Polar V660? V810?: Marketing lull before the marketing storm? Yet more baseless, rampant and probably pointless speculation.

OK.

We had a M450 and now this week we have an M460.

We had a M400 and now last week we got a M430.

Maybe next week we have the V660 bikenav  🙂

Maybe the week after we have the V810 tri watch 🙂

Maybe !!BUT PROBABLY NOT!!!

(A370 in the summer is most likely)

The M460 and M430 look like nice devices that meet the existing needs of their target markets. They’ll probably sell well enough.

The two new models almost seem like ‘mere’ firmware updates in one sense. Hence the comments about a V660 and a V810; maybe Polar are refreshing their entire range? IE just making the existing model more in tune with the key feature-needs that have emerged over the last 2 years. oHR and STRAVA in a two word summary.

Obviously it won’t be quite so simple as a firmware update as the M430 has a whopping 6-LED optical HR sensor on the back which clearly is new hardware;-)

Polar have stressed accuracy in some of the marketing communications about the new products. You could read into that that they are STILL accurate (with the same components) or that they have new components that will prove MORE accurate (GPS, barometer, improved oHR over the M600). When I get my hands on a M450 or M430 you’ll be the first to know about that.

But we look at the new connectivity functionality of the M460, such new functionality doesn’t “just happen”. Maybe the old hardware could always do connectivity but that particular bit of the hardware was never enabled. Unlikely. I’d say there are some new bits inside. (Edit: In the comments below dcrainmaker confirms the updated GPS chip UBLOX replaced by SirfStar…likely SirfstarV)

Yet more baseless, rampant and probably pointless speculation.

If there’s a new comms chip inside then there is a VERY good chance that the comms chip will support ANT+. Whether or not Polar ever enable it is another matter entirely. (NB MANY of your smartphones have the innards that can support ANT+, it just hasn’t been enabled by most manufacturers)

But they could.

Maybe that’s the marketing storm?

Get a V660 out soon (maybe not the V810). Sell them for a few months. Iron out a few bugs and then BAM turn the ANT+ on in time for Christmas.

Maybe. Perhaps. If.

Sorry folks that puts the replacement V800 back to 2018. There’s probably much more money AND easier hardware/software development in updating the other products in the range.

EDIT: Rain on the Parade – Unfortunately an ANT+ device would have an ANT+ label on the rear. so unlikely that it will be turned on in the future. 😉