I'm a long time Garmin user. I pretty much buy a new one with my tax refund every year, so I've had a lot of them. I started with the Vivofit 2, had a VIvofit 3, Forerunner 235, Vivosmart 1st Gen, Vivoactive HR, Fenix 5, Forerunner 645 Music, Fenix 5s, and recently a Vivomove HR premium.
First and foremost, the Vivomove HR is beautiful. It's so fun to wear such a beautiful watch that also serves as a fitness tracker. When I purchased it, however, I forgot that it doesn't have the one capability I've ALWAYS counted on in all my Garmins: It doesn't connect to an external heart rate monitor. If I'd noticed this failing, I might not have bought it. I count on that external strap because I am mostly a gym user, and I have dark skin. I'm not always sure the wrist-based HRMs are effective.
It does a nice job at counting steps, and seems to do a good job as a HRM, as long as I'm not doing a Body Pump class.
The messaging is not detailed, of course. But it's better than the Vivosmart, IMO, because you expect the vivosmart to give you more in terms of message content. So when you don't get it on that tiny screen, you're frustrated. But this one you KNOW not to expect more than notification of whom the message is from.
Something interesting that the Vivomove HR does better than my Fenix 5s, is the strength training app. Now neither app does it great (I do Body Pump, so both watches are like, "what the heck are you doing???" I imagine they both will improve if I did regular weight training). But the VMHR by far does a better job of counting reps, marking rest stops and starts, and even knowing the exercise I'm doing. I didn't expect the VMHR to be better at anything. But there you go. My Fenix 5s is just completely lost in Body Pump class.
Basically, the VMHR does what it does best - sit there and look beautiful. It does an adequate job with its other functions.
Two things would make this my favorite watch:
1. Make it able to connect to an external heart rate monitor. I mean, dang. My vivofit 2 could do it. Why not this 300 dollar watch?
2. Add contactless payments. Man... this watch needs that function badly!