Tuesday, August 26, 2014

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL................ Review: Garmin Vivofit

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL...... Review: Garmin Vivofit


PRICE: Rs 9,990 
SPECIFICATIONS
Simple LCD, no backlight, one-button operation, accelerometer-based pedometer, Bluetooth pairing, interchangeable straps, compatible with external wireless heart rate monitor (sold separately) 
1 year battery life, easy-to-read and always-on display, simple one-button operation, interchangeable straps 
No display backlight, no vibrate feature, limited features for the price 

The key to fitness is to keep moving and Garmin's Vivofit Fitness Band knows that. It's a small, lightweight fitness tracker with a clear, large display and one big party trick - a 1 year battery life. It uses a pair of coin type lithium batteries and therefore doesn't need to be charged like a conventional smart wearable. When the batteries die out, you simply replace them and get going for another year. This feature alone set its apart from most of the other smart wearables in the market today. 
It achieves this phenomenal battery life by using a simple LCD without a backlight. It also does away with all the extras like a vibrate feature or heart rate monitor. The reverse display (white on black) has large numerals for easy reading and a single button switches between the different modes. Time is one of the modes - you can't have the time displayed along with something else. Needless to say, the device is waterproof too. 


Vivofit keeps tracks of how much time you've been still - a red bar appears on the display and keeps increasing, the more you sit in that chair. You need to get up and start moving to make the red bar go away. You can pair the band using Bluetooth with the free Garmin Connect app on your Android or iOS device. The app stores your data in the cloud and keeps adjusting daily goals by tracking your activity level. 
The box includes two bands (one large and one small) in your choice of black or slate. For a limited time, Flipkart is offering three additional coloured bands for free. Post the offer, the pack of three extra bands will be Rs 1,990 extra. 
If you want something small and light to monitor your fitness, also consider the Galaxy Gear Fit. It's priced slightly higher, but has a full-colour, curved amoled display, built in heart rate monitor and supports notifications via Bluetooth. The downsides to the Gear Fit are that it's only compatible with some Galaxy smartphones and that it has a battery life of a couple of days. 
By 
Hitesh Raj Bhagat

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