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* '''How fast am I running?''' Knowing how fast you're running can be a nice to know, or it can be vital for your training or race performance. Because of the nature of GPS, watches that rely on GPS signal alone tend to have serious problems with current pace. Without the ability to display current [[Pace From A Footpod]] while getting all other data from GPS, the V800 has a poor display of current pace. Even with the outstanding GPS accuracy, the current pace can be a long way out. (This is mostly due to the nature of GPS accuracy errors compared with Footpod errors.)
* '''Where am I? '''The V800 has limited navigation features, providing only a "back to start" arrow.
* '''What's my cadence? '''[[Cadence]]''' '''is one of the most critical and often overlooked aspects of running. If you get your Cadence right, many other things naturally fall into place. The As of Feb 2016 the V800 has limited support for a [[Footpod]], no support for supports Cadence measurement from the internal accelerometer, and but no Cadence alerts. It's better than nothing, but it's not pretty grim for a high end watch.
The V800 is rated at 13 hours, but I managed to get nearly 24 hours in testing. To get that life, I didn't press buttons or have Bluetooth connected, but that's still an impressive figure. It also has a rated 50 hour battery life if you activate extended mode which reduces the GPS accuracy. In addition the V800 can be charge on the run. See [[Shoes#Watches for Ultrarunning| Watches for Ultrarunning]] for more details.
[[File:Polar V800.jpg|none|thumb|200px|The {{Polar V800}}.]]
** If you tap the V800 screen, that acts like an extra button. You can set the tap to take a lap, turn on the backlight or a few other things. (This tap does not seem to be a touchscreen and I found you have to whack the V800 pretty hard, even on the lightest setting. I think Polar is using the internal accelerometer to detect the impact.)
** If you're wearing the heart rate monitor strap, you can touch the V800 to the transmitter for another action, such as activating the backlight.
* The V800 supports [[Cadence]] from it's an internal accelerometer, something that was added in Feb 2016. You can also get a more accurate reading of Cadence via a [[Footpod]], but the options are currently quite limited (see below). See [[Cadence]] for details of the internal accelerometer accuracy.
* The V800 provides more information when you press the lap button than other watches, as well as far more useful data at the end of the run.
* Like the [[Suunto Ambit2]] and [[Suunto Ambit3]], the V800 can be configured via the website, which is easier than fiddling with the watch itself. Most of the options can be also set on the watch, which means you're not stuck if you're away from the Internet.
=Polar V800 Cons=
* One of the big downsides to the V800 is its cost, which is far more expensive than the watches that I highly recommend. Given the V800's functionality, it's too expensive to be "highly recommended" at this price point.
* The V800 uses Bluetooth sensors rather than the more common Ant+, which has some practical implications.
** For [[Heart Rate Monitor]], the Polar H7 works well.
** The options for a [[Footpod]] are more limited (see below)
** An Ant+ sensor will broadcast data to any device that's listening, so you could have two watches both receiving information. Bluetooth sensors are currently limited to sending data to a single paired listening device. So if you're wearing the Polar H7 Heart Rate Monitor, the data can go either to the V800 or to your iPhone, not both. (The V800 will rebroadcast the signals, but currently only the Polar App can receive them. Later revisions of the Bluetooth specification will allow for broadcasting of data.)
* The V800 has no way of displaying your current [[Pace From A Footpod]] while using GPS for overall distance and course. If you select "speed from Footpod" the Footpod is used for distance as well. * The support for a [[CadenceFootpod]] is more limited than I'd like for a high end device.
** The Polar Stride Sensor is fully supported by the V800, with automatic calibration and it will display stride length as well as cadence. However, the Stride Sensor is huge when compared with modern Footpods, weighing over three times as much as a Garmin Footpod. Because of its size and weight, it requires lacing into the shoelaces, making it a real pain to move between shoes. <jfs id="B00CCASIMS" noreferb="true" n="Polar Stride Sensor"/>
** Some third party Bluetooth Footpods, like the "i-gotU" will pair with the V800, but then won't display cadence and will prevent the V800 from recording any distance travelled.