Casio WSD-F20A Review: Outdoor Smartwatch in Action

Casio is regarded in this country as a watch specialist for the average citizen. Casio watches are generally believed to be robust, suitable in every situation and, above all, inexpensive. Casio proved that this is not the case with one of its latest products – the Smartwatch WSD-F20 is expensive. So expensive that many interested parties are deterred by the price. With the PRO TREK Smart WSD-F20A, Casio is launching a watch on the market that only differs in colour from its predecessor – and is 100 euros cheaper. This was reason enough for us to test this new watch extensively.

Design and workmanship

First of all, it should be mentioned that this is an outdoor watch. Outdoor watches are generally expected to withstand adverse weather conditions. They have to be robust. Nevertheless, many users attach great importance to an attractive design. The WSD-F20A impressively demonstrates that these two wishes are difficult to combine. To cut a long story short, she’s chunky.

It stands out unpleasantly due to its enormous thickness. It is by no means simple. Nevertheless, on closer inspection, one notices that the developers have tried not to completely disregard design aspects. However, they were in no way at the forefront of the development of this model.

The watch is kept in indigo blue and has an almost elegant colouring. It is significant that there is room for three giant buttons on the outside of the watch. People with narrow wrists should never wear this watch – it would probably protrude beyond the wrist and seem sensationally out of place.

On the positive side, the watch is well crafted. It is very robust and definitely suitable for outdoor use. Surprising is the fact that the watch, although it seems monstrous, is very light. She weighs only 92 grams. Between appearance and weight, therefore, a big discrepancy prevails, that leads to astonishment with the first putting on of the clock.

All in all, it can be said that the Casio watch is solidly manufactured and robust, but will probably not win a beauty award with today’s beauty ideals for watches. Those who set clear priorities in favour of practicality could be well served with it.

Display and usage

The display convinced us in the test far more than the presentation of the watch. It has two layers and is equipped with a touch screen. So in this respect, Casio is definitely moving with the times. In usage mode, the display provides high-resolution images. The resolution is 320 x 300 pixels, which is very good considering the small size of the clock display. The representation is of course colored.

The second display is monochrome, which significantly reduces performance and protects the battery. Of course less functions can be used, but it is impressive how persistent the Smartwatch is in this mode. With regard to the display and the presentation, we couldn’t find any points of criticism in the test – Casio has to be complimented here.

However, not only the display is important for practical use. Casio therefore does not only rely on good presentation, but offers a lot more. For example, there is a GPS module that should be extremely practical in everyday use. The watch has an integrated map app which, in conjunction with the GPS module, enables navigation without smartphone coupling. In foreign cities, wearers of the watch profit enormously from this. A negative note here is that it is unfortunately not possible to use destination guidance. Places on the map can be marked permanently. For this, symbols are used that remind you of Emojis – which takes getting used to, but should please many users.

The outdoor suitability of the watch is also underlined by its water resistance. According to the manufacturer, the watch can be used in water depths of up to 50 metres. We did not dive that deep in our test – however, superficial immersion in water surpassed the watch in the test without any problems.

The equipment of the watch is rounded off with a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a gyrometer and a compass sensor. Activities can be tracked with the help of these measuring instruments. But the WSD-F20A doesn’t make it a sports watch – it lacks a heart rate monitor.

The display is completely convincing and the equipment is more than sufficient for an outdoor watch. We are therefore satisfied in this respect. However, interested parties should be aware that this is not a typical Smartwatch that tracks all activities and provides health data – the device was not developed for this purpose.

Operating system

The operating system used is “Wear OS” from Google – formerly known as “Android Wear”. Casio regularly equips the clock with updates of the operating system, which is an advantage – security gaps are closed and the clock can still be easily linked to smartphones even after some time.

However, it is compatible with Android smartphones starting with Android version 4.3 as well as with iPhones starting with iOS 9 and iPhone 5. However, the Casio clock only works to a limited extent with iPhones. However, if the watch is connected to an Android smartphone, the wearer can use the full range of functions.

In this case, the watch also has a tiny keyboard with which messages can be answered. In our test, the keyboard was surprisingly easy to use – in view of the small display, this is anything but self-evident.

iPhone users should therefore be prepared for a reduced range of functions. Those who own an Android smartphone will be positively surprised by the many options.

battery

The average battery life in the test was slightly more than two days for most functions. If only a few functions are used or if the watch is frequently set to monochrome mode, the battery lasts noticeably longer.

Compared to competing products, the battery life can be described as average. So it is neither particularly long nor particularly short.

Unfortunately, the battery is charged via a proprietary connector that holds the cable magnetically to the Smartwatch. The cable comes off relatively easily if you bump into it.

Conclusion of the Casio WSD-F20A

All in all, it is an outdoor watch equipped with quite a few additional functions. We were particularly impressed by the water resistance and the GPS module. The compass sensor is also certainly useful for outdoor use. The device is also characterized by its robust construction and good workmanship. However, it is not fashionably or sophisticatedly designed. The watch looks rather clunky. Ultimately, we cannot give a clear recommendation for or against the Casio watch. Anyone who wants to buy a robust watch for outdoor use that can also be used in the water will be well served. The functionality in this case is a strong argument for the WSD-F20A. However, those looking for a stylish model that looks good in any situation will be disappointed with the tested device.