Garmin has announced the vívoactive 5, which you might think of as a more affordable alternative to the recent Venu 3.
It has been four years since Garmin announced the Vivoactive 4 and, no surprise, the vívoactive 5 represents a big step forward in several key areas.
First, the transflective LCD display has been replaced with a much higher-resolution (390 x 390 pixel) OLED panel. This will bring it closer to the look of pricey Garmin watches like the Venu 3 and Epix Pro.
The vívoactive 5 also has a touchscreen, unlike the last model.
After rifling through this watch’s specs, it is starting to look like a rather compelling alternative to Garmin’s more smartwatch-style wearables.
Judging by interface screenshots, the software you get isn’t all that different, and the watch supports Connect IQ, Garmin’s own app store.
Garmin vívoactive 5 features
There are some key downgrades from the step-up Garmin Venu 3, though. Where that watch has a stainless steel bezel, the vívoactive uses less hard, less expensive aluminium. And in classic Garmin style, the rest of the casing is a “fibre-reinforced polymer” plastic.
The vívoactive 5 also lacks a barometric altimeter. This means it can only glean altitude from its GPS connection, and it won’t count how many flights of stairs you ascend each day.
You don’t get on-screen workout animations, which can use useful for weight training or yoga novices, and a couple of key cycling features are absent. The Garmin vívoactive 5 will not control a smart turbo trainer — a personal favorite among Garmin’s lesser-used abilities — and you can’t connect a wireless power meter for bikes, just cadence and speed sensors.
Battery life is also shorter than that of a Venu 3 or Epix Pro, at 11 days, or five days using the optional always-on display mode.
Garmin vívoactive 5 first impressions
Still, all-in the Garmin vívoactive 5 looks to be a great package. It has full GPS, making the watch suitable for phone-free outdoor workouts. And it can store and play music on connected wireless headphones using its 4GB memory.
You can create custom workouts to run through step-by-step, on the watch. And you get some of Garmin’s latest additions, including workouts for wheelchair users and improved sleep tracking that can recognize naps.
The Garmin vívoactive 5 costs $299, a fairly dramatic drop from the $449 Garmin Venu 3. It looks to be worth consideration if you want a lighter style of Garmin watch that is also a little lighter on the wallet.
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