Buzz
The GSW-H1000 is a remarkable flagship smartwatch from Casio. It features dual-layer display on the same unique screen and boasts stunningly authentic G-Shock watch faces. Watch the hands-on video now.1. Exterior Appearance
The Casio GSW-H1000 boasts an incredibly rugged and bold GShock-inspired design.
Remarkably thick, measuring approximately 2cm in depth.
And quite hefty, weighing in at around 103 grams including the strap.
The outer casing is crafted from reinforced plastic adorned with attractive honeycomb patterns.
Raised plastic details serve to cushion against shocks and protect the glass face.
The micro area is intricately honeycombed to seamlessly blend with the casing's pattern.
The left side lacks push buttons, featuring instead a magnetic charging port and sensor area.
The GSW-H1000 utilizes an unconventional charging port and cable. It's bulky and somewhat detracts from the watch's overall design. Casio should consider concealing this charging port for a more aesthetically pleasing look.
Despite creating a separate charging port, the GSW-H1000 has a notably slow charging time, taking 3 hours to fully charge, which is a weak point of this timepiece.
The right side features 3 sturdy buttons for interacting with the watch, each button finished in a different style.- The top button is painted in black steel (matching the watch's color scheme for emphasis). This button provides quick access to sports features.
- The bottom left button in white steel is used for quick access to Casio's exclusive software on the GSW-H1000.
- The middle button is the largest and most rugged, featuring prominent textured grooves. This button is used to access the main wearOS menu.
The back of the GSW-H1000 is made from high-strength titanium grade 5 material, providing durability against scratches and corrosion.
The cluster of heart sensors encased in titanium protrudes slightly to fit snugly against the skin, ensuring more accurate heart rate data measurement.
The strap is attached to the casing using large hexagonal screws, giving it a rugged and stylish appearance. The outer surface of the strap is also textured with honeycomb patterns to complement the design on the casing.
Inside, where the strap meets the casing, there is a high-density rubber cushion that creates a curvature to evenly distribute the weight of the watch, providing a secure and stable fit with minimal shifting.
The strap features a dual folding clasp for a sleeker and more secure look. The inner surface of the strap is slightly concave to allow water drainage and quick drying.2. Unique Dual-Layer Display
The Casio GSW-H1000 boasts a highly unique dual-layer display. Both layers measure 1.2' with a high resolution of 360x360.Color LCD Screen
A color LCD screen to display the primary wearOS interface with vibrant colors.
On this Digital watch face, Casio divides the screen into 3 areas: Top, Middle, and Bottom, allowing users to customize to display different information. When touching the area to change the displayed parameter, the screen will show 2 arrows back and forth for adjustment.
The top section prioritizes displaying daily summary information such as date, burned calories, etc.
The middle section features larger and clearer parameters compared to the top and bottom, such as the current time of day.
The bottom section is dedicated to displaying essential monitoring data in chart form, such as weekly activity summaries, heart rate graphs, tide charts, etc.
Tap the screen once more to complete the display setup for the various sections.
You can even replace the background pattern below for added style.
The watch face features hands with a map background underneath indicating the user's current location.
You can install additional watch faces from the wearOS app, but personally, I find the 3 default faces with plenty of customization options to be more than sufficient.
Users can interact using both physical buttons and touchscreen on this display, similar to other wearOS watches, ensuring smooth and responsive operations.
Complete support for Vietnamese fonts enables users to fully comprehend message notifications.
Decline calls directly on the screen, but answering calls routes to the phone since the watch only has a microphone and no speaker for calls.Monochrome LCD Screen
A monochrome LCD screen displays time information like a traditional GShock watch. In other words, this monochrome screen is specifically used for the always-on display mode for the GSW-H1000.
The monochrome screen enables high battery saving capability while maintaining excellent display quality even under direct sunlight.
With the same display content as in this mode, the color LCD screen is activated.
Instead of reducing the screen brightness like many other smartwatches, the GSW-H1000 automatically switches from the color LCD screen to using this monochrome LCD screen after a while.3. Sports Feature
Casio has developed a software specifically for the GSW-H1000 called Activity to assist in measuring various sports activities with a GShock-style interface.
Activity supports a wide range of sports, including support for off-road sports like Trail Running and Mountain Biking.
The sports watch face is also divided into 3 display areas where users can customize to show desired metrics such as Speed, Distance, Time, Altitude, etc.
Users can review their sports history directly on the watch, although the interface layout is a bit cluttered.
Casio has developed a dedicated software called G-Shock Move to help users review their sports history more clearly and beautifully. It also displays detailed health and fitness metrics such as VO2 Max and heart rate zones.4. Special Feature
Time Mode
When users don't want to use the GSW-H1000 as a smartwatch, they have the option to completely disable wearOS using the Time Mode feature, turning the GSW-H1000 into a true traditional Casio GShock watch.When Time Mode is activated, the GSW-H1000 will turn off the color screen and all sensors on the watch, including the heart rate sensor, retaining only the monochrome screen and backlight for the monochrome screen. This option will help users extend the usage time of the GSW-H1000 up to 1 month before needing to recharge.5. Casio GSW-H1000 Quick Review
Advantages
- G-Shock-inspired design, rugged and stylish
- Premium and meticulous craftsmanship
- Unique dual-layer display screen
- Customizable watch face with 3 informative and unique display areas
- Sports information face with 3 customizable areas displaying useful metrics
- Time Piece feature allows users to switch between a smartwatch and a G-Shock watch
Disadvantages
- Clumsy and unattractive charging pin hole compared to the overall design
- Very slow charging, takes 3 hours to fully charge
- Despite the support of a monochrome LCD screen, the battery life of the GSW-H1000 is still not very good; if used for sports regularly, it needs to be charged almost every day
- High price, $800 in the international market, around 20 million VND in Vietnam
