CMF Watch Pro 2

23 Sep 2024 by cthos
556 words

Since I did a review of the CMF Watch Pro 1 in conjunction with my experiment running /e/OS on a used Pixel 6 Pro I figured I'd give the new Watch Pro a try. It's a lot like the prior model and somehow both more and less comfortable at the same time. This is going to be a short post for now, but I might add some more details as I sit with it a bit longer.

I've had the watch for a couple of days now, and am in the process of trying it out. Much like its predecessor, it's unlikely to supplant my Apple Watch or another watch that supports NFC payments, but it is a pretty solid basic watch for the price. And it's better than the prior model in a lot of ways. Let's look at the similarities and differences.

• The charger is exactly the same, a two pin magnetic attachment.
• The features are basically the same (though there are some new apps, like cycle tracking).
• Sensors are basically the same.
• IP Rating: Both have an IP68
• Price: The starting price of the Pro 2 is the same as the Pro 1 at launch, $69.

... And that's about it, there's a lot different here.

• The shape and size of the screen. The screen is now rounded, brighter, and has auto-brightness. Blessed auto-brightness.
• The action button now rotates, and you can navigate the menu via rotating the crown.
• You can change the bezel (but there are only 2 options. They're both silver-ish).
• The band is a plether material rather than silicone. It's more comfortable, but it still chafes my arm.
• More watch faces, complications, and "widgets".
• Automatic activity tracking — which was a notable missing feature in the previous version.
• Battery life has gone down a smidge, from 13 days max to 11 days max (which is still a ton of battery).

It's good! The addition of automatic brightness to the watch is a lot better when I want to go to bed with it still on; having to change the brightness manually was a huge pain. Likewise, automatic workout detection is also very handy, it's a feature I use on the Apple Watch all the time. Being able to navigate via the crown is also fantastic.

Comfort-wise, there are two things. In the previous post I complained that I kept poking myself in the face with the square edges of the watch, that no longer happens because the face is rounded. Awesome. Somehow, though, the watch band still rubs against my wrist in such a way that it's leaving an abrasion even after a single night of wearing it. This is not a problem with the Apple Watch. That's a bummer.

Overall, it's a really solid update — I don't think there's any reason to get a CMF Watch Pro 1 if you're in the market for a cheap-ish smartwatch. You can still pick up the first one for $7 less, but… don't. Unless you really like the square form factor, you'll be missing out on a lot of the nice improvements.

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