*** Heads up: The Garmin Vivoactive 4 In-Depth Review is up, check that out for the latest on the Vivoactive line up!****
Today Garmin announced the Vivoactive 3 Music, which makes it the second Garmin wearable they’ve added music playback functionality into, following the Forerunner 645 Music this past winter. In the most simplistic sense, the Vivoactive 3 Music merely takes the Vivoactive 3 announced last August, and plops music storage into it. That includes the ability to transfer music like MP3 files and podcasts, as well as cache streaming services including iHeartRadio and Deezer.
For those not familiar with the existing Vivoactive 3, that’s Garmin’s all-around GPS tracking watch. It tracks running, cycling, gym workouts, golf, and indoor swimming – along with probably two dozen other sports. It’s aimed at competing with Fitbit’s Ionic GPS watch, as well as giving the Apple Watch a run for its money (with both Fitbit and Garmin costing less than Apple). It stops short though of being a full multisport watch for triathletes, nor does it have onboard maps. But it does match other competitors in terms of having contactless payments via NFC.
As with a few other Garmin announcements lately, the Vivoactive 3 Music starts shipping today (yes, really), and I’ve been testing a loaner device for a handful of runs and rides. This post is sorta half-way between a full review and a typical hands-on post for me. Given I’ve already got a huge in-depth review on the Vivoactive 3, I’m mostly focusing this piece on the music bits. I may add in some of the more general (like activity tracking or such) non-music bits to this post over time, but everything is the same as the aforementioned/linked Vivoactive 3 In-Depth Review.
What’s New:
Keeping in mind that I already reviewed the existing Vivoactive 3 last fall (full in-depth review here), there’s actually almost nothing new here beyond the added music functionality. And by ‘almost’, I mean, exactly nothing (besides music). Technically, there’s some new sleep analysis stuff that Garmin says is ‘coming soon’, but won’t quite yet be ready for launch day (today).
That piece includes identification of sleep stages by leveraging heart rate variability (HRV) data from the optical HR sensor. But that will be applicable to all Garmin wearables introduced since January 2017 that utilize the newer Garmin ELEVATE optical HR sensor, so it’s not specific to the Vivoactive 3 Music. I’ve got a separate post outlining those details once the feature goes live,
As a result, since this section would be pretty darn short, let’s just do a quick recap of what’s unique in the Vivoactive 3 itself. If you’re already familiar with that watch, skip on over to the next section for the music deets. In the meantime, here’s how it compares to the Vivoactive HR and Vivoactive devices of yesteryear:
– Round Watch Design: No longer a square, the Vivoactive 3 Music (like the Vivoactive 3) is all rounded
– From two buttons to one button: Removal of the two front-facing buttons, and now just a single side-facing button
– Garmin Pay added: Contactless payments that utilizes NFC so you can buy your coffee with just your wrist
– Structured workout support added: This allows you to download custom workouts and training plans/calendars to execute
– Pre-loaded workouts added: These are for run, cardio, strength, and bike workouts
– Automatic Rep Counting added: For strength workouts, this was seen previously on the Vivosmart 3 last spring.
– VO2Max Estimation Added: We’ve historically seen this on higher end watches, so this is new at this price point.
– Fitness Age Estimates added: Sorta like VO2Max, but designed to give you a more holistic number
– Stress Monitoring Added: This monitors stress throughout the day, seen on almost all Garmin wearables since early 2017
– Latest Garmin Elevate Optical HR sensor: The same more advanced HR sensor we’ve seen on the Fenix 5 and FR935 is here as well, bringing constant 24×7 HR recording
– Connects to Bluetooth Smart Sensors: It can connect to Bluetooth Smart HR Straps, Speed/Cadence Sensors (both individual and combo), and Footpods.
– Up to four data fields per page: This used to be three on the Vivoactive HR.
– Ability to calibrate treadmill distances: This was quietly introduced on the Fenix5/FR935 last year, and allows you to match indoor runs to what the treadmill says you did (after the workout).
Next, just for the purposes of covering all the bases, the unit does maintain and/or have the following popular features/functions. Many of you may know these already, but in case you’re wondering whether some of these are still there, or whether they are offered in the unit – I’ve got the most common ones here.
– Barometric altimeter included: Used for stair counting, but also workouts
– GPS with GLONASS for workouts: Also, this allows 1-second recording rate as is the trend on most units lately (it does not have Galileo support)
– Battery life: is 7 days in smartwatch mode, 5 hours in GPS mode with music, or 13 hours GPS without music
– Connect IQ for 3rd party apps and watch faces: Again, standard on virtually all Garmin units these days over $200
– Numerous sport modes: This isn’t just a running watch, but has everything from cycling to yoga, pool swimming (not outdoor) to rowing. You can customize these individually (plus Connect IQ apps gets you more sport modes).
– Waterproofed to 50 meters: Pretty much the norm these days
– Basic waypoint navigation: You can save waypoints and navigate to them, using the internal compass.
– Always on touchscreen display: Yup, the display is always on 100% of the time. There’s also a bright backlight if you need it.
– Re-broadcasts optical HR: You can select to re-broadcast your heart rate from the optical HR sensor over ANT+
– Connects to ANT+ sensors: Specifically the ANT+ HR strap, ANT+ Speed/Cadence sensors, Footpods, and Tempe units (also connects to Bluetooth Smart sensors per the above). It does NOT connect to power meters, but DOES connect to VIRB action cameras, ANT+ Cycling lights, and Garmin ANT+ Cycling Radar.
There are however three minor differences to the original Vivoactive 3:
– No ability to flip watch 180°: You can’t make the button be on the left or right by flipping the watch user interface
– No side swipe interface points on side of watch: These allowed up/down movement through menus
– Very slight increase in thickness. Previous was 11.7mm, now it’s 13.6mm, or 15% difference. But again, its 2mm. To put that in perspective though, it’s only .4mm thicker than the Fitbit Ionic (which is 12.2mm). It’s 1.2mm thicker than an Apple Watch which is 11.4mm.
Phew – got all that? Good, then let’s move onto the sound of music.
How Music Works:
When it comes to music, the device is almost identical to that of the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music introduced this past winter at CES. But, there are some minor differences in terms of navigating around the user interface, since this only has one button instead of multiple buttons. But, if you already know that watch and want the one-sentence short version of this watch, it’s well…same-same. For everyone else, you can continue on.
The most important thing to understand about the Vivoactive 3 Music is that it has different hardware than the Vivoactive 3 does, specifically, storage space for said music. Meaning, this isn’t something that Garmin can simply issue a software update for existing Vivoactive 3 owners. It requires more land to put that music on. It may also have a different Bluetooth stack/chipset on it a well so it can properly connect to both Bluetooth headphones as well as Bluetooth sensors and your phone all concurrently, but whether that’s different than the Vivoactive 3 isn’t something I know.
The Vivoactive 3 has 3.5GB of usable storage space for music. Though in reality that also includes any apps and workouts you have. But the total storage space for apps and workouts for a month is less than a single song. So realistically almost all of that is going to be music. Though, as I outline in a bit, not all of that can be for streaming platforms. Only a smaller portion can be from iHeartRadio and Deezer.
When it comes to the types of music you can put on it, it’s roughly in two major buckets:
Files you transfer: This includes all of the following supported file types MP3, M4A, AAC, ADTS, WAV, M3U, M3U8, WLP, ZPL, PLS
Streaming services: This includes iHeartRadio and Deezer (soon on Deezer, hopefully)
The key thing with the files that you transfer is they have to be unprotected. So you can’t move over protected music that’s from another streaming service or isn’t totally owned by you. Inversely, when dealing with the streaming services, it has to be one of the ones that Garmin has a partnership with. Meaning, no Spotify (not because Garmin doesn’t want a partnership there mind you, but rather, Spotify hasn’t wanted to play ball yet).
Let’s start first with getting regular (non-streaming) music onto your Vivoactive 3 Music. To do that you’ll need a Mac or PC computer, and the included charging/sync cable. At present, the music files have to be copied over from a computer, not a phone. Whereas the streaming music services have to be copied over via WiFi (and not a computer). Tale of two paths and all. In this case, it’s Garmin Express that you’re using to transfer music.
You can see above that I can add folders to the watch, which will import the songs into the library that I can select to sync over. By default that includes the music folders on your computer, but you can select any folders you’d like. I’d caution though that loading the folders can sometimes take a hell of a long time, even for not all that many songs.
You can then select either entire albums, playlists, songs, etc… to sync over. So you don’t have to just pick individual songs, rather, you can mix and match from different music categories to sync. Once you’re done, just whack that ‘Send to device’ button.
Syncing music is relatively quick since it’s via USB. In general, I find this solution faster and better than the Fitbit WiFi driven solution where you’ve gotta get both devices talking via WiFi. While that’s more ‘techie’ in nature, it’s also more prone to errors and slowness. Of course, ideally there would be a blend of the two. For example, Garmin is unable to get podcasts directly pulled via WiFi. So you have to sync that via USB still, which is kinda cumbersome if all you want is podcasts.
Now before we talk about the on-watch stuff, let’s briefly chat streaming music. Garmin supports both iHeartRadio and Deezer streaming services. But there are two catches. First is that with iHeartRadio it’s basically US-only. So if you’re outside the US, you’re out of luck. Of course, that’s where Deezer comes in, a far better international option. Unfortunately, Garmin still hasn’t released that app yet, despite hopes that it’d be done months ago. it sounds like it’s perhaps soon…but…that’s also what was said months ago.
You’ll activate the Vivoactive 3 Music to your iHeartRadio account much like you would Netflix to a new device, with an activation code that you enter in on the iHeartRadio site. The way iHeartRadio works is that you need to specify/favorite playlists using the iHeartRadio site, which the Vivoactive 3 Music then allows you to select to sync from your device.
Once that’s complete you’ll go into your music providers on the watch and choose which playlists to sync and to sync them. All of this is done via WiFi. Note that hotel-style WiFi networks are not supported for this, because they require you to ‘Agree’ to something usually, which the watch can’t do. So you need a home or work WiFi network without any prompt system.
No matter the type of music though, the remainder of the watch interaction is the same. So we’ll dive into that now. To access music, you can do so from the main widgets by simply swiping up/down with your finger until you get to the below page:
Alternatively, you can long-hold the button and then tap the music icon from the dashboard.
Once back at the music page you can play/pause/skip songs, as well as make other selections. It’ll also list the artist and song name scrolling along the bottom.
If you tap the three little dots at the bottom to access the additional options. That brings you to where you can choose music to play, pair headphones, select from streaming services, as well as change the volume.
Selecting the top watch icon allows you to select and manage the music source. This could be streaming services like iHeartRadio, Deezer, or music you’ve transferred. You can also control music on your phone (pause/play/skip control).
Back on the main music control page if you tap the icon with the list next to it, you can select which specific music you want. Such as playlists, artists, albums, songs, etc…
Next, you can control volume directly on the watch using the volume slider, or from the headphones themselves if your headphones support that.
And finally, speaking of pairing of headphones, you’ll do that through the headphones submenu. This is where you’ll pair up any Bluetooth audio device. That would normally be headphones, but can also be a Bluetooth speaker or even your car audio system. As long as it follows the standard, it’ll pair up here.
And neatly, you can pair multiple audio devices here. So that way if you have a variety of devices you listen to music on, it’s easy to switch between them.
All of this works well enough, just as it did on the Forerunner 645. I’ve mostly been using these Skullycandy headphones lately, and I haven’t had any dropout issues there in my workouts, which is always something of concern. I know that historically Garmin has had issues with Apple Airpods (as many other companies have had issues with compatibility with them), and I suspect that continues to be the case here too. Most of the time connectivity/droppage issues are related to which side of the headphones the transmission portion is on. You generally want to wear the watch on whichever wrist is that side. So if the headphones have the receiver portion on the right side, you’d generally want to wear the watch on your right wrist. Garmin’s tested list is here, but keep in mind plenty other headphones do work just fine.
When it comes to messing with music mid-workout, you’d do that via the long-hold with the single right button. This gets you to the widget menu where you can then tweak your music options. At present I’ve seen no option for adding the music page directly to the workout pages, as you can with the Forerunner 645 Music. That’s a bit odd as it makes it a bit more cumbersome. Hopefully that’s an easy fix to add that data page though.
Finally, for those geeks in the house, when plugged into a computer, the unit shows up as a MTP device (Media Transfer Protocol), which is sorta a cross between a generic USB drive and one focused purely on music. Though, you can force it to a straight USB drive via settings if you want.
When plugged in via MTP mode on a computer, it shows up as a MTP device, and you can navigate the file structure. You’ll find the typical ‘Garmin’ folder with things like your workout files if you want them, as well as app files, etc… Again, all geek-specific things. Additionally, you’ll see a ‘Music’ folder with your music listed.
Finally, for lack of anywhere else to stick it – the Vivoactive 3 Music uses an identical cable to that of the Vivoactive 3, which is the same as the Garmin FR935 and Fenix 5 series, and a few other wearables Garmin has made since then.
Test Runs and Workouts:
At this point I’ve got in 3-4 runs and a couple rides with the unit, across a range of different scenarios – including interval workouts. So this section is mostly focused on the accuracy side of the house, both GPS and optical HR. I didn’t expect to see much difference between the original Vivoactive 3 and the new Vivoactive 3 Music, but still, I figured I’d test anyway.
First up we’ve got a run in Amsterdam. Just a relatively simple steady-state run around Vondelpark and back. A bit of tree cover, some light buildings here and there, but nothing super challenging to start. This is compared against a Suunto Spartan Trainer paired to a Scosche 24 HR sensor, and then a Garmin Forerunner 935 connected to a Wahoo TICKR-X heart rate sensor. Basically, giving me two other GPS sources and two other heart rate sources.
Here’s the HR data first (the full data set is here for those that want to look at it):
To begin with, the heart rate completely mismatched between the three devices the first two minutes. Sigh. But, in this case the Vivoactive 3 Music was actually the most correct out of the three there. You can see the nice gradual build of that HR data, versus the implausible HR data from the other two. It looks like at that 2-minute marker I hit a stop-light, which dropped my cadence to zero, which in turn let everyone figure themselves out from there on (when a sensor goes wrong, stopping for a few seconds usually fixes things). After that point there was another 6-7 minutes of slight confusion before everyone agreed for the remainder of the run.
As noted, from a HR standpoint, this wasn’t a super demanding run, but the Vivoactive 3 did seem to come away with the best heart rate track of the three combinations
Shifting over to the GPS side of the run, here’s how they compared:
Overall at a high level they look pretty good. As noted this route includes running in the park (I selected a trail alongside the main path that was directly under large tree-cover). And then I made a detour through/under a large building to see how well the unit handled a tunnel scenario. It’s important that a unit properly recovers GPS when it loses it, rather than plotting some bad data.
You can see in this case when I go through the Rijksmuseum, the Vivoactive 3 Music and FR935 nail the entry/exits properly. The Suunto Spartan Trainer adds a tiny bit of distance with a little bump in there. Nothing major, but not quite nailed either.
Meanwhile, in the park, the result is a bit mixed. For my first pass through the park, there are notable offsets between the three units. They track similarly, but are offset perhaps 5-10 meters. In this case the Suunto is most correct, whereas the FR935 is too far north and the Vivoactive 3 Music a bit too far south.
However, on the way back through the park, you can see all three units have properly re-aligned themselves.
The remainder of the run nearer to buildings is perfectly fine, without anything worthy of mention in terms of oddities.
Overall looking at this particular run, I’d say things were about on-par with what I’d expect for most GPS devices – save the slight offset bit on the outbound through the park.
Next, let’s take a look at an interval run. This portion challenges the optical HR sensor more than the GPS, but it’s still fun to look at both. In this case I had the same setup of units, but unfortunately the battery on the Scosche 24 was apparently dead and I didn’t realize it, it died about 30 seconds into my run. I didn’t really have time to stop and re-charge it. So I’ve just got the TICKR-X HR chest strap and the Vivoactive 3 Music. Here’s the data set:
These look close, but not quite perfectly aligned. What’s interesting though is that once again the optical HR sensor actually gets it more correct initially. This is most obvious in the first few minutes, which the Vivoactive 3 Music properly nails. In case you’re wondering, I had actually wet the Wahoo chest strap before I went out, as is recommended, but there’s still a little bit of a flat-lining thing going on there. After that, it normalizes between them till the first few intervals.
Zooming in to look at the 4x800m intervals, here’s what we’ve got:
You’ll see that on the build for the first interval both are good there, they both ramp up correctly. However, after the first interval is complete there’s the recovery phase, and you’ll notice the Vivoactive 3 is a bit slower here. Not massively so, as it almost catches back up after the 90-second recovery period. It then nails the second build, but totally misses the 2nd recovery. On the third interval though it’s spot on. The fourth interval is interesting – in this case the Vivoactive 3 Music nails the ramp (whereas the TICKR falters a bit), and then both come down reasonably close together into the recovery. In this case, my recovery/rest periods were done via walking.
Looking at this interval, the lack of nailing the rest period isn’t ideal, though it does properly nail the actual interval itself (which is the most important of the two). As always, intervals with optical HR sensors tend to depend a fair bit on the person and the situation. Given I was also pushing a stroller during these intervals (albeit with my other hand), it’s still not too shabby. If you looked at the total scorecard for the VA3 Music on this one, it essentially totally botched the recovery on one interval, but nailed the build/work portion on all of them. And the two other recoveries weren’t quite perfect but would probably be acceptable to most.
As for GPS?
Blah, that’s boring. All three units were virtually perfect with where I went, including both sides of the roads and the occasional trail wandering into the woods.
There’s no real point in analyzing the GPS track on that route any further, it was fine (but if you want to, the link is included above).
Overall, I’m seeing mostly good results on GPS accuracy, and for running mostly good results there (probably some of the better optical HR results I’ve seen in a while). Any differences on optical HR between the Vivoactive 3 review of past and this post is more likely to be attributed to 8 months worth of firmware updates to the platform than anything else. After all, that’s a key bit here. This isn’t a brand new watch. It’s the same GPS and optical HR performance of the original Vivoactive 3, just with a small bit of storage in there for music.
(Note: All of the charts in these accuracy portions were created using the DCR Analyzer tool. It allows you to compare power meters/trainers, heart rate, cadence, speed/pace, GPS tracks and plenty more. You can use it as well for your own gadget comparisons, more details here.)
Product Comparisons:
I’ve added the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music to the product comparison tool below, which means you can also make your own comparison charts as well. In the case of the below I’ve compared it against the Fitbit Ionic (which has GPS), and the Fitbit Versa (which uses your phones GPS). And, for the heck of it – the Garmin FR645 Music (which is a more advanced running watch).
In addition, the above/below photos show the size against some other competitors in this realm (I couldn’t find my Fitbit Ionic at the time). From left to right they are:
Suunto 3 Fitness, Fitbit Versa, Garmin FR645, Garmin Vivoactive 3, Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music, Samsung Gear Sport
You can also mix and match and make your own comparison chart within the massive product comparison tool here, in case the quick four I’ve selected below isn’t what you want.
| Function/Feature | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copyright DC Rainmaker - Updated May 11th, 2021 @ 5:43 am New Window | ||||
| Price | $169 | $129 | $229 | $149 |
| Product Announcement Date | June 13th, 2018 | Aug 31st, 2017 | Aug 28th, 2017 | March 2018 |
| Actual Availability/Shipping Date | June 13th, 2018 | September 2017 | Oct 1st, 2017 | April 2018 |
| GPS Recording Functionality | Yes | Yes | Yes | via phone |
| Data Transfer | USB, BLUETOOTH SMART | USB, BLUETOOTH SMART | Bluetooth Smart | Bluetooth Smart |
| Waterproofing | 50 meters | 50 meters | 50m | 50m |
| Battery Life (GPS) | Up to 13 hours GPS | Up to 13 hours GPS | 10 hours | N/A |
| Recording Interval | 1s or Smart Recording | 1s or Smart Recording | 1-second | 1-second |
| Alerts | Vibrate/Visual | Vibrate/Visual | Visual/Vibrate | Visual/Vibrate |
| Backlight Greatness | Great | Great | Great | Great |
| Ability to download custom apps to unit/device | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Acts as daily activity monitor (steps, etc...) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Can control phone music | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Has music storage and playback | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming Services | Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio | Pandora, Deezer | Pandora, Deezer | Payments | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Contactless-NFC Payments | Yes | Yes | Yes (with certain editions) | Connectivity | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Bluetooth Smart to Phone Uploading | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Phone Notifications to unit (i.e. texts/calls/etc...) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live Tracking (streaming location to website) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Group tracking | No | No | No | No |
| Emergency/SOS Message Notification (from watch to contacts) | No | No | No | No |
| Built-in cellular chip (no phone required) | No | No | No | No | Cycling | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Designed for cycling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power Meter Capable | With some Connect IQ apps | With some Connect IQ apps | No | No |
| Speed/Cadence Sensor Capable | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Strava segments live on device | No | No | No | No |
| Crash detection | No | No | No | No | Running | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Designed for running | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Footpod Capable (For treadmills) | Yes | Yes | No (but has treadmill functionality) | No (but has treadmill functionality) |
| Running Dynamics (vertical oscillation, ground contact time, etc...) | No | No | No | No |
| Running Power | No | No | ||
| VO2Max Estimation | Yes | Yes | Yes via app | Yes, via app |
| Race Predictor | No | No | No | No |
| Recovery Advisor | No | No | No | No |
| Run/Walk Mode | Yes | Yes | No | No | Swimming | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Designed for swimming | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Openwater swimming mode | No | No | No | No |
| Lap/Indoor Distance Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Record HR underwater | No | No | No | No |
| Openwater Metrics (Stroke/etc.) | No | No | No | No |
| Indoor Metrics (Stroke/etc.) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Indoor Drill Mode | No | No | No | No |
| Indoor auto-pause feature | No | No | No | No |
| Change pool size | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Indoor Min/Max Pool Lengths | 17M/18Y TO 150Y/M | 17M/18Y TO 150Y/M | 10m/y-100m/y | 10m/y-100m/y |
| Ability to customize data fields | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Captures per length data - indoors | Yes | Yes | ||
| Indoor Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes (distance) | Yes (distance) | Triathlon | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Designed for triathlon | No | No | No | No |
| Multisport mode | No | No | No | No | Workouts | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Create/Follow custom workouts | Yes | Yes | No (Premium Coached only) | No (Premium Coached only) |
| On-unit interval Feature | Sorta (2 preloaded ones, but no customization) | Sorta (2 preloaded ones, but no customization) | No | No |
| Training Calendar Functionality | Yes | Yes | No | No | Functions | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Auto Start/Stop | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Partner Feature | No | No | No | No |
| Virtual Racer Feature | No | No | No | no |
| Records PR's - Personal Records (diff than history) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Tidal Tables (Tide Information) | No | No | No | No |
| Weather Display (live data) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Navigate | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Follow GPS Track (Courses/Waypoints) | No (but some 3rd party apps can) | No (but some 3rd party apps can) | No | No |
| Markers/Waypoint Direction | Yes (to pre-saved spots) | Yes (to pre-saved spots) | No | No |
| Routable/Visual Maps (like car GPS) | No | No | No | No |
| Back to start | YEs | YEs | No | No |
| Impromptu Round Trip Route Creation | No | No | No | No |
| Download courses/routes from phone to unit | NO | NO | No | No | Sensors | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Altimeter Type | Barometric | Barometric | Barometric | Barometric |
| Compass Type | Magnetic | Magnetic | N/A | N/A |
| Optical Heart Rate Sensor internally | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SpO2 (aka Pulse Oximetry) | No | |||
| Heart Rate Strap Compatible | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| ANT+ Heart Rate Strap Capable | YEs | YEs | No | No |
| ANT+ Speed/Cadence Capable | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| ANT+ Footpod Capable | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| ANT+ Power Meter Capable | No | No | No | nO |
| ANT+ Lighting Control | Yes | Yes | No | nO |
| ANT+ Bike Radar Integration | No | No | No | No |
| ANT+ Trainer Control (FE-C) | No | No | No | No |
| ANT+ Remote Control | No (Yes for VIRB camera control) | No (Yes for VIRB camera control) | No | No |
| ANT+ eBike Compatibility | No | No | No | No |
| ANT+ Gear Shifting (i.e. SRAM ETAP) | No | No | No | No |
| Shimano Di2 Shifting | No | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth Smart HR Strap Capable | YEs | YEs | No | No |
| Bluetooth Smart Speed/Cadence Capable | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Bluetooth Smart Footpod Capable | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Bluetooth Smart Power Meter Capable | No | No | No | No |
| Temp Recording (internal sensor) | No | No | No | No |
| Temp Recording (external sensor) | Yes | Yes | No | no | Software | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| PC Application | Garmin Express | Garmin Express | PC/Mac | PC/Mac |
| Web Application | Garmin Connect | Garmin Connect | Yes | YEs |
| Phone App | iOS/Android/Windows | iOS/Android/Windows | iOS/Android/Windows | iOS/Android/Windows |
| Ability to Export Settings | No | No | No | No | Purchase | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Amazon | Link | Link | Link | Link | DCRainmaker | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music | Garmin Vivoactive 3 | Fitbit Ionic | Fitbit Versa |
| Review Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
Again, remember you can mix and match your own product comparison charts here to pick whatever products you’d like that I’ve previously reviewed.
Wrap-up:
It was largely inevitable that the Vivoactive 3 would eventually get a music edition. After all, in order to compete in the mainstream realm against Fitbit and Apple with a mid-range sports watch, Garmin had to get music stashed in there. What’s probably most notable is really that the price point is largely remaining the same – $299. Sure, the Vivoactive 3 (non-music) has dipped and is now in the $249 range, but Garmin isn’t charging some crazy premium for music on this edition.
Garmin’s long since argued that when selecting between something like a Fitbit and a Garmin watch, their own watches cater more towards the sports crowd than not. And that’s certainly true, you can easily see that within the sport modes that are offered and the depth of the data that comes from the watches. When competing against Apple, both Fitbit and Garmin tout their battery life – putting them at roughly a week between charges versus a day or two. Of course, neither company can compete against Apple in the depth of apps that the Apple Watch has. But as has been proven, neither really has to. Both companies are selling more smartwatches than ever before, despite the Apple Watch (with Garmin even recently overtaking Fitbit).
When it comes to the Vivoactive 3 Music, it’s an all-arounder, and also an all-around safe bet. I got the non-music variant for my Mom last fall, which she uses daily in a variety of sports. And my Dad even tested out this unit for the day this past week and is likely to pick it up as well.
The downsides are mostly few. The first one I see is the bezel, not everyone will want a glossy black bezel. I prefer the look of the Vivoactive 3 bezel (non-music). Second, it lacks some streaming services that folks might use. I’m a Spotify person primarily, with a massive Spotify library/playlist thing. So as much as I might play with iHeartRadio for reviews, it’s not really what I use day to day. That ball is squarely in Spotify’s court to resolve, and the issue is the same whether I go to a Fitbit or Apple Watch – neither have Spotify.
But Spotify or shiny bezels aside, the Vivoactive series continues to be the best value watches that Garmin has made, with the widest range of features. And the new Vivoactive 3 Music only serves to extend that, bridge the musical gap that so many have begged for, into a much lower price bracket.
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Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. Thanks!
Glad they are adding music to more devices, but definitely prefer the look of my 645 Music and the fact that it is not a touch screen. It has definitely put my Apple Watch 3 on the bench.
Ray .. just a general question about Garmin .. do you know why they steadfastly stick the 17Y/17M pool size minimum on their wearables. I have a backyard pool that is 15 yards long .. not ideal for swimming laps, but it serves the purpose. It is such a hassle to use any Garmin device, and then have to use a 3rd-party tool to adjust the pool length. My AW3 lets you customize just about any pool size. I see that Suunto and FitBit at least have a reasonable 10M/Y minimum.
When I use my Garmin 645 to swim laps, I just set it to 25y, and it counts laps just fine.
I have never understood why Garmin can’t just let you customize the pool length for smaller size pools.
Sorry to go off topic, but it really irks me.
so it has audio alerts?! thats huge! Plus is it me or does the screen look a bit brighter?
@Dawnn I suspect we shall hear more from Garmin on audtio alerts and cues
@Ray to me the new look black bezel dramitcally improves the looks. Do you know if the all-black version version is/will be available on the VA3 (non music) and vice versa with the brushe steel on the va3..
The bezel isn’t really a bezel, the whole front is covered with 2.5D gorilla glass and the part with the minute marks is under it.
Audio Alerts: Just to be clear, the audio alerts are only from the headphones (same as FR645 Music)Bezel: Hmm, I haven’t heard if it’ll be available for non-Music SKU, I’ll ask. I think the general feel I get from comparing the glossy bezel vs not is that to me it looks a little cheap. Perhaps it photographs better.
Brightness: No change there, likely just a case of sunlight/photo aspects.
yes that is perfect though, the one thing I’ve been missing with the vivo 3!
Sorry – to clarify here, there is not audio alerts on the VA3 Music. I was thinking of something else and mixed that up. I updated the post this morning, but wanted to make sure you saw it in the comments.
I’m going to push Garmin on it, because quite frankly I can download a free running app and get that. Thus, a $300 watch should absolutely have pace/lap alerts. To me, that’s baseline.
damn! I ordered it just for that LOL!! Guess it’s going back and I’ll keep the regular 3. Thanks so much for updating, I’m sure I’d think I was doing something wrong!!
Why is that first comment crossed out? Does this watch have audio alerts without using headphones?
I really want a watch that will give me audio alerts just basic pace time for last km etc which watches offer this?
Sorry, but that glossy bezel is a deal breaker. Haha.
Problem is, I have a big iTunes library on my iPhone, and it may be somewhat difficult to sync that with the Vivoactive 3 Music. Also, I’m a Spotify person so there’s that.
I just got the Vivoactive 3 with the slate bezel, so I’m not sure I want to return it for the Music version.
I noticed that you mention hitting a lap button. I wanted to confirm that you can manually hit lap, and that it is not just auto lap. This watch looks great. I’m currently using airpods and putting my phone in a salomon agile single belt which works fine.
Yes, you can do manual laps
Correct, manual laps like with the VA3. It’s not quite using the side button, but the end resultant is roughly the same.
I find tapping the screen twice for manual lap super annoying (vs lap button). Is there any way around this? Thanks if anyone has ideas!
Ray,
If someone were not to know about, or look up a vivoactive 3, they might not notice the physical form and aesthetic seems to have changed significantly; i.e the bezel. You do note this it at the very bottom of your review, but this seems like it should be noted in the first paragraph and several lede statements which suggest nothing has changed. It seems it is a substantial difference, both in aesthetics and perhaps even functionality/durability; as the glass and bezel now seem to be flush and of different material (bezel). The previous configuration had a raised protective bezel that sits above, and therefore protects, the screen below from contact with objects. I knew the watch looked different, but the introductory statements still led me to not trust my eyes.I think this should be changed to a more accurate description, especially for those who might read only the first paragraph, think its just music, and then move along never knowing the difference.
Another review also mentioned that with that bezel change it no longer has the side swipe feature where you can optionally swipe along the bezel instead of the screen to scroll. I think Ray mentioned not finding that useful in his review of the original non-music version though.
Ray’s reviews are great because they are objective and without mischaracterizations. Usefulness or not of the new features/functionality aside, it’s something that should be informed for someone else to decide. At worst it can be construed as misleading, at it’s best it’s just a sloppy characterization of the actual changes.
I’m just pointing out it doesn’t seems like Ray’s usual on pointedness.It’s…meh sloppy. The intro statements I disagree with are below
1)”In the most simplistic sense, the Vivoactive 3 Music merely takes the Vivoactive 3 announced last August, and plops music storage into it”
2) “but everything is the same as the aforementioned/linked Vivoactive 3 In-Depth Review.”
3)”Keeping in mind that I already reviewed the existing Vivoactive 3 last fall (full in-depth review here), there’s actually almost nothing new here beyond the added music functionality. And by ‘almost’, I mean, exactly nothing (besides music). Technically, there’s some new sleep analysis stuff that Garmin says is ‘coming soon’, but won’t quite yet be ready for launch day (today).”
Hi Protagoras-
RE: Bezel
I think the lead-in photo kinda sets the stage the bezel is different. I typically don’t talk about things like durability/etc, because quite frankly I usually find those differences a pile of hot marketing garbage. I treat my watches like crap, I hit them against surfaces/etc… and by and large I haven’t seen any appreciable differences. Either way, I talk about it later on (that I think it’s ugly). But ultimately I just can’t fit everything into a one or two paragraph lead.
RE: Touch swipe
My bad, totally missed this one. Merely because I disliked it (or rather, found it totally useless) so much on the original Vivoactive 3 that I didn’t even notice it being gone. Maybe that’s why they didn’t add it back in. I haven’t used a VA3 since last fall, so it simply wasn’t top of my mind. As soon as I got your not earlier this morning, I added it in to a ‘differences’ section located at the bottom of that list. Sorry!
RE: Sleep stuff
I can’t detail it because it’s under embargo. It’s really that simple. I got the OK to say what I did because the original press release outlined it and it was a last second change, but ultimately I don’t break embargoes. Anyone in the industry will tell you, I’m really incredibly detailed about that and go to great lengths to hide what I’m using when it’s unreleased. One merely needs to look at my ‘5 Random Things’ post to notice how I very carefully crop out things like my wrists, etc… (which otherwise had the Vivoactive 3 Music in them).
Thanks for reading!
Did the rolling pin get lost in the move to Amsterdam?! ;)
Not so much lost, but broken (handles broke off). I went to Ikea and bought a new rolling pin though, which will be back in service by the end of the month. :)
This bezel remembers me to the one in a Blancpain Fifty Phatoms dark knight, a high class watch
thanks for the review. I dont care about the music since it seems like a PIA to manage, but from the pictures it looked a little more sleek than the standard bezel version. Its interesting that in person you are saying the opposite. I would still like to see these side by side with the vivosport since for some of us that cannot have wrist restrictions (I play ice hockey), the size is as big of an issue as functionality.
You can get a Fenix 3 HR, new from Amazon at this price. I understand they couldn’t have made it significantly cheaper without cannibalizing their simpler fitness trackers but unless you badly need the music storage functionality this really is a non starter in terms of features compared to last gen flagships.
Very little of what the 3HR does better than the VA3 is relevant to the target audience. Moreover, the 3HR is gigantic, and not something that most people are willing to wear day-to-day.
Agree 100% – you just cant compare them. If you were talking the 935, then yes, I would agree with that. I went from a F3 to a 935 and the size/weight benefit is HUGE for me. Also, the F3 is obviously a generation behind, so will lose connect IQ other features more quickly.
Since the photos made the Music variant look a little fatter to me I popped over to the Garmin site to check dimensions. The original VA3 is listed as 43.4mmx 43.4mm x 11.7mm and the VA3 Music is 43.1mm x43.1mm x 13.6
Anxious to see what the new sleep analysis will entail.
…soon.
With this announcement is the FR645 Music worth the extra $150 cost difference?? Not sure you get $150 worth of additional features, but can someone convince me? (WiFi data upload, additional battery life , advance running metrics, buttons…..)
I have a 645 Music and the WiFi upload and physical buttons are my two favorite features of the watch.
Coming from an Apple Watch 3, touch screens are just not great for running IMO. I also enjoy the advanced running metrics.
Are those items worth a $150 bucks, probably not, but I still wouldn’t choose the VA3 Music over the 645.
Definitely,
the buttons alone would be worth it for me, but the 645 has so much more benefits:
– voice prompts during workout
– customizable auto lap screen
– it actually fits better than the VA3, because the lugs don’t protrude as much
– All the Firstbeat stuff (Training effort and so on)
– not only vibration alerts, but it also beeps
That’s just out of my head
Not to mention the screen customization is waaaaay better on the 645. I returned by Vivoactive 3 because of the lack of a lap button (you have to tap the vivoactive touch screen) but mostly because the Vivoactive 3 had way less customization of the data screens. For example, if one screen has 4 fields on the VA3…they all have to have 4 fields. And the top and bottom fields are limited to a small data set.
3.5 GB seems pointless for audio storage. Memory is cheap and physically tiny. Why not 16GB or more?
3.5 GB is in-line with the other running watches with music:
Polar M600 = 2.5 GB
Garmin 645M = 3.5 GB
TomTom Spark 3 Cardio + Music = 3 GB
Fitbit Ionic & Versa = 2.5 GB
Xiaomi Amazfit Pace = 4 GB
Apple is the only option with more storage…
Apple Watch Series 3 GPS = 8 GB
Apple Watch Series 3 LTE = 16 GB
…so that’s what that “Add a picture” button does! ?
:)
I have a 1Gb Ipod touch thats done be for years – never needed more storage than that. It will carry hours and hours of podcasts and music, and lasts forever.
Contemplating a Jelly Pro android phone – the tiny weeny one – as a replacement. I’m a Google Music user, so spotify etc is no good to me.
I’m not arguing that 3.5GB isn’t comparable to others. I’m saying in general they all seem quite low considering the minimal extra cost that 16GB would add. The feature would only be of benefit to me if it meant I could leave my phone behind.
Mike,
To make you feel better, the Motorola Motoactv came in 8gb or 16gb variants. The 8gb variant costing roughly the same as the va3 and that was almost 7 years ago in 2011. It also had power meter support lacking in the va3. Clearly, it should be much easier for Garmin to add more memory for a few dollars. Nonetheless, the Motoactv is long dead and I agree somewhat with gingerniel on an ipod. However, the ipod shuffle not the touch remains, in my opinion, the best and easiest option to run with music if you have one or can find one. They used to sell for $49. I have three with one of them still new in the box just in case. The original one I have had for at least ten years and still works fine.
Sam – Everyone has to learn once what that button does. Let me know if you want me to clean it up. :)
Okrunner – So you’re saying that because Motorola was unsuccessful with their device that nobody must want 8 or 16GB on a watch? I think there were other factors :) Otherwise the new Apple watches by that logic will surely fail as well… If everyone is happy with the shuffle then there is no need for this functionality in a watch. 16GB would have added very little to the production cost – why would they cheap out.
No mention of increased thickness over vivoactive 3 by 2mm (something like a 20% increase in thickness)? Could someone clarify this since the review doesn’t address it, other than providing photos?
I generally don’t list dimensional stuff, but rather show photos.
Previous was 11.7mm, now it’s 13.6mm, or 15% difference. But again, its 2mm. And it’s only .4mm thicker than the Fitbit Ionic (which is 12.2mm). It’s 1.2mm thicker than an Apple Watch which is 11.4mm.
Either way, as shown in the photos, it’s virtually undetectable.
The silver bezel is making the VA3 look slimmer than the VA3M in the photo above?
I think you’re looking at the FR645 to the left of the original VA3.
Nah. The silver bezel is making the VA3 look thinner than it actually is but not thinner than the VA3M. I think it’s an optical illusion?
Hi Ray,
Slight miscalculation here and in the text above.
1.4mm thicker than the Fitbit Ionic (not .4) and 2.2mm thicker than an Apple Watch (not 1.2).
Thanks for all your efforts (i’m happy with my 645M, your reviews helped my choosing the right watch for me).
Really odd they don’t support power meters for cycling. Anyone know the reason behind this? Seems like a simple addition to support power meters if already accepting speed/cadence sensors.
Looking to upgrade from my Fenix 3 hr but no power meter support is a deal breaker.
Price discrimination via crippleware. Powermeters are expensive and used by fairly serious athletes. Anyone who has one is pretty much guaranteed to be willing to buy an expensive head unit.
Garmin gets away with it because there isn’t a lot of viable competition. (Note that you often need several competitors before someone is willing to offer more for less in an effort to grab market share; in concentrated markets, there’s often a sort of tense cease fire on competing on price.)
+1, But I assume we will soon see a Fenix 6 with music with a price tag to match.
@Okrunner, Better yet a 945 Music…
Fenix 5 Plus should be matter of days now. It’s already listed on Garmin Pay site: link to explore.garmin.com. It will have music, Garmin Pay, Galileo and will be expensive.
Yeah supposedly starting at 699€, but apparently they will all come with maps now. Looking forward to the official announcement, but I think it’s overpriced if they really start at that number.
I noticed the F5 is on sale again for $100 off. A new unit may be imminent as you said.
Hi Ray,your comparison table shows “WITH SOME CONNECT IQ APPS” under power meter capable. Is this correct? Which apps? And if true, are these apps also available for forerunner 645/645M. If so, then that entry should also be adjusted in your comparison table. Thanks.
Here’s one that works: link to apps.garmin.com
I have the Garmin 235 and use my daily wear Apple Watch for swimming. I’ve been wanting to stick the AW in a drawer and have a Garmin to capture everything. I’ve been waiting for the 935 to go on sale like the F5 but it hasn’t.
I need podcasts when I run so I have my iPhone 6S+ in my pocket. I’m not into triathlons (yet) and for $200 saving this product could fit the bill.
The only problem I see with these Garmins (this and the 645) for my use is that I want to be able to pick up my current podcast where I left off. I’ll listen to one in the car and later when I run I want to pick up where I left off. I don’t think this would work for me unless I used it as my main podcast player. And it doesn’t have enough room for me.
I have an iPhone SE that I don’t use as my main phone. I may just use it for a podcasts. It would be much smaller to stick in my pocket for running.
Any guesses on when the 935 will get an update and/or go on sale? I imagine the Fenix 5 and 935 (Fenix 5P) will be getting music upgrades next.
MP3-files and file transfer?!? No thanks. Gonna have to stick to my Android Watch Polar M600 then for Spotify.
I was excited about the new vivoactive 3 music
but it seems still have no sound from the watch? like beep for alerts or lap or even for alarm clock
I decided to return the vivoactive 3 due of lack of sound. also the useless side swipe as it is too sensitive
now that this newer version seems to be a better update but still no comment of watch alert sound or beep
and I am guessing with this vivoactive 3 – will we see a new version of the forerunner 245?
at least forerunner has alert sound or beep.
Nope, no beep alerts.
With the addition of music, is there any chance for an audible app or podcast support that syncs with home apps?
This is a nice change to see.
…But just iHeart and Deezer?
Please tell me they will add more apps, like Google Play music, or Pandora.
I don’t really keep a collection of MP3s to copy around since I subscribe to streaming services.
One feature that would move me over would be for Google Play or Pandora type apps to allow for ‘Caching’ music, so that I could have it for going on a run without my phone.
Any ideas if that’s a thing? (it is on mobile phones).
…Otherwise I’ll need my phone for the data unless I’m indoors with wifi.
When it comes to those services, it’s purely up to them. I see approximately zero chance of Google Play. Pandora would be viable, unless Fitbit has some exclusive. But even things like Amazon Music are complex, because Amazon doesn’t have caching rights for most of it.
So there’s no reason to upgrade, when you have a Vivoactive 3. I’m very happy with the Vivoactive 3. I don’t like the new bezel (looks maybe a bit more sporty but also cheap!) and there’s no Spotify support. So you have to add MP3 files. MP3 files… hello 2008! ;-)
Yeah, let me think how I used to get those files…
I recall piratebay or some circular plastic discs you actually somehow could feed into a computer and rip to files with some magic software? Ah, those were the days. So cool to hear about the release of a vintage watch! :)
You do realize that the music you stream are .mp3 files right? Hello 2018. You actually just have less control now of what you can do with your purchased music now.
Most service stream AAC these days actually. The VA3M supports MP3 and AAC. So yeah, not vintage at all. Problem is I use Apple Music these days. If I wanted to put music on this thing I’d have to find it some other way……
Shame it doesn’t take FLAC files; not for audio quality, just means I’d need to convert my files.
But that’s doable, the real shame is no audio alerts for HR zones, pace etc. Hoping they update to include this
Nice headphones. Wonder where you got those. :-)
Yeah, I had a pile of boxes sitting there from my trip, and it was the first headphones I found a few weeks ago trying to unpack things.
Interestingly, I didn’t think I’d like that style, but in having used them now – I actually really like them. Way more than my more expensive ones I’ve bought.
Those headphones were the ones in the box from the CIQ Summit. I have been pretty impressed with them as well. Like you said better than some more expensive ones.
Garmin Pay is coming to Germany as first in watch payment system.
It works via master card.
I have the 645 music and hate it. It is just to dainty. Music does not stream very good through bluetooth. Randomly stops music during run and can’t get it going again.
Went back to F3.
Now that Fenix will come with a plus version (music), will jump to that.
If you are on Android, there is MusicMate app in play store. It will pull your songs and playlists from online services like google music and spotify and convert to MP3. You can add that to 645.
Songsprout is another online serivce for google music that will let you download to mp3 on a pc and you can transfer through garmin connect.
If you are doing it for the Garmin Pay feature, make sure that your bank is supported. I mainly use Chase and AmEx. Neither on Garmin Pay.
Actually… Chase just announced availability on Garmin Pay yesterday. :-)
Any word on battery life impact while streaming music to headphones?
I have the 645 Music and probably burn about 17-20% of the battery per hour using GPS/Glonass, the optical HRM, and playing music thru bluetooth headphones. You are probably looking at 5-6 hours at best on the 645, somewhat less I think on the VA3.
As noted, 5 hours with GPS+Music. 13 hours just GPS.
I hope that with the hardware rearrangement, they also increased the alarm vibration intensity in the VA3M as compared to the VA3. It would also be great if they provided selectable options for vibration patterns such as single short, double short, or long vibration etc. Would be quite useful for customizing high and low zone alerts etc without needing to look at the watch.
Firmware 5 recently released surprisingly fixed the weak vibration issue.
…Strange it was not in the release notes. But many garmin forum users report the same thing.
Ray, the FR645m is going to get much more memory available for datafields and apps when the CIQ 3 firmware is rolled out then the original FR645:
FR645:
645M
Will that also be the case for the VA3m? That makes quite a difference, as a developer I struggled a lot with the 32kB for a datafield (in reality 28,7kB) and a lot of developers with me. If adding music means more memory for apps and datafields then that’s a nice bonus
Nice, memory data is removed :(
FR645
app id=”watchface” memory_limit=”98304″
app id=”watch-app” memory_limit=”131072″
app id=”widget” memory_limit=”65536″
app id=”datafield” memory_limit=”32768″
app id=”background” memory_limit=”32768″
FR645M
app id=”watchface” memory_limit=”131072″
app id=”watch-app” memory_limit=”1048576″
app id=”widget” memory_limit=”524288″
app id=”datafield” memory_limit=”65536″
app id=”background” memory_limit=”65536″
@Ray you mentioning music over WiFi, does that means VA3M has wifi? If yes – can it do data sync over wifi? If yes – that is another point for VA3M
It does have WiFi, and you can do Sync over WiFi. You can’t stream music live over WiFi though.
They make every watch (other than the Fenix lineup) look worse than the last. Ugh.
Are U serious? this watch is the most beautiful thing which garmin has ever made! <3
How does this compare against the Amazfit Stratos? Will there be a review for the Smazfit Stratos? Cheers.
I’d like to see Ray’s opinion of the Stratos, and see how the data stacks up, Ray style.
Having Firstbeat on such a relatively cheap watch is almost impossible to resist…
I notice that the optical sensor on the Vivoactive 3 Music is a little more pronounced than the almost flush-flat one on the standard Vivoactive 3, but not quite as aggressively pronounced as the one on the Vivoactive HR. Can you shed some light on this, for example if the standard Vivoactive 3 optical sensor turns out not to fit some wrists quite as snugly as it needs to?
It’s barely noticeable, and isn’t like the sensor bumps of years past.
My guess is simply that they had to bump out a tiny bit more for slightly different internals, perhaps for storage. I can ask why, but I’m not aware of any ELEVATE-specific sensor differences in this unit.
Dear DC,
Firstly i know this is your profession but your reports are incredible.
Now i need some help…i probably struggle to even be classified as a weekend warrior, but i love my data.
I have an old but great 310xt and and i had visions of upgrading to a 935 for my 50th. But my wife bought me a vivoactive 3 music although she is happy for me to swap it.
Now i have obviously done the comparisons using both yours and garmins compare tools. From that i see that battery power, a few more data features and open water swimming is what you get for the higher price.
So for the weekend warrior (on a good week i get 3-4 hours of training…please dont laugh…too much ;-) ) so do i just stick withthe vivoactive music?
Cheers
Anthony
The text indicates “DOES connect to VIRB action cameras, ANT+ Cycling lights, and Garmin ANT+ Cycling Radar” But the chart indicates ANT+radar not supported. Typo or am I confused?
Assuming it does support radar, how so? Does it vibrate when a car is detected? Beep? Play sound in Bluetooth headphones?
I didn’t try the Radar with it, but sitting here, I can definitely re-confirm looking at the sensors list for ‘Add new sensor’, that it’s listed (last option in the watch sensor screen). It’s listed simply as ‘Radar’.
Cool — the chart in the review indicates “ANT+ BIKE RADAR INTEGRATION NO” so I guess that need to be changed to YES.
What it actually does when a car approaches would be interesting to know — vibrate, beep,play sound in Bluetooth headphones, etc.
I have found no information anywhere that answers that question!
Which model of bluetooth headphones are those in the photos?
Those are Skullcandy Method headphones. There is a link in the music section.
I got the Method headphones at the CIQ Summit, but had the Skullcandy Ink’d before that. The Ink’d are a bit lighter, and the band isn’t as tight/stiff (maybe because it’s not specifically a “sports” headphone), but battery/sound/potential for dropouts seems the same. I find the Ink’d a bit more comfortable.
Thanks sabeard, I’m clearly blind!
Thanks Jim_m_58 for the advice.
Hi Ray,
Does Garmin have any plans to transmit HR over BLE at all? This would be so useful for indoor training and mean I wouldn’t need to purchase a second HR strap. I’m about to transition my Zwift set up from my iMac to an Apple TV connected to a TV, my trainer and power meter are both ANT+ and BT, but my current VAHR is not…
I haven’t heard of any plans. I don’t know if that makes it more complex from a chipset standpoint (because it changes the specific mode it needs to be in, which might be a hardware challenge there).
Not really related, but still: When will we see dual frequency GPS (GNSS) in watches?
According Garmin Czech is TESTED battery life WITHOUT music only 8hrs is that correct?
Scroll up here link to dcrainmaker.com 5 hours with gps and music, 13 hours with just gps, so maybe that 8 hours is only music no gps?
Simply put, Garmin exaggerated (or misrepresented) the battery life of the VA3!
I’ve done all of the battery saving tricks/settings, and there is no way to get 13 hrs. of gps life. I have not heard or seen anyone get 13 hrs.
My experience is somewhere between 8-10 hours — if you use oHR during gps activity, expect it to be closer to the 8.
9 (actuality) v 13 (advertised) hrs of gps life is roughly a 30% difference and that’s a pretty big deal.
I’d be interested to hear what DCR has to say about this — ever ask Garmin about these things? It may not be a big deal to some, but leaves me thinking Garmin has some snake oil salesman in them.
Generally speaking those numbers have a bunch of caveats to them. For example, regular GPS, not GLONASS. No backlight, no sensors, not running CIQ apps, etc…
In most tests I’ve done, if I mimic those same restrictions, I manage to get it to the numbers published. The challenge is nobody uses it like that (or at least, not many people).
The bigger challenge is that it’s virtually impossible for me to do ‘test till death’ testing when it comes to optical HR with differing scenarios. Meaning, I can’t do 5 back to back tests to 13 hours each with optical HR and different settings, since I don’t typically do 13 hour workouts. :)
Disappointing lack of screen scratch protection. Why can’t they recess the screen behind the bezel by a couple of millimetres? I’d even be happy to add an optional ugly cage over the screen. Mountain biking involves unpredictable crashes.
I’ve smashed 3 glass screen-protectors so far on my VAHR (also no recess). It’d be great to not have to worry about ruining an expensive watch from simple knocks and scrapes.
Yup, rizknows actually broke the glass of the VA3M on the first day, you can see it in his latest video
Well another garmin waste of device…checking the box to compete without a real service. Everyone I talk to has never heard of deezer…they should just partner with Spotify and be done with it. They would compete nicely vs apple and have an edge over Fitbit.
Google music, Apple Music and Spotify have 90% of the market, and um the first two have their own closed system devices. Ding ding ding
Spotify has done offline with mighty player, so it’s possible…I have it, but would love my watch to have it all.
I’ve read that Spotify partnered with Samsung for wearables, so no one else can use it currently
Its not true, look up mighty player…non samsumg and spotify offline. It possible, but garmin is cheap
There’s no Spotify exclusive with Samsung.
I had a good chat with them. It’s really more a case of them not entirely seeing the benefit of music on wearables.
I suspect the Mighty thing was more of a ‘too many drinks at the bar and agreed to it before realizing they agreed to it’ kinda thing. ;)
And just to be really clear on this whole point of who’s ball this court is in: Both Garmin and Fitbit have more or less begged Spotify here. It’s definitely Spotify that needs to change their mind.
Hi,
I’ve found the topic below at Spotify Community:
link to community.spotify.com
I think the more people vote on this topic, they will note that this feature is needed.
Best regards,
David.
Regarding the bevel, Jeff Rizzo from rizknows.com says he cracked the screen on his review unit from Garmin within one day. It’s the first time he’s ever cracked a screen. I realize that anecdote != data, but I’m going to keep using my Vivoactive HR with the cracked screen in the meantime and see how durable the Vivoactive 3 Music shapes up to be.
Yea, there is going to be a lot of that sadly with how it was designed.
That’s why I like the raised aluminum bezel on my 645 Music. Will it won’t help in some cases, it is like the bezel will take most of the day to day dings.
I think the 645 form factor just looks better overall, not to mention the additional features, and the fact that it is not a touch screen which makes it much more suitable for activities that involve sweat.
Note that you don’t seem to have the Garmin 645 Music in your comparison tool chart.
I have the FR645 in there, and then when that’s added it just shows the Music line-item appropriately.
Right now basically there’s only a single line-item for music. I’m looking to add more line items for things like streaming services/etc… At which case it probably makes sense to break it out.
The reason I broke out the VA3 Music yesterday was actually more simple: My developers just added over the weekend the ability for me to ‘copy’ a product in the comparison database, which means in one click I can replicate an existing device and tweak a setting or two (as the case here), versus having to re-enter it in entirely from scratch. Thus, I tried out said feature. ;)
Ah, cool.
Appreciate the follow-up.
Well, well, we’ll… it is not only smart watch. It is also smart Garmin move :) They replace steel with plastic, they remove side slider sensor. So it basically means cost reduction. They added some memory instead and finally raised price. But regardless that, for me what is the most important is the height. Sure you can say it is only 2mm but it will change comfort a lot – I guess. There is no more flat body which fit perfect :( So do not be so focus on one new function… is no one thinking about comfort??
Can you compare Music edition to the previous one from that point of view?
I would also be very interesting to have a more detailed comparison regarding the hardware, from a “look” and “comfort” perspective…
MP3 files are so 1997. A better feature would be to allow Spotify/Apple/GPM to download offline directly onto the watch. With streaming services so popular I don’t know anyone who uses MP3 files anymore and even if you did buy your music legit from a streaming service – they don’t seem to be MP3 files anyway?
Nice review, thx. The only thing I’m worried about is scratching the screen. Having the VA3 I’m glad that it haves the metal edge surrounding the screen…
I can’t run anymore but this watch seems the perfect toy. Slick, comfy to wear and 3,5GB of storage.
I’m a cyclist for many years now, but don’t like music in my ears wen sporting on the road or in the woods so I stay with my for me perfect VA3.
Quick question: Maybe I missed it, but is the new Vivo Active touch screen? More importantly for me, is the non music VA3 Version touch screen?
Both the original VA3 and this music version are touch screen. There is just the one button on the side for both.
I am sure I am not the only one who bought a VA3 recently and would have waited knowing the music version was coming out. Since the implementation seems somewhat lacking im only mildly annoyed. Still not sure this Apple aproach of releasing new products is gonna work for garmin. With apple you know its coming once every year, with garmin your product now could be updated mid lifecycle. After my supposedly rugged Fenix 5 losing its color in spots and revealing shining metal beneath it, this is now the second garmin product in a row causing buyers remorse.
This watch has all the different cycling stuff but no cennetction to power meters!? What is that Garmin politics for? Do they scare not to sell the Fenix F5 anymore? For cyclist, this watch is just a 100% no-go?
There are Connnect IQ data fields for doing this – link to apps.garmin.com
I bought and received mine from clever training. I own an apple LTE and fitbit versa too and the screen is similar to them (the shine factor) I was afraid I wouldn’t like it but now I think the silver looks dated.I have both right now so posting a pic.
The only issue I have is after setting up two Bluetooth headsets to test and transferring the music over, there is no sound. Volume is up on both the watch and headsets so not a clue the issue here.
Does the watch support folder playback or does it only allow to search and select songs by the file tags (i.e. titles, artists, albums, etc.) Many thanks.
I purchased the Vivoactive 3 a while back and have been really impressed with the performance and build quality. When this music version came out, I was excited to upgrade and be able to leave my phone behind. So, I purchased the VA3 music the day it became available! However, from the moment I took the Vivoactive 3 Music out of the box, I was disenchanted… the rounded bezel looks nice but then ends abruptly at the edge of the plastic housing where a noticeable lip exists. Every time I swipe my finger across the screen, I could feel this lip scraping skin cells off my finger. That was enough for me. I put it back in the box and returned it. I’d rather carry my phone for a little while longer until Garmin puts out a more finished device with music in this price range. They should have kept the same bezel from the Vivoactive 3, as it looks an feels so much better to the touch!
Likewise. I have a VA3 with Slate bezel and like the appearance. I went out and got my hands on a VA3 music figuring for $20 more than the Slate version, what the hell? Looked almost plastic coated to my eyes. As I am a cyclist who always carries my phone with me, there was very little added value in the music version but I would have made the leap if it wasn’t so hard on the eyes.
Ray,
Do you know what bluetooth codecs are supported by this watch ?
Dear dude:
I was wondering the wording “Latest Garmin Elevate Optical HR sensor”, how to characterize the “latest”, if the good old Garmin FR235 using the same module? it is a built-in hardware design, or it is just being brought up to data via firmware updates over time?
The 235 doesn’t support HR polling every second (24/7, outside of an activity), like the newer Garmin watches (e.g. 935, Fenix 5, 645), so I don’t think it’s using the same module. The newer sensor also has a smaller bump than the older one.
I couldn’t find fitness age on mine only V02 max.
What about a 235 ( or “245”? ) with music?
Yes, they have improved the VA a lot, but I am still not sold on the touch interface.
I’m really interested in this. Currently running with a TomTom Runner 3 Cardio + Music, because it was the only reasonably priced device that provided gapless audio. Now I have a new criteria for my device: must integrate with Apple Health. It’s surprising how difficult it is to answer a very simple question, without buying the device and testing it myself…. so can this do gapless audio playback?
Thanks –
Bought the watch, and can confirm that this watch can do gapless playback. This said, the Apple Health integration doesn’t work as well as it could.
What about stryd? Can you get pace and distance with gps on from the stryd? On VA3 this was only available with gps of or treadmill run.
I wonder how well it does with bluetooth earbuds while swimming. If that works fine, it’s definitely my next watch :)
I had the same question. Have you been able to determine if a waterproof Bluetooth headset works while swimming? That would be very cool if it did. Currently using a waterproof iPod Shuffle for music along with the Garmin Swimwatch, and would be nice to get rid of the wired headset.
Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how accurate/useful the strength training rep counter is? I have a 230 right now, and thus far the Vivoactive is the only one I’ve heard of this feature on. For the price, I’d rather get the 635 for the feature set, but this particular feature seems to be unavailable and is really the only one I’m missing. So before I get on with things I’d rather know how well it works. I was overall disappointed with the 230.
Ugh. I see you’re using the Skullcandy Method wireless earbuds. I LOVED these things – but gave up after three pairs in a row failed within a week. One lost sound in one ear, second one simply refused to turn on (support said I “accidentally put it in programming mode” but they didn’t know how to do that nor how to get it out of programming mode) and the third pair started having this amazingly loud static/buzz in the right earbud even when turned off…
If you have a any other recommendations for neck collar ear buds, I’m (ahem) all ears.
DC
In all your testing can you advise me how Garmin Connect works if I wear a vivoactive daily and then for cycling activities used a edge 820.
Would I get duplicate calories or does the system recognise that I have just used a different device to monitor a workout instead?
Regards
Marc
You shouldn’t get duplicate calories, as long as you don’t record the ride as well as an activity.
Thanks
I I just started using VA3M a few days ago.
First impressions:
– battery drainsn much too fast
– I get this vibrations too often with no clear understanding way (loosing phone connectivity? But it happens when phone is in mpocjet)
– most annoying today, I run about 11K on the treadmill and steps were not recorded. Any idea why? Can it be because I calibrated the run? Thanks, Nissim
Hi, according to Garmin product info the VA3 Music has a gyroscoop sensor but the original VA3 does NOT have this sensor. What’s the gyroscoop sensor for and what makes the difference between the devices?
Hi, great review! The most thorough one I’ve come across! My question relates to swimming with the VA3M. If I had a waterproof pair of headphones, would I be able to listen to music while swimming? If so, do you have suggestions for waterproof earbuds?
I’m old school two decades behind in tech…..I have the viv3….I use separate ipod for music….my question is will Apple let me transfer my library to the 3 music….
Hi,
is there any way to download GPX tracks from the watch? I’d prefer no application have to be used, but I can live with exporting data through phone.
SB
…and actually there is a way. Files are stored in Activity folder and their format is FIT.
FIT format seems to be open format (or at least well reverse engineered) and there is a converter called GPSBabel.
link to wiki.openstreetmap.org
I tested GPSBabel on a bunch of tracks recorded and all worked fine, quick and dirty example for batch conversion of all fit files in a dir:
ls -1 | while read x; do gpsbabel -i garmin_fit -f ${x} -o gpx -F ${x}.gpx; done
regards.
Curious if the music will play via waterproof bluetooth headphones while swimming? I currently use the Garmin Swimwatch for swimming along with the iPod shuffle w/ wired headphones. Would be very cool to be able to combine the swim watch and music into one gadget. I do see there are waterproof Bluetooth headphones, but does the Vivoactive 3 Music support that? Thanks in advance.
I recently had this question and contacted Garmin. Technically, you can use waterproof bluetooth headphones with the watch while swimming, but it’s likely to be really choppy because the water interrupts the bluetooth transmission…at least that’s what a Garmin rep told me. That’s why you’ll be hardpressed to find waterproof bluetooth headphones. Still, you can try it and it won’t harm the watch in any way. I just ended up going with the Finis Duo because I hate earbuds in my ear, especially if I’m swimming. I’d recommend it!
Does it work with Apple Air Pods (as this is not listed as a “preferred” wireless ear pod).
Is the watch face more susceptible to cracks due to no bezel for protection?
It pairs with any bluetooth headphones. I bought a screen protector on amazon and it’s worked out super well! The first one I used, I noticed white scuff marks on it and even a scratch. When I removed it to replace with a new one, the actual watch was un-impacted.
Screen protector I use: link to amazon.com
Having done quite a bit of research on this device, the non-music, the Fenix 5 and such. I decided to get this one. I previously had the Fenix 3 a couple years back and wanted to get back to a Garmin device.
Overall the watch is actually great, its much more accurate than my Samsung S3 Frontier, lighter and overall smaller. The software works well and is just taking a little time to get accustomed to having used a different device for so long.
The one area that I think Garmin missed the mark in a big way is the screen. The size isn’t so much of an issue, and it does have Gorilla glass, but the resolution…… goodness 240 x 240 and 283 dpi??!!
In the current world of wearables this is really lagging behind by years and I think that Garmin really needs to make changes in this area if they have any desire to compete with Samsung/Apple/The rest of the pack. Now if they have no desire to compete, well I suppose its a moot point. But even still, looking at the screens of my Garmin and my S3 Frontier side by side? Garmin isnt even close
Ultimately, it’s about battery life. If you want only a day or two, then Apple/Samsung/etc make sense. But those bright and clear screens burn battery life, and also don’t stay on when you’re not actively looking at them.
If not (and millions don’t), then that’s the direction that Garmin/Suunto/Polar and to a degree, Fitbit, have selected.
Different things for different folks.
do you know if more colours are coming?
Would anyone know if there’s a silicon or rubber case out for this device?
I have a bad habit of knocking into stuff so having one would help alot
There doesn’t seem to be one made especially for the Music version but you can use the ones made for the regular Vivoactive 3. The charger port cutout will be wrong but with the silicone ones (link to amzn.to) you can just either cut that slot out or just leave it and push it aside to get to the charger port very easily and with the hardshell plastic ones (link to amzn.to) you would need to cut it out or take it off temporarily to charge it.
The silicone ones are very flexible and easily taken off if you like to change colors often or something.
I have just purchased the Garmin vivoactive 3 music, this is my first smart / running watch and so far I’m well impressed.
Do you know if I can connect more than one pair of Bluetooth ear phones to the watch?
I don’t believe you can connect to two at the same time, but you can have several headphones paired to the watch at once, so that when you turn any one of them on they’ll automatically connect (without having to do the pairing process from scratch each time).
Any idea if a customizable auto-lap for anything other than the default mile will ever be included in future firmwares? Or even better, the ability to auto-lap by hitting the button instead of double-clicking on the screen?
Already support Spotify like fénix 5?
Any ideas when it Spotify will be released for VA3 Music?
I wanna know, too!
Great review!
I would like to know if it is possible to set interval running trainings with VA3M? For example:
10min running
3x100m
3x300m
20min running
And rest time in between
Thanks!
Yes! You can do this via the phone application, and then synchronize with the watch.
Does this watch have a simple timer function? I apologize if that’s included somewhere, but I couldn’t find it. Thanks!
Yes it does! If you press and hold down on the main screen, it’ll take you to a menu of features including “Clocks.” If you select “Clocks,” there will be a timer function, among others, in that list.
Thanks! Is there any type of “hot key” to get there quickly or do you have to swipe/click through?
There’s no hot key, that I know of, but it’s just 3 clicks to get to it.
There is a “Hot Key” sort of thing you can use – the Controls Menu. You can add the Timer (as well as other things, like alarms and stopwatch) to it so you can just hold down the physical button on the side a little longer than it takes to get to the Activities menu and it brings up the Controls Menu. link to www8.garmin.com
Here’s some stuff I learned specific to CANADA and the VA3M:
Per Ray’s review, the only music services available are Iheartradio and Deezer and In both cases, a premium subscription is required. Iheart premium isn’t available in Canada.
As for Deezer, you can get music, but no podcasts or audiobooks in Canada for some arsehole reason. I’ve queried ‘Geezer’ about this, but have yet to get a response.
Also, no Canadian banks that I am aware of support Garminpay.
And…Costco has the VA3 (no music) on sale for CAD $239 until early Jan!
Spoke to Garmin support today (Nov.29/18) and he said they are working their way to Spotify compatibility on the VA3R…the issue is (and I’m going to bungle this up, I know..) Spotify’s parameters around touch screen. Support guy said they were aiming for early 2019…..
After the Spotify launch on Garmin products, Do You think the will launch a software update where VA3 Music will be also compatible with it? I wish that happens soon.
definitely happening, just a case of when exactly they’ll release it.
Great review. Much appreciated!
Does the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music pair with a Smart trainer for indoor cycling to sync up cadence, distance, and speed data (or via Rouvy or Zwift) or is a separate device needed (ex: Garmin Bike Speed and Cadence Sensor)?
Good question – I tried to research this but found very little about it except:
A) That one thing that smart bike trainers output is power, which the VA3 Music doesn’t support unless you have installed one of the Connect IQ apps that display power. Not having a smart trainer I can’t say – mine’s a ‘dumb’ one. I don’t know if installing a data field that connects to and shows power means that this is recorded on the watch or not, and whether it is included in uploads?
B) That the Kinetic Road Machine Smart Trainer seems to work with it as this person mentioned succesfully pairing them – link to reddit.com
Alguien me podria decir por que en mi reloj Vivoactive 3 Music no cuenta o pisos subidos y si esta configurado para que los cuentes y por que en la piscina no me indica los metros correctos.
cONFIGURE LA ACTIVIDAD DE PISCINA Y EL TAMAÑO DE 5O METROS Y EN LA PRIMER IDA ME MARACO 150M, CUNADO DEBIA SERE 50 METROS.
Hi there! Does anyone know whether there will be a white version of the Vivoactive 3 Music? As a woman with a small wrist, on whom the Vivoactive 3 (my current model) already looks large, I’d really prefer a color that doesn’t overpower like black or blue. Thanks!
I’m guessing they won’t come out with any more colors at this point, but that’s just a guess.
You could get one of the existing colors and then put one of these white silicone cases on it – link to amzn.to (the text does not say it is for the Vivoactive 3 Music version but it works just fine) and a white band like one of these – link to amzn.to
It would be close to what you are looking for.
Anyone have a problem of blank login page when trying to add VA3m to their Garmin Express? I’m running on Mac. Both my MacBook and iMac showed the same problem. Without adding it into Garmin Express, there is no way to add music to my watch. Devastating.
Have an irritating problem with the VA3M (don’t know if this is case for other garmin watches too but find it hard to believe) – any suggestions on how to resolve would be appreciated:
– When doing a workout i.e a run with pre-configured workout with auto-scroll turned on it always includes the notes page which is blank and a waste of screentime. Very annoying and bad for my OCD!
Any tips to resolve much appreciated.
Garmin did it again – great job in screwing up an update. Since the latest update for the bluetooth-stack (v3.30, 19.3.19) it is impossible to pair to the garmin connect app on the mobile phone. This is really annoying.
There is a thread in the garmin forum on this link to forums.garmin.com
However, no-one reacting… sadface.
The vivoactive 3 doesn’t have “swiming indoor drill mode” but can create custom workout. Does it mean i can still create swim sets on the watch?
I guess i’m not clear on what indoor drill mode mean.
I noticed the price on the VA3 Music has dropped to $249 and the BuyDig eBay site has it for even less. Does this imply that a new version is coming out in the relatively near future?
Regarding connectivity with headsets, you wrote:
“Most of the time connectivity/droppage issues are related to which side of the headphones the transmission portion is on. You generally want to wear the watch on whichever wrist is that side.”
REALLY? I’m finding on Garmin’s support site users complaining about connectivity issues: they’re unable to keep a connection with earphones. And yes, it has to do with the side of the head their switch is on: the watch looses connection if your headphones aren’t oriented to have the switch on the same side of the body as your phone.
I’m staggered. First, I don’t get a choice. The watch can’t be rotated, so has to live on my left arm. OK, but I don’t get a choice with any of my earphones, & I have three (JBL x 2 & Sennheiser): they all have a switch on the right.
My headphones can all communicate with my Samsung phone from the next room, through walls. Yet the watch loses a connection over a matter of a few inches?
I like the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music features; am really impressed with your review. This site will be my go-to for reviews of this type from this point forwards. You’re thorough, detailed without being tedious. Your reviews are well-written, very readable and your judgments appear to be fair and well supported by your data. I am surprised, however, that you kind-of acknowledged there is a connection issue for the watch without actually being explicit. Surely this is an issue?
User reports on Garmin’s support bulletin board suggest this is a significant issue for a lot of users; more than one comments they returned the purchase or wish they could. Did you have connection issues too? How does this compare with other products? I’m looking at the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active & Fitbit Versa as alternatives, but found your analysis of the HR sensor readings on the Samsung a real show-stopper for that watch; still, if it will at least reliably connect with headphones, perhaps its the better choice. I’ll have to decide whether offering music that doesn’t work is better than offering an HR reading that doesn’t work.
One last request: I have sleep apnea & would very much appreciate being able to track apnea properly, oxygenation levels and sleep phases. I gather no watch manufacturer is yet capable of doing this. Is there a third-party product analogous to chest strap HR sensors that could pair with either Garmin or Samsung watches to provide useful data?
Thanks again. I really am impressed with your reviews.
This isn’t really a direct Garmin problem. It impacts almost everyone in the industry except if you use Apple to Apple (Airpods to Apple Watch), and that’s really only because they do a bunch of special sauce.
As for your phone – that’s also true, except your phone can (and does) broadcast with far more power than a wearable. If your wearable presented that much power, then it’d be dead within a day. Which, ahh, that’s right, that’s exactly what Apple Watch does. :)
All that said, things are getting better. I’ve been using regular AirPods a bit lately with the FR245/FR945 and I can get a few rooms away before it starts dropping. Garmin says they’ve been focusing a lot more on it in recent products, but it’s always a tough balance.
Thanks for responding. I understand your comment about the trade-off between battery life and broadcast/reception power: any smart watch or fitness tracker will be pretty limited in range.
I wanted to pursue this a bit further with you:
1. I get that the range is so small as to be measured in inches, but they can’t crank it up for the additional 12″+ required (likely less)to reach the other side of your head?
2. “This isn’t really a direct Garmin problem.” Huh. You’d know better than me, but I confess I’m not seeing complaints of the same problem on Samsung’s user support site or in reviews of that product by others. Granted, I haven’t identified other reviewers who are as meticulous and thorough as you in their testing. But I don’t remember you identifying this problem with other competitor’s products. Did I miss that? Is this really an industry-wide problem?
3. I checked the headphone market again, too. If people are buying new headphones to work with cranky smart watches, I’d like to know where they’re finding them. It seems placing headphone controls on the right side of the headset is something of an industry-wide standard. Which makes sense, because most people are right-handed. But for the same reason, watches are generally made with button controls on the right side, and they’re expected to be worn on the left wrist. Which suggests most smart watches are built to accommodate that convention: again, I’m only seeing this problem being referenced in relation to the Garmin V3 Music.
3. Garmin only or industry-wide, surely this is a significant design flaw. The only significant differentiating feature of a watch is that it adds music. Hence the name. Yet it’s deliberately designed with a flaw that defeats this single significant feature? Who does that?
Kudos to you for noting the problem in your review. Other reviewers appear not to have noticed it. But the user community has, and they’re not impressed.
I’ll continue to sit this one out and wait for a watch that actually does what it claims to do. If it claims to provide music, I expect it to actually communicate with bluetooth earphones. If it claims to have an ecg sensor etc. to provide heart monitoring, I expect the ecg to actually do something. If it claims to provide sleep monitoring, I expect it to be capable of doing just that. Not simply noticing that I’m fairly motionless. Sleep monitoring that can’t differentiate between sleeping and meditating or just lying still, or that can’t provide some assessments of sleep quality and stages, isn’t offering anything real. Certainly not worth a several hundred dollar investment.
I’ll continue to watch for and read your meticulous reviews. Smart watch manufacturers appear to be upgrading features and functionality constantly – a good thing. Hope I see something soon worth buying. I hope, too, that the manufacturers are smart enough to follow your thorough reviews and read the user comments on their own support bulletin boards.
Maybe a stupid question, but my English reading skills suck a bit… can you at the same time connect the polar oh1+ and a bt headset for music?… And, can the polar vantage m do that, too?
Thanks a lot in advance from Germany.
Yup, no problem there. On the Polar Vantage M, it doesn’t have music.
You forgot to mention the vivoactive 3 music has incident detection the standard version doesn’t
That’s because incident detection didn’t exist when this post came out over a year ago. ;)
It was only added late this past spring. :)
HI DC, I recall reading on apple watch thread the PowerMeter data can be captured on VivoActive 3 music using an IQ app. Which app is that?
thanks
There used to be a data field called ANT+ Power Meter by takura87 but it seems to have disappeared from Connect IQ, I think this is the one that DC referenced in another comment reply.
When I first got this watch I thought I saw a couple others but didn’t actually try them, I can’t find them any more, maybe someone else may be able to.
I use a Garmin Edge for my bike but a couple that may work are:
Positive Power
This is VA3M compatible and it says a power meter is required, hard to tell from the screenshot and description and there are no reviews as yet, maybe worth a try.
link to apps.garmin.com
HRtoPower
This is actually made to estimate power when you do not have a power meter but the Facebook page (link to facebook.com) by the author says that if you have a power meter it will show both in real time, there is a screenshot of it.
This is a great little app and I know it saves the estimated power data to Garmin Connect and while I have not tried it myself, it seems that it is going to save both estimated power as well as real power from your meter, as well as the difference in a bar graph form, right in Garmin Connect.
Seems like it would be worth a try also.
link to apps.garmin.com
My Bluetooth connection for music is really bad, for both different set of BT earpiece. Most of time, there is no connection at all. The watch don’t even pick up the earpiece. At times, it got connected but kept dropping off. All these even if I placed the earpiece beside the watch.
I love the VA but this just put the music feature worthless.
Any helps will be greatly appreciated.
If you still want to play Spotify music on Garmin watch, then you could try this way. That is using a tool DRmare Spotify Downloader for Windows to help you. With it, you could break the limitation and listen to Spotify music on your Garmin watch with ease legally. You could check more from link to drmare.com
Thanks for sharing! I also have same methods with you.I use the Spotify Music Converter Tunelf to convert music music to other format,then add music on my watch which it is very convenient.
Thanks as always for all your work. I finally upgraded my fr 305! Yes it still works! Yes I used you original review when I bought it! But it was time to move on. I’ll keep it as a relic.
As a Spotify music fan, it’s disappointed to be noted that Garmin is not compatible with Spotify yet. At this moment, I can only use AudFree Spotify Music Converter from https://www.audfree.com to download and convert Spotify to Garmin compatible audio format and upload them to Garmin for playback. It works but a little complex.
So I’m looking forward to news of Spotify and Garmin integrating.
I’m on spotify and I didn’t use that addon. I was able to link my (paid) spotify account on the garmin connect app and then DL from my playlists. haven’t yet figured out how to add podcasts or audiobooks from other providers if that is even possible (I use player FM and Libby) but I didn’t have an issue with spotify.
Indeed, Spotify has been compatible with Garmin for about 2 years now: link to dcrainmaker.com
Is this still a viable option for 2020? I’m still trying to decide between the Vivoactive 3 and the 45 (mostly due to the pricing on both).
I use my Vivoactive 3 Music every day, 24/7/365 – it works great, the firmware is being updated as needed by Garmin, apps and widgets and watch faces are compatible and available in the Connect IQ store, etc – the watch really isn’t that old and should be supported for a number of years, Garmin’s good about that I think.
I like the Music version because it has a bit more memory and of course the newer 4 has more, and some new features. I couldn’t say whether it would be worth it to pay the extra for the 4 over the 3 but all I can say is the 3 works great, is updated as needed, and isn’t an old enough model where you’re are missing that many cool new things.
Thanks for your reply! Considering all the features, it has a few advantages over the 45. I’m glad that it’s still being updated
I have a question re: the VA3 Music. I am primarily a runner and got the VA3 Music when it first came out. I was coming from a Fitbit and this is my first Garmin device. Happy with it though anyone deciding between 3 and 4, I’d get the 4 for the added button alone. I’m having one problem with the watch…it simply does not hold a connection with my phone for notifications or workout uploads. I CONTINUOUSLY have to go into my phone settings and re-connect the two manually in order for the watch to sync to garmin connect and/or receive notifications from the phone like it should. I have un-paired/re-paired the watch and also deleted and re-entered everything on both the phone, within garmin connect, and also hard re-set the watch. I have also had 2 watches follow this behavior…after about 18 months my first VA3-Music “bricked”, and Garmin sent me a “new” one at a deep discount, which was great service on their part. Phone is an iPhone 10. Any thoughts out there from the smartest readers on the smartest site on the planet? (sucking up may help, right?)
If some of you want to play Amazon Music on the Garmin device, then you can use the tool DRmare Amazon Music Converter to help you. With this tool, you can get Amazon Music as local files and then you can move Amazon Music to any device for playing.