Given the increasingly widespread saturation in the smartphone sector, many Asian manufacturers have decided to launch also, or exclusively, on the wearable market, an increasingly growing sector in recent years.
This is the case of Aiwatch, a company that we have already got to know previously with theAiwatch A8. Today we are reviewing the new Aiwatch C5 that, unlike the previous one SmartWatch, it is not a clone, but an original model. But let's find out all the details in our full review!
Aiwatch C5 - Unboxing
The device is presented in an orange package, together with the following equipment:
- Aiwatch C5;
- charger with magnetic pin;
- back plate;
- screwdriver;
- User Manual.
The aforementioned plate must be positioned on the back of the body, using the small screwdriver supplied and the appropriate screws, in order to protect the SIM slot present.
Aiwatch C5 - Design and build quality
The Aiwatch C5 presents a noteworthy construction, with one body made of anodized aluminum and magnesium alloy and a stainless steel back, all with a remarkable assembly and not easy to find in the panorama of Chinese smartwatches.
The materials used are not at the expense of ergonomics, given the low weight of approx 55 grams. In addition, the strap It is made in silicone well-made, even if it tends to retain a little dust, not interchangeable and with an Apple-style closure system and a width sufficient to satisfy the various physiognomies.
Laterally we find i 2 buttons, one of which with rotating ring, whose operations will be analyzed later in the review.
One of the most positive aspects of this smartwatch is undoubtedly the circular IPS display, from 1.22 inch diagonal and one curl 2.5D, although not particularly pronounced.
La resolution it is not declared, even if the quality is all in all good, with no particular visible pixels. There maximum brightness, besides being adjustable, presents a optimal value, ensuring adequate outdoor viewing.
Il touch screen è sufficiently valid, although on some occasions it has shown some uncertainties. One aspect that struck me positively is the reading angle, given that, even by particularly tilting the device, there are no particular variations.
Also on this side we find the Home button, with which you can return directly to the watch face while browsing the menus, and the sensor for UV rays.
Later we find the PIN for the connection of the charging dock, in addition to heart rate monitor, the dedicated SIM slot, the speaker e two microphones.
Finally, the Aiwatch C5 is certified IP67, therefore waterproof, and trying to use it in the shower I did not find any problems later in the operation.
Aiwatch C5 - Operation
Starting from side keys, the lower one, in addition to turning on, off and awaken the device, acts as Back button inside the menus.
The upper button, in addition to awakening the device, also performs various functions: first of all, it acts as a Option key in certain menu items, so as not to necessarily have to interact via touchscreen.
Beyond that, through rotation to 360 ° it's possible browse through the various menus, change the watch faces directly from the main screen, besides being able to adjust the call volume. Very smart!
Le watch faces available are 6 and graphically speaking they are not very catchy. Personally, I particularly appreciated one of them, as it is the only one that, besides the time, groups and shows all the various parameters that we can control with the Aiwatch C5.
Speaking, in fact, of the sensors present here, it is necessary to divide everything into 2 groups, namely the autonomous parameters and the manual ones.
In the first group we find barometer, thermometer e UV sensor, which perform their functions in automatic way, without any need to be started.
The speech changes for the rest of the sensors, that is pedometer, heartbeat reader e sleep monitor, which will necessarily go initiated by the user.
As for the pedometer, in addition to the number of steps taken it is possible to calculate the distance and burned calories, the latter measured by the setting of our weight and height, even if I noticed an approximation in excess of the steps actually performed.
Instead the cardiac beats reader, compared with other similar devices, returns values all in all reliable. No problem for the sleep monitor, reliable enough.
The interface here adopted also includes the Italian language, but to fully use the Aiwatch C5, like almost all smartwatches in this category, it will be necessary install 2 applications on your smartphoneThese are:
- MediaTek Smart Devices: enable reception of notifications / alarms and the operation of some functions;
- Fundo Companion: collect and manage the various data relating to the pedometer and sleep monitor.
Once installed, we will have access to a series of more or less interesting functions, including the anti-loss of the smartphone ("Find my device") And take pictures remotely, which are then saved on the smartphone used.
It is possible too listen to the music on the paired phone remotely, with an audio stream that comes out by default directly from the speaker dell'Aiwatch C5, which, although presenting a volume and a quality all in all good, if we consider the type of product, is certainly not suitable for such listening. In this case I recommend one of my small guide, with which to be able listen to music from your smartphone, commanding it from the smartwatch (you need to use the PowerAmp player):
- We start the audio player from the smartwatch;
- we close the default player that will start on the smartphone;
- we open PowerAmp;
- by clicking on Settings, at the top right (the icon with the 3 pallini), select "Address audio output";
- click on "Disconnect"; from now on, by starting the audio player from the smartwatch, the audio will be played either from the phone or, if inserted, from the headphones, but it will still be controllable from the smartwatch.
Another very interesting feature is the app "Crab“, Whose name already makes us guess that it is a kind of voice assistant, giving us the opportunity to use the phone via voice commands, being able to select the contact we want to call, say the name of the song we want to listen to and so on.
Finally, we find a nurture Organizer section, including Alarm, Calculator, Voice Recorder, Stopwatch, Calendar, File Manager, Reminder and Flashlight.
Among the menu items it is also possible to set gestures, such as waking up the display by turning the smartwatch over.
Finally, it graphic style of the menu general is settable in 3 mode, or classic, Tech Style (similar, but with a different icon pack) e Smart Style, which goes to recreate one Apple Watch style grill, which however tends to weigh down the system, creating different lag.
Aiwatch C5 - Connectivity
The Aiwatch C5 presents compatibility with Android and iOS systems, even if it is not specified for which versions, while the connection is of type Bluetooth 4.0 with protocol Low Energy for less energy consumption, thanks to the SoC MediaTek MT2502.
Speaking of notifications, they are all received instantly on our smartwatch, so that they can be viewed. The notifications, once read, however, must be manually deleted one by one, since by simply closing them they will still remain in memory and, notification after notification, will accumulate.
Like many other devices in this category, it is not possible to reply to messages directly from the smartwatch, neither textually nor vocally.
Also worth noting is that messages that are too long are not displayed entirely.
La telephone quality is valid, thanks to a particularly powerful speaker and a more than acceptable microphone, so it can be used in open and quite noisy environments.
As far as the SMS it's possible respond directly from the smartwatch.
As already anticipated, thanks to dedicated SIM slot it's possible use the smartwatch independently, by inserting a SIM in Nano format. However, there is only one connection of type GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz), in which case you can only make and receive calls, while to receive notifications you will need to use it in synergy with your smartphone.
Through the SIM it is possible to have in the local i received messages, address book and call log, clearly manageable even during Bluetooth connection.
Aiwatch C5 - Autonomy
The battery of the Aiwatch C5 is a unit from 300 mAh.
During a standard day, i.e. with synchronization always active, brightness at 75% and a medium / intense use, you can safely get to cover the whole day.
With regard to the recharge, through the appropriate dock from 0% to 100% is used about 1 now and 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the battery level indicator is absent during the charging phase.
Aiwatch C5 - Conclusions
Ultimately this Aiwatch C5 convinced me, even if we continue to find some faults typical of this range of products, or the impossibility of being able to respond vocally to messages, in addition to the incomplete display of notifications of a certain length.
Beyond this, we still have a clock with one convincing construction, waterproof and with one discreet range of sensors.
L'Aiwatch C5 is available for sale on Myefox at a price of 69,87 €, a figure that, while not projecting it into a hypothetical ranking of best buy, remains very competitive with regard to smartwatches much more noble.
