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LOVE IT after a little trial & error, August 22, 2012 By Carter A.
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Received the Polar H7 today. I have a Motorola Droid RAZR, running Ice Cream Sandwich. I wanted to use this device with Noom Cardiotrainer app, but it would not recognize the Polar H7, even after pairing the device with my phone in the Bluetooth settings. Thought I was doing something wrong, so I followed the instructions to a T -- I wet the section of the strap where the electrodes were located, I applied Buh-Bump electrode conductive cream to the strap... nothing.
I searched for some time around the Internet and found other users having the same problem. Tried a few different apps - Endomondo, HRNavi, etc. Nothing worked. I tried searching the forums on Polar's website (which I have other issues with, by the way) and found nothing. A bunch of other users with the exact-same problem.
So, I searched Google Play until I found an app that finally worked - MapMyRun. Its heart rate monitor settings picked up the H7 the first time with no issues. Then, I found that the developer that created MapMyRun had also created a set of apps such as MapMyWalk, MapMyFitness, MapMyHike, etc. They ALL work with the H7. So, I fired up a Shaun T Insanity video, strapped on the H7, launched MapMyFitness, and the app tracked my peak heartrate during my workout, the average heartrate, and even a calculation of calories burned. Worked flawlessly.
So, the issue is not my phone. The issue is not the H7. The issue is the apps that are not fully compatible with the H7. If you check the Google Play descriptions for the apps I tried above, they all say to use their apps with the Polar Wearlink+, not the Polar H7. Funny... it would have been nice to find this information BEFORE completing my purchase. But, you know... I searched on Amazon's website for "polar wearlink+" and every device that came up in my search results was not what I was looking for - either I found the "Coded" model, or the "Nike+" model, but no model that specifically said "Wearlink+". So, I bought the H7.
Well, I'm stuck with the H7 now. So, yes, I will chalk this up to me not doing my research fully. The device works GREAT with my Droid RAZR and the MapMyFitness suite of apps, so I rank it FIVE STARS for that reason. It will not work with the apps I wanted to use it with - specifically, Cardiotrainer - but I will not downgrade my rating just because I did not do my research.
For those of you looking to purchase the H7, if you have an iPhone 4, this is the device for you. If you have a Motorola Droid RAZR and want to use this with the MapMyFitness suite of apps, this is the device for you. However, if you have any Android device and want to use any other HRM-compatible app, I highly recommend you search for the Polar Wearlink+
http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Bluetooth-Smart-Heart-Sensor/product-reviews/B007S088F4
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