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The Casio G-Shock smartwatch alternative is here with the G-Shock GSW-H1000 The Casio G-Shock smartwatch alternative is here with the G-Shock GSW-H1000

The Casio G-Shock smartwatch alternative is here with the G-Shock GSW-H1000

Thor Svaboe

Can the Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 cause an upset in the smartwatch market? For me, living in Norway where most of my mates are very outdoorsy (you try telling them you don’t like skiing), I’m already seeing a scary decline in mechanical watches.   Everyday at the office for many translates to a naked wrist or an Apple Watch, then a Garmin, Polar or Samsung “wearable” for that afternoon run or bike ride. In other words, a growing number of people are already open to the functionality of a smartwatch. For those who still resist, the physical inertia of working from home means that we also need to get active or at least try to avoid the onset of complete muscular atrophy. So the logic of a smartwatch makes increasing sense. But while many watch enthusiasts feel the temptation, they’re not moved by the products offer. One brand, however, makes large, cool digital sports watches that still have the respect of the watch community – Casio G-Shock.

G-Shock GSW-H1000

Powered by Wear OS by Google, the Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 is a proper no compromise smartwatch. As a G-Shock it comes with the recognisable battle-proof exterior and design language you’ll see on the arm of everyone from schoolkids to Navy Seal snipers. 

As a G-Shock it comes with a 200m depth rating and the notion that should you get run over by a tank, only the watch would survive. But now your G-Shock can also spur you on, whether scaling that cliff, doing an ultramarathon like our Nick (massive kudos), or simply counting your steps OUT of the house.

The GSW-H1000 comes with the features you expect from a fitness-focused piece of wearable tech. There’s an optical heart rate sensor with the built-in software supporting 15 activities and 24 indoor workout options. The 1.2-inch 360 x 360 dual-layer display combines a monochrome always-on LCD display with a colour LCD panel. Battery life is rated at around one and a half days if you’re using the color display, extending to up to a month if you only use the watch for timekeeping and sensors. A full charge takes around three hours, according to Casio.

The new GSW-H1000 supports GPS and has a built-in compass, altitude sensor, accelerometer, and a gyrometer (well, yes, you do need one). Wear OS means the Google Assistant and Google Fit support, and you can download apps from Google Play. And unlike the Garmins and Polars of this world, this is still a charmingly big and unbreakable G-Shock. Enough said.

The Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 Smartwatch, Price and Availability:

The Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 is expected to arrive at retailers in May 20021 for $699USD