Zeblaze Stratos 4 GPS Smartwatch | Compass, Barometer & Torch

Find the Way Back When the Phone Goes Flat.

You head out on a track you half know, the light goes quicker than you planned, and the phone you were using for the map is on 4 per cent at the bottom of the pack. Now you are guessing at a fork in the dark, and a wrong guess is a cold night out, a search, or a long walk the wrong way.

The Stratos 4 carries its own satellite receiver, so it logs your track on the wrist without the phone, and its track-back screen points you back along the line you walked in. A compass, a barometric altimeter and an LED torch in the case cover the rest of the trip, behind a 1.43 in (36 mm) AMOLED screen the maker rates at up to 1,000 nits.

Straight up on what it is: a fitness and navigation watch, not a mapping GPS and not a rescue beacon. The maker's screens show a track line and a return pointer, not topographic maps, and there is no satellite messaging or SOS to anyone. It is rated 5 ATM, which means surface swimming at most and never diving.

What it Does

• Its Own GPS: a built-in satellite receiver that uses six systems, as printed by the maker: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, NavIC, QZSS and BDS, with assisted GPS for a quicker first fix.
• Track & Track-Back: records your track as you walk and shows a return line with the distance left back to where you started.
• Compass & Barometer: compass, barometric pressure trend and barometric altitude screens, with a calibration step for the altitude.
• Torch on your Wrist: an LED flashlight built into the case. Brightness is not specified by the supplier, so carry a head torch for walking.
• Calls on your Wrist: Bluetooth calls through the built-in speaker and microphone, plus call, SMS and app notifications from the paired phone.
• Activity Tracking: 170+ sport modes, including pool and open-water swimming, and automatic recognition of walking, running, cycling, elliptical and rowing.
• Wellness Readings: heart rate, blood oxygen, stress and sleep stages, as reference readings for fitness, not medical readings.
• Everyday Tools: offline voice assistant, phone music and camera control, find-my-phone, a 7-day weather forecast pulled from the phone, world clock, stopwatch, timer, alarm and calculator.

Key Features

• Metal Bezel & Steel Case: the maker lists a metal bezel with a drilling carbon coating and 316L stainless steel, with stainless steel buttons and buckle.
• Size & Weight: 49 x 49 mm across the case and 14 mm thick; 63 g on the strap, 42.5 g without it.
• 1.43 in (36 mm) AMOLED Screen: 466 x 466 pixels at 391 PPI, up to 1,000 nits by the maker's figure, with an always-on display mode.
• 500 mAh Battery: lithium-polymer cell, about 1.5 hours to charge on the magnetic charging cable.
• Rated 5 ATM: the maker's water-resistance rating: surface swimming at most, never diving. The detail is under Limits.
• Cold & Heat: operating temperature printed as −40 to 50 °C.
• 22 mm Quick-Release Strap: silicone, fits wrists from 130 to 235 mm, and takes any standard 22 mm band.
• Phone & App: Bluetooth 5.3, Android 5.0 or later and iOS 11.0 or later, through the GloryFitPro app.
• Delivery: Free Standard Delivery, 5 to 10 working days from the day you order. Allow 1–2 days for fulfilment. Regional and remote addresses can take longer.

Limits

It is a Swimming Watch at Most, Not a Diving Watch.

The maker rates it 5 ATM, and the listing's "50 m" figure is the same thing said another way: a pressure the case passed in a test, not a depth you can take it to. Diving in or taking a wave loads the seals harder than a still test does. Pool laps and surface swimming are the most we would ask of it. No diving of any kind, no hot showers, spas or saunas, and the maker does not say the buttons can be pressed under water, so leave them alone until it is dry. It has no dive mode, no depth gauge and no dive certification, and it is not a dive computer. Rinse it in fresh water after the sea.

It will Not Show you a Map.

The screens on this listing show a track line and a return pointer, not a topographic map with tracks and contours. It will get you back along the line you walked, but it will not plan a route or show you the creek you have not reached yet. For that, carry a proper map, a phone mapping app or a dedicated handheld GPS.

It Cannot Call for Help.

There is no SIM, no satellite messaging and no SOS to a rescue service. Calls and notifications only work through your paired phone, and only where the phone has coverage. If you need to be found out bush, carry a personal locator beacon.

The Health Numbers are Reference Readings Only.

Heart rate, blood oxygen, stress and sleep come from a wrist sensor and an algorithm. They are fine for watching a trend against your own baseline and they are not medical readings. This watch is not a medical device and it does not diagnose anything. If something feels wrong, ring a doctor, not your wrist.

Battery Life is Not Stated by the Maker.

The listing gives the cell size, 500 mAh, but no battery life in days, so we will not quote one. Running GPS, the torch, the always-on screen and Bluetooth calls all use more power than leaving it as a plain watch. The maker also says temperatures below −40 °C may affect battery life and performance.

The Toughness is the Maker's Word.

The maker's artwork describes drop, shock, temperature, humidity and salt-water testing. No test report was sighted, so we hold no rating for it. Treat it as a solidly built watch with a metal bezel and guarded buttons, and look after the screen like you would any other.

Q & A

Does it Need my Phone for the GPS?

No. The satellite receiver is in the watch, so it knows where you are and logs your track on its own. The phone is only needed for calls, notifications, the weather forecast and syncing your workouts to the app.

Can I Swim in it?

Surface swimming, yes: the maker rates it 5 ATM and it has pool and open-water swim modes. No diving, no hot water, and no pressing buttons while it is wet. Rinse it in fresh water after salt water.

What is the Difference Between This and the Stratos 4 Pro?

Going by the two makers' listings: this one has a metal bezel with a carbon coating and 316L stainless steel, while the Pro lists a stainless steel bezel and case back on a polymer middle frame. This one has a single LED flashlight; the Pro lists a two-colour flashlight. The Pro lists music storage for 50 to 100 songs and downloadable maps with route planning; this listing shows phone music control and track-back only. Both list the same 1.43 in (36 mm) AMOLED screen at 466 x 466, a 500 mAh battery, Bluetooth 5.3, a 22 mm strap and the GloryFitPro app.

Which Phones does it Work with?

Android 5.0 or later and iOS 11.0 or later, over Bluetooth 5.3, using the GloryFitPro app. The maker says workouts can be synced on to Apple Health and Strava. Notifications need the app left running with permission to read them.

How Accurate is the Altitude?

The maker does not give an accuracy figure. Barometric altitude is worked out from air pressure, so it drifts when the weather changes. Calibrate it at a known height, such as a trig point or a signposted saddle, and check it again when the weather turns.

Can I Put a Different Band on it?

Yes. It takes a standard 22 mm quick-release strap, so any 22 mm band will fit.

What Comes in the Box?

The watch with its standard strap fitted, a magnetic charging cable and an instruction manual.

Specs

Note: This product is not a medical device. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.