Casio Professional Trek WSD-F30 Evaluate

“The Casio Professional Trek WSD-F30 outside smartwatch wins if you happen to stay the approach to life, or simply love the look.”

Snug and classy

Vary of sensors and instruments for outside use

Good battery life, with prolonged modes

Second LCD display screen works properly

Broad-range of apps appropriate with the watch

Costly in comparison with some rivals

Charger is proprietary, and never very safe

Put on OS might be buggy, nonetheless wants work

Shaving 4mm off something doesn’t sound like very a lot. Decreasing the size of a automotive by 4mm, for instance, wouldn’t make any considerable distinction. However when Casio minimize it away from the WSD-F20 Professional Trek smartwatch’s case to make the WSD-F30 Professional Trek Good, it made a substantial distinction to the wearability and elegance, with out sacrificing any know-how.

Its predecessors haven’t captured most people’s consideration, and whereas the WSD-F30 retains an identical type and performance to them, the alterations present Casio has realized from outdated variations, evolving the brand new Professional Trek to turn into a life-style wearable that’s nonetheless able to maintaining with those that really stay the outside life too.

A giant watch

Earlier than I’m going any additional, I ought to say that whereas the WSD-F30 positively appears to be like extra at house on most wrists than the WSD-F20, it’s nonetheless a giant watch. The case is 53mm huge, and on small wrists the lugs will grasp over the sting in a manner that some might dislike or discover uncomfortable. The strap, which is connected to the physique utilizing quick-release pins, has many holes in it, so it may match many wrist sizes.

It’s snug and doesn’t get sweaty or itchy. Like many different Casio watches, the dimensions means it’s robust, and the Professional Trek WSD-F30 meets army requirements, plus it’s water-proof to 50 meters, though it has a microphone for Google Assistant. It’s spectacular.

The watch’s daring design is tailor-made to those that embrace the outside way of life. Not in a utilitarian manner although, and the WSD-F30 is appropriate for on a regular basis put on, particularly in both the gorgeous blue colour, or the orange. An ordinary black model can be obtainable, nevertheless it’s slightly faceless. It’s 83 grams in weight, however doesn’t overpower the wrist. I’m genuinely impressed with the WSD-F30 Professional Trek’s wearability, nevertheless it does profit from being worn loosely on the wrist, and outdoors any sleeve or cuff. It’s huge, bear in mind, and will get uncomfortable hidden away beneath clothes.

Though you wouldn’t comprehend it, the WSD-F30 has two screens.

There are three buttons on the correct of the physique. The highest opens the maps app, the middle button opens the app menu, and the underside button prompts the completely different sensor and toolkit options of the watch. Every button has a definite, grippy sample that makes them simple to find and press. On the left aspect is the sensor array. Regardless of the watch operating the most recent model of Google’s Put on OS, navigation is barely by touchscreen, and it doesn’t have an interactive crown to assist scroll by means of menus.

Sporty and outdoorsy, but fashionable and statement-making, the WSD-F30 appears to be like and seems like a watch made by an skilled watch maker. The large bezel offers a robust visible key, whereas the colour isn’t over used, and matches properly with the chrome steel buttons. Smartwatches that appear to be conventional watches are onerous to search out except you go for a hybrid, however the WSD-F30 treads the road very rigorously – interesting to Casio followers, and those that need an eye catching smartwatch from a producer with actual watchmaking heritage.

Display, sensors, and modes

Though you wouldn’t comprehend it, the WSD-F30 has two screens – a 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 pixel OLED and a 1.2-inch monochrome LCD display screen too. The thought is for the monochrome LCD to indicate important info just like the time, and the completely different sensor readings, and the OLED for GPS and smartwatch options, all with the minimal influence on the battery. Casio has three modes that make the most of the 2 screens collectively. Regular mode makes use of each screens and all features, with the battery lasting a few day and a half.

Andy Boxall/Digital Tendencies

Extra fascinating is Prolong mode, the place the watch works by itself, exhibiting time and sensor knowledge on the monochrome display screen, and colour maps on the press of a button. Three days is the typical to count on from this, relying on use. Lastly, the whole lot is turned off for Multi-Timepiece mode, aside from the sensors and time, for 30 days of battery life.

The OLED is superbly vivid and colourful, and I really like the Frontier watch face, which reveals your world location stay on display screen. To activate Prolong and Multi-Timepiece mode, you might want to dig into the menu. Oddly, they’re not proven as one, however two separate choices. There’s additionally much more to them than merely ‘battery extending’ modes. Prolong works with offline maps that you simply obtain forward of a trek, and you may set the watch to solely get up at sure instances, slightly than all the time being obtainable. Multi-Timepiece has two completely different watch faces for both every day, or outside use. The every day model has step depend and battery degree, whereas the outside face consists of sensor knowledge.

Navigation is less complicated, notifications are extra detailed and useful, and Google Assistant is onboard and supplies loads of info.

Press the underside button on the watch and also you get a number of sensor knowledge, from an altimeter and air stress meter, to a compass, all with particular person settings for the eager outdoorsy particular person to tailor for themselves. They’re superbly offered, classily animated, and genuinely informative – if you happen to’re . Like a lot of the WSD-F30’s characteristic set, it’s helpful principally to the hiker or outside exercise fanatic. Sure, I can take a look at the air stress meter and see that it’s more likely to rain, however the climate app on my telephone additionally tells me that. If I used to be within the woods, and wished to know if I might make the mountain prime within the dry and didn’t have a knowledge connection, it might be a special story.

Casio’s Exercise app tracks very particular actions – trekking, fishing, biking, paddling, and snow. This isn’t a look ahead to fitness center rats, and it doesn’t have a coronary heart fee sensor. Begin considered one of these actions and the readouts are nice, pulling in knowledge from all of the Professional Trek’s sensors and displaying them throughout a number of screens in a readable, wise method. Swipe far sufficient and also you get a map too. It’s all very properly thought out. Casio’s Second Setter app permits you to customise many parts of what the display screen reveals too, from altitude whenever you stand nonetheless for a second, to exhibiting the map mechanically for each 200m climbed.

These particular options are actually the WSD-F30’s fundamental promoting level, however they’re not pushed into your face. Should you don’t need to use them, you by no means must dismiss them, thus turning the Professional Trek into a life-style product that can deal with the true stresses of the outside, however solely if you need it to.

Software program and efficiency

The Casio Professional Trek WSD-F30 runs the latest, refreshed model of Google’s Put on OS. This can be a vital enchancment over earlier variations. Navigation is less complicated, notifications are extra detailed and useful, Google Assistant is onboard and supplies loads of info, and apps are smoother and quicker. However it’s nonetheless not adequate. Bugs are widespread – the watch failed to finish pairing and arrange at the least as soon as, and would fail to acknowledge some display screen faucets too.

Andy Boxall/Digital Tendencies

It may’t match Apple’s Put on OS for versatility, velocity, and ease of use; regardless of being significantly better than earlier than. Notifications are hit-or-miss too, with some arriving repeatedly, not arriving in any respect, or a lot later than I obtain them on my telephone. Notifications are a fundamental a part of a wearable, and once they don’t work correctly, it’s very irritating. Once they do work, the brand new Put on OS system for interacting with them is straightforward and efficient. I used the Professional Trek with a number of Android telephones. Options are lowered whenever you pair it with an iPhone.

There’s a variety of watch faces put in. Along with the brand new Frontier and a couple of Layer faces, I just like the GPS-driven Location face, and the G Shock-style Traveler, each of which had been put in on earlier Professional Trek watches. Google Play is onboard so as to add your individual watch faces and apps. An enormous array of third-party outside and exercise apps have been tailor-made to work on the WSD-F30, in classes from browsing and swimming to biking and fishing.

Anticipate to cost the WSD-F30 day-after-day if you need steady use.

Google Maps provides the web maps, and Mapbox supplies the offline variations. 5 mapped areas of about 50km might be saved on the watch. The displayed areas are small, and I doubt anybody will use the Professional Trek as their sole supply of navigation, however for fast glances and normal info it’s completely nice. On-screen buttons allow you to zoom in, whereas swiping on the display screen strikes the view, and each actions are surprisingly fluid.

Powering Put on OS is Qualcomm’s getting older, typically wheezy Snapdragon 2100 processor, and certain sufficient, there are occasions when it’s too sluggish. That is normally when digging by means of menus, or anticipating Maps to load shortly; however its efficiency within the WSD-F30 is healthier than I’ve seen elsewhere. Button response is sweet, swiping by means of the Put on OS menu is easy, and Casio’s personal apps are responsive. The Professional Trek has 768MB of RAM and 4GB of inside space for storing.

Battery

Casio has not revealed the capability of the battery contained in the WSD-F30. In regular mode, with out GPS, a full battery lasted from the early morning till late within the night with nonetheless slightly to spare. Use it just for an eight to 10 hour work day, and it’ll survive right into a second day. Need to use the Professional Trek’s particular modes to extend standby? Switching to Prolong mode isn’t very efficient for regular use, because it’s designed to work finest with the timer system that’s geared in the direction of outside use. That leaves Multi-Timepiece mode, which disconnects the watch completely, leaving solely the time and different fundamental particulars.

Andy Boxall/Digital Tendencies

This can push the battery into lasting a number of weeks, simply with none good options in any respect. One tip is to show off the At all times-on show, because the Professional Trek’s monochrome LCD nonetheless reveals the time, simply with out influence on the battery life. Total, count on to cost the Professional Trek day-after-day if you need steady use.

It’s charged utilizing a proprietary magnetic connector, however the magnet isn’t very sturdy and it’s a lot too simple to knock the cable out. It additionally takes as much as three hours to totally recharge, which is slightly ridiculous.

Value, guarantee, and availability

The Professional Trek WSD-F30 prices $550, 450 British kilos, or 550 euros, and is that can be purchased now. Within the U.S., Casio and Amazon.com have the WSD-F30 obtainable in all three colours — orange, blue, and black. Within the U.Ok., the WSD-F30 is offered by means of retailers together with Casio On-line and Cotswold Outside.

It comes with a one-year return, restore, or change guarantee, which doesn’t cowl improper use.

Casio has refined the Professional Trek system sufficient so the WSD-F30 is as a lot a life-style product as it’s a critical outside smartwatch. It has all the correct know-how for adventuring, and simply the correct look for individuals who won’t ever go close to a mountain or a kayak.

Is there a greater different?

This will depend on what you need. The Professional Trek is an open air watch, however not a health watch. It has Google Match, and a collection of exercise monitoring apps, however there’s no coronary heart fee sensor and no fitness center plans. Should you’re going trekking, mountain climbing, or one thing related, then its closest Put on OS competitor is Nixon’s Mission SS. Nevertheless, the WSD-F30 is newer, higher wanting, and extra characteristic packed. In any other case, you’ll need to take a look at Suunto’s watches, such because the Suunto 9 or the Spartan, the Garmin’s Fenix 5 Plus or Intuition watches, and even the Polar V800 GPS.

If you need a extra normal, much less outdoors-focused smartwatch, then the $255 Fossil Sport comes with GPS, a coronary heart fee sensor, and the brand new Snapdragon 3100 processor too. The physique is far smaller, and the design doesn’t have the identical degree of character because the Professional Trek. If type is a excessive precedence, and also you need a sturdy set of all-round options too, I like to recommend the Samsung Galaxy Watch, or the Apple Watch Collection four.

Look exterior the smartwatch world, and the Casio G Shock Rangeman is another designed for way more excessive outside use.

How lengthy will it final?

You received’t break the Casio Professional Trek WSD-F30. It has a military-spec toughness score, and might resist shock, vibration, humidity, low temperatures, and is water-proof to 50 meters. The strap feels prefer it could possibly be used to drag a Jeep out of a muddy lavatory, and the steel and resin case received’t care if it’s dropped.

It already has the most recent model of Put on OS put in, and it ought to proceed to be up to date for a number of years. Nevertheless, the processor is already outdated and has been outmoded. This, together with the battery’s finite life, will find yourself limiting the Professional Trek’s lifetime. That mentioned, you’ll probably get tired of the watch earlier than it stops working.

Do you have to purchase it?

Sure. The Casio Professional Trek WSD-F30 supplies distinctive performance, a set of specialist apps and providers which are properly designed and helpful, plus genuinely useful battery modes that neatly sidestep the traditional smartwatch battery limitations. Regardless of the apparent outside focus, the slimmed down, sensibly redesigned WSD-F30 has the correct amount of way of life enchantment too. Casio is a grasp at this. The Professional Trek is dear, nevertheless it’s well worth the funding whether or not you’re genuinely into the approach to life, or simply need to appear to be you’re.