Realme Watch Review: A Promising Start Hindered by Key Shortcomings

Realme Watch Review: A Promising Start Hindered by Key Shortcomings

Realme has entered the smartwatch market with its first-ever model, the Realme Watch. After spending close to three months with the device, I can say it shows potential but is held back by several notable flaws. While it handles basic smartwatch functions and offers solid battery life, issues with build quality, software stability, and missing features make it a difficult recommendation at its current price point.

Design and Build

The Realme Watch sports a lightweight polycarbonate body paired with a silicone strap, weighing just 31 grams. Its design takes clear inspiration from the Apple Watch, but while this isn’t a bad thing, the plastic chassis gives it a cheap feel. The watch is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance, which I found very useful for everyday wear, though it cannot track swimming or be used in the shower. The strap’s buckle design is clean and easy to use, though it doesn’t quite match the sophistication of Apple’s Solo Loop. One downside is the use of Gorilla Glass 3 for screen protection; my unit picked up noticeable scratches over time, and a screen protector would have been a wise addition.

Display

The 1.4-inch TFT LCD panel offers a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels and a brightness level of 380 nits. While adequate for indoor use, visibility outdoors under direct sunlight is a struggle. The touch response remains inconsistent even after software updates, making navigation feel unresponsive at times.

Fitness and Health Tracking

The watch tracks basic activities such as walking and running, supports 14 sports modes including yoga and cricket, and offers real-time heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen (SpO2) measurement. However, it lacks automatic workout detection, requiring manual selection of each activity. When compared to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, the Realme Watch produced comparable heart rate and SpO2 readings, but its step counter tended to overcount. All detailed health data is only accessible via the Realme Link app, which is currently exclusive to Android devices; an iOS version has been promised but remains unreleased.

Notifications, Performance, and Software

Call and message notifications arrive on the watch but cannot be answered due to the absence of a microphone. Vibration alerts are noticeable but not particularly strong. Under the hood, an unspecified MediaTek chipset powers the device, resulting in basic animations and a minimalist user interface. However, software issues are prevalent. The Find My Phone feature worked unreliably, and disconnections from the smartphone were frequent, leading to missed notifications and the need to re-pair the devices repeatedly.

Battery Life

With a 160 mAh battery, the Realme Watch delivered impressive endurance, lasting close to a week on a single charge with regular use, including heart rate monitoring every five minutes. Charging is convenient thanks to a magnetic USB charger, and a full charge takes about 2.5 hours.

Verdict

The Realme Watch functions best as a fitness band dressed up in smartwatch clothing. For its price of NPR 7,799, it offers acceptable core features and excellent battery life, but the plastic build, inconsistent touch responsiveness, limited display visibility, and software bugs hinder its overall experience. Alternatives available on overseas marketplaces often match or exceed its capabilities at half the cost, while the Mobvoi TicWatch GTX offers superior performance for just over NPR 9,999. Realme has laid a foundation here but will need significant refinements in build, software, and feature sets for its next-generation smartwatch to compete effectively in Nepal’s growing wearable market.