Details
Brand
Magellan
Model
Echo
Battery Life
6-11 months
Use
Tracking
Latest Version
Yes
Key Features
• Designed to be worn outside or in the rain, all day and during workouts• Replaceable coin cell battery does not need recharging• Pace and distance data stream from smartphone in real time• Compatible with Android 4.4 and later and iOS 4S and later• Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting to smartphone or chest strap heart rate monitor• Tap screen for navigating or closing notifications• High resolution 1” display can be seen in bright light or back light turned on for visibility in the dark• Customizable apps and watch faces (digital or analog clock) with inversable screen and character colors• Receives texts and notifications from smartphone• Controls timers, laps and music on smartphone
Comfort
Reviewers stated that this watch feels very lightweight and comfortable to wear. It weighs just 1.55 ounces, or 44 grams, so you do not really notice it when walking around or working out. The main part of the watch is made of plastic, the adjustable strap is made of rubberized plastic, and the strap buckle is metal, which are all smooth and do not irritate the skin. Because there is no built-in heart rate monitor, wearers can adjust the fit to be as tight or loose as they prefer.
Size
s Available;The Echo is one size fits all. The watch looks good on different wrist sizes and the band has lots of holes so it can adjust to the right fit for the wearer.
Accessories
The accessory for this watch is the Bluetooth Smart Magellan Heart Rate Monitor. Other heart rate monitors can be used as well, but this one has the option to be purchased as part of a bundle with the watch. It has a soft and adjustable fabric strap that is worn around the chest and easy to fasten. It is sold separately and price varies depending on the retailer.
Style
The Echo has a rugged but sporty look. It comes in five different colors: gray, black, blue, orange and pink. The colors are fairly bright. It has a round face with a white plastic bezel with a band-colored circle in the middle (gray, blue, orange, pink), or black plastic bezel with a gray circle in the middle (black). The watch measures 1.9 inches (4.9 cm) vertically, 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) horizontally, and is 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) thick. The strap has several holes for adjustability and a metal buckle to select and hold the size. Some people did not like how the strap buckle looks, but many people liked that they could choose the band to be their favorite color or the color that matches their workout clothes.
Activities
As a low-power sports watch, the Echo is designed to be worn 24/7 for almost any activity except for swimming. It can be worn for walking, hiking, running, golfing, cycling, working out at the gym, and more. Just launch your favorite activity app, connect to the Echo, and start working out.
Basic Features
As a low-power sports watch, the Echo is designed to be worn 24/7 for almost any activity except for swimming. It can be worn for walking, hiking, running, golfing, cycling, working out at the gym, and more. Just launch your favorite activity app, connect to the Echo, and start working out.
Advanced Features
The Magellan Echo’s advanced features help runners with their goal tracking. It can track heart rate with a Bluetooth-connected heart rate monitor (a chest strap heart rate monitor can either be purchased in a bundle with the watch or separately) and cadence. It is splash and dust resistant, so it can withstand sweat during a workout or be worn while taking a shower, but it needs to be removed prior to swimming. When using MapMyRun on a connected smartphone, runners can keep track of their runs, find and create routes, or participate in challenges. The Echo can also start and stop apps, mark laps, and control music on a connected smartphone.
Connectivity
The Magellan Echo uses the low power Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth Smart) to connect to other devices. In order to work properly, it needs to connect to an Android 4.4 or higher device, or an iOS 4S or later device. It can also connect to an external heart rate monitor. Some testers had problems syncing with their iOS devices. Support for Android came later, so some testers had trouble getting apps to run when synced to their Android devices.
Ease of Use
This watch is somewhat easy to use, although several people had problems with things like apps and connecting with Bluetooth because there were few instructions provided. The touch screen makes it easy to navigate between screens and close notifications, although some people reported the screens changing randomly whenever they went over a bump or the watch shaking (e.g. biking over rough ground). The screen is visible in the bright sun, which makes it easier to see, and a back light can be turned on at night. Some people thought that the label fonts were a bit small to read. There are four buttons on the side that users can change the functionality of, and users can control their smartphone’s timer, lap count, and music from the watch.
Power Source
The Echo is powered by a CR2032 3V coin cell battery. According to the manufacturer, the battery will last for six months under heavy usage and eleven months under light usage. The battery is not rechargeable but is cheap to replace. This makes it so that users do not have to worry about finding their cable or forgetting to charge it at night. Most testers did not have problems with battery life, but a few had a defective battery that did not work at all or lasted only a few days, or the watch would not turn on even after replacing the battery with a new one.
Accuracy
The Echo is as accurate as the devices that are connected to it. The timepiece (clock, duration) works just fine, but the distance is determined by the GPS on a connected smartphone. The heart rate monitoring is controlled by a connected heart rate monitor. The buttons work just fine for controlling the watch and smartphone. The tapping feature works well, although it is perhaps a little too sensitive, as going over bumps in the road registers as a tap and it will close the notification or scroll to the next screen.
Face
The face has a one-inch (2.54 cm) diameter with a plastic cover. The screen resolution is 128 pixels by 128 pixels. It is very clear and can be seen in bright light or have the back light turned on to be visible in the dark. The font and background colors can also be inverted. Users can choose between analog and digital clocks in watch mode. In application mode, there are faces for different apps. The numbers appear larger (readable for everyone), but the labels and units were in small font that some people had trouble seeing.
Band
The band is adjustable and matches the color of the watch (black) or the ring in the middle of the bezel (gray, blue, orange, pink). It is made of a rubberized plastic and has holes all the way around it so it can adjust to the wearer’s wrist size. The band has a metal clasp for durability so it can hold the size in place. It is comfortable and very light. However, it is not replaceable, unlike many other watches’ bands.
Apps
The Echo was designed to be used with a smartphone that has apps installed on it, instead of installing apps directly onto the Echo. Many apps are compatible with the Echo. MapMyRun tracks walking, hiking, biking, and fitness. Wahoo Fitness has different apps that track running, cycling, indoor bike training, and heart rate monitoring. Strava keeps track of run maps, analyzes speed and distance stats, keeps training logs, and allows runners to connect with their friends. Golf Pad is a GPS rangefinder and scoring app. AllTrails is for hiking and trail running. iSmoothRun is an indoor/outdoor GPS and pedometer that tracks cadence, heart rate, and much more. Echo has an open platform so that developers can create new apps that are compatible with their devices.
Sizes Available
The Echo is one size fits all. The watch looks good on different wrist sizes and the band has lots of holes so it can adjust to the right fit for the wearer.
Durability
The Magellan Echo has decent durability. It is made of plastic with a rubberized plastic band which can withstand heat, cold, and rain. The strap has a sturdy metal buckle so that the band will not come undone. The Echo is IP67 water resistant (up to one meter, up to 30 minutes), so it can be worn in the shower or withstand being rained on, as long as it is dried off quickly. One person did swim without any problems, but noted that they did not press any buttons while underwater, which will break the watch. The band is not replaceable, so users should be careful with it. The battery lasts between six and eleven months. The Echo can withstand temperatures between 14°F to 140°F, or -10°C to 60°C, temperatures outside this range can cause the watch to malfunction or stop working entirely.
Price
The Magellan Echo has a slightly below average price for a fitness watch. The price is low because the GPS is in the smartphone rather than the watch, and the heart rate monitor is sold separately or purchased as part of a bundle rather than being in the watch itself. Some people felt that this watch was a good deal for conveniently helping them track their goals, while others thought it was an expensive controller for their smartphone. The Echo is currently being sold for anywhere from 18% off to 80% off its original price, depending on the color and retailer. The most popular color, black, generally has the highest price, while orange is sold out at a lot of stores.
Bottom Line
The Magellan Echo is a nice sports watch that connects to and displays info from smartphone apps. It is very light and comfortable to wear and can be worn all day in just about any kind of weather. It has a sporty look, a nice display, and is easy to use once you learn how it works. Its long lasting battery never needs recharging and is inexpensive to replace when the time comes. It is great for runners who want to checking their current workout stats and set goals for the future. Ways to improve include a less sensitive tap screen and better connectivity to and compatibility with smartphones. It could use more built in features like a GPS or heart rate monitor so you do not have to carry your phone around, but not having those keeps the price low. Overall, it is a nice watch for someone who does not want to have to pull their phone out while they’re running and who normally uses the apps that work with the phone rather than wanting to use native watch apps.
