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What are some good somewhat older smartwatches that have a heart rate sensor and work with modern versions of Android? (leminal.space)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I have been using a Pebble Time Steel for years even after their acquisition by ~~Garmin~~ Someone corrected me it was FitBit not Garmin thanks to Rebble, a modded firmware that gives it new life, but I would like a smartwatch that can track my heart rate.

I don't mind using an older device especially if it means a cheaper price. A bonus for me would be if it still had some kind of community around it or a custom firmware like Pebble watches do.

I found an original Moto 360 with a functional battery for about $30 but I am not sure if due its age its functionality would be greatly limited.

Edit: It seems like Garmin and FitBit might be worth looking at. But I wouldn't know what devices to look at or if there have been any major improvements with recent revisions.

Edit: Just an update I bought a Garmin VivoActive 3 used and locally. It seems to have some solid build quality but appears to have significantly less apps and features compared to my Pebble. The heart rate sensor seems to work alright though. I am a dork for metrics so I feel like that should make up for it.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fitbit acquired Pebble, not Garmin, so any of that tech is now with Google.

Garmin devices can be cheap, reliable, and work for a long time. There's a bit of a community for them online, but I am not aware of any custom firmware.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh thanks for correcting me.

Is there typically a go-to devices that's recommend for Garmin?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I've got a Garmin Vivoactive 3 and it works great. Heart rate tracking seems decent, and it will also do pulse oxygen though I usually leave that off because it drains the battery faster. The price is good too, they can be had new for $230 Canadian, so probably sub-$200 US.

Android app works well often, mostly I just use it as a bridge to get my calories burned data into a calorie tracking app (Chronometer, free version). The calories burned estimate seems to be decently accurate. I've been trying to eat 500 calories under the estimated burn rate, and I've lost 30 pounds since last November. Not a linear process, there were lots of events and trips where my willpower went right out the window, but those weren't the watch's fault!