The Casio WSD-F10 has become, in my view, the star of the Android Wear smartwatch show, with it offering a unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else in the Android Wear smartwatch lineup. At the same time, Casio’s promo video had me asking, “what else does the Casio smartwatch have to offer?” We here at smartwatch.me have done some digging to find out, and the answers will surprise you.
The Casio WSD-F10 doesn’t have a heart monitor
The bad news is that the WSD-F10 doesn’t have a heart monitor. Even though it supports cycling, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor activities, there’s no heart monitor on the device.
Some could say that Casio could have very well implemented a heart rate monitor, but other details about the WSD-F10 lead us to believe that Casio is doing its own thing here in this upcoming smartwatch. Whereas we know about the battery size, processor, and other specifications of Android Wear smartwatches, we still know very little about the processor in the WSD-F10, among other things. Rumor has it that Casio is doing its own thing, using a processor of its own instead of the expected Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor that’s gone into Android Wear smartwatches such as the LG Watch Urbane, Motorola Moto 360, Samsung Gear Live, and others. With all the outdoor work, however, it seems as though one wouldn’t necessarily need a heart rate monitor if he or she is out and about enjoying the outdoors. After all, heart rate monitors are for those who want to check the intensity of their workouts, as if to say that they are concerned about workout intensity. Casio’s customer base with the WSD-F10 is more into enjoying the outdoors for its own sake rather than a particular end (exercising at the right intensity to lose weight, for example).
Fortunately, this is the worst of the news concerning the Casio WSD-F10 – which means that everything else is wonderful about the upcoming Android Wear device.
The Casio WSD-F10 doesn’t have a charging cradle
You may think that this next point is a bad thing, but it isn’t. The truth of the matter is that most Android Wear smartwatches, 99% of them, have charging cradles. Of course, Motorola’s Moto 360 has a wireless charging cradle which is the sexiest of them all, but the Moto 360 charger is wireless while all the other charging cradles rely on a plug-in cradle that serves as an accessory to the device.
With the Casio WSD-F10, however, you don’t need a charging cradle. You won’t even have one. Instead, the new Casio Android Wear smartwatch has a charger that plugs into the side of the device when charging. It isn’t the wireless charging of the Moto 360, however, but you won’t need to buy a charging cradle or worry about carrying one with you when using the Casio WSD-F10 out and about in the wild.
There’s a reason why Casio placed its charger in the device itself instead of making it an accessory: the WSD-F10 has extreme water and dust resistance. That’s what we’ll cover next.
The Casio WSD-F10 has water resistance up to 50 meters
The Casio WSD-F10 has a water resistance of 50 meters (or 164 feet), meaning that, by all accounts, it’s “practically” waterproof even though Casio only rates it as “water-resistant.” The difference between water resistance and water proofing is that water resistance implies that it can resist water damage up to a certain water level; water proofing, on the other hand, can resist all water, no matter the amount of feet or height. As you can tell, few watches if any in the world are waterproof, but most are water-resistant. Most consumers won’t need to have a smartwatch more water-resistant than 164 feet, but you can be assured that, should you go swimming in 11 feet of water, your Casio WSD-F10 smartwatch will still resist the water and still work when you emerge to the surface.
Since Casio’s smartwatch is water-resistant, it’s easy to see why you can plug in the adapter directly on the device instead of using a charging cradle like the rest of Android Wear. All other Android Wear smartwatches have IP67 water resistance and can survive up to 1.5 meters (or 5.5 feet) of water. There’s a huge difference between 5.5 feet and 164 feet, however, making the Casio WSD-F10 thirty times more water-resistant than all other Android Wear smartwatches. Thirty times!
Whereas Android Wear smartwatch makers warn against using these wrist wearables to swim or dive, the Casio WSD-F10 can enter into the swim and dive environment without worry or concern. You can use the Casio WSD-F10 when washing your face every morning without worry that it isn’t water-resistant enough. I love water resistance, so Casio’s definitely got my attention with this upcoming smartwatch.
The Casio WSD-F10 reverts to analog watch when battery is low
Analog watch lovers, get ready for this: Casio’s WSD-F10 smartwatch reverts to an analog watch when your battery is low. You’ll see a message that says, “shutting down,” but you need not fear that the WSD-F10 will act like all other smartwatches; instead, after it says, “shutting down,” you’ll see the time appear on the smartwatch. This is Casio’s way of making your smartwatch relevant, even when battery life doesn’t permit it to be “smart.”
You’ll never have to worry about not knowing the time because you’ll always have it on your wrist with the WSD-F10. In Casio’s mindset, smartwatches should always tell the time, if nothing else.
Conclusion
The Casio WSD-F10 costs $500 and launches in April 2016, so it’s not long before this Android Wear smartwatch is available for order.
We wanted to take the time and provide some additional information for those who are seriously considering this smartwatch. We don’t blame you if the Casio WSD-F10 is the first Android Wear smartwatch that will finally make you throw your money at Google’s wearables platform.
