Casio joined the Android Wear bandwagon at this year's CES with its new WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch, a beast of a smartwatch that can take a tumble and then some.
The Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch is a rugged smartwatch and it was one of the coolest smartwatches unveiled at CES 2016.
This tough gadget definitely stands out from the crowd and it's impossible to mistake it for any other Android Wear smartwatch out there. It's not all about the looks and ruggedness though, so let's take a closer look at specs.
Built For The Outdoors
First of all, the Casio Smart Outdoor Watch is an activity smartwatch designed for outdoorsy individuals who are always out and about. It's primarily aimed at hikers, cyclists and fishermen, and it can prove of great use.
As we've already shown in our early wrist-on review of the smartwatch at CES, the WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch is quite huge, with a chunky body that will make small wrists look like twigs. Nevertheless, the gadget is impressively lightweight at just 93 grams (3.28 ounces) with the strap.
The smartwatch boasts U.S. military standard certification (MIL-STD-810), which proves its extra durability and ruggedness in harsh environments. This means it can easily withstand humidity, shock, vibration, radiation, ice, water, as well as low and high temperatures. While these rugged features may be commonplace for Casio's line of watches, they're unprecedented when it comes to Android Wear smartwatches.
Smart Features
Casio's Smart Outdoor Watch comes with neat dedicated applications that use a pressure sensor, accelerometer and compass to measure and display relevant information for outdoor sports and activities.
The TOOL button located at the upper right side of the smartwatch will bring up essential information such as air pressure and altitude, compass direction, sunrise and sunset graphs, activity graphs and tide graphs, updating the information in real-time in the natural environment and activity levels. This makes it perfect for hikes up the mountain or other such activities.
The companion Casio Moment Setter+ smartphone app, meanwhile, enables owners to get the most out of activities such as cycling, trekking and fishing. Smartwatch owners will be able to configure the app based on their needs and set it to automatically send relevant information based on previously set conditions such as distance, speed, break time and time of sunrise, among others.
On the downside, the Casio WSD-F10 doesn't have GPS, so users will have to rely on their smartphones or GPS units to pinpoint their location. On the other hand, the lack of GPS means longer battery life, and this is definitely among the best highlights of this new Casio Android Wear smartwatch.
The gadget features two screens - a round color LCD panel and a second monochrome LCD. Activating the monochrome LCD display with the Timepiece mode will shut down all the smart features and Android Wear altogether, leaving users with a regular watch that can last for up to 30 days on a single charge. With Android Wear, the smartwatch will provide roughly 24 hours of use.
There's no denying that the Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch is a nice product, and it comes in a world of its own in the Android Wear ecosystem.
Tech Specs
As for that closer look at specs, here's what this rugged smartwatch has to offer, according to Casio:
| Water Resistance | 50 meters |
| Environmental Durability | MIL-STD-810 (United States military standard issued by the U.S. Department of Defense)*5 |
| Display | 1.32-inch dual layer display Color TFT LCD and monochrome LCD Color: 320x300 pixels |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive touchscreen |
| Sensors | Pressure (air pressure, altitude) sensor, accelerometer, gyrometer, compass (magnetic) sensor |
| Microphone | |
| Vibrator | |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth® V4.1 (Low Energy) Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) |
| Buttons | TOOL button, Power button, APP button |
| Battery | Lithium-ion battery |
| Charging Method | Magnetic charging terminal |
| Recharging Time | Approx. 2 hours at room temperature |
| Battery Life | In normal use: more than 1 day, roughly (varies according to use)Timepiece Mode (timekeeping only): more than 1 month, roughly (varies according to use) |
Pricing And Availability
When it comes to pricing, the Casio WSD-F10 will not come cheap. The smartwatch will retail for a hefty $500, which is arguably more than nearly any other Android Wear smartwatch currently available on the market. Tag Heuer's gadget and some higher-end models of the Huawei Watch may be at the expensive end of the line, but most other Android Wear offerings are more budget-friendly.
The smartwatch will go on sale in April in the United States, but the watchmaker has yet to offer more details on a global launch. The device will be available in four color options: black, orange, red, or green.
Bottom line, the Casio WSD-F10 is a powerful Android Wear smartwatch with an impressive 30-day battery life in Timekeeping mode, unique outdoor tracking features, rugged military-like design and tough construction, but its $500 price tag and huge size may be a turnoff for some. By the looks of it, you can either love or hate this smartwatch from Casio, with no in-between.
For more information, head over to the product page on Casio's website or check out the video below.
