The consumer tech market is getting more and more exciting every day with numerous products being launched one after the other. It is really interesting to see how the technology that was once considered reserved for the elite has been made available to the masses. In this case, I am referring to smartwatches. This review is of one such smartwatch, the Hammer Ace 3.0.
The Hammer Ace 3.0 is a great-looking watch. Not only that, it feels great too. The watch case has a metallic finish that resembles the Apple Watch a lot. This is a feature that falls on both the pros as well as cons list. Later on that.
The watch comes with a silicon strap, once again, in an Apple Watch design, which I think is really fascinating to look at but not very functional. The case has a circular digital rotatable crown and a 1.85-inch IPS display with a maximum brightness of 500 nits.
The watch definitely looks the part and adds a great deal to the style quotient. The screen is responsive and doesn’t show any signs of delayed response.
Display
As mentioned above, there is no sign of unresponsiveness in the display. It is quick and smooth. The display seemed to be very bright when used indoors. However, 500 nits proved to be lacking a bit when it came to outside use. It’s adequate but it could have been better.
Heath Suite
Like all budget smartwatches, the Hammer Ace 3.0 offers a holistic health and fitness suite with numerous sports modes. It offers a SPO2monitor, a blood pressure monitor, a sleep tracker, a breathing exercise feature and the holy grail heart rate monitor. The features are functional are show fitness data with ease. The fitness tracker does not have an in-built GPS. However, that feature can be used via the app. The watch works with the Hryfine app available on both Play Store and App Store. The watch is also IP67 rated which means it has decent protection against dust and really good resistance against water spills. No underwater dives, though.
The thing about fitness suites in entry-level to mid-range budget smartwatches is that in most cases these features are gimmicky and are not accurate. Now, while the Hammer Ace 3.0 was not completely off the scales, I’d still suggest that you do not rely on this for accurate health data. This is not a medical device. It is but a smartwatch.
Calling
Bluetooth calling seems to be at the centre stage of features when it comes to smartwatches. The Bluetooth calling feature in the Ace 3.0 is supported by Bluetooth v5.0. The maker claims that the watch can save up to 50 contacts too. Finding those contacts easily is another story. Bluetooth calling is smooth and seamless.
Battery Life
When it comes to battery life, the Hammer Ace 3.0 could use some work. The claimed 5 days of battery life falls a bit short when you go all out on features. After using the calling feature, the health suite and other features like the alarm, the 200 mAH battery lasted for about two and a half days.
Absolutely yes. The Hammer Ace 3.0 is worth the buck. The watch costs less than INR 2,000 and is available on Amazon for INR 1,399 during special offers. What else do you want from a watch at a price point like this?
The Hammer Ace 3.0 is a holistic package combination of build quality, aesthetics and industry-standard features such as water resistance, health and fitness functionalities and Bluetooth calling.
The Apple Watch-esque design is both a boon and a bane, in my opinion. While there will be people who would want a smartwatch that looks and feels exactly like the Apple flagship smartwatch, there will be people who would not want to seem as if they bought a copy of the popular gadget.
The question of whether you should buy this watch or not relies solely on your budget. If your pocket only allows you a budget of less than INR 2,000, the Hammer Ace 3.0 is your go-to smartwatch.