Casio announced their third generation of the PRO TREK Smart watch today in Berlin at Europe’s biggest technology show (IFA 2018). The WSD-F30 improves on its predecessor, the WSD-F20, from 2017, in many ways.
One of the most notable is a new “Extend Mode” which gives the ability to use offline color maps and the GPS log recording for up to three days off a single charge.
In Extend Mode, time and measurement data is continuously shown on the monochrome display, and a color map can be displayed with a push of the button. Extend Mode also conserves energy by switching the operating system to energy-saving standby mode on a schedule set by the user.
The Smart utilizes the Wear OS by Google, features a dual layer screen, is water-resistant to 50 meters, and according to Casio is built to military durability specifications.
Additionally, the inner components have been rearranged to create a watch case that is 3.9 mm narrower and 0.4 mm thinner than before, for a more sleek watch that looks good even on thin wrists. The resin bezel has received a new Nano treatment that gives it a metal-like luster for a luxurious feel. And the watchband has been improved with added flexibility and more holes for greater adjustability and fit.
Casio’s WSD-F30 features a new enhanced dual-layer monochrome LCD and color display which employs an OLED display that shows maps and data in finer detail.
The monochrome display now shows atmospheric pressure/altitude and compass bearing. The wrist device also comes with an enhanced version of Multi Timepiece Mode that allows only time data to be shown in monochrome while toggling off smartphone communication and the color display.
Case dimensions are 60.5 mm × 53.8 mm × 14.9 mm and the watch weighs 83 grams including the strap. The lithium battery is charged via a magnetic terminal that takes approximately 3-hours for a full charge. Wireless connectivity is handled by Bluetooth® V4.1 (Low Energy) or Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n). Normal use with the color display should last approximately 1.5 days. In Multi-Timepiece mode, which is timekeeping and sensors only, power can last as long as a month on one full charge.
The touchscreen has an anti-fouling coating and the watch meets Environmental Durability standards for the United States military issued by the U.S. Department of Defense (MIL-STD-810) which is for low-temperature resistance (-10°C).
Retail for the Casio PRO TREK Smart WSD-F30 is $549 and it comes in black, blue, or orange and will be available in late January 2019.
