Whereas Garmin’s newest hybrid smartwatch doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it is including a long-overdue function: wi-fi charging. The $269.99 Vivomove Pattern would be the first of any Garmin machine so as to add Qi compatibility.
Wi-fi charging isn’t new to smartwatches. In truth, most trendy smartwatches include some form of wi-fi charging magnetic puck. The catch is these chargers are usually proprietary, and even you probably have a Qi charger, it probably received’t work together with your smartwatch. Or, a minimum of, not reliably. Conversely, Garmin says it is best to have the ability to plop the Pattern onto any present Qi-certified charger chances are you’ll have already got. That is neat, as dropping smartwatch chargers is extra annoying than your typical gadget. Not solely is there a very good likelihood your dozens of USB, micro USB, and USB-C cables received’t be appropriate, however it typically prices a fairly penny to purchase a alternative from the producer, and third-party dupes might not all the time work.
That stated, there’s a catch right here, too. The Pattern received’t include a Qi charger within the field. You’ll have to purchase that by yourself in the event you don’t have already got one. (You do get a wired charger included with the Pattern, and that, too, has been upgraded to USB-C.) Garmin additionally notes in its press launch that the Pattern might not work with upright Qi charging stands or these constructed into automobiles.
After all, wi-fi charging isn’t the one new function coming to the Pattern. The watch is supposed to interchange the Vivomove 3 in Garmin’s hybrid lineup and provides Garmin Pay, its sleep rating function, and a barometric altimeter. In any other case, it has the identical signature hidden show as Garmin’s different Vivomove watches — although the Pattern’s is a monochrome LCD just like the entry-level Sport in comparison with the colour OLED shows used within the Model and Luxe.
As a way of life watch, the Pattern opts for related GPS over its personal built-in GPS sensor and has an estimated battery life of 5 days — which is “brief” for a Garmin. It additionally doesn’t go too deep on the hard-core coaching options you’ll discover on the corporate’s extra rugged watches. In the meantime, for well being monitoring, it’ll function menstrual cycle monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, in-depth sleep monitoring, stress monitoring, irregular high-and-low coronary heart fee alerts, health age, and Physique Battery — Garmin’s proprietary metric for visualizing how nicely you’ve recovered from stress and exercise.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how the Pattern differentiates itself from the equally priced Vivomove Model. It appears to boil all the way down to what you’d desire: the Model’s coloration OLED show and all-metal physique or the Pattern’s wi-fi charging. I’ve been taking part in round with the Pattern for just a few days, and it nonetheless seems to be fairly stylish on the wrist even with out the metallic physique. I’ll should check out Qi charging earlier than passing a last verdict, however to this point, the Pattern is in step with what you’d anticipate from Garmin’s hybrid line.
The Garmin Vivomove Pattern is accessible beginning at the moment in 4 colours. The slate/black and silver/mist grey colorways will retail for $269.99, whereas the peach gold/ivory and cream gold/French grey variations will value $299.99.
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