The Nixon Mission is just not for the fair-weather smartwatch wearer. It’s a beast of a tool, constructed to face up to surf and snow and never only a rush hour commute.
It’s actually not discrete; the load of the factor will imply that you’ll perpetually keep in mind it’s in your wrist.
Apologies for going all meta on you, but it surely’s on our wrist proper now, getting in the way in which of typing, clunking down on the desk like a diving bell. It’s a watch that doesn’t allow you to neglect that you’re carrying it.
And, whereas the black model we examined solely stood out due to its measurement, there are literally thousands of colour variants to select from.
Nixon desires this watch to be seen however does it actually do sufficient to face out? We’re unconvinced.
Nixon Mission value and launch date
- Out now, accessible within the US, UK and Australia
- Value sensible it’s £339/$349.95, round AU$599
The Nixon Mission has a value that isn’t for the faint hearted. In case you fancy strapping this hefty system to your wrist, then you’re looking at paying £339, $349.95, AU$599.
This places it firmly into Apple Watch 3 territory. However what do you get for that value? Properly, the packaging it is available in is first rate – it comes with an enormous protecting case and a few good prospers corresponding to a charger with a rope lead, which fits with the Mission’s outside fashion.
The watch itself is extraordinarily effectively constructed, slathered in chrome steel which undoubtedly doesn’t come low-cost. And there are numerous variants to select from. As an example, you’ll be able to change the colour of the case, the bezel, select from 30 completely different rubber straps and 5 metal straps.
There’s 18 bits of paintings to select from for the within of the watch and completely different faces. In all, Nixon is boasting over four,000 variants.
We’re going to only need to belief them on that one. The one variant that prices further is the metal strap – select this and it’s a must to add £20/$20/AU$35 to the worth. The metal strapped Nixon Mission is the model we reviewed so it pictured all through this evaluate.
In case you fancy shopping for your self one other strap, the rubber variations value £45/$45/AU$60 every.
Design
- Constructed for snow and sea
- Sizable 48mm case
- Stainless-steel bezel
The Nixon Mission is constructed for extremes. It’s 16mm thick for a begin so that you higher have large sleeves in order for you them to go over the factor. Its fascia is 48mm in diameter, constructed from a polycarbonate case, packs a stainless-steel bezel (which takes issues to 50mm) and a slab of Gorilla Glass to guard the Mission’s delicate computing innards.
And what innards they’re. There’s built-in GPS for a begin, which already places it forward of its nearest (in appears to be like at the very least) rival, the Casio Android Wear watch.
A Snapdragon Put on 2100 processor makes an look – which hints at a good battery life however that sadly doesn’t appear to be the case right here – after which there’s the spectacular skill to face up to 10ATM water stress.
Whereas this isn’t ok to go diving, it does imply that when you fall off your surfboard carrying the factor, it’ll survive the water crash after which some. There’s additionally 4GB of inner storage for all of your music and app wants, and 512MB of RAM – normal Android Wear 2.0 fare, then.
We reviewed the Nixon Mission with a stainless-steel strap and boy did our wrists really feel it, it actually added to the load of the factor. In case you have been to delve into the surf or snow, you then perhaps higher suited to one of many rubber straps that are additionally accessible in a large number of colours.
On the proper facet there may be one button embossed with the Nixon identify – it’s chunky for a purpose, as it may be pressed in case you are carrying gloves, ski gloves to be exact.
On the left-hand facet of the watch is a fiddly little lever that must be shifted whenever you use the watch in water. It is because it’s a protector for the microphone. Mics, to the annoyance of smartwatch producers must have holes burrowed into chassis to work. That is the case with the Nixon Mission, so if you wish to surf with the watch it’s a must to flick a lever and canopy the mic up in order to not smash it with the waves.
Given you gained’t be carrying ski gloves whereas doing this, it’s not a factor you are able to do with gloves on. It virtually took our nail off just a few instances, too, attempting to regulate it so watch out.
Flip the watch over and you’ve got the charging dots and a pleasant large again on which you’ll be able to have quite a lot of paintings sketched. The charger that’s included slots properly onto these charging dots, however we did need to ensure that it was charging just a few instances as a small nudge can take it away from the cost level. We’d have most well-liked a pleasant click on into place, as a substitute of magnets.
Show
- Unbelievable 400×400-pixel display
- Good measurement 1.39-inch AMOLED show
- No flat tire!
The AMOLED display is a full 360 levels, which is a beautiful contact – that means you don’t need to put up with the flat tire look. It’s a good measurement, too, at 1.39-inches 400×400-pixels. That pixel cluster is without doubt one of the greatest round on a smartwatch, matching the likes of the Asus Zen Watch 3 and bettering the Huawei Watch 2. The bezel is raised, which protects the display and helps with total sturdiness. Nixon has made the bezel out of surgical grade chrome steel.
This doesn’t imply you’ll be able to take away an appendix with the factor but it surely does imply it’s constructed to maintain some main knocks and water splashes.
The display isn’t excellent edge to edge, however there’s a small black rim round issues which isn’t noticeable when you might have one of many many Nixon watch faces up – as a black background is favored more often than not – however you’ll be able to see it whenever you begin to drill into among the Android Put on apps on provide. Like we are saying, it’s hardly noticeable – at first we thought it was the shadow of the raised bezel – however it’s there.
The automated brightness of the display was first rate sufficient for us however when you do need it brighter, then head to settings and switch issues as much as 5. This can scale back the battery life, but it surely does offer you a beautiful shiny, clear picture.
Different display choices embrace the power to alter the dimensions of the fonts and you can even toggle off the All the time On Display performance.
In case you do nothing with the watch, then the display reverts again to a easy black-and-white watch interface with the Nixon brand. Transfer your wrist and it’ll return to the display you might be on, or whichever watch face you might have chosen.