Casio's First Android Wear Watch Will Be Ruggedized And Have Up To A Month Of Battery Life

Most of the Android Wear devices out there are similar takes on the same use case, but watchmaker Casio is trying something a little different. The Casio Smart Outdoor Watch (WSD-F10) is an Android Wear device with sport watch styling and a seriously rugged design. It can even run for as long as a month in basic monochrome mode. It might not be a watch you wear every day, but outdoorsy folks might really dig it.

The Casio watch looks quite a lot like a standard watch, though it's a little on the bulky side like sport watches tend to be (61.7×56.4×15.7mm). The screen is comparatively small at 1.32-inches, and it has a Motorola-style flat tire. The dual-layer LCD panel has a resolution of 300x320, and makes up for the small size by offering a low-power monochrome time-only mode than can boost battery life from about a day to a month.

It meets MIL-STD-810 military standards for drops and shocks, and is water resistant up to 50 meters. That's quite a lot better than the IP67 rating of most smart watches. It runs Android Wear and will have integration with fitness and activity apps like RunKeeper, ViewRanger, and MyRadar. This watch really seems to know the niche it's going after, and it's not going to be cheap. Casio expects to charge $500 for the Smart Outdoor Watch when it comes out in April.

PRESS RELEASE

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio America, Inc. announced today that it will release the WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch, an Android Wear wrist device with water resistance to 50 meters and built to military standard specifications.*¹

Casio has been developing watches since the 1970s, and later developed PDAs and cellular phones from the 1990s into the 2000s. Leveraging its technology and experience with both watches and information devices, Casio continues to develop wrist devices that deliver true value to users in new ways.

The new WSD-F10 wrist device is optimal for the outdoors, boasting water resistance for use in rain and around water, and is tested to military standard specifications to ensure it can withstand a variety of rugged activities. Incorporating Casio's tough performance and sensor technologies, the WSD-F10 delivers a polished experience as a wearable information device.

The WSD-F10 offers a wealth of useful original Casio applications for outdoor activities such as trekking, cycling, and fishing. Among these are dedicated apps designed to measure changes in the natural environment and track activity levels. The device is powered by Android Wear, and users can also load their own apps to expand the feature set for diverse outdoor activities.

The watch face features a dual layer display with monochrome and color LCDs. Users can display measurement data and apps in color, or they can extend the device's life to more than one month by selecting to a Timepiece Mode that displays only watch data in monochrome.

The WSD-F10 also offers the ultimate in ease of use as an everyday watch, making the most of Casio's years of experience in the timepiece business. The operating buttons are large and feature a slip-free finish so they can easily be operated with gloves on, and they are concentrated on the right side of the case. The wristband is made from soft urethane plastic that conforms to the wrist and can be comfortably worn for extended periods.

MAIN FEATURES OF THE WSD-F10

Toughness for the outdoors

Water resistant to 50 meters

Water resistant to 50 meters, but still equipped with an audio mic, for everyday use as well as in rain and around water.

Built to military standard specifications

Tested to United States military standard MIL-STD-810 issued by the U.S. Department of Defense to perform in the rugged outdoors. Meets testing requirements under various environmental conditions including shock and vibration.

Range of sensors to measure changes in the natural environment and track activity levels

The WSD-F10 comes with dedicated applications^*2 that measure and display essential information for outdoor activities and sports using a pressure sensor, compass, and accelerometer. The upper right TOOL button brings up information such as compass direction, air pressure and altitude, sunrise and sunset times, tide graphs, and activity graphs—providing real-time information about changes in the natural environment and activity levels.

The watch also links to the Casio Moment Setter+ smartphone app to give timing and opportunities^*3 for activities such as trekking, cycling, and fishing. Users can configure the app to automatically send the needed information based on previously set conditions such as speed, distance, time of sunrise, break timing, or when fish tend to be most active.

Powered by Android Wear, comes with diverse apps for enjoying the outdoors^*4

ViewRanger GPS app for trekking^*3

ViewRanger is a GPS app for outdoor adventurers providing route information, navigation guidance, altitude graphs, location data and distance to next waypoint all at a glance.

http://www.viewranger.com/

Runkeeper fitness app^*3

Runkeeper is a mobile running and cycling app that has helped almost 50 million people get out the door. Tracks and records routes for running, cycling, walking or trekking.

https://runkeeper.com/

MyRadar weather app^*3

MyRadar is a very popular weather app, downloaded by 17 million people. Real time updates showing rain and snow near user's current location. Users can check forecasts quickly and easily.

http://myradar.acmeaom.com/

Also supports other apps and services from Google^*2 including Gmail, Google voice search, Google Maps, Google Fit, and weather forecasts.

Power-conserving Timepiece Mode

The watch face features a dual layer display with monochrome and color LCDs. When not using apps, a power-conserving Timepiece Mode toggles off smartphone communication and the color LCD, displaying only time data in monochrome. Timepiece Mode is useful when spending long periods in the outdoors such as overnight trekking or when using the watch for regular timekeeping.