G-SHOCK has launched another fitness-focused smartwatch, the G-SHOCK DW-D5600, it’s second Powered by Polar watch.
It follows the Casio G-SHOCK GBD-H2000, which impressed us in our in-depth review, thanks to the accuracy of its data and breadth of fitness features.
The G-SHOCK DW-H5600 inherits the octagonal design of the original G-SHOCK and celebrates its 40th anniversary. It comes with two interchangeable bezel designs, the first all-black, with the second adding colorful layouts displaying the wiring diagram of the DW-5600 circuit board.
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a retro Casio G-SHOCK, with the MIP LCD display, and classic Casio watches face. But the addition of a heart rate monitor means there’s more going on here than your average digital watch.
> Upcoming smartwatches we're excited about
Casio
The heart rate tracking is powered by Polar, which provides Running Index, Cardio Load, Energy Sources and Nightly Recharge data.
It will also make sense of heart rate data tracked during one of the G-SHOCK’s workout modes.
But this model isn’t as fitness-focused as the GBD-H2000. There’s no built-in GPS, but it will piggyback off your paired smartphone.
And there are only four workout modes too: running, walking, gym workouts, and interval training.
All this is measured and recorded in the G-SHOCK app, which was our main point of criticism with the GBD-H2000. However, while a vast array of improvements could be made to the app, it seems less critical here, given that there’s a lower emphasis on sports and athletic performance.
Battery life is estimated to be a week, but it does have solar-power capabilities, which means that the time will be displayed, even if the main watch has run out of battery. That only requires two hours of sunlight exposure per week, so it should be achievable.
The G-SHOCK DW-H5600 is available in three models, with prices ranging from £269 to £389. US pricing/availability is still TBC.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.