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UNIX USW-3 Storm Review: Homegrown brand UNIX unveiled its UNIX USW-3 Storm smartwatch in India last month. The product is among the brand's initial attempts to cement a presence in the budget smart wearable market with competitive features like an AMOLED display, IP67 rating, trendy design and more.

To assess these competitive claims, UNIX shipped us the Storm smartwatch that acts as a rival to products from players such as boAt, Noise, Boult, and to recall the latest offering - Lava Prowatch ZN. So, how does the watch perform in this sea of competition? Here is a detailed review to find out.

Also Read: Lava ProWatch ZN Review: More Bang For Your Buck Or Just Another Smartwatch Fad?

Design:

The watch comes in a good package, which offers golden accents all around and houses a charging cable, a free metallic watch band and a user manual. The round dial has tiny silver lines and numbers on the bezel. Both straps (silicone and metal) feel comfortable and well-built. The dial has a single button which offers rotatory functions.

UNIX Storm comes with a free metallic strap inside the box package. (Image:Vikas Yadav/JE)

From the sporty dual-tone looks with the silicone straps to the formal all-black appeal with the metallic strap, the watch can be transformed based on your requirements. The functional crown on the metallic dial (Zinc alloy) can help while changing watch faces, scrolling across apps and performing functions in the UI. Considering the price, the wearable has a good build and trendy design.

Display:

The watch sports a 1.43-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 466x466 pixels and 650nits peak brightness, according to the product listing. The vibrant display offers colourful elements and crisp text across the UI. The screen produces rich hues in icons and the brightness is decent to make the screen visible in daylight. However, I did crave more refresh rate after trying out rival offerings.

The smartwatch offers deep blacks on the 1.43-inch screen. (Image:Vikas Yadav/JE)

While not a major con, I prefer slimmer bezels on the front instead of slightly curved edges. However, most options in this range offer similar bezels. Despite this, the screen adds a polished touch to the wearable's experience from the front.

Software and Calling:

Storm smartwatch's UI and the 'Unix Fitz' companion app are a decent combo. The icons feel modern and fresh. Due to the lack of the proper screen refresh value, the UI experience appears jarring to the eyes, which some may term laggy. However, this is due to the lack of animation and lower refresh rate in real life.

Speaking of the other UI elements, you can browse through diverse watch face options from the app to customise the experience. Plus, 100+ sports and exercise modes are a welcome touch. A good feature I would like to highlight is the lock function for the watch faces (available when you swipe down from the top).

The watch offers a range of options within the 'Unix Fitz' app. (Image:Vikas Yadav/JE)

You can also experiment with calling, exercise and sports modes, music controls, camera shutter (Camera UI within Unix Fitz) and apps like Calendar, Calculator, Weather, and more in the feature-rich UI. Plus, the calling experience from the watch is decent too. In silent environments, the audio is crisp and audible without issues. But the speaker could have been a little louder for a flawless experience in noisy conditions.

Connectivity:

UNIX Storm offers Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity. I had no issues while connecting to the smartwatch on Android. Unix Fitz offers activity data, watch faces and additional options to customise the experience. While the accuracy of steps and distance is fine, you should not rely on the health-related sensors or the data in the app. You should look for other premium options if you are into serious health tracking.

For fitness and adventure enthusiasts, the company claims the Storm ships with IP67 dust and water resistance. However, the user manual states UNIX will not offer replacement during the warranty period if the damage is caused due to water ingress. Hence, keeping the Storm smartwatch away from extreme moisture is your best bet.

UNIX Storm offers a host of useful apps within the custom UI. (Image:Vikas Yadav/JE)

Battery:

The USW-3 Storm offers a 240mAh battery with a claimed battery life of up to five days of battery life. You can expect about 3-4 days of battery life at medium usage. With Always-On display, this may drop to around 2-3 days. In all, the battery life is a big pro of this smartwatch.

Also Read: Crossbeats Nexus Smartwatch Review: ChatGPT To Widgets, Unbeatable Feature Frenzy; But Is It Worth The Hype?

Verdict:

So, who is the Unix USW-3 Storm calling watch for? If you are among those who want a good build quality, AMOLED screen, decent calling experience and a trendy design, the Storm smartwatch can be on your list of options under Rs 3,000. It excels on most fronts apart from the software experience and health tracking sensors.

USW-3 Storm comes with two strap options(Image:UNIX India)

Priced at Rs Unix 2,799, the USW-3 Storm is available on Flipkart and UNIX's official website. As for the alternatives, you can also check out the new Lava Prowatch ZN at a slightly lower price, which offers better display protection and a two-year warranty. However, it ships with a more muted design. You can also compare options from Noise, boAt or leading manufacturers.