breaking doubts on smart tech with strength junto iron arm 5
Preface
In the past two years, at technology exhibitions such as 3E and CES, smart wearable products, along with virtual reality and smart home devices, have become the main attractions. However, since the release of smart wearable devices, they have been accompanied by continuous skepticism, even being labeled as pseudo-smart at times. Of course, the most questioned aspect is their battery life. Currently, it seems that smart wearable products with long battery life can dominate the market.
Take the currently trending smartwatches, for example. Each new smartwatch model has made many intelligent and user-friendly changes in terms of appearance, performance, experience, and price compared to previous versions. Various smart wearable products are dazzling. However, beneath this glamorous exterior, battery life undoubtedly becomes a pain point they avoid discussing. The battery life, which truly reflects one of the core performances, has hardly seen any improvement. It's easy to pick a winner in the smartphone market, but the competition in the smartwatch field is much fiercer.
Looking at the current smartwatch market, whether it's leisure and sports watches like the 'APPLE WATCH' or Huawei watches, or outdoor sports smartwatches represented by 'Garmin' and 'Suunto,' none have satisfied users in terms of battery performance. Battery life is the biggest obstacle preventing manufacturers' smartwatches from gaining market share, but it also presents the best opportunity for some companies to seek breakthroughs and conquer the market. JTOUR outdoor smartwatches are a strong contender in this regard.
JTOUR outdoor smartwatches make a strong entry with a tough image. The rugged exterior design, combined with military-grade three-proof attributes, undoubtedly breaks the curse of domestic smartwatches lacking outdoor capabilities. The JTOUR Iron Wrist series formed an inseparable bond with 'Wolf Warrior 2' in 2017. The new Iron Wrist 5 continues the series' excellence in safety, design, and waterproofing, comparable to military products. Especially concerning the highly anticipated battery life, its proprietary low-power technology allows this smartwatch, equipped with a 300mAh high-density lithium battery for extreme cold use, to achieve 90 days of standby without screen shutdown.
For the average person, a smart bracelet might suffice, but for outdoor enthusiasts or more professional athletes, it's clearly not enough. Therefore, a high-end smartwatch with low power consumption, dustproof, shockproof, waterproof, and powerful, reliable functions is needed to meet their needs.
Unboxing the JTOUR Iron Wrist 5
As a mid-to-high-end smartwatch, the Iron Wrist 5's packaging is quite exquisite. The box is protected by a transparent plastic sleeve, with the Iron Wrist 5's pattern printed on the top. After removing the protective sleeve, the entire box presents a unique glossy matte texture, with a black main tone, giving a low-key yet grand impression. The golden JTOUR logo is plated in the center of the top, making it striking and eye-catching. The bottom has a VIGOR5 nameplate, displaying various main functions such as 'Military Compass,' 'GPS/BDS,' 'Environmental Monitoring,' 'Sports Monitoring,' 'Smart Reminders,' 'Maximum Oxygen Uptake,' and 'Lactic Acid Threshold.' The nameplate also indicates that the Iron Wrist 5 has obtained RoHS, REACH, and MIL-STD-810G military standard certifications. The MIL-STD-810 standard covers a wide range of environmental conditions, including high altitude low pressure, high and low temperatures including temperature shock, rain (including wind-driven rain and freezing rain tests), humidity, mold, salt fog corrosion, sand and dust, explosive gas, liquid leakage, acceleration, shock and transport shock, shooting vibration, and random vibration.
The packaging is easy to open; just push up from the front to open it easily. Once opened, you can see the Iron Wrist 5 lying securely inside, revealing its true appearance. The lid adopts a rebound design, automatically closing tightly between the lid and the box, preventing it from falling off easily.
Through layers of unveiling, the accessories of the Iron Wrist 5 are also presented one by one. The Iron Wrist 5's accessories are not many, only including a data cable, a screen protector set (with 2 included), and a user manual.
Appearance and Static Functions of the JTOUR Iron Wrist 5
In addition to automatic time correction via the app, the Iron Wrist 5 also supports satellite time search. The watch does not need to be connected to a phone and can operate in offline mode. First, find a place where satellite signals can be received, then activate the satellite time search function on the watch. It takes about ten seconds to complete the time search, and the time is very accurate. The Iron Wrist 5 supports GPS and Beidou satellites. Generally, if there are not too many tall buildings nearby, it can receive signals well. However, I had to go outside to get the time successfully.
The dial size of the Iron Wrist 5 is 47x47x14mm, weighing about 65g, making it suitable for men to wear, but it may seem bulky for women. The screen uses a 1.2-inch MIP reflective LCD color display with a resolution of 240x240. Although the resolution is not high, it is clear and detailed enough for displaying simple patterns and text, with no noticeable jagged edges. The reflective LCD is very power-efficient as it does not have its own light source. However, it may appear dim indoors with insufficient light, requiring the use of a backlight. In well-lit outdoor environments, it is very clear, and the stronger the light, the clearer the display, making it particularly suitable for outdoor use. The surface glass is made of Corning Gorilla Glass, providing better scratch resistance and durability.
The inner ring of the dial has time scales, but their purpose is currently unknown. It is estimated that future updates will include themes mimicking traditional watch hands. The watch case is made of stainless steel with high reflectivity, giving it a strong technological feel.
For a watch with three-proof functions, it is impossible to use a standard MicroUSB charging interface. Therefore, the Iron Wrist 5 has its own dedicated interface. Many watches use a magnetic design, which can easily cause disconnection during charging due to movement. Frequent disconnection can affect the battery's lifespan. The Iron Wrist 5's data cable interface uses a more robust crocodile clip design, tightly 'biting' the watch during charging, effectively preventing disconnection during charging or firmware updates.
The Iron Wrist 5 is equipped with a high-efficiency, low-temperature-resistant lithium battery, capable of withstanding extreme cold environments. The battery capacity is not detailed in the specifications, but it records a 60-day battery life in low-power mode with all functions turned off. Although I haven't tested it for such a long period, the battery consumption was slow during normal wear, making a 60-day low-power battery life entirely possible. During several outdoor tests, with all functions turned on for about two hours daily, the daily power consumption was about 13-19%. Based on this, in high-power mode, it can last about 17 days, which is quite impressive. The watch can be charged using a regular phone charger, taking less than 2 hours to fully charge. Even if the charger has a fast-charging function, the watch's circuit protection ensures the entire charging process remains low-power, preventing damage from high currents.
Connecting the APP with the Watch
The Iron Wrist 5 connects to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The watch's Bluetooth is enabled by default from the factory; otherwise, it needs to be enabled through the watch's system menu. Before connecting, download the 'JTOUR Sports' app, which supports both iOS and Android versions. The functions and interfaces of both versions are basically the same. You can download it by scanning the QR code in the manual or on the official website, or by following the official WeChat public account. iOS users can also download it from the App Store. After a simple account registration, enter the app and select your device type for searching. After selecting your device name, the watch will display a random 6-digit 'pairing code.' Enter the displayed pairing code into the app to complete the pairing. Note that the pairing code only appears for a few seconds, so it needs to be entered quickly.
Bluetooth pairing only needs to be done once, and it will automatically connect afterward. The sensitivity is very high, and the connection speed is fast, almost instant. I tested the connection distance between the phone and the watch, which was about 10 meters without obstructions and about 5-6 meters with obstructions. When exceeding this distance, the watch quickly responds with vibrations and sounds, providing some anti-theft protection for the phone.
Dynamic Functions and Sports Testing of the JTOUR Iron Wrist 5
Heart rate monitoring is crucial for exercise effectiveness and safety. The Iron Wrist 5 uses a highly mature PHILIPS wristband optical heart rate and dynamic heart rate monitoring sensor, capable of continuous heart rate monitoring. It emits a flashing green light during heart rate monitoring.
Considering that extreme outdoor sports can easily cause accidental touches, the Iron Wrist 5 does not support touch screen operations. All operations are completed by three buttons on the left and two buttons on the right. The buttons are relatively large, with strong feedback and a good tactile feel. The first button on the left is the LIGHT button, which controls the screen backlight. The second button is the OK button, which sets the menu and confirms functions, and starts and pauses in sports mode. The third button is the BACK button, which turns the watch on and off when held for 3 seconds and returns to the previous screen when pressed briefly. The first button on the right is the UP button, which scrolls up when pressed briefly and selects sports mode when held. The second button is the DOWN button, which scrolls down when pressed briefly and enters the small function interface when held.
The Iron Wrist 5 supports theme changes, but currently, there is only one default theme due to it being a new product. In the default theme interface, the center displays a large digital clock, with small icons and fonts around it showing information such as battery status, Bluetooth status, alarm clock, training plan reminders, step count, date, and day of the week.
Before starting a workout, you need to hold the UP button to enter sports mode. Sports mode offers options such as 'Triathlon,' 'Pool Swimming,' 'Hiking,' 'Cycling,' 'Mountaineering,' 'Trail Running,' and 'Running.' For sports that are rarely used, such as 'Trail Running' and 'Triathlon,' you can set them to not display, making the interface simpler. Choose the sport you want to do, and different sports will have different prompts during the workout. For example, during my cycling test, if the cycling speed was too slow, the watch would remind me to speed up. In sports mode, the watch records workout information and continuously monitors heart rate, providing reminders as needed.
The JTOUR Sports app interface is well-designed, with clear function categories and user-friendly interactions. The app is divided into four main modules: 'Home,' 'Sports,' 'Track,' and 'My.' The home page displays basic information such as weather, date, step count, and step count graph.
The Iron Wrist 5 supports 5ATM (50m waterproof), making it completely stress-free for regular pool swimming and even shallow diving in the wild. Due to limited conditions, I couldn't test high-end diving, but I did test pool swimming once. According to the official instructions, to prevent water from entering through the button gaps, it's recommended not to operate the buttons underwater. However, I still tried it and didn't encounter any issues.
After nearly 20 days of in-depth experience, it is certain that the JTOUR Iron Wrist 5 is a smartwatch very suitable for extreme outdoor sports. It is not only meticulously crafted with high-quality materials but also has high-standard three-proof functions. The design is stylish and high in appearance, making it quite impressive to wear even in daily life. The four color options each have their own style: white is elegant, black is wild, making it the first choice for extreme outdoor sports.
Finally, I tested the watch's battery life on the Lanma track with the closing time. It consumed 48% for 46KM, so based on this standard, completing a 100KM trail run with the JTOUR Iron Wrist 5 is entirely possible. Therefore, the official claim of 60 days of standby is completely credible.
Reject laziness, awaken the true self. If smart bracelets are to get the world moving, then the JTOUR Iron Wrist series outdoor watches are designed to encourage people to bravely step outside. The Iron Wrist 5 is suitable for professional polar expedition athletes, and its intelligent training mode greatly enhances the scientific and safety aspects of outdoor sports.
Due to time and recent work reasons, the review will be temporarily concluded. In the upcoming 8.11 Yumen Magic Mountain 100KM Trail Challenge, I will conduct a more in-depth review of the JTOUR Iron Wrist 5.