Introduction
I’ve been interested in Apple Watches, Samsung Watches, and even Fitbits, but they’re all so expensive that I’ve never been willing to take the plunge. I’d rather spend $250, $300, or $500 on camera equipment. But when I saw the Luxium Crusader Durable Smartwatch task on Billo, I was intrigued. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Review
Luxium Crusader Durable Smartwatch
I figured, why not apply, get my hands on it, put it through its paces, and see what it’s like? Maybe it could be an excellent alternative to an Apple Watch. I know it can’t necessarily compete with some of those, but I thought it might have the apps and features I want in a smartwatch at a price point I’d be more willing to pay if I were buying it.
Bluetooth
Now, this watch connects to my phone via Bluetooth, so let’s discuss some of its apps and features. First and foremost, you can make and receive phone calls. You can upload up to eight contacts from your phone to the watch and quickly call those numbers, like having an eight-number speed dial.
You can also receive phone calls from other numbers on your phone. I usually hit reject on those because I’m blocking you if I don’t recognize your number and you don’t leave a voicemail. Samsung Galaxy Watch FE Review
Calling & Texting
But I’ve been able to use that feature. The feature works well; it’s almost like using the normal speakerphone on my phone. The feature that goes hand in hand with making and receiving phone calls is the ability to send and receive texts.
While I can receive and read texts on the screen, I haven’t yet figured out how to send them. Hopefully, for now, it’s nice that I can at least read texts, glance at them to see if they’re essential, and then decide whether to pull out my phone to respond or ignore them and continue with what I’m doing. 4 Best JBL Headphones Review
Other Apps
The other apps on this watch are what you’d expect to find on a Fitbit or even your cell phone. Luxium Crusader Durable Smartwatch: There’s a pedometer, a heart rate monitor, and various health apps.
There’s even a game with a bit of bird that you make go up and down. Additionally, it has a typical stopwatch and alarm.
They claim it’s water-resistant, and I’ve been able to confirm this. I can confidently say it’s water-resistant. However, I’m not about to dive into any bodies of water with it because I don’t trust it to be fully waterproof, especially since I can see the opening for the speaker.
Theatre Mode Feature
Let me tell you about two of my favourite features on this watch. First, if you scroll down on the watch face, you’ll see an icon resembling 3D glasses. This is called Theatre Mode. It turns off the vibration and dims the brightness, so your viewing experience in a movie theatre isn’t disturbed by notifications.
Since I haven’t been to many movies lately, this feature is also handy in meetings. If I have my phone off to the side, vibrations won’t disturb me, allowing me to focus entirely on the meeting.
Shutter
The other feature I like is the Shutter. It controls the camera on your smartphone from your watch. You can set up your phone somewhere, get into the group shot, and hit the Shutter button on your Luxium Crusader Durable Smartwatch, giving you a three-second countdown. You are no longer struggling to get the perfect selfie or running back and forth to set up the camera. Just set it up, hit Shutter, and you have the perfect photo.
App Features
Now, for what I consider the most fun feature of this smartwatch. You control the watch through the Da Fit app, which is how you know it’s a budget option. Inside the app are three buttons at the bottom, and the middle one is for the watch.
You’ll see four already-loaded watch faces when you pair your watch with your phone. One is the default, and the others have dates, times, and steps with a classic aviator style.
The fourth watch face is fully customizable. You can put a different picture in the background, move the time up or down, and choose what information appears above and below the time. There’s also a fifth spot where you can click on more watch faces and explore various options.
Customizable faces
The customizable faces are based on seasons and holidays, including Christmas, Halloween, and April Fools’ Day. I love that you can choose from hundreds, if not thousands, of watch faces to match your mood, outfit, or occasion.
It’s a lot of fun to have all these options. I wish you could set your top five favourites instead of being limited to the three or four recommended ones and the one you can choose. Maybe a future update will allow that.
Battery Life
One of the big selling points when I was doing the social media commercial for this watch was its 21-day battery life. I’ve been using this watch heavily for seven days, currently at around 30%. I made sure to charge it fully overnight before using it.
The 21-day battery life claim is like car MPG ratings you must take it with a grain of salt because everything must be perfect. Huawei Band 9 Review
I’ve been running this watch through its paces, changing backgrounds, trying to figure out how to text, and doing all sorts of things that might affect its optimal performance. I’m interested in seeing if I can get it to a point where I can recharge it and use it usually to see what the battery life is.
I think it lasts a little over seven days on a full charge, but they claim 21 days. Truefree Watch GT2 Smartwatch Review
Overall
Overall, my first seven days with the Luxium Crusader Smartwatch have been positive. I like the watch and its look. It comes in three colours: Luxury Black, Military Green, and Stealth Gray.
I also like the size; it feels close to my Fossil watch. My only aesthetic complaints are minor. I could do without having all the city time zones around the edge.
I’d prefer it to be either blank or have minute ticks instead. Also, the labels “open” and “down” on the buttons don’t make much sense, especially when scrolling left, right, up, and down. The “open” button functions more like a reset button.
FAQs
1. What are the key features of the Luxium Crusader Smartwatch?
It offers Bluetooth connectivity, phone calls, text notifications, health tracking (pedometer, heart rate), water resistance, and customizable watch faces. It also has a theatre mode and camera shutter control.
2. How is the battery life?
The smartwatch claims a 21-day battery life, but real-world usage suggests around 7 days with heavy use.
3. Is it water-resistant?
Yes, it is water-resistant, though not recommended for full submersion.
