Casio has launched a new G-Shock watch that could be a serious rival to the likes of Garmin. The Casio G-Squad GBD-H2000 multi-sports watch includes an optical heart rate monitor, on-board GPS, automatic activity detection, sleep tracking, a blood oxygen (SpO2) sensor, and more besides, making it a viable rival to the likes of the Garmin Instinct series.
Watches in the Garmin Instinct lineup has always been notable for their chunky design reminiscent of Casio's G-Shock designs, and the GBD-H2000 gives fans of the look another option to choose from.
As Casio fan site G-Central explains, the new watch is a successor to the GBD-H1000, and carries over many of the same features, including its LCD display, vibration alert, and automatic horizonal correction for its compass. What's new, however, is the addition of serious fitness-tracking hardware and software developed and licensed by the experts at Polar.
While Garmin first built its name in GPS tracking, Polar has always focused on heart rate monitoring. As such, its watches have some of the best biometrics in the business, and now that same tech is coming to wearables from other manufacturers.
Size and weight
The Casio G-Squad GBD-H2000 should also be practical for everyday wear, receiving smartphone notifications, logging your daily step count (complete with graphs), and tracking calories burned.
It weighs 63g, with a case measuring 59.6 x 52.6 x 19.4mm. That's a little heavier and larger than the Garmin Instinct 2, which tips the scales at 52g and measures 45 x 45 x 14.5mm.
The GBD-H2000 is scheduled to go on sale in Asia in March. Some of its more advanced features are still in development, but will hopefully be complete and ready to go by the time it launches globally.
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