Fire Boltt Smartwatch - Epic review

Fire Boltt Smartwatch

The Indian market is witnessing a frequent launch of new smartwatches, particularly in the entry-level category. These wearables share similar features, appearances, and even the same companion app, making it challenging for brands to differentiate their products. However, Fire Boltt's new Epic smartwatch has found a way to stand out by offering a feature-packed device at an affordable price.

The Fire Boltt smartwatch is priced at just Rs 1,499 and comes with features that can put even pricier 2021 smartwatches to shame. While the low price point may suggest some compromises, this review will determine whether the Epic smartwatch lives up to its promise.

Fire Boltt Smartwatch - Epic review

What’s good?

Although the Fire-boltt Epic may not have the most appealing design, there is one notable aspect worth mentioning. It is among the few smartwatches available in both 1.69-inch and 1.83-inch sizes, both offered at the same price on Flipkart. The watch features a well-lit LCD display with 2.5D curved glass, albeit without the highest resolution of 240x286 pixels or an AMOLED panel. Nevertheless, considering its affordable price, these specifications are quite impressive.

The user interface of the Fire-boltt Epic resembles that of other budget wearables, with the watch dials as the primary page and horizontally-scrollable health and activity widgets. A quick settings panel drops down from the top, with fluid motion in all transitions, and minimal lagging or jerky animations.

Aside from heart-rate monitoring and blood-oxygen tracking, the watch includes other smaller features that might go unnoticed. For instance, it comes with two built-in games, although they may be challenging to play on a tiny screen. Nevertheless, who doesn't appreciate free inclusions?

The watch connects with the 'Da Fit' app, which offers extra features such as using the app's in-built camera for remote picture-taking and selecting from various watch faces. Additionally, there is a custom watch-face option, allowing users to set their images as the background.

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What’s not good?

In my opinion, the Fire-Boltt Epic smartwatch's appearance is its major downside. The rectangular design and side-crown placement are identical to every other budget smartwatch, lacking any unique touch. Additionally, the accessory's build quality is subpar, with a flimsy pogo-pin charger and cheap-looking straps. Fortunately, the straps are easily replaceable, so you can upgrade them in the future if you decide to purchase the Fire-Boltt Epic.

Furthermore, the fitness tracking options are not very accurate, as expected at this price point. The step counter can vary between logging accurate results during walking and giving inaccurate numbers when you are inactive, but the watch detects otherwise, such as during sleep. Additionally, the heart rate measurement was inaccurate for me, showing a consistent 99 instead of my typical range of 70-80.

Who should buy the Fire-Boltt Epic?

While the Fire-Boltt Epic may not be the best budget smartwatch on the market and does not introduce any groundbreaking features, it is priced lower than most annual prepaid plans. Therefore, it would be unfair to expect more from Epic at its price point.

The real question is whether or not you should opt for a smartwatch at this low price point. If all you need is a watch with basic features like displaying the time, nice watch faces, and a few games, the Fire-Boltt Epic can get the job done without requiring much investment. However, if you can afford to spend a little more, say around Rs 3000 or Rs 5000, you will have access to watches with the better build quality, design, and additional features like Bluetooth Calling. Some of these options include the Realme Watch 3 Pro, Dizo Watch R Talk, and even some of Fire-Boltt's other offerings.