Zeblaze Stratos 4 Pro GPS Smartwatch with Offline Maps & Flashlight

Find your Way Back When the Light Goes.

The track forks an hour before dark, the phone is on nine per cent with no signal, and the map app wants data it cannot get. Take the wrong fork and you are walking out in the dark. Walking out in the dark is how ankles get rolled, how a day trip turns into a night out, and how somebody at home ends up ringing the police.

This watch works out where you are from its own satellite receiver, carries maps you downloaded before you left, and will lead you back along the way you came. There is a compass and a barometric altimeter in it, a torch built into the front of the case, and a speaker and microphone so you can take a call from the phone in your pack without digging it out.

One thing straight up, because the maker's artwork gets it wrong. No water-resistance rating is given for this watch. The water-resistance line on the maker's own spec sheet and comparison chart is left blank, the listing says only "Life Waterproof", and there is no IP or ATM figure anywhere, even though the software carries swim modes. Rain, sweat and washing your hands, fine. Swimming, we cannot tell you it is safe, so the answer is no.

What it Does

• Finds Itself: built-in GNSS using six satellite systems as printed (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, NavIC, QZSS and BDS), with assisted GPS for a quicker fix.
• Maps on your Wrist: offline maps downloaded through the GloryFitPro app, turn-by-turn directions, route import, save a location point and navigate straight back to it.
• Torch in the Case: a two-colour LED in the front of the case, white and red on the maker's picture. Red is easier on night-adjusted eyes.
• Calls Through your Phone: built-in speaker and microphone for Bluetooth calls, plus call, SMS and app notifications from the paired phone.
• Music Without the Phone: the maker states it stores 50 to 100 songs for playback on the watch.
• Training Log: 170+ sports modes, steps, distance, pace and calories, synced to Strava, Google Fit or Apple Health.
• Wellness Readings: heart rate, blood oxygen, stress and sleep stages, as reference readings for fitness, not medical readings.
• Everyday Tools: alarm, stopwatch, timer, world clock, seven-day weather from the phone, find-my-phone, phone camera and music control, calculator and screen lock.

Key Features

• Stainless Steel Bezel: stainless steel bezel and case back around a polymer middle frame. The maker's picture marks the bezel 316L.
• Size & Weight: 49 x 49 x 14 mm and 43.5 g without the strap.
• AMOLED Screen: 1.43 in (36 mm) at 466 x 466 pixels, up to 1,000 nits, always-on display, behind Corning Gorilla Glass.
• Three Buttons: three physical buttons on the case, which the maker describes as easy-grip, alongside the touch screen.
• Outdoor Sensors: compass, barometric altimeter, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor and accelerometer.
• 500 mAh Battery: charged from a magnetic cable in about 1.5 hours.
• Strap: silicone, 22 mm quick-release, fits wrists from 130 to 235 mm.
• Two Colours: Black, or Bronze. Pick by the case colour you want.
• 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 Not a Swimming Watch, Whatever the Swim Modes Say.

The software counts laps, strokes and open-water distance, and one of the maker's pictures says swimming is "fully trackable". But the maker leaves the water-resistance grade blank on its own spec sheet and comparison chart, gives no IP rating and no ATM figure, and adds a footnote that the level of water resistance "is not permanent and may deteriorate over time". A swim mode is not a rating. Rain, sweat and a splash at the trough are fine. Do not swim, shower or dive in it.

It is Not a Rescue Beacon.

There is no satellite messaging and no SOS to a rescue service. A footnote on the maker's artwork mentions an emergency-contact feature that needs a contact set in the app and the watch connected to your phone over Bluetooth, which means it is no help out of phone range. If you are heading into remote country, carry a personal locator beacon as well.

Dual-Band GPS is Not Confirmed.

The seller's summary line says "Dual-band GPS". The maker's technical spec sheet lists six satellite systems and assisted GPS, and says nothing about dual-band. We print what the spec sheet says and leave the rest out.

Battery Life is Not Stated.

The maker gives the battery size, 500 mAh, and no running time. The listing's attribute field shows a bare "7" with no unit, which tells you nothing. GPS tracking, maps, the torch and calls all use more power than telling the time, so on a long day out carry the charging cable and a power bank.

The Health Numbers are Not Medical Readings.

Heart rate, blood oxygen, stress and sleep come from a wrist sensor and an algorithm. The maker's own note says the watch is not a medical device and its readings are for personal reference only. Use them to watch a trend against your own baseline, and if you feel unwell, ring a doctor, not your wrist.

Calls and Notifications Need your Phone.

The speaker and microphone carry calls from the paired phone over Bluetooth. It has no SIM and no Wi-Fi, and the maker notes voice calls from third-party apps are not supported. Leave the phone at camp and you lose calls, messages and weather, but keep positioning, downloaded maps, the compass, the torch and stored music.

One Footnote Disagrees on the Frame.

The spec sheet says stainless steel bezel and case back with a polymer middle frame. One footnote on the maker's artwork talks about an aluminium alloy frame instead. We print the spec sheet and flag the footnote here so you know.

Q & A

Will it Navigate if I Leave the Phone in the Ute?

Positioning, yes. The satellite receiver is in the watch. The maps have to be downloaded through the GloryFitPro app before you go, so do that at home on Wi-Fi. Calls, messages and weather need the phone.

Can I Swim in it?

No. There is no water-resistance rating behind the swim modes, so there is nothing to swim against. See Limits.

How Bright is the Torch?

The maker gives no brightness figure. It is a small two-colour LED, white and red, in the front of the case. Brightness is not specified by the supplier, so carry a head torch for walking.

Can I Play Music Without the Phone?

Yes. The maker states it stores 50 to 100 songs and plays them on the watch. It does not say whether Bluetooth earbuds pair to it for music, so do not buy it on that.

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.

What is the Difference Between Bronze and Black?

Colour. The maker lists both under the same specification. The Bronze has a bronze-coloured bezel and is shown with a light grey strap; the Black has a black case and strap with red buttons on the side.

Can I Fit a Different Band?

Yes. The lugs take a standard 22 mm quick-release strap.

Specs

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