If you're in the market for a watch for hiking and trail running, Casio has upgraded one of its best-known G-Shock models with a new extra-tough solar panel to give a welcome boost of battery life, even on cloudy days.
The GA-B2100 series (launched in Singapore earlier this month but now available internationally) is a new take on the classic octagonal GA-2100 design, also known as the 'CasiOak' due to its similarity to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The updated G-Shocks keep the geometric case, but are now leaner and smarter with a slimmer case, solar charging, and added Bluetooth connectivity.
Unlike the best GPS watches, the GA-B2100 series won't keep track of your pace and location during runs. For that, you'll need a more advanced device like the G-Squad Pro, which is a fully fledged smartwatch running Google Wear OS, which comes with Google Maps and the Google Fit activity tracking app preinstalled.
You can, however, connect your GA-B2100 watch to the Casio Watches app (available for both Android and iOS) to adjust world time settings, sync the time automatically, and tweak alarm options. You can also use your watch to find your phone if you happen to misplace it.
Pricing and pre-orders
There are three watches in the new lineup. The black GAB2100-1A, navy blue GAB2100-2A, and green GAB2100-3A are all available for $150, while the yellow GAB2100C-9A with a black ion-plated buckle is $160. They're available to pre-order now from Casio's website, and will begin shipping in early June.
All are water-resistant to depths of 200m (deeper than many sports watches), and have a carbon fiber-reinforced internal structure to protect their components from drops and knocks. To finish things off, the hybrid analog/digital face is topped with toughened mineral glass.
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