Polar has just officially presented its new sports connected watch, the Ignite 3. This mid-range model brings some substantial improvements over the older generation.
In addition to an improved screen, the Polar Ignite 3 will be the first of the brand to enjoy new features dedicated to well-being.
A welcome AMOLED screen with an ever so sexy design
Polar wants to hit hard with its new sports smartwatch. For the occasion, the Ignite 3 abandons the TFT screen that adorned previous generations to switch to a more modern AMOLED touch screen. Even the definition gains in precision, since this new screen, reinforced with Gorilla Glass, is 416 x 416 px, against 240 x 240 px previously. To do things right, the panel is slightly curved on the edges, Pixel Watch style, to offer a more modern look to the watch.
The rest of the design remains almost unchanged. The Polar Ignite 3 weighs only 35g with the wristband included. The bezel that surrounds the screen is made of stainless steel, and the case is made of plastic materials. The bracelets are easily interchangeable, as they are adapted to the 20 mm standard. Polar also relies on customization with several colors of cases and bracelets.
Internally, the Polar Ignite 3 benefits from the arrival of the new processor that equips the Pacer and Pacer Pro that we tested at the start of the year. The brand provides doubled performance compared to the Ignite 2. It is true that the progress made by this new chip had seduced us in the past.
To finish with the new hardware, note the arrival of a dual-band GPS chip. This technology is now spreading very widely on the middle and high end of smartwatches. It remains to be seen during the tests if the precision will be there.
A connected watch that watches over your sleep
In addition to its complete makeover, the little news from the Finnish brand brings in its suitcases some software improvements. The main one is called Sleep Wise. As its name suggests, it aims to provide data on your sleep, in addition to the classic Sleep Plus Stages and Nightly Recharge.
By accumulating your sleep time, its quality and your body metrics, Sleep Wise will be able to tell you whether or not you are fit for physical activity during the coming day. One could compare Sleep Wise to Fitbit’s Fitness Score or, to a lesser extent, Garmin’s Body Battery. Note that this new metric will be rolled out to the brand’s other watches that are compatible with Sleep Plus Stages.
For the rest, we find the usual Polar tools, such as Fit Spark adaptive coaching or running/fitness tests. By connecting your headphones to the smartphone during training, you will also benefit from voice guidance via the Polar Flow app. It also looks like the widgets have gotten some cosmetic upgrades.
The autonomy of the Polar Ignite 3 is announced at 5 days, which remains within the brand’s standards.
Price and availability
Polar’s new sports watch is skyrocketing prices this year. It is displayed at 329.90 euros, where the Ignite 2 was marketed at 229.90 euros when it was released. The Polar Ignite 3 is available today on the brand’s official website.
We will not fail to carry out a detailed test of this smartwatch soon to verify whether this price increase is justified.
Source: Polar Press Conference
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