Reviews

Playground BW300 Smartwatch Review

If you’re looking for an affordable smartwatch, then you may want to take a look at the Playground BW300. Retailing for only PHP 3,990, you get an  IP67 certified, water resistant watch that is easy on the eyes and on the wallet.

playground-bw300-technobaboy (12)

Playground BW300 Smartwatch key specs:

  • 1.6 inch transflective capacitive touch screen (240 x 240)
  • MediaTek MT2502 SOC
  • Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy + 2.1
  • IP67 certified Water Resistance
  • Works with Android KitKat or Lollipop, and iOS 7 and above
  • Smart functions: Phonebook, Dialer, Call Log, Messaging, Remote Notifier, Find My Service, Alarm, Calendar, BT Music, Remote Capture, BT Connection, Pedometer

Design

The BW300 feature clean lines and a simple design that give it a very pleasant aesthetic. While the color combination of gray and green plus materials used in its construction give it a very sporty feel. The casing is made from a tough polycarbonate plastic material with a smooth matte coating. It looks and feels good but tends to smudge easily. The straps are made from high quality soft rubber paired with a good quality metal buckle.

The smartwatch boasts an IP67 certification, meaning it has protection against dust, and can survive the occasional rain, splashes of water and sweat, and other sports activities. But be warned that its limit against water immersion is up to 1 meter and for up to 30 minutes only.

playground-bw300-technobaboy (2) playground-bw300-technobaboy (8)

Bigger than most conventional watches, the BW300 is surprisingly light and it is very comfortable to wear. It feels good on the wrist. I really like the solid construction and exceptional build quality.

playground-bw300-technobaboy (13) playground-bw300-technobaboy (14)

The proprietary charging port is on the back panel. It makes use of two small magnets to hold it in place. I found that you have to secure it in place as the magnets are not strong enough to keep it there.

playground-bw300-technobaboy (9) playground-bw300-technobaboy (11) playground-bw300-technobaboy (10)

Performance

The BW300 is very convenient and easy to use. Connecting it to your mobile phone is fairly easy. You would need to download the MediaTek SmartDevice app from the Google Playstore or the Apple Appstore to make full use of its features.

playground-bw300-technobaboy (16)
L-R: Backlight ON, Backlight OFF

The BW300’s display measures in at 1.6 inches with 240 x 240 resolution. It is touch enabled, allowing you to use swipes and taps to navigate the watch’s simpe menu. It uses a transflective display making it very readable, even under sunlight. Pressing the hardware button “wakes up” the smartwatch (the backlight turns ON), and swiping to the left will take you to its app drawer. There, you will have access to the watch’s various features such as the notification settings and a pedometer, as well as other notable functions like contacts, messaging and even a dialer.

playground-bw300-technobaboy (15) playground-bw300-technobaboy (3)

I was surprised at how responsive the BW300 is. It is very easy and straightforward to use. I set it to vibrate whenever I get notifications. It is strong enough to get my attention. If that’s not your cup of tea, you could always set it to tone, which is kind of loud and startling.

playground-bw300-technobaboy (6)

Battery life is good as well. With mixed usage and some notifications, I was able to get up to two days from the smartwatch. Using it to just tell the time (meaning no smart features) will give you 3 to 4 days. The BW300 charges to full in less than an hour.

Conclusion

After using the BW300 for a few weeks, I realized how convenient it was to have quick access to your notifications. No need to bring out your smartphone in a crowded (and potentially unsafe) area or in commuter jeeps or tricycles. No pulling out the phone during meetings or conversations etiher. I just slyly take a quick peek at my watch to check for a message and be contented.

With that thought, the Playground BW300 is a great choice if you’re looking for a trendy and affordable smartwatch. It has most of the things you’ll need, weather you’re on a quick run or when you’re on a casual night out with friends.

The Playground BW300 Smartwatch retails for only PHP 3,990. You can get it at Odyssey Next (http://odysseynext.com/product/9093/playground-smartwatch-bw300/).

For more tech-centric news and reviews, please follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/TechnoBaboy) and Twitter (@technobaboy). We’ll do our best to keep you up-to-date.

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

Write A Comment