I recently got my hands on the Rogbid Model S, a fully-featured Android smartwatch that promises to deliver a smartphone-grade experience in a compact, wrist-worn form factor. After spending considerable time with this device, I can say it’s both impressive and frustrating in equal measure. Let me walk you through my comprehensive experience with what might be one of the most ambitious budget smartwatches available today.

First Impressions and Unboxing

Right off the bat, I’ll be honest. The packaging wasn’t anything to write home about. It’s your typical budget device presentation, but everything you need is there: the watch itself, a magnetic charging cable, and a basic manual. What struck me immediately was the sheer size of this thing. At 48mm x 47mm with a 14.3mm thickness, the Model S is undeniably chunky. It’s clearly inspired by the Apple Watch Ultra design language, but significantly bulkier to accommodate all the internals.

The build quality is decent for the price point, featuring a glossy metal frame that feels solid in hand. I received the black variant, and while the overall construction is satisfactory, there’s one glaring weakness. The crown feels cheap and doesn’t match the quality of the rest of the watch. The color choice and build quality of this crucial component really let down the overall aesthetic.

Display and Design

The star of the show is undoubtedly the 2.4-inch AMOLED display with its claimed 720×720 pixel resolution. The screen is genuinely impressive, with vibrant colors, sharp text, and excellent visibility even in bright sunlight.

However, here’s where things get murky. While Rogbid advertises a 720×720 resolution, when I ran diagnostic tools on the device, CPU-Z showed the actual resolution as 480×480 pixels, and it also reported a pixel density of just 124 PPI instead of the claimed 300. This is a significant discrepancy that potential buyers should be aware of. Despite the lower actual resolution and pixel density, the display still looks good for a smartwatch of this price range, but the false advertising is concerning.

The touch response is excellent, and the interface feels fluid when navigating through menus. Multiple watch faces are available, and they genuinely look attractive on this large canvas. The size makes it comfortable for extended viewing sessions, which is crucial since this watch positions itself as a multimedia consumption device.

Unique Rotating Camera

One of the Model S’s most distinctive features is its 190-degree adjustable rotating crown camera. This is genuinely clever engineering. When not in use, the camera stays hidden and flush with the watch body. Pull out the crown slightly, and you can manually adjust the lens orientation for selfies, video calls, or capturing your surroundings.

I tested the camera, and while it’s functional, expectations need to be managed. The image quality is comparable to a basic front camera on a budget smartphone from a decade ago. It’s more of a novelty feature, but for video calls through WhatsApp or similar apps, it does the job adequately.

The mechanical aspect works smoothly, though I worry about long-term durability given that it’s a moving part in a relatively affordable device. Still, it’s a unique selling point that sets the Model S apart from virtually every other smartwatch on the market.

Performance and Software Experience

This is where the Model S both shines and stumbles. Running Android 8.1 (despite claims of Android 10 in the settings, which is another false advertisement), the watch provides genuine smartphone functionality. I was able to log into my Google account immediately and access the full Play Store. The experience of downloading and running apps like Subway Surfers, Instagram, YouTube, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek on my wrist was genuinely exciting.

Gaming performance is adequate for casual titles. Subway Surfers ran reasonably well, though some jitters are expected since these games aren’t optimized for smartwatch form factors. YouTube and Instagram work surprisingly well on the large display, making content consumption more feasible than I initially expected.

However, the Unisoc SL8541e chipset shows its limitations during intensive use. I experienced noticeable lag during multitasking, and the watch occasionally restarted when pushed too hard. With what appears to be 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage in most variants (though I received the 8GB RAM model with 128GB of internal storage as per CPU-Z), performance is acceptable for basic smartphone tasks, but don’t expect super smoothness.

The battery life with the claimed 1500mAh capacity (my variant shows 2100mAh) provides a full day of mixed usage, including calls, app usage, and fitness tracking. The ultra power saving mode helps extend battery life when needed by limiting background processes.

Health and Fitness Tracking

Let’s address the elephant in the room. The health sensors are about what you’d expect from a budget Android smartwatch. The heart rate monitor and blood oxygen sensor appear to work, showing data on the screen, but in reality, they don’t measure accurately. To be honest, they barely work at all. I wouldn’t rely on these readings for medical purposes or serious fitness tracking. They’re fine for the illusion of general awareness, but they fall far short of the reliability you’d get from dedicated fitness wearables.

Surprisingly, the step counter works quite well and tracks daily activity reliably. The watch includes multiple sports modes for different activities, and with built-in GPS, it can track outdoor workouts independently. The fitness features are comprehensive on paper, but the execution feels more like checkbox features rather than carefully calibrated health tools.

Connectivity and Standalone Features

The 4G LTE support with global band compatibility is where the Model S truly differentiates itself. With a nano SIM card, this watch becomes a genuine standalone device. You can make calls, send messages, and use data services without a smartphone connection. The call quality through the built-in speaker is adequate for short conversations, though a Bluetooth headset improves the experience significantly.

The watch doubles as a Bluetooth companion for your smartphone, though the experience lacks the polish you’d get from an Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch. Notification syncing works on Android once you grant several permissions, while iPhone users will find the functionality more restricted because of iOS limitations.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even NFC are all present, making this one of the most connectivity-rich smartwatches at this price point. The inclusion of dual-band GPS with multiple satellite system support provides reliable location tracking for navigation and fitness activities.

Real-World Usage and Daily Experience

After using the Model S for several weeks, it’s clear this watch targets a very specific user type. If you want maximum functionality and don’t mind managing a complex device, it delivers impressive value. The ability to use ChatGPT, stream videos, play games, and handle calls directly from your wrist is genuinely impressive.

However, daily wear comfort is compromised by the size. Sleep tracking becomes uncomfortable due to the bulk, and the watch definitely makes a statement on smaller wrists. The move-to-wake feature works well and adds convenience during daily use.

The software experience feels more like managing a tiny Android phone than using a traditional smartwatch. You’ll need to actively manage battery life, close background apps, and deal with occasional performance hiccups. The ultra saving mode and one-tap cleanup features help, but this isn’t a set-and-forget device.

The Verdict

The Rogbid Model S succeeds as a proof-of-concept that stretches the limits of what a smartwatch can be. Having full Android, standalone 4G calling, a rotating camera, and broad connectivity at this price is genuinely impressive.

That said, I’m genuinely disappointed by the false advertising around its display resolution and Android version. If there hadn’t been any discrepancies in the specs, I could have recommended it as a budget smartwatch, even though it’s really meant for niche users or anyone chasing novelty.

The misleading claims undermine an otherwise intriguing product and highlight a wider transparency problem in the budget smartwatch market. Buyers need to know they’re getting Android 8.1, not 10, and that real hardware figures may differ from the marketing.

For tech enthusiasts who want to experiment with a smartphone-on-the-wrist and don’t mind trade-offs in polish or battery life, it can be a fun, capable gadget. It also fits specific scenarios where you need communication without carrying a phone.

For most people, though, more traditional watches from Apple, Samsung, or Garmin deliver far better reliability, fitness tracking, and integration. The Model S demands patience, curiosity, and a willingness to live with its quirks.

Despite its rough edges, the Model S is an ambitious attempt to pack smartphone features into a watch form factor. If you can look past the marketing exaggerations and accept its limitations, it still offers a unique and surprisingly capable wrist-worn computing experience at this price.

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