Mike Barker: Yarrashop GT08 Review

Mike Barker: Yarrashop GT08

The GT08 is a square faced smartwatch modelled after the Apple Watch, only bigger and lacking the sensors…or the usability.
Combined with a stiff band, it's difficult to fit the watch comfortably on the wrist. Securing the watch tightly enough was also an issue so I found I had to wear it loose. The clasp is similar to the double-pin closure found on Fitbit bands, which holds well enough. However it popped open and the watch fell off once.
You can apparently insert a SIM card into the Yarra for text messaging and calls, though even after prying the back off and taking out the battery, the SIM tray wouldn't lift out.
The Yarra behaves more like a phone than a smartwatch. Many of the basic settings for the watch are hidden under 'Phone settings', and when launching the radio app you're prompted to plug in the headphones, yet there's no headphone jack. Pairing over Bluetooth was never successful, so I was unable to test any notification features.
The reminder app allows you to set the prompt interval, however it failed to nudge me to stand at any point. As for the activity tracker, the app consists of a timer and pedometer counter when keeping time. Measured against the Apple Watch pedometer, the result was about 10% fewer steps.
The Yarra comes with a front-facing camera, pretty much only good for taking small and awkward selfies (although that could describe all selfies).