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Kospet Tank S2: test / review

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Published on: 10-10-2024 / Modified: 11-10-2024
The S range from Kospet is often represented by a round dial protected by a layer of silicone. This range of watches is designed for outdoor activities, and might give the impression of being an entry-level watch, but you shouldn't stop at its simple aesthetics. The Kospet Tank S2 can easily be compared to brands such as Garmin, Amazfit, Huawei or Casio, so rich is its functionality. It also has a less masculine design than the X or M ranges, so will undoubtedly be more accessible to all.
Robustness is part of Kospet's DNA, and the different ranges (M,T,X or S) all have this in common: maximum functionality in a solidly protected watch sold at a lower price than the competition. This new Tank S2 takes up the main lines of the Kospet Tank S1 I tested in 2023, with a few major improvements to the screen and the presence of a dedicated GPS chip.

So, on paper, this new Kospet has everything to please, let's see what my test reveals.

The Kospet Tank S2 is available on the official Kospet.com website:

Kospet Tank S2 / Kospet.com

Or on Amazon:

Kospet Tank S2 / Amazon

Manufacturer web site:
https://s.zbanx.com/r/yrZhjSFYY1Br

Price Kospet Tank S2

The list below shows the prices for the Kospet Tank S2 from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops.

Timeline

September 23, 2024: the watch has arrived (along with the Kospet Tank X2 Ultra), so testing of the two watches can begin. Testing a watch's functionalities is fairly quick, but certain elements such as autonomy or the reliability of heart rate measurements can take longer.

Waarom deze smartwatch?

I've been using connected watches for a few years now, mainly to record my daily movement/sport data. Kospet watches have two particularities that set them apart from the others: firstly, their robustness, which takes away the stress of damaging your watch, and secondly, their battery life. I've yet to find a brand offering such long battery life, and I can sometimes use a Kospet watch for several weeks before needing to recharge it

I tested the Kospet Tank S1 in 2023, and my conclusion was quite positive. In particular, I had obtained good results with heart rate measurements, something that had never been a strength of Kospet. The heart rate sensor is the same as in other models, but the S1 had obtained better results.

The Kospet Tank S2 takes up the basics of the previous model, but is equipped with a better screen and a dedicated GPS chip. This new combination will undoubtedly have an influence on the price, but will still remain below that of other brands such as Garmin or Amazfit.

Structure of my tests

I test products according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with maximum information. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of time. Unlike some sites where products are tested on a single day, I use the products I test for a minimum of a few weeks and sometimes even a few months. If the test is not complete at the time of your visit, I invite you to come back later or ask your question in the comment section below.

Unpacking

The box of the Kospet Tank S2 follows the format and aesthetics of other Kospet models. It contains the watch, a silicone strap, a circular charging station, a manual and a protective screen. The charging station is compatible with most other Kospet watches

First configuration

The watch is configured via the Kospet Fit application: simply switch on the watch, launch the application and add a watch. Detection is quick, I didn't encounter any problems and you can update the watch before you start using it. If you have several Kospet watches like me, you can manage them all from the same phone, but with only one watch active at a time.

Finish

The Kospet Tank S2 has a fairly neutral design with a round dial, so this model will be more accessible to a wider audience than some of the squarer, more masculine models. The round dial is protected by a layer of silicone that extends over both sides of the screen to protect it. The box also contains an additional protective screen, but I find that the watch is already very well protected without it.

The watch is equipped with four buttons which, depending on the context, may have different functions. The button at the top right turns on the watch, and once the screen is on, it provides access to all the watch's functions. The other buttons can also turn on the screen, but once the screen is on, they will have a different function. The left-hand buttons, for example, will scroll the screen vertically if you don't want to use the touch function. This is particularly useful when you're underwater, as the sensitivity of the touchscreen is not the same



On the back are the usual sensors for heart rate or blood pressure. These will flash green when in contact with the wrist and emit a red light when they fail to take their measurements. The heartbeat sensor is the same as in many other Kospet watches, but you'll see later in this test that measurement reliability is better on this watch



The strap is made of soft silicone, so it will fit your wrist perfectly. The strap can also be changed if, for example, you want to use one with a different color or texture. The fastener, on the other hand, is made of plastic and may look fragile, but I've never broken one in all my years of using connected watches.

Connectivity

The watch connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone to synchronize data, but it can also partially control your phone to make/receive calls or manage your music player (e.g. Spotify).

Battery range

The Kospet Tank S2 is equipped with a 350mAh battery, which should result in an autonomy of at least one week for intense use, and several weeks for normal use. The battery capacity is comparable to that of other Garmin or Amazfit watches, but if you disable the automatic switch-on, Kospet watches can last several weeks between recharges.

I need more time to assess battery autonomy, so I'll amend this paragraph after recharging the watch several times.

Screen quality

The screen of the Kospet Tank S2 is a 1.32-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 466x466 pixels. So the screen isn't very big, but it has a very high resolution, which results in a fairly high pixel density. Pixels are no longer as visible as on the previous model. Legibility and contrast are absolutely impeccable. Screen sensitivity and responsiveness are equally good. This new screen is one of the key elements that will distinguish this watch from its predecessor.

The buttons on the left-hand side of the dial will allow you to navigate through the menus without using the screen. These buttons will be particularly useful underwater, as the screen is less responsive in these conditions

Features

Kospet has always been generous with features for its watches, and this is once again the case with this new model

Main features (hardware):

15 U.S. MIL-STD-810H certifications (ruggedness, resistance to water, dust,...)

Waterproof to 5ATM / IP69K

Dual-band GPS and positioning with 6 satellites

Possibility of importing a route and using the watch for guidance

Compass, barometer, altimeter

170+ sports modes and automatic recognition

If I dwell now on the watch's built-in functionalities, here's a non-exhaustive list :

* sleep tracking

* step count tracking

* blood oxygen level measurement

* blood pressure measurement

* stress level measurement

* emotional level measurement

* menstrual cycle tracking

* breathing exercises

* heart rate tracking

* heart rate modes

* heart rate monitoring

. heart rate monitoring

* 170 sports modes

* message reception but no reply function

* smartphone music player control

* weather forecast

* alarm clock

* stopwatch

* timer

So, the Kospet Tank S2 is pretty complete in this price range, you probably won't find anything better

Robustness

Kospet promotes the robustness of its watches as a selling point, but are these watches really robust? Yes, you can throw the watch 2 meters onto hard ground, it won't break. I did another experiment to demonstrate the robustness of the watch. First, I immersed the watch in a glass of water, which isn't extraordinary, but I had taken care to leave the screen on. The water had no effect on the watch. To increase the level of difficulty, I put the glass of water with the watch in my fridge at -17°C and then forgot I'd put it in the fridge...3 days later, I remembered and removed the watch. It was completely frozen in the ice, the screen was off, so I thought it hadn't stood the cold...but it had! I let the ice melt, then picked up the watch, wiped it dry and placed it on its charging station...it restarted straight away, the battery was empty because I'd left the screen on all the time and the battery wasn't fully charged

The photo shows the watch freezing with the screen on

Measurements

Heart rate measurement

Treadmill running:

I tested the Kospet X2 Ultra with the Kospet Tank S2 (other wrist) and got some pretty interesting results

Measurement with Polar belt (high reliability)

Bpm max: 163

Bpm average: 135

Calories: 308

Steps: 2515

Distance: 2.44km

The number of steps estimated by my Kinsgsmith Walkingpad X21 treadmill is a bit overestimated, I think the exact figure is probably closer to 2200 steps

Measured with Kospet X2 Ultra

Bpm max: 159

Bpm average: 122

Calories: 224

Number of steps: 2043

Distance: 1.9km

The highest heart rate measurement is fairly close to the value measured by the Polar belt, but the average is too far off. I think the frequency of measurements plays a role in the calculation here. The number of steps is a little underestimated, but as I had to use my left arm to steady myself at certain points, the watch probably thought I wasn't walking. Other step count tests I've done tend to result in a slightly higher step count, but it also depends on the type of walking and the ground surface

Measured with Kospet S2

Bpm max: 164

Bpm average: 137

Calories: 272

Number of steps: 2471

Distance: 2.23km

The Kospet Tank S2 is much closer to the measurement taken by the Polar belt, and the number of steps also seems more correct, as I didn't put my right arm down during the exercise

I had achieved the same type of result with the Kospet Tank S1, where despite using the same sensor, the Tank S2 obtains more reliable measurements than the other models. It may have something to do with the type of wristband, but I can't say for sure

Blood oxygen

I don't have a medical device to be able to compare the results with those of this watch, but the results seem reliable to me, with values between 98 and 100% most of the time

Sleep measurement

The sleep measurement seems quite reliable because, even if the watch tends to consider a lack of activity in the evening as sleep, it is possible to adjust it so that it follows your daily rhythm a little better. For example, you can set the watch to start tracking sleep at a specific time. This will prevent you from having periods of sleep when you're not very active in the evening

Number of steps

The measurement of the number of steps is fairly close to reality, I get a deviation of about 10% (more or less) depending on the type of walk, the cadence and the nature of the ground.

GPS accuracy

I compared the GPS accuracy of this watch with that of the Kospet Tank X2 Ultra. In principle, I should have obtained similar results because these two watches use the same hardware, but in reality I obtained quite different results. The X2 Ultra quickly found the GPS network but lacked precision on the route I took. The Tank S2 took longer to find the GPS signal, but once it did, it maintained a good signal all the way round, with very little deviation

App

The Kospet Fit application offers the usual features you'd expect from this type of application. The home screen is customizable, allowing you to add summaries of key activities such as heart rate, number of steps, blood pressure, etc

The second screen allows you to start a sports session from the smartphone, offering map-based tracking, a feature not available directly via the watch. When a session is started from the phone, the watch is limited to displaying information about your heart rate in real time

The third screen allows you to configure the watch, including changing the main dial, enabling or disabling notifications, and adjusting the heart rate measurement frequency. However, it is not possible to synchronize several watches at once. This probably won't be a problem for most users, but having several Kospet watches, I have to disconnect one before connecting another each time

The "Profile" section is probably the least useful, being limited to setting your age, height and weight. You'll also find links to customer service and the forum

The application works well overall, and compared with last year I can see a number of improvements. The sports session history was not exactly easy to find, but is now available fairly quickly on the dedicated sports screen

Compatibility

The Kospet Tank S2 is compatible with all Android and iOS phones compatible with the Kospet Fit app.

Operating system

The Kospet Tank S2 uses a proprietary Kospet operating system. This means you can't install any applications, but I don't think that's really necessary for this type of watch, as the on-board functions are so numerous.

The home screen can be customized either directly by the watch or by using the Kospet Fit application, where you'll find numerous screen types to download. From the home screen, the screen at the top displays shortcuts (luminosity, Bluetooth, etc.) and gives access to the watch's settings. The screen on the right lists all the functions available on the watch, and the bottom screen groups together all the measurements already captured and offers the option of triggering a new measurement. Notifications are available on the left-hand screen.

There are no real surprises with this model, which is based on the basics of Kospet's previous models.

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

Compare Kospet Tank S2 with the others

Test / Review conclusion

The Kospet Tank S2 is a fairly anonymous connected watch, and by anonymous I mean that from the outside, it doesn't really stand out from the huge number of Chinese watches available on the market. But there's no need to stop there, because it has a number of assets that could well convince you to buy it rather than a better-known brand like Amazfit or Garmin.
Kospet's DNA is robustness, and it's pretty clear that this watch is protected on all sides. It's designed to withstand a whole range of shocks, so it's the kind of watch you can wear on your wrist with complete confidence, and above all without the fear of hitting something and scratching the screen. I placed it under water, and it continued to work without a hitch. Then I froze it in water at -18°C and thawed it out, and it continued to work without a hitch. You can throw it several meters into the air and drop it, and it will continue to work too. Maybe I should make a little video of what it's been through, it might be fun

Sturdiness is good, but it's not everything. Sometimes I get the impression that Kospet is having a contest to find the most features in their watches, as if they wanted to show who had the biggest. When I test one of their new models, I can take the list of features from the previous model and add new ones. The two biggest evolutions are the presence of a dedicated GPS chip and a top-quality Amoled screen.

The Amoled screen is of very high quality, with excellent readability and impeccable contrast.

The GPS chip captures information about your position and speed and adds it to the sports information. In theory, it should be able to provide guidance, but I couldn't find where I could activate this feature, which could happen with a future update. The GPS is efficient and accurate enough to compare your performance on identical courses

Heart rate measurements have often been a weakness with Kospet, but I noticed a marked improvement with the previous model, and this is once again the case with this model. The watch doesn't offer the same level of precision as a Polar belt, but the measurements come close, making it without doubt one of the best Kospet watches for heart rate measurement. I tested the watch for walking, cycling and running, and the results were good every time. I think some sports will be less reliable, depending on how the watch perceives your movements

So here's another well-rounded watch from Kospet, its more neutral design will make it more accessible, and the clumsier among you won't have to worry about it getting knocked around.

Strengths

Robustness

Autonomy

Display

Heart rate reliability

GPS accuracy

Ability to make/receive calls

Numerous features

Weaknesses

Plastic/silicone finish

Basic notification management

Access to sports history

No ability to reply to messages

Time to find GPS signal (could be improved with an update)

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