The Polar A360 (Credit: Polar)
A new wrist-based wearable from Polar combines standard fitness capabilities with detailed heart monitoring.
The Polar A360 includes heart rate measurement-based training guidance, giving the user an analysis of their movement for the week and their fitness training. Apps such as Polar Flow for Coach and Polar Club allow coaches or club instructors to give feedback during fitness classes or via the web.
Polar Flow, a Finland-based company, invented the first wireless heart rate monitor.
“The key to achieving Polar’s well-known accuracy relies on how data is recorded by the sensor, and then how it is interpreted. We developed our own algorithm for optical heart rate monitoring and optimized the hardware design to ensure the A360 meets the same accuracy and quality standards that Polar customers have come to expect,” said Marco Suvilaakso, global product director at Polar.
The Polar A360 has the full variety of features expected in a high-end smart watch, including the ability to notify users of incoming calls, messages, calendar alerts, and social media, as well as reminders when one has been sedentary for too long. The wristbands has a high-resolution color touchscreen display, comes in three sizes, and is made of soft silicone. The entire device is waterproof.
Battery life shouldn’t be a concern, since the device will work for two weeks if activity tracking is taking place 24/7, including one hour of training per day. That training could include Polar’s proprietary Smart Coaching features such as Activity Guide and Activity Benefit, which give the user information on how exercise affects their health and provide daily exercise target suggestions.
The Polar A360 will be available for purchase in November, with a retail price of $274.99.
