Reebok makes its entry into the smartwatch space
Adidas-owned Reebok has launched its first-ever smartwatch. Dubbed Reebok ActiveFit 1.0 the budget device offers blood pressure monitoring in addition to the usual fitness and health tracking smarts.
The outfit already sells a bunch of analog and digital of watches so has experience in this area. However, Reebok is much better known for its footware and clothing line. The outfit was established back in 1958 in England as a sub-brand of J.W. Foster. Since 2002 it has been sitting under the sport-giant Adidas’s umbrella.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
The smartwatch was teased at the start of the year but now it has officially launched in India. It is not clear yet if and when it will be coming to other countries. Considering this is a well-known brand worldwide, it would make sense for it to establish a market beyond India.
Reebok ActiveFit 1.0 – a budget sporty-looking device
Reebok ActiveFit 1.0 is priced very competitively. The ₹4,499 (around $60) it costs gets you a 1.3 inch high-resolution curved glass display. This is housed in a plastic case houses which also holds a heart rate sensor (made up of two LEDs), accelerometer and blood oxygen monitor.
In addition to activity and sleep, Reebok says its watch can also monitor blood pressure from the wrist. We are a bit sceptical on the accuracy of such measurements in a budget watch, but the blood pressure measurements are part of the advertised feature-set.
There are 15 fitness tracking modes but no built-in GPS. They include walking, running, yoga, skipping, badminton, tennis, basketball, football, golf, hiking, rugby, jogging, workout, baseball and cycling. You’ll notice that swimming is not on this list. That’s because the device is only IP67 certified – good for the occasional splash but don’t plan on submerging it.
The smartwatch also offers menstrual cycle tracking and breathing exercises. Other than that you get a few smart features such as smartphone call and text messages, social media notifications, a weather application, remote camera and music control, a selection of watch-faces and a handful of games.
All things considered this seems like a decent offering – especially when you take into consideration the price. How well the health and fitness tracking works in practice remains to be seen.
As far as battery life, the device is good for an excellent 15 days between charges. The stand-by time is twice as long. It takes about 2 hours to charge from zero to full.
Reebok ActiveFit’s design will appeal to those after a sporty look. Weighing just 35 grams, the watch has a circular form-factor and a pretty thick bezel. The case is attached to a flexible silicone strap which doesn’t appear to have a quick release mechanism. There’s a single button on the side which you use in combination with the touch-screen to navigate the menus.
As mentioned, for now the watch is only available in India. The $60 is an introductiory offer and the pricing will increase after January 28th. A few color options are available including Black, Blue, Navy and Red.
ActiveFit 1.0 doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the table – apart from blood pressure readings (which we are sceptical about). Its main selling points are the attractive price and well-known brand name.
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