The Cherry Mobile G2 watch is Cherry Mobile’s second take on wearables. Unlike the Cherry Mobile G1 which has SIM and microSD slots, the Cherry Mobile G2 works by pairing the device with a smartphone via Bluetooth. The Cherry Mobile G2 functions as a dialer and SMS viewer among other things. At Php 1,899, is Cherry Mobile’s smartwatch a good buy? Read our review below to find out.
The Cherry Mobile G2 watch comes with just the travel charger and manual. I was actually looking for the USB/data cable when I opened the box but later found out that it doesn’t actually have one. You’ll find out why later.
The Cherry Mobile G2 I got was black. The watch strap and case are made of rubber and plastic. The G2 has a thick strap with two holes and metal buckle similar to the G-Shock Mudman/Riseman series. With the number of holes on the band, the Cherry Mobile G2 watch seems to fit any wrist.
The power and navigation buttons are all lined up on the left side of the G2 smartwatch. On top of the display is the VGA camera and below is the speaker. So where’s the USB? It took me a few seconds to locate the USB connector which is actually hidden on the other end of the watch band. The Cherry Mobile G2 smartwatch feels bulky at first but I got used to the size within just few hours of using it.
The default watch face displays the time, date and day of the week. The home screen wallpaper is plain red but can be customized with your own photo. Swiping your finger up displays the phone dialer while swiping down initializes the camera. Swiping to the left or right navigates to these other menus/functions the smartwatch offers:
– BT device
– Remote Notifier
– Audio Player
– Step counter
– Settings (Clock, Sound, Volume, Language, Display, Battery, Security, Bluetooth and Reset Data)
– Call History
– Phonebook
– Camera
– File Manager
– Multimedia
– Tools (Calendar, Alarm, Calculator, Stopwatch)
Connecting the Cherry Mobile G2 watch to the smartphone is straightforward. Just turn on the Bluetooth on your smartphone and connect the watch via the “˜BT device’.
To enable or read smartphone notifications on the smartwatch, you need to install the BT Notification app (BTNotification.apk). I found the BTNotification app quite useful as it allows me to select which apps (both user-installed and system apps) push notifications to the G2 smartwatch ““ meaning, aside from sms and calls, I can also check emails, social media notifications, etc.
The dialer proved to be useful especially when driving or commuting. I just wished the speakers were louder. The audio player also came in handy. Synching your contacts from the smartphone was also easy.
The Cherry Mobile G2 has a Step counter which measures your total steps and calories consumed daily. However, the pedometer is somewhat imprecise. The G2 watch already logged 5,000+ steps while my other fitness bands only logged 1,000+ steps. The photo and video quality are also poor.
Sample photo:
The Cherry Mobile G2 has an impressive battery life. I am able to use the smartwatch for 5 days before the battery drains completely. It takes a couple of hours to fully charge the watch.
Although still far behind from the latest smartwatches in terms of features, the Cherry Mobile G2 smartwatch provides a lot of convenience when making/taking calls and checking sms, emails and other social media notifications without taking your smartphone out of your pocket. This is particularly useful in transit, in public or in situations where you just can’t take your phone out of your pocket.
Cherry Mobile G2 specs:
– Smartphone Dialer
– BT 2.1 + EDR
– 1.44 TFT Capacitive Touch
– VGA Camera
– Smartphone SMS Viewer
– Splash proof
What we liked about it:
– More responsive touchscreen display
– Easily connects with the smartphone
– Notification, Dialer and Audio player
What we didn’t like:
– Not so loud speakers
– Low camera resolution
– Step counter not accurate
– That USB charger