Apple · The Register
Casio decides it's about time the simple digital watch got a little smarter
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F-B100W adds Bluetooth and step tracking while keeping a two-year battery.
Key facts
- In its pricier G-Shock range, the company does offer devices with bidirectional Bluetooth support, so that the watch can display on-screen notifications, such as the £129 ($165) G-Squad GBD-200
- Their first budget smartwatch was an Amazfit Bip, bought new for about £60 ($80)
- Apparently, to get European-format dates, you need to go to more high-end models such as the GW-M5610U-1ER at a princely £135 ($185)
- It cost £15 ($20) and still lasts a week and a half on a charge
Summary
Casio has added Bluetooth and step tracking to a £55 digital watch without turning it into a smartwatch or sacrificing replaceable-battery convenience. The snappily named F-B100W pairs with Casio's smartphone app to record activity, adjust settings, and keep its clock accurate. It is much not a smartwatch. The team admit it: this ape-descended life form is so astoundingly primitive that he still thinks digital watches are a pretty neat idea. Douglas Adams first mocked humans' fondness for digital watches when the original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was broadcast in 1978, nearly half a century ago. One reason is that it's only £20 ($30) new.