Smart watches have experienced a clear increase in market demand, driven by brands, Indian and foreign, which launched products with a larger number of feature sets and lowered prices. Gurugram, Haryana-based Nexxbase Marketing, which operates under the Noise brand, recently unveiled its ColorFit Ultra Buzz smartwatch in India, chasing BoAt from the Indian brand for first place in the Indian smartwatch market.
Noise has connected all the features you would find on any current portable device and has added the ability to receive phone calls via Bluetooth. This makes a big difference, as smartwatch calls have been largely reserved for premium segment products. With this, Noise probably hopes to capture a larger share of the domestic clothing market.
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Can you, though? If you’ve used cheap smartwatches before, the ColorFit Ultra Buzz, launched a couple of months ago, won’t surprise you in any way. It is a fairly large and thick watch, weighing 43 g without a strap. Devices like the Amazfit Bip U Pro or the Realme Watch 2 are lighter and easier to carry, even if they offer smaller screens. Weighing less than 38 g and with box sizes of about 40 mm, the latter two are easier to use throughout the day; with Ultra Buzz, you may want to remove it from time to time.
That would matter a bit. If it’s your first smartwatch, you’re likely to wear it all day. Personally, with a budget of about ₹ 3,000, I would prefer an analog watch for aesthetics. But with all the connectivity and health monitoring, the attractions of a smartwatch are undeniable in today’s market.
The Ultra Buzz, however, is a little too big and therefore not the most comfortable to wear. In fact, it can be too large for many wrists, with a case size exceeding 46 mm, compared to a universally optimal watch case size of 42 mm. Women in particular, with wrist sizes of about 40 mm, may not be the right audience.
If the setting works for you, what you will like is the brightness of the screen. The touch response is also pretty good, but the interface stutters a bit. The smart watch’s wake-up response is good, somewhat compensating for the absence of an ever-active screen.
I like the general layout of the menu. You have access to your call log on the left and your daily activity data on the right. The nerve interface decreases ease of use and experience, but it’s not too bad when it comes to ergonomics. Sure, it’s not Apple Watch, but at less than a tenth of the price, it would be unfair to compare the two.
ColorFit Ultra Buzz’s health and fitness tracking features live up to most other smartwatch offerings. However, it is not particularly accurate when it comes to tracking steps and controlling heart rate. Tracking steps, for example, shows numbers about 30% higher, which is an important deterrent if you want accurate readings.
Heart rate monitoring also shows rather fluctuating figures; even during a moderate night walk, the ColorFit Ultra Buzz showed heart rates above 200 bpm. While the stress monitor showed fairly accurate readings, depending on how I felt when I tested it, the smartwatch wasn’t too good for tracking fitness.
It only works for the casual workout and gives you a rough idea of the progress in daily activities. It is this factor, more than its large dimensions, that undoes the good work of a decent aesthetic and a clean interface.
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The key feature with which Noise aims to attract buyers is the use of a Bluetooth calling interface, which makes it one of the most affordable smart watches to support hands-free wireless calls. The feature works well with both iOS and Android, although there is a second delay when it comes to transmitting the phone call notification to the clock. Fortunately, there are no delays in relaying the call itself.
The built-in smartwatch speaker isn’t particularly loud, but it does the job. This makes its main feature a reasonable success, so if you need a basic smartwatch that can offer hands-free calling, Ultra Buzz should be on your list.
At 3,299 ₹, the Ultra Buzz is not a gadget with aspirations. But it could be a practical purchase for a first-time buyer, despite its stuttering interface and inconsistent fitness tracking data. The watch looks well built and sturdy. It has many clock dials, and while it takes a while to sync with the clock itself, you’ll have many quirky options. Hands-free calls work.
Even in terms of battery life, the Ultra Buzz works well enough, providing about four days of use in a single charge cycle. For a full charge, the clock takes about two hours, which you may need to do twice a week.
Do you have to buy it? Not bad and offers you enough for a basic smartwatch experience. But there are better smartwatches on the market that are lighter, offer better fitness tracking and a similar user experience at the same price. Unless you intend to buy a Noise smartwatch, there is no real reason why you should go for it.
Specifications
Display: 1.75-inch LCD
Resolution: 320×385 pixels
Battery size: 300 mAh
Battery life: ~ 5 days
Box size: 46 mm
Price: 3,299 ₹
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