A couple of days back, Lava launched its first ever smartwatch in India. It is called Lava ProWatch ZN. If you want to check out its unboxing, you can check out our YouTube channel (it is available in the shorts section). Lava has strategically decided to launch a smartwatch as it is a growing market in the country. The smartwatch from Lava is priced in the affordable category. While the company has struggled to crack the smartphone industry in India, is 'smartwatch' a category it can dominate in?
I have been using the Lava ProWatch ZN for the last three days, and I have taken it on runs, made calls through it, and some other stuff. Here's my review of the same.
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Lava ProWatch ZN Review: Design
Lava ProWatch ZN is a great-looking smartwatch. You can get it in two types of straps -silicon and metal. Both are differently priced, but still very much in the budget range. The silicon strap is amazing. It feels strong and premium. The body of the smartwatch is extremely light and feels comfortable on the wrist.
There are two dials. I would have loved it if it was just one to keep the design very simple. But there are two dials. The bottom dial is to directly access the workout menu. The upper dial is to switch on and off. It has a round dial and everything else looks like a regular smartwatch. I like the Black variant that Lava has sent me.
How durable the strap is, we will only get to know in the long-term. But overall, there are no complaints in the design department.
Rating - 9/10.
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Lava ProWatch ZN Review: Display
The display of Lava ProWatch ZN has a decent display 'for the price'. I have mentioned 'for the price' here because if it was in the Rs 4,000 category, then I wouldn't have liked it much. There's a round 1.43-inch display with support for 466x466 resolution. It is not the very high, but because it supports 600nits of peak brightness, you can comfortably view the contents on the screen even under sunlight.
As for the lag, it has been quite smooth so far. Long-term use will also help me in determining this further. But for now, the touch is very responsive. What I don't like is the watch face. The standard that come with the smartwatch and the ones that are inside the app, I don't like them much. Maybe it is a resolution problem. But as of now, I haven't grown to like them even after three days.
That could be a personal thing. I would encourage you to get your own experience of the watch faces. But this is an area where I think Lava should improve on.
Rating - 7/10.
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Lava ProWatch ZN Review: Performance
The first thing I would like to point out in performance is connectivity. It has amazing connectivity with my smartphone. You need to download the ProSpot app on your phone to connect and pair the smartwatch.
Let's start with the battery life. I opened the smartwatch at I didn't charge it. It was at 90% battery level, and after three days of usage (I don't wear it at night while sleeping), it stands at 61%. Note that I have kept Bluetooth calling on. In fact, I have picked up several calls through the smarwatch (which I really like the experience of with the Lava ProWatch ZN).
The workout mode disappointed me. Firstly, there's no swimming support, which I understand as the smartwatch needed to be kept affordable. But then, for the running mode, the distance that the smarwatch measured was very off from the reality. I will take it on more runs in the future, and if the performance improves, I will update you guys here as well as on YouTube.
So my trust on the running mode support is quite low. Since I am a distance runner, I would still stick with a Garmin or an Apple Watch Ultra for running.
You can play games on the smarwatch, control music, do breathing exercises, check SpO2 level, females can track their menstrual cycle, and more with the Lava ProWatch ZN.
In terms of overall performance, I like the features and the battery life, but I don't trust the workout measurement.
Rating - 7/10.
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Lava ProWatch ZN Review: App
The Lava ProWatch ZN is supported through the ProSpot app that is available to be downloaded on your smartphone. It is very easy to pair and it can serve as a dashboard to track all your activity. Further, it also enables you to switch the watch face. You can also set workout goals, update the firmware and more through this app.
I would say it is a simple app and it is very easy to interact with.
Rating - 9/10.
Lava ProWatch ZN Review: Price and Conclusion
The Lava ProWatch ZN is a decent product overall. I wish Lava can make the smartwatch more accurate in tracking runs and sports activities through a software update in the near future. It is priced at Rs 2599 for the silicon strap and Rs 2999 for the metal strap.
You can definitely purchase it if your goal at the moment is to not use it for tracking sports activities. I would say its step counting is also a little off. My OnePlus phone counts steps better and more accurately, much like the iPhone. However, it is nothing that Lava can't fix through a simple software update.
My recommendation for you would be that you can purchase it for style, looks and overall features.
