REVIEW: Casio Pro Trek WSD-F20A

Beat nature at its own game with this very durable smartwatch

When it comes to watches, Casio has been a familiar staple - a claim backed by decades of expertise - so it stands to reason that the Japanese firm has no desire to be left behind in the era of smartwatches attempting to overtake traditional timepieces. Here's taking a good look at one of its latest smart timepieces, the Pro Trek WSD-F20A.
But first, a short history: the F20A is a smaller version of the F20, which is the successor to the F10. Billed as a 'smart outdoor watch', you get the idea that this is a tough cookie, considering its description and market reputation.
The F20A is basically your good ol' digital Casio watch with smart features from today's digital age. Its display is listed at 1.32 inches (roughly 33.5mm), so if you look at that alone, it's smaller than smartwatches offered by Apple and Samsung. That could be an issue if you've got big fingers, or just want to see more on your wrist. You'll notice a little black bar at the bottom of the display, the so-called 'flat-tire', which normally houses a smartwatch's sensors. Considering there are many similar devices in the market already without this feature, however, it makes the F20A's design a bit outdated.
The bezel of the F20A is rugged and thick - albeit certified by a military-grade, US Department of Defense standard called MIL-STD-810. Without going into technicalities, you can be assured of this: this smartwatch can be roughed up. For example, you can take it for a dive up to 50 metres, freeze out in temperatures as low as -10°C, get it dirty in a mud-wrestling match and more (I was tempted to do a hammer test, but decided against).
Surrounding the bezel are a number of buttons: on the left is a pressure sensor, to the right are the tool, power and app buttons, and below is a microphone. The charging port, on the upper-left area, is a dampener: it's a proprietary magnetic thing, and it gets easily displaced at the slightest movement.
The watch works with Google's Wear OS - but that is not to say it's limited to Android devices; it works on iPhones too, as long as you're using an iPhone 5 or later running on iOS 9 at the very least. Downloading the Casio Moment Setter+ app will enable you to make more specific configurations to the watch; however, it is only available for Android devices as of now.
Swinging back to the display, it isn't as bright as other Wear OS devices, which is odd given its intended use for the wild (read: bright) outdoors. Its resolution is also below the competition, so it isn't as crisp as the rest of the field.
Battery life, meanwhile, is good, but a longer-lasting one would've complemented this device even better. Casio lists its power, at most, at two days, but trust that figure to drain when you turn GPS on. During my run, it maxed out at about a day-and-a-half. If you want to extend its battery life, you can just switch to the monochrome display as if it were your good ol' Casio watch (Baby G, anyone?).
AND SO.
In the growing world of top-of-the-line smartwatches, the Casio Pro Trek WSD-F20A has one clear advantage: durability. The device is clearly built for extremes, which is perfect for those who are really into the wild outdoors. Though it is a bit pricey, its ultra-tough reputation may make it worth your while.
THE LOWDOWN
Display: Circular 1.32" capacitive touchscreen, colour TFT/monochrome, 320x300
Platform: Wear OS; Android 4.3 or higher, iPhone 5/iOS 9 or higher
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi; GPS
Durability: US DoD MIL-STD-810; up to 50m
Sensors: Pressure, accelerometer, gyrometer, compass
Battery: Li-ion, up to 2d
Price: Dh1,499
Pros: Definitely durable; good battery life (could've been better); offline colour maps
Cons: Bad charging port; low resolution/brightness; too bulky
Author's rating: 3/5
alvin@khaleejtimes.com

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