SimplyAmplifying score: 7.4/10 · Confidence: Medium · Based on 2 in-depth review(s) from 2 outlets, and 6 article(s) read in full
Launched: 2 April 2025 · Launch price: $335 · Source: techradar.com
First published 12 October 2026 · Last updated 12 October 2026 · Updated 1 time as new reviews came in
Reviewers’ own scores: Engadget 7.8/10 · Trusted Reviews 3.5/5
The verdict
Engadget and Trusted Reviews both see the Una Watch as a repairable, open-source GPS watch with good route tracking and solid battery life. Both also found limited software, a plain display and a dated, chunky design. Evidence comes from two outlets, so treat this as a medium-confidence verdict. It suits tinkerers and people who value repair more than polish.
Best for: Tinkerers and repair-minded buyers who want a basic GPS watch with replaceable parts and open-source software.
Skip it if: You want a polished smartwatch with rich workout modes, training plans, a bright display, or swim-ready water resistance.
Scores by category
| Category | Score | Confidence | Outlets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health & fitness accuracy | 7.4/10 | Medium | 2 |
| Battery life | 8.2/10 | Medium | 2 |
| Software & apps | 6.4/10 | Medium | 2 |
| Display | 6.5/10 | Medium | 2 |
| Comfort & design | 6.6/10 | Medium | 2 |
| Value | 8.3/10 | Medium | 2 |
What reviewers liked
- GPS locked on quickly and recorded routes that closely matched Garmin and Apple Watch data
- Battery lasted about 7 days in Engadget’s testing, and USB-C charging took about an hour in Trusted Reviews’ tests
- Modular design with six user-replaceable parts; Trusted Reviews found battery replacement easy
- Replacement parts are priced reasonably, and Engadget saw no premium charged for modularity
- Software, housing and circuit board designs are open-sourced
What they didn’t
- Heart rate and real-time pace data were less consistent than route tracking in Trusted Reviews’ tests
- Limited workout types, no automatic activity tracking, no training plans, and very little watchface customization
- Notifications ignore Do Not Disturb, and Trusted Reviews noticed lag between screens
- IPX5 water resistance only, and Engadget found the case gaskets look fragile; design is chunky and dated
In detail
Health & fitness accuracy: 7.4/10
GPS is the strongest part of the Una Watch. Engadget found that its dual-frequency GPS acquired a position in under 30 seconds without trouble. Trusted Reviews said post-run routes closely matched those from a Garmin and an Apple Watch. Real-time data was less consistent. Trusted Reviews saw more disparity in live pace than in routes. Heart rate sometimes matched a chest strap, but it posted notably higher maximum readings on easy runs. Trusted Reviews also noted that the watch tracks daily steps and floors climbed but has no training plans or advanced interval modes. Engadget cited a 20-hour GPS figure, but this was the maker’s pledge, not something it measured.
Battery life: 8.2/10
Both outlets point to a 7 to 10 day rating. Engadget got 7 days per charge, including several short GPS-tracked walks and workouts. Trusted Reviews listed a 280mAh battery with up to 20 hours of GPS tracking. It also found that one hour of GPS running drained about 20% of the battery, which is faster than that claim implies. Charging over USB-C took roughly an hour from empty to full in its tests. Everyday battery life looks good, but heavy GPS users should expect less than the headline figure suggests.
Software & apps: 6.4/10
Software is the main weakness. Engadget found watchface customization very limited, with only the 12 or 24-hour time format adjustable. It also found that workouts are limited to walks, runs, hikes, bike rides, treadmill runs and a generic mode, with no automatic activity tracking. Notifications appear in clear text but ignore Do Not Disturb, so you must toggle it manually each day. Trusted Reviews noticed lag when moving between screens. On the plus side, community-built apps are available through a Store tab, including sunrise and sunset, trail running and tide tracking. Trusted Reviews found fewer than 40 free items at the time of testing, so the store is still early.
Display: 6.5/10
The display is functional but unremarkable. Both outlets describe a 1.2-inch memory-in-pixel screen at 240 x 240 resolution with mineral glass. Engadget found that the colors are muted on this low-power panel, which makes the watch less glanceable than typical watches. Trusted Reviews said it is not the brightest or crispest screen but is adequate for night and early morning use, helped by an LED backlight. Neither outlet treats it as a deal-breaker, and neither offers a strong reason to buy the watch for its screen.
Comfort & design: 6.6/10
The Una Watch is a 46mm running-style watch with four large buttons and a silicone strap, and Engadget calls it chunky. Trusted Reviews said the design feels dated, like an older Garmin from a decade ago. Water resistance is IPX5. That covers rain, sweat, splashes and showers according to Trusted Reviews, but not swimming, immersion or mud. Engadget also found the thin rubber gaskets inside the case covers look fragile, so modularity costs some ruggedness. The upside is repairability: Trusted Reviews found that opening the watch with a Torx tool and swapping the battery takes minimal effort.
Value: 8.3/10
Value rests on repairability and a modest price. Engadget gave the hardware price as $199 and did not specify the market in the review we read. It saw no premium charged for modularity, with a replacement display at $50 and a battery at $40. Trusted Reviews gave UK-style pound prices of £20 for a battery and £30 for a display, which it said is cheaper than buying a new watch. It also noted that rivals under £200, such as the Amazfit Active 3 Premium and Garmin Forerunner 70, last 12 to 13 days, longer than the Una’s 7 to 10. Value looks good for repair-minded buyers, less so for those who want maximum battery life.
Sources
- Engadget: Una watch review: A modular, repairable GPS … · Full review
- Trusted Reviews: Una Watch Review · Full review
- NotebookCheck: UNA Watch: Repairable Garmin alternative launches with … · Launch news
- NotebookCheck: UNA Watch: Modular smartwatch offering easy repairability … · Launch news
- TechRadar: UNA Watch is the sustainable wearable that wants to … · Launch news
- TechRadar: UNA Watch celebrates $330000 in Kickstarter backing as … · News
- T3: UNA Watch takes on throwaway tech culture with ‘world’s … – T3 · Launch news
How we put this together
We read the reviews and articles listed above and weigh each by how much it should count: in-depth, hands-on testing with measurements counts most; launch news and press-release rewrites count least; sponsored content is penalised. Category scores are our trust-weighted summary of what those sources found, set to the same 10-point scale reviewers use; the reviewers’ own scores, where published, are listed above. This page was compiled with AI assistance and checked against the source notes. All findings belong to the outlets credited above; follow the links to read their full reviews. How we score.
Header image: AI illustration by SimplyAmplifying, drawn with reference photos of the product as a guide (not a copy of any one photo); scores drawn from this page’s data.
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