Peter Gamma from www.petergamma.org has discussed the Polar Verity Sense firmware update with DC Rainmaker some time ago on his blog:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/02/verity-optical-sensor.html
Until DC Rainmaker was tired of refuting what Peter Gamma from www.petergamma.org said to this topic. Peter asked questions about the Polar Verity Sense firmware update he did not understand.
First I was irritated about how Polar can strongly increase the running time of the Verity Sense. For the Polar OH1 we had a validation paper. I have listed those papers here:
I suppose the Verity Sense shoud be at least as accurate as the Polar OH1. But if Polar stronlgy increases the running time of the Verity Sense by a firmware update, a new validation paper is necessary.
The Garmin Fenix 6 I use requires an an external heart rate monitor to show respiration rate. This works with the Verity Sense, but not with the Polar OH1, for reasons I don t know. This is a result of my tests. Respiration rate on the Fenix 6 works also with the Polar H10 or with the Garmin chest strap I tested, but this is not very comforable to wear.
I currently use a Fenix 6 with a Verity Sense to monitor respiration rate. But as a physiologist I suffer not to have a device which is scientifically validated. And no one could convince me that optical heart rate monitors are accurate enough for my applications.
Therefore I will choose a 3 channel ECG device instead as soon as possible. With HeartPy and respiratory rate estimation whe should have a heart rate and a respiration rate as with the Fenix 6, but from a transparent system which should be more accurate. Similar devices are used for instance by Peter H. Charlton, British Heart Foundation Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, at the University of Cambridge. Heart rate and respiration rate are the physiological parameters which where most helpful to practice meditation for me personally up to this date.