- The Garmin Vivoactive 6 has been officially revealed
- It looks very similar to the Vivoactive 5, but some specs changes offer improvements
- It comes after heavy criticism by Garmin users over the new Conenct+ premium tier
Garmin has revealed the Garmin Vivoactive 6, an affordable smartwatch with a new smart alarm functionality and access to features from more premium Garmin watches, such as Running Dynamics – priced at £279.99 (around $360 / AU$580).
Garmin’s Vivoactive line is full of sporty, value-orientated watches pitched at the Apple Watch crowd, and the Garmin Vivoactive 5 sits pretty as our current ‘best value’ pick on our list of the best Garmin watches available right now. The Vivoactive 6 watch looks very similar to the Garmin Vivoactive 5, with a plastic casing, aluminum bezel, two buttons instead of the usual five-button configuration found on more premium Garmins, AMOLED screen and silicon strap.
Just like the Vivoactive 5, the Vivoactive 6 sports up to 11 days of battery life. It shares the dimensions and 1.2-inch screen with the Vivoactive 5, although it has made some changes.
A ‘smart alarm’ that can wake you up at the optimum time for a sleep phase (a feature we have wanted on Garmins for years) has been included, a feature all new to Garmin, along with daily suggested walking workouts, just like its running ones. As mentioned above, the Vivoactive 6 also has access to Garmin’s advanced Running Dynamics metrics, which the Vivoactive 5 didn’t have.
According to a Garmin press release, users ‘can also download a robust selection of step-by-step workouts for strength, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, mobility and more through Garmin Connect.
‘They can also access Garmin Coach running and strength training plans—several of which adapt daily based on performance, recovery and health metrics to help users prepare for their next race, train for a milestone or improve overall fitness.’
A wheelchair mode that tracks pushes has also been included, one of the best modes introduced on the Vivoactive 5. It’s available in four admittedly snappy-looking color combos: Black/Slate, Bone/Lunar Gold, Jasper Green and Pink Dawn.
Analysis: Garmin is moving the news cycle on
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 seems like a great watch, especially for one cheaper than many of its contemporaries from Apple and Samsung. After all, we loved the Vivoactive 5, and there’s no indication this is anything other than an improvement, albeit an iterative one.
However, I can’t help feeling the timeline for this launch has been pushed up. Until now, the news cycle has been dominated by the backlash against Garmin for releasing Garmin Connect+, a premium tier with AI features on top of the already-free Garmin Connect app.
Users have taken to social media and flooded it with complaints, begrudging paying for a very expensive watch only to have new features locked behind an additional subscription. Justifiably or not, they fear new features being introduced to Connect+ at the expense of the app’s free version, until subscription becomes almost mandatory to get the most out of your watch.
A well-reviewed new budget device from Garmin would move the news cycle on a bit, although user ire is likely to remain.
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matt.evans@futurenet.com (Matt Evans)
