Full disclaimer: I'm not a professional athlete by any means, but I've focused my health training (cycling, walking, hiking) thanks to smart wearables, and therefore this is a relatively subjective review from a layperson!
I've been wearing the Grit X2 now for around 5 weeks. I also have a Google Pixel 3 45mm watch. I've been wearing these at the same time (one on each arm) so I can get to understand the balance and virtues of each.
My initial observations:
The Grit is certainly a premium wearable. The weight, size, design, and presence is wonderful for those looking for the sporty, rugged look. The watch feels virtually indestructible, and the controls are designed for ruggedness – no touch sensors etc… just real buttons.
The screen is beautiful – the colours vivid and the display is really bright. Touch sensitivity and responsiveness of the UI isn't quite as good as my Pixel watch, but the use cases are very different.
The watch interface itself is a little more complex than I'd thought: Simply tracking exercise, including walking or cycling, isn't as simple as with the Pixel watch. However, the comprehensive stats delivered back to the Polar app (which is equally as comprehensive) are much more aimed towards performance than health in my opinion, whereas the PIxel > Fitbit app is very much more for the health conscious.
Battery life is excellent, and charging is relatively fast too.
Overall, this watch is an absolute powerhouse for sport and performance… but lacks some of the "smart" features of standard smartwatches.
Although it won't totally replace my Google watch for everyday, I am finding I'm using the Polar much more for my activities, especially winter walks. The GPS functionality is superb.
I'd highly recommend this product, but be aware of the limitations if you're looking for a truly "smartwatch" style product – the price tag here is high, and this watch is aimed for what I'd consider I am not: A more driven, trained, and professional user.
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