Polar Vantage V2 3.0.16 – Improved navigation features, always-on outdoor functions and HR sensor mode
Polar recently announced their Grit X Pro outdoor adventure watch and with it new routing features, new dashboard screens and other tweaks. These features were also immediately pushed onto the Polar SHIFT and promised for all of the Vantage V2 models later in October. Well, later in October is here and so are the update which now means that the Grit X Pro and Vantage V2 models should move forwards with the same software features.
Must Read: Detailed Vantage V2 Review
Improvements/fixes in this release:
- Route and elevation profiles
- Trackback
- Change route on-the-fly
- Sunrise & sunset watch face
- Location watch face
- Music controls watch face
- HR sensor mode
- Backlight brightness setting
- Minor updates and bug fixes
Further details below, just sync your watch to Flow to get the update now. Enjoy!
Polar Grit X Pro Titanium & Vantage V2 – New Route Features – A How To Guide
Route and elevation profiles, change route on the fly and trackback
With route and elevation profiles you know your current position, how much you’ve ascended or descended, and how much you still have to go – so you can be prepared for whatever lies ahead. You’ll also be able to switch your route on the fly, just pause your session and choose a new route from your list. Lose yourself in the thrill of adventure, never doubting that you will find your way back with the trackback feature allowing you to navigate back to your starting point via the route you came.
Always-on outdoor features
New always-on outdoor features include the Location and Sunrise & Sunset watch faces. The Location watch face includes an always-on altimeter, a compass and your location coordinates so you know exactly where you are and where you’re heading. The Sunrise & Sunset watch face gives you your current location’s sunrise, sunset as well as twilight times.
HR sensor mode, backlight brightness setting and music controls watch face
HR Sensor mode allows you to use your watch as a heart rate sensor to view your heart rate data via BLE on gym equipment or mobile apps for example. We’ve also added the option to adjust the backlight brightness. Note that this setting doesn’t affect the backlight activated with the LIGHT button, it only affects the backlight triggered when pressing any other buttons or when turning your wrist to look at your watch. In addition, the music controls are now conveniently located on a dedicated watch face for easy access when not training.
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If only Polar fixed its Sleep Stages+ to accurately detect falling asleep time. After 3 years, it’s still wrong for me at least once per week and sometimes more, often by a whopping hour and a half. And if you try to adjust the time using re-introduced sleep edit, it just nukes out all sleep and recovery data. Looks like sleep edit works only for minor adjustments.
Shame! Because I’d be ready to ditch WHOOP and go back to Polar. I don’t think sleep/recovery data from WHOOP is so much better/accurate as to warrant $24/month commitment coming to all of us eventually.
When Polar would implement structured workouts? A ‘premium’ watch such a V2 should have it. Waiting if Suunto ( thru Suunto Plus) or Polar get it first. Nowadays Garmin, Apple Watch and Wahoo Rival have it … As far as I know …
Mauricio, Vantage V2 tiene entrenamientos estructurados desde se lanzó. No sé qué no puedes hacer con los entrenamientos estructurados desde Flow, incluso puedes hacerlo por potencia….
go to: https://flow.polar.com/target/favorite
then choose PHASED
Thanks. But only gives you the typical option of warmup, set up a number of EQUAL reps & rest and then cooldown… Unless I don’t see it, can not set up structured workouts such as 2 series of 3 min at 85% whatever (pace, HR or power) then rest for 1 min , then add up 3 series of 2.5 min at 90% and so on … Just the typical reps X number of equal reps, just as every other watch . Take for example structured workouts from TrainingPeaks . As far as I know only Wahoo Rival and Garmin can get those “complex” structured workouts.
you should be able to do that by adding repeated phases
It’s kinda sad that they output these features for the V2 when it was released only a year and 6 months? Ago.
Whereas there haven’t been any updates for the original V and then they came out with the V2 a year and 5 months later with new features. The OHR is shit on me and I was hoping for some triathlon training plans from Polar.
Yes you are right. I was also totally disappointed. Finally I bought the V2 which is finally a “usable” watch for running. The previous V had to be like the V2. Before the V I used the V800. This was a masterpiece last time. Therefor my expectations for the V were quite high and I was even one year after the introduction completely disappointed. However, the V2 is usable but overall too sluggish. I think that polar chose a too weak processor/hardware/software.
I like their ideas and approach like many of us but the hardware is unable to keep up with the load of the software. The developers should remove the animations to make the watch feel more snappy and usable.
The V3 should get a new hardware or develop at leas a new, more responsive and more efficient software, to keep up with the other brands. Also the display is too small for the size of the watch.
Forgot to add: I hope they have the sapphire touch screen on the V3. I’m waiting for that. (VV Titan upgrade?)
The Vantage V / V2 hardware is already quite overloaded with their software. Therefore the touch feature is very sluggish. I’m actually not using it at all. From my experience the V or V2 are the most sluggish watches on the market.
The software got slightly better but overall, the software development is a weak point by Polar. Unfortunately. This is my biggest disappointment.
However, the display of the V2 is not bad. The size is definitely too small but the glas is very nice and also the coating keeps the glas quite clean.