First Look: Casio PRO TREK Smart WSD-F30 Fastest Review What's new from the previous model?

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Written by Yasushi Hisatomi

the PRO TREK Smart is here, the watch you can wear every day

latest model in the PRO TREK Smart outdoor smartwatches, the WSD-F30 , will be released Pre-orders will begin on December 1, 2018, at stores that carry the PRO TREK Smart .

This is the long-awaited, downsized upgrade to the WSD-F20 , which not only boasts features and durability designed for outdoor use, such as various sensors and offline maps, but also everyday usability thanks to Wear OS by Google WSD- , reviewing various uses in the mountains. This time, we were able to get a sneak peek at a sample unit before its release. First, we'd like to quickly report on the details of what's new, comparing it to the previous model.

table of contents

table of contents
Appearance comparison
Functional comparison
Summary: Thanks to long-awaited evolution and subtle improvements, this outdoor smartwatch is one you'll want to wear every day

Appearance comparison
Functional comparison
Summary: Thanks to long-awaited evolution and subtle improvements, this outdoor smartwatch is one you'll want to wear every day

Appearance comparison

It is now lighter and more compact, making it easier for women to use

the F30 is undoubtedly its compact body size. While the basic design follows that of the F20, the case height has been reduced from 61.7mm to 60.5mm (-1.2mm) and the width from 57.7mm to 53.8mm (-3.9mm).

When you put it on your wrist, its small size becomes even more apparent. The thickness has only become slightly thinner, but I think this alone makes the design easier to fit for people with thin wrists like me, and for women. By the way, blue has been added to the previous orange and black colors

The weight has also been reduced slightly, resulting in a more natural fit and improved comfort

The slimmer and softer belt is now standard and interchangeable

The strap has also been revised to accommodate the smaller body. It is now 4mm narrower and slightly thinner, making it more flexible. As you can see in the photo, the spacing between the holes has also been narrowed, allowing for more precise length adjustment

the F30 comes standard with a strap change function, which was previously F20X

Image quality, color reproduction, contrast... an improved OLED display and automatic brightness adjustment function using a light sensor

the F30 is the adoption of an OLED display for the first time. OLED displays generally offer superior image quality, response time, color reproduction, contrast, viewing angle, and power consumption compared to the TFT LCDs used in previous models. Despite the screen size being smaller, down from 1.32 inches to 1.2 inches, this improvement allows for a higher-resolution display (320x300 → 390x390) than the previous model.

We compared the maximum brightness outdoors on a cloudy day. At first glance, the previous model's TFT LCD (left) appears brighter, but the OLED LCD (right) offers higher resolution, more vivid colors, and stronger contrast, making it easier to see even on a small screen

Furthermore, the F30 now allows you to set the screen brightness to automatically adjust to your surroundings. This is a feature that is surprisingly common on smartphones, but for someone like me who doesn't like to worry about small details, it's a very welcome addition.

New screen brightness setting with the addition of "Automatic" option

The button layout has been revised to make it less likely that you'll make an error, but..

The shape of the buttons has also been slightly revised. As you can see in the photo below, the F20 ), the buttons were raised from the surrounding area, but the F30 , the bottom half of the button (towards the arm) is flat, filling in the unevenness, making it less likely to accidentally press the buttons when bending your wrist.

The F30 (right) has a cover on the bottom half of the button to prevent it from being operated

However, while that alone would have been fine, one thing that really bothered me was the feel of the buttons when you pressed them. The click feeling that was present on the previous model is gone, and it feels a little softer. It may not be a big deal once you get used to it, but personally I preferred the feel of the previous model

Original watch face "Frontier" added

A new original watch face, "Frontier," has been added. It features a world map with emphasized terrain, with a hexagonal mesh stretched across it, and places you've visited are filled in with color. Unfortunately, only one place, Tokyo, is currently filled in, but you'll find yourself wanting to wear it and fill in all the places around the world

With the new "Frontier" watch face, hexagonal pins are placed at each location you visit

Functional comparison

More detailed, convenient and easy-to-use monochrome display mode

the F20 only showed the time and date, but with the F30 the number of items that can be displayed has increased dramatically. For example, it can display altitude, barometric pressure, and direction all at once, as well as remaining battery life and a pedometer. This eliminates the need to activate sensors with the tool button every time, which greatly contributes to saving battery power.

You can check the air pressure and altitude even when the display is monochrome

Three battery modes for efficient power saving depending on your needs

Battery life has long been a concern compared to other GPS outdoor watches, but the F30 has thoroughly revised its internal circuit design and algorithms, and is equipped with three battery modes for efficient power saving, alleviating concerns from both a hardware and software perspective.

Normal use mode

First, I tried using both the F20 and F30 without worrying about anything the F30 calls " normal use mode" ), the F30 consumed an average of about 50-70% of its battery life over 16 hours of daytime use. This was almost the same when compared with the the F20

Extend Mode

" Extended Mode " is designed for overnight hikes and other activities, and while the GPS remains active, it cuts off communication and displays only the color map at the touch of a button. In this mode, the watch automatically turns off from the evening until the next morning, when you're not likely to be active. This dramatically reduces battery consumption by limiting the functionality to the bare minimum for hiking.

"Extend Mode" allows you to set a pre-defined action plan and automatically turns off the power at other times, efficiently conserving battery power

According to the manufacturer, if you use GPS recording and map display for 8 hours each day, the battery will last for 3 days, but I actually tried it out myself to see how long it would last. The photo below shows the watch after about 8 hours of activity, with the battery remaining at about 70%. At this rate, it should definitely last for 3 days

By the way, I was also able to launch YAMAP in the background and keep track of things. However, as expected, the battery consumption did not go down as expected, so it doesn't seem like the phone will actually last three days with the current usage. I'll be doing a more detailed check of this in my review after the phone is released

Multi-Timepiece Mode

This monochrome display mode shuts down all functions except for the time and sensor information display, conserving battery power to the maximum extent possible. According to the manufacturer, the battery lasts for about a month. The monochrome display has two options: "Outdoor Mode" for altitude, barometric pressure, and direction, and "Everyday Mode" for step count and battery life. It's designed for long-term mountain hikes where charging is not possible for longer than three days. However, I always bring a portable battery or solar battery, and if I only plan to use the watch function, I'd take a regular Pro Trek, so this is truly a mode for emergencies

Offline maps with improved functionality

The offline map, with its high-resolution and easy-to-use interface, has been subtly upgraded in the F30 version. First of all, it now shows the direction you are facing on the map

The F30 added a display showing the clock direction on the map

Additionally, the number of maps that can be downloaded and saved has been increased from 1 to 5. This means you can stock up on familiar mountain ranges and use them repeatedly with a single download

The downloaded map selection screen. The "1/3" at the top of the photo means that this is the first of three downloaded maps

Summary: Thanks to long-awaited evolution and subtle improvements, this outdoor smartwatch is one you'll want to wear every day

With a smaller body and an OLED screen the WSD-F30 retains the same overall concept as its predecessor - robustness ideal for outdoor use and offline maps - but is now more compact, easier to see, and easier to use. With the addition of a battery-saving option, which was a concern, it can be said that the watch has made solid progress in terms of ease of use as an outdoor watch.

Furthermore, the latest version of Wear OS by Google makes apps like Google Assistant and Google Fit even easier to use, making it even more convenient for everyday use. The F30 is now smaller and easier to read, and its usability as a smartwatch has steadily improved, making it a must-have item for outdoor enthusiasts, from everyday use to weekend activities.

Next time, after the product is released, I would like to go into more detail about its usability in the field and provide a review

As mentioned at the beginning, pre-orders will begin at stores that carry the PRO TREK Smart on December 1, 2018, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out. For more details or inquiries, please visit the official product page here . Additionally, useful information and the latest updates from the manufacturer the PRO TREK Facebook page .