 5 hours, with about 40% battery remaining.
4. Garmin Pay
After talking about so much, it's finally time to discuss the major new feature of the Garmin VA3. In the upper right corner of the shortcut function page is the Garmin Pay mobile payment function.
Before using it, you need to add a bank card in the mobile app. However, Garmin Pay is not yet available in China, so this is all we can show for now.
According to the official introduction, the operation and user experience of Garmin Pay should be very similar to the benchmark product Apple Pay. You can bind multiple bank cards in the app, but it is not yet clear which banks are supported. We will share the user experience with you once Garmin Pay is officially launched early next year.
Those who have used Garmin running watches may have the same experience as I do: they are very reliable in sports monitoring and GPS performance, and their professionalism and durability are well-known among runners. However, the "smart" aspect always felt a bit lacking. Now, the Vivoactive 3 can finally make up for this small shortcoming.
What attracts me the most is its design. At first glance, it has a bit of the Fenix 5S feel, but its weight of 43g is much better than the Fenix 5S. In terms of price, it is nearly half the price of the Fenix 5 series, making it very cost-effective.
In terms of functionality, the newly added touch control and mobile payment features expand its usage scenarios, balancing professional sports with more daily life attributes. From a positioning perspective, the Vivoactive 3 is fully capable of competing with mainstream smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S3.
In terms of functionality, it supports all-day sports, sleep monitoring, heart rate monitoring, and phone notifications, and supports 15 sports modes, which is definitely sufficient for ordinary users. If you don't exercise much, you can use it as a smartwatch. In short, whether I exercise or not, I am very willing to wear it every day. Once Garmin Pay is officially launched next year, the usage scenarios will be even richer. Imagine going for a run without a phone and buying water directly with the watch—just thinking about it makes me excited.