Polar announces the new A360 smartwatch to track fitness, incoming calls, and more

Polar (not the company Google acquired), a leading company in heart-rate monitors, has just announced a new product, the A360 fitness tracker. The wristband is aimed at taking industry-level heart rate measurements, tracking activities 24/7, steps, calories, and even sleep.

The Polar A360 isn’t just a fitness tracker, though. The wearable also doubles as a true smartwatch by vibrating for incoming calls, messages, calendar events, and even social media notifications. The tracker will also nudge you when you’ve been at a standstill for too long.

It has a lot of added functionality, such as compatibility with many of the company’s other training products, such as the Polar H7 heart rate monitor.

There’re also a variety of band colours you can choose from, including Powder White, Charcoal Black, Neon Green, Sorbet Pink, and Navy Blue. The Polar A360 retails for $199.95USD (€199.90) and will be available this November, just in time for the holidays! Some of these colours will be available won’t be immediately available, but soon after launch.

Fitness trackers have always been a mystery. You really never know if you’re getting accurate information, and the speculation skyrockets if your activity tracker was fairly cheap. However, Polar has a history for creating leading heart rate monitors and more, so the A360 might just be something to try out this winter.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how it stands up against the Moov Now.

Kempele, Finland – October 20, 2015 – Polar, the leader in heart rate sensors, activity trackers, and wearable sports technology, is taking its fitness trackers to the next level by introducing the colorful Polar A360 with wrist-based heart rate monitoring. Polar A360 features industry-leading heart rate measurement-based training guidance, in addition to 24/7 activity tracking, and all this information is displayed on a high-resolution color touchscreen. The A360 is waterproof and tracks daily activity, steps, calories, workouts, and sleep.

Designed to encompass a 360-degree lifestyle and encourage activity, Polar A360 vibrates to inform users of incoming calls, messages, calendar alerts, and social media notifications, and also to provide gentle reminders when they have been sitting still for too long. The Polar A360 is not only stylish, but also comfortable with small, medium, and large sizes available for the perfect fit. Users can match their personal style with interchangeable and vibrantly colored, soft silicone wristbands, which will be available in Powder White, Charcoal Black, Neon Green, Sorbet Pink and Navy Blue for individual purchase. Fully charged, the Polar A360 will track for two weeks with 24/7 activity tracking, including one hour of training per day. It also works with Polar’s H7 heart rate monitor in case users prefer to train with a chest strap. The Polar A360 will be available in November 2015 for $199.95/€199.90.

“The key to achieving Polar’s well-known accuracy relies on how data is recorded by the sensor, and then how it is interpreted. We developed our own algorithm for optical heart rate monitoring and optimized the hardware design to ensure the A360 meets the same accuracy and quality standards that Polar customers have come to expect,” says Marco Suvilaakso, Global Product Director at Polar. “Polar created the first heart rate monitor, and 38 years later we continue to be the trusted industry standard.”

The latest wearable from Polar goes beyond daily activity tracking to also provide personalized training guidance and motivation to help users meet their fitness goals. The A360 offers the company’s unique Smart Coaching features such as Activity Guide and Activity Benefit, which provide practical daily activity target suggestions and explain how activities affect the user’s health.

Daily activity and heart rate training details can be viewed on the Polar Flow mobile app (available for iOS and Android), which offers an in-depth analysis of daily, weekly, and monthly activity. The Polar Flow web service also offers a window into a person’s fitness and training diary. If training with a coach or personal trainer,Polar Flow for Coach offers additional training support, as users can connect and share workout information via the web service and receive feedback from their coaches. The A360 also works with Polar Club, allowing users to train with club instructors and view live heart rate data during fitness classes.

The Polar A360 will be available in Charcoal Black (size: M, L) and Powder White (size: S) in November in retail stores and online globally for $199.95 / €199.90. Additional colors such as Sorbet Pink (S, M) and Navy Blue (M) will be available soon after launch. Changeable wristbands in Powder White, Charcoal Black, Sorbet Pink, Navy Blue and Neon Green will be available in a variety of sizes and sold separately early next year.

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