New DZ09 smart watch is a hybrid device that acts as a phone

The smart watch market is getting saturated, as we see new devices with new features popping up each day. The DZ09 is one of the newest smart watches developed in Chine and besides the fact that it looks similar to the Apple Watch, this wearable wants to be an all-in-one device. The hybrid smart watch can act both as a standard smart watch, but also as a full-blown smartphone on your wrist.

The DZ09 was recently launched on GearBest where you can already purchase it for 27 % off, aka $40. For that price, the DZ09 promises smartphone functionality through a smart watch, something that mainstream watches don’t really do as of yet. The Samsung Gear S is a good example of smart watch evolution, but the DZ09 took it one level higher.

If you’ve never heard about smart watch phones which house SIMs in them and allow calling and much more, you should start keeping an eye on Chinese manufacturers because they have some interesting products already on the market that might surprise you with all the features that they offer for a very modest price. The DZ09 is very cheap compared to other Android Wear watches or even the Apple Watch, at only $40 and it offers an excellent bang for buck, which is admirable for the price.

The DZ09 smart watch can support a single micro SIM card, which allows you to make phone calls and messages without having your phone connected. It doesn’t allow for 2G, 3G or 4G connections, but you can use Bluetooth and connect the DZ09 smart watch to your phone to get access to the internet. The voice calling and messaging functions are key in this device, so that’s what the Chinese company behind the watch is emphasizing.

The design of the watch is very simple and it is similar to the Apple Watch design, but without the costly premium materials that people see on the Apple Watch edition timepieces. It’s made of stainless steel and rubber, and it comes with a 1.56 inch TFT LCD display that has a 240*240 resolution. It also comes with a microSD card slot on which you can store media, but it is unclear whether the slot supports cards up to 32 GB or 8GB. Either is a good addition to the features of the smart watch nonetheless.

One of the more interesting features of the DZ09 smart watch is that comes with a small VGA camera that you can use to shoot video or take snapshots without having to take your phone out. Although that 0.3 MP camera won’t take great shots, it might come in handy for when you quickly need to snap a picture of a hit and run or other emergency situations. You can alternatively use the watch to remote control the smartphone camera if you want better photos that are perfectly timed.

The smart watch comes with touch input and can handle all the health and fitness tracking that other watches and fitness wearables can, which means that you can use it for run tracking, sleep tracking and as a sedentary reminder that will let you know you’ve been sitting in one place for too long. Moreover, the watch can also record voice and can last up to 180 hours in standby with its 380 mAh battery. If you use SIM card functions, the watch can handle about 5 hours of talk time, which sounds pretty neat.

The pros of the DZ09 smart watch are the fact that it supports microSIM and microSD cards, it can shoot photos and videos and record voice and it can also act as a fitness tracker. The cons of the device are that it has no GPS and limited notifications delivery. On the other hand, you can pair the smart watch with both Android and iOS devices, so it’s cross-platform compatible, which is always a bonus when it comes to wearables.

For the $40 price at which you can buy it on GearBest, the DZ09 smart watch has a lot to offer. Be warned that the UI might not be as friendly as Android Wear or Watch OS, but you can get used to it pretty fast. If you’re just getting started in the wearable industry, the smart watch might be a great place to begin your journey.