The Polar Street X is an affordable AMOLED sports watch with a built-in flashlight, compact 45 x 45 x 13.8 mm design, and a rumored price around €220, positioning it as a direct challenge to Garmin’s budget sports watch lineup. Polar is shifting away from its traditional MIP displays toward AMOLED technology on a smaller, lighter platform—a strategic move that signals the brand’s intent to compete in the urban and entry-level sports watch market rather than ceding it entirely to established competitors.
Key Takeaways
- Polar Street X features a 1.28-inch AMOLED touchscreen with 416 x 416 pixel resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
- Built-in LED flashlight offers 4 white-light brightness levels plus dedicated red-light mode for night vision preservation.
- Weighs only 48 grams with compact dimensions, making it lighter than Polar’s Pro-series watches.
- Lacks ECG and SpO2 sensors but includes heart rate variability tracking, barometer, and compass.
- Expected launch timing suggests late-March 2026 availability based on FCC filings.
The Polar Street X Display and Design Set It Apart
At 48 grams and measuring just 45 x 45 x 13.8 mm, the Polar Street X is genuinely compact—noticeably smaller and lighter than Polar’s Grit X Pro, which targets serious outdoor athletes. The 1.28-inch AMOLED display matches the resolution of Polar’s Vantage M3, delivering 416 x 416 pixels on a touchscreen protected by Gorilla Glass 3. This is not a stripped-down LCD experience; AMOLED brings vivid colors and true blacks, features Polar has historically reserved for premium models.
The flashlight is the feature that sets the Street X apart from both Polar’s own lineup and most Garmin alternatives. A built-in LED at the top of the casing provides four levels of white-light brightness for visibility during early-morning or evening runs, plus a dedicated red-light mode designed to preserve night vision. This is a practical addition for urban runners navigating city streets or trail runners dealing with unpredictable lighting conditions. It’s a small feature, but it’s one that most sports watches still omit.
Sensors and Tracking Capabilities: What’s Included and What’s Missing
The Street X inherits the Precision Prime heart rate sensor from Polar’s broader ecosystem, enabling heart rate variability tracking and sleep analysis. The watch also includes a barometer and compass, useful for runners who want elevation data and directional awareness. However, the Street X does not feature ECG or SpO2 sensors—two capabilities that Garmin includes on many of its mid-range sports watches. This is a meaningful gap for users who prioritize blood oxygen monitoring or want electrocardiogram functionality.
Navigation on the Street X is functional but limited. The watch supports Back-to-Start navigation and turn-by-turn route guidance, but it lacks full offline topographical maps. The absence of confirmed GPS or GNSS capability in FCC documentation raises questions about positioning accuracy in dense urban environments or areas with poor satellite coverage. For casual runners and urban athletes, this may not matter; for serious trail runners, it’s a limitation worth acknowledging.
Polar Street X vs. Garmin and Polar’s Own Lineup
Garmin’s entry-level sports watches typically cost between €150 and €300, offering GPS, multiple sport modes, and robust battery life. The Street X at around €220 sits squarely in that price range but brings AMOLED and a flashlight—two features Garmin rarely combines at this price point. The trade-off is navigation capability; Garmin watches in this bracket usually offer full GPS and offline maps, which the Street X does not.
Within Polar’s own portfolio, the Street X is positioned as a lifestyle-focused alternative to the Grit X Pro, which costs €799.90 and targets serious outdoor athletes with MIL-STD-810G durability, multi-GNSS positioning, and sapphire glass. The Grit X Pro is heavier, lacks AMOLED, and lacks a flashlight—but it is built for expeditions, not morning jogs. The Street X is also more compact than Polar’s Pacer Pro, making it a genuine alternative for runners who want a smaller wrist presence without sacrificing a colorful display.
Connectivity and Battery Considerations
The Street X uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) only, supporting data rates up to 2 Mbps over the standard 2402–2480 MHz frequency band. There is no Wi-Fi, cellular, or LTE connectivity—a design choice that keeps power consumption low but limits independent data syncing. The watch relies on a smartphone for route downloads and software updates, which is standard practice for budget sports watches but worth noting if you expect standalone connectivity.
Battery specifications suggest a standard single-cell lithium-ion cell operating at 3.85 volts. Polar has not disclosed runtime estimates, but the compact size and AMOLED display suggest the Street X will not match the multi-week battery life of Polar’s MIP-based watches. For daily charging or every-other-day charging, this is acceptable; for week-long trips without access to power, it is a limitation.
When the Polar Street X Will Actually Launch
FCC filings with confidentiality requests point to a late-March 2026 marketing window, meaning the watch is likely to be announced and available for pre-order within weeks. Polar has not made an official announcement, so all specifications remain technically unconfirmed—though FCC documentation and leaked retail packaging images provide strong evidence of the specs outlined above. The Night Black color variant appears in early retail packaging, though additional color options may follow at launch.
Is the Polar Street X worth waiting for?
If you run in urban environments, value a compact wrist presence, and want AMOLED color without paying flagship prices, the Street X is worth the wait. The flashlight is a genuine practical feature, not a gimmick. However, if you need serious navigation capability, multi-day battery life, or blood oxygen monitoring, you should look elsewhere—either at Garmin’s GPS-enabled budget watches or at Polar‘s own Grit X Pro for serious outdoor work.
How does the Polar Street X compare to the Garmin Epix Gen 2?
The Garmin Epix Gen 2 is heavier, more expensive, and offers full GPS with offline maps—but it also has AMOLED and a larger display. The Street X is lighter, cheaper, and includes a flashlight, but lacks GPS navigation. Choose the Epix if you need serious trail navigation; choose the Street X if you want a lightweight daily driver for road running and urban activities.
Will the Polar Street X have cellular connectivity?
No. The Street X uses Bluetooth Low Energy only, with no Wi-Fi, cellular, or LTE support. It relies on a paired smartphone for notifications, route downloads, and data syncing. This design choice keeps the watch lightweight and affordable, but it means you cannot use the Street X independently for calls or data.
The Polar Street X represents a genuine shift in Polar’s product strategy—moving AMOLED technology and practical features like a built-in flashlight into the affordable segment where Garmin has dominated for years. It is not a full-featured outdoor multisport watch, and it does not pretend to be. For urban runners, casual fitness enthusiasts, and anyone who values a colorful display and compact form factor over expedition-grade durability, the Street X is a credible alternative worth considering when it launches in late March 2026.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: Tom's Guide
