Review: The realme Smartwatch Watch 2 Pro! Cheap smartwatch with awesome tech!

In terms of the case and the features – It is with the GPS but without barometer

After the 1st realme Watch in the spring of 2020, realme has debuted 5 smartwatches: the two round realme Watch S and Watch S Pro are somewhat better equipped and, for example, independently regulate the display brightness via an ambient light sensor.

Among the three non-round ones, the realme Watch and Watch 2 are each 1.4 inches, thus smaller than the present Watch 2 Pro, which has a display diagonal of 1.75 inches and is also the only one of the three to have GPS. Other hardware on all three includes an accelerometer and a heart rate monitor that also analyzes blood oxygen saturation.

The illumination of the 1.75-inch display can be manually adjusted in 5 steps between 20% and 100% via the quick settings menu. In the test, 40% was often sufficient even in sunshine. In spite of the good brightness, black image areas on the LCD remain comparatively dark and ensure good contrasts.

The plastic casing is certified according to IP68. A side button supports operation, which is otherwise done via the touchscreen. The 22 mm silicone strap can be easily changed via a quick-release fastener. The realme sets an accent with its slogan “Dare to Leap”. Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro also feature a total of 90 sports modes.

realme_Watch_2_Pro_Ansicht_01

Something about the setup and operation – Controls for music and camera

In order to set up the realme Watch 2 Pro, download the realme Link app to your Android smartphone or iPhone. The test was mostly carried out with an iPhone 12 Pro.

In the app, you set reminders for exercise and fluid intake, as well as alarms and the interval for monitoring heart rate. The apps and widgets installed on the Watch 2 Pro can be sorted and individually hidden via realme Link.

csm_realme_Watch_2_Pro_Apps_7e6c9491f2csm_realme_Watch_2_Pro_Widgets_491de3f014

On the Watch, you are able to scroll through the widgets with horizontal gestures and open the notifications and the app overview with vertical gestures, either as a list or grid. In the home screen, the button turns the display on and off, otherwise it takes over the back function.

According to the realme official, the watchface store includes over 100 watch faces. However, more than 7 cannot be saved on the watch. To be able to transfer a new one from the store via the app, you first have to delete another one. Among the preloaded themes, there are some animated ones as well as an interactive watch face via which you can open the heart rate chart or the settings and start the training app.

As for the tools, the Watch 2 Pro offers a stopwatch, timer and alarm clock with up to 5 alarms, remote controls for the smartphone’s camera and music player, and smartphone search, among others.

The telephony and notifications

The Watch 2 Pro signals incoming calls and notifications via vibration . Notifications can be read and deleted, but not responded to. Emojis are replaced by block symbols.

Regarding the health and fitness – It is with the VO2max test

The Link app connects with Apple Health on the iPhone and with Google Fit at Android. The Watch 2 Pro counts steps during the day, determines the approximate distance traveled and calories burned. The activity widget on the Watch 2 Pro also informs you how many hours a day you spent moving and not just sitting.

The Watch 2 Pro measures heart rate at intervals ranging from 5 minutes to half an hour, depending on the setting, and alerts when the rate exceeds or falls below the previously set limits. Blood oxygen saturation is recorded manually by an app App manually.

In 10 measurements, we compare the oxygen saturation analyzed by the Watch 2 Pro with the result of a medically certified pulse oximeter. The maximum deviation is 3 percentage points during the test series. With an average deviation of 1 percentage point, the Watch 2 Pro performs slightly better than the majority of the wearables we have tested so far.

csm_realme_Watch_2_Pro_SpO2_b7b5cd78be

About the GPS and navigation

The realme Watch 2 Pro works with dual-frequency GPS. Which second navigation system is still supported was not available by the editorial deadline. We will add the requested info when we receive it. During the above run, the Watch 2 Pro was not always so accurate with the recording. Although the app does not support a hybrid view that also marks the paths to the satellite image, the deviations from the actual path are visible in the following clips.

To sum up:

The 390 mAh battery lasts up to 14 days according to realme. Since the Watch 2 Pro does not have an ambient light sensor, a lot depends on the settings for brightness and display timeout.

GPS and SpO2 measurement are features of the inexpensive realme Watch 2 Pro, but it does not offer much beyond that.

With about 90 sports profiles for athletes, the Watch 2 Pro positively stands out from the more expensive Watch S Pro. Additional settings, such as target settings, alarms during training, or personalizable training screens would complement this orientation well, but they are missing. In this context, inexpensive trackers like the Amazfit Band 5 or the Mi Smart Band 6 from Xiaomi prove interesting features such as counting the moves or repetitions when rowing and jumping rope do not have to be reserved for expensive wearables. realme does not make use of them. The app’s training log remains comparatively rudimentary, and the log on the Watch 2 Pro itself offers less than on the Watch S Pro.