Sunday, July 24, 2022

Device / Service Review UMIDIGI 3 and UMIDIGI 5

 


Long time no write. I guess it may be a little odd to come back with a review but I recently was unexpectedly surprised by some great service on decent product. About a year i found a reasonably priced GPS watch that didn't require my phone for GPS. I was skeptical but it was worth a chance for the price. I bought the UMIDIGI Uwatch3 and it turned out better than expected with a few minor pitfalls.

 

I hooked the device up to my iPhone with no issues and got it all setup. I used it for step, heartrate, swim, kayaking, sup, cycling, walking, and minimal running but mostly for sports that I didn't have my phone or a bike GPS for as was my plan (oh and as my everyday watch). It uploaded outdoor sports to Strava including the GPX track and heart-rate allowing me to see everything I was looking for although some heart-rate inconsistencies were found between Strava and VeryFitPro (device App).  I recommended the watch to quite a few others including my Daughter.

 

Here is where it gets interesting, just under a year after I bought it and mentioned to my wife that it seemed bulletproof it started acting strange. I pressed the button to check the time while watching a Basketball game and the screen was scrambled, within a few minutes the screen would not even turn on. All of the other functions continued and sent the details over to my phone but I was unable to start activities/view the screen etc. I used it like this for a few days as a basic step counter/info capture device but was missing the other functions. 

I decided to buy another but the model was no longer available and the Uwatch5 was on sale on Amazon. I picked one up and waited on its arrival. Once it came i also received an e-mail letting  me know it came with a one year Warranty. I was unaware of this so I messaged them to ask about the Uwatch3 Warranty. No questions asked (Other than what wasn't working and a photo) they sent a prompt replacement.



After receiving the Uwatch5 which I have only had a few days there are a few things I like better and one thing I don't like about the replacement model/software. I like the additional sport modes, the larger watch face, the available watch statistics. I enjoy the 5 ATM water resistance for my activities.

The one downside on the Uwatch5 vs Uwatch3 is something I hope UMIDIGI changes. The STRAVA upload only includes the speed and distance without uploading the GPX and heart-rate data that is clearly visible in OyeFit (New APP). If they add this then this device would be perfect for me.
 
Uwatch5 seems to locate the GPS Satellites quicker while both watches function with GPS. Both watches only need to be charged every few days unless you are using GPS regularly and then the time between charging decreases but is still more than acceptable for me. All in all both are great for the price.

VeryFitPro

 OyeFit
 
Apps are both useful for showing your details but as previously mentioned uploading to Strava is better handled by VeryFitPro (Uwatch3) than by OyeFit (Uwatch5)
 
Well enough mumbling about this device, I will have to get back to writing about my rides and stuff but no promises.
 
For now... I'm out... 
 
 

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