realme Watch S Review: Where Style, Power, and Functionality Meet

Hello guys! I’m back again for another GBT tech review. This time I would like share with you about one of the latest AIoT devices from realme… The realme Watch S. This smartwatch is an upgrade and a premium version from the previous realme watch. Packed with new and amazing features, this smart gadget will surely fit your on-the-go lifestyle and of course, your budget.

The realme Watch S comes with realme’s signature minimalist golden yellow packaging showing the model name, product’s photo in the front and highlighted features with other product’s technical details at the back. I always like the simplicity of realme’s packaging. Simple, clean and not cheap-looking.

WHAT’S INSIDE THE BOX?

• (1) realme Watch S unit
• (1) USB Type-A Magnetic Charging Base
• (1) User Manual/Warranty card

SETTING UP THE realme WATCH S: 

What I love about realme AIoT devices is that they are so easy to set up and pair with your smartphone. That includes the new realme Watch S. All you need to do is download the realme Link App on your smartphone and make sure that your Bluetooth is on. Agree to phone binding which shows on the screen of the realme Watch S, and wait until it is connected to the app.

From there, you can easily update the firmware, sync, adjust the settings, view your complete health data, and customize your watch according to your preference. By the way, the realme Link App is only compatible with Android. So, no iOS support for this watch as of the moment. realme said it is already in the works, hopefully they woul release it soon.

PARTS, DISPLAY, AND DESIGN:

Before we go into full details on what this smartwatch can do, you might want to check out the photo below to help you familiarize with realme Watch S’ parts and buttons.

POWER BUTTON FUNCTIONS:

• When the display is off, short press it to brighten the display.
• In the dial interface, short press to enter the function list.
• In the non-dial interface, short press it to return to the dial interface.
• During your exercise, short press it to pause, or continue the workout mode you have chosen.
• Long press to enter restart/Power off interface
• Long press for more than 10 seconds to restart.

SHORTCUT BUTTON FUNCTIONS:

• When the display is off, short press it to brighten the display.
• In the dial interface, press it to enter the sports list.
• During workout, press it to to switch the data interface.

Aside from the press-on function, at first I thought the buttons are like the usual watch knob where you can turn clockwise and vice versa to adjust something on the watch. You can actually turn them but no effect/function. Maybe realme can consider this for improvement when they come up with an upgraded version to maximize the use of these buttons. But of course considering its price, I definitely understand why, and it is not a big deal for me. 🙂

DISPLAY AND DESIGN:

This smart watch comes with a classic circular design built with aluminum alloy, making it sturdy yet lightweight. The 22mm strap on the other hand is made of high-end liquid silicone which is durable, light and skin-friendy. The watch strap(available in Blue, Orange, Green, and Black) is also removable which is good just in case realme decides to release individual straps later on.

If you would notice at the rim around the TFT display, there is a tachymeter which can help you read time more accurately. Some find it unecessary design-wise. But for me, I find it helpful especially whenever I’m using analog watch faces.

The surface of the screen uses a 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass protecting the 1.3-inch circular color touchscreen. It has a high resolution of 360 x 360 pixels(278ppi). In fairness, I’ve bumped my watch slightly by accident several times on concretes, woods, metals, and till now, not a single scratch.

I noticed though that the touchscreeen has a minimal delay. It’s not bothersome, still easy to swipe. The raise to wake gesture is responsive and on point.

When it comes to the quality of the screen, The realme Watch S’ TFT display has a vivid output of colors and smooth interface which adds up to its premium-sporty look. It has an auto-brightness(can also be set to manual) feature with ambient light sensor that lets you adjust brightness up to five levels. Its peak brightness can reach as high as 600nits, which means that it can display supreme clarity and visibility in any lighting condition-even in bright sunlight.

BEST FEATURES OF realme WATCH S:

1. 100+ Watch faces

Wow! over a hundred stylish watch faces which can be accessed, downloaded, and synced through the realme Link App to your realme Watch S. You’ll never get bored with just one look because there are a lot of watch faces that you can choose from. Edgy, sporty, girly, artistic, modern, and many more. Take your pick.

You can even use you very own photo as a personalized watch face. Cool right? Synching only takes less than minute. Just make sure that you have internet connection to view all the watch face selection and also see to it that your watch is connected to the app(keep your bluetooth on).

2. Real-time Heart Rate Monitor

The built-in high-precision photoplethysmography (PPG) optical heart rate sensor supports 24-hour uninterrupted monitoring(checks every 5 minutes) and measures heart rate quickly and precisely. You can also check your heart rate manually through the Watch S.  You can set the parameters in the realme Link App and the watch will alert you if your heart rate goes too high or too low.

3. Blood Oxygen Saturation Level Monitor

Blood oxygen level is one of the most important indicators of physical health. When your blood oxygen is too low(Normal values: 95-100%), it means that the cells are not getting enough oxygen, this could lead to various complications. With the realme Watch S, you can monitor your blood oxygen at any time. I tried comparing the blood oxygen reading of the Watch S which is from 97-98% SpO2(repeated several times) to a medical grade Pulse Oximeter reading which is 98-99%. The results may not be exactly the same, but close enough.

4. 16 Sports Modes

If you are into fitness and sports, the realme Watch S is one of the best gadgets you can  have to keep track your fitness journey. This watch supports 16 kinds of activity monitoring, specifically Outdoor Run, Walk, Indoor Run, Outdoor Cycle, Aerobic Capacity, Strength Training, Football, Basketball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Indoor Cycle, Elliptical machine, Yoga, Cricket, Rowing Machine, and Stationary Bike. You may track back your latest record in the realme Link App. Again, be sure that your bluetooth is on for the data to sync. This goes as well to the Heart Rate and Blood Oxygen monitoring.

The watch can also tell whether you are walking or running through its accurate step counting algorithm. Unfortunately, realme Watch S does not have a GPS feature. But don’t worry, it can detect and connect to your smartphone’s GPS to track your distance.

5. Other Health Features

Aside from the wide selection of sports mode, the realme Watch S also boasts the most comprehensive health functions which includes steps, sleep monitoring, get-up, hydration and meditation reminders. I find it amazing how the Watch S can determine your sleeping patterns- how many hours that you’re asleep, your light sleep time, deep sleep time and even tracks when you are on REM(Rapid Eye Movement). I don’t know the technology and how it works, but it is impressive.

The get-up, hydration, and meditation reminders are very useful for me. Since i’m always in front of my laptop doing online tasks, I tend to be sedentary. The Get-Up and Hydration reminder allows me to move and drink water or any liquid from time to time based on the reminder frequecy that I set in the app.

6. Smart Features

There are other cool features that you can enjoy or find very useful with the realme Watch S. You can use it as a remote to conveniently control the music/video player on your phone. It can also serve as a camera remote so that you can take photos of yourself even when you are alone. This feature is very useful especially now that COVID-19 is present(always practice social distancing please). The watch also has a reject call button, which lets you decline a call from the paired smartphone. To add up, there’s alarm clock, stopwatch, timer, find my device available as well.

There’s more!  It can also receive almost all app notification, show some corresponding icons, displays call alerts, SMS(just swipe down to see messages), and third-party app messages. 

7. Battery Life

Powered by a 390mAh battery, realme claims that it can last up to 15 days in a single charge. If you can see the photo above, it did not reach the 15 -day mark which is understandable since I’ve been using its smart and health features, synching, notifications coming in(with vibration), and changing watch faces from time to time. These watch activities can really eat up the watch’s battery. Maybe if i activated the Power-saving mode, disabled some of the features, lowered the screen brightness, it could go way beyond 15 days.

I must say that the battery life of this smartwatch is superb knowing that it can last more than a day on a single charge. How cool is that? Now you do not need to worry about charging your watch every day. 

Charging the Watch S only takes 2 hours using the magnetic charging base that is included in the package. Since it is magnetic, you have to place it the right way or else it will repluse. You’ll know that you are in the right direction if it latches smoothly on the magnetic charging base.

So here’s one big question. Is it waterproof? Like most smartwatches, the realme Watch S is dust and water-resistant(IP68) up to 1.5 meters, but realme does not recommend wearing the watch while swimming or diving.

HOW MUCH? Buy your realme Watch S now in Lazada, and Shopee for only Php 4,990. 

Is it worth buying? For me, even though it has some limitations like no GPS, not recommended while swimming or diving, and not compatible with iOS smartphones, I can still say YES! YES! YES! It is worth buying. Compared to other smartwatches available in the market, the realme Watch S is already a good buy considering the numerous number of features available in the device. Plus, the battery life is long, it has Blood Oxygen monitor and it is way affordable.

For updates and more details about the realme Watch S and other AIoT devices, you may visit realme.comor visit their official FB page: realme Philippines.

realme Watch S Specifications Summary:

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#SmarterRoundTheClock #realmeAIoT