Review: Casio Smart Outdoor Watch WSD-F10 - A PRO TREK user discovers the potential of smart outdoor watches

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to try out the Casio WSD-F10 smart outdoor watch (and EX-FR100 digital camera), which was released in the spring of 2016. I was given the freedom to write whatever I wanted, so I'd like to share my impressions after using it for about a month

Incidentally, I've only been using so-called outdoor watches for the past five years or so. As a fan of stream climbing, I was used to using 1:25,000 topographical maps, and I preferred the good old-fashioned method of staring at a compass while noting the terrain's features. But now, my Casio PRO TREK is an essential part of my travels. Of course, I wouldn't die without it, but once I get used to using it, I can't let it go. Safety is a given, but above all, I enjoy seeing the track I've taken to reach my goal, and now I find myself checking the altimeter whenever I have free time. However, on the other hand, I'm not particularly adept at using the more complicated functions, so I was excited to check out how much a smart outdoor watch can change mountain climbing from the perspective of an outdoor watch user. So, let's get started.

What can you do?

First, let's take a quick look at what this watch can do. As you can see from its rugged appearance, the WSD-F10 is equipped with numerous functions and features designed for outdoor use, and in that sense, it can do almost the same things as an outdoor watch like the PRO TREK. In fact, apart from environmental resistance and solar charging, it can do almost everything my current favorite PRO TREK can do (see table below)

Main functions available with the WSD-F10

Furthermore, because this watch is a wearable device powered by Android Wear OS, it can be used in conjunction with a smartphone, like the Apple Watch, allowing for more advanced, communication-based functions not possible with conventional watches. However, this also means that the watch's full appeal cannot be realized without being connected to a smartphone. Also, Garmin and Suunto , the GPS performance is dependent on the smartphone, so it's important to keep this in mind.

Main functions that can only be used by connecting to a smartphone

Items marked with an (*) in the table are functions that cannot be used or are limited when connected to an iPhone. Considering the price (75,600 yen), it is best to consider that using it with an Android smartphone is essential to fully enjoy the value of this watch

I actually tried it out on the mountain - How does it compare to the PRO TREK?

Preparation for use

To use the WSD-F10, you must first install the Android Wear app on the smartphone you want to connect to, and then pair the smartphone and watch via Bluetooth

Pairing devices is one of those tedious tasks that I have to do over and over again, and I hope it becomes a thing of the past soon

Even though I'm used to this process lasting several tens of minutes, the unpleasant feeling of having to follow detailed and difficult instructions and wait anxiously to see if the pairing goes well is nothing but a nuisance. It's one of those things I'd like to avoid if possible, but fortunately this time the pairing was completed smoothly, and all the apps on my smartphone that can be operated from the watch were installed at the same time

Hardware

Appearance, size, buttons, etc

While tastes may differ when it comes to the design and color, I personally find the beautiful form and mechanical texture that only a brand with a proven track record in outdoor watches can offer quite appealing. The weight when worn is surprisingly light, despite its appearance. Furthermore, the watch itself, which meets US military MIL standards, is clearly built to be sturdy. The joint between the rubber band and the watch itself is also sturdy, and it won't budge even if you pull it hard. However, the operating temperature range is 0 to 40°C, so caution is advised when using it in harsh winter mountains

If it were just a wristwatch, you might think the 61.7mm x 56.4mm body size is bulky, but as you use it, you'll start to feel that it's just the right size for the amount of information it displays, and it won't bother you that much

More than that, as someone who doesn't usually wear watches, the 15.7mm thickness (see photo below) was a real concern for me. When outdoors, I frequently take off and put on my backpack and jacket, so the watch would always get caught on my sleeve, which was a minor annoyance that hadn't existed with previous PRO TREK models. It might not be a problem if you were wearing it over your sleeve, but in the summer, you're often wearing it directly on your skin, and while it's a matter of getting used to it and individual differences, it's impossible to completely eliminate the annoyance

On the left or top is the WSD-F10, and on the right or bottom is my current PAW-2000T-7. You can see that it's a size larger overall

The watch itself is simple, with only three buttons on the right side (see photo below). As an outdoor watch, even if the touchscreen LCD can handle detailed operations, it must not compromise simple and safe operability in any situation. Having too many buttons makes it difficult to understand, and having too many touchscreens makes it difficult to use. In that sense, I think the balance between simplicity and ease of use is exquisite, with a design that is large and easy to press even with gloves on

The "TOOL" button on the side allows you to access various gauges such as altitude and barometric pressure, while the "APP" button allows you to freely set the app to launch, allowing you to quickly launch the app you set with a single button press

Magnetic charging terminal

To charge, a dedicated cable is used, with a magnetic connection to the watch. This cable is sensitive to force from both sides, and can easily come off even while charging (see photo below). While this isn't a problem if you leave it on a desk or somewhere else, it can be quite difficult to charge inside a tent or backpack, so you need to be careful

Highly reliable LCD display

The device's biggest selling point is its dual-layer display, which combines a 1.32-inch color TFT LCD (320 x 300 pixels) that also serves as a touch panel with a monochrome LCD. By switching between the regular full-color LCD display and the monochrome LCD screen, which offers improved visibility while reducing power consumption, the manufacturer aims to achieve both ease of viewing and using apps and ease of viewing and using the time as a wristwatch

The monochrome LCD display mode continues to display the time even when the battery is about to run out

In reality, when I'm outdoors, I run a variety of apps, so I don't really appreciate the monochrome display, but once when the battery was about to run out, it automatically switched to monochrome LCD mode and the time was always displayed. This kind of reliability in emergencies is a plus point that existing smartwatches don't have

Choose your favorite watch face

Photo: Quoted from the official product page

Unlike previous outdoor watches, one of the great attractions of smart outdoor watches is that you can choose from a wide variety of watch faces, from design and color to display content. There are around 20 designs to choose from, ranging from classic analog watches to mechanical designs like G-SHOCK, unique designs that display graphs of altitude and air pressure changes in the background, and even designs that display the time in your hometown and at your travel destination side by side

For example, I customize the screen to suit the situation, using an analog watch face for everyday use and a digital watch face with in-dials for altitude, barometric pressure, and pedometer when hiking. These functions were commonplace on PCs, mobile phones, and smartphones. With the advent of smartwatches, these functions are finally available, and I feel that convenience has improved dramatically. If I were to be greedy, I would like to see more and more watch face variations added in the future. You can also customize the color and meters displayed using the smartphone app CASIO MOMENT SETTER+

I'm currently setting it up to display the remaining battery level of the watch, smartphone, and pedometer on the in-dial

Software (applications)

Various meters - Easy to access, easy to read, and easy to use -

Now, onto the all-important topic of field usability. Even without any special setup, you can check the compass, altimeter, barometer, sunrise/sunset, tide graph, and activity graph in real time with a single press of the "TOOL" button. These displays are graphical and highly visible, making them far easier to use than the PRO TREK's monochrome LCD display. Furthermore, this model offers improved usability, allowing you to access trend graphs and various settings simply by swiping the screen. With previous outdoor watches, all operations had to be performed using buttons, which would drive you crazy every time, but I really like the surprisingly simple UI

Photo: Quoted from the official product page

However, there are a few things that bother me. This may only be my case, but for some reason, when measuring compass direction, the message "Please perform magnetization correction" appears quite often. It's a hassle to have to adjust it by swinging or rotating your wrist back and forth every time. Also, as many people have already said, it's a shame that the watch doesn't have the heart rate measurement that the Apple Watch and other GPS sports watches have, so I hope they improve that in the future

Activity App: Expecting further evolution of standard features in the future

One of the most smartwatch-like features is Casio's official activity app (available only on Android smartphones). It offers quick access to information optimized for three activities—mountain climbing, trekking, cycling, and fishing—on a single screen, and even tracks your progress toward a set goal. Since I only tried mountain climbing (Trekking) this time, I'll review it based on that. When you start the app, the screen displays the elevation gain per hour, the current time, the target altitude and remaining altitude (the target altitude is set in advance), and the measurement time

This app's aim as a mechanism to increase and maintain motivation is interesting, but I personally find it a bit disappointing that the goal for mountain climbing can only be set by altitude. The goal of trekking is not necessarily the peak, and styles vary from person to person. I would like to see some improvements, such as the ability to customize goal setting and display content

However, there's no doubt that a system that lets you experience a sense of accomplishment, something that wasn't available in the PRO TREK era, will be essential for outdoor watches of the future, so in addition to these improvements, since it's supposed to be linked to a smartphone, I don't think it's too much to expect the minimum history management functions that modern fitness apps have, such as saving your activity history up to the goal so you can look back on it later

CASIO MOMENT SETTER+ - It's fun to know your activity status and changes in the surrounding environment! -

An interesting feature that works in conjunction with the Activity app is the various notification services provided by MOMENT SETTER+. This is a service that notifies you on the watch the moment various conditions you set are met, and I discovered an unexpected convenience and enjoyment that I hadn't noticed before. Of course, it's not that PRO TREK couldn't do this, but the most important thing is that this simple, easy-to-understand UI notifies you of advanced and complex situational changes in a timely manner

When you launch the MOMENT SETTER+ app on your smartphone, you can set the notification timing from a variety of conditions, as shown in the image above. Personally, I enjoy setting it up so that I can check my progress by displaying an altitude graph every time I exceed 100m in altitude, and by notifying me of my scheduled time one hour before sunrise and sunset so I don't miss any photo opportunities. There are also various other settings available, such as distance traveled, number of steps, calories burned, and time, but I ended up settling on a moderate number of settings because I found that if I tried to set too many, I would end up not caring about them

One disappointing thing is that this setting can only be set for notifications that belong to the same category as the activity selected in the Activity app. I wanted to set it to notify me if the air pressure drops by 1 hPa or more in an hour in case of a thunderstorm, but since this notification belongs to the "phishing" category, I can't set it while measuring mountain climbing. I wish they'd do something about this unfortunate specification. I think it would be better if this notification itself was independent of the Activity app so that it could be used more freely

Collaboration with the FR-100 digital camera: A new photography experience perfect for outdoor activities

Another feature unique to Casio is its compatibility with the EX-FR100, a detachable digital camera ideal for outdoor use. For a detailed explanation of the EX-FR100 itself, this product page , but the key feature of this camera can be summed up as "a shock-resistant, waterproof, dustproof, and freezeproof outdoor recorder that allows you to capture the shots you want in any situation by separating the camera unit and LCD controller unit."

Photo: Quoted from the official product page

By linking this camera with the WSD-F10, you can control the shutter and other operations that are normally performed using the LCD controller from your watch (Android smartphones only). Once the watch and camera are paired, the watch's LCD screen becomes the camera's viewfinder, allowing you to take photos and videos by pressing the watch's right button while looking at the watch

Photo: Quoted from the official product page

What's great about this system is that it frees up both hands. It allows for acrobatic shooting during outdoor activities. If you wear it on your head, you can easily shoot while climbing or swimming. It also allows you to take quick photos without having to stop while on the move, which makes it extremely efficient for recording your activities. It's a completely new shooting experience that's neither like a conventional camera nor a smartphone

Of course, various mount options for attaching the camera to your head, backpack, bicycle grip, etc. are also available separately, allowing you to use it in a variety of situations. Also, a limited edition item that includes a tent-Mark DESIGNS camera bag is currently on sale at WILD-1, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out.

Battery consumption is a concern - No problem for day trips, but be careful if you stay overnight or longer

I tried using it not only for day trips but also for longer periods, such as camping. I woke up around 4:00 AM, put it on fully charged, and took the train and bus to the trailhead around 10:00 AM. From there, I launched the Activity App and YAMAP and got started. I hadn't changed any notification settings, so I received several emails and messages in areas with good signal

When I checked the battery level at around 3pm when I arrived at the campsite, it was at just under 40%. I left it alone without doing anything other than closing the app, and by the next morning it was down to 28% (if I had used Timepiece mode at that time, the loss of battery while I was sleeping might have been reduced)

For this reason, while you can use it on a day trip without worrying about charging, it's unlikely you'll be able to use the app for more than two days straight on an overnight trip unless you charge it. It's easy to overlook the fact that the dual LCD screen makes it battery efficient, but when used as a regular smartwatch, the battery life is still not great

Another thing to keep in mind is that your smartphone's battery will also drain, so you'll need to charge it. For this reason, you'll need a mobile battery with a decent capacity when staying overnight. You'll also need a dedicated USB cable to charge your watch, so don't forget it

Although it's still far from satisfactory, competing smartwatches and GPS sports watches are all pretty much on par with each other when it comes to battery life, so excelling in this area is likely to be an important point in differentiating your watch from other competitors

Summary: Perfect for those who want a smartwatch that can be used outdoors

Compared to smartwatches like the Apple Watch, I think this is an interesting watch that's more specialized for outdoor activities. The hardware, in particular, is truly impressive, lacking even the slightest hint of the flimsy feel that's common with smartwatches. With the visibility and ease of use of its basic functions, it's safe to say that it's carved out a new position as an outdoor smartwatch. I've always felt that the motivation-maintaining mechanisms that have become standard in fitness apps could also be applied to mountain climbing, and experiencing it on an actual climb made me truly appreciate the fun. Just as it's now unthinkable to run without smartphone tracking, a future where climbing without tracking would be considered a waste is upon us is likely on the horizon. This was enough of an impact to foreshadow that

However, when considering serious outdoor use, it's true that there are concerns about battery life and durability compared to the PRO TREK when used in extreme conditions. The developer's interview also made sense, as they said, "It's designed for beginners and light outdoor users." In that sense, my usage hasn't yet made me want to switch from the PRO TREK, and I've confirmed that there's still no other option than an outdoor watch for reliable use in harsh environments

As for future requests, of course, the ideal would be to improve environmental performance, battery life, and the practicality and entertainment value of the app, but such a perfect smart outdoor watch is unrealistic. Therefore, given that this watch is positioned as a watch that stands out from hardcore outdoor watches like the PRO TREK, I think the correct evolution for this watch would be to continue to pursue the enjoyment of light outdoor activities and expand its range of users, even if its environmental resistance remains the same for the time being

To achieve this, we hope to see further updates to the Activity app and MOMENT SETTER+. The Activity app needs a system that makes tracking even more enjoyable, and MOMENT SETTER+ needs improved usability with more flexible measurement and notification methods

In this regard, SUUNTO's GPS sports watches are a step ahead. Not only can you save, analyze, manage, and share your tracked activities, but you can also create and publish original apps that customize the measurement content to your liking using all the measurable data. This creates an ecosystem between users (activities) and manufacturers (devices). Although it is somewhat difficult to use overseas and has many issues, the endless possibilities are very interesting

For mountain climbing and hiking, a system for saving and sharing activities directly linked to wearable devices will likely become essential for light mountain climbing in the future. We don't yet know what the trigger will be, but once you experience and get used to a new habit, it's not easy to switch to another method. Casio's challenging smart outdoor watch, whose model number "WSD" embodies the meaning of "excitement and thrill," has the potential to be a catalyst for this trend, and we have high hopes for its future evolution

For details on the lineup, main specifications, accessories, etc., please see here (official product page)

   

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