Garmin has announced the new Vivoactive 5 today after refreshing the Venu 3 range last week. The new GPS smartwatch is a cheaper entry compared to its predecessor, but gets several enhancements like extended battery life, new nap detection and wheelchair mode for individuals with disabilities.
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is the successor to the Vivoactive 4 that debuted more than two years ago and came in two variants of the standard and smaller Vivoactive 4S. And with this gap, the company is adding notable upgrades in numerous departments.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 is lighter and sports an AMOLED touchscreen
Starting with the exterior, the Vivoactive 5 retains the round form, which is built on an anodized aluminum bezel with contoured edges and fiber-encased polymer casing, so gone is the stainless-steel here. The new material results in the smartwatch becoming significantly lighter at 36 grams compared to the 50 grams weight of the regular Vivoactive 4.
Another major change on the Vivoactive 5 is the AMOLED touch display. It is available in single size at 1.2-inch circumference with 390 x 390 pixels resolution and supports always-on display mode. The panel is then protected by a Gorilla Glass 3, which is the same glass on the more expensive Venu 3.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 new wellbeing features
Apart from the hardware, there are additional features on the health and fitness tracking side of the watch as well. It includes the new sleep coach and nap detection, giving broader insights about your cat naps and rest sessions. The Body Battery that measures the amount of energy levels along with workout benefits and recovery time are also introduced.
Garmin’s Vivoactive 5 is also taking advantage of the wheelchair mode that was announced first with the Venu 3. This enables PWDs and individuals in wheelchairs to track the number of daily pushes they make in addition to receiving weight shifting alerts and enjoying workouts specific while in wheelchairs.
Better battery and cheaper price tag on the Garmin Vivoactive 5
At the same time, Garmin is giving the Vivoactive 5 a longer battery life. The wearable is rated to last 11 days between charges in smartwatch mode or up to 4 days more from the previous model. On the other hand, this rating is translated to 21 hours when continuously using the GPS.
Unlike on the Venu 3, the Vivoactive 5 lacks on-wrist Bluetooth calling. However, Garmin keeps the notifications support for iPhone and Android devices. Plus, the watch gets Garmin Pay via NFC and on-board music storage.
The Garmin Vivoactive is already listed at $299 from the company’s online store and Amazon. It’s available in black, cream/gold, orchid pink, and navy blue colorways.
Do you prefer the lighter build on the new Garmin Vivoactive 5? We’re interested to hear your thoughts on this.
