Not so long ago I came across a note about a smart watch Lenovo Watch 9. At first, they seemed to me not a very interesting option, but curiosity got the better of it, and the watch was ordered and received for experiments.
Initially, they seemed to me not a very interesting option due to the lack of a display and a rather simple, one might even say, boring appearance. And the reputation Lenovo as a manufacturer of wearable electronics, in my understanding, was not the best – it did not exist at all.
The characteristics of the watches and their price helped to tip the scales in favor of the purchase.
The watch was bought for 1200 rubles. along with delivery, which, you must agree, is quite a bit for, as it turned out, quite a good watch, and even with smart functionality.
When ordering the watch, the packaging in the photo looked larger than it actually is. The watch arrived in a small and neat white box. Inside – the clock itself in a plastic bath and an accordion booklet with a description of the main functions of the clock (in Chinese).
In addition to describing the functions, the brochure contains QR codes with a link to the companion app.
I recommend using this link only if you are fluent in Chinese. Seriously, when you try to download the application from the link, a bunch of Chinese junk will try to install on your smartphone, which will immediately start to fill you with advertising gibberish, flavored with a fair share of hieroglyphs and flashing banners.
Do not do that. It would be much more correct to download the translated version of the application in the corresponding topic of the famous w3bsit3-dns.com forum. But about the application a little later.
Appearance and materials
Watches come in two colors and with different strap widths – white and black, with straps of 20 and 18 mm. And the first watches on the market appeared with a strap width of 20mm, then Lenovo they began to produce a version with a width of 18mm. It is not clear what this is connected with, but it can be assumed that the order of the first and subsequent batches was simply placed at different factories.
The watch looks surprisingly decent – the case is made of steel, sapphire crystal and a silicone strap of the standard design for watches. Yes, the body is made of steel, not aluminum, as it might seem at first glance.
In my case, a black version with an 18mm strap.
Laconic design tending to minimalism creates a strict image that suits almost any form of clothing, be it jeans, classic or even a tracksuit. A white watch looks more elegant, but also more obliging in terms of clothing.
The thin, strict hands and divisions corresponding to 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock are coated with light-accumulating material, which allows the watch to glow in the dark.
On average, the 'charge' of the hands is enough for an hour of glow in the dark. Not much, but if you are suddenly locked up in a dark safe, it’s enough to see the time, but you still won’t be able to hold out for more than an hour in a locked safe – there’s not enough air. ?
Okay, as a joke, let's move on. The rest of the marks are light gray paint on the dark gray dial, which makes them difficult to see even in good light. The white clock is doing much better with this point.
In the division corresponding to 12 o'clock, there is a small LED that blinks red when notifications are received or when you press a single button.
On the reverse side, the watch is covered with a polished cover in the form of concentric circles, on which the text is applied, telling us that this is a smart watch and that it is protected from water pressure up to 5ATM.
In life, this level of protection means that you can take a shower in the watch, get caught in the rain, but you should not submerge it under water. On my own behalf, I will add that the watch survived perfectly well when bathing in a sink filled with water, but I should not repeat such experiments after me.
Silicone bracelet with a stylized perforation texture and a secure metal buckle.
It is durable and non-allergenic. It, of course, can be replaced with a metal bracelet, but it looks pretty good.
Before we move on to describing the functionality, I suggest looking under the cover and getting to know the insides of the watch.
Insides
To open the watch, it is enough to pry off the lid in a specially marked place – there is a ledge on the lid. By the way, the cover is massive, reliable, made of thick good metal.
Opening the watch, we see that between the case and the lid there is a rubber O-ring that protects the watch mechanism from moisture. Around the movement, in turn, there is an O-ring made of white plastic, which securely fixes the inside of the watch in the case. It was easy to retrieve it. After that, the mechanism is also easily removed from the case.
Please note that the mechanism has three clickers under the buttons – apparently, a standard clock mechanism is used, a kind of template in which unused elements simply do not work.
It is common practice in such cases. The watch runs on a standard battery, which is quite easy to change – you don't even have to remove the mechanism itself, just open the lid. Because of this, there is no charging connector on the case, which is usual for such gadgets – the clock works for about a year from one battery. I think this is a great indicator.
There is a reset button on the mechanism itself, which is pressed by something thin and sharp. After pressing the reset, the clock freezes for a while, and then continues to run. This deletes all information about the steps taken, and also cancels synchronization with all previously connected devices. As you can imagine, this button is only accessible after opening the watch.
The dial itself has another row of markers in its lower third, created to track the number of steps taken. The markup is done in percent, but you can make out the numbers only if you have very good eyesight. We have to focus on approximate calculations.
When you look at the button from the inside, it becomes clear that this is just a mechanical spring-loaded rod that has no additional functions. The glass is pressed into the body and cannot be removed (checked).
Putting it together and moving on to the functionality.
Functionality and application
As I wrote above, it is best to use the application downloaded from the w3bsit3-dns.com forum. Craftsmen translated it and added functionality. Thank them for that. The installation is standard, during which the application will require permissions for various phone functions.
So, in terms of smart functions, the watch can do the following:
- Notify about events on the phone by briefly vibrating and flashing the LED;
- Wake you up at a specified time or in the desired phase of sleep with a smart alarm – again with vibration;
- Count steps and show progress from a predetermined goal;
- Act as a shutter button for the camera of the connected phone;
- Notify about loss of connection with the phone;
- Show the time, oddly enough.
The clock is able to synchronize the time with the phone. To do this, there is a special item in the application settings – we go there, after which the time will stop and the application will offer to enter the time that the clock is currently showing, and then confirm the choice. After that, the hands will start moving, and the watch will set the time by itself.
There is one peculiarity – I recommend waiting until the actual time is longer than the clock shows, because the clock can only turn the hands forward. Therefore, if the time on the watch is longer than the actual time on the phone, you will have to wait a long time for the hands to go around a full day.
There is also a nuance with notifications. The fact is that for different types of notifications, only one type of vibration is provided – three short signals. This is inconvenient, as you react to all notifications so that you do not suddenly miss a call. In this regard, there is a complaint about the alarm clock – three short vibrations are not always enough to wake you up. If your sleep is not light, then this alarm will not wake you up.
The vibration is not the strongest and is rather shallow, but at the same time it is sufficient not to miss a notification, but not sufficient for an alarm clock.
The button has only one function – a single press allows you to get information about the number of steps taken. In this case, the second hand rises on the division corresponding to the percentage of steps passed from the goal set in the application settings.
Remember when I said that the clock can only turn the hands forward? So, after the arrow has risen to a division, it will remain there until time reaches it and pushes it forward. Therefore, do not be alarmed that after pressing the button, the arrow does not immediately go – it should be so.
In addition to the standard step counting functionality for such devices, the application has various training modes, including running, swimming and cycling. The application also monitors your sleep, however, sleeping in a classic-sized watch is such a pleasure.
Since the app is universal and is used for the next generation of 'X' watches, some functions will not work, such as heart rate measurement and swimming mode. Why these items were not hidden for this generation of watches is not clear – apparently, they saved.
In addition to the above, there is nothing special to tell, so there are no more features in the watch. And, although there is – the watch can act as a shutter button for the camera.
To do this, you need to run the desired menu item, and then. either press the button or shake the clock to take a picture.
Impressions instead of conclusions
When using this watch in everyday life, it seems that the development of the product was done on a leftover principle in terms of software, since everything is very good in terms of iron – the Citizen movement, a solid steel case, a reliable silicone strap and sapphire crystal. These are unambiguous advantages. During use, no scratches or chips of the coating appeared on the case, so we can hope that the watch will retain its presentable appearance for a long time. In terms of smart capabilities, by and large, watches have basic functionality that allows you to use the watch for its intended purpose and at the same time receive notifications from applications. Do not expect miracles from them. This is a decent watch with a classic design that can be used without smart features.
And if you remember their cost of 1200-1500 rubles, then the purchase will be very attractive. Yes, these watches have almost all smart gadgets among competitors, including such formidable competitors as Xiaomi Mi Band of different generations, but they do not have such a plus as the appearance of a classic watch.