LOKMAT APPLLP MAX S999

The LOKMAT APPLLP MAX is a full android smartwatch released in January 2021. This is a very unique form factor which looks more like a mini smartphone on your wrist rather than a smartwatch. In fact, this form factor is often referred to as a “wrist phone”. While LOKMAT is the brand for this particular watch, it is sold under the Jingtider S999 or just S999 as well as other names.

The APPLLP MAX comes with a Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761 processor. The MT6761 is a lower tier smartphone processor which has average performance on this watch. The limited processing power causes apps to load slowly and there are some lags using the watch. The solution provider for this watch, responsible for the printed circuit board assembly, is Unisoc (formerly known as Spreadtrum).

While a number of Android 10 watches have come out over the last few months, this is the first watch we have seen using Android 9. Since this is a full Android smartwatch, you have access to Google Play Store to install 3rd party apps. Unfortunately many apps do not work from the Google Play Store at launch.

Specification Exaggeration

Depending on the sales listing for this watch, the specifications are not most accurate. The following table summarizes some of the inaccuracies:

Specification	Detail
Processor	Many ads state it uses a MT6762 processor or that it is using an octa core processor which is not true
5MP and 13MP cameras	The side camera is actually 1.9MP and the front camera is 8.9MP
Google Play	Many of the apps on Google Playstore don’t work (i.e. Netflix, Sling TV)
Usable Display	Ads show the usable display as being nearly the full screen. Not the case as shown in the pictures below

Design

The APPLLP MAX has a huge rectangular design that looks like a mini smartphone rather than a smartwatch. This is a very niche design and most people would not feel comfortable wearing such a large watch. The watch comes with an aluminum case and is available in black, silver or gold. Build quality is average and there is a protruding heart rate sensor on the back which may not be the most comfortable.

This smartwatch is huge at 77.2 x 53.6 x 15 mm and weighs in at a whopping 132g. The 15 mm thickness is very bulky and the watch would be uncomfortable to wear for a prolonged period of time.

The APPLLP MAX comes with a 32mm silicone non-interchangeable strap. This is more of a watch dock or holder than a typical watch strap. Note the button on the bottom of the wrist band which is pressed to lock / unlock the watch in place. Note that some owners have complained it is easy to press the button while playing sports causing the watch to fall out of the holder.

The silicone strap is decent quality but the size is very large and may not be the most comfortable for some.

You can interact with the watch using the touchscreen and 1 physical button. The touchscreen works OK but there are some lags. Loading up applications takes some time as well due to the slow processor. The user interface is relatively simple to navigate and fonts are easy to read given the large screen.

That being said, there are no firmware updates available for this watch yet which is a problem due to limitations of the original firmware:

• Can’t rearrange the icons
• Not be able to install any additional watchfaces beyond what is already available
• Display rotation does not work for some apps

The APPLLP MAX is not water resistant as well so you should be very careful using this watch near water.

Screen

The screen of the APPLLP MAX while large is not the greatest. The 2.88″ TFT Touchscreen comes with 480 x 640 pixels. As mentioned before, the usable area of the screen is less than this. While the screen does not look stunning, it looks fine indoors. Outdoors, on sunny days, it is less impressive. Unfortunately, the watch does not have an always on screen option.

Battery

The APPLLP MAX comes with a 2300 mAh battery. LOKMAT claims that typical usage battery life is 3 days. Real world battery life is a bit less with many people getting just over 1 day with normal usage.

This is OK for a full featured Android watch but is very poor when compared to some of the simpler smartwatches that have battery life measured in weeks not days. Since this watch is so large and it does not have sleep monitoring, most people will just remove it at night and charge it.

Connectivity Features

From a connectivity perspective, the APPLLP MAX has limited functionality when compared to full featured smartwatches. The watch can receive and respond to notifications when paired with your smartphone. You will need to install an app such as Hebswatch or Watch Droid on your smartphone. These apps while decent, are not the best and there have been complaints of connectivity issues and duplicate notifications.

The APPLLP MAX has both a speaker and a microphone and does not have the ability to answer or place calls via Bluetooth. This is a common issue with Full Android smartwatches. The other problem with the speaker on this watch is there is no buttons to control the volume. Numerous complaints from owners that changing the volume is a multi-step problem.

Full Android watches appear to be designed to replace your smartphone rather than complement it. Essentially it is a smartphone shrunk down so it can fit on your wrist. This is generally a negative for most people since they are looking for a watch to complement their phone. For a smaller group who wants to replace their smartphone with a watch, this is a positive.

The APPLLP MAX has 2 cameras, one front facing and one facing upwards. As mentioned before, the camera specifications of 5MP front camera and 13MP side camera are not correct. Using DevCheck, the cameras are actually 8.1MP and 1.9MP. Photo and video quality is disappointing as well.

Like most Full Android watches, the APPLLP MAX has a built in SIM slot for 4G LTE cellular connectivity. On the positive side, it does come with built-in GPS. Unfortunately, GPS connectivity is not the fastest and accuracy is not the best.

Finally, Near Field Communication (NFC) is not supported, hence you cannot use this smartwatch to make payments. The lack of Google Pay is one of the disadvantages of Full Android smartwatches.

Health and Fitness Features

The APPLLP MAX comes with 2 sensors: Gyroscope and Heart Rate Monitor (HRM). These only cover a few fitness and health areas. These sensors allow you to track the following 4 metrics: Calories, Distance, Heart Rate, Steps.

Unfortunately the watch only comes with 4 different sports modes. When compared to more fitness or health focused watches, the LOKMAT APPLLP MAX is very poor. Heart rate monitoring is not the most accurate especially in high exertion activities.

HEBSWatch App

The LOKMAT APPLLP MAX S999 uses the HEBSWatch app. This is a new app that is not very polished. The app presents the same rudimentary data as the watch and has limited functionality. You could also use Google Fit, but that app has limited functionality as well. Not an impressive app experience.

Known Issues

Watch Faces

There is no ability with the original firmware to add new watchfaces to this device. Unless a firmware update is released, this may not be available.

Verdict

The LOKMAT APPLLP MAX is a huge smartwatch targeted to a niche segment. Like most Full Android watches, this is more like a smartphone than a smartwatch. Some of the specifications are exaggerated (cameras, usable screen size) and software is immature (many apps don’t work, cannot rearrange icons, difficult to change volume). Overall not a great buy.

You can discuss this watch with other owners on our Full Android forum here.

Specifications

Published: March 06, 2021