INTRODUCTION

   No matter how far back I can remember I’ve always thought that a wristwatch is the only jewellery men should wear and so I’ve owned dozens of models in the past 25 years or so. Unfortunately it took me long enough to realize that battery powered models although more accurate in telling the time compared to their automatic (and even solar) counterparts needed new batteries every couple of years (maximum) and if you happen own an rather expensive wristwatch you also know that you need to take it to an authorized service center for that (and when you have many wristwatches you need to take numerous trips per year to get new batteries for them). Automatic and solar powered watches are clearly better in that regard but telling the time is not their strongest selling point since they do tend to run out of power if you don't wear them even for just a few days. Smart watches on the other hand may not be nowhere near as "elegant" as all of the above (and yes nothing beats a good mechanical watch in that regard) but leaving out their extra "smart" functions as long as you recharge them on a daily basis it will be many years before their lithium batteries require changing. Today's review is about yet another smart watch model which landed in our lab a few weeks back and more specifically the KW88 PRO by Alfawise.

   Alfawise brings a more intelligent life to people and spreads the spirit of innovation. By providing high-quality and easy-to-use products, we are committed to bringing a lifestyle which people focus more on enjoying life itself and the joy of creativity. The culture of Alfawise team is innovation, we share the same pursuit of perfection, constantly improving and creativity with people who love Alfawise products. Alfawise is always been fearless in testing and verifying new ideas, aiming to provide the best products in the industry. Alfawise believes that technology can be easy and doesn’t need to cost a fortune. We developed starter-friendly 3D printers, smart households, home security, health care products and so on, to make everyone enjoy the convenience of tech without being a pro.

   Just like most smart watches currently in the market the KW88 Pro supports 3G (GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz), Bluetooth (v4.0) and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz) connectivity, has built-in GPS (including a pedometer and an accelerometer) and is based on the Android OS (v7.0 for this model). Under its hood we find the somewhat popular MediaTek MTK6580 1.3GHz Quad-Core processor along with 1GB RAM, 16GB ROM, heart rate sensor, 2.0 Megapixel side camera and a 350mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack which according to Alfawise can provide the watch with enough power for up to 2+ days in standby mode (15-20 hours of use). At the top of the KW88 Pro we find a 1.39 inch Super AMOLED touch display (located behind a piece of thick sapphire crystal glass) that sports a resolution of 400x400 pixels (with a pixel density of 407ppi). As for the rest I was a bit surprised to see that the KW88 Pro features an IP67 certified (dust and water proof up to 1 meter immersion) aluminum casing which as with most other smart watches in the market is paired with a silicone strap/band.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the KW88 Pro inside a brown box that has Smart Watch printed at the top right beneath a sticker with the Alfawise logo on it.

The serial number and barcodes are printed on a sticker located at the base of the box.

The watch is safely placed inside a formed piece of foam and inside a plastic bag.

Along with the KW88 Pro you will also receive a USB charging cable, screwdriver, screen film and the user manual.

THE KW88 PRO

Largely thanks to its IP67 certified aluminum casing the KW88 Pro feels like a much more expensive smart watch.

It's 1.39 inch AMOLED screen may not be as large as the 1.53 inch IPS screen used in the THOR PRO model by Zeblaze (placed on the right for comparison purposes) but it's certainly a lot more common in smart watches.

Due to its smaller screen the KW88 Pro is generally a smaller smart watch (46mm in diameter and 13.5mm in thickness) compared to the THOR PRO (48.7mm in diameter and 15.3mm in thickness).

The dial around the screen is less "populated" compared to that of the THOR PRO (you may like that more, or not).

A small speaker is located on the left side of the casing while on the right side we find a aluminum button right next to a 2.0 Megapixel camera and a microphone.

Unlike the silicone strap/band used with the THOR PRO the one used with the KW88 Pro is perforated so wrist temperatures should be reduced.

At the rear of the watch we find the heart rate sensor, 4 gold plated contact pins (used to recharge the interior battery) and a small compartment.

Inside this small compartment is the nano SIM card slot which you can use if you want the KW88 Pro to also act as a standalone smartphone.

USING THE KW88 PRO PART 1

At first boot the KW88 Pro gives you instructions on how to pair the watch with your smartphone and their Android / iOS support app.

Just like in the case of the THOR PRO the KW88 Pro is pre-loaded with numerous dials some of which you can see in the above pictures.

Of course, you can always download even more dials either via Wi-Fi connectivity or by installing a nano SIM card with internet connectivity.

USING THE KW88 PRO PART 2

I have to say that we liked the graphics used in the menu screen of the KW88 Pro more than the ones of the THOR PRO. That being said you have pretty much the same range of options such as accessing contacts, making calls, sending texts, entering the settings menu, opening the browser, checking the downloads folder, accessing the clock and calendar, taking pictures with the 2.0MP camera (virtual identical quality with the THOR PRO which is not much), opening the pictures and audio folders (the following file types are supported: GIF,JPEG,PNG,MP3,WAV,MP4,RM,RMVB), using the sound recorder and file manager apps, opening the heart rate monitor, checking the weather, performing a voice based search and finally accessing the play store, maps and assistant apps.

From within the settings menu you can adjust the audio and brightness levels, change the way the watch displays its apps, connect using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, setup gesture control, enable/disable the power saving feature, access the languages and input menu, adjust the time and date, reset the watch to its factory settings and uninstall applications.

By choosing the more option you can get even deeper into the settings of the watch to check for things like available storage space and RAM, check for wireless updates, access developer options and the general status of the watch.

Also, by clicking on the side button for a couple of seconds brings on the power off/reboot menu (by clicking on the top spot you can change how some apps display on the watch).

WIIWATCH APP

The WiiWatch app you can use with the KW88 Pro by Alfawise has three basic functions, to keep tabs on the watch's battery life, record data from the GPS/Pedometer and to allow you to download extra dials to the smartwatch by using your smartphone.

GEEKBENCH 4

As of June 2019, we decided to test the hardware abilities of all the smart watches that make it to our lab (we will also add some of the ones we already own among us to grow this list) by using the latest version of Geek Bench. We run each benchmark offered by Geekbench 4 a total of 3 times and we place the average numbers in our charts.

CONCLUSION

   The Alfawise KW88 Pro is the 2nd smart watch to reach our lab (and yes, we are expecting more) and I have to admit that it's somewhat better than we were all expecting by a brand that we haven't really heard before. The 1.39 inch AMOLED screen may not be the largest one out there but it's crisp with vibrant colors and on top of that its touch feature works better than the one of the THOR PRO. Battery life could indeed be better (as also shown from our charts) since you can hardly use the KW88 Pro for a full day without recharging it but we can't really expect miracles from a small 350mAh lithium-ion battery pack. We also had no issues with any of the apps pre-loaded in the KW88 Pro so its 1GB RAM along with its MTK6580 1.3GHz quad-core processor are sufficient, for apps used with a smart watch always. The same applies for the heart rate sensor which is quite accurate (still not 100% accurate). Unfortunately, although the magnetic charging feature of the KW88 Pro is easy to use and works fine the bundled cable is very short and if you happen to lose it or damage it you will need to get a new one from Alfawise and honestly compared to how easy it is for consumers to get their hands on micro USB or mini USB cables (not to mention that most people have several such cables already at home) this seems like a big inconvenience. Strangely enough however the KW88 Pro is actually a "shared" model which means you can find it both under the Alfawise and Kingwear brand names (it’s a safe bet that Kingwear supplies Alfawise with it - the KW in the product name kinda gives that away). We don't really know why these companies didn't even make the effort to at least change the name of the product (especially since you can find both in the same stores) but at the end of the day this may be a good thing for consumers since you should be able to find one for less than the other (not to mention that the Kingwear model is also available in graphite black, red and white colors). Of course, some software and differences may exist between these models (primarily when it comes to graphics) but since we don't have both we can't say for certain.

   The Alfawise KW88 Pro 3G Smartwatch currently retails for USD99.99/89.39Euros from Gearbest (by using this coupon: 9GR4RJ8CNJ) a price tag which is very “honest” for what you’re getting in return. For good or bad however Gearbest also carries the KW88 Pro model by Kingwear for less (USD81.99/73.29Euros - use this coupon: H73KQV5H31) so do keep that in mind when deciding which one to get. With that being said although certainly not perfect after using the KW88 Pro for almost a month we all do feel that it strikes a very good price/performance ratio and that’s why we give it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IP67 Certified Stainless Steel Enclosure with Sapphire Glass Top)
- 1.39 Inch AMOLED Screen (400x400p)
- MediaTek MT6580 1.3GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A7 processor With Mali 400 MP Graphics
- Android OS v7.0
- Nano SIM Port
- Heart Rate Sensor / Pedometer
- Plethora Of Available Dials
- 2 Megapixel Camera
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Kingwear Version Also Available (Colors / Cost)
- Android WiiWatch App Connectivity Issues & Limited Functions
- Magnetic Charging Cable (Hard To Replace)
- Limited Battery Life