G-Shock 5600 Series Round-Up 2015

Since 1985, Casio has continuously produced the 5600 series products, over the years making minor improvements and expanding the features and colorway selections.

EDIFICE – Coming Fall 2014

Casio has been implementing the Bluetooth Smart protocol which is a subset of Bluetooth SIG specification version 4.0 in all their smartphone compatible watches: and again, now, in their newest Edifice watches: EWB-500D-1AJF and the EWB-500DC-1AJF. What’s important about this Bluetooth implementation is Casio’s complete commitment to a specific local wireless spec that mandates by definition, compatibility with iOS, Android, Blackberry and even Windows 8. To this blogger, it is welcome news that a continuing affirmation of specific direction is re-declared and that continuity in the open standard is embraced. Instead of the former tangle of issues, both hardware and software-wise, app writers simply have to write the app! For now, an app called “CASIO WATCH+ Version 2.0.1” which was just released this week (September 3, 2014) will set up your iPhone to use all the watch’s features.

The No Operating System Watch —— G-Shock GBA-400

Other reviewers have praised Casio for the simplicity and ease of operation of the latest Bluetooth watch to carry G-Shock branding: GBA-400. Staying true to their legacy trade, the G-Shock people, smartly doing what they do best, have designed the product with incredible shock, wear, and water resistance. They stuffed in a load of features but managed to avoid an operating system. These watches control a few of the important operations of a smartphone, providing music remote control and telephony notifications. And that is it – no camera, microphone or gesturing an Android game. It would be a huge stretch to call them smartwatches. Compared to whiz-bang Apple, Sony, LG, Samsung, Motorola, et al, the GBA-400 comes off looking only slightly smarter than an oily canvas sack of cotter pins.

Casio Never Stops Tinkering

It was a year later and already Casio had renewed its Bluetooth smart watch products to a “second generation” with increased compatibility and useful functions. They bet heavily on certain standards becoming mainstream: Bluetooth 4.0, Android KitKat, third party app development and popularity of features such as music control and clock setting.