Can China’s coolest smartwatch best the likes of Samsung and Sony? Short answer: no

Out of nowhere, a new Chinese company appeared this summer with two new Android phones, an Android-based smartwatch, and a smart ring. That company, GEAK, turned out to be a subsidiary of Chinese web giant Shanda. It looks to be keen to challenge homegrown phone-maker Xiaomi as well as other major gadget brands with an intriguing mix of products. After the GEAK Watch sold 100,000 units in October [1], we decided to check it out for a review.

In early 2014, the Chinese firm aims to sell the watch across Europe, America, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, and the Middle East. GEAK’s two Android-based phones will venture overseas too, following in the footsteps of China’s Oppo.

But can the GEAK Watch – which, at RMB 1,999 ($325), isn’t cheap – convince gadget buyers to open their wallets? What does it do and how well does it do it? Does it stand a chance up against similar smartwatches from Sony, Samsung, and many others (with more from LG and Huawei to come)? I strapped it on to find out.

Hardware

The watch hardware looks good and feels well put together in the hand – and on the wrist. The strap seems to be a rubberized plastic that feels pleasant and non-plasticky. Black is the only color choice thus far, but more colors are in the works.

But what appears in photos to be a metallic frame around the watch-face is actually plastic, as are the two buttons on the right side. As a design, it looks pretty good. Though I’m not sure if it screams “I spent over 300 bucks on this thing,” which is an important factor in China’s luxury market.

Screen

This is where I stop saying nice things about the hardware, because the GEAK Watch screen is awful. I’ve seen and tried out the Sony Smartwatch 2, which also has a disappointing and low-res screen. But the GEAK Watch adds to the dismay with a cheap, washed-out LCD screen that depicts black as a luminescent grey (see above photo).

In fairness, all smartwatches have low-res screens, which are likely due to small batteries (see more about battery life lower down) not providing enough juice for a ‘retina’-standard screen. But a better quality LCD or AMOLED screen is badly needed on this thing.

The touchscreen, too, is below standard. It’s very vague, and often misses or misinterprets swipes or clicks. I had weeks to get used to it, but it never got better – it was always a frustration. It feels more like an ATM’s touchscreen, not the kind of pleasant touchscreen you have on your phone.

That awful touchscreen makes the set-up process painful when you first try to connect the watch to your password-protected wi-fi network [2]. GEAK has made a special keyboard for the watch, but the touchscreen still makes it tortuous. There will be table-thumping. There will be swearing. You might even consider sending the watch back for a full refund at this point. That shouldn’t happen in the set-up process of a pricey new toy.

Apps and abilities

Battery life

Inaccurate marketing

Conclusion