To be honest, it is not easy to decide which activity band to buy in GearBest. There are just too many brands and models and varying features and prices. But when GearBest Marketing Manager recommended this Vidonn （唯动） X6S smart sports bracelet for a review, I took it on.
Getting Started
The X6S comes in a hard box with some product information write-up. It does not have any physical button except a touch sensor below the display.
Like most other China-brand products, the instruction manual does not provide very comprehensive information on the actual features. I spent a while figuring out what each function does, and how to get things working.
Similar to most activity bands, the Vidonn X6S must be paired with the smartphone app to personalise it. After installing the Vidonn app available on the respective Google or Apple app store, you need to set up an account before you can access the app.
Features
The Vidonn X6S offers the following features:
– count the steps, calories and distance
– sleep activity (deep, moderate, light)
– “Temporary Mode” session tracking (timer, steps, distance, calories)
– incoming notification (apps configurable)
– alarm (up to 8)
– sedentary notification (configurable between 35 to 125 min)
– do-not-disturb periods (up to 2)
– watch face (up to 5 fonts, 12/24 hour, display date, orientation)
– auto wake-up screen (on/off)
– Bluetooth disconnect reminder (on/off)
– anti-lost alarm (distance sensitivity configurable)
– over-the-air firmware updates
– IP65 water resistant
– Weight: 20g
– Battery: 45mAh
– Standby time: 15 days
The X6S is really lightweight and feels comfortable to wear the entire day and night. The double-buckle strap lock ensures it stays in place without accidental fallout, yet is easy to remove.
Display
The on-screen display is customisable to a certain extent, but if you select whatever is available, it will show you the date, time, day, battery, and Bluetooth icon if it’s connected to the smartphone. Depending on how you like to see the watch face, it can be oriented in portait or landscape, for left hand or right hand view. The screen timeout is too fast for me, and I’d wish the length can be customised.
The display is toggled by tapping on the sensor, which will scroll the watch face, steps, calories, distance. Press and hold the sensor and the session tracking will commence, which tracks the stats of any specific workout session for your information. You can also wake up the display by doing the common wrist gesture. It works well, provided you are in the normal upright position.
Incoming Notification
To me, the notification feature is more important than the activity tracking accuracy, because this feature is most used in my daily life. I’m happy to find that the notification works reliably. I can select the apps that I want to receive notification, which appears as a 2-line text on the X6S. Tapping the sensor will scroll the message or go to the next notification if any. The notification will also remain on the X6S if you do not tap the message, which is good so that I can revisit any missed notifications later.
Sleep Alarm
This is also another of my favourite feature, as it wakes me up silently without disturbing my wife. The alarm starts by vibrating in short pulses, then the pulses got longer and longer, and stops within 30 seconds. There is no snooze option, so I would usually set another alarm in case I missed the first one.
Activity Tracking Data
The app does not really present the data intuitively. As you can see on the screenshots, you can tap the daily bar to show the activity for the day, plotted by the hour over the number of steps. It is not possible to view the actual value of each data point. As for the sleep tracking, it captures the amount of movement detected by the band while sleeping. I find that the X6S is not accurate in detecting the actual time that I wake up.
Battery Life
Another important feature (or lack of) about smartwatches is battery life. Fortunately, after wearing the X6S for 5 days, it still has 50% remaining. Charging is convenient using standard USB port, which is exposed when removing the strap. Not to worry, the strap does not fall off easily.
Bluetooth Connectivity
Throughout the review period, I find the X6S remains connected to the smartphone consistently. There was no excessive disconnect reminders as far as I have observed.
Occasionally when I was testing out the Vidonn app and changing the settings frequently, I found that the settings were not updated to the bracelet. As a result, the configuration were lost when I returned to the setting. To be sure, I would usually go back to the setting to make sure they are saved and committed to the bracelet.
Verdict: You Get What You Pay
I am pleased with the Vidonn X6S. The smart band works reliably once you are done with all the necessary configurations. I’m really not that concerned with the activity tracking stats (if you are concerned with accuracy, then you should probably buy the established brands like Fitbit). What the X6S works for me is that it tells the time, displays incoming app messages (like WhatsApp), wakes me up from bed, and saves me the trouble of regular charging. I like the ability to change the straps, to charge using standard USB port (instead of proprietary ones).
Thanks GearBest for recommending the Vidonn X6S for review. It’s selling on GearBest website for US$28.18 with colour options in blue, black, and purple. Free shipping worldwide.
Official product website: http://en.vidonn.com/
3 comments
Thanks for the insightful review, Chester! I’ve been looking for something that I could use as a stealth alarm in the morning so I don’t wake my husband and throughout the day for my appointments etc. I love the sound of this feature and the extended battery life :) Thanks so much for sharing!