boAt Ultima Chronos Review: The Best Budget AMOLED Smartwatch
The boAt Ultima Chronos has been launched, and I’ve been using it for the last few days.
If I were to summarize this watch in a single word, it would be – amazing.
So, if you’re planning to buy a new watch, this is going to be your best bet.
Here’s why.
boAt Ultima Chronos Review
Final Verdict
The boAt Ultima Chronos is the perfect choice for those who need a smooth AMOLED display, good call quality, metal design, and accurate health features.
So if you have a budget of 3000 rupees for a smartwatch, just book the boAt Ultima Chronos right now.
You won’t be disappointed.
Pros
- Smooth, bright display
- Seamless call quality
- Accurate health functions
- Lightweight
Cons
- Strap quality could have been better
- You have to download watch faces everytime time
Specs
Display | 1.96-inch |
Resolution | 410 x 502 px |
Brightness | 650 nits |
AMOLED display | Yes |
Always-on display | Yes |
Bluetooth calling | Yes |
Sports modes | 700+ |
Built-in GPS | No |
Watch faces | 100+ |
Heart rate tracking | Yes |
Spo2 monitoring | Yes |
Sleep tracking | Yes |
Voice assistant | Yes |
In-built games | No |
Calculator | Yes |
Durability | IP67 |
Battery life | Up to 7 days |
Design & Build Quality
When it comes to the design, the boAt Ultima Chronos is not a piece of art.
It has a simple design with a proper rectangular shape.
The boAt Ultima Chronos comes with a lightweight metal frame, giving it a solid build quality.
When I unboxed this boAt smartwatch, it felt like it had a plastic frame; now you can imagine how lightweight it is.
It comes with a single crown button on the side, but unfortunately, it is non-functional.
Although preferences vary from person to person, I always find a working crown more useful.
When it comes to the backside, it is made of good-quality plastic and contains a charging point and health sensors.
However, the strap quality disappointed me a little bit, and I think it should have been of better quality.
But apart from this, the design and build quality of the boAt Ultima Chronos meet the expectations.
Display & UI
The display of the boAt Ultima Chronos is the most impressive feature I found, making it the best budget AMOLED smartwatch.
You’ll get a large 1.96-inch always-on AMOLED display with a high resolution of 410 x 502 pixels.
And the best thing is, the bezels are very minimal, enhancing its overall look.
Now, let’s talk about the UI part.
The boAt Ultima Chronos is powered by Crest+ OS, which is boAt’s own smartwatch operating system.
And trust me, it’s the smoothest UI I have seen on a budget smartwatch.
By swiping down, you can access its control panel; swipe up to get a live cricket score; swipe left or right to access widgets.
And by pressing the power button, you can access its menu.
There are only two menu styles (list view and grid view), but that’s more than enough for me, as I always use the list view style.
Plus, the boAt Ultima Chronos also offers 650 nits of peak brightness, which is sufficient for outdoor use.
Overall, if the display is a priority for you, the boAt Ultima Chronos is just perfect.
Trust me.
Watch Faces
The boAt Ultima Chronos comes with 100+ cloud-based watch faces, which you can download from its app.
However, I found out that you have to download these watch faces every time you want to use them.
It would be better if boAt provided a separate section for these downloaded watch faces so we wouldn’t need to download them again and again.
Apart from these, the boAt Ultima Chronos smartwatch has four in-built watch faces.
And do you know what’s even better?
If you’re using these in-built watch faces, then you’re allowed to set them as an AOD (Always-On Display) watch face.
Moreover, if you’re one of those who has always wanted to use a custom watch face, the boAt Ultima Chronos is a great choice.
Actually, it comes with a DIY Watch Face Studio, which allows you to customize the watch face as you want.
You can choose backgrounds, themes, colors, and widgets.
So for those who focus on style, the boAt Ultima Chronos is perfect.
Bluetooth Calling & Notifications
When I say that the boAt Ultima Chronos is the best budget smartwatch with a call function, you have to believe me.
It comes with a premium inbuilt microphone and speaker, and Bluetooth version 5.2, ensuring that you get seamless connectivity.
Plus, you can save up to 20 contacts in the watch via the app.
Additionally, the watch supports a Quick Reply function, which you can customize as per your needs.
What’s even better, you’re allowed to set a ringtone on the watch, and you can customize both its volume and vibration intensity.
When it comes to notifications, this is one of the best features the watch has to offer.
You will receive not only call and SMS notifications but also app notifications, be it from WhatsApp, Email, YouTube, etc.
Also, there’s an AI voice assistant feature, which you can enable from the menu.
And it worked amazingly.
Trust me, the boAt Ultima Chronos has features that truly stand out.
Health & Fitness
The boAt Ultima Chronos is the best budget watch for your health and fitness tracking needs.
It can monitor heart rate, SpO2, and sleep quality with great accuracy.
Among other budget watches, I found its sleep tracking to be the most precise.
And when it comes to fitness, its over 700 sports modes are more than sufficient.
Although I’m not particularly into tracking my fitness activities, if you are, this watch is good to go.
The best thing is that you can view in-depth data for every health feature directly on the watch.
You don’t need to open the app every time to see your health data.
By the way, if you’re really into fitness, you should read the App Functionalities section where I share some great details too.
The boAt Ultima Chronos truly stands out as an excellent choice for health and fitness enthusiasts.
Battery Performance
The boAt Ultima Chronos comes with a 260 mAh battery, which can last up to 7 days.
During my testing, it lasted around 2 days, but let me be clear that I turned on features like the always-on display, real-time heart rate monitoring, raise-to-wake gesture, and also made some calls.
But what really impressed me was the charging speed.
Although I couldn’t measure the exact time, it took around one hour to charge, which is really good.
Apart from that, there’s also a battery saver feature, which is very helpful when the battery is about to die.
However, I recommend checking out my in-depth guide on how to improve smartwatch battery life to get the most out of it.
Overall, the boAt Ultima Chronos is doing a great job in terms of battery life.
It’s a solid choice for those who prioritize efficient battery performance.
App Functionalities
Now comes the most interesting part: the app functionalities.
You know why I love boAt and Noise smartwatches?
Because they have great apps to connect with, allowing you to do so many things through the app.
You can connect the boAt Ultima Chronos smartwatch with your phone via the boAt Crest app.
This app has one of the easiest user interfaces.
You can get a fitness overview right from the home page, and if you want to analyze even deeper, just head over to the next tab.
The third tab lets you customize the watch settings, while the fourth tab allows you to add your fitness buddies.
What makes this app even more useful is the boAtCoins feature, which can be used to earn attractive discounts.
When you track your fitness activities and do well, you earn more coins, translating into more discounts.
So, step up and engage in lots of activity.
All in all, the boAt Crest app has a really great interface and works seamlessly with the boAt Ultima Chronos smartwatch.
It’s an excellent companion for anyone interested in maximizing their fitness tracking and customization options.
Other Features
If you believe that the features I’ve mentioned are all that the boAt Ultima Chronos has to offer, think again.
This smartwatch comes packed with even more functionality that caters to various needs.
In addition to its primary features, you can also access live cricket scores, control music and camera, view weather updates, set alarms, create reminders, use a flashlight, time events with a timer, and of course, locate both your watch and phone.
It’s not just a watch; it’s a multifunctional companion that keeps you connected and informed on the go.
The Bottom Line
So, there you have it.
It’s a no-brainer why the boAt Ultima Chronos has become one of my favorite smartwatches, in addition to the Fire-Boltt Visionary.
It has all the features you need, and keep in mind, it falls into the sub-3000 budget range, which makes it even more appealing.
So if you’re planning to buy a smartwatch, trust me, the boAt Ultima Chronos is the perfect choice.
And if you have any questions about this watch, feel free to ask me on Facebook.
It’s an exceptional value, and I highly recommend giving it a look.