DT8 Ultra Review: Does it clone Apple Watch Ultra?

November 16, 2022, 09:03 AM
by Shahriar Rabab

UNB News
Publish- November 16, 2022, 09:03 AM
Shahriar Rabab
Update- November 16, 2022, 09:26 AM

DT8 Ultra

The budget smartwatch market happens to be quite saturated. The term smartwatch should be reserved for proper OS-based smartwatches like WearOS and Apple watches. But these days, fitness-based smartwatches with added perks are becoming the standard in the budget segment. DT No.1 seems to be a pioneer in this regard. Their latest offering is the DT8 Ultra. Is it a worthy clone of the Apple Watch Ultra? Let's take a look at the key features of DT8 Ultra.

An Apple Watch Ultra Homage at a Fraction of the Cost

We’ve already mentioned that DT smartwatches aren’t famous for what they bring to consumers. Rather, how affordably they bring devices that are a somewhat direct reflection of high-end smartwatches.

This blatant “inspiration” for DT smartwatches comes from top-end models of Samsung, Huawei, Fitbit, and in this specific case, Apple. While the high-end smartwatch market has its own niche of customers, it's out of reach for most average users. DT has captured that mass market by bringing a similar look and feel to high-end products at a fraction of their cost.

For the sake of reference, we will be bringing in the Apple watch ultra in this review, as the DT8 Ultra shares almost all of its outer looks with the OEM model. But bear in mind that the comparison is in no way justified as the watch ultra costs about 800 dollars, whereas the DT8 comes in at under 30 dollars.

Key Specifications of DT8

Design and Build Quality

Now moving on to the actual design, there’s not much to discuss. It’s an exact copy of this year’s Apple watch ultra. DT has even covered the diameter to the T at 49 mm. The same bright orange button is mounted on the side, with the speaker grill positioned right on top.

On the right side, the crown is positioned between the protective bevels. However, the crown looks much more grooved on the DT8 ultra than on the watch ultra.

The build quality is also where the gross difference becomes apparent. While the Apple watch ultra is made from industry-leading grade five titanium, the DT8 ultra uses a much cheaper zinc alloy material.

The strap here is the standard silicone one designed to replicate the ocean band loop of the OEM. You will be hard-pressed to notice the difference unless you actually hold the watch in your hand. It also comes with IP68 water resistance. However, it's in no way a dive computer like the watch ultra. In fact, DT even discourages users from going swimming with it.

Overall, there really is no room for complaints with the look and feel of the watch ultra clone considering its price. For anyone who simply wants the design aesthetics of the watch ultra rather than the internals, the DT8 ultra shouldn’t be a tough choice.

Display

The display is where you start noticing the obvious difference with the watch ultra. Unlike the 1000 nits bright AMOLED panel with vibrant color and vivid sharpness, you’re only going to get a 2-inch IPS LCD panel with a 420P resolution.

But if you consider the price bracket it comes at, this display is no less than excellent. It has deep color contrast, and users will be hard-pressed to make out the individual pixels. On top of that, the touch sensitivity is also surprisingly good. It might not have the top-of-the-line HBM, but the display gets bright enough in auto mode for proper outdoor legibility.

All in all, the device won’t disappoint any average user. However, the bezels on the side of the display are significantly larger than those on the watch ultra, so bear in mind the differences.

Processor and Performance

The DT8 Ultra comes equipped with a Realtek 8762Dk chip. While no benchmark scores are available to quantify the performance, DT claims that users will get a significant processing and response boost with the ultra. There’s also 128 MB of onboard storage for miscellaneous use.

The heart rate sensor used on the ultra is Zhanheng BD1773. This sensor combines several features, including the heart rate and G sensor, for an industry-accurate performance.

Fitness Features and Connectivity

While the Apple Watch Ultra has neared the ability to replace a traditional smartphone, the DT8 ultra takes a more grounded approach. It's more like a souped-up fitness tracker with many cool features.

In addition to using the hotkey as a shortcut for workouts and other features, users can access over 500 watch faces specially customized to replicate the watch ultra.

Users can monitor their blood oxygen level, sedentary reminders, weather, workout tracking, and even Alipay in supported regions thanks to the enabled NFC. There’s no dedicated LTE support on the DT8 ultra, so users must rely on Bluetooth 5.0 for call connectivity. You will also have access to an AI voice assistant that is currently region locked.

Battery and Charge Time

The DT8 ultra features a 280 mAh battery on board. With the display resolution and processing power, a full charge should easily last up to 5 days. But the battery life will be significantly reduced if you’re heavy on using GPS and sleep tracking.

Our test took almost 2 hours for the watch to fully charge.

Price of DT8 Ultra Smartwatch

The official price of the DT8 Ultra has been listed at 29.99 USD at different Chinese marketplaces with global shipping options. Unfortunately, the watch isn’t directly available from DT No.1. The price amounts to 3069 BDT at the current exchange rate. (1 USD = 102.34 BDT)

Final Thoughts

The DT8 ultra Smartwatch far exceeds the expectation of being a worthy clone of the Apple Watch Ultra. It's incredible how much DT has been able to fit in at such a tight price point for this device. It's not about just adding features for the sake of adding. Each of them adds proper value to the users with accurate measurements and counts.