Wyze is a popular smart home tech company so we were intrigued when we got a chance to review their Wyze watch which costs
USD $ 39.98 /
MX $ 1,308, which certainly left us wondering how it worked.
Although it may seem eerily similar to the Apple Watch, and is paired with a collection of fitness features, smartphone notifications, and much more, the Wyze Watch specifically focuses on controlling the company's own smart home devices.
We've been using the Wyze Watch for about a week and finally feel like we can answer the burning question: Is this under $ 40 smartwatch worth a second look?
The who, what and how
Who's this for:
The Wyze Watch is best for those who use the brand's other products a lot and want to control them from their wrist.
What you need to know:
This watch is only great at three things: controlling your smart home, reading your heart rate, and sending you notifications.
Many common smartwatch functions, such as answering phone calls, listening to music, and tracking different workouts, are simply missing from this device.
How they stack up:
Priced at
USD $ 39.98 /
MX $ 1,308, I wouldn't expect the Wyze Watch to be as well equipped or capable as an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch as so many features are lacking thanks to the super low price.
Good aspect
In terms of design, the Wyze Watch looks much more expensive than
USD $ 39.98 /
MX $ 1,308, and it is quite similar to the Apple Watch.
It features a sturdy aluminum casing and generally feels premium, while the overall construction is lightweight.
It comes with a standard black silicon band, although it can be easily interchanged with any 22mm strap.
The Wyze watch comes in two sizes: 44mm and 47mm.
Right now, only the 47mm is for sale, and that's the one we take a look at for this review.
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As for other physical features, you will find a single button on the right side of the smartwatch to control the interface and turn on the device.
The bottom of the watch houses a sensor that functions as a blood oxygen monitor along with a heart rate sensor, as well as the magnetic charging pins.
A very Wyze watch
Just as the Apple Watch ties deeply into the Apple ecosystem, the Wyze Watch (
USD $ 39.98 /
MX $ 1,308) does the same for its parent company's various accessories and applications.
To set the clock, use the Wyze app on Android or iOS, which is a simple and straightforward process.
From there, you can customize the watch face using one of the many built-in options, or create your own by incorporating a photo from your gallery.
On the watch itself, you will find a dedicated app that allows you to control your Wyze smart home products.
This is where Wyze smart home devices pay off, making it more convenient to control everything at the touch of a button on your wrist.
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The whole experience will feel familiar to any Wyze user, and that's what the watch is ultimately designed for.
If you have an extra $ 40 to spend, the Wyze Watch is a steal and helps you more easily access your smart home controls.
That said, if you're looking for a traditional smartwatch, this may not be the most obvious purchase.
Great at fitness ... for runners
One of the Wyze Watch's biggest disappointments was the fitness features. We frequently tracked workouts with an Apple Watch, and quickly realized that wasn't happening with this option. The only workout you can record is running, and since we don't run, it didn't help much.
We went for a quick walk using the Wyze Watch's race tracking and compared it to our Apple Watch Series 3 - the Wyze wearable told us that we didn't walk as far as the Apple Watch suggested, and it didn't seem to record as many calories burned or steps. dices. However, the heart rate was roughly the same between the watches. This is because it uses similar hardware to that found in more expensive smartwatches, and then translates it into a reliable heart rate experience.
The blood oxygen monitor seemed to be working fine.
We compared it to a Galaxy Watch 4, and it gave us a reading of about 97.7%, which is roughly what we got from the Samsung watch.
Obviously, this is a metric you'll want to take with a grain of salt, as the Wyze Watch isn't designed to be a medical device, but it's a nice feature, especially on such an affordable watch.
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You get some other health tracking features like sleep tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, and general step counts.
These features feel more like trade-offs than carefully designed wellness tracking tools, and you should use them as such.
If you want a fitness smartwatch, the Wyze Watch is not for you.
Severe software limitations
Overall, the Wyze Watch feels limited.
Yes, it does have the ability to deliver notifications to your wrist, and that's a staple found in pretty much every smartwatch on the market.
However, you cannot act on them, such as replying to a message or deleting an email.
The watch will ring when you receive a phone call, but because there is no microphone or speaker, you will not be able to answer from your wrist.
The watch does not offer MP3 storage nor does it come bundled with music streaming service integration, making music playback impossible.
Speaking of which, there is no support for third-party apps, which means you're stuck with the pre-installed apps.
Fortunately, there is support for iOS and Android, and the experience is identical in both ecosystems.
In conclusion
The idea of buying a smart watch from
USD $ 39.98 /
MX $ 1,308 from a reputable brand is attractive, but the Wyze Watch is only designed for an extremely niche audience: those who own a ton of other Wyze products that they want to control from their wrist.
However, if you're comfortable getting strictly notifications on your wrist, a customizable watch face, and all those smart home controls, the watch might be perfect, especially for the price.