Timex showed in and introduced us to their Timex Smart line of watches. This set has four smartwatches (with touchscreens) in round and square casings. The Timex Metropolitan R is a round model, whereas the Metropolitan S is a square form. Both are $179, have a touch screen, and last for two weeks on a single charge. They’re compatible with iOS and Android.
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Design
The Metropolitan R features a thin 42mm case with two right-hand buttons. The case is textured aluminum with a polished bezel and a plastic bottom. The chronograph-style bezel is stylish in appearance (though it does not spin). If you choose a black watch face, it looks fantastic.
With a weight of only 39g, the elegant design is also relatively light. The 1.2-inch AMOLED screen has bright and bold readability in most lighting conditions. It does offer an always-on option, which seems to be very fashionable right now. Still, you can disable it if you need to save battery life. To wake the display in this situation, raise your wrist.
The strap is unique. It’s a 20mm tan leather strap with a silicone underside that protects the watch from perspiration, dirt, and other moisture.
The upper of the two buttons wake you up, while the bottom brings up the menu.
Features
On the Metro series, Timex hasn’t used Wear OS. On the other hand, the operating system is exclusive—something we’ve seen on the new Zepp E smartwatch as well. There’s a Timex app with many different faces to pick from. If it looks familiar, it’s because Huami, the company behind the Amazfit smartwatch series, also created this app (which looks a lot like the Zepp E, which also utilized Amazfit).
The Metropolitan R is the Amazfit GTR 42mm’s twin in terms of design. Similarly, the Amazfit GTS and the Metropolitan S are identical.
Function
To see your steps, distance, and calories, swipe left. You’ll get your heart rate if you swipe again. Up brings you to the menu, where you can manage your notifications, music, alarms, and workouts. Finally, you can see your quick-access menu options by scrolling down.
Running, walking, swimming, cycling, and even climbing and skiing are among the fitness options. The GPS activates as you begin any exercise, which is fantastic. The device is water-resistant to 30 meters, so you can swim with it (handy, as it has a swimming mode).
The software is simple to use, and it syncs the watch quickly. Even updates take only a few seconds. It’s significantly faster than any Wear OS device, including the Amazfit GTS.
Your data is saved in the app. Both fitness and sleep quality are stored. For the latter, it’ll show you some great graphs.
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Specifications
Since Timex hasn’t told us, we don’t know how much RAM the Metropolitan R has or how big the battery is. According to the advertising material, you’ll have 12 days between charges, which is wonderful. The Metropolitan S features a slightly larger battery that lasts for 14 days.
There is GPS but no NFC (near-field communication) for payments.
They’re available in various materials and colors, including black, brown, gunmetal, and rose gold-tone. All of the models are $179.
Is the Timex Metropolitan R a wise purchase?
The Timex Metropolitan R’s long battery life is unquestionably a plus. In comparison to alternatives, it’s slimmer and more appealing. As we see more smartphones with built-in GPS as standard, GPS provides a competitive advantage (consider the new Fitbit Versa 3). Fitness tracking is also extensive.
Overall, Timex has created an excellent device for the price, given that it is faster than any Wear OS device and runs on proprietary software.
