Casio G-Shock GBD-200 Review: Perfectly Balanced
Casio G-Shock GBD-200 in the test: A perfectly balanced hybrid smartwatch
RRP $ 149.00
“The GBD-200 is a real hybrid smartwatch that protects the technology and goes overboard with a long service life. In combination with a slim case, a comfortable bracelet and without a battery for charging, it is ideal for all-day everyday life. "
advantages
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All day comfort
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Reliable, informative notifications
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Very durable
disadvantage
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Basic fitness tracking only
Casio has been making connected G-Shock watches with basic fitness tracking under the sporting nickname G-Squad for a while, and has been experimenting with smarter versions over the past year, complete with a permanent phone connection to enable notification assistance, and more recently, too a full Wear OS smartwatch. The new GBD-200 combines fitness tracking and permanent Bluetooth connection into a fully digital G-Shock hybrid smartwatch.
It's not the first G-Shock with this functionality, but it's the first to pack it all into a modest square case. It's a critical change and has been expertly combined with just the right amount of technology. We think this is how hybrid smartwatches should be, and here's why it works.
design
Casio has already added fitness tracking and full Bluetooth connectivity to several watches. Both the older GBD-100 and newer GBD-H1000 G Shock watches incorporate the functionality, but the design of both means they're not ideal for all-day everyday life. That's a problem because smartwatches, whether hybrid or full-touchscreen, offer the most benefits when you wear them all day.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The GBD-200 really is the first connected G-Shock you'll wear all day regardless of your wrist size. It is 58 grams and 15 mm thick, and for comparison: The 44 mm Apple Watch Series 6 weighs 36 grams without the strap and is 10.7 mm thick. It's modest in size for a G-Shock, won't stick to the cuff, can be worn snugly with no discomfort, and looks great in most situations. It's not too sporty and the different time slot options allow for a degree of personalization.
The square case is made of resin and is attached to a very soft and flexible urethane strap, complete with wrist guards attached to the eyelets to keep the watch centered on the wrist. The combination of all of these aspects makes the GBD-200 very portable indeed. I've been wearing it every day for over a week now and never once felt the need to take it off because it was annoying or too hot.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Casio is known for its square watch models, but the GBD-200 has adopted a design all of its own. The resin case has a central slot that runs around the side to highlight the color of the inner resin section, the start button is identified by its red stripe, and the light button has a light texture. Of course, it is shockproof and has a water resistance of 200 meters. Durability like this is important. The watch took some bumps and got pretty grubby while doing gardening so I washed it under the tap and now it looks like new.
I washed it off under running water and now it looks like new
I have a 6.5 inch wrist and the GBD-200 sits perfectly on it, at least to my eyes. It's not clumsy or weirdly large, and the square case means it fits a lot more wrist sizes than the GBA-900 or H1000 watches. People with narrower wrists might not appreciate the chunky look of the black GBD-200, but if you're used to large watches and can get past the design (alternative colors are available) then it's by far G-Shocks' best option current range of fitness watches and the bracelet is highly adjustable.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The stealth black version seen here is complemented by a bright yellow model in the US, while a cool blue model is available in some other regions.
Screen and software
The GBD-200 does not have a touchscreen and you only interact with it using the buttons on the housing. There are a total of five, with the side buttons controlling the software and the front button for activating the backlight. All of them are easy to find but require a bit of force to push. However, this means that you don't accidentally do it.
As with most G-Shock watches, it takes a while to get used to using the watch as it doesn't always feel natural, especially if you are used to touch screens or no watch at all. The mode button scrolls through the menu and displays the interval training screen, stopwatch, activity data, and the notification window. A long press on the Adjust button opens a diverse settings menu, while a short press changes the layout of the main time display.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The screen has a "negative" appearance, which means that it has a black background and gray color for text and numbers. It's small compared to smartwatches and there is no brightness adjustment. The size means it's not always easy to see notification details at a glance, especially if your eyesight isn't absolutely perfect like me. However, it's clear and legible even in sunlight, and if you're still having problems with the size, one of the alternative time layouts has very large numbers, making it easier to see.
I tested the watch connected to an iPhone 12 Pro which requires G-Shock's Move app to be installed. Notifications were very reliable, but don't expect them to be as eye-catching or actionable as they are on a touchscreen smartwatch. A notification consists of two stages. You will get a little warning showing the app and a few words of the message, which is enough to get an idea of whether or not it requires your attention. To see more you will need to navigate through the menu to the notification page and then select the message you want to view in more detail.
It takes a lot of keystrokes to get to this point, and even more so to scroll through a single message, due to the screen's ability to display text alone, but you can see almost all of the information. You can't reply to or interact with messages on the watch, but it warns you of text messages and calls along with app messages. By default, the watch beeps when a message comes in, but it's pretty loud and irritating. It can be switched off in the menu or replaced by a vibration strong enough to be noticeable on the wrist.
It was really great to wear a G-Shock watch that shows notifications as well
The GBD-200 doesn't offer the same level of interaction or smartphone syncing as an Apple Watch or other full touchscreen smartwatch, but it is enough to be helpful. It was really great to wear a G-Shock watch that also shows notifications as it is exactly what you get from a fitness band, including a phone finder, without compromising on style.
Fitness tracking
While notifications and smartphone support come close to that of a simple fitness band, fitness tracking focuses on walking and running, and there are no options to track specific workouts or activities like golf, swimming, or yoga. Starting a run is as simple as pressing the Start button and the display will then show the elapsed time, distance and pace. Press the same button again to stop tracking.
That's it, apart from interval workout tracking. This requires some settings, but only needs to be done once. It can save up to 20 different intervals for a single workout and the time can be set individually for each phase. It's a shame that this can't be set up in the G-Shock Move app as it's lengthy on the watch. It's also easy to make a mistake, and since the operating system isn't very fast, the trial-and-error aspect can be frustrating.
Main screen of the G-Shock Move app Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
G-Shock Move app activity log Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Activity screen Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The data is synced in the app when you open it. The Move app is highly customizable, right down to the order information is displayed on the screen. The number of steps can be viewed on the watch face or in the app, where you also get a breakdown of your workout with calories burned and distance. I really like the watch face, which shows the progress towards your goal for each day of the week, which helps you better understand your daily activities. The watch has neither a heart rate monitor nor its own GPS, but it can take data from your phone or another device. It's also linked to Apple Health, Google Fit, and Strava.
Combined with a smartwatch or a fitness band, fitness tracking on the GBD-200 is simple and not very informative. The accuracy is good and the watch matches the step count and distance tracked by other wearables. Whether the functionality is sufficient depends on your own needs. If you want a daily step count and a way to track a walk or run just to monitor your personal level of activity, this is perfectly acceptable. However, if you want deeper analysis, including data from a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, or multiple exercise modes, this is not the watch for you.
Battery and charging
This will be a short section, as befits any hybrid smartwatch. The GBD-200 uses a single internal battery, which Casio says should last about a year before needing to be replaced if you use the Bluetooth connection all the time and record an hour of activity every day. Use it less and the lifespan can be up to two years.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Not having to charge the battery is a huge benefit. The need for regular charging has become commonplace even with hybrid smartwatches as they become more technically complex. Casio balances just enough fitness tracking and smartwatch functionality with really long battery life. Yes, it would have been great to see solar charge on the GBD-200, but that would affect the price.
Price and availability
The GBD-200 is priced at $ 149, or £ 139. It will be available in both the US and the UK through G-Shock's online store and boutique retail stores.
Our opinion
The G-Shock GBD-200 is exactly what a hybrid smartwatch should be. It looks just like a regular watch – in this case a distinctive and desirable square G-Shock – and since it was made by a skilled watchmaker with decades of experience, the convenience is spot on. It has basic smartwatch connectivity, but manages to fit in reliable and informative notifications, as well as decent fitness tracking, assuming you don't want anything too in-depth. It does all of this without the need to charge the battery, so it wears out completely.
You pay less for it than most full-touchscreen smartwatches, and the price is similar to its closest competitor, the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR. I find it better looking, however, and it's certainly more watch-like than the Jorn, which leans more towards a full smartwatch. This is where Casio actually succeeds. Many companies have gone beyond the traditional hybrid smartwatch and got carried away with adding technology with limited utility. The GBD-200 doesn't do that, and that's all the better.
Instead, the GBD-200 remembers that it is a G-Shock watch, so it's very sturdy and has a long-lasting battery, and sensibly avoids the size-related drawbacks of its other newer hybrid models, and doesn't try much on the either technical side. It is enough for anyone who is not an athlete or a hardcore fitness fan and does not want a touchscreen watch to be charged every day. It creates the right balance between design and technology and makes it a real hybrid smartwatch.
Is there a better alternative?
There isn't necessarily a better alternative, but what if you want more tech and fitness tracking capabilities? In that case, you have the option of Casio's hybrid connected G-Shock, the more expensive 400-GBD-H1000 with solar power and a bigger screen, plus a heart rate monitor and GPS. However, it is a much larger and heavier watch and needs to be charged externally if you use the GPS regularly.
The $ 195 Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR, along with Fossil's other Hybrid HR watch models, also features a heart rate monitor, as well as a clever e-ink screen for showing notifications and other information. They're a step up from the GBD-200 in terms of fitness tracking, but battery life is around a week. What if you want a full touchscreen smartwatch or a fitness band with more activity tracking without spending more than $ 150? The Amazfit GTR 2e is our recommendation, or you can spend around $ 60 or less and get the Honor Band 6, Xiaomi Mi Band 6, or Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 fitness band.
How long it will take?
The GBD-200 meets the usual G-Shock hardness standards, so it is shock and vibration resistant and waterproof up to 200 meters. The resin body is very durable and the urethane tape is very securely attached to the case, besides, it is strong and flexible. The battery can either be replaced yourself if you have the tools and knowledge to ensure its water resistance, or by taking the watch to a professional. The G-Shock GBD-200 will last for years without any problems, even if you don't treat it very well.
Should you buy it?
Yes. It's a very durable, very distinctive designed Hybrid G-Shock watch with just the right amount of activity tracking and smartwatch functionality.
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