Casio launched the Smart Outdoor Watch, a tough, smart, waterproof Android Wear watch designed for adventure. Its battery can last for one month under normal usage but the watch can be too bulky for everyday use.
The Casio Smart Outdoor Watch sports a big and rugged design. It is the first true smartwatch built for outdoor use. Casio equipped the watch with waterproof and shockproof ability that meets US military MIL-STD-810 standards according to Phone Arena's report.
Its waterproof capability enables the watch to be submerged in water up to 50 meters deep. In comparison, other smartwatches cannot go beyond 1.5 meters deep.
On the software side, the Casio Smart Outdoor Watch runs Android Wear. The smartwatch can be synced to an iPhone or Android device. Its features include a compass, adventure and activity tracker, and a pressure sensor.
The Guardian reported that Android Wear is becoming the default software for smartwatches. Various smartwatch makers like Tag Heuer and Fossil are using Android Wear. Google is succeeding in making its smartwatch platform present in digital wearables worldwide.
The Casio Smart Outdoor Watch can display altitude, directions, user activity, air pressure, and sunrise and sunset times. However, it lacks a heart rate tracker and built-in GPS. Yet, it does support third-party apps like ViewRanger GPS and RunKeeper.
Casio fitted out the watch with two screens in one display. The first is a color TFT LCD round touchscreen shaped like a flat tire. It is the same as the displays on other smartwatches like the Moto 360.
Meanwhile, the second display can be accessed when the first screen is dimmed or turned off. It is monochrome LCD screen that simple shows the time of day.
The Casio Smart Outdoor Watch can last over a month on one charge if only the monochrome LCD screen is active. If the color screen is turned on, the watch can last about a day (maximum of two days) per charge.
The downside is that Casio's smartwatch is too big and bulky for everyday use as per CNET. It also costs more than most Android Wear smartwatches with a price tag of $500.
The Casio Smart Outdoor Watch was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas. It will hit retail stores around April this year.
