Lava Prowatch ZN Review: An Encouraging Debut

Indian smartphone maker Lava has made its long-awaited debut in the wearables segment in the form of its premium smartwatch, the Lava Prowatch ZN. It is affordably priced and looks to take on the likes of boAt, Noise and other competitors in the budget smartwatch segment in India, which has honestly become saturated with options. However, the Prowatch ZN comes in as a breath of fresh air, boasting a classy design and a boatload of fitness features, albeit with a few drawbacks. So, has Lava’s first-ever smartwatch managed to make a mark in this highly competitive market? Know it in our Lava Prowatch ZN review below.

Lava Prowatch ZN: What impresses

Upon first look, the Lava Prowatch may seem reminiscent of the Google Pixel Watch. Although it doesn’t quite match it in terms of the feature set, the smartwatch, with a round dial and zinc alloy design looks classy. There’s also a rotating crown via which you can browse through menus, apps and watch faces. Oh, and it provides tactile feedback too! (good job Lava). The button toggles the sports mode directly while the crown can be pressed to go back. The smartwatch comes with both metallic and silicon straps, the latter of which is comfortable to wear even during hot summers for long periods of time.

In terms of numbers, the Lava Prowatch ZN has a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 466×466 pixels, always-on functionality, 600 nits of peak brightness and a highly impressive Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for durability. What it does is it provides you with a crisp display which can withstand drops or nicks. Courtesy of the AMOLED panel, the display’s somewhat chunky bezels merge into the black wallpaper seamlessly, providing a bezel-less look, coupled with a good touch response.

As is customary with smartwatches in the affordable segment, it comes with 110+ sports modes. Now, I’m pretty sure an average user won’t be testing ALL of them but it’s still better to have them and not use them instead of missing them when you really need them. It is also loaded with 110+ watch faces which can be downloaded via the companion app. The Prowatch ZN also comes with smart notifications, a built-in voice assistant and built-in games, all of which work well. It is equipped with PPG sensors that monitor your health metrics like SpO2, heart rate and steps. The health monitoring is fairly accurate with a bit of discrepancies but that is expected of smartwatches in this segment.

It comes with a simple swipe UI which has become a staple in budget smartwatches. Simply swipe down to access quick settings, while swiping up will open up the messages window. However, the Prowatch ZN provides one of the better experiences with smoother animations and no noticeable stutter. While the microphone isn’t anything extraordinary, Bluetooth calling works better in quieter places. The battery life on the smartwatch is excellent though with roughly 6-7 days of usage on a single charge.

Lava Prowatch ZN: What needs improvement

The first big miss on the Lava Prowatch ZN is the support for the iPhone, which is a bummer for those who’re looking for a decent smartwatch experience without spending the fortune that the Apple Watches require. This also meant I had to dig into the box of smartphones I’ve accumulated over the years and use it specifically to set up the watch. The Prospot app is only available on the Google Play Store and it won’t be coming to the Apple App Store, at least for the Prowatch ZN app. While it is really not a deal breaker at its price range, the step count of the smartwatch could also be better. On most occasions, it fell short or overshot the actual metrics by 100-120 steps as compared to my Galaxy Watch.

Lava Prowatch ZN: Should you buy it?

The Lava Prowatch ZN is one of the most impressive options I’ve come across, especially at its price of just Rs. 2599. It trumps its competitors not only in terms of looks but also in ruggedness and functionality. Although the iOS support is a big miss, it won’t be a deal breaker for those with an Android. So, it is a great option to go for if you’re looking for a classy smartwatch with loads of watch faces and smooth operation under Rs. 3000.