Lava’s newest offering in the budget smartwatch segment has a lot going on for it. Priced at Rs 3,999, the Prowatch X features a bright 1.43-inch AMOLED display and built-in GPS along with essential health and fitness monitoring functions. On top of that, Lava claims a 10-day battery life for this smartwatch. Interested to see if it can stand up to the tough competition in the sub-Rs 5,000 price bracket, we used the Lava Prowatch X for two weeks – here is our in-depth review of the smartwatch.
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In This Article
Lava Prowatch X Review: Design and Display
Here’s what you get inside Lava Prowatch X’s retail box
- Smartwatch
- Extra (nylon) strap
- Charging cable
- User manual
- Stickers
The Lava Prowatch X follows a simple design language. The display is encased in an aluminium shell. The brushed finish on the shell feels premium. There are two buttons on the right side of the frame, while the left edge is buttonless. The top button takes you to the app drawer, while the bottom one launches the exercise menu. These buttons cannot be customised. The sensor array, microphone, speaker, and contact points for the charger are placed on the bottom panel.
The Lava Prowatch X is available in 3 strap options – Metal, Silicon, and Nylon. Our review unit had a silicon strap attached to the watch and an additional nylon strap in the box. The silicon strap wraps comfortably around the wrist, but it can induce sweat rather quickly. This is why we preferred the nylon strap while working out. If you want to pair the watch with a formal outfit, you should consider getting the metal strap.
The 1.43-inch AMOLED display has a 466p resolution and can reach a peak brightness of 500 nits. It remains unfazed in bright outdoor conditions. However, it lacks adaptive brightness. The touch response is smooth, and the display registers even the most subtle gestures. Since there is no dedicated back button on the watch, going to the previous page requires swiping from the edge of the screen. Swiping up from the home page reveals the notifications, while swiping down gives you access to quick settings. You can browse through the widgets by swiping left or right on the home screen.
The Lava Prowatch X is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. We used the watch while hiking and working out. Its performance remained unfazed by excessive sweat. One of our favourite things about the smartwatch is that you can wear it while swimming.
Lava Prowatch X Review: Performance
The Lava Prowatch X is powered by a 128 MHz Dual Core Actions ATS3085C chipset. With Bluetooth 5.3 onboard, pairing the smartwatch to an iPhone or Android device is an easy process. Lava’s Prospot app acts as a companion tool for the smartwatch.
The heart rate and SpO2 readings taken with the Lava Prowatch X were consistent with medical-grade equipment. It can measure the heart rate in the background but not the blood oxygen level. The SpO2 readings can only be recorded manually.
We wore the Prowatch X to bed and were happy to see that it accurately tracked our sleep cycle. The Prospot app breaks down each cycle into different sleep phases. The smartwatch can track stress levels, but we can’t speak to the accuracy of the numbers. The device is also capable of calculating the ambient sound level. There is an option to view the AQI level of your locality, but the numbers are way off.
Lava Prowatch X supports 110 workout regimens, sports, exercises, and other activities. With built-in GPS, you don’t need to carry your phone with you when you go on a run. The watch can automatically recognise 4 exercises – running, walking, elliptical, and rowing machine. On top of that, the watch tracks the steps taken throughout the day. You can set your daily goal in the Prospot app. The step count numbers are accurate. However, we’re always sceptical of the calorie-burning numbers when it comes to smart wearable devices.
There are 3 pro modes on the device: Body Energy, Heart Rate Variability, and VO2 Max. The Body Energy score gives an insight into your energy levels so you can decide whether you should recover or work out. It takes your sleep cycle into account, but we’re skeptical of the algorithm that the watch uses to calculate the score. On the other hand, Heart Rate Variablitiy and VO2 Max are helpful additions. The latter calculates the rate at which you consume oxygen during intense workout sessions. The readings help gauge your endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
Lava Prowatch X is a Bluetooth-calling smartwatch. In indoor conditions, it does a good job of extracting the voice of the speaker from the surrounding noise and relaying it to the listener. You can store up to 10 contacts on the watch. It can also relay you notifications from apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat. The Prospot app has over 100 watch faces that can be transferred to the device. On top of that, the smartwatch is equipped with features like a remote shutter, world clock, event reminder, phone finder, compass, flashlight, alarm, women’s health tracker, and more. Interestingly, there is no calculator app on the watch.
During the two-week review period, we used the Lava Prowatch X for tasks like step counting, workout tracking, heart rate measurement, sleep tracking, and Bluetooth calling. With Always on Display turned off, we were able to push its battery life to 6 days. With AOD turned on, the battery life dropped to 3 days. The 300mAh battery pack took over 2 hours to charge fully.
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Verdict
If you’re looking for a no-nonsense smartwatch priced under Rs 4,000, you should certainly consider the Lava Prowatch X. It is very reliable when it comes to tracking workouts and daily step count. Its SpO2 and heart rate readings are consistent with medical-grade equipment. Features like Heart Rate Variability and VO2 measurement add value to the already affordable price tag. With IP68 support onboard, you can wear this watch while swimming.
Lava Prowatch X: Pros
- Bright display
- Swimproof
- Accessible companion app
- Affordable
Lava Prowatch X: Cons
- Cannot measure SpO2 levels in the background
- Physical buttons can’t be customised
