DIZO Watch 2 Sports offers a good entry point to the world of smartwatches

A few days ago a friend called in to ask if he can buy a decent smartwatch within 5K. He wasn’t looking for extra applications or something that makes a fashion statement. His needs include workout reports pertaining to jogging and hiking, and some control over the music player. Well, almost every smartwatch can tackle these things and that too at a far lower cost than what my friend has suggested.

One brand that is making all the right noises in the budget end of the smartwatch market is DIZO, which has just released Watch 2 Sports. In the last year, the brand has made great strides with smartwatches and earbuds but helping it grow is pricing combined with good hardware.

Lighter than its predecessor, there are almost all the features most want — enough sports modes, 5ATM water resistance and, of course, good battery life. The 1.69-inch screen is big and bright with excellent touch responsiveness. There is also anti-fingerprint coating. Having 600nits peak brightness, the screen is easy to read even under bright sunshine.

A wide range of watch faces can be accessed from the app, though most of which contain minor design tweaks, but for its price, one really can’t ask for more. Lighter than before, thanks to the plastic body, the user has access to 110 sports modes even though most will restrict to five or six options. The companion app can help with the user’s GPS running route (will be made available via upgrade) besides showing workout and exercise reports.

As far as step tracking or heart rate monitoring are concerned, the watch does a good job. There is also blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring, which is good but it always makes sense to buy a pulse oximeter for the best reading. Being light and easy on the wrist, the smartwatch can be worn throughout the day and even at night, when it can be used for tracking sleep. The watch’s biggest feature is battery life and on a full charge you can get eight days (the brand says it’s possible to get 10 days) out of it with all the features turned on.

The one upgrade we want to see on the app? The option to switch between DIZO watches should be made easily accessible. The question is will you be happy being restricted to the applications that come on a budget smartwatch? If not anything, the price is certainly attractive. DIZO Watch 2 Sports offers a good entry point to smartwatches and if you like it, you can move on to more expensive options.