It would be fair to say that I am a one-watch type of person simply because I don’t like to change things up too much. So, when I got the chance to try out the Celestor, Titan’s latest swing at making a smartwatch, I expected to give it a whirl now and then while mostly sticking to my classic, analogue timepiece. However, the uniquely crafted smartwatch barely left my wrist since I was first approached to review it roughly a week ago.
At a time when you could spot a smartwatch anywhere you look, here’s my review of what makes the fascinating Titan Celestor tick and what doesn’t.
What it gets right
Right out of the box, the all-new Titan Celestor sports a premium look with a circular design and an aluminum body along with a beige-coloured silicone strap.
Swiping right on the watch face brings up various screens such as the steps tracker. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
I barely noticed that the Titanium-coloured dial has a home button on the side because one of the main components of the smartwatch that stood out for me was the bronze-orange banded crown. It is just the right amount of clicky and the perfect size to twist.
Aside from how it looks, I couldn’t stop twiddling with the opto-mechanical crown because it offers an exciting, alternative way of interacting with the regular old touchscreen smartwatch. While scrolling up and down, side to side using the crown, I realised that it was highly responsive and there is no lag when swiping through various options. The vibrations accompanying every turn of the crown also makes it feel more satisfying.
Swiping right on the watch face brings up various screens such as the steps tracker, heart rate monitor, multisport monitor, sleep data tracker, weather app, and more. However, for more comprehensive tracking data, you would have to press the crown which brings up the entire menu of apps assembled in a honeycomb structure.
The smartwatch comes with bluetooth calling along with a range of health tracking features. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
Thanks to its construction, the Titan Celestor looked great on my wrist and its high-end design is bound to catch the eye of others. But there’s more to it than the build as the smartwatch also offers a slew of health features – some of which I genuinely found useful like the one which helps you calm down and focus on your breathing or the well-timed buzzes asking me to “take a sip” of water.
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Whenever I hit the gym, the calorie count and heart rate readings seemed accurate for the most part. In swim mode, the 3ATM water-resistant device automatically enables a ‘water lock’ that you are able to exit only after it has ejected all the water.
The initial pairing process with the Titan Smart World app was smooth. Through the app, you can also easily import your health data to Strava with the option to disconnect anytime. Titan’s claim that the smartwatch can go for seven days with a single charge is verifiably true.
What can be improved
The lift-to-view feature is definitely something that needs to be addressed as it sometimes took me two or three tries for the display to light up so that I could read the time. While there is an Always-on display option, it is not the most feasible as it could drain the battery and the watch face in this mode is not the best.
Furthermore, the Celestor has a bulky profile and could be two sizes too big for people with thin wrists. It is one of the reasons why my mother turned down trying on the smartwatch, indicating that the target customer base may be different.
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The Titan Celestor has built-in GPS for running, walking, hiking, and cycling. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
Coming to the step count, it definitely felt like I was meeting my daily goal of 5,000 steps a lot earlier than I should. Though, shaking my arm didn’t add any steps to the tally. Also, the smartwatch comes with the ability to make calls via bluetooth, but incoming call alerts did not always show up.
The verdict
If I were to go just by the looks, the Titan Celestor is definitely a vast improvement from previous models like the Titan Smart Pro Watch. The popular watch brand also seems to have ironed out most of its operating system issues and with the added touch of the opto-mechanical crown, it could be just the device for someone who doesn’t want to stray too far from bespoke collections.
However, at Rs 9,995, the performance features and capabilities of the smartwatch fall short of justifying the cost. For instance, it would be hard for customers to pass up on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 powered by Wear OS that is available in the same range.
