Casio's booth at CES has been attracting a steady swarm of visitors. This, however, cannot only be attributed to its new Casio Pro Trek Smartwatch because a huge chunk of the onlookers are also curious about one other thing.
New Wear Version
The Pro Trek, also called the WSD-F20, turned out to be one of the very first few smartwatches to run the widely anticipated Android Wear 2.0. Eager wearable enthusiasts were angling to take a look at the changes, improvements, and new features that ship with the mobile OS.
As expected, Android Wear 2.0 came with the rumored, leaked, and promised updates such as the glanceable experience concept and the ability to track different types of activities.
Casio has, however, added some custom tweaks such as its own watchfaces and a mapping app, which for its part is also available offline. In this mode, the map will be supported by a built-in GPS module.
Casio Smartwatch Credentials
Now, with respect to the device itself, the Pro Trek Smartwatch offers very few improvements to its predecessor, the WSD-F10, in terms of physical design. The visual philosophy and the size footprint stayed roughly the same.
The three buttons found on the right side of the device are still present, as well as the dual-layer display that allows the wearer to switch to a monochrome clock mode when not using Android Wear.
You still have the bulky form factor that typifies the G-Shock range. It looks rugged and tough, characteristics aimed to push the device as an outdoor wearable.
New features include anti-fouling coating that protects the display from the elements as well as fingerprint stains. There is also a new protective bezel while the button sizes have been tweaked so that features and tools such as the altimeter, compass, and preferred applications can be accessed easily.
Casio Pro Trek Availability And Pricing
According to Casio, the Pro Trek Smartwach will begin shipping on April 21. Unfortunately, it costs $499, making it more expensive than its premium competitors such as the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Samsung Gear S3.
This could affect the Pro Trek's sales performance especially when analysts are projecting a possible slowdown in the growth of the wearable devices industry.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that the WASD-F10 has been sold for the same price when it launched. The device must have performed well in the market, driving Casio's confidence in the Pro Trek Smartwatch's price point.
