{"id":464033,"date":"2026-02-09T16:33:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/464033\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T16:33:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:33:12","slug":"i-finally-found-a-smartwatch-for-people-who-actually-hate-smartwatches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/464033\/","title":{"rendered":"I finally found a smartwatch for people who actually hate smartwatches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being a tech journalist and analog watch enthusiast takes a bit of creativity.<\/p>\n

Even though I loved the smartwatch concept and early iterations in the 1980s and 1990s, the modern-day variants don\u2019t do much for me. They can almost be assaults on the senses.<\/p>\n

And while I finally found uses for my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a> that feel less intrusive, I\u2019m always looking for a better solution. <\/p>\n

Wear OS devices aren\u2019t my go-to for wristwear, but I sometimes want the benefits of a smartwatch, without feeling like I\u2019m wearing one.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Casio has an answer.<\/p>\n

When I originally reviewed the G-Shock Move DW-H5600, I liked it \u2014 but it\u2019s slowly becoming the watch I want on my wrist more often. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tI feared smartwatches were doomed, but 2025 has proved me wrong
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Fossil’s exit didn’t ruin smartwatches, it heralded a golden age<\/p>\n

All the benefits of a smartwatch without the aesthetic<\/p>\n

I bought a Casio to wear a Casio<\/p>\n

\"G-Shock<\/p>\n

I love that Casio didn\u2019t strip the G-Shock essence from the DW-H5600<\/a>. It\u2019s a vintage G-Shock and will feel right at home on the wrist of every 5600 fan. <\/p>\n

Sure, it\u2019s a little thicker than its quartz brethren, but the trade-off is worth it, and I picked up a range of health and fitness sensors.<\/p>\n

Too often, I see companies that make analog watches attempt to make a smartwatch, and aside from a splash screen at startup, I have no idea who made the watch (I\u2019m looking at you, Fossil<\/a>). <\/p>\n

\"G-Shock<\/p>\n

Casio focused on making a solid G-Shock first, then worried about how it functions as a smartwatch, and it shows.<\/p>\n

It also lives up to the G-Shock legacy, with 200m of water resistance and a durable build.<\/p>\n

The mineral crystal is recessed to help prevent damage, and the band is stiff towards the lugs, adding shock absorption in case of a fall.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m usually more delicate with expensive smartwatches, but I don\u2019t need to take the same precautions with the DW-H5600.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t find the G-Shock DW-H5600 form factor limiting<\/p>\n

I get everything I need in a smartwatch<\/p>\n

\"G-Shock<\/p>\n

The DW-H5600 features an MIP LCD screen. It\u2019s high-contrast and power-efficient, essentially a significantly improved version of what we\u2019re used to on typical quartz watches. It\u2019s ideal for the DW-H5600, but it is limiting.<\/p>\n

This G-Shock isn\u2019t a watch you buy if you want Google Maps on your wrist, and I can\u2019t use it to respond to WhatsApp messages.<\/p>\n

Still, I don\u2019t feel limited.<\/p>\n

The DW-H5600 includes an impressive array of health and fitness sensors.<\/p>\n

In addition to the standard heart rate monitoring, it also includes a blood oxygen sensor. It\u2019ll track workouts and give a readout of your daily activity right on the watch.<\/p>\n

I may not be able to respond to messages, but I still get notifications through my G-Shock.<\/p>\n

\"G-Shock<\/p>\n

Casio included some standard features found in other G-Shock watches. I get a stopwatch and timer, as well as a world time function.<\/p>\n

I appreciate that Casio lets me view a log of my activities for the week on the watch, since the Casio Watch app leaves much to be desired.<\/p>\n

You can port data into Strava, but Google Fit is not supported. That\u2019s not a dealbreaker for me, but it\u2019s worth noting if you rely on third-party apps to analyze your fitness data.<\/p>\n

The DW-H5600 has more advantages than disadvantages<\/p>\n

Battery life is a significant plus<\/p>\n

\"G-Shock<\/p>\n

Not having a fancy OLED screen and high-powered chipset has its advantages.<\/p>\n

The battery life on the DW-H5600 is outstanding. I can easily make it last a full month on a single charge, and the solar cells recharge as I wear it.<\/p>\n

You can also plug the watch into its proprietary charger for a faster top-off, but you won\u2019t worry about battery life much.<\/p>\n

I love all these smartwatches with sleep-tracking capabilities, but they don’t have the battery life to be useful.<\/p>\n

If I constantly have to charge my smartwatch by nightfall, how am I supposed to wear it to bed?<\/p>\n

Even though the Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a> can get me through a second day, I still have to find time to charge it if I want to sleep with it on. <\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have those worries with the DW-H5600. I like a watch that lets me use all its functions properly, and superior battery life means I can wear it nightly to track my sleep.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not perfect, but for a watch enthusiast, it feels like home<\/p>\n

If you want a full smartwatch experience, with apps and Wear OS functionality, the DW-H5600 isn\u2019t for you.<\/p>\n

However, if you\u2019re an enthusiast like me, who doesn\u2019t love the idea of wearing a computer on their wrist but still wants health and fitness trackers, the G-Shock Move is an ideal choice.<\/p>\n

\"Product<\/p>\n

\"Android<\/p>\n

8.5\/10<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tCase Material \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tResin<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tCase size \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t44.5mm<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tColors \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBlack<\/p>\n

The G-Shock Move DWH5600, with its resin build and 200 meters of water resistance, brings hybrid smartwatch features to a classic design. It looks like a classic 5600 but can monitor your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and workouts. Battery life lasts over a month, with a mix of wired and solar charging.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Being a tech journalist and analog watch enthusiast takes a bit of creativity. Even though I loved the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":464034,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[49,48,195,61],"class_list":{"0":"post-464033","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-gadgets","11":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}