The latest smartwatch by Japanese watchmaker Casio for 2019 is the WSD-F30 within the Professional Trek Good assortment. This watch assessment will focus on how Casio has up to date its lone smartwatch assortment product, in addition to the place Casio seems to be headed in its still-new linked smartwatch journey, on condition that many of the watches Casio continues to provide are labeled as conventional watches (although lots of them have connectivity options). Casio began making fashionable linked smartwatches with the WSD-F10, which was adopted a 12 months later by the WSD-F20. The WSD-F30 is a third-generation product for Casio’s solely Android Put on-powered smartwatch machine.
The Mountaineering & Adventuring Android Put on Smartwatch
With the WSD-F20, Casio formally included this product into the climbing and out of doors adventure-theme Professional Trek household by calling it Professional Trek good. This designation is vital for customers as a result of it helps body the actual smartwatch area of interest that Casio goes for. I’m not conversant in each smartwatch presently obtainable, however from what I can inform, Casio’s area of interest with the WSD-F30 is a sturdy, longevity-focused outdoor watch that runs the Google Android Put on working system. Rivals from firms resembling Samsung, Apple, Garmin, and Suunto have their very own succesful merchandise however none that inhabit this specific area of interest.
Casio has years of expertise with the bigger Professional Trek assortment of climbing watches (as soon as referred to as the Pathfinder within the US), and with a smartwatch, the world of options and prospects in an journey watch actually blossoms. Whereas sporting the WSD-F30, I really attempt my greatest to disregard the inventory Android Put on options (save for Google Match and Google Maps, maybe) so as to give attention to the software program that Casio has developed for its Professional Trek Good smartwatch assortment, together with the WSD-F30. The main advantages of a smartwatch platform are GPS sensors and complicated software program that may use that info. The WSD-F30 can also natively retailer maps, which provides you the power to carry out a collection of map, waypoint, and navigation duties proper on the watch with no need to depend on an Web connection.
Actually, Casio appears to have designed the WSD-F30 with the notion that its wearers would repeatedly be out of conventional mobile phone reception zones. (Having the ability to natively retailer map knowledge is one instance of how.) The watch additionally features a host of power-saving options to assist lengthen the smartwatches one to 2 days of battery life to a few month, if essential. The way in which that is completed within the WSD-F30 is fascinating as a result of, for this product, Casio launched its dual-screen know-how. This isn’t new for Casio, per se, however it’s new for the model’s smartwatches. The thought is that there’s a backside, backlit, full-color OLED display screen topped with a clear monochromatic display screen.
The watch options a pretty and helpful always-on show that solely makes use of the highest display screen. This enables the watch to avoid wasting energy by supplying you with the time at a look however not essentially requiring the principle show to energy up and drain the battery. The WSD-F30’s wearer can use numerous power-saving choices to selectively activate and off some performance so as to lengthen the WSD-F30’s battery life or flip all the things on for it to repeatedly monitor GPS knowledge, in addition to perform as a completely linked smartwatch machine prepared with notifications and alerts.
I discovered the dual-screen system to be a superb idea, however I don’t really feel like Casio’s person interface design made the perfect use out of it. It feels as if Casio launched the dual-screen know-how for some functions, resembling to avoid wasting battery stay, however they nonetheless haven’t taken full benefit of how the 2 screens can work collectively in terms of numerous shows.
A New Extra Wearable & Refined Case Design
Casio claims that the Professional Trek Good WSD-F30 complies with US Navy Spec MIL-STD-810G for environmental sturdiness, and the case is waterproof to 50 meters — that means you’ll be able to simply go swimming with it. The case has a collection of openings for sensors (such because the onboard barometer), so the sturdiness score continues to be spectacular. The watch doesn’t have a heart-rate monitor, although I believe Casio will wish to embrace this sooner or later. The model has different merchandise it designates as being extra for train and health. Keep in mind that the Professional Trek Good is an journey and navigation watch, not meant as a health machine. That doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t use the WSD-F30 to coach, however somewhat that Casio has not but approached the necessity to embrace a coronary heart price monitor as a part of its onboard equipment of instruments.
The 390×390 pixels OLED touch-screen show is vibrant and crisp, and over the display screen is a mineral crystal (not sapphire at this worth level, sadly); I actually don’t miss the times of incomplete circle screens for Android Put on units. I discovered the display screen to be typically very responsive, although pinching and pulling on a 1.2-inch display screen requires some delicate finger gymnastics on occasion. Casio does embrace three pushers on the case, although having to work together with the touchscreen is a core a part of the Android Put on working system.
For the WSD-F30, Casio introduces a completely new Casio design for its smartwatch. It’s nonetheless massive, however it’s much more engaging and visually fascinating, as in comparison with the WSD-F10/20 merchandise. The case is 53.8mm-wide, 14.9mm-thick, and 60.5mm lug-to-lug. That’s massive, however at simply 83 grams, it wears very comfortably. Casio additionally continues to enhance the straps on its smartwatches, which now function quick-release spring bars. The inventory polyurethane straps are fairly good trying, however it’s good to know that they are often changed with one thing else simply sufficient.
Charging the WSD-F30 continues to be finished by way of a magnetic charging cable that attaches at about 10 o’clock on the case. The magnetic connection is strong, however I nonetheless really feel that there needs to be a barely safer manner of connecting the charging cable ought to the watch be in a backpack or you’re in any other case on the go whereas charging. Casio really sells a “Powertraveller” equipment that features a photo voltaic USB charger that may work properly with the WSD-F30, assuming you’ll be able to sit and look ahead to it to cost for just a few hours.
Software program Design & Utility
Casio, like many different Japanese firms, prefers to be vertically built-in as a lot as potential. Meaning they not solely wish to produce and design their watches but in addition produce and design the heart inside these watches. With the Professional Trek Good, the WSD-F30 is working Google’s Android Put on software program, for which Casio has written some particular software program. Casio can’t totally management Google Android Put on, and my suspicion is that their engineers really feel restricted by that. For that cause, I imagine Casio has included a “normal smartwatch” (the Professional Trek Good, that’s) as simply one in all its fashionable linked timepiece merchandise. My level is that, whereas Casio appears to be a agency believer in the way forward for smartwatches, it’s only placing a few of its assets into ones that run Android Put on.
That’s OK as a result of Android Put on has quite a bit to show Casio about how watches can higher work together with a linked world than a conventional watch. Casio, for instance, has different watches that use Bluetooth, however that is kind of solely used for fundamental communication protocol between a watch and a person’s telephone by a devoted app. With Android Put on, Casio is pressured to maintain asking itself the way it can greatest use the options within the working system to additional its mission of manufacturing a world-class climbing and out of doors watch.
One of many first items of software program customers uncover on the WSD-F30, written by Casio for the platform, is “Device.” There’s a devoted pusher on the case to activate this multi-screen software program, which does issues like show an on-screen compass, barometer, and altimeter. Device is Casio’s manner of incorporating conventional Professional Trek “triple-sensor” options into the watch — and I believe it continues to be finished very nicely within the WSD-F30. That stated, I might have appreciated to see extra updates — at the least visible refinements during the last technology WSD-F20 watch.
Actually, the WSD-F30 doesn’t introduce any new Professional Trek Good software program (that I’ve seen). Casio Second Setter + continues to be the core utility app, which is all about utilizing the GPS and mapping functionalities for a collection of functions. These instruments are among the many extra fascinating you’ll discover within the WSD-F30, however they’re actually meant for these severely trekking or needing their GPS machine as a survival or efficiency machine.
However I do wish to praise Casio on its capacity to curate the software program and options of the look ahead to the viewers they’re hoping to draw with the WSD-F30. Along with the devoted pushers on the case for the Device and Map options, the preloaded software program within the watch (there are a complete of four gigs of inside reminiscence) is stuffed with instruments for particular sports activities and out of doors actions. With somewhat little bit of looking out, the person of a WSD-F30 smartwatch can simply find instruments that may assist make a few of their favourite actions extra fascinating (or at the least extra knowledge intensive).
It’s a working cliché within the tech trade for firms to assert that “this 12 months’s mannequin is the perfect we’ve ever made.” The know-how trade usually employs an iterative strategy to design wherein new merchandise construct on the strengths of earlier ones. So, it’s no shock that the WSD-F30 is the perfect smartwatch Casio has ever made. Does that imply they’re finished? Hardly. Casio appears to be taking its time with normal smartwatches by having a single product line (the WSD-FXX) in a single exercise class (outdoor/climbing). Casio may simply have a household of Android Put on smartwatches for different actions starting from fishing to flying, however they don’t. Somewhat, they’re seeing the place the smartwatch trade goes whereas, on the similar time, collaborating in it. What flaws the WSD-F30 has are principally associated to the restrictions their very own makers have in terms of accessing the core Android Put on software program system. The platform is designed to have home it, versus that actually integrates with it. Casio is accustomed to a extra built-in strategy to how software program and work collectively, which makes their smartwatches a selected problem for the group.
I’d wish to see Casio proceed to develop software program each for utility and aesthetics. Casio roughly outlined what a plastic digital sport watch ought to appear to be with the G-Shock. Now the model can innovate extra and present the world what digital smartwatch screens ought to appear to be. There are hints of design genius within the software program Casio made for the WSD-F30, however I don’t assume we’ve seen the complete potential of what an organization like Casio can do if it actually invests in smartwatch display screen interfaces. Assuming these faces get ok, they might supply all Casio Professional Trek Good product wearers free downloads, and maybe the corporate may earn some income by promoting digital watch faces for different appropriate Android Put on-based smartwatch units.
Value-wise, the Casio Professional Trek Good WSD-F30 appears to be within the center between premium-segment “life-style” smartwatches and entry-level fitness-themed smartwatches and wearables. The plastic and metallic case building, together with spirited unique design, make the WSD-F30 exist between these two worlds. The watch totally lacks the pretension of a luxurious product however doesn’t really feel like a toy both. It’s most likely the Android Put on smartwatch I’d get proper now if I have been out there for one. Casio debuted the WSD-F30 in blue because the WSD-F30-BU and in orange (as examined) because the WSD-F30-RG. Retail Value is $549.99 USD. Be taught extra on the Casio web site right here.
Obligatory Information
>Model: Casio
>Mannequin: Professional Trek Good WSD-F30 (WSD-F30-RG as examined)
>Value: $549.99 USD
>Measurement: 53.8mm-wide, 14.9mm-thick, and 60.5mm lug-to-lug distance.
>When reviewer would personally put on it: Mountaineering or delving into unfamiliar wilderness come to thoughts as glorious occasions to put on this smartwatch.
>Buddy we’d suggest it to first: Information-junky who likes to hike and can use the native maps so as to monitor their journey the place mobile phone indicators gained’t go.
>Greatest attribute of watch: Comfy and light-weight with a vibrant, responsive display screen, the WSD-F30 is a handy guide a rough smartwatch with glorious software program by Casio on prime of Android Put on, particularly made for the watch’s meant outdoor-activity makes use of.
>Worst attribute of watch: Casio appeared to place most of its effort within the WSD-F30 into the brand new case and dual-layer display screen know-how. The latter isn’t used in addition to it is likely to be, and the general bundle appears to want extra updates and expansions within the space of software program and visible interface design.
