Lava, an Indian tech brand, entered the smartwatch market with the launch of the Prowatch. It is offered in two versions: Prowatch ZN and VN. The former has a circular display while the latter has a square-shaped dial, which is the only difference between the two. We got the more expensive ZN model with a silicone strap for this review. The watch looks great and has a lot of capabilities that the brand often does not include in this price bracket. So, this is our detailed review of Lava Prowatch ZN and is a must-read if you are in the market to buy a new smartwatch.
In This Article
Lava Prowatch ZN Review: Design and Display
Beginning with the design and construction, the watch appears premium due to its slim and sleek form factor. It does not feel bulky like the other smartwatches and seems to be a quality product.
The body of the Lava Prowatch ZN is composed of zinc alloy. Its metal body gives the watch an expensive appearance. Despite its shiny finish, it does not attract fingerprints or smudges. It contains side-mounted buttons to navigate the user interface.
Lava Prowatch ZN comes with high-quality silicone straps. The straps have a textured finish, a metal buckle, and the Prowatch logo. These measure 22 mm and can be replaced by pulling the hook mechanism at its ends. So, if you want coloured straps to complement your dress or metal straps, you can easily replace them. The silicone strap with a 65-degree bend strikes the right mix between flexibility and durability. By the way, the Prowatch is also available with a metal and silicone strap combo, for a slightly higher price. It is skin-friendly, causes no irritation, and fits perfectly.
There are two versions of the Prowatch ZN available: Dragonglass Black and Valyrian Grey. For the review, we have the Dragonglass Black Variant. It looks good on thin as well as thick wrists/hands.
Moving back, the rear has been made of plastic and houses all of the sensors as well as the charging port. Over that. the watch is IP68-rated. This means it is dust and water-resistant, so you may use it at the gym or during a run outside in the rain. In fact, this watch has a swim tracking feature built-in, so you can wear it in the pool.
In terms of fit and comfort, even though the body is made of metal, it fits well and does not feel bulky. It can be worn both at work and during a workout.
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Now let us take a closer look at the display. The Lava Prowatch ZN’s round, bright AMOLED touchscreen display is 1.43-inches and has a resolution of 466×466 pixels. The display features an always-on mode with a maximum brightness of 600 nits. It’s a high-resolution display, so even the smallest text is visible. It boasts a 326 ppi pixel depth with vivid colours, the whites are whiter, and the blacks are darker.
To turn on the device, simply press the first-side rotating crown; this dial also allows you to change watch faces. Simply rotate it, and the pre-installed watch faces may be switched seamlessly and effortlessly. Of course, you may still add more using the app, as we will discuss later. Pressing the second button will display the workout options. The Lava Prowatch has no built-in GPS, which is the same as most others in its price bracket.
One thing which its competition does not have is a CG Glass. The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection ensures that it will not get scratched easily, which is excellent. We have tested it outside, and the display is very legible. It features a 60Hz refresh rate, so the OS does not appear jittery or stuttering.
With that, there is a Bluetooth calling feature, and a microphone has been placed near the navigation controls.
Lava Prowatch ZN Review: Performance
Let’s first take a quick look at the interface. Swiping Right allows you to view your daily activities, heart rate, sleep, spO2, weather, manage the music playing on your connected smartphone, and access your voice assistant. Like on other devices, you can access quick toggles by swiping up. You can adjust the brightness in the settings; you can also turn on and off raise to display to wake it up; you can put it in sleep mode; and you can use Find My Phone to enable and disable phone calls. Phew, that is a lot.
But that is not it. If you swipe right, you’ll get a menu with your activity data, workout records, voice assistant, heart rate, blood pressure, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer, stress monitoring, breathing, weather, menstrual cycle tracking for women, flashlight, missed calls, messages and more. It also contains a variety of games, such as 2048, jigsaw puzzles, and racing games.
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However, note that playing games on the watch may drain the battery much faster. All of these functions can also be accessed by rotating the crown. An AOD clock can be turned on and off, and you can select between a digital and analogue clock. You can set the Always on time to 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes. This will not deplete your battery however you can easily turn it off when you don’t need it.
To make a phone call, slide right, select the menu, and then press the phone app. You will see the dial pad, the contact person, and the call record. The speaker on the watch is audible and crisp. You may also manage the volume, mute the microphone, transfer the call to your phone, and end the call right from your smartwatch. Similarly, you can answer calls directly from your watch. There is a vibration alert and a ringtone. You can see the caller’s name, manage the volume, decline the call, answer the phone, and respond with a preset SMS.
Taking into account the calling experience, the speakers become loud enough to be heard both outdoors and indoors. The mics also do an excellent job of not capturing ambient sound. Indoors, it was crystal clear both ways. The user interface is quite nice and easy to use.
In terms of health tracking, we tested heart rate, SpO2, and stress levels. Remember that this is a smartwatch, and while the health parameter readings are accurate they are only for reference and not for medical purposes. Though the smartwatch will provide consistent readings, the heart rate and SpO2 rating are very accurate.
In terms of fitness and workouts, the Lava Prowatch offers over 110 sports modes. By pressing the second button, you can access all of your workouts, but just 10 are available here. You must add them from the companion app. When you start an exercise, you can see the duration, heart rate, distance, calories, pace, and other metrics.
In the Pro Spot companion app, you can check your watch pairing, battery percentage, watch faces, steps, heart rate, and access all of your health and fitness data. You now have a large assortment of watch faces to download. You can also set your goals on the app according to your preferences. Then, if you return to the settings, you will see the battery percentage and notifications.
The app allows you to set your alarm and camera shutter, both of which you can do on the watch itself. You can add and remove sports mode.
Lava has included a 350mAh battery in the ProWatch Zn. It is touted to provide up to 20 days of standby time and up to eight days of battery life under normal usage. With Bluetooth calling enabled, the battery is said to last up to three days. According to Lava, the wearable requires one hour to fully charge its battery.
In our tests, the battery lasted 6 to 7 days without BT calling. If you use this option, your battery will last up to 3 to 4 days. The good news is that the smartwatch charges quickly, in under an hour (as said).
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Verdict
If we had to pick a flaw, we’d say the lack of built-in GPS, but that’s a minor quibble. One feature that stands out is its brightness. It is a vital feature for a smartwatch to have since if the brightness is low outside, you will be unable to see anything. The Lava Prowatch features everything you look for in a quality wristwatch, including a metal design, an outstanding display, always-on mode, health tracking, crisp Bluetooth calls, a fluid interface, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, which is not found on other smartwatches.
It also includes four built-in games, a calculator, and a rotating crown. Another advantage is that it has IP68 certification. So there’s no need to remove the watch while swimming or bathing.
The battery life varies according to your usage pattern, however, we were able to acquire 3 to 4 days of endurance. It is Lava’s first smartwatch, and we believe they did an excellent job. Overall, Lava’s smartwatch is good value for money.
Its pricing starts at Rs 2,599 for the silicon and Rs 2,999 for the metal variant is highly recommended.
Lava Prowatch ZN Pros
- built-in games
- IP68 certification
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- Bluetooth calls
Lava Prowatch ZN Cons
- Lacks built-in GPS
