Citizen CZ Smart Touchscreen Gen-2 Casual Smartwatch 2023 REVIEW

Average smartwatch provides elevated style, but needs more efficient operation.

The second generation CZ Smart is designed to be a ‘smarter’ smartwatch. The Citizen CZ Smart Touchscreen Gen-2 Casual Smartwatch features a black stainless steel bracelet and the a style that is inspired by the design of Citizen’s iconic sport technical timepieces. Utilizing AI Models developed with IBM Watson Studio and research pioneered by NASA Ames Research Center, the CZ Smart YouQ software empowers the proprietary YouQ application with advanced capabilities. By analyzing fatigue and alertness patterns, the software provides the user with personalized insights and recommended actions to enhance alertness and cultivate healthier habits, effectively preparing you for any challenges that may arise throughout the day.

Product Details

• Model: MX1005-83X
• Release Date: 2/01/2023
• Band Length (MM): 254
• Case Width (MM): 41
• Lug Width (MM): 22
• Band Type: Bracelet (stainless steel)
• Case Material: Black (stainless steel)
• Crystal: Mineral Crystal (impact and shatter resistant)
• Clasp: Fold Over Clasp with Push Buttons
• Dial: Black

Compatibility and Connections

• iPhone and Android compatible
• Wi-Fi
• Untethered GPS
• Bluetooth Enabled

Tracking

• Calorie Burn
• Sleep Tracking
• Activity Tracking
• SP02 Monitoring
• Heart Rate

Applications

• Citizen Connected
• CZ Smart YouQ
• Google Play
• Google Maps
• Strava
• Amazon Alexa
• Spotify
• YouTube Music

Function and Features

• NFC
• Speaker and Mic
• 1-3 Day Battery Life
• Calls, Texts, and Notifications
• Customizable Watch Dials
• 2-year Warranty

Pricing & Availability

The list price for the Citizen CZ Smart Touchscreen Gen-2 Casual Smartwatch is $415 USD. It is available through citizenwatch.com, BestBuy.com, and Amazon.

User Experience

The watch in itself is beautiful and a great accessory for a formal night out. The touch screen is responsive, I knew when I was receiving notifications and I liked that it was over easy to use, especially coming from a Galaxy watch.

However, that’s all I liked about this watch. Citizens app/software was extremely glitchy- I had trouble updating watch faces to the point I had to restart the watch multiple times. It was like the watch couldn’t keep up with the changes in the app. I found myself getting frustrated with it freezing up just in regular use this is the first smartwatch I have ever had where I have never been able to use it for a full day, meaning once I had too many issues and glitches I would default to my Samsung Galaxy Watch, which the Active 2. That’s like a three-year-old smartwatch…

I did like the look of the display, especially when I would check the weather, calendar, etc.

Using the watch for 6 hours I would usually get down to our close to below 50%, which to me was ridiculous, most smartwatches I’ve used can easily go 2 days before a charge. For the price tag of $400 I couldn’t recommend this to any watch user, I wouldn’t have paid more than $150.

Pros

1. Beautiful watch, designed as I would expect from Citizen
2. The screen is great
3. The metal band is very comfortable
4. Notifications/Sounds
5. Easy-to-use OS

Cons

1. Citizen software is very glitchy via the app and watch
2. Updates to the watch via the app don’t transfer over immediately
3. Watch faces look outdated and it took me multiple times to apply and change them, which was very frustrating
4. Battery life was poor I had to charge it every day

Conclusion

While the elegant design of the watch and responsive touchscreen stand out as great features of the Citizen CZ Smartwatch, they don’t overcome the glitchy nature of the software and basic use of the watch. The battery life was also disappointing and overall, the price doesn’t seem to match the value of this watch.

For more information, visit citizenwatch.com, Facebook, and Twitter.