In a world brimming with affordable smartwatches, Fire-Boltt’s Phoenix Ultra stands out with its compelling price point and classic design. For under Rs. 2,199, this smartwatch boasts a metal body and a traditional watch aesthetic – a rare combination in the budget smartwatch market. But with such a low price tag, could this device truly deliver? After spending a couple of weeks with the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra, I’m ready to share my conclusions.
Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra – Price, Design, and Specs
The Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra is available in a single configuration that retails for Rs. 2,999, but often lands in the Rs. 2,199 range from online sellers. The package comes with a silicon strap, an extra magnetic metal loop strap, and a two-pin magnetic charger.
The smartwatch offers three case finishes – steel, black, and gold – each with diverse strap combinations in the box. My review unit sported the steel finish paired with a magnetic blue metal strap and a soft grey silicone strap.
The 44mm steel case undoubtedly exudes class, replicating the look of traditional timepieces. Considering its entry-level positioning, the metal case’s finish is surprisingly good, devoid of any sharp or rough edges. The back of the case is crafted from plastic with the sensor positioned dead-centre, and the metal charging contacts flanking it near the top edge. The Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra weighs 55g without the strap and boasts an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
Both the metal and silicone straps offer comfortable wearability, sans any weighty feel. The 22mm silicone strap features a quick release mechanism for secure attachment to the case, while the metal loop strap relies on a strong magnet to hold the watch in place. During my testing, the watch remained secure regardless of which strap I used.
The Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra houses a basic 1.39-inch LCD display with a 240 × 240 pixels resolution and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. However, it is surrounded by chunky bezels, and in my unit, the display appeared misaligned, with the bottom bezel considerably thicker than the rest.
The smartwatch features only one button, which serves to wake the display, showcasing the watch face or turning the display off. If you’re navigating other menus or apps within the watch interface, a press on the button will directly send you back to the watch face.
Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra – Software and Performance
The Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra presents a very basic software interface. While lacking support for third-party apps, even essential features are absent. Notably, there’s no ability to adjust the display timeout, which is set to five seconds by default. A basic calculator app is also missing. I couldn’t even check the watch’s charging status without disconnecting it from the charger. The battery status is only visible on the watch face. Setting an alarm, timer, or stopwatch requires navigating to the settings menu, adding an extra layer to the process.
Navigating this simple software interface is effortless with the use of swipe gestures, diminishing the crown’s usefulness to merely powering the display on or off, as the "flick-to-wake" gesture functions perfectly.
The companion app – Da Fit – reflects the smartwatch’s simplistic UI and is available for both iOS and Android smartphones. The Da Fit app features three main sections: Today, Device Settings, and My (essentially the user’s profile). Setting up the app using an Android smartphone was a straightforward experience, though keeping the app locked in the phone’s Recents menu proved crucial for receiving notifications on the watch.
The Today page displays readings from the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra, including step count, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and exercise records. The Device Settings section allows you to change the watch face, adjust notifications, set alarms, and more. Buried deep within this section is a crucial "Others" area that lets you configure time format, unit system, DnD timings, continuous heart rate monitoring intervals, and most importantly, the auto-lock or display sleep setting, which is inaccessible on the watch itself.
Using “GPS connected exercises” like outdoor runs or walks necessitates relying on the Da Fit mobile app, as the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra lacks built-in GPS. Strangely, the watch won’t sync data to the app unless you manually open the mobile app and swipe down to refresh the data within the Today section.
The watch face gallery comes preloaded with a handful of watch faces, including one featuring Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, accessing the online gallery through the mobile app unlocks a wealth of downloadable watch faces, many of which appear more intriguing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t manage to download and install any of these watch faces, even those with sizes as low as 159kb. During this process, both the smartwatch and the app become inaccessible, causing frustration.
Notifications from the smartwatch are truncated, making it difficult to discern the originating app as clear iconography is absent. Setting a timer on your smartphone triggers constant notifications for every passing second, inundating the notification menu on the smartwatch.
Health Tracking – A Mixed Bag
Health tracking is a crucial element for most smartwatch users. Regrettably, my experience with the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra in this realm was far from exceptional. The watch offers only two automated health monitoring features: sleep tracking and continuous heart rate monitoring.
The sleep tracking feature attempts to deliver granular sleep stage data, including deep sleep, light sleep, REM sleep, and more. However, I found this data to be woefully inaccurate, as the watch frequently mistook my time resting in bed (before falling asleep) as sleep time, leading to skewed results. The continuous heart rate monitoring was another automated health-tracking feature, allowing customizable interval selection.
Regular heart rate measurements were inconsistent and unreliable, often displaying significant discrepancies when compared to readings from a standalone oximeter. SpO2 readings, while slightly more reliable, still lacked consistency.
The Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra boasts an impressive 123 fitness tracking sport modes. I tested the basic step tracking feature using the Walking exercise mode, and the watch managed to count 505 steps instead of 500, which is acceptable for a smartwatch at this price point. However, the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra wouldn’t be my first choice for health and fitness tracking.
Bluetooth Calling and Battery Life
The Bluetooth calling feature functions as expected, and setting it up didn’t require pairing the watch twice with my Android smartphone. Callers were audible loud and clear, unable to detect that I was calling from a smartwatch.
In terms of battery life, the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra met its claimed seven-day battery life. This accomplishment is mainly due to the limited automatic health tracking features, as most require manual activation, and data syncing doesn’t happen automatically. Day-to-day battery drain ranged from 15-20 percent, including a brief workout routine and sleep tracking. Even with automated heart rate monitoring – despite throwing up a warning – battery life wasn’t significantly impacted when set to 30-minute intervals. Charging the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra takes time. When connected to a 33W charger, it took about two hours.
Verdict – Style Over Substance
It’s challenging to surpass the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra in terms of looks at its price point. Unfortunately, that’s the only compelling reason to consider this smartwatch. For all else, the market presents much better options.
If you’re seeking accurate health-tracking features in a wearable, then a basic fitness band like the Amazfit Band 7 (reviewed here) is a significantly more reliable (and affordable) choice. Those seeking fancier features or a more smartwatch-like experience (including a larger display, Bluetooth calling, and automated health tracking features) will find the new Redmi Watch 3 Active a much better option at Rs. 2,999. If you prioritize a premium-looking smartwatch, the OnePlus Nord Watch (reviewed here) stands as a superior choice at Rs. 4,999.
In essence, the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra excels in looks but falls short in most other areas. If you’re searching for a smartwatch that prioritizes appearance over functionality at an exceptionally low price, then the Fire-Boltt Phoenix Ultra might be worth considering. But for the majority of users seeking a reliable device with robust features, there are more compelling alternatives available in the market.
