Garmin’s Vivosmart Gets GPS With The HR+

The Vivosmart has been given an update, with the HR+ model featuring wrist-based heart rate plus GPS.

You’ll get running metrics, Garmin Move IQ auto activity detection, an always-on, sunlight-readable display and a water rating of 5 ATM — so it’s swim and shower safe. And of course, it tracks your steps, distance, calories, floors climbed and activity intensity.

The addition of GPS to the Vivosmart line means you can more accurately track distance, time and pace for your activities, as well as view a map of your activity. Additional running features include personal records, virtual racer, Auto Pause, Auto Lap and walk/run mode.

Using Elevate wrist heart rate technology, it quantifies the intensity of your fitness activities using “intensity minutes”. This feature helps you monitor their progress against activity goals.

Garmin Move IQ continuously monitors for periods of sustained activity. It automatically recognises walking, running, biking, swimming and elliptical training so you can easily track your exercise throughout the day without needing to start a timed activity. Once synced with Garmin Connect, you can review your full day of activity in a timeline view. 


You can opt in to have notifications too, including incoming calls, texts, emails, social, calendar reminders, and any other notification from a compatible smartphone. Other connected features let you control music on your smartphone and find you phone when it’s fallen behind the couch/hidden in a drawer/left on the roof of your car.

Throughout the day it syncs with the Garmin Connect Mobile app to save your stats. In Garmin Connect (which is also a free online fitness community) you can track workouts, sleep patterns and trends, join online challenges to compete against friends and earn virtual badges.

You can also view Garmin Connect Insights, smart wellness insights personalised to help you reach your goals, shout-outs when milestones have been met and relevant healthy tips from experts. Insights also show you how you are doing in comparison to people like them for extra motivation.

The battery lasts up to five days in watch/activity tracking mode (that’s 24/7 heart rate monitoring, but GPS switched off) or up to eight hours with GPS enabled.

You’ll be able to pick one up “this month” (exact date to be announced) for $349 in regular size black/shark fin grey, imperial purple/kona purple and midnight blue/bolt blue; as well an extra-large black/shark fin grey band.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.