Cubot is known for its affordable smartphones but the company also makes some other devices like smart fitness bands. In fact, the manufacturer has produced quite a few of them. Firstly, we have the Cubot Band V1 then the V2. This time around we are looking at the Cubot S1 band that costs about $50 but it offers quite a lot of features for the price. Learn more in the full Cubot S1 review.
UNBOXING
The device ships with all the usual stuff that includes some paperwork and a charger.
DESIGN
When it comes to the looks, I like the minimalistic approach towards the design. The band is relatively small and lightweight, so you will barely feel it on your wrist.
I found it comfortable to wear even though the wrist may get sweaty on a hot day. Still, this band feels more premium than those cheap sub-$20 Chinese bands.
We have a 0.96 inch OLED display that is pretty good but the sunlight legibility could be a lot better.
On the back, we have a heart rate sensor, which can track your heart rate on continuously or on-demand.
The band is IP65-certified, meaning that it is water and dust resistant.
USER INTERFACE
Operating the Cubot S1 is really easy. You can walk through the user interface by swiping up and down.
The watch tracks your steps automatically and the pedometer is really accurate thanks to the high-quality InvenSense 6-axis accelerometer and ICM-30632 gyroscope as I compared the results with my Xiaomi Mi band 2. However, there is a delay between steps taken and steps shown on the display, like on most of the fitness trackers. You can also receive notifications from your phone. This feature works great but you would still need to use the phone if you want to reply or answer the call.
APP
I’ve been using the Cubot S1 band for more than a week but I didn’t connect it to my phone before using it. It turned out that a made a mistake since once I first connected the device, all my fitness data that was stored on the band was gone. That’s why I suggest you pairing the band with the phone before you start using it.
Within the app, you can track your fitness routines in detail, adjust a few settings, manage notifications, set up your coaching plan and so on.
What is awesome is that the band can automatically understand when you’re running, walking or even riding a bike thanks to the built-in smart sensors.
The Cubot S1 features smart notifications for calls, messages, alarm, sedentary reminder, music control and remote camera. It also has a built-in altimeter, a thermometer, and barometer.
BATTERY LIFE
The built-in 85mAh battery lasts up to 1 month if you don’t use the continuous heart-rate monitoring feature. If you need that feature, the band will last for about 1 week or so.
CONCLUSIONS
For the price of about $44, the Cubot S1 is quite a solid offering considering the features it offers. So far it has been working fine and a poor sunlight legibility of the display is probably the only shortcoming worth mentioning.