TechRadar writer praises £55 Casio F-B100W as his favorite wearable of 2026

TechRadar noted that 2026 has seen a wave of premium smartwatch releases, including the Garmin Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro, and an expected Apple Watch Series 12 and rumored Apple Watch Ultra 4. But Matt wrote that he had the most fun with a watch costing just £55, roughly $75 or AU$100.

The Casio F-B100W is a digital quartz watch that connects to a phone through Casio's Mobile Link Bluetooth function. It resembles the classic F-91W model but is slightly larger, measuring 41.9 × 38.1 × 8.8 mm, and has a fourth button on the side. The watch weighs 26 grams and has a two-year battery life.

Its smart features include a step counter that syncs to the Casio Watches app, where users can view weekly and monthly step graphs, and a Find My Phone function activated by holding the bottom-right button. The watch also offers a timer, stopwatch, alarm, LED backlight and dual-time zone display, but no other fitness tracking functions.

Matt described taking the watch on a five-mile hike and enjoying watching his step count tick upward. He praised its light feel and said the Find My Phone feature was nearly essential for someone who often misplaces things. He also appreciated that the step counter was the only fitness tracking tool, apart from timer and stopwatch functions useful for interval training.

The article framed the F-B100W as a deliberately simple alternative to subscription-based, data-heavy wearable tech, calling it a fun digital pedometer rather than a serious fitness investment. It noted that the watch's time can be set via a phone, and that its quartz movement is reliable.

TechRadar reported that the F-B100W is currently sold out on Casio's UK website and is not yet available in the US. Matt recommended that interested buyers watch for restocks, describing the watch as a stripped-back digital pedometer that people did not know they needed.