Boat Chrome Iris smartwatch review: Good looks, practical features

Rating — 3. 5/5

Boat continues to expand its smartwatch portfolio in India with the launch of the Boat Chrome Iris. The company announced the new smartwatch in February this year with a price tag of Rs 3,499. The smartwatch arrives with a slim 8mm metal design, an AMOLED display and features such as Bluetooth calling, health tracking and multiple sports modes. On paper, the Chrome Iris appears to target users looking for a stylish yet affordable smartwatch with everyday fitness features. But with several options already available in this price range, the real question is whether the Boat Chrome Iris manages to stand out with its design, display and feature set, or if it ends up feeling like just another budget smartwatch in a crowded market. Let’s find out

Boat Chrome Iris focuses heavily on design, and that becomes clear the moment we start using the smartwatch.

With an 8mm slim metal build, the smartwatch feels light and comfortable on the wrist, making it easy to wear throughout the day. During our usage, we found that the slim profile also helps the watch sit neatly under sleeves, which is something many bulky budget smartwatches struggle with. The build quality feels fairly solid for the price, and the metal frame adds a slightly premium touch despite the affordable Rs 3,499 price tag.

In day-to-day use, we found the smartwatch comfortable enough to wear for long hours, whether during work, casual outings or light workouts.

Coming to the display, the Boat Chrome Iris features a 1.32-inch AMOLED screen with a 466×466 pixel resolution. In regular usage, the display looks sharp and vibrant, making watch faces, notifications and health data easy to read. The colours appear punchy, which is typical of AMOLED panels, and the interface elements look crisp.

We tested the smartwatch outdoors to check how the display performs under sunlight. With up to 1000 nits of peak brightness, the screen remained readable when we checked notifications or time under direct sunlight. While reflections are still visible in very bright conditions, increasing the brightness helped make the content visible without much struggle.

The Always-On Display feature is another useful addition. When enabled, we were able to quickly glance at the time without having to raise the wrist or tap the screen.

In day-to-day use, we found the Boat Chrome Iris to handle basic smartwatch tasks without much trouble. Navigating through menus, switching between watch faces and accessing features such as heart rate monitoring or sports modes felt fairly smooth most of the time. The touch response is reasonably quick, though like many budget smartwatches, there can be an occasional slight delay when opening certain sections or scrolling through the interface.

Notifications from apps arrive on time, and we were able to read messages directly on the watch screen. However, interaction options remain limited, which is typical for most smartwatches in this price segment. The smartwatch is designed more for quick information access rather than full notification management.

The Bluetooth calling feature works as expected. We were able to answer calls directly from the smartwatch when connected to the smartphone. In our experience, the microphone and speaker are good enough for short conversations indoors or in relatively quiet environments. Outdoors, especially in crowded or noisy areas, the call clarity can drop slightly.

Health tracking features such as heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking and sleep monitoring are easy to access from the interface. We used these features during regular daily activity and light workouts. The smartwatch also includes multiple sports modes, which can be useful for tracking different types of physical activities, although the data remains more suitable for general fitness tracking rather than detailed performance analysis.

Battery life is another important aspect for a smartwatch in this category. During our usage, the Boat Chrome Iris comfortably lasted several days on a single charge with typical usage, which included notifications, health tracking and occasional Bluetooth calling. Enabling features such as Always-On Display and frequent Bluetooth calls does drain the battery faster, which is expected.

Boat Chrome Iris focuses on design and everyday features. During our time with the smartwatch, we found that its slim metal build and AMOLED display are among its stronger points. The watch feels comfortable for all-day wear, and the display remains sharp and readable for checking time, notifications and health data, even when used outdoors under bright sunlight.

In terms of performance, the Chrome Iris handles basic smartwatch tasks such as notifications, health tracking and Bluetooth calling without major issues. The battery life is also practical for daily use, lasting several days depending on usage and features like Always-On Display.

However, given the price tag of Rs 3,499, the experience is mostly focused on basic functionality rather than advanced features. The interface can occasionally feel slightly slow, and the fitness tracking is more suited for casual users than serious athletes.

Overall, Boat Chrome Iris works best for users who want a stylish, lightweight smartwatch with essential features such as Bluetooth calling, health tracking and an AMOLED display without spending too much.