The Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000 is slated for an April 2020 release
Casio has announced the launch of the much anticipated GPS and heart rate enabled GBD-H1000. The rugged device comes packing a host of fitness sensors.
There are four different models, all slated for an April 24 launch in Japan. However, not much is known about global availability or pricing. It is possible Casio might be gun shy about committing to an international release timeline because of supply chain disruptions from China.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
As with all devices in the G-SHOCK line, this is a device designed to take quite a beating. It is fully shock-resistant and comes with 200m water-resistance. There’s a high-definition, memory-in-pixel (MIP) LCD with high-contrast display on-board, large non-slip buttons and a curved back cover.
Pictured below, the different iterations include a black and white GBD-H1000-1A7, black GBD-H1000-1, red GBD-H1000-4 and black and red GBD-H1000-8.
Under the hood, the GBD-H1000 has five sensors built in. This includes optical heart rate, magnetic sensor (compass); pressure sensor (air pressure/altitude); thermo sensor; acceleration sensor (step counter). It also comes packing GPS functionality (+GLONASS, MICHIBIKI (QZSS)) for phone free location information.
In addition to the standard activity metrics, the range represents Casio’s first collaboration with Firstbeat. To this end the GBD-H1000 comes with VO2max, Training Load, Training Status, Aerobic Training Effect, Anaerobic Training Effect, Recovery Time, Calories Burned and Race Time Predictions (in the app).
Battery life is an excellent 14 hours with GPS and heart rate switched on. In Time Mode (which includes basic fitness stats and notifications), the watch can keep going for up to a year. In addition to charging with a cable and USB port, the thing has solar charging for daily use.
All things considered, the GPD-H1000 represents a notable improvement on the G-SQUAD line. With a range of fitness sensors, GPS, and solar charging, it could be a good, lower-cost alternative to the Garmin Fenix 6 range.
The watch is already listed on Casio’s regional Japanese website with a price of ¥50,000. This equates to around $450. You can check out the full specs on this link.
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