Health

How the realme Watch S Pro helped me stay active and fit

It’s like a best friend and sports coach in one!

Published

March 10, 2021

MJ Jucutan

Having a shiny, new piece of tech on your wrist is like a fifty percent off gym membership. The first time you meet, it acts as your new best friend. Then you buy new clothes, sneakers, accessories — all to pump you up in your new journey; the adventure of getting your dream body. It’s like building a clique until you give them up after a few weeks or so.

This is why most people fail in their fitness journeys. They attach motivation and goals to a mere tool; something that was supposed to only help them go through their goals. Whether it’s a healthy mind, body, and soul, or a look that’s insanely desirable.

I admit: staying active and pursuing your workout plans can be an uphill battle due to a multitude of reasons. There are days when you miss your workouts, eat junk, or get poor sleep. But what is a dream summer body if not fitness goals persevering?

To holding yourself accountable

The road to getting your dream body starts with accountability. We all have plans mapped out to achieve our desires, but halfway, we give up. This is where you’ll need to hold yourself accountable, either through a friend checking up on you or *drum roll* use a smartwatch that perfectly fits your lifestyle.

Most smartwatches today — that I like — come with intelligent features, premium design, and an insanely expensive price tag. But do I need to use expensive smartwatches to be able to achieve my fitness goals? Not really.

Throughout my fitness journey, I didn’t have someone to join me in all my varying activities. Instead, I have corresponding friends to join me in each pursuit. Sometimes I run, swim, yoga, lift, or do circuit training. Most recently, I started getting into calisthenics.

This is why a smartwatch helped fill the void. Sometimes, they can be the best friend to watch us hit personal records, and tell us to keep going because we can do it. Proof? Having the realme Watch S Pro helped me stay active and fit.

I’ve got thin wrists… and an elastic heart

The first time I got my hands on the realme Watch S Pro, I complained about its case size. It was too big for my thin wrists, and there were no other options. But that was more of a fashion and personal issue.

When I wore it, I can feel the heft due to its stainless steel material. It felt durable, strong, and somewhat stable; like it won’t give up on you even if you’ve given up on your dreams.

It exuded a premium appeal from the way it looked. I saw people glancing at my smartwatch, which was disappointing because they should be looking at me.

Kidding aside, the realme Watch S Pro used a silicone strap that’s perfect for both everyday use and sporty occasions. My issue with size became prominent through the strap since having it too tight makes my skin itchy from too much friction and pressure. But having it loose makes the watch slide up and down my wrists depending on my movement.

This watch looked nice on people blessed thicker wrists and forearms — something I, regrettably, do not have.

All we’d ever need

Despite the seemingly huge case size, the realme Watch S Pro packed multiple sensors that made it an efficient smartwatch. It can track your steps, calories burned, and sleeping schedule like a typical smartwatch. But it can also detect your heart rate non-stop, and measure your blood oxygen level.

The usual features can also be seen: Alarm clock, Compass, Stopwatch, Timer, Weather, Breathing Training, Camera for remote shooting, and Find My Mobile in case you can’t find your smartphone (it rings your phone, and it’s annoying AF).

Although, as always, my favorite would have been the music feature. Playing Spotify or YouTube Music via my smartwatch has been helpful while working out. I don’t have to keep picking up my phone to play the next song. It’s as easy as flicking everything on your wrist.

But before you can navigate your playlist on your smartwatch, you must connect it via realme Link. This app lets you control your wireless devices such as smart bands, smartwatches, wireless earbuds, smart scale, and even a security camera.

Unlike exclusive ecosystems, the realme Link works with any smartphone as long as you have the app. You can monitor your synchronized data from your smartwatch to track your progress and preview your stats at a glance.

Using the realme Link app, you can also change the watch face. There are more than 100 stylish watch faces available, suitable for any of your outfits and preferences. Frankly, some are tacky but there are cool finds as well. Think of it as going through a thrift store: Not everything looks pretty, but there’s always a rare gem that will catch your eye.

Your best friend and sports coach in one

When I dream of a best friend and a sports coach in one, I would imagine one hot, fine dude with a lean and toned body to assist me. But that would be just describing me.

Kidding aside, I didn’t expect the realme Watch S Pro to become that best friend and sports coach in one. I like how it reminds me to drink water every hour or vibrates every time I need to move around. (More reminders to leave behind a sedentary lifestyle!)

And more importantly, I like how it has 15 different workout modes: Outdoor and indoor running, outdoor and indoor walking, outdoor cycling, spinning, hiking, swimming, basketball, yoga, rowing, elliptical, cricket, strength training, and a free workout.

The activities that I enjoy doing with several, corresponding friends can be tracked using just this smartwatch.

Even though I had complaints about the size and the strap, the realme Watch S Pro was able to keep up with all my activities. I tried pulling up, exercised using my resistance band, and ran, and the smartwatch tracked my performance seamlessly.

During workouts, I also didn’t feel like I was wearing a hefty watch. Rather, it complemented my look with its versatile appeal and gave me an extra kick of confidence to hit my personal records.

Moreover, the realme Watch S Pro is water-resistant, which is why I used it to accompany me in the pool as I refresh my mind and body of all the swimming lessons and training I took a few years back.

Due to my excitement, I wasn’t able to use Swimming Mode and only remembered how I forgot to test the smartwatch’s modes.

Luckily, it was smart enough to activate Free Workout mode after sensing the movements and strokes I’ve been making while swimming.

A chance to be more mindful

There are a lot more to love with the realme Watch S Pro. One of them was being able to leave my phone behind. For years, I’ve been with my phone almost 24/7 but recently, I’ve started being mindful about my phone usage.

When I linked the smartwatch to my mobile phone using the realme Link app, I was able to sync data and let notifications buzz on my wrists.

At a glance, I can see who sent the message and what it is about. I can choose whether to respond or ignore. The watch also uses an AMOLED display so I didn’t have trouble viewing my messages even under intense sunlight. If the screen is too bright or too dim, you can adjust it accordingly.

When checking the time, I don’t even need to raise my wrists to wake the watch. There’s an Always-On Display feature that lets you preview the time easily. Although, this took a toll on my smartwatch’s battery life.

It’s true that the smartwatch can last up to 14 days on a single charge — if you’re only using the bare minimum. Mine pretty much lasted for seven days using only the essential tracking and basic features.

When I started personalizing it the way I want it such as turning on the Always-On Display, syncing data, abusing the tracking features, checking my Blood Oxygen levels sporadically, and using different workout modes consecutively, the battery started draining gradually.

I don’t blame it, though. It’s like utilizing your phone as a power user — even the longest and biggest battery won’t last depending on how much you use and abuse it.

Although, unlike other smartwatches that I’ve used in the past, I didn’t worry about running out of juice especially when I’m outdoors. Nonetheless, the smartwatch charges fairly quickly with its magnetic charging base. It effectively supercharged the watch for less than two hours.

Overall, the battery life wasn’t what I expected. I guess that was my mistake; I put the watch on a pedestal not realizing that every user is different in the way they handle their devices and customize their performance.

For what it’s worth, the realme Watch S Pro lasted long despite putting it through many trials. It put up a decent fight, and it didn’t give up on me when I badly needed a companion.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Let me say it one more time: The realme Watch S Pro is not magic tool to make you workout, nor it’s a weapon to combat your procrastination and self-doubt when it comes to reaching your fitness goals. Frankly, you really don’t need a smartwatch to make some progress.

You just need to be able to tame that annoying voice inside your head. And overcome your ego, bad habits, distractions, lack of discipline, and habit of making excuses. You have to learn how to conquer minor setbacks without relying on your watch to give you a confidence boost. But it’s okay to want one.

After all, a smartwatch can be a reliable companion to hold you accountable in all the plans you’ve mapped out in your head. Like a best friend and sports coach in the form of technology, but something that you can easily afford.

The realme Watch S Pro is perfect for those looking for a premium smartwatch experience to keep themselves active and moving sans the expensive price tag that comes with the most capable smartwatches.

It’s the GadgetMatch for those who are committed to improving themselves, making progress, and those who kept on grinding, got back on track after stumbling, and those who took another step forward. It retails for PhP 8,990 and is available in realme’s official channels, stores, and authorized retailers.

Related Topics:featured Realme realme Watch S Pro

Accessories

HUAWEI Watch GT 4: Stride in style

Look good while doing your best

Published

October 24, 2023

MJ Jucutan

Gone are the days when smartwatches look hideous while slapped on your wrists. Back then, you could only choose between a stylish yet dumb watch or an actual smartwatch but with an ugly casing.

Huawei bridges style and smart technology, fusing both into one timepiece through the latest Huawei Watch GT 4.

Carrying that stylish DNA

The Huawei Watch GT 4 — like its predecessors — carries a style that makes you want to look like a serious adult who got their life together.

For an athlete, a fashionable statement isn’t what I’ll be going after. I’d need a smartwatch that keeps up with my training so I can be at my best during my races and competitions.

However, it looks sleek with its octagonal design on the 46mm variant that I was wearing. The diamond cuts and chiseled exteriors resembled luxurious, performance cars.

Somehow, the GT 4 has both: the ability to keep up in terms of performance and appearance. It complemented my race day outfits while also having enough power to provide me with relevant data at my fingertips. Its Always-On Display gave easy access to the information I needed, which I previewed on the 1.43-inch AMOLED screen.

With a 326 PPI density, it was easy to look at the screen and digest the information I needed when going out for a walk or a run — even under direct sunlight.

Put your best foot forward

A lot of my pre-race preparations include looking good. That means getting a wax, a haircut, a mani-pedi, and all other rituals to make me look and feel good. It’s literally putting my best foot forward — both for how I look and how I perform.

The Huawei GT 4 accompanied me for more than a month in preparing for my upcoming races. With a battery that lasts up to 14 days of usage (sometimes less when I train every day), I didn’t have to worry about recharging my device every day or two.

It’s more common for other smartwatches to drain their batteries after heavy usage. By heavy, I meant using the GPS, staying connected to the WiFi and Bluetooth, and using built-in apps while tracking relevant health information in the background.

Having a long-lasting battery means I can focus on working out and hitting my training schedule. Trust me, a lot of times you’ll postpone your training sessions because your smartwatch is still charging.

It’s an easy excuse, and sometimes, it becomes a habit that you won’t easily shake off.

Train at your own pace

A lot of smartwatches come with personalized plans that don’t really feel personalized. Sometimes, newbies find it difficult to follow through with a plan since the exercises are a bit more intermediate than a beginner.

Structured workouts are always the way when it comes to improving your physical progress and reaching your fitness goals. When I put on the GT 4, it didn’t have the data I accumulated throughout the year. Of course, it’s a new smartwatch.

But after using it for a week, it got access to the information it needed to build a plan tailored for me. The TruSeen 5.5+ heart rate monitoring technology helped in creating the health data since our heart rate is a great indicator of our overall fitness level.

Linking the GT 4 to the Huawei Health app gave me access to the running plans utilized through Artificial Intelligence (AI). The very first time I ran again after a three-week-long hiatus, the GT 4 gave me a run/walk guide based on the parameters I set. This felt like a nice touch, especially for beginners who don’t know where to start.

While I didn’t follow the training plan since I know myself and my body better, the smartwatch gave me the accurate pace I needed to complete my run on a terrain with over 200-meter elevation gain. (Yes, I still did walk for a total of three minutes — shorter than the 15-minute total suggestion of the smartwatch.)

Total control over your health

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is packed with health monitoring tools and intelligent features to help you live smarter. The smartwatch detects the regularity of your heart rate, tracks your sleep, and even assesses your lung function through a respiratory check.

To be honest, the GT 4 is far from being a health device. But having relevant information through your smartwatch which you can also preview on your smartphone through the Huawei Health app, gives total control of how your body’s functioning.

If you really care about your well-being, the overwhelming data can provide insights into how you can change your lifestyle. Until then, the Huawei Watch GT 4 will look like a mere accessory to help you look like you have your life together. It can be a powerful accessory if you let it.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The Huawei Watch GT 4 isn’t the top-of-mind for athletes of all kinds. However, it’s beginning to look like it can be a great choice for athletes with a tight budget.

The compatibility isn’t limited to a Huawei device since it syncs well with both iOS and Android smartphones. That means anyone can enjoy the smart technology in this little trinket.

There are plenty of features that you can use or choose not to. I swear, I didn’t even need all of it since I’m focused on tracking my performance more than anything.

But for a smartwatch to have nearly everything to cater to everyday users, fitness enthusiasts, and other athletes — it’s remarkable.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is a smartwatch that deserves your attention. You should look and gaze at it sometimes because that’s what they’re made for.

Price, availability

You can now purchase the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 through offline and online HUAWEI Stores, authorized retail outlets, and leading e-commerce sites Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok price starts at PhP 12,999. Get freebies worth up to 6,297 until October 13.

Installment payments in Offline Huawei Stores are also available via Home Credit for up to 18 months and participating credit cards for 24 months with 0% interest.

Here are the prices for each variant:

Huawei Watch GT 4 (46mm)
- Black Fluoro Rubber — PhP 12,999
- Brown Leather — PhP 13,999
- Green Nylon — PhP 13,999
- Stainless Steel — PhP 18,999
Huawei Watch GT 4 (41mm)
- Black Fluoro Rubber — PhP 12,999
- White Leather — PhP 13,999
- Silver Two-Tone — PhP 18,999

Health

Honor’s eye comfort solutions promotes healthier sleep

A glimpse of HONOR’s novel technology and its battle against the effects of blue light

Published

August 15, 2023

GadgetMatch

We’ve all seen it.

A smartphone’s attempt to reduce blue light with display modes; eyeglasses specifically built to combat the light’s exposure; tips on preventing eye strain, and a lot more.

Blue light exposure from our digital devices has disrupted our health, particularly our circadian rhythm which helps regulate our sleep. It blocks the production of melatonin, a hormone inducing sleep.

Global technology brand HONOR aims to launch a crusade against blue light by incorporating eye comfort features into their smartphones.

Two of their devices — the Magic5 Pro and HONOR 90 — change the amount of blue light produced based on the time of the day.

Taking eye comfort for real

While most smartphones have a feature to reduce blue light exposure, they don’t really adapt to the environment, unlike HONOR’s devices.

The Magic5 Pro and the HONOR 90 have an eye comfort and sleep function that reduces the blue light by almost 40 percent in a spectral shift. This feature aims to contribute to better sleep patterns and reduce eye strain for the user.

In an interview and research with Dr. Glen Jeffery, professor of Neuroscience at University College London (UCL), the HONOR Magic5 Pro and HONOR 90 were tested for their eye-comfort solutions. Together with HONOR, Dr. Jeffery uncovered how the devices can contribute to promoting healthier sleep and relieving eye strain.

Watch the video to see how both devices fared.

Health

Redmi Watch 3 Active: Basic but better

This might just be the smartwatch to kickstart your fitness journey!

Published

August 9, 2023

MJ Jucutan

I always get questions on which smartwatch to get, knowing that my people know me as the guy who always has the latest smartwatch — changing wearables as if it’s just another pair of underwear.

Being in the intersection between fitness and technology for over three years now, I would attest that smartwatches are expensive. With only a few bucks to spare, you’re lucky to get a functional smart band that can track your basic needs. Up your budget a notch, and you might get a decent smartwatch to accompany you on your fitness journey.

This is where Xiaomi aims to break the barriers of smartwatches. The Redmi Watch 3 Active is an affordable smartwatch that’s definitely a step up from a smart band, especially when it comes to features, design, and of course, price.

Monitor what you only need

Smart bands barely have any screen real estate to preview your fitness data. Smartwatches, on the other hand, are built differently. The same goes with the Redmi Watch 3 Active, which has a 1.83-inch screen that makes it easy to view information.

Truth be told: Smartwatches can get intimidating, especially when it packs plenty of features. I sometimes get overwhelmed when I get my hands on flagship and premium smartwatches. There’s so much going on, tbh.

The Redmi Watch 3 Active, somehow, provides comprehensive data by showing only what you need. With its full-scale fitness tracking, it’s easy to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen level. You can also see how many calories you’ve burned, how many steps you’ve taken, and if you’ve been moving enough to be closer to your goals.

Tracking your sleep, as well as stress levels, help give an overview of your current lifestyle and what you still need to change. These data may sound overwhelming, but these are pretty basic for a smartwatch. These are the only information you’ll ever need. Nothing fancy, just straightforward figures that might help you in your fitness journey.

The screen is big enough to house plenty of data, and swiping between widgets is easy. Although, not as smooth as most smartwatches. But then again, this smartwatch is considered entry-level, so temper your expectations.

More than just a fitness tracker

The most important indicator of your fitness level, for me, would be your heart rate. It shows how many beats per minute depending on the activity you’re doing. When I was taking photos of the Redmi Watch 3 Active, my heart rate spiked to over 100 bpm since I was under the sun trying out some calisthenics workout with my dip bar.

The accuracy may not be the same as most smartwatches, but seeing my resting heart rate go between 60-65 bpm means it’s close enough to my Apple Watch. FYI, my current resting heart rate as of writing is 58 bpm.

It’s pretty normal for athletes (some actually have lower) to have that low resting heart rate. A good indicator would be having 60 up to 90 bpm, which is counted as normal. If your resting heart rate is around 100 or beyond, it’s time for you to get off the couch and stop being a potato.

If you don’t have a gym membership — and a coach, even — then you don’t have to worry. The Redmi Watch 3 Active is equipped with over 100 workout modes, which include 10 professional workout modes.

It’s highly suitable for beginners since you can find workouts like running, walking, freestyle, hiking, and cycling. There are specific workouts as well, categorized into outdoor activities, training, dancing, combat sports, ball sports, winter sports, and recreational sports.

Suitable companion

After completing my first elite race at Spartan Stadion (a grueling 5KM race with 20 obstacles inside New Clark City’s Athletic Stadium) last mid-July, I took a short hiatus to recover from the race burnout.

Running in a category filled with national and pro athletes was exhausting for my mind, body, and spirit. It was a difficult test of my strength, pride, and willpower. The Redmi Watch 3 Active came a week after, prompting me to get back to taking care of my body with grace.

Somehow, the smartwatch’s advent into my life has impeccable timing. It was raining in Manila, endlessly, for days. I also didn’t have the energy to sign up back to the gym and start my training for Spartan’s Trifecta Weekend in November, dealing with post-race blues and personal affairs that caused me to lose weight.

I knew I had to resume training. Luckily, the Redmi Watch 3 Active’s different workout modes accompanied me in getting my strength back.

Train your mind and body

With jump rope as a workout mode, I get to measure my skips in the morning. There are also workouts that are highly specific depending on your equipment such as Dumbbell, Wall Ball, Barbell, Weightlifting, Deadlift, Burpee, and Sit-Ups.

Something more general includes strength, physical training, and functional fitness training. If you’re focused on certain parts of your body, the workout modes have the option to focus on the upper body, lower body, abs, and back.

As for me, I only pick functional fitness training when I do home workouts since I use bodyweight exercises that help with my athletic performance. When I’m training my muscle strength, I opt to do calisthenics using my dip bars and pull-up bar. There are no guides if you’re clueless about what workouts to do.

The training modes just allow you to see how many kilocalories you’re burning, the duration of your workout, and the intensity of your heart rate while performing the exercises. It’s usually categorized between light, intensive, aerobic, anaerobic, and VO2 Max — which refers to the maximum oxygen consumption. Usually, that’s when you hit your limit.

For everyday life

The Redmi Watch 3 Active pairs easily whether on an Android smartphone or an iPhone. With only the Mi Fitness app, you can see comprehensive data regarding your health and fitness.

Since it pairs seamlessly with any smartphone, the smartwatch makes it easy to read notifications, answer calls, check your calendar, and adjust music playback. You can even remotely capture photos from your phone using just the camera button on the smartwatch!

Even if it’s connected with Bluetooth and WiFi, the smartwatch lasts for at least 7 days — even when using it for different workouts. When on standby, the Redmi Watch 3 Active also indicates how much battery is left and how many days it would last. Fun fact: With several settings off and a full battery, the smartwatch promises up to 12 days of battery life.

In a way, the Redmi Watch 3 Active gives off an everyday smartwatch vibe. It has all the bells and whistles of a smartwatch, in a design that looks elegant when working out and balancing work and life.

The watch faces are customizable, with over 200 options to choose from. It also comes with optional straps to match your everyday style. Lastly, it’s lightweight and waterproof with a 5ATM. Just what you need out of a reliable smartwatch!

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The Redmi Watch 3 Active is quite packed for an affordable smartwatch. It has everything you’ll need to kickstart your fitness journey, and a little bit more. You can stop making excuses about having a smartwatch before starting to work out or sign up for a gym membership. This one’s highly affordable, priced at PhP 1,999, and available at Xiaomi’s exclusive Shopee store.

It’s not as smooth, powerful, and feature-packed as most smartwatches. You’ll need to shell out money for that, especially if you want to elevate your performance. But if you’re just starting out, this smartwatch is a must-have to cop. Xiaomi breaks the notion that smartwatches have to be expensive to be functional. The Redmi Watch 3 Active might just be the best value-for-money smartwatch right now.