For the past several years, Casio has iterated on its niche Wear OS device aimed at outdoor enthusiasts. At IFA 2018, the watchmaker announced its third-generation device with a focus on reducing t…
For the past several years, Casio has iterated on its niche Wear OS device aimed at outdoor enthusiasts. At IFA 2018, the watchmaker announced its third-generation device with a focus on reducing the bulk and adding more functionality to the monochrome LCD.
Casio has slimmed down the WSD-F30’s casing, but the rugged G-Shock-inspired look is still present and enforced by the three metal buttons for Map, Power, and Tool at the right.
The case height is down 1.2mm, while the width goes from 57.7mm to 53.8mm. The 60.5mm × 53.8mm × 14.9mm body is not for everyone, but meets a U. S. Department of Defense military rating (MIL-STD-810), 50 meter water resistance, and low-temperature resistant to -10 degrees Celsius.
The 1.2-inch 390×390 screen loses the flat tire and is a full circle, while the bezel gets a minimal size reduction. Casio was one of the first companies to create a Wear OS device with a dual-layer display that switches between monochrome and full color for regular interaction. Others like the TicWatch Pro have since followed and likely provides a more suitable device for the average user.
In Normal use, battery life goes from 1 day to 1.5 day with regular usage of Wear OS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS, as well as a mix of the monochrome and color display.
In “Extend mode” battery life doubles to 3 days (and 2 nights) with GPS functionality and offline maps. The black and white display is the primary mode of interaction, but the color screen can be enabled with a button tap.
The “Multi-Timepiece Mode” also gets an update with the Monochrome display showing more than just the time. It now includes various sensor readings from the digital compass, barometer, and altimeter. Wear OS is disabled in this mode allowing for up to four weeks of usage.
It powers up via a magnetic charging terminal with recharge time taking three hours. Other specs include Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, as well as GPS, GLONASS, and Michibiki.
With all the new added features the WSD-F30 sees a $50 price bump to $549 when it comes out in January 2019. It will be available in black, blue, and orange cases.
