Garmin has just announced the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music Verizon.
Better known as the snappily entitled “Vivoactive 3 MV”.
The modified Vivoactive 3 Music is essentially the same as the one released 6 months ago but with a few new features. The big one is the LTE connectivity.
LTE Connectivity means that your Vivoactive 3MV can connect to the internet by a cellular/mobile connection. As you’ve guessed by now, this will only work if you have an appropriate contract with Verizon in the USA. No doubt this will be rolled out to other providers in other countries over the year.
Garmin is not the first company to do this. There are already Apple, LG (WearOS) and other watches that do a similar (better) job on their own respective platforms.
Here are some links to refresh your memories after which I will tell you about the other new features.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Review – Detailed | Apple Watch Competitor
Best Running Watch 2021 | Top 10 Garmin, Apple, Fitbit, Polar Comparison
STREAMING: First up this is not really a fully streaming device. It works in the same way as Garmin’s WiFi connections and you can download over the cellular connection and then playback from the watch. I suppose that is OK in itself but s you can’t make calls on this watch then you will still be carrying your smartphone so why not just download your music via the smartphone? #Strange
SUPPORTED SERVICES: All Garmin’s current MUSIC providers will be supported eg Deezer & Spotify. Although the latter is given the ‘coming soon’ caveat.
ASSISTANCE & INCIDENT DETECTION: An alert is sent to pre-loaded emergency contacts also giving them your current GPS location. I’m assuming if you are out of cellular range then this won’t work.
- Assistance: Just press and hold the VA3MV’s single button for a few seconds until the watch vibrates.
- Incident: If you fall/crash then the alert is also triggered
PHONE FREE TEXTING: Yep. It can do that. DCR says emails are supported too, at least to some degree.
SPECS: The same as the VA3M, except battery life is reduced from 7 days to 5 days and there is 4 hours of LTE usage on the battery.
WHAT’S MISSING?: Voice Control…”OK Garmin, Play XXXX“, social media apps (whatsap et al), and SO much more that could be enabled over-the-air. Maybe it will come later? You can’t make calls on it either not even with a paired BLE headset. Also note that I have read it is SIM not eSIM.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music Verizon Review to follow?: A: No. I have some paint to watch dry somewhere.
PRICING and AVAILABILITY: Soon Q1.2019. Probably about $350-$380
THOUGHTS? – Just one: HALF-BAKED
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well, that was an extremely safe and boring move — the needle–is flaccid after this announcement. Samsung just announced a solar-powered watch.
Yup, Somebody just woke me up
You can go back to bed; there’s nothing to see here. I take that back…https://www.suunto.com/en-us/News/suunto-welcomes-companies-to-join-its-partner-program-a-digital-ecosystem-for-sports-and-active-life/
That is encouraging. It’d be nice if Calorie counters (Like MyFitnessPal) supported Suunto. Next is an App store and they’ll be where Garmin was 3-4 years ago…
i did write this before i saw the comments. although you were first: https://the5krunner.com/2019/01/08/suunto-links-to-trainingpeaks/. i’m just going to edit in your link and claim it for myself…(I’m not)
I want my cut of that sweet, sweet blog money now! 😛
he he he. a cut of my sweet blog money is like cutting a dime in half.
C’mon why no 945??? Fingers crossed for Q2!
worth crossing. Reading between the lines there are going to be 2-3 new tri watches…total rebranding of the tri offering (sub brand) + more goodies eg perhaps the new hrm that is on FCC and a run pod
When would you guess we can expect tbe tri watches? Anytime soon? My Fenix 5 is faulty and I’m looking for a replacement but I don’t wanna buy another one or 935 which is essentialy the same watch and would rather upgrade to a new gen tri watch… But don’t wanna wait half a year either 🙂
they will PROBABLY either be released before May for the tri season or announced september/october for christmas – so not 6 months but rather 3 or 9 months.
Thank you for your reply! Fingers crossed for sooner than later 😀
So, do we keep hoping for Garmin Wear OS watch? 🙂
Hope.
my speculation came before there was any news of thhe VA3MVerizon
chance…slim, i guess.