Design and Build: A Familiar Foundation with Purposeful Upgrades
The boAt Wave Call Pro arrives with a design language that will be immediately recognizable to users of its predecessors, yet it feels more refined. It features a sturdy, yet lightweight, polycarbonate build that makes it comfortable for all-day wear and sleep tracking. The square 1.69-inch HD display is a significant asset, offering vibrant colors and excellent brightness levels that remain legible even under direct sunlight. With over 550 nits of brightness, checking notifications or the time requires only a quick glance without straining. The 2.5D curved glass adds a premium touch and helps with smooth swiping gestures. The single physical button on the right side provides a satisfying tactile response, serving as a power/functions key, while all other navigation is handled via a responsive touchscreen. The interchangeable silicone straps are skin-friendly and secure, with a standard quick-release mechanism for easy customization. The IP67 rating provides a solid defense against sweat and splashes, making it a reliable companion for workouts and daily chores.
Core Calling Capabilities: The Centerpiece of the Experience
The defining feature of the Wave Call Pro is its ability to make and receive calls directly from the wrist, independent of a smartphone. This is powered by an embedded 2G cellular module and a built-in speaker and microphone.
- Call Setup and Connectivity: Setting up calling is straightforward. The watch requires a dedicated, standard-sized Nano-SIM card, which slots into a tray on the left side of the watch chassis. Once activated with a plan from your cellular provider, the watch connects directly to the 2G network. The dialer interface is intuitive, featuring a numeric keypad, a call log, and a dedicated contacts list that can be synced from your phone via the boAt Crest app. Placing a call is as simple as tapping a contact or dialing a number.
- In-Call Audio Performance (Outgoing): The quality of the outgoing audio—what the person on the other end hears—was tested rigorously. In a quiet indoor environment, the microphone captures the voice with remarkable clarity. There is a slight, characteristic digital compression, but sentences are transmitted clearly and without any significant lag. The true test came in noisier scenarios. On a moderately busy street, the watch does a decent job of prioritizing the voice, though some ambient noise is inevitably picked up. It doesn’t feature advanced multi-mic noise cancellation, so it’s best to bring the watch closer to your mouth in loud environments for optimal clarity.
- In-Call Audio Performance (Incoming): The built-in speaker is the other critical component. For private conversations in a quiet room or a car, the volume and clarity are more than sufficient. The speaker can get surprisingly loud, enough to overcome mild ambient sounds. However, in genuinely loud environments like a crowded market or near heavy traffic, hearing the caller can become challenging. The speaker quality, while clear for its size, lacks the bass and full range of a smartphone earpiece, but it is perfectly serviceable for short to medium-length conversations. Using the included Bluetooth calling feature with a paired headset provides a far superior audio experience for both parties when privacy and clarity are paramount.
Bluetooth Calling: The Best of Both Worlds
When connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, the Wave Call Pro transforms into a powerful wrist-based remote for your phone. This mode leverages your phone’s superior LTE/5G connection and the watch’s ability to route audio to a Bluetooth headset or use its own speaker/mic. The call quality in this mode is exceptional, as it bypasses the 2G compression. Notifications for incoming calls are prompt, and accepting a call is seamless. This functionality is incredibly convenient for quickly taking calls when your phone is in a bag or another room, effectively making the watch a versatile call-handling hub.
Health and Fitness Tracking: A Comprehensive Suite
Beyond calling, the Wave Call Pro is equipped with a robust set of health monitoring sensors. It features continuous heart rate monitoring and SpO2 (blood oxygen) tracking on demand. The data is presented clearly within the boAt Crest app, allowing users to track trends over time. The watch automatically detects and tracks various sports modes, including walking, running, and cycling, providing post-workout data on heart rate zones, duration, and estimated calories burned. For sleep tracking, it monitors total sleep time and breaks it down into light, deep, and REM sleep stages, offering insights into sleep quality. While these metrics are excellent for general wellness and fitness enthusiasts, they should not be considered medical-grade devices.
Smart Features and Daily Utility
The smartwatch experience is rounded out by a host of useful features. Notifications for messages from WhatsApp, SMS, and other social media apps are delivered promptly and are readable on the large display. Users can quickly dismiss them or use pre-set quick replies for SMS. Other notable features include a music and camera control function for your paired smartphone, a weather forecast widget, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer, and a find-my-phone feature. The watch face library is extensive, offering numerous digital and analog styles to suit any preference, with many allowing for a degree of customization for the information shown.
Battery Life and Real-World Usage
Battery performance is a critical factor for a device with standalone calling. The boAt Wave Call Pro is equipped with a 400mAh battery. Under typical usage—which includes receiving notifications, checking health metrics, and about 30-60 minutes of calls per day via Bluetooth or 2G—the watch comfortably lasts between 2 to 3 days on a single charge. Using the standalone 2G calling feature exclusively does drain the battery faster, potentially requiring a daily top-up for heavy users. The included magnetic charging dock connects securely and charges the device from 0 to 100% in approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
The 2G Consideration and Target Audience
A crucial aspect of the Wave Call Pro is its reliance on a 2G network. With many telecom providers worldwide phasing out their 2G networks to refarm spectrum for more advanced technologies like 4G and 5G, the long-term viability of this feature is geography-dependent. In regions like India, where 2G networks are still operational and widely available, it remains a viable and cost-effective solution. This makes the watch particularly appealing for specific user groups: the elderly who may need a simple, wearable communication device; children for whom parents want a contactable tracker without the complexity of a smartphone; and as a reliable backup communication device for outdoor activities in areas with 2G coverage. For the general user, the excellent Bluetooth calling functionality ensures the device remains highly relevant even as network technologies evolve.