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Kospet Tank S1: test / review

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Published on: 26-09-2023 / Modified: 26-09-2023
It's been a long time since I've tested watches, not for lack of interest but because I work alone I have to make choices. I've tested 26 watches in 3 years, which isn't so bad after all, and Kospet is one of the brands I've tested the most. This brand has come a long way from being a niche product with its robust watches, Kospet now markets watches for a wider public while retaining the robust aspect. The Kospet Tank S1 I'm going to test in this article takes some of the military design elements of the Tank range, softening the format a little to make it more accessible. The result is a rugged watch that looks like a normal watch, but is that the only change? That's what I'm going to tell you in this test

Launch Promo

Take advantage of a 32€ discount on the purchase of the Kospet Tank S1 on the official website:

Kospet Tank S1 / site officiel

Manufacturer web site:
https://www.kospet.com

Price Kospet Tank S1

The list below shows the prices for the Kospet Tank S1 from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops.

Timeline

Not yet available / tested

Waarom deze smartwatch?

Kospet is a Chinese brand that has come a long way in recent years. Early models like the Kospet Rock were not designed to appeal to a very wide audience, but things have changed and today's target audience is no longer limited to those who practice extreme sports. Kospet has always managed to market products at an affordable price, but for sportsmen and women, I've always found that the reliability of the measurements wasn't good enough, especially in comparison with brands like Garmin or Polar.

The Kospet Tank S1 incorporates many of the same elements as the other worlds, with a few extra features such as the ability to make and receive calls from the watch (with a Bluetooth-connected smartphone). The ability to manage messages will also turn the watch into a personal assistant without having to take your smartphone out of your pocket every time.

Structure of my tests

I test products according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with maximum information. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of time. Unlike some sites where products are tested on a single day, I use the products I test for a minimum of a few weeks and sometimes even a few months. If the test is not complete at the time of your visit, I invite you to come back later or ask your question in the comment section below.

Unpacking

The packaging is your first contact with the product, and even if once opened it's no longer of any use, it's what gives you your first impression of the product. The packaging for the Kospet Tank S1 is the kind of mass-market packaging you'd find in most department stores. It's a far cry from the white cardboard box of the first Kospet I tested.

The box contains the watch, a soft silicone strap, a manual and a type A usb charger with a proprietary connector for charging the watch. I believe this connector is the same as the previous generation Kospet Tank. The packaging emphasizes the watch's resistance, but also shows off its aesthetics, which stand out a little from the Tank range

First configuration

To configure the watch, you need to download the Kospet Fit application. From here, you can launch watch detection to associate it with the watch. You can also scan the QR code displayed on the watch, but this also leads to the app, so you might as well download it from the Play Store/App Store. The app is free

I'll come back to the Kospet Fit app later in the article, but setting up the watch takes just a few minutes, because beyond detection, you simply need to enter a few details in the app, such as your height, weight and age. You can also add daily goals so that the watch can show you where you are in your daily objectives (e.g. number of steps)

I had already had the opportunity to test the Kospet Fit app with a previous model and I didn't notice any difference.

Finish

Until now, Kospet has marketed mainly practical watches, sometimes with an industrial or military design to emphasize their solidity. The Kospet Tank S1 is a little different, as it takes up the codes of normal watches with a circular dial. This dial is reinforced by a thick layer of plastic to further emphasize its robustness. The choice of materials and colors makes this watch more accessible to a wider public



The back is covered with a metal surface, and I don't recall having had a metal surface in any of the models. On the back are the usual sensors for measuring heart rate, oxygen in the blood and blood pressure



The watch is equipped with 3 buttons, one for ignition, one for going backwards and one for accessing the various sports available



The straps supplied in the box are fairly standard, Kospet having just changed the attachment system for the strap after the closing system. In the previous model, this attachment system moved along the strap and the part of the strap after the closure always ended up hanging in the void. This doesn't seem to be the case here any more, as the fastening system moves much less.



The screen is quite small; it looked bigger to me when I saw the photos on the Kospet website. The screen has a diameter of 45mm and the watch weighs 48 grams, so it's very light and you don't feel it on your wrist. The screen is an IPS one, but it's perfectly legible. The lighting in my studio is quite bright, but as you can see the screen is still legible. The screen brightness is not as high as that of a smartphone, but should be sufficient for outdoor use.

Connectivity

The watch is connected to your phone via Bluetooth, so you can configure the watch, manage your calls, manage your messages or synchronize your data. The watch needs to be configured from the app before it can work, but once you've done that, it's self-sufficient except for the phone functions, for which you'll always need to keep your smartphone close at hand.

Battery range

The battery of the Kospet Tank S1 was about 70% full when I received it and two weeks later it was at 18% with daily use and about 2 hours of sport. I need more time to assess the battery's performance, but these first two weeks give a positive indication

After 4 weeks of use, I only had to recharge the watch twice, but I took care to disable the automatic screen switch-on. Autonomy is therefore very good.

Screen quality

The screen is small enough (45 mm) and bright enough to be read in daylight, even if it's not as powerful as that of a smartphone. In sunlight, the dial remains legible, but don't expect the clarity of a smartphone screen.

The main screen is configurable from the watch where you'll have a choice of several models, but you can also use the Kospet Fit app to download other screens. I haven't received any information on the screen resolution, but I don't think it's higher than 300 pixels, as you can make out the pixels quite well when you look at the watch up close. This isn't a problem, as character visibility is good, but on some screens the characters are very small and could pose a problem for people with sight problems.

Using the screen will have a major impact on the battery, because if you choose to keep it on all the time, autonomy won't exceed three days. On the other hand, if you decide not to turn it on every time you move your wrist, autonomy will exceed 2 weeks.

Features

The Kospet Tank S1 respects the Kospet "tradition" by meeting numerous resistance criteria such as water-resistance, shock-resistance, protection against scratches, ... These elements are difficult to verify (except water-resistance), the watch must be able to withstand a fall, but I'm not sure one can withstand a good blow from a hammer, but then again...who's going to enjoy hitting a watch with a hammer except testers who want to have a bit of fun? Water-resistance, on the other hand, works provided certain rules are respected. Baths or saunas are not recommended, as the heat can cause the plastics to expand and affect water-resistance. A trip to the pool shouldn't pose any problems

Among the other features:

* ability to make and receive calls: when you receive a call you can decide to reject the call as on most watches, but you can also answer a call directly from the watch as it is equipped with a microphone and speaker. You can also make a call from the watch, using a keypad to dial a number. All this only works if your smartphone is connected to the watch, as the watch does not have its own sim card

* sleep tracking

* step count tracking

* blood oxygen level measurement

* blood pressure measurement

* menstrual cycle tracking

* breathing exercises

* heart rate tracking

* 70 sports modes

* message reception but no reply capability

* smartphone music player control

* voice assistant (connected to phone, eg: Bixby for Samsung): although the link works, I find that the understanding of words is not as good as with the live smartphone, probably due to the quality of the microphone

* weather forecast

* alarm clock

* stopwatch

* timer

* calculator

* remote camera release

* beep to find phone

So the Kospet Tank S1 is very comprehensive in terms of features. I'll come back to the reliability of the measurements later in this review.

Measurements

Heart rate

On previous models of Kospet watches, I'd found significant discrepancies between the heart rate measured by the watch and that measured by my Polar belt. Is this still the case with this watch? Here are a few examples:

Test 1 / Spinning

Measurements with the watch

Duration: 31 minutes

Calories: 332

Average frequency: 117

Maximum frequency: 148

Measurements with the belt

Duration: 31 minutes

Calories: 354

Average frequency: 120

Maximum frequency: 141

On this first test, I can see a big improvement over previous models where the discrepancies with the belt were much greater

Test 2 vélo

Mesures avec la montre

Durée: 30 minutes

Calories: 277

Fréquence moyenne: 108

Fréquence maximale: 122

Mesures avec la ceinture

Durée: 30 minutes

Calories: 273

Fréquence moyenne: 108

Fréquence maximale: 119

Les valeurs sont de nouveau assez proches, cette Kospet Tank S1 est donc nettement plus fiable que les modèles précédents. I would like to point out, however, that the accuracy of a watch will also vary according to the type of sport: if you practice a sport where the watch is shaken or a sport with rapid variations in heart rate, the measurements will be less reliable because the watch is not powerful enough to react quickly enough. For all other sports where the effort is regular and constant, the measurements are really reliable.

Sleep

Here too I've noticed an improvement in measurements, even if it's impossible for me to check the different sleep phases. Watches are usually fooled by inactivity in the evening and assume that if you don't move much, it means you're asleep. This is a little less the case here, where those quieter periods before going to bed are not systematically perceived as periods of sleep.

Blood pressure

No watch can be considered a reliable blood pressure measurement device, and no manufacturer claims to be able to replace a medical device. This feature should be seen as an indication rather than a truth. However, the measurements I took were quite close if I compare them with the measurements of a medical device for blood pressure. This may also be a coincidence, as my blood pressure was stable over the duration of the test and the watch's measurements could be the result of a coincidence.

Oxygen in blood

As usual, it's impossible for me to check this kind of measurement, as I don't have a medical device with which to compare the figures. The percentages given seem quite possible, but I don't know if these figures are correct

App

The Kostpet Fit application is basically what you'd expect from an application of this kind. The home screen is customizable, and you can add a summary of key activities such as heart rate, number of steps, blood pressure, ...

The second screen lets you start a sports session from the smartphone, allowing you to track on a map what is obviously not possible from the watch. When you start a sports session from the phone, the watch simply relays information about your heart rate

The third screen lets you configure your watch by changing the main dial, activating/deactivating notifications, setting the heart rate, ... it is not possible, however, to synchronize several watches. This is probably not a problem for most users, but as I have several Kospet watches, I have to disconnect them each time and then reconnect another one

The profile section is probably the least useful, as it allows you to configure your age, height and weight. You then have access to customer service, the forum, ...

The application works quite well, there are a few translation errors here and there but nothing dramatic. What I miss in this application is the possibility of listing all sports activities on one screen and being able to consult the history at any time. Some sports are correctly recorded, but not all. For example, I did a spinning session (cycling) and after closing the exercise on the watch, I never found it on the application. On the other hand, I did a 30-minute walk which was correctly synchronized and which I found in the app. I have the impression that the history is only present for a limited number of sports

Compatibility

The Kospet Tank S1 is compatible with all Android and iOS phones compatible with the Kospet Fit app.

Operating system

The Kospet Tank S1, like the other models in the Tank range, runs on a proprietary operating system. This means that you can't install any other applications or features on the watch

The menu design is pretty straightforward, and resembles what you'd find on most watches of this type. The home screen is customizable, and there are numerous dials in the Kospet Fit application.

On the left you'll find a list of all the watch's functions, a simple list where you simply click on the title to access the function.

On the right you'll find several widgets that group together certain data in graphic form. These include sleep tracking, with periods of sleep and wakefulness, heart rate tracking, blood oxygen level tracking, etc.

At the top you'll find the essentials of the watch's configuration, where you can manage the lighting, the "do not disturb" mode, activate the battery saver, activate the screen with wrist movement, ...

At the bottom you'll find the list of received messages, which is determined by the applications you've authorized in the application. To be able to receive messages from other applications, you must first authorize the Kospet Fit application to receive notifications, otherwise no notifications will be possible

Encoutered bugs

The management of incoming messages is not very intuitive and I don't know whether this is a bug or simply a bad choice, as I had to search a little to receive my first notifications.

Compare Kospet Tank S1 with the others

Test / Review conclusion

The Kospet brand has come a long way in two years. The first watch I tested could have been mistaken for a children's watch, with its fancy finish and unreliable measurements. Kospet has explored other horizons and their products have matured. The Kospet Tank S1 manages to break out of the foolproof watch niche and will appeal to a wider audience than its predecessors. The dial and format will suit both men and women, and the colors will undoubtedly also be a factor in the choice

Apart from the aesthetic aspect, I also note improvements on other points. Firstly, the reliability of heart rate measurements has taken a big step in the right direction. This watch probably won't be able to compete with €300 watches for extreme sports, but it is capable of measuring heart rate correctly for continuous exertion. Sleep measurement has also improved. If you can't afford a Garmin or Polar-type watch and you don't practice extreme sports, this watch will enable you to track your sports sessions correctly

The application hasn't evolved much, but it's already pretty complete. It lacks a few options, such as more extensive recording of sports sessions, and I also find that the accessibility of certain menus is not optimal, but that's a matter of habit. I often compare the applications with the Polar application I use for all my sports sessions, and obviously this application is ultra-specialized in sports and collects more information than the Kospet.

This watch represents an attempt to attract a wider audience, and it's quite successful. The watch is easy to use, has excellent autonomy, collects reliable data and will meet the most common needs.

Strengths

Lightweight

Good battery life

Easy-to-read display

Reliability measures

Easy to use

Weaknesses

All-plastic finish

Notification management

Some translation problems in the app

Sport history management in the app not intuitive