INTRODUCTION

   I got my very first wrist watch back in the early 90's and just like most boys my age i ended up choosing a Casio digital model (TS-100) that featured several interesting functions including 100 meters water resistance, world time (with a small map), 5 different daily alarms and even a thermometer (they sure know how to make watches since it's still in good condition after all these years). As time went by a small wrist watch collection was created and although it did include mostly digital models (primarily by Casio) that changed right after school since i switched my style from casual jeans and jogger/training pants with hoodies and t-shirts to sleek cotton trousers and shirts. Fast forward almost 20 years later and I’m still expanding my collection with both digital and analog/mechanical wrist watches (i also did some reviews in the past) but since here it's all about technology testing out smart watches seemed like the next logical step and so we start today with the THOR PRO model by Zeblaze.

   Zeblaze, Established in Shenzhen China on 2014, is a self-creative high technology design company focusing on wearable devices. We believe: "Watch" represents the world's new doctrine and life style's new expression. We insist: Use the traditional watch crafts merging the modern smart chip technology to offer user entirely new watch experience. The team of Zeblaze is a group of young engineers and designers who love sports and smart life. They get together for the same interests, fight for the same goal and committed to enhance the healthy life state of people. Zeblaze is now available in more than 100 countries and regions all over the world and continues to develop with the support of Android develop team to build an integral wearable ecosystem based on the Android system.

   The THOR PRO 3G Smartwatch (GSM 850/900/1800/1900Mhz - WCDMA 850/2100Mhz) may not be the latest model by Zeblaze (was officially released in early 2018) but it's certainly one of their bestselling ones to date largely thanks to its quite powerful MediaTek MT6580 Quad-core (1GHz) ARM Cortex-A7 processor (ARM Mali-400 MP graphics), 1GB RAM and of course it's large 1.53 inch IPS full round screen (85% screen to body ratio / 320x320p resolution / 326ppi pixel density / capacitive multi-touch) protected by Gorilla Glass 3 by CORNING. That's not all you're getting however since the THOR PRO also features a stainless steel body (grade 316L via CNC injection process - IP67 certified / dust and water resistant), 16GB internal memory/storage, 2 Megapixel side camera, 500mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery, connectivity (WiFi / Bluetooth v4.0) and of course its Android 5.1 OS (it's however compatible with both Android and iOS devices). Other features also include two-way communication (microphone / speaker), GPS, variety of sensors (heart rate monitor / proximity sensor / accelerometer) and two thick silica gel straps. Sounds interesting right?

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the THOR PRO inside a white box that has the company logo at the front.

A 2D barcode is placed at the rear of the box along with the bundle contents, company contact information and a regular barcode with the IMEI of the device beneath it.

The watch is wrapped inside a synthetic bag and is placed in a piece of black foam.

Along with the THOR PRO smartwatch you will also get its charging dock, micro USB charging cable, mini screwdriver and the user manual.

THE THOR PRO

The THOR PRO is an all-black smartwatch so it doesn't really stand out much, at least not with its screen off.

With a case diameter of roughly 48.7mm the THOR PRO rivals most of my digital and analog/mechanical wrist watches.

Zeblaze claims that the IPS screen of the THOR PRO takes 85% of the total surface and that number feels just about right.

Turning the watch over we see two heart-rate monitor contacts and the 4 charging contacts.

The 2 Megapixel camera is located on the right side of the watch right between the power/back and call buttons.

Two small screws are located on the left side.

These two screws hold the SIM card cover in place.

The silica gel straps are thick enough to last many years (if not you can always replace them).

Zeblaze packs a charging base with the THOR PRO and although not exactly convenient you need to mount it at the base of the watch to recharge it.

USING THE THOR PRO PART 1

By default the THOR PRO has several available dials (you can see 10 of them in the above pictures) but if these are not to your liking you can download more from the plus dial found at the end (WiFi internet connection required).

This allows you to download over 130 extra dials by pressing the arrow seen above (surprisingly enough the main marketing dial is not loaded by default so you need to download it).

USING THE THOR PRO PART 2

If you choose to load a SIM card into the watch (or you sync your phone to it) you can access contacts, make calls and send/receive messages.

From within the smartwatch menu you can also launch the internet browser, check the calendar/time, take pictures via the 2 megapixel camera, see stored pictures and listen to stored music, use the sound recorder, check the weather, open the play store, check maps, connect the phone to various devices (Bluetooth and WiFi), open the heart-rate sensor, remotely take pictures and listen to audio, find your smartphone and finally you can switch between Android and iOS system compatibility.

The settings menu allows you to change the volume levels, adjust brightness levels, enable/disable sleep mode, change the way apps are displayed, connect to various devices (again via Bluetooth or WiFi), enable/disable the auto screen and pedometer functions, check power savings, set the language, adjust date/time and check the current firmware version.

By continuously pressing the power button you can shut down the watch, reboot it, and enable its power saving mode or check a list of recent tasks (the battery status is displayed at the top).

WIIWATCH APP

The WiiWatch for the THOR PRO is primarily a fitness app which records your steps, energy consumption, distance traveled and the time it took.

This app also has a map function on which you can track your movements.

In the settings tab you can change the daily sports steps, enable camera and music access for the watch, connect your smartphone with the app and even perform application updates.

Unfortunately the application update option didn't work properly during our tests (probably because no new version was available).

CONCLUSION

   The THOR PRO by Zeblaze is actually the 2^nd smartwatch I’ve used to date and although it’s not just as good as the Samsung S3 Frontier smartwatch which I’ve been using for a while now it does come very close to it. The THOR PRO screen is actually larger than the one of the S3 Frontier (not quite as vibrant and detailed however) something which I liked a lot. Moving to build quality things are pretty much identical (although the THOR PRO has an IP67 certified housing whereas the S3 Frontier has an IP68 certified one) but when it comes to battery life even though the S3 Frontier has a smaller lithium-ion battery pack (380mAh vs 500mAh) it lasts roughly the same as the THOR PRO. Also although the THOR PRO offers slightly more settings through its various menus its capacitive multi-touch screen is not as responsive as I’d like so at times I’d swipe my finger only to have the screen remain still or move back and forth (as always however this could be isolated only to our sample). Another issue is with the WiiWatch app since it crashed a few times during our tests for no reason at all (it would first freeze and then crash). This of course only occurred with the Android version of the WiiWatch app (tested on the Huawei P9 Lite and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge) and not the iOS one (tested in the iPhone 6 64GB) so do keep that in mind.

  With a current price tag set at just USD75.99 (TOMTOP) the THOR PRO 3G Smartwatch by Zeblaze represents a great value for your money. It’s certainly not the best smartwatch out in the market today and it’s a bit rough around the edges but for people looking for the sweet spot between price and performance (features and quality included) things can’t get better than this which is also why we’re giving it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IP67 Certified Stainless Steel Enclosure With CORNING Gorilla Glass 3 Top)
- 1.53 Inch IPS Screen (320x320p)
- MediaTek MT6580 Quad Core ARM Cortex A7 processor With Mali 400 MP Graphics
- SIM Port
- Available Dials (Up To 150)
- 500mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack (Up To 48 Hours Standby)
- 2 Megapixel Camera
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Capacitive Screen Responsiveness
- Android WiiWatch App Issues (Crashing / Freezing)
- Android 5.1 OS (For Some)