I feel like I’ve used the G-SHOCK enough now to get a feel for the differences I’ve experienced compared to using my Apple Watch and wanted to share a few thoughts on using both.
Comfort
For me the resin bands on any of the Casio models offer really great comfort. I’ve tried all sorts of bands on the Apple Watch but just couldn’t find one to match it. My default remains the sports band and when I wear an Apple Watch I’m on the original black band I had years ago with my original model. Now of course this is personal preference but I find the no fuss resin bands of the Casio more comfortable. One thing I would say though is the G-SHOCK band is thicker than your average Casio so does take a bit more to adjust to.
Price
Easy one here, Casio is £80 and Apple Watch whilst still cheaper for a series 3 is £299. You do get a lot more tech though so hard to compare here. You have to have a good think about what you’re looking to track.
Activity tracking
The Casio is nothing more than a step counter, no HR (Heart Rate) sensor but does have an accelerometer so does a great job of tracking how much you’ve moved throughout the day. When you’re walking you don’t set a workout going you simply go, I do set a timer but that’s for me to track my regular walking route. It’s not going to tell you anything other than steps and time. The Apple Watch is much more in-depth and if you’re ok with a lot of data and all day HR checking then the Casio cannot compete in this arena. You do of course get a tonne of battery life on the Casio (2 years) and although I don’t workout this way there are options for setting specific saved timers. I can’t comment on this as I walk for my exercise.
Smarts
Nothing on the Casio apart from the app and Bluetooth to connect. No notifications or apps built in, it’s a watch with simple step tracking. I like this about it, I forget I’m wearing it and can sync data to the app whenever I want to (although it does it on it’s own a few times a day). Of course you can pair the notifications of the Apple Watch down to nothing also if you want to but I still find I get distracted by anything on the Apple Watch.
Which should you get?
G-SHOCK is a massive watch brand and has a cult following, if you’re into G-SHOCK then this is probably the one to get. I also think it’s a good choice if you want to start to track how active you are and don’t want to put much data into the world about it, like the now Google owned Fitbit.
For me it was about simplifying my setup and tracking less, just seeing if I’d hit 10,000 steps is all I need.
Don’t get me wrong the Apple Watch is a great bit of kit but for me personally it opened up a world of information that I couldn’t track anymore (more on this in a separate post coming soon…). For most people though it’ll be a great choice, especially a series 3, the activity ring system is world class and a great motivator once you get streaks going.
Ultimately though it may come down to price and for £80 you can’t beat the G-SHOCK.
