Category: Technica Aquarius

Enlarge (credit: Garmin)

Garmin has just released its latest fitness tracker, the Vívosmart 5, a wearable made to cover the basics of sleep and activity tracking and deliver phone notifications. It replaces the now 4-year-old vívosmart 4. But in four years’ time, the new tracker hasn’t evolved much from the last version, while competition like Fitbit’s Charge 5 has made significant leaps.

When Garmin released the Vívosmart 4 in 2018, it had advantages like a then-rare blood oxygen sensor and Garmin’s typical suite of in-depth health metrics that surpassed most competitors. Now, Fitbit’s equally priced Charge 5 fitness tracker has blood oxygen sensors, too, as well as electrodermal sensors (for stress measuring), GPS, and the ability to take ECG readings—all things the new Vívosmart 5 lacks.

I spent a weekend sleeping, working out, and tracking my body’s vitals with the Vívosmart 5 before its official launch to get a quick look at the device and get an idea of whether Garmin’s in-depth data and proprietary metrics could still make this a worthwhile buy. As it is a pre-release model, there were some known bugs but nothing that would prevent us from getting a clear picture of its capabilities.

Enlarge / BMW styling is often divisive, and the new 7 Series will be no exception. (credit: BMW)

A few years ago, BMW told us about its electrification plans. Those plans involve an update to its cluster architecture (or CLAR) platform, which is now powertrain-agnostic thanks to a new floor design. And that means the next BMW 7 Series, due later this year, is available as a fully battery-electric vehicle, the $119,300 i7 xDrive60. There will also be a V8-powered 760i xDrive ($113,600) and a 740i ($93,300) that uses BMW’s inline six-cylinder engine, both mild hybrids, for those who aren’t ready to go EV yet.

People have been writing about divisive BMW styling for several decades now, and it’s fair to say the seventh-generation 7 Series will keep that conversation going. The squinty appearance is shared with the now-facelifted X7 SUV, although on that vehicle the effect actually improves the front’s proportions.

The 7 Series is now in its seventh generation and larger than ever. (credit: BMW)

I also see more than a hint of Rolls-Royce Ghost—built at the same Dingolfing factory in Germany—in the 7 Series’ profile. That may be down to the car’s growth spurt: at 212.2 inches (5,390 mm) long, it has grown more than 5 inches (129 mm) compared to the car we tested in early 2017. The new 7 Series is also about 2 inches (50 mm) wider and taller than before, although the wheelbase has only grown by 0.2 inches (5 mm).