Dubai: Vfit’s second fitness tracker – Active- is lightweight and does exactly what it is intended for.
I had tested their first device – Pulse, but it had lot of issues like charging the device with its odd-looking charger and battery life. It weighs 25 grams.
But the company has solved these issues and the battery life has improved tremendously and the charging is now done with its in-built USB.
The 0.91-inch multi-point touch OLED screen is powered by Nordic Semiconductor’s System-on-Chip (SoC) with Bluetooth low-energy wireless connectivity. The device is water proof up to 1.5 metres.
The slim and rectangular device not only provides key exercise metrics such as calories burned, distance covered, steps taken, sleep hours but also offers heart rate measurement and a heart rate alert.
It works with Android 4.4 and above, and Apple iOS 7.1 and above. Users need to download the ‘VeryFit for Heart Rate’ app. The app is simple and user friendly. It provides a professional data report on each day’s activities including exercise undertaken and sleep, as well as a heart rate report based on daily, weekly and monthly. The motion sensor data is automatically synched to the smartphone. The app also synchronises with Google Fit.
The heart rate sensor is from Silicon Labs of USA.
The readings are almost accurate and the heart rate allows the user to calculate if their workout intensity is in the ‘fat burning, peak exercise or cardio exercise’ range to achieve more efficient calorie expenditure, while the heart rate alert notifies the user through vibration if their heart rate is too high during exercise. The maximum heart rate zone can be customized manually depending on your need.
The heart rate detection can also be recorded automatically or manually. For manual reading, the user has to select the heart rate sign on the device and it records the heart rate for the time. It is better to set it to automatic and you will get a clearer picture.
In addition to displaying real-time metrics, the device can provide incoming call, SMS, and social media alerts.
The automatic tracking of the sleep hours will give rich details of deep sleep, walking sleep and shallow sleep, but it does not give the accurate time of going to sleep. Even if I went to sleep approximately 10.30PM, it shows the sleep start time at 11.30 or 12PM. The wake time is perfect.
The device has five homepages - time, date and battery life; heart rate; steps taken; distance covered; calories burned. In addition to this, pressing the main homepage for a few seconds will display two more screens.
First screen for stopwatch, half-moon sign for not to display the readings during sleep and a wrist-movement sign for not to show the reading when the hand is shaken.
The brightness of the screen should have been brighter and it is difficult to read under bright sun. There is no way to adjust the brightness of the screen.
The second screen is to display the readings horizontally or vertically, heart sign to stop heart rate readings and power off button.
The app also has settings to find the phone, anti-lost alert, take selfies and a remote for music control.
The 60mAh Li-ion battery without providing incoming call, SMS, and social media alerts will last for five days and lasts for three days with alerts and notifications. To charge the device, the main part has to be removed from the silicon strap and it takes 55 minutes to charge from zero to 100 per cent. It is priced at Dh349.
Pros
• Decent price
• Good features
• Continuous heart rate monitor
• Excellent battery life
• Thin and light weight
Cons
• Display needs to be brighter
• Going to sleep time not correct
• No fast-charging option
• Sometimes the screen does not respond to wrist movement
• No GPS
