Casio redesigns an iconic G-Shock model – with Garmin-style screen tech

• The Casio G-Shock GW-BX5600-1 gets an upgraded MIP display
• That makes the display much easier to read in bright sunlight, solving its legibility problem
• It’s the first 5000/5600-series G-Shock watch to use this screen tech

Casio’s G-Shock watch line has been a design icon ever since it first launched. Yet it’s had a long-running problem for almost as long: legibility. The relatively small screen and poor readability in bright conditions have made the watches’ displays tough to read, but a fresh update could change all that for the better.

With the introduction of the GW-BX5600-1, Casio has finally brought a memory-in-pixel (MIP) screen to its G-Shock watches, righting a long-overdue wrong and making your on-screen content far more readable in strong sunlight.

This replaces the old STN LCD screen used by past 5000/5600-series G-Shocks, and means that digits are brighter, crisper, and more visible when seen from an angle. That change alone could make the device a worthwhile pickup for fans of the classic wearable.

After all, it now makes the watch a lot more usable when you’re out and about. It always seemed strange that Casio’s G-Shocks were designed to withstand the bumps and scrapes of outdoor adventuring yet could be very hard to read when you were doing exactly that, especially so when you consider that rivals like Garmin have long used MIP tech.

Now, Casio has put things right with the MIP display, making the device even better for lovers of the great outdoors and bringing parity with some of the best rugged watches on the market.

Refining a classic

The GW-BX5600-1’s highlights aren’t just limited to the screen. You also get a solar-powered battery that lasts up to six months of regular usage (or 22 months in low power mode) on a single charge, plus shock resistance and water resistance to a depth of 200 meters. There’s Multiband 6 radio control to keep the time accurate, and you can manage the watch’s settings on your phone thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity.

Additional features include a double LED backlight, a 24-hour auto calendar, five daily alarms, a countdown timer, and world time display. You can also adjust the display layout using the companion app, with more customizability with regards to the information contrast and density, and you get a choice of two fonts to customize the look to your needs.

There are two designs available: the GW-BX5600-1, which has silver highlights for a lighter look, and the GW-BX5600-1A1, which uses a darker, more understated aesthetic. If you’re interested in either of these watches, you can preorder them on Casio’s website for ¥30,800 (about $200) or £159 GBP (US pricing isn’t yet available). Casio says the watches will be available “soon.”

If you want a halfway house between an old-school digital watch and one of the best Garmin watches, the GW-BW5600-1 will be tough to beat.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.