The Puma Sports Connected smartwatch comes as a breath of fresh air in a fitness world dominated by Garmin and Fitbit. It runs Google’s Wear OS and is perfect for athletes.
The brand launched its wearable at IFA 2019; a perfect fitness tracker designed in collaboration with Fossil and that sports the same core as Fossil Gen 5. It’s dedicated to fitness enthusiasts, but does it live up to an athlete’s expectations? Let’s see.
Background
Puma entered the tech sector in 2016 when it launched the first wirelessly connected self-lacing sneaker and wowed its fans with its newest Fi (Fit Intelligence) self-lacing shoes earlier this year, only a few months after the release of the classic RS-Computer running shoes in 2018.
While most smartwatch brands focus on creating more fashion-forward designs that look good outside the gym, with sporty lines and minimalist looks Puma has aimed its watches at those who don’t want to wear rose gold or stainless steel bands when lifting weights or during a sprint.
Puma’s new smartwatch will be available from November 2019 in black, white and neon colour for £269/$275/€279.
Features
Built in collaboration with Fossil, Puma Smartwatch resembles Fossil’s Sport smartwatch and comes with similar features.
It sports the acclaimed Google Wear OS and Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. However, with only 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage space it’s a tad behind Fossil in terms of performance.
The Puma will connect with your smartphone regardless of whether it runs on Android or iOS, and comes with all features you’d expect from a last-generation wearable, including Google Pay and Google Assistant.
A selection of faces lets you customise the always-on display and monitor metrics such as fitness or heart rate alongside the time. The Puma Sports Connected also comes with a weather app and is compatible with Spotify for seamless music streaming.
Design
Puma’s smartwatch design is simple and minimalist with a retro 1980s look. A sleek nylon case with sandblasted top ring express the fitness-oriented personality of this smart wearable.
It comes in three styles, and if you’d really fancy the rose gold, you can still enjoy it with one of the trims. Alternatively, you can pick from an all-black or black and neon model.
Despite the metal accents, this unisex smartwatch is surprisingly lightweight. The case is a good size for most wrists. The always-on screen offers the punchy colours and deep blacks expected from an OLED panel. Screen responsiveness is superb.
The silicone band has channels underneath to maintain airflow and prevent excessive sweating.
Fitness Tracking
In terms of fitness tracking, the Puma Smartwatch lacks the functionality of some Garmin or Fitbit models, but still has much to commend it, including classic fitness modes like step and workout tracking via Google Fit. It also packs a heart rate monitor and built-in GPS, so you won’t have to carry your phone while running if you want to map your route.
Various training apps and water resistance to up to 3 ATM complete this wearable’s fitness tracking abilities.
Main Advantages
- Ultra-lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Wear OS operating platform
- Compatible with Android and iOS devices
- Built-in GPS
- Built-in functions including Google Assistant and Google Pay
- Swimproof
Main Disadvantages
- Retro design might not appeal to everyone
- Less capable but more expensive than Fossil Gen 5
- No speaker
Competitors
| Puma Smartwatch | Fossil Gen 5 | Michael Kors Access | Samsung Galaxy Watch | |
| Display | AMOLED | AMOLED | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 328x328px | – | 390x390px | 360x360px |
| Size | 44×44 x 11mm | 44x44x12mm | 41x 41mm | 46×49 x13mm |
| Weight | 28 g | – | – | 46 g |
| Band material | Silicone | Silicone/Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Silicone |
| Water resistance | 3 ATM | 3 ATM | Swimproof | 5 ATM |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | 3G/LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | No | No | No | Yes |
| NFC Payments | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calorie count | No | No | No | Yes |
| Multi-sport profiles | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Battery life (Smart mode) | Up to 24 hours | Up to 24 hours | Up to 24 hours | Up to 7 days |
Summary
Puma’s first smartwatch might not be as exceptional as many of the smartwatches offered by the industry’s established names, but it promises a lot. We can’t judge a book by its cover, so we’ll have to wait until November to actually test it.
At first glance, Puma Smartwatch could be an excellent choice for runners, athletes, and fitness junkies in general. Time will tell whether it’s worth the hype but for now, we can only congratulate Puma for entering the game with such a fine-looking wearable.
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