The iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch presents itself as an affordable gateway to the world of wearable tech, promising a comprehensive suite of features including fitness tracking, multiple workout modes, heart rate monitoring, and smartphone notifications. The allure of a budget-friendly alternative to premium smartwatches is undeniable. However, a closer look at user experiences, including my own, reveals a stark contrast between the advertised capabilities and the actual performance of this device. My initial optimism quickly gave way to frustration as a cascade of issues emerged, ultimately painting a picture of a smartwatch that fails to deliver on its promises.
Initial Impressions And A Glimmer Of Hope:
Unboxing the iTOUCH Air 4, I was initially impressed by its sleek design. The interface appeared intuitive, and the setup process was relatively seamless. The promise of comprehensive fitness tracking, coupled with the convenience of smartphone notifications, held considerable appeal. Unfortunately, this initial positive impression proved to be short-lived.
A Feature Breakdown And The Seeds Of Doubt:
The iTOUCH Air 4 boasts an array of features that, on paper, make it a compelling option:
- Health and Fitness Tracking: Step counting, calorie tracking, heart rate monitoring, and blood oxygen level measurement.
- Workout Mode: Support for logging a wide variety of exercise routines, with over 100 workout types to choose from.
- Additional Features: Smartphone notifications, sedentary reminders, hydration alerts, weather updates, music control, and a relaxation mode.
- Compatibility: Seamless integration with both Android and iOS devices via the iTouch Wearables app.
- Battery Life: A claimed battery life of up to seven days on a single charge.
While this feature list appears impressive, the actual performance of these features is where the iTOUCH Air 4 falls dramatically short.
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The Unraveling: A Catalogue Of Issues:
- Syncing Problems: The Data Disconnect:
One of the earliest and most persistent issues I encountered was the watch’s erratic syncing with the iTouch Wearables app. While initial syncing seemed to work without a hitch, it quickly became unreliable. My sleep data, a key metric for my fitness tracking, simply stopped transferring to the app.
Despite numerous attempts at troubleshooting – resetting the watch, reinstalling the app, and unpairing/re-pairing the device – the problem persisted. This syncing issue wasn’t isolated to my experience; numerous users have reported similar problems with step tracking, workout logs, and other data failing to sync correctly. A fitness tracker is only as good as its ability to track and display data, and in this regard, the iTOUCH Air 4 consistently fails.
- Unreliable Step Tracking: A Foundation of Flaws:
Accurate step tracking is a fundamental requirement for any fitness watch. The iTOUCH Air 4’s performance in this area was woefully inadequate. On days when I was particularly active, the watch would significantly undercount my steps. Conversely, it would sometimes register steps even when I was completely stationary. Comparing its readings to other fitness trackers revealed significant discrepancies, rendering the step count data untrustworthy and useless for tracking progress towards fitness goals.
- Sleep Tracking Failures: The Mystery of Missing Sleep Data:
The sleep tracking feature, a major selling point for me, was plagued by inconsistency. On some nights, it would accurately log my sleep patterns, while on others, it would record absolutely nothing. This complete lack of data, even after repeated troubleshooting attempts, made the sleep tracking feature completely unreliable. This experience is echoed by many other users, highlighting a systemic issue with this particular functionality.
Hardware Problems: The Physical Breakdown:
- Touchscreen and Navigation Issues: A Loss of Control:
After only a month of use, the touchscreen began to exhibit signs of malfunction. Initially, it would occasionally require multiple taps to register a command. This issue progressively worsened until the touchscreen became completely unresponsive.
The side navigation button also ceased to function, leaving me with no way to interact with the watch’s interface. The only remaining way to view the screen was through the “raise to wake” feature, which itself became increasingly unreliable, often requiring multiple attempts to activate. This combination of touchscreen and button failures effectively rendered the watch unusable.
- Battery Performance: Far From the Promised Land:
The advertised seven-day battery life was a far cry from my experience. The watch frequently struggled to last even 24 hours on a single charge. I also encountered charging problems, with the watch at one point refusing to charge at all. Despite trying different power outlets, USB ports, and even leaving it plugged in overnight, the watch remained unresponsive. This battery failure, along with the numerous reports of similar issues from other users, points to a significant flaw in the device’s power management system.
- Customer Service and Warranty Issues: The Final Straw:
My attempts to seek support from iTouch’s customer service were met with disappointment. My initial inquiries about the syncing problems were met with generic, pre-packaged troubleshooting steps that I had already tried. After months of waiting for a proper resolution, the hardware problems emerged, making the situation even worse.
When I contacted customer support again, hoping for a replacement, I was informed that I would have to cover the shipping costs for both sending the defective unit and receiving the replacement – a total of $20. This additional cost, nearly half the price of the watch itself, felt unreasonable for a product that had failed so quickly. This experience is consistent with the feedback from other users, who have reported similar issues with iTouch’s customer service and warranty policies.
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Comparison With Alternatives
CCompared to other budget-friendly smartwatches, the iTOUCH Air 4 falls short in several key areas.
- Amazfit Bip U Pro
Offers reliable step and sleep tracking.
Has built-in GPS for better workout tracking.
Battery life lasts up to nine days.
- Fitbit Inspire 3
Tracks sleep, heart rate, and activity with high accuracy.
Syncs flawlessly with the Fitbit app.
Offers better customer support and warranty coverage.
- Xiaomi Mi Band 7
More affordable than the iTOUCH Air 4.
Highly accurate step and heart rate tracking.
Long battery life of up to two weeks.
When compared to these options, the iTOUCH Air 4 does not hold up well. Other brands provide better performance, reliability, and customer support, making them superior choiceses
Frequently Asked Questions
Prospective buyers often have a range of questions about the iTOUCH Air 4 before committing to a purchase. Here’s a more detailed look at some frequently asked questions, providing honest answers based on user experiences and my own testing of the device:
Can you answer calls on the iTOUCH Air 4?
No, the iTOUCH Air 4 does not support call answering. While it can display notifications for incoming calls, alerting you to who is calling, you cannot use the watch itself to talk or respond to calls directly. This is a significant limitation for some users who desire the convenience of hands-free calling from their wrist. If call functionality is a must-have feature for you, you’ll need to consider other options.
Smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch series, the Apple Watch, or certain models from Amazfit (like the GTR series) offer integrated calling capabilities, often via Bluetooth connection to your smartphone. Keep in mind that these watches typically come with a higher price tag. The iTOUCH Air 4, in its budget-friendly category, omits this feature.
What does the iTOUCH Air 4 actually do (and how well does it do it)?
The iTOUCH Air 4 is marketed as a hybrid device, attempting to bridge the gap between basic fitness trackers and more advanced smartwatches. It intends to offer the following functionalities:
- Step counting: Tracks the number of steps you take throughout the day.
- Heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring: Measures your heart rate and estimates your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels.
- Sleep tracking: Monitors your sleep patterns, attempting to analyze sleep duration and quality.
- Workout tracking with over 100 sport modes: Allows you to log various exercise activities, with a claimed selection of over 100 different sport modes.
- Smartphone notifications: Displays notifications from your smartphone (calls, texts, app alerts) on the watch screen.
- Weather updates: Provides current weather information.
- Music and camera control: Allows you to control music playback on your phone and trigger your phone’s camera remotely.
However, the reality of these features often falls short of the advertised promises. The biggest problem is inconsistency. While some features might work reasonably well occasionally, they are often unreliable. Specifically:
- Inaccurate Tracking: Sleep tracking, step counting, and heart rate monitoring are frequently inaccurate, making the data untrustworthy for serious fitness tracking.
- Syncing Issues: The watch often struggles to sync with the iTouch Wearables app, leading to lost data and frustration. This is a critical flaw, as it undermines the entire purpose of having a fitness tracker.
- Limited Functionality: Even when features do work, they are often basic and lack the depth and detail offered by more established fitness tracking brands.
In short, while the iTOUCH Air 4 aims to provide a range of features, its actual performance is plagued by inconsistency and unreliability, making it difficult to rely on for accurate fitness tracking or as a truly functional smartwatch.
Can I use an iTOUCH watch without a phone?
The iTOUCH Air 4 has limited standalone functionality. While it can technically function independently for very basic features like displaying the time, counting steps (though inaccurately), and monitoring heart rate, a smartphone is required for the full smartwatch experience. The iTouch Wearables app is essential for:
- Syncing fitness data: Transferring the data collected by the watch to your phone for viewing and analysis.
- Setting reminders and alarms: Configuring reminders and alarms on the watch.
- Customizing settings: Adjusting watch faces, notification settings, and other preferences.
Critically, if the app fails to sync (which is a common and well-documented problem), you lose access to most of the watch’s useful features. Without syncing, the watch becomes little more than a basic digital watch with unreliable tracking capabilities. Therefore, while it can technically function somewhat independently, the iTOUCH Air 4 is heavily reliant on a smartphone and the iTouch Wearables app for its core functionality.
Is the iTOUCH an Apple product?
No, iTOUCH is not affiliated with Apple in any way. The similar-sounding name might create confusion, especially with the echoes of Apple’s iPod Touch and Apple Watch. However, iTOUCH is an entirely separate brand. The iTOUCH Air 4 is a budget-friendly smartwatch produced by iTouch Wearables, a company that focuses on creating lower-cost alternatives to premium smartwatches.
It’s important to understand that the performance, reliability, and overall user experience of iTOUCH products are not comparable to those offered by Apple. While the iTOUCH Air 4 might mimic some of the features of an Apple Watch, it does not come close to matching the quality, performance, or ecosystem of Apple’s wearable technology. In essence, iTOUCH is a budget brand operating in the smartwatch market, and its products should be evaluated within that context.
Final Thoughts: A Recommendation to Look Elsewhere:
The iTOUCH Air 4 Smartwatch, despite its attractive price point and seemingly comprehensive feature set, ultimately fails to deliver a satisfactory user experience. The numerous issues I encountered, from syncing problems and inaccurate tracking to hardware failures and poor customer service, paint a picture of a product that is simply not worth the investment. If you’re looking for a reliable fitness tracker or smartwatch, I strongly recommend exploring other brands and models. There are far better options available that offer superior performance, dependability, and customer support. The iTOUCH Air 4 is a disappointment, and I advise potential buyers to steer clear.