Yoever IDW13 Smart Watch Review: a budget Alexa watch that covers the basics

I’ve been wearing this Yoever smartwatch for about two weeks now, using it every day with an Android phone (Samsung and a spare Pixel). I bought it mainly to track steps, get notifications, and answer quick calls without digging my phone out of my pocket. I wasn’t expecting anything close to an Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch at this price, but I wanted to see if it could handle the basics without being annoying.

In daily use, I’ve worn it at work, during short runs, in the shower, and once in a swimming pool to see how it behaves with water. I also slept with it most nights to test the sleep tracking and heart rate monitoring. I didn’t baby it: tossed it in a gym bag, bumped it on door frames, and used it in the rain. So this is not a “careful unboxing” review; it’s more like how a normal person would treat a watch that costs this much.

What stood out right away is that it tries to pack a lot in: Bluetooth calls, Alexa built-in, heart rate, SpO2, stress tracking, notifications, 100+ sports modes, and a 1.8" screen, all with a claimed 5–7 day battery. On paper it looks stacked for the price. In practice, some features are solid, some are just there to fill the spec sheet, and a couple are a bit rough around the edges.

If you’re wondering whether this is a decent cheap alternative to the big brands, I’d say: for basic fitness tracking and notifications, yes, it gets the job done. If you expect polished software, super accurate health data, or deep app integration, you’re going to see the corners they cut to keep the price low. I’ll break it down by what actually matters day to day.

Looking at what you pay and what you get, this Yoever watch sits in that “good value if you’re realistic” zone. You’re getting Bluetooth calls, Alexa, basic health tracking, a bright enough screen, IP68 water resistance, and a battery that lasts close to a week. For a budget smartwatch, that’s a lot of boxes ticked. If your main goal is to have a watch that tracks steps, shows notifications, and lets you answer quick calls, it definitely gets the job done.

Where you feel the price is in the details: the VeryFit app is functional but not fancy, the animations aren’t super smooth, the health metrics are more “rough guide” than precise, and the strap is on the sweaty side. None of these are deal-breakers if you’re just after practicality, but if you’re coming from a high-end Apple or Samsung watch, you’ll notice the downgrade right away. This is more for someone who either never had a smartwatch or doesn’t care about deep ecosystems and polished software.

Compared to other cheap watches I’ve tried from random brands on Amazon, this one is actually on the better side. The connection is more stable, the screen is clearer, and the Bluetooth call feature works more reliably. The 5-year guarantee promise and active customer service mentioned in reviews are also reassuring at this price point, even if I haven’t had to use them yet. You’re not paying for a big logo here, you’re paying for a pile of features that mostly function as advertised.

So in terms of value, I’d say it’s good bang for the buck for casual users. If you obsess over super accurate sports tracking or want tight integration with Apple or Samsung services, save up for a higher-end model. But if your budget is limited and you just want a capable, everyday smartwatch that covers the basics without draining your wallet, this one makes sense.

Design-wise, this watch goes for the usual rectangular smartwatch look. If you’ve seen an Apple Watch clone before, you’ll recognise the style. The 1.8" screen fills most of the front, with slim bezels that you stop noticing after a day or two. It’s not a fashion piece, but it looks clean and modern enough for everyday use, whether you’re in a T-shirt or a shirt at work.

The body is fairly slim and light, which I appreciated. It doesn’t feel like a brick on the wrist, and it slides under a jacket cuff without grabbing the fabric. On the side, you get a single button that wakes the screen and brings you back to the home screen. Most of the navigation is done with swipes on the touchscreen. The touch response is decent: it’s not as smooth as an Apple or Samsung watch, but it doesn’t lag so much that it gets on your nerves. Menus scroll with a tiny bit of stutter, but you get used to it quickly.

One thing I liked is the watch faces selection. Through the VeryFit app, you get around 100 free faces, plus more if you pay a subscription, which I personally didn’t bother with. You can also use your own photos, so I tried with a picture of my dog and it actually looked okay on the screen. Customising the face is probably the most fun part of the design, because the hardware itself is pretty standard-looking.

On smaller wrists, the watch does look a bit big, but not absurd. My wrist is on the thin side, and it sits almost edge to edge, but still wearable. If you hate chunky-looking watches, this might be borderline, but for most people it’ll just look like a normal modern smartwatch. Overall, the design is nothing special but effective: simple, neutral, and doesn’t scream “cheap” from a distance, even if up close you can tell it’s not a premium device.

Battery life was one of the nice surprises. The watch has a 300 mAh battery, and in real use I was getting around 5–6 days per charge with everything reasonably active: all-day heart rate, sleep tracking, notifications from a few apps, and a couple of short workouts. If you turn off some of the constant monitoring or reduce the screen brightness, you can probably stretch it closer to a full week.

To give you an idea, after the first full charge, I wore it continuously for three days. During that period, I answered a few calls from the watch, checked notifications regularly, and used the screen quite a bit to play with settings and watch faces. After those three days, the battery was still above 60%. That’s in line with some of the Amazon reviews mentioning slow drain. Once the novelty wore off and I used it more normally, I only thought about charging it roughly once a week.

Using Bluetooth calling and Alexa more heavily does eat into the battery faster. If you’re constantly taking calls through the watch or using the speaker a lot, expect the lower end of the 5–7 day claim. Still, compared to big-brand watches that sometimes need daily charging, this is pretty convenient. I never had battery anxiety with it, even on long days.

Charging is done with a small magnetic cable that snaps onto the back. It’s not wireless Qi, so you can’t just drop it on any charger; you have to use the included cable. From low battery to full, it took me about 1.5–2 hours. The magnet alignment is okay, not perfect: you have to check that it’s actually attached properly, but once it’s on, it stays. Overall, battery life is one of the clear strong points of this watch, especially for people who hate daily charging routines.

In terms of comfort, I wore this basically all day and night for several days in a row. The watch itself is light, so you don’t get that heavy feeling some metal watches have. The back sits fairly flat on the wrist, and the sensors don’t dig into the skin. I had no irritation from the watch body itself, even when sleeping with it on.

The included strap is a soft silicone band. At first touch, it feels nice and flexible, and it’s easy to adjust. There are enough holes to fit smaller wrists, which is good, because a lot of budget watches assume you have a big wrist. The buckle holds well and I never felt like it was going to fall off. So in terms of fit and security, it’s solid. The issue is more about breathability. After a few hours, especially if you’re warm or moving around, the strap does make your wrist sweat quite a bit.

After a couple of days of wearing it 24/7, I started taking it off for short breaks just to let my skin breathe. That’s not unusual for silicone straps, but this one is on the sweatier side. If you’re sensitive to that or already know silicone annoys you, I’d plan on buying a third-party strap. The good news is the strap system is simple, so swapping bands is easy. A fabric or leather strap would likely fix most of the comfort issues for long wear.

During workouts and swimming, the watch stayed in place and didn’t move around much, which helps with heart rate readings. Sleeping with it was okay; you feel it there, but it’s not bulky enough to keep you awake. Overall, I’d say comfort is decent but not perfect: the watch body is fine, but the stock strap is the weak point. It does the job, just not in a very breathable way.

Durability-wise, I went in expecting something very plasticky and fragile, but it’s a bit better than that. The case is clearly not metal; it’s a hard plastic with a basic finish. It doesn’t feel premium in the hand, but once on the wrist you stop thinking about it. Over two weeks of normal use – including bumping into door frames, wearing it in the shower, and one swim – I didn’t see any major marks or scratches on the body or the screen.

The screen itself is probably regular glass, not sapphire or anything fancy. I tried not to be stupid with it (no keys in the same pocket on purpose), but I also didn’t baby it. After daily wear, I only noticed one tiny hairline mark that you can’t see unless you tilt it under light. For a budget watch, that’s acceptable. If you’re worried, a cheap screen protector would be a good idea, especially if you work in rough environments.

The IP68 waterproof rating seems legit for everyday situations. I washed my hands with it, showered, and did a short swim session. No issues, no fogging under the screen, no weird behaviour afterwards. The brand says not to use it in hot water or seawater, and I’d listen to that. Steam and salt tend to kill cheaper seals pretty fast. For rain, pool, and normal splashes, it’s fine.

They push a 5-year guarantee pretty hard in the description. Obviously, I can’t test that claim, but it’s at least reassuring that they’re confident enough to write it. How smooth the process is if something breaks, no idea. For now, after regular daily use, durability feels decent for the price: it’s not built like a tank, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart in a month either.

On the performance side, the watch handles most daily tasks without much fuss. Swiping through menus, opening the workout list, checking notifications – it all works at a reasonable speed. You will notice that it’s not as smooth as more expensive watches, but it never froze or crashed on me. The vibration motor is strong enough to feel notifications but not so strong that it’s annoying.

For fitness, there are more than 100 sports modes. In reality, you’ll probably use a handful: walking, running, cycling, maybe swimming or gym. The watch tracks steps, estimated distance, and calories. Steps seemed roughly in line with my phone’s counter, sometimes a bit higher. It’s fine for a general idea of how active you were, but I wouldn’t use it to measure a precise running program. There’s no built-in GPS, so it relies on your phone for accurate distance if you want that. If you don’t bring your phone, the distance is just a rough estimate based on steps.

Heart rate tracking during the day is okay. It picks up resting heart rate reasonably well and shows peaks when you exercise. Compared to a chest strap, it was off by a few beats during effort, which is typical for a budget optical sensor. SpO2 and stress are more of a curiosity than something I’d rely on medically. Sleep tracking is similar: decent to see bedtime and wake-up time, but it sometimes mislabels light sleep vs just lying still. If you just want trends, it’s fine; if you’re picky, you’ll notice the flaws.

Alexa built-in is a nice extra, but keep your expectations low. You need the phone nearby and the app running in the background. You can ask basic things like weather, set timers, or simple questions. It works, but there’s a small delay, and using voice on your wrist in public still feels a bit awkward. I ended up using it more at home than outside. Overall, performance is pretty solid for the price: it does what it says, just not at a professional or premium level.

Out of the box, you get the watch, a magnetic USB charging cable, and the usual small manual. There’s no power brick, so you plug it into any USB port. Setup is done through the VeryFit app, which you download from the store. It paired pretty quickly with both a Samsung and a Pixel phone. The app isn’t pretty, but it’s straightforward enough: you turn on notifications, call sync, health tracking, and pick watch faces from there.

The watch focuses on a few main things: notifications, calls, basic fitness, and health stats. Notifications from WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook, etc. show up reliably, but you can’t really reply from the watch, you’re just reading them. For calls, the watch syncs your contacts and recent calls, and you can answer or dial from your wrist. The speaker and mic are usable, not great, but completely fine for quick “I’m on my way” type calls or answering while driving.

On the health side, it tracks heart rate all day, logs your sleep in three stages (deep, light, awake), and can measure SpO2 and stress. I compared the heart rate with a chest strap during a light jog: it was usually within 5–8 bpm, which is fine for casual tracking but not for serious training. Sleep tracking is okay for showing roughly when you slept and woke up, but it sometimes thinks I’m asleep when I’m just lying still watching TV. Again, good enough if you just want a rough idea, not great if you’re obsessed with accuracy.

Overall, in terms of features vs price, it’s pretty solid value. You’re getting a lot of functions that normally show up on much pricier watches. But you have to accept that most of them are the “basic version”: they work, they’re useful, but they’re not super polished. If you can live with that, it covers most everyday needs without feeling like a toy.