Before smartwatches became normal, there was a period where a lot of us were trying to figure out what we actually wanted on our wrist. The Cookoo Watch fits right into that moment. It is not trying to replace your phone. It is more like a notification center that happens to tell time.
I took a first look at the Cookoo Watch to see how it feels out of the box, how the Bluetooth notification setup works, and whether the watch itself is practical enough to wear every day.
Quick Answer
The Cookoo Watch is a neat early notification watch idea, especially if you want basic alerts from your iPhone or Android device without pulling your phone out of your pocket. It can show alerts for calls, missed calls, messages, voicemail, Facebook activity, calendar reminders, battery warnings, and a few other app-based notifications.
The main downside from this first look is visibility. The icons and text on the watch face are hard to see in normal light, and the built-in light only illuminates the icons a little. I would have liked the whole watch face to light up.
What The Cookoo Watch Does
The Cookoo Watch connects to an iOS or Android device over Bluetooth. Once it is paired, the watch can notify you when certain events happen on your phone.
This is more of a notification watch than a full smartwatch. The regular watch face still handles the time, while the connected features live around the icons and buttons.
- Incoming calls
- Missed calls
- Text or instant messages
- Voicemail
- Facebook posts and messages
- Calendar reminders
- Battery level alerts
Unboxing And Packaging
The packaging is one of the first things that stood out. Cookoo uses a birdhouse-style plastic case, which fits the name and gives the product a more thoughtful presentation than a plain box.
The watch sits behind a front window, almost like you are looking into the birdhouse. To open it, you slice the bottom, push from the front, and the inner tray slides out the back.
The instructions are tucked into the bottom and include multiple languages. They are basic, mostly covering how to turn the watch on and install the phone app.
Pairing And Setup
Setup starts by installing the Cookoo app on your phone. With the app open, you hold the connect button on the watch for about six seconds to put it into pairing mode.
The watch has four buttons along with the regular time dial. There is a light button, a connect button, a mode button, and a command button.
The mode button can change options on the watch, although many of those settings can also be handled inside the phone app. The command button is more flexible and can be assigned to a few different actions.
The Command Button
Inside the iPhone app, the command button can be assigned to different actions. The options I saw were Facebook check-in, find your phone, and drop a pin.
The interesting part is that the button can respond to different press lengths. You can set actions for a short press, medium press, or long press. Since there are only three actions, it mainly comes down to how you want to remember and use them.
Notification Controls In The App
The app gives you simple toggle switches for the notifications you want on the watch. That is the right approach for this kind of device because not every phone alert deserves to buzz or blink on your wrist.
There is also a demo option in the app that lets you trigger alerts manually. That makes it easier to see where the different icons appear on the watch face before you rely on them during the day.
- Email appears near the lower-left side of the watch face
- Voicemail appears above that area
- Instant messages show as a chat icon around the lower-right side
- Calendar alerts appear near the message icon
- Battery alerts show as a battery icon near the bottom
The Biggest Issue Is Visibility
My biggest complaint from the unboxing is the light. I expected more of the watch face to illuminate, but the light only makes the icons and text glow a little.
Even in regular light, the icons and text are not easy to see. In a very dark room, like a movie theater, the light might be useful. But in day-to-day use, I wish Cookoo had made the display much easier to read.
That matters because the whole point of a notification watch is quick glanceability. If you have to angle your wrist or look closely to figure out which icon is blinking, the notification system becomes less useful.
Size And Comfort
The watch itself is made from a rubbery plastic material. It has a nice textured feel, and on the wrist it is reasonably comfortable.
It is also a thick watch. If you do not like bulky watches, this may feel too large. On my wrist, I could probably use the second notch, but it felt a little tight, so I would likely wear it on the first notch.
The thickness is not a dealbreaker for me during a first look, but it is something I would want to pay attention to after wearing it for a full week.
Early Impression
Overall, I like the idea. The Cookoo Watch feels like the kind of product people were looking for when they started wearing iPod nanos as watches. It gives you phone alerts on your wrist without trying to become a tiny phone.
This is a first version, and it came from Kickstarter, so I am looking at it with that in mind. The concept is strong, the packaging is excellent, and the app-controlled notification setup makes sense.
The weak point is the display visibility. If Cookoo improves the lighting and makes the notification icons easier to read, the idea becomes much more practical.
Key Takeaways
- The Cookoo Watch is a Bluetooth notification watch for iOS and Android devices.
- It can alert you to calls, missed calls, messages, voicemail, Facebook activity, calendar reminders, and battery levels.
- Setup uses the Cookoo phone app and a six-second press on the connect button to enter pairing mode.
- The command button can be assigned to actions like Facebook check-in, find your phone, or drop a pin.
- The watch feels comfortable, but it is thick and may be too bulky for people who prefer smaller watches.
- The biggest first-look issue is that the icons and text are hard to see, and the light does not illuminate enough of the watch face.
Watch the Video
The video above above for the full first look, including the packaging, button layout, app options, notification demo, and how the Cookoo Watch looks on the wrist.
