Polar confirms updated GPS chip in M430 – M460 stays same as M450

24 May 2017

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Polar have confirmed to me that the M430 running watch has indeed got new innards. Obviously the optical HR gave away the fact that something had changed internally 😉 Well, the GPS chip has also been updated to the same one as used by the V800 (SiRFstar IV) – generally renowned for good GPS accuracy. Although equally as good GPS results have been recorded by me with the SiRFstar V on the Suunto SPARTAN SPORT.

M460 u-blox 7
M430 SiRFstar IV
M450 u-blox 7
M400 u-blox 7

Not confirmed in the same email but I believe the following to also be correct

M600 – MediaTek MT2601 (Mediatek MT3333 is used by Garmin in the 920XT and I assume that same Mediatek chip is also in the Fenix 5X – mixed GPS performance)
V800 – SiRFstarIV

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Martin Uusmae

3 years ago

Can’t wait to order it. It seems that this might be the best running watch on the market, when it gets here, looking at the potential performance of the oHR and GPS. Do you think there are any running watches superior to this at this point? This is for a long distance runner covering round 60 miles a week, the usual fartleks and interval sessions, hills and long runs, and 70% of miles at recovery/easy pace. I will not use a chest-strap for HR but am considering adding a STRYD footpod. Main requirements: GPS accurate to under 5% error on simple roads, oHR to be better than just a random number generator. Wireless data sync. That’s all. Will STRYD increase the distance measurement accuracy of the watch? I would like to do my fartleks with an accurate (+-5s) pace reading, but that might just stay a dream? I’ve given the FR235 and the TomTom Spark 3 a try, and neither is enough for me. GPS of the 235 underestimates by around 5% for most of my routes (next to roads, very little trees). oHR for the 235 didnt once go above 165 during my 4 week trial, I did my… Read more »

tfk, the5krunner

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Reply to Martin Uusmae

3 years ago

“random number generator”…made me laugh!! first one this week. thank you!
just get a decent footpod for the 235? config the footpod to always be the source of speed and distance.

tomtom should be VERY accurate with GPS??

to answer your other points. yes I think it is hopefully going to be ‘up there’ with the rest.

but does the buyer want accuracy or features? all the basic features are in the base models…even the M200 has just about enough.