I just got it in this afternoon so the review will be without any field testing. Will add that tomorrow if possible. So mainly, my first impressions, and other stuff linked to watches in general.
We’ll call this watch ‘E’ from now on.
First off, the buttons and menu combos are pretty easy to navigate and remember. I can’t remember everything about a Casio Protrek but I can almost remember everything for this Smartwatch. I was stunned by the learning curve it threw at me on plug in to charger (not supplied), asking me for biometric and locale details. I pressed wrong buttons lots but it became evident how to, after a few tries.
So next, I put E on for fit and comfort. At 40mm on an average Asian guy, it’s a good fit. Bigger men might opt for the 45mm version. I like smaller watches. Also appreciated the always on display which is MIP [low power consumption]. A new, more legible technology. The whole watch is very light and does not slip unlike my MudMan 9300. Also it looks very ordinary so as not to arouse anyone’s curiosity. I was told any 20mm strap with big springbar passthru can be used, even velcro straps. But I find the well ventilated silicone band good enough.
E suggested I go do the GPS hookup outside and it took quite a fee minutes to complete linking to satellites. Was worried it would fail almost. I turned off health monitoring, the WHR sensor that blinks green on the caseback, giving me a total battery life of a month or so.
They say you can change the face / dial but so far I’ve only been able to move data sources around, add and remove some of them. Like moonphase is addable to the subdial at 2o’clock. My favorite complication. I added the compass to my tools menu, accessible thru holding down the Light button. All very handy and logically laid out. America designs some of the best things.
On another note, I scored 2 Sloggi panties for Mom online. They were 70% off as her old ones chaff her crotch. These go allround ones, made of modal-elastane are the best. I had a pair (men’s briefs).
Back to E. I wrote on medium that we live in the information-imagination age. That old school watches are little more than time-telling jewelry. Most do not even offer a view of the movement inside and those which deservedly do are too expensive to upkeep. E, you are my grail and I think this time I will not waver. Function comes before form. Comfort before looks. Durability before serviceability / cost.
Tomorrow, I’m planning a brief outing during which I will walk home from maybe Asia Jaya. Navigating with E. Or I may attempt to walk to Asia Jaya and ride home. Can’t decide. It will be a first. Gotta learn how to pull up the map navigator, breadcrumbs backtracker etc.
I was thinking, why do promo prices? First the iPhone 13 for 1.3kRM, Now E for 999RM, The Sloggi underwear for 10RM. I scored a respected reference book on the I-Ching for just 1RM from a bargain bin before I associated Tao with the ABY. And the time I got 200RM off the Apple Pencil 1. Can’t explain it. My opinion, at least on E, which is a 2025 launch, just 8 months ago, is that it’s Garmin’s attempt to create a reputation/ marketshare here in Asia where prices are comparatively higher. Increased revenue will push down prices overall and maybe increase innovation to the point where people just buy Es like they buy Kingston Value RAM or use the LRT / MRT. An accounted for cost of living. Yea, could be.
Crazier things are happening to the economy / society.
I’ve always wondered, should your E be bone dry before charging it? Likewise your Tesla, BYD, what have you? Since it is rated 100m WR, I mean.
I think I figured out how the phone connect thing works and how you need to upload a trail or course before it has mapping ability. Wish it came with a sample map loaded. I’m still thinking how I will get a map of Malaysia into the watch or is that impossible? I also tried 3rd party faces / dials and still prefer the default.
So the Connect app is vital in plotting a course. I think it feeds off an in-built map, maybe Google Maps. Asking you to touch-hold two points. Then it saves an automatic route between them which is synced into your watch, the E. I will try taking the saved route tomorrow, walking for over 2km to Asia Jaya, then ride home. I’ve never been so stoked about a watch since I got my Kinetic circa 2000. ‘Someday all watches will be made this way’. Not really but close. Technology must progress and people should adopt it.
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