Casio's Pro Trek WSD-F30 Wear OS Smartwatch Targets Outdoor Crowd With Offline Maps

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Earlier this morning, we brought you news that Google is set to revamp its Wear OS with a more intuitive user interface, and now we're learning about a new hybrid Wear OS smartwatch on the way from a pioneer in digital watches: Casio.

Today at IFA 2018, Casio unveiled the WSD-F30, which is a bit narrower (by 3.9mm) and thinner compared to its WSD-F20 predecessor. The smartwatch's 1.2-inch display takes a dual-layer approach: there's a monochrome LCD to showcase things like time, altitude and atmospheric pressure (Multi Timepiece Mode), and a 390x390 color OLED display to handle the full brunt of Wear OS.

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Compared to the WSD-F20, the biggest addition is Extend Mode, which uses Casio’s custom software tweaks to squeeze some extra runtime out of the smartwatch's battery. Last year's model could function for up to 1.5 days with its color display, or up to a month in the old Timepiece Mode. However, the new Extend Mode boosts runtimes with the OLED display to 3 days. In this mode, users have access to offline color maps and GPS logging, but Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned off.

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Since the WSD-F30 is part of the Pro Trek Smart Outdoor Watch family, the device can stand up to plenty of abuse be it from drops, shocks, or unexpected immersion in water (MIL-STD-810 rated). It will also be available in three colors – blue, black or orange -- to suit your individual style.

Casio didn't formally announce the price of the WSD-F30, but CNET says that a representative confirmed that the smartwatch will launch in late 2018/early 2019 priced at $549. For comparison, the WSD-F20 is priced at $499.