Cogito Pop review

Smartwatches don’t need
to be packing the latest OLED displays, super efficient system-on-a-chip
processors or even be running a dedicated operating system.

That’s what Hong Kong based
ConnecteDevice will be hoping at least, as it follows up its mildly successful
Cookoo range with a duo of simple smartwatches: the Cogito Pop and the Cogito
Classic.

Blurring the lines
between traditional, analogue, timekeeping and the digital communication
revolution, the Cogito pair offer up smartphone syncing and wrist-based notifications,
with no firmware updates in sight.

We’ve spent the last week
or so with the cheaper of the two watches – the Cogito Pop (£79.99 from Amazon) – read on to find
out how we got on.

Cogito Pop: Design and build

If you imagine a basic,
teen-focused, Swatch-like, colourful funky watch, you’ve got the Cogito Pop.

Made of plastic and featuring
a basic rubber strap (of numerous colourful varieties), and looking nothing
like its smartwatch comrades like the Gear Live, the LG G Watch or even the Pebble Steel, the simplicity of the Pop is its selling point.

We’ve seen Bluetooth
connectivity and smart features on ‘regular’ watches before – Casio and Citizen
both have notifying timepieces on the market – but this is the first time we’ve
seen one so obviously aimed at the Bieber generation.

It’s a solidly built
device and the vented rubber strap (which is interchangeable) is pretty
comfortable, although the buckle is a tad clunky. The face is numberless, with
larger five-minute interval markers and smaller individual minute ones, and
there’s the regular three-hand analogue movement.

On the side are two
buttons either side of the dial and, at 14mm thick, the face is pretty bulky for a traditional watch.

Cogito Pop: Smart functionality

The smart features of the
Cogito Pop are applied by the four LED icons that sit between the 10 and 2
markers at the top.

Looking left to right
you’ve got a speech-bubble, an envelope, a pair of people and an info sign. These, as you’ve probably guessed by now, light up when you get certain
alerts. This is where the Pop differs
from its traditional rivals.

There are people out
there who want detailed updates and real-time in-depth notifications from their
connected watch – that’s where the Gear Live and the Android Wear gang come in.
Then there’s those who simply want a quiet notification of an email, call or
social media – and that’s where the Pop comes in.

Receive a text, a
WhatsApp message, Facebook notification, incoming call or a calendar update and
the appropriate icon will light up and the watch will vibrate and beep. You can
also have it alert you if your phone’s battery level is low.

The icons will flash
until you acknowledge them – either by pushing one of the watch’s buttons or by
reading the notification on your phone.

It’s effective, but
equally frustrating. Sure, you won’t miss a call, but with only four icons and
many messaging platforms, it’s often baffling to decipher what the Pop is
trying to tell you.

Cogito Pop: Pairing and partner app

These alerts are powered
by the accompanying Connected Watch app (iOS and Android). In the app you can
set what type of alerts will show up on your watch and there’s also a couple of
extras such as a ‘find my watch’ function and media and camera controls – both
of which were much more novelty than useful, we have to say.

It’s also through the app
that you do the initial Bluetooth pairing, which at first seemed a doddle. It’s
only after the umpteenth time that the connection drops and you’re yet again
going through the process that it will begin to grind you down.

The Pop seemed to lose
connection with our Android smartphone at least twice a day, despite always
being in close proximity.

The app is also pretty
basic and it’s not really clear what you’re turning on and off. It does show
the incoming messages it is alerting you to on the watch but that’s hardly necessary
as you can’t reply to a message from within the app – tapping a notification
simply chucks you into the relevant platform.

Third party support is
pretty minimal as well. The usual suspects – Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and
Instagram – are all present and correct, but if you’re using anything less
mainstream to connect with your circles you’re out of luck.

Cogito Pop: Battery and waterproof skills

The Cogito Pop doesn’t
have the battery worries of its more smarter rivals: it runs on a pair of button-cell
batteries so you should get months of life before you need to replace them.

It’s also got a 10ATM
waterproof rating meaning that it should be good in the shower, the bath, the
pool or even the sea for a bit of snorkelling.

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Cogito Pop

By ConnecteDevice
The Cogito Pop feels more like a dumb watch with a few smart gimmicks rather than the stripped back smartwatch that we know some people really desire. Ultimately, it’s let down by its connectivity glitches and mediocre companion app. As a funky watch, it certainly plays its part, but as a digital companion, it sadly comes up short. It’s £79.99 and you can get one from Amazon.


Hit

  • Funky fashionable design
  • Brilliant battery life
  • Great selection of colours
  • 10ATM water resistant rating

Miss

  • Bluetooth connection issues
  • Mediocre companion app
  • Slightly bulky watch face
  • Lack of 3rd party app support

SOURCE:http://www.wareable.com/smartwatches/cogito-pop-review