With the launch of the Pacer Pro, Polar is aiming to give dedicated runners all the tech needed to plan, track and analyze their training sessions or races in a lightweight, wrist-worn package that benefits from powerful processing and long battery life.
Finland's Polar whimsically describes the Pacer Pro as "a running watch that equips serious runners with seriously powerful training tools." It weighs in at just 41 g (1.44 oz), is only 11.5 mm (0.45 in) thick, rocks a plastic case with an aluminum bezel, and sports a flat back for better contact with the skin, which should make for more precise wrist-based heart-rate monitoring.
A nifty power meter has also been included, which runs off the smartwatch's built-in barometer for monitoring the effort wearers put in during each run so "you always run at the right intensity and finish strongly."
Up top is a 1.2-inch, 240x240 resolution always-on memory-in-pixel color display with Gorilla Glass 3.0 for improved visibility while out and about. This is not a touchscreen wearable but functionality can be controlled via weather-resistant buttons. And users shouldn't need to worry too much about running in the rain, as the Pro comes with WR50 water resistance, the same as the Apple Watch 7.
The Pro experience also benefits from speedier processing and smoother menu transitions than found in previous Polar devices thanks to a 200-MHz CPU, which is supported by 5 MB of RAM and 32 MB of storage.
A new antenna design supporting GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS makes for accurate satellite positioning and speed tracking wherever your run takes you, while route planning and mapping come courtesy of Komoot for turn-by-turn guidance. The smartwatch comes packed with more than 130 sport and training profiles to choose from, and is compatible with popular third-party running apps too.
Elsewhere, sleep monitoring and guided relaxation routines are cooked in, it can control music playback on a Bluetooth 5.1 paired smartphone and supports push notifications, weather alerts and more. The 265-mAh Li-Po battery is reported good for up to 35 hours of per-charge use – with GPS and heart-rate monitoring active – while training, or up to seven days in watch mode with 24/7 heart-rate monitoring enabled.
The Polar Pacer Pro is available for sale from today for US$299.95, while a more basic, beginner-friendly Pacer model is up for pre-order at $199.95.
Product page: Pacer Pro
