PhonAndroid Realme Watch S Pro test: beautiful finery, good autonomy and a very low price

During its presentation, the Realme 8 Pro was accompanied by two connected accessories, including a connected watch. It's called Realme Watch S Pro. With a classic design, but elegant, it offers two weeks of autonomy, its major argument. But is this only its only asset? No, fortunately! We reveal everything to you in this complete test.

During the month of March, we reconnected with Realme, the independent offshoot of Oppo. We have relayed in our columns the brand's latest launches: the Realme 8 Pro, which we tested, as well as the Realme Watch S Pro and the Realme Buds Air 2. The first is a connected watch, the subject of this article. And the others are headphones with active noise reduction.

Read also – Galaxy Buds Pro test: Samsung delivers the best True Wireless headphones for Android

Without going as far as the profusion and diversity of Xiaomi, Realme's strategy in connected objects is relatively similar to that of Oppo, Honor, Huawei or Vivo: enriching the smartphone experience with connected accessories that work best with brand phones. Since the brand's arrival in France a year ago, the brand has launched several pairs of headphones, a connected camera, a fitness bracelet and smartwatches.

The Watch S Pro is the brand's third watch to land in France. It is also the most expensive and the most ambitious. It follows the Realme Watch and the Realme Watch S, sold respectively at 55 euros and 80 euros. We spent two full weeks with it on the wrist. And here are all of our impressions, from straight out of the box, to some sporting sessions, to pairing.

Price and availability

The Realme Watch S Pro has been available since March 31, 2021, the same date as the Realme 8 Pro. It is marketed on the official store of the brand, as well as in certain specialized stores.

The price of the Realme Watch S Pro is set at 130 euros (to within 1 euro cent). It is sold with the bracelet pre-installed, as well as a charging accessory to connect to a USB type-A power adapter (not supplied). There is only one case size: 46 mm.

The Realme Watch S Pro is an alternative to other round and elegant connected watches that you can find on the market: Honor MagicWatch 2 (from 180 euros), Oppo Watch (250 euros, under Wear OS), Huawei Watch GT2 (from 149 euros), Galaxy Watch 3 (from 370 euros) and of course the Mi Watch (149 euros) that we tested recently.

Technical sheet

Design

So let's start this test with the box of the same yellow color as all the other products of the brand. It is very elongated, a bit like Apple or Samsung, for example. Other brands prefer squarer packaging, such as Honor. Inside, you will find the watch of course, as well as two small storage spaces. The first contains the charging accessory. The second offers a little reading. It's relatively simple.

Now let's take a closer look at the watch. It is based on a relatively classic design, which we could compare to certain models from Samsung, Motorola, Huawei or Honor. To observe it, we will observe in detail the case, then the bracelet. The box is circular. It is stainless steel. It is of course waterproof (5ATM). It measures 46mm in diameter and 11.1mm thick. It's slightly thicker than the MagicWatch 2 for example.

The touch screen of the watch is circular. We will see in the “screen” part the different technical characteristics of this display. It is protected by Gorilla Glass. Around the screen, you find a graduated outline with the minutes / seconds. Perfect if you use a watchface with hands. On the edge, you have two hardware buttons. The top one is used to turn the watch on or off to display the time. The bottom one is a shortcut to access the different sport modes.

At the back of the case, the shell is no longer made of steel, but of polycarbonate. This is not immediately noticeable. And it's neither ugly nor unpleasant. Here, you find the biometric sensors, in the center, and the connectors for the charger, halfway between the center and one of the parts of the bracelet. We will come back to this during this test.

We will now talk about bracelets. And in particular the one that comes with the watch. The Realme Watch S Pro is compatible with standard straps with a width of 22mm. The horns to fix these bracelets are therefore classic. Realme will offer some (leather, silicone or steel, in several colors). But you can also buy it in specialized shops. To remove a bracelet, simply pull the small metal part to the left of each of its two parts to remove it. Do the same to relocate it.

The bracelet delivered with the Realme Watch S Pro is made of silicone. It is slightly stretchy, although it is not made for that. It is quite soft to the touch. The buckle is metal. And the loop incorporates a small silicone protrusion which is placed in a hole in the bracelet. The goal: to ensure that the part of the bracelet that hangs is not left to fend for itself. And it often happens, despite that. Which is quickly annoying.

Overall, the case design is quite nice and the watch is comfortable to use. The only real concern is the silicone strap, which often does its own thing: inconvenient to adjust, inconvenient to undo, inconvenient to get stuck in the loop and generally impossible to let get stuck.

Screen

Let's take a closer look at the watch screen. We have seen previously that it is circular and that it is protected by mineral glass. Here are the technical details. The slab measures 1.39 inches, or 3.5 cm. It is AMOLED, ensuring a good contrast ratio (100000:1 according to Realme). Its definition is 454 x 454 pixels. That is a resolution of 326 pixels per inch. The advertised brightness is 450 nits (or candelas per square meter).

This panel is theoretically Always-On compatible. However, the Always-On mode is not yet implemented in the watch. But Realme promises that it will be in the near future. You will see in this test that this is not the only feature that will arrive with a future update.

In use, the screen is generally clearly visible. It is also very responsive under the fingers. The automatic power-on function with the wrist works well. Note that there should be a light sensor in the watch, as there is an automatic setting that will vary the backlight depending on the ambient light. This feature is a nice touch, although in some situations it tends to increase the delay between when you turn your wrist and when you can read the time (or a notification).

Biometric and environmental sensors

Now let's talk about the sensor. In this area, the Realme Watch S Pro does a little more than the union minimum. Let's start with biometrics. There are two sensors. The first is the heart rate monitor (two green dots on the back of the smartphone). This measures the heart rate on demand or continuously (we obviously recommend the second) with the possibility of creating an alert in the event of an irregularity. To increase battery life, you have the option of shortening or lengthening the time between two measurements.

The second sensor is an oximeter. It is one of the three luminous points on the back of the case of the watch (this one is red). It measures the oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2). It works on demand. It does not measure maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 Max). And it's a shame: all the competitors do it. Maybe with an update?

On the environmental sensor side, we note the presence of the usual trio: accelerometer, electronic gyroscope and magnetometer. These sensors are used in particular to monitor your sports exercises and to manage the automatic switching on of the screen. Added to this is the on-board GPS, which is very practical for accurately calculating an outdoor route. The presence of a GPS is not systematic in watches, even those that are sold two or three times more expensive. It's good news.

In use, the sensor takes some time to connect to satellite networks (especially the first time). But, once it's done, it works fine. And you can find your trip in the application installed on your smartphone. Unlike the Honor Watch GS Pro, you do not have a function to return to your starting point. But it could happen with an update (this is a guess on our part).

On the connectivity side, the watch relies on a Bluetooth modem to connect to a smartphone. It's a Bluetooth 5.0 connection, to be exact. This connection is only used to synchronize information between the watch and the smartphone, in both directions. Unlike the MagicWatch 2.0, for example, it is not possible to connect headphones to the watch to listen to music. Note also that the storage space is reduced to its bare minimum. So there wouldn't be enough room to put any MP3 playlist.

Still on the side of the missing sensors, the Realme Watch S Pro does not have a microphone or speaker. This means that you cannot take phone calls from the watch. And you also can't activate Google Assistant, like you might with an audio accessory. It's a shame, because some direct competitors offer this function. Hopefully it will be in a future iteration.

Smartphone app

Once the watch is on and the Bluetooth connection is activated on your mobile, it's time to pair the accessory. For that you need an app. This app is called Realme Link. You will also find that the QR Code provided in the box will not necessarily take you to the right application on the Play Store (but rather on Realme Store which will not be of any use to you). Just type Realme Link from app store engine and install it on your mobile.

When you open the app, you get a screen with a blue rectangle and two tabs at the bottom. The first is “Home“. This is the screen where you are. The second is "Me", with app settings, some personal information, etc. To use the application, the creation of a HeyTap account (a common online service with Oppo) is mandatory. We find that it is a hindrance to use. But it allows you to keep track of the synchronized data when you change phones. We will come back to the synchronization aspect in a moment.

To add an accessory (watch, bracelet, headphones and earphones, speakers and connected objects, etc.), press the blue rectangle (above). Then you choose the accessory to connect, here the Realme Watch S Pro. The application will search for the object, find it and activate the pairing. It then appears under the blue rectangle (below). Victoire !

Let's click on it. We arrive on a first screen. At the top of this screen, a box with the status of the connection with the watch, the charge level and a small wheel to enter the watch settings. Choosing this icon brings you to a second screen where you can increase or decrease the frequency of heart measurements, activation of music and photo control, definition of the city for the weather and the goal of not, the choice of the watchface (if it is not preinstalled) or the firmware update.

Back on the main screen, you have access to biometric data: number of steps, heart rate, sleep monitoring, oximetry measurement and results of sports sessions. For the data to appear, you will need to sync your watch with the phone. The data is indeed not transferred regularly in the background, but when you activate the application. This synchronization is not long, but it can create a lag.

And, if you need to change your phone, don't forget to synchronize your data first before changing anything, because the data recorded after the last synchronization will be lost. Here is our experience: during our test, we first synchronized the watch with the Realme 8 Pro, previously tested in our columns. Then we had to return the phone. We then decided to change mobile and switch to the Find X3 Pro.

However, the watch must be reset to agree to be paired with a new phone. The procedure erases all local data. The data saved on the HeyTap account during the last synchronization has been recovered. But not the ones that were lost by the reset. We are surprised that it is not possible to change the pairing of the watch without resetting the watch. And we are surprised that the connection with the smartphone is based on quasi-manual synchronizations.

Note that the iPhone application offers the same experience as that on Android (with only a few graphic adaptations). So this is very good news. You will find almost the same options there. However, some remote controls are not possible.

Interface and features

Once the watch is on and paired, let's see what the interface offers us. The screen you will see the most is the watchface. Unlike the Apple Watch and, to a lesser extent, Honor and Huawei watches, the Realme Watch S Pro does not offer any customizable watch face. So you cannot choose the information on the screen without changing the watchface. You will see that some dials are offered in several variants where the information differs. But that's your only choice.

The Realme Watch S Pro marketing brochure announces a hundred watch faces. And that's the case. But not at startup. Only ten dials are pre-installed. You must then use the Realme Link application to install others (see previous part). The styles are different and varied. It is also possible to create a watchface from a photo, to always have your loved one, your toddler, or kiki, your beloved doggie, in front of you.

Once you have chosen your watchface (either through the app or by long-pressing the watchface currently in use), you can swipe your finger in all directions to access different menus. From top to bottom to show notifications. From bottom to top to display the main menu with about fifteen icons (in no order): alarm clock, stopwatch, timer, weather, compass, phone location, settings, sport, breathing exercise, heart readings, SpO2 readings, blood pressure readings. sleep cycle, music control, camera control and workout log.

Back to the watchface. If you swipe from right to left, you scroll through several screens: activity circles, weather (if the option is activated in Link), sleep (from here you can scroll down to get more information) , heart rate, music control and quick setting. The latter allows you to activate the night mode, the energy saving mode, the flashlight, the intensity of the backlight and the activation with the wrist. This screen also tells you the status of the battery and the Bluetooth connection.

When you open the sports application (or if you press the bottom button on the edge), you access the list of sports supported by the watch. There are about fifteen at the time of writing these lines. It is relatively little. Others offer more than 80, or even exceed 100. And some are marked by the brand's Indian influence: cricket, for example, which nobody plays in France.

Fortunately, you have the basics: jogging (indoor and outdoor), walking (indoor and outdoor), biking (outdoor or apartment), hiking, swimming, yoga, rowing machine, elliptical trainer, weight training. And if you can't find what you're looking for, a free training mode is available. It will calculate calories consumed based on your movements and heart rate. We very much hope there will be more sports supported in the near future, with a preference system for quick access to the ones you use most often.

Pay attention to the calculation of steps and movements with the accelerometer. He sometimes seems a little too nice to us, with a higher number of steps than reality. Also note the presence of a continuous sleep monitoring tool. On the other hand, there is no application for measuring stress, a function which seemed to us to be linked to the heart rate monitor in the other watches. Instead, you have a “meditation” app with breathing exercises.

Smartphone interactions are less with the Realme Watch S Pro than with other watches. It displays some notifications (but it does not allow you to interact with them). It can manage the music player of the smartphone (but does not store music itself). She can activate the photo trigger of the phone. And it will be able (with an update, again) to control certain connected objects, provided that they are compatible. We wonder, however, how this will materialize.

Overall the interface is simple and easy to use. If you're already using a smartwatch, it's easy to get familiar with the controls and shortcuts. There are some shortcomings, but also some good ideas. Once again, we hope that future updates will expand the functional panel.

Autonomy and charging

Let's come to autonomy and recharging, starting with autonomy. The Realme Watch S Pro is equipped with a 420 mAh battery. This is a correct capacity for a 46 mm diameter case. The MagicWatch 2 offers very slightly more. We therefore expected less autonomy. And yet, this is not the case.

She is even very good. It varies between two and three weeks depending on the uses. This is the main argument of this watch, against competitors with more advanced interactivity (like the Oppo Watch or the Apple Watch). During our test, we lost an average of 5% of batteries each day. And that with the most frequent heart readings, automatic screen brightness, sleep monitoring activated and two to three sports sessions per week (but without GPS).

Of course, this autonomy will depend on several factors. First, the screen lighting, whether automatic or not, the number of notifications and daily synchronization with the smartphone, sleep monitoring, the more or less high frequency of heart rate readings, the monitoring of hydration or mobility, etc. It will also depend on your physical activity and your diligence in analyzing your sports sessions with the watch. This will obviously depend on whether or not the GPS is used for cycling or walking.

For charging, the Realme Watch S Pro comes with a fairly standard charging accessory. It is a magnetic pad on which the watch is attached. The two connectors of the pad touch those positioned at the back of the watch case. From the pad comes a standard USB type-A cable. The charging time of the watch is quite low: less than an hour. Experience is therefore good in this area.

Conclusion

The Realme Watch S Pro is a pleasant everyday watch. It has beautiful ergonomic trappings. It is relatively simple to use (once it is paired with a smartphone). It works with both Android and iOS. It offers the essentials you might expect from a watch. And above all, it has a very good autonomy, at least equivalent to that of Honor's MagicWatch 2. All for a lower price than most competitors.

In addition to a few minor faults in taste (the base bracelet is not terrible, the brightness of the screen is not great, the impossibility of switching from one smartphone to another without resetting the watch), there is an element that annoys in this watch: it's a certain functional nervousness. We're used to smartwatches with a closed operating system being less interactive than those with an open OS, because they don't accept third-party apps. But it seems that even competitors offering the same type of firmware offer a little more.

At the sports level. At the level of interactivity with the smartphone. At the level of biometric and environmental measures. Yes, we are aware that some features will be unlocked with updates. And that's good. But behind this promise, there are two realities. First of all, a "here" is better than two "you'll have it". We are not sure that all promises will be kept (we assume so, but it is a priori). Then, even if these functions arrive one day, Realme will certainly have other watches to offer. More accomplished. More complete. In short, better. And they will certainly benefit from an excellent quality-price ratio and a top autonomy. In fact, to choose, shouldn't it be better to wait for the next one? It's possible.