The Una Watch endeavors to tackle electronic waste by offering a user-repairable smartwatch, allowing for component replacements such as the display and battery. While it boasts a competitive price point of £179, open-source software with an app store, and robust sports tracking including dual-band GPS, its dated aesthetic, occasional software sluggishness, and limited water resistance for swimming present notable drawbacks. This review explores the device's unique modularity and overall performance, highlighting its potential and current limitations.
Una Watch distinguishes itself in the crowded smartwatch market through its emphasis on repairability. Unlike many devices designed for obsolescence, Una provides a tool for users to replace key components themselves. This initiative aims to extend the lifespan of the smartwatch, reducing electronic waste. The company currently offers replacement displays for £30 and batteries for £20, making self-repairs a more cost-effective option than purchasing a new device. While other components are not yet directly available from Una, the design allows for user access, paving the way for potential future expandability.
Launched with a focus on longevity, the Una Watch's design cues hark back to earlier generations of smartwatches, particularly resembling some older Garmin models. Its predominantly black casing and transflective memory-in-pixel display contribute to a somewhat anachronistic aesthetic. The 40mm watch case features four distinct physical buttons and a side-mounted USB-C port for charging, a convenient but less common feature among smartwatches. This design choice, however, impacts its water resistance, limiting it to an IPX5 rating suitable for splashes and showers, but not for swimming. The display, measuring 1.2 inches with a 240 x 240 pixel resolution, provides adequate visibility in various lighting conditions, though a thinner bezel would enhance the screen-to-body ratio.
The software experience of the Una Watch, built on an open-source FreeRTOS-based operating system, is both a strength and a weakness. Its ultra-low-power Cortex-M33 Microcontroller, coupled with 4GB of storage and 2.5MB of RAM, enables efficient operation but can lead to noticeable lag when navigating between screens. The user interface, while functional, lacks the polished smoothness found in more expensive smartwatches. A companion smartphone app provides a platform for an app store, allowing developers to create applications, watch faces, and add-ons, drawing parallels to Garmin's Connect IQ Store. Currently, this storefront offers a modest selection of free items, indicating its nascent stage of development. Core smartwatch functionalities like notification display and music control are present, offering a streamlined experience without the extensive features of higher-end models.
For health and fitness tracking, the Una Watch offers profiles for running, walking, hiking, cycling, and general workouts, intentionally omitting swimming due to its water resistance limitations. It incorporates essential sensors including a 6-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, barometric altimeter, and an optical heart rate sensor. A significant advantage is its dual-frequency GPS, which enhances location accuracy in challenging environments. Testing revealed generally reliable GPS tracking, closely matching data from leading brands like Apple and Garmin. However, inconsistencies were noted in real-time pace and heart rate monitoring, with occasional discrepancies compared to chest strap measurements. Beyond workout analysis, the watch monitors daily steps and floors climbed, with plans for future enhancements like route guidance, suggesting ongoing development of its capabilities.
The Una Watch's emphasis on user repairability and open-source software represents a forward-thinking approach in the tech industry, challenging the conventional cycle of product obsolescence. While its current iteration has areas for improvement, particularly in design and software fluidity, the foundational promise of a customizable and sustainable smartwatch is compelling. The ability for users to easily replace key components and the potential for a community-driven app ecosystem highlight its unique value proposition, making it an interesting prospect for those prioritizing longevity and user empowerment in their wearable technology.
