My 1st Smart Watch
How many years has it been now? Some time ago, I purchased a smart watch called the Casio Pro Trek Smart. It’s an outdoor-oriented smartwatch equipped with Google Wear OS, and its ability to display Google Maps was quite fascinating. If I recall correctly, it also had the capability to export files in KML format. Additionally, its barometric sensor was impressive, making it a fun gadget to use during mountain climbing.
However, it had many drawbacks.
Its network connectivity was weak, and as of now, it can no longer connect to the Wear OS app. Whether this is Casio’s fault or Google’s is unclear, but a smartwatch without proper network connectivity is pretty much useless. Moreover, it was quite large and heavy. Despite its size, the battery life was not very long. For these reasons, I eventually stopped using it altogether.
Amazfit
Because of that experience, my impression of smartwatches has been that they are interesting but cumbersome—essentially, not “smart” at all. However, I recently came across an intriguing model: the Amazfit T-Rex 3. It seems to be made by a Chinese manufacturer. It boasts a wide array of features, and most importantly, the battery lasts for over 20 days. Priced at around 36,000 yen, it’s quite affordable. It doesn’t support touch payment, so it may not be suitable for those who want that feature, but personally, I’m not interested in it.
Since it integrates with its own dedicated app, there doesn’t seem to be any concern about the future of its network connectivity features. With such excellent functionality, my only concern was its size and weight. So, I decided to purchase it and compare it with other watches I already own.
Size
Comparison of the size between the Pro Trek Smart and the T-Rex 3.
Compared to the Pro Trek, the size didn’t bother me as much as I expected. At this size, I think it’s acceptable.
Weights Comparison
The following are the weights, in order: Pro Trek, G-Shock, Edifice, Apple Watch, and T-Rex 3.
Review
It feels like Japanese manufacturers, who tend to focus on diverse designs or too much detail features, might struggle to compete in this field. What about manufacturers from other countries? Compared to Garmin, it’s significantly more affordable.
To be honest, I still don’t know the details about its performance, especially the accuracy of its sensors. But in any case, Amazfit offering this watch for just 30,000 yen is incredibly competitive. It’s the kind of product you can decide to buy just to give it a try.
