If there’s an exact epitome of fitness efficiency on wrist, smartwatches fit the bill. We’ve come a long way from the usual pedometer only set-up. Nowadays, these compact exercise buddies do more than just fitness tracking as they assist in payments and make smartphone tasks easier. Today, we put to test one of Cherry Mobile‘s latest wearables, the Flare Active Smartwatch. While this isn’t the brand’s first venture into the smartwatches arena, let’s see how this affordable piece fares and if it’s just as promising. Here’s its review:
The review unit comes in black. The whole piece feels sleek and compact to the wrist and looks just like how traditional fitness bands go. Up front is the rectangular watch with 0.96-inch OLED screen display. The rubber strap is an advantage as it feels snug while running; it also holds well during sweat-intensive workouts (especially this summer!).
As for its controls, the Flare Active only has one capacitive touch button for navigating through features. You can either tap or swipe the screen to select features from left to right and vise versa. When selecting a specific feature, you need to press the touch button for 5 seconds. It was a struggle to navigate at first but once it grows in on you, it’s easy to jump from one feature to the next.
Just under the watch is the sensor light along with the detachable band to reveal the USB charger. Pulling the band along the side was difficult on first try, I had to to it carefully so as not to damage the hardware and also detach the band several times just to get the hang of it.
The Flare Active features a colored OLED screen display. Its main panel shows the date, time, battery power, heart rate, and steps. Syncing it to the phone via the Wearfit app (compatible with Android and iOS) was hassle-free. However, the screen looked hazy under direct sunlight, I had to find a shade to see the fitness data accurately. But then again, it has a lot going for it in terms of features. As a light sleeper and someone who struggles with insomnia from time to time, I was impressed by how it tracked precisely my sleeping pattern.
Other features include the Step Mode, Distance Mode, Heart Rate Mode, Running Mode, Sleep Mode, Stopwatch Mode, Dial Pattern, Message Notification, Find Smartphone, Shutdown, and Background with three wallpapers to choose from. In terms of accuracy, the Flare Active delivers. The data recorded in the watch and Wearfit app matched my activity patterns—from the number of steps, calories, heart rate, to sleeping pattern. I especially liked how it showed me the odd hours I’ve been awake at night as it gave me the estimate of the number of zz’s I need to catch up on during the day.
Flare Active’s minimalist design, affordability, and dynamic features make it a worthy smartwatch to try on. It’s the one to keep close by or even as an alternative to fancy smartwatches if you’re a health freak who needs constant updates on physical activities.
The Flare Active lasts up to 3 – 5 days. A full charge via USB only takes an hour and ten minutes which is pretty handy for those who are always on the go.
Cherry Mobile Flare Active retails for P1, 299 and is widely available nationwide. So, is it worth it? Definitely. Its affordable price packs a really good value if you’re in for instant work-out tracking. Its sleek, sporty built is also a testament to its functionality be it for a daily or casual use.
