Motast P32 Smart Watch Review: a cheap fitness tracker that does the basics (with some trade-offs)

I’ve been wearing this Motast P32 smart watch on my wrist for a couple of weeks, basically non-stop except for charging. I didn’t expect much at this price, more like a toy than a real fitness watch, but I wanted something cheap to get notifications, count steps and keep an eye on heart rate without babying it. I’ve used more expensive watches before (Amazfit, older Fitbit), so I had a rough idea of what I was giving up.

In practice, this Motast sits somewhere between a basic fitness band and a real smartwatch. It’s not as polished as the big brands, but it’s not total junk either. Some things work surprisingly well for the price, other things feel a bit gimmicky or half-baked. If you’re expecting medical-grade sensors or Apple Watch smoothness, that’s not what this is. If you just want something cheap that vibrates when your phone gets a message and roughly tracks your daily movement, it’s closer to that.

The watch relies heavily on the GloryFit app, so a lot of the experience depends on that pairing. Time, weather, notifications – all of that comes from the phone. The good news is: connection stayed mostly stable for me, and setup was pretty quick. The bad news: the app is a bit clunky and not the most polished thing you’ll use, but once you’ve set it up, you don’t need to dig into it that often.

Overall, my feeling after a couple of weeks is: it’s a budget gadget that gets the job done, with a few rough edges and some hit‑or‑miss features. If you’re okay with that and you keep your expectations realistic, it can be a decent little daily watch. If you’re picky about accuracy and build quality, you’ll probably notice its limits pretty fast.

In terms of value, this Motast P32 is hard to beat if your budget is tight and your expectations are reasonable. For roughly the price of a basic fitness band, you’re getting a big color screen, heart rate, SpO2, sleep tracking, notifications, music control, and a bunch of sport modes. If all you want is a watch that nudges you to move more, shows your messages, and gives you a rough idea of your daily activity, it does that without costing much.

Where the value drops is if you start comparing it to slightly more expensive options from brands like Xiaomi, Amazfit, or older Fitbit models. Those often have better apps, more stable firmware, and more consistent sensors. Also, the negative reviews about units dying after a month or randomly resetting are a reminder that you’re saving money partly by accepting weaker quality control. If you’re unlucky and get a dud, the good price suddenly feels less good unless you return it quickly.

For someone who’s just getting into fitness tracking or doesn’t want to risk a lot of money, this watch makes sense. It’s also decent as a backup or starter watch for a teenager or someone who just wants notifications on their wrist without caring too much about perfect accuracy. If you’re already into sports and you care about reliable GPS, training load, and detailed stats, you’re better off saving up a bit more.

So, value-wise, I’d say: good deal for casual users, mediocre deal for demanding users. It packs a lot of features, but not all of them are reliable enough to compete with mid-range models. If you grab it on sale and you know what you’re getting into, it’s a pretty solid price-to-features ratio.

Design-wise, this is pretty straightforward: rectangular black case, 1.69" screen, silicone band. Nothing fancy, nothing ugly. If you’ve seen any cheap smartwatch on Amazon, you’ve basically seen this. On the wrist, it looks fine – not huge, not tiny. It doesn’t scream “premium”, but it also doesn’t look like a toy from a distance. In an office or casual setting, it blends in without drawing attention.

The bezels around the screen are there, you can see them, but for this price I didn’t expect edge-to-edge. The 2.5D glass has a slight curve at the edges, which makes swiping feel okay, not sharp or plasticky. The touch response is surprisingly responsive for a budget device – not as smooth as a high-end watch, but I didn’t have to stab the screen repeatedly to get it to react. Navigation is simple: swipe up/down/left/right, plus a side button for back/wake.

One thing I noticed: brightness at max (level 3 or 4) is almost mandatory outdoors. Indoors, level 2 is enough, but outside in bright light you’ll want it maxed. At that point the screen is readable, but still not super crisp. It’s 240 x 280 resolution, which is okay for text and simple graphics. You won’t be admiring it, but you can read your notifications and stats without squinting too much.

Overall, the design is functional and neutral. It doesn’t feel premium in the hand – the casing feels like basic plastic – but on the wrist it looks more expensive than it actually is. If you want something flashy or very stylish, this is not it. If you just want a black square watch that looks modern enough and doesn’t feel ridiculous, it gets the job done.

Battery was one of the nicer surprises. The brand says up to 7 days, and that’s not totally unrealistic if you’re moderate with notifications and brightness. In my case, with brightness at 2 indoors and 3 outdoors, heart rate monitoring on, a few SpO2 checks, and notifications for calls, SMS and a couple of apps, I was getting around 4–5 days per charge. If you strip it down more (fewer notifications, lower brightness), you can probably hit closer to a week.

Charging itself is quick: about 1.5 hours from low battery to full, using a basic 1A phone charger like one reviewer mentioned. I tried a stronger charger too; it still worked, but honestly there’s no need to blast it. The magnetic charger snaps on reasonably well, not as strong as high-end brands, but it stayed in place on a flat surface. I wouldn’t charge it hanging off the side of a table, but that’s the same with most budget watches.

Over the two weeks, I didn’t notice any weird battery drops or random shutdowns on my unit, but it’s fair to mention the negative review where the watch started resetting itself every 10–60 minutes after about a month. That sounds like either a faulty unit or some internal memory issue. Mine didn’t do that, but it’s a risk with cheaper electronics: quality control is not as consistent as big brands.

Overall, if you get a working unit, battery life is one of the strong points. You’re not constantly hunting for a charger like with some full-featured smartwatches. Throw it on the charger while you shower and get ready, and you’re good for several days. For a budget smartwatch, that’s pretty solid and makes it easier to actually keep using it.

On the comfort side, I was pleasantly surprised. The strap is soft silicone, pretty flexible and with enough holes to fit both small and larger wrists. One Amazon review mentioned the strap being very comfortable, and I agree with that. I wore it all day at work, during workouts, and around the house, and I basically forgot it was there most of the time. At 40 g, it’s light, and it doesn’t dig into the skin unless you crank it too tight for the sensors.

For daily use, including typing at a desk and doing chores, it stayed in place without feeling bulky. Compared to chunkier watches I’ve used, this one doesn’t catch as much on sleeves or pockets. The buckle is standard and holds well; I didn’t feel like it was going to fall off. The inside of the strap didn’t cause any irritation for me, but if you’re very sensitive to silicone, that’s something to keep in mind. A quick rinse after sweating helps avoid any itchiness.

For sleep, it’s a bit more mixed. The watch itself is light, but I still notice it in bed, especially if I roll onto that wrist. Some people are fine wearing watches at night, some hate it – I’m somewhere in the middle. I managed a few nights with it on to test sleep tracking, but I wouldn’t keep it on every single night just for comfort reasons. The case edges are not sharp, but you do feel the square block against the pillow sometimes.

In short, for daytime wear it’s very comfortable for the price. For sports, it stays in place as long as you tighten it one notch more than usual. For night wear, it’s acceptable if you’re used to sleeping with a watch, but I wouldn’t call it super discreet. No red marks or rashes for me, though, which is already a win for a cheap silicone band.

The watch is rated IP68 waterproof, which in real life means you can wash your hands, shower, and swim with it without panicking. I used it under the shower and in the sink several times, and it didn’t complain. No fog under the screen, no weird behaviour after getting wet. For pool swimming, it should be fine, but I wouldn’t dive deep with it or use it in hot tubs all the time. It’s still a cheap watch, not a dive computer.

The casing is plastic, and the screen is 2.5D glass. After two weeks of regular use, I had no major scratches, just the usual micro marks you only see at certain angles. I wasn’t overly careful, but I also didn’t slam it against walls. If you’re clumsy or work in a rough environment, I’d probably stick a cheap screen protector on it just in case. The strap holes didn’t stretch or tear, and the pin system looks standard, so you can probably swap bands if needed.

Where I’m more cautious is long-term reliability. That one-star review about the watch resetting itself every 10–60 minutes after a few weeks is a bit worrying. Mine didn’t show that behaviour (yet), but it’s the kind of thing you see with low-cost devices: most units are fine, a few have weird failures. If you’re unlucky and get a bad one, it might die early or start bugging out. That’s where buying from somewhere with easy returns matters.

So, in daily life, the durability is acceptable for the price. It handles water, basic knocks, and sweat without issues in the short term. I wouldn’t expect it to age as well as a premium brand over several years, but for a year or two of casual use, it should be okay as long as you don’t abuse it. Just be aware that quality control isn’t perfect, and there’s some lottery involved.

Let’s be blunt: the performance is mixed but mostly okay for casual tracking. For steps, it does what a lot of cheap trackers do: it counts arm movements as steps. One reviewer mentioned it overcounts when doing DIY or pottering around, and I saw the same. If you’re waving your arms while talking or doing housework, the step count climbs. On the flip side, for basic daily movement (walking to work, grocery shopping, light jogging), the totals at the end of the day felt roughly in the same range as my older Amazfit – not identical, but not crazy off either.

Heart rate is “good enough” for casual monitoring. At rest and during light exercise, it gave numbers close to what I got from a finger pulse oximeter and my other watch. During more intense movement, it sometimes lagged or jumped a bit, which is common with wrist sensors at this price. For things like “am I roughly in my zone”, it’s fine. For serious training or medical tracking, I’d rely on something more advanced.

The blood pressure feature is the weakest link. Honestly, I’d ignore it. Like the Amazon reviewer said, I don’t see how this kind of watch can measure BP properly without a cuff. The numbers it gave me were all over the place and didn’t match a real BP monitor. The SpO2 readings were closer to reality, usually just a bit higher than my finger oximeter, so okay as a quick check, but again, not something I’d base decisions on.

Sports modes are more about tagging the activity than radically changing the tracking behaviour. You pick running, walking, cycling, etc., and it logs duration, estimated calories, heart rate, and steps. With phone GPS, outdoor activities are mapped decently in the app. Without the phone, you just get time and steps. Overall, for a cheap all‑rounder that gives you a ballpark idea of your daily movement and heart rate, it works. If you care a lot about accurate stats, this will feel too rough around the edges.

On paper, the Motast P32 packs a lot for the price. You get a 1.69" rectangular TFT touch screen, Bluetooth connection to Android or iOS, IP68 water resistance, heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen, sleep tracking, step counting, notifications, music and camera control, plus a bunch of sport modes (24 according to the spec: walking, running, cycling, yoga, swimming, etc.). It charges in about 1.5 hours and the brand claims up to 7 days of use. Weight is around 40 g, so it’s pretty light on the wrist.

The watch doesn’t have its own GPS; it uses your phone’s GPS through the app. That means if you want proper tracking of your outdoor runs or walks, you need to take your phone with you. For some people that’s fine, for others it’s annoying. Also, it’s not running Wear OS like a full smartwatch, it just has its own simple interface, so you’re limited to the built‑in functions and the GloryFit app. No installing extra apps or anything fancy like that.

In daily use, the main thing you actually interact with is the watch face, step counter, heart rate, and notifications. The more exotic stuff like blood pressure and SpO2 is there, but I’d treat it more as a rough indicator than real medical data. One Amazon reviewer said the blood pressure part is basically useless, and I agree: I wouldn’t rely on it. The SpO2 readings were in the same ballpark as a basic finger oximeter for me, but slightly higher most of the time, so again: okay for curiosity, not for diagnosis.

So, in short, the presentation vs reality is: it does most of what the description says, but not all of it with the same level of accuracy. As a daily activity tracker plus notification relay, it’s fine. As a serious health device or training watch, it’s not there. At this price, I don’t think that’s shocking, but it’s good to be clear about what you’re actually getting.