SoundPeats Watch 2 review: how good is a smartwatch for 38 euros?

Cheap Bluetooth headphones can certainly hold their own against their expensive competitors. So I wanted to know whether the same goes for smartwatches. After all discounts, the SoundPeats Watch 2 costs around 38 euros at Amazon. The manufacturer provided it to me for the test. No money was paid for the video, and the manufacturer had no say in the content.

What’s in the box, strap and display

The watch comes in simple packaging with a charging cable and a user manual. The silicone strap is replaceable. A second strap in a different size isn’t included, but you can use replacement straps of 40 or 42 mm. I think that’s great.

The display is a 1.28-inch TFT LCD touchscreen. It isn’t outstandingly good, but it’s nice and bright and easy to read. The watch is nicely big, not too big even for my wrist, and super light at 38 grams.

Battery and water resistance

• Battery: 220 mAh. With notifications turned on and occasional fitness tracking, it lasts about a week. I don’t have to charge the watch every day like the expensive competitors.
• Waterproof: The watch is certified to IP68. That’s surprising at this price. You can swim and shower with it without taking it off.

App and notifications

The watch is compatible with Apple and iOS. You need the Live app to control it. It’s clearly laid out but poorly translated. You roughly know what is meant, but for the German market the translation should be correct.

In the app you can choose from numerous watch faces, but you can’t customize the complications. Notifications can be turned on or off and work reliably. On the watch they look a bit cryptic. After they’re displayed, they disappear deep in the menu and are no longer visible at first glance. On Apple or Samsung, you swipe left for that.

Features: sleep, oxygen and sports

The Watch 2 has a surprising number of features:

• Sleep tracking: It records deep and light sleep phases and waking times. REM phases are missing.
• Oxygen measurement: How well it works, I can’t say without a medical measuring device. The results are similar to those from my Galaxy Watch 4.
• 12 sport modes: That’s manageable, but the average athlete will find their way around.
• Other features: Alarm, timer, stopwatch, music control and an accurate heart rate monitor. I turned off the automatic reminder when you’ve been sitting for a long time right away.

There’s no automatic workout detection, and there’s no alert when a workout has ended. On a walk with my dog, the tracker ran for three hours because I had forgotten to stop it. That skews calorie consumption, for example.

Verdict

The SoundPeats Watch 2 has a nice, understated design and brings a surprising number of features. The app is clearly laid out but could be better translated. I can recommend the watch to anyone who wants a cheap, simple smartwatch with the basic features. You shouldn’t expect high-end for around 38 euros. It’s a good entry-level smartwatch.