Noise ColorFit Pro 4 ticks India’s smartwatch prerequisites

This isn’t our usual format, but we thought it’d be best to talk about some numbers before we embark in detail about a new smartwatch. It is a known fact that Indian tech brands are doing very well in the wearables segment, particularly smartwatches. The Q1 2022 numbers by research firm Counterpoint indicate India’s smartwatch market grew 173%, year-on-year. Noise leads the way with 23% share, followed by Fire-Boltt (21%) and Boat (18%).

Samsung, Apple, OnePlus, and Xiaomi figure much less prominently than you may have imagined. One of the reasons for this clear trend is the increasing share of smartwatches priced below Rs5,000 – price sensitive market, and many are buying their first smartwatch. That neatly leads us to Noise’s new ColorFit Pro 4 smartwatch. It certainly has one ingredient the data is referencing – priced at Rs3,499.

If you have any trepidation, even the slightest about build quality, owing to the price tag, that should disappear soon enough. The Noise ColorFit Pro 4 looks good, is well made, and doesn’t betray any rough edges. The watch case itself is polycarbonate, albeit really good quality. There’s the reassurance of this being put together well, because pressing down doesn’t illicit any flex.

A lot of shopping decisions (tech or otherwise) revolve around colours, something we’ve gauged over time based on how friends and family buy things. Noise isn’t leaving anything to chance here, with mint green, deep wine, rose pink, midnight blue, teal blue and sunset orange being the ones that stand out, alongside the conventional charcoal black and silver grey. A colour matching silicone band is paired. Would have preferred options for leather or nylon bands as well – hopefully that’s something Noise will build on, in due course.

The 1.74-inch display on the Noise ColorFit Pro 4 is an uncomplicated LCD. You’d probably immediately notice how bright this is, and even then, colours pop out quite nicely. Speaking of brightness, the auto adjustment feature is missing (likely owing to a missing ambient light sensor), which means you’ll need to dial this up manually when stepping outdoors in bright sunlight. And vice versa, when heading indoors.

There is the definite sense that Noise has tried to keep the software and the interface quite simple and easy to use. In places, it is a nice mix of the familiar – we mean this in no negative sense at all, because hints of Fitbit and the Apple Watch interfaces mean the useability aspect is well ticked off. In fact, to be able to meld that within the ColorFit Pro 4, takes some doing. Lots of watch faces to choose from (the companion app for Android and iPhone, NoiseFit, will be your friend and guide here)

Bluetooth calling from the wrist itself would be very handy for a lot of users, negating the need to answer an incoming call on the phone, for instance. Not that it’s a hardship, but there are certain scenarios where you’d find it quicker to simply take the call on the wearable around the wrist.

For any wearable, fitness features play a big role. Smartwatches aren’t falling behind fitness bands anymore. The latest generation Noise Health Suite gets you a quick glance at a lot of stats, including sleep data (if you find it comfortable to wear a smartwatch to bed), step tracking, activity history and stress monitor (this is becoming common in smartwatches, though accuracy is doubtful).

There are 100 pre-defined sports modes, including cycling, jogging, and hiking. Depending on the activity, there’s a gamut of data to access. For running, for instance, there’s average ace, average speed, and average cadence data. The Noise ColorFit Pro 4 does not have built-in GPS but can take the same data from a paired phone. You may notice this isn’t always smoothly aligned.

In terms of the hardware that’s on the Noise ColorFit Pro 4, to collect all the health data and metrics – there is the optical heart rate sensor, an SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen readings and an accelerometer for logging movement and altitude changes.

While Noise makes the claim of 7-day battery life, when actively used, the ColorFit Pro 4 ended day 7 after daily usage for about 8 hours as a day (a mix of activity tracking and being the preferred wristwatch rest of the time), still with 15% battery left on the counter. Mind you, answering calls on the watch will drain the battery quicker. And the brightness was set at lowest most of the time, since this is a bright enough screen even with that setting.

While the Noise ColorFit Pro 4 is a perfectly capable smartwatch, for what it offers, and how much it demands from you in terms of the monetary outlay. But there’s a sibling rivalry that complicates matters. The Noise ColorFit Pro 4 Max (this will cost you Rs500 more, at Rs3,999) may have a say in your decision, with a slightly bigger 1.8-inch display and Google Assistant as well as Siri integration. The answer may depend on what you feel is best value for your usage.