Casio F-B100W: Budget Digital Watch Adds Bluetooth and Step Tracking
The new £55 wearable blends classic digital simplicity with basic fitness tracking and a two-year battery life.
Casio has released the F-B100W, a budget-friendly digital watch that integrates basic smart features into a traditional form factor. The device targets users seeking activity tracking without the complexity of a full-scale smartwatch.
Retailing at £55, the F-B100W includes a built-in step counter and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for smartphone pairing. Unlike modern wearables that rely on touchscreens and app stores, this model maintains a classic digital interface to prioritize efficiency. Power is provided by a replaceable CR2016 lithium button cell, which Casio states allows for a battery life of approximately two years.
A modern evolution of a classic
The F-B100W serves as a contemporary successor to the legendary F-91W, one of the most successful watches in history, prized for its extreme longevity and simplicity. While Casio previously explored similar functionality with the ABL-100, the F-B100W moves these capabilities into a lighter and more affordable chassis. By pairing with a smartphone app, the watch can sync activity data and ensure clock accuracy while avoiding the constant maintenance associated with rechargeable devices.
The counter-trend to feature bloat
This release represents a strategic pivot away from the "feature bloat" common in the current wearables market. By eschewing high-resolution screens and constant notifications in favor of a replaceable battery and minimal connectivity, Casio is appealing to a specific niche of consumers. This includes digital watch enthusiasts and those in the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) communities who value reliability and long-term hardware sustainability over the rapid obsolescence of high-end smartwatches.
What to watch
As the market for "dumb-smart" devices grows, the F-B100W tests whether consumers are willing to trade real-time connectivity for years of autonomy. While the core fitness and syncing features are established, it remains to be seen how the device's simplified approach to data synchronization will be received by users accustomed to the instant feedback of traditional fitness trackers. This minimalist approach suggests a broader industry curiosity regarding the viability of hybrid devices that prioritize longevity over the constant stream of data typical of the modern wearable ecosystem.