Though the world might not know No.1 Smartwatches, however, in China they are an elite, selling more watches than Zeblaze and LEMFO for an ultra-affordable price tag. The smartwatch manufacturer from the Chinese recently released No.1 F18 smartwatch which continues the legacy of No.1 F-series or we can call it the Fitness and sports series. So, is it more than a modest looking smartwatch as advertised? Is there any improvement from the previous watches in the series? To answer these questions, we have prepared the No.1 F18 review.
Let’s dive into the details and know the newly released watch better in this No.1 F18 review:
Table of Contents
No.1 F18 Review – Cheap Yet The Most Accurate Smartwatch in the Series
The box of No.1 F18 Smartwatch is the same as other No.1 smartwatches with the exception that we have the model name ‘F18’ written, of course. It’s colored white with some graphics illustrating the figure ‘1’ and specs on the back. The boxing is nothing special. You can’t simply tell the difference between each smartwatch packaging from a distance unless you see the watch’s model.
The box has two compartments, the upper lid, and the rest body. After removing the lid, you can see No1 F18 resting in the box supported by the memory foam. The first impression is rather impressive, thanks to the sporty design of the watch.
In terms of accessories, we have all the essential things we need for a smartwatch under the smartwatch section which includes:
- Multi-language user manual
- The Smartwatch itself
- Charging Cable (Magnetic)
Since this is a sports smartwatch with no internal memory, we don’t need a micro USB cable for data transfer. The charging cable is the magnetic one, don’t lose it otherwise you might have to get another one which isn’t easily available in markets. If you have any previous No.1 watch, you can use its charging cable as well.
Starting the No.1 F18 review with the design section, the watch follows the rugged sports watch design. In comparison to the previous generation ‘No.1 F7,’ we see the ruggedness slightly decreased. We no longer have the shockproof, SHARK smartwatches like body. However, that’s good as the new design focuses more on the elegance of the watch as well as the robustness. In short, it’s a minimalist approach.
Finally, the F-series now has a much premium feeling to it thanks to the new No.1 F18 smartwatch. Because it is forged from stainless steel and the screen has mineral glass. No doubt, it’s more robust than the previous watches in the series and immune to scratch and bumps.
The watch occupies a space of 25.00 x 5.30 x 1.70 cm and is slightly heavy weighing 70 grams because of that metal body and rugged watches design.
Also Read: KingWear KW88 Pro Review: The best smartwatch under $100
We appreciate the dot like the rugged layout on the bezels with the four compass directions. On the side, we have the three physical buttons which are symmetrical and further contributes to the sporty design.
The bottom features the charging terminal and HR sensor and we can witness the straight-lined pattern. It’s surprising that the bottom has a design as well. No smartwatch manufacturer adds that many details to the watch and leaves the bottom simple.
The best aspect of the design we liked was that the watch is IP68 certified. That means you can wear it while swimming and count those strokes and distance you covered. It’s waterproof up to 50 meters.
Moving to the strap, we have a replaceable 25mm silicon strap with the holes in it to decrease perspiration. The choice of availability is great with 3 colors to select: black, lava red, and army green.
Under the metal hood, the hardware of the watch is notable. First of all, it has a low power Nordic 52832 sensor which is accurate in terms of reading and highly power-efficient increasing the battery life of No.1 F18 smartwatch.
The sensor is accompanied by 164KB RAM and the 512KB ROM capacity (32MB external flash) allowing the watch to store data, GPS monitoring and synchronize with the smartphone. The watch connects with the latest Bluetooth 4.2 module which has better transmission than the old Bluetooth 4.0 and 4.1.
Though the OS isn’t Android or AndroidWear, yet the watch’s own UI is highly stable and responsive. In the UI we have the sports mode, remote camera, call reminder, and other menus. Furthermore, there are numerous clock faces.
Heading to the display section, No.1 proudly brags about the 1.3 inch, 240 x 240 TFT touch screen. The new 3D effect on the sapphire screen is something we get to see in this watch in comparison to the predecessors. There’s a slight effect that the UI including the clock face is three dimensional. But don’t have that much like 3D movies.
There’s a slight reflection when we move the screen to a light source. However, in outdoor use, the screen is pretty clear and the text is readable.
No.1 F18 is a perfect combination of sports and health wear. It features numerous functions which are too rare to witness in a Chinese smartwatch under $50. We have divided the features into two subsections:
Smartwatch Features
- Notification (Facebook,G-mail,QQ,Skype,Twitter,Wechat,WhatsApp)
- Phone answering
- Caller ID display with the name
- Phone call reminder
- Message Reminder
Sportswatch Features
- Waterproof
- Multiple Sports Modes
Health wear Features
- Pedometer (Highly accurate)
- Sedentary Reminder (accurate)
- Heart rate monitor (static and dynamic) (accurate)
- Sleep monitor (not that much accurate)
The greatest highlight of the watch in this No.1 F18 review is that it connects to GPS, finds your location and enables the trajectory mode for accurate distance measurement. There are over 3 global positioning systems to track your walk and over a week of use, you can set the starting, pass-by and finishing point on the map.
App Preview
The worst aspect about the Chinese smartwatches is their app. The Chinese smartwatches apps have a great incompatibility issue, irregular disconnects, poor sleep monitoring etc. Previously, No.1 smartwatches App known as ‘Funfit’ had the same problems. But thanks to the updates and fixes, the problems are being resolved. Moreover, the new Bluetooth 4.2 module is quite strong and stable.
In the app, we can bind/unbind the watch, set the alarm, synchronize, check HR, steps, sleep cycle, set the screensaver, screen light, and sedentary reminder. The latest firmware version of the watch is v3.1.0. The app is supported on both Android (above 4.4) and iOS.
Note: App supports multiple languages, but the watch only supports English and Simplified Chinese
Ending the No.1 F18 review, thanks to the low-energy chip, Bluetooth 4.2 and the stable UI, No.1 F18 smartwatch has an amazing battery life which makes the 350mAH battery, one of the prominent features of the watch. The watch can run:
- 10 hours when GPS is turned on
- 12 days of regular use
- 25 days of standby
In comparison to other GPS smartwatches, it’s almost 5x the battery life. One can easily charge the watch with the magnetic charger. The watch supports the chargers of any smartwatch which integrates magnetic charging.
| Hardware | Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 4.2 Built-in chip type: Nordic 52832 IP rating: IP68 Waterproof: Yes |
|---|---|
| Functions | Alert type: Ring,Vibration Bluetooth calling: Answering, Caller ID display, Caller’s name display, Phone call reminder Groups of alarm: 1 Health tracker: Heart rate monitor, Pedometer, Sedentary reminder, Sleep monitor Messaging: Message reminder Other Function: Alarm, Bluetooth, Waterproof Notification type: Facebook,G-mail,QQ,Skype,Twitter,Wechat,WhatsApp |
| Screen | Type: TFT Resolution: 240 x 240 Screen size: 1.3 inch Operating mode: Touch Screen |
| Battery | Capacity: 350mAh Charging Time: About 1.5 Hours Standby time: 25days |
| Dial and Band | Band material: Silicone Case material: Stainless Steel Shape of the dial: Round |
| Features | Compatability: Android 4.4 / iOS 8.0 or above Compatible OS: Android, iOS Language: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese (App) English and Simplified Chinese (Watch UI) |
| Weight and Size | Dial size: 5.00 x 5.00 x 1.70 cm Package size (L x W x H): 10.00 x 8.00 x 6.80 cm / 3.94 x 3.15 x 2.68 inches Package weight: 0.1800 kg Product size (L x W x H): 25.00 x 5.30 x 1.70 cm / 9.84 x 2.09 x 0.67 inches Product weight: 0.0700 kg |
| Package Contents | Package Contents: 1 x Smartwatch, 1 x User Manual, 1 x Charging Cable |
Pros
- Great metal built
- GPS positioning
- Budget-friendly
- Excellent battery life
- IP 68 certified
Cons
- Average app experience
No.1 F18 Review – Our Verdict
If you are in search of a cheap GPS smartwatch, No.1 F18 is the perfect budget-friendly high-quality watch. It’s nearly impossible to get a metal housing, rugged yet elegant design, IP68 30 meter waterproof, lots of features, and most importantly GPS positioning and long lasting battery life, all under $50.
Price & Availability
If you are interested, you can get No.1 F18 smartwatch for the best price of $49.99 on Gearbest. It’s available in three colors: Black, Lava Red, and Army Green. Here’s the link to the store:
Hope you loved our No.1 F18 review. Want to know anything about the watch, let us know in the comment section: