Dizo Watch R Talk long-term review
The Dizo Watch R was one of my top picks since its launch, having struck the right balance between a gorgeous circular design, a snappy interface and a good companion app, all under Rs 4,000. However, one department where the wearable fell behind competing watches was Bluetooth calling support. This particular feature has now become common in the budget smartwatch segment, and it looks like the Dizo series had no plans of being left out. Enter the Dizo Watch R Talk, which brings a refined circular bezel design, and more features than ever coupled with calling support. Here are my thoughts on this wearable.
Dizo Watch R Talk: What’s good?
Design
The Dizo Watch R Talk does improve in the aesthetics department. Everything from the soft silicone straps to the metal frame feels premium. You also get replaceable straps and 7H tempered glass protection. I loved the fact that instead of chasing the bezel-less look in this price segment and compromising in other areas, Dizo has embraced the moderately thick bezels and made them look stunning with the second markings. This is definitely a watch you want to wear with analogue faces, although there are many digital ones to choose from as well.
The Dizo watch R Talk combines good design with features like Always-On Display. (Image Source: Chetan Nayak/ The Indian Express)
Calling support
The Bluetooth calling feature works as expected and is a handy addition to any smartwatch when you’re in a fix. I found it really useful to take quick calls when riding my bike, without having to pull out my phone from my pocket. Calls once received can be cancelled or muted from the watch itself.
The calling feature on the watch is easy-to-use and really useful. (Image Source: Chetan Nayak/ The Indian Express)
When the watch is connected to your phone, you have the choice of receiving the calls from your watch or your phone and can then directly talk from the device you received the call on. Not all calls are diverted default to the watch. The call quality was good and the volume levels were fine as well when I accepted these on the watch’s speaker. Sure, the clarity isn’t comparable to your phone or earbuds, but it gets the job done.
Display
The watch features a 1.3-inch AMOLED display that’s bright at 500 nits, allowing you to read on it quite easily outdoors. However, you may still need to occasionally use your other hand for shade when you want to read messages or other smaller text elements. Tempered glass protection also saves this display from minor scratches.
Changing the brightness settings on demand is quick and easy with a dedicated toggle and colours across the user interface (UI) also look stunning. There are a number of faces to choose from and they all look great here, including a custom dial where you can set your own wallpaper.
The 1.3-inch AMOLED display here is bright and shows good colours, handy for custom watchfaces. (Image Source: Chetan Nayak/ The Indian Express)
There is also Always-On display support for those who are willing to give away some battery life in exchange for the screen always showing the time. AoD can be used in both analogue and digital formats and works well.
Fitness features
Although I don’t recommend people buy smartwatches in this segment for fitness alone, the Dizo Watch R Talk is among the watches you can somewhat rely on for fairly accurate data when it comes to things like step tracking and heart rate.
The watch also supports sleep tracking, SpO2 monitoring and sports tracking for various modes, but these didn’t yield the best results in my usage. So, while they’re good additions to have, I wouldn’t rely on this data. That said, this is the case with most watches in this price bracket.
Battery Life
The Watch R Talk comes with great battery life, just like its predecessor. The watch can easily last most users a full week of usage with a full charge. Even with some regular calls and Always On Display set to On, you will rarely charge this watch twice a week, and that’s without the built-in battery saver mode.
Dizo Watch R Talk: What’s not so good?
Despite all its pros, there are still some things I didn’t quite like about the Dizo Watch R. The first of these is the proprietary charger, which continues to be a small, pill-shaped magnetic addition that clips to the back of the watch to charge it. The magnets secure the charger in place firmly but can still come off if you don’t place the watch down on a desk properly. The watch dial’s own weight may sometimes pull apart the connection, stopping the device from charging. In my opinion, watches should do away with these flimsy proprietary connectors already in favour of something that can keep the watch stable while it charges.
Here’s the proprietary charger of the Realme Watch 3 Pro on the left against the one that ships with the Dizo Watch R Talk on the right. (Image Source: Chetan Nayak/ The Indian Express)
The Dizo Watch R also comes packed with features but is still beaten in this area the Realme Watch 3 Pro which remains the undefeated king of budget smartwatches this year. Features like schedule AOD, animated watchfaces and a much better charger set the Realme rival apart.
Verdict: Should you buy the Dizo Watch R Talk?
Is the Dizo Watch R Talk the best smartwatch under Rs 5,000 right now? I’d say no – that would still be the Realme Watch 3 Pro for me. Does the Dizo Watch R Talk come close? Very.
Despite its very few shortcomings, The Dizo Watch R Talk has no major compromises when it comes to features, packing support for replaceable straps, AOD, calling and all the other bells and whles. It is also the best-looking watch in its segment and also the best circular dial watch under Rs 5,000. So, I can recommend this over the Realme competitor for people who want the looks and aren’t very concerned with the smallest feature additions.