Canyon CNS-SW73

First design, then sensors

A wrist watch is, first of all, an elegant appearance that should please the owner's eye and attract the attention of others. Smartwatches from Canyon are lucky in this regard, technically it is another square watch a la Apple Watch, but it’s more about borrowing than copying.

Hey Apple Watch

In fact, this is a minimalistic black rectangle without a single control button on the edges (the manufacturer calls it “geometric design”), which organically complements the stylish woven metal strap. If you don't like it, you can quickly change it to a regular rubber strap, which is in the spare box. By the way, the case itself is also made of metal (the build quality is excellent), which in a good sense gives the gadget weight: the Canyon CNS-SW73 sits on the hand as if it were a rather expensive and high-quality watch, and not a three-penny craft from China.

Water resistant metal case

The Canyon CNS-SW73 case is IP68 waterproof (full protection when immersed in water to a depth of 1 m), the built-in battery shows excellent battery life (in our tests we got 10 days of active use), and a bright and clear display with large numbers allows you to instantly navigate in time, weather and body parameters. There are not many sensors themselves, but they measure the pulse and steps taken quite accurately.

China at its best

In general, Canyon CNS-SW73 pleasantly surprised us. We were waiting for another cheap watch from China, in which something works as it should, and something constantly bugs and makes you nervous. Instead, we got a high-quality and balanced gadget that clearly does its job without trying to jump above your head. Yes, it’s not perfect: the charging wire is only 20 centimeters, as if it was torn from someone’s heart. And the proprietary Canyon app is noticeably inferior in functionality to branded apps from Samsung, Garmin and Apple. But the price tag is just under $50 and the overall quality of workmanship offset these disadvantages.