Just about everybody wears a fitness tracker these days, which range from slightly north of RM100 all the way to four-digit territory. Indeed, the size of the global wearable fitness tracker market was valued at US$38.68 billion in 2020 and is projected to triple by 2028.
Adding to this already crowded realm is the heyplus Watch (note the lower and upper case), a name that might result in stifled laughter or a raised eyebrow. Still, it’s what it has to offer that ultimately matters, no?
This is an entry- to mid-level smartwatch that contains just about all the notable features one can expect from such a device.
The heyplus Watch comes in rather spartan packaging: an elongated cardboard box that contains the timepiece itself and a proprietary magnetic charger with USB-A output.
You will find a 1.78-inch (4.5cm) Amoled display that carries a pixel density of 326PPI, offering support for 16.7 million colours – not that you can tell the difference on such a small screen – and a 24-bit true-colour display.
The external screen relies on 2.5D tempered glass for added robustness, while the borderless full-screen design pays homage to the bestselling smartwatch in the world. With a 368 x 448p resolution, you can enjoy excellent sharpness that makes the heyplus Watch punch above its weight.
While there is no information on its maximum brightness, it clearly goes beyond 500 nits, perfect for when you are outdoors under bright sunlight. It lacks an ambient light sensor, however, which means you will have to adjust the brightness manually, with five intensity modes to choose from.
Design
The aluminium alloy frame of the heyplus Watch makes this a very lightweight timepiece that is so comfortable to wear, you might even forget you have one wrapped around your wrist.
The chassis, also made from aluminium alloy, measures just 10.3mm and tips the scales at a mere 36g. There is only one button that pulls multiple duties to power the device up and down, as well as reset and go back when traversing menus. There is no crown to fiddle with here.
Flipping it over, you will find the centre sensor located on a slightly raised platform, ensuring it is able to remain close to the skin for more accurate data measurement. There are three sensors – a conventional low-power heart-rate sensor, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and a low-power blood-oxygen sensor.
The liquid silicone strap is comfortable and should not cause any allergies. It is breathable enough for everyday use, and can handle severe cold or hot conditions well. It is also IP68 certified, making it water- and dust-proof.
Does it function well?
The heyplus Watch does not pretend to be the next best thing since sliced bread, but it is far better than your standard fitness tracker or smart band. It connects to your Android- or iOS-powered smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0, where activity data is transferred to the heyplus application.
Powered by an Ambiq Apollo 3.5 CPU, the software interface is simple enough to set up and easy to use. Those who have long relied on gestures on their smartphone to get around the user interface will find themselves at home, where gestures are handled in four different directions.
The touchscreen itself is sensitive, where you swipe to the right to launch the shortcut menu bar. Swiping in the opposite direction will lead you to a display of your activity, heart-rate detection, weather, and music controls. Swiping down will reveal incoming notifications like messages, while swiping up will reveal the entire function menu.
From there, you can gain further access to your activity, heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, exercise, exercise record, breathing, alarm, weather, stopwatch, timer, music control, remote camera, and settings.
In addition to the heart-rate sensor, there is also a SpO2 blood oxygen meter, and a motion sensor that functions as a pedometer, in addition to an intelligent sleep monitor. It lacks NFC or GPS connectivity, though, so those who want to head outdoors with only the smartwatch will have to give this a miss.
While the watch has 10 training modes pre-loaded, the app contains up to 100 different activities and over 100 watch face designs to choose from. Due to the limited memory you cannot store everything on the watch, so you will have to pick and choose your favourites from the app and load it onto the heyplus.
Battery life
Touting an official battery life of 21 days on a single charge for heavy use and 29 days for regular use, this is one smartwatch you do not have to worry about should you forget the charging cable on a short business trip. Note that the figures touted are just for reference only, as each use-case scenario is different, so mileage may vary.
Armed with a 305 mAh lithium battery that charges magnetically, the charging base cradles the bottom of the smartwatch in an instant. It takes approximately two hours to fully charge the battery.
Bottom line
The heyplus Watch is an entry-level smartwatch that is capable of upsetting the mid-range hierarchy as well, offering a large, responsive touch screen without having to break the bank. It’s also nice to see a “sedentary” and “drink water” reminder available to make you take the necessary breaks in an office environment.
The heyplus Watch retails for RM599 and comes in black and pink shades.
Edwin Kee dreamt of being a pro-gamer only to have circumstances mould him into a programmer in a past life. He has since moved on to write about consumer electronics and other topics. Check out his blog at manatau.com.