Flying FPV drones often takes me to some pretty remote spots where staying connected and on track can be challenging. That’s why a rugged GPS smartwatch like the KKTICK Tank T5 can be a great companion. Designed to withstand harsh conditions and equipped with navigation tools, it seemed like the perfect sidekick for both my drone adventures and everyday life. After two weeks of testing it in the field, here’s how it performed.
The KKTICK Tank T5 cannot be directly compared to premium lifestyle smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 10 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8. While the Tank T5 excels as a rugged, durable device designed for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers, it lacks many advanced features and a polished user experience that flagship smartwatches offer. For example, Apple Watches boast a highly refined operating system with seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem, contactless payment, and a wide array of apps. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 features an intuitive interface, robust app support, and cutting-edge biometric tracking.
KKTICK Tank T5 (Rogbid GeoX1) review
Disclosure: I received this rugged GPS smartwatch in a product review collaboration with DTNO.1. Although I received the product for free, all opinions in this article remain mine, and the sponsor did not influence me.
DTNO.1 (Shenzhen Xinkeying Digital Co) is an innovative Chinese tech company specializing in smartwatches and wearable technology. It is known for producing rugged, feature-rich, and competitively priced devices for casual users and outdoor enthusiasts. KKTICK is one of the sub-brands or product lines associated with DTNO.1, offering durable and high-performance smartwatches such as this Tank T5.
KKTICK contacted me a few weeks before the official release of the Tank T5, and I was happy to be chosen among the first to receive this rugged smartwatch for evaluation. It’s a recognition that what we do here at FirstQuadcopter is done well. In addition to the standard kit, which includes the watch and charger, they also sent me two extra watch straps: one orange silicone and one black metal.
At a glance
The KKTICK Tank T5 smartwatch features a circular, outdoor-style body design with a durable metal casing and two physical controls on the right side: a rotary crown button and a push button just below it. The rugged full-metal housing is complemented by a black silicone watch strap, secured with a stainless steel buckle, offering both comfort and durability for everyday wear and outdoor use. Optional full-metal and orange silicone straps are also available.
The 1.43″ AMOLED touchscreen (466*466) features 1,000 nits peak brightness and Corning Gorilla Glass protection for enhanced durability and scratch resistance. The Tank T5 is built to withstand extreme environments and harsh conditions, as demonstrated by its MIL-STD-810H certification, including 28 rigorous durability tests covering shock, vibration, temperature extremes, humidity, and altitude. In addition, it boasts IP69K-rated waterproof resistance, offering the highest level of protection against dust, high-pressure water jets, and steam cleaning. It is also water-resistant up to 3 ATM, making it suitable for everyday water exposure, such as rain, splashes, and short periods of submersion.
On the back, there are nine small dots. Four are metal contacts used for charging, and the remaining are biometric sensors for PPG heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring.
Inside, the KKTICK Tank T5 features a high-performance ATS3085S chip from Actions Semiconductor, a Lodar AG3352B GPS module, a MEMSensing MSP880N barometric sensor, a Tianyihexin 3691 heart rate sensor, and an 860 mAh battery. The watch has a diameter of approximately 50 mm and a thickness of 15.5 mm, making it noticeably bulkier than my KOSPET TANK T3.
While researching the health monitoring capabilities of the TianYiHeXin 3691 sensor, I came across the Rogbid GeoX1 smartwatch, which appears to share identical specifications and design with the KKTICK Tank T5. This suggests that both models may be built on the same hardware platform or manufactured by the same OEM, with only minor branding or software variations. The TianYiHeXin 3691 sensor provides reliable heart rate measurements, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂), and sleep tracking. Unfortunately, blood pressure monitoring is not supported on either of these two smartwatches.
Pricing and availability
The KKTICK Tank T5 smartwatch is now available for purchase through the official DTNO.1 online store, priced at $119.99. This price includes a free pair of TWS wireless earphones and a 24mm steel strap, totaling $19.98.
Key features
- Exquisitely Crafted Metal Body: From the bezel and case to the back panel, the Tank T5 is built like a steel fortress with an exquisitely crafted full-metal body. Combined with Corning Gorilla Glass, it withstands extreme conditions while maintaining smooth lines, rounded edges, and exceptional durability and stability. A rugged design that feels powerful in both form and function.
- Brilliance on a Full-Color Display: The 1.43″ high-definition AMOLED display delivers vivid colors and crystal-clear clarity. Even under the brightest sunlight, every detail of your workouts is clearly visible at a glance.
- Multi-Sports Mode & Smart Fitness: With over 100 built-in sports modes, the Tank T5 is your ultimate all-around fitness companion. It accurately tracks running distance, speed, calories burned, and more. Additionally, built-in video-guided exercise courses help you shape your body, burn fat, and improve your physical fitness — keeping you motivated. Bonus: the integrated LED flashlight is perfect for night adventures.
- Nuoda GPS & Offline Maps: The watch supports advanced positioning via GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NavIC, and QZSS, ensuring fast and precise location tracking. With downloadable offline maps, you can plan routes and track your path, even without an internet connection.
- Outdoor ABC Functions + Health Monitoring: Equipped with Altitude, Barometer, and Compass (ABC) sensors, it’s ready for any outdoor adventure. Powered by the TianYiHeXin 3691 HR sensor, the watch monitors heart rate, blood oxygen levels (SpO₂), and sleep quality, providing accurate, real-time insights to support your health every day.
- Built to Conquer Any Challenge: Tested to 15 military-grade standards (MIL-STD-810H certified), the Tank T5 can handle extreme heat, freezing cold, impact, and vibration. No matter where your adventures take you, this smartwatch performs with unwavering reliability.
- Ultimate Battery Life: With a large 860 mAh battery, the Tank T5 delivers up to 3 weeks of use on a single charge. It also comes with a USB fast charger for quick recharging when needed. Just 10 minutes of charging support for a whole day of use.
User experience
After powering it ON, the first step was to install the app, which can be downloaded via a QR code. The tricky part is that the manual directs you to download one app, while the watch prompts you to use another. I tested both apps (Wear Joy and Wear Pro) and thought they were identical, just with different skins. One also had paid advertisements for various things, which I found strange.
The Tank T5’s user interface is snappy and highly responsive, making menu navigation smooth and intuitive. Navigation is straightforward, thanks to the combination of responsive touch controls and well-placed physical buttons, allowing quick and convenient access to the watch’s key functions. The AMOLED display offers five (0-4) adjustable brightness levels, ensuring optimal visibility in various lighting conditions. However, the absence of an ambient light sensor means brightness adjustments must be made manually — an auto-brightness feature would have enhanced usability.
The Tank T5 watch offers weather monitoring, which I suppose receives data from my mobile phone through Bluetooth. However, I found this feature very glitchy—it worked only a few times despite my attempts to synchronize and grant all the required permissions, including location access. Instead, Bluetooth calling works without any issues, and it’s cool that you can receive calls without removing your phone from your backpack while cycling.
The KKTICK Tank T5 features a 3 ATM water resistance rating, which theoretically means it can withstand immersion in water up to 30 meters deep. However, in real-world usage, a 3 ATM rating generally indicates protection against splashes and brief immersion but is unsuitable for swimming or prolonged water exposure. For comparison, watches rated at 5 ATM offer reliable splash resistance, and 10 ATM models are fully waterproof and suitable for swimming. In contrast, 20 ATM or higher ratings are designed for activities such as scuba diving.
Weighing in at 73 grams, the Tank T5 feels slightly hefty initially, but most users will adapt after a few days of regular wear. Matched with the metal strap, it easily weighs over 100 grams. Its bulky design is not particularly well-suited for sleep monitoring, as it can feel intrusive at night. While the rugged build is a trade-off for comfort in bed, it excels in durability and outdoor readiness, which is clearly its primary focus.
The built-in LED light isn’t very powerful and probably consumes much energy, but it could still be helpful in some critical situations.
In addition to the generous 4 GB onboard memory for storing photos, videos, and built-in games, the Tank T5’s standout advantage compared to my current smartwatch is its support for downloadable maps and advanced navigation features. These capabilities significantly enhance its functionality for outdoor enthusiasts and travelers alike.
Sports modes
The DTNO.1 Tank T5 is marketed as offering over 100 different sports modes, covering both indoor and outdoor activities. Realistically, very few people engage in such a wide variety of physical pursuits, but the sheer range ensures that almost anyone can find a mode that fits their needs. The sports modes are well-organized into five main categories: Outdoor Sports, Fitness, Ball Games, Water Sports, and Others. This logical grouping makes navigation straightforward, allowing users to quickly select the most relevant activity without having to scroll endlessly through the entire list.
In the “Others” sports category, the Tank T5 offers a surprisingly diverse selection of activities, ranging from AI tracking and team training to Tai Chi, martial arts, skateboarding, roller skating, stair climbing, trampoline, and frisbee. It even includes more niche options such as horse riding, gliding, parkour, and hula hoop. While many of these are far from standard or Olympic sports, this variety ensures that users can track a broad spectrum of hobbies and exercises that suit their lifestyle.
The Tank T5 doesn’t just track your workouts—it records them in impressive detail. Each activity is logged with key metrics such as duration, average heart rate, calories burned, and more, giving you a comprehensive performance overview. For outdoor activities, the watch goes one step further by mapping your route using GPS, allowing you to review your paths, analyze pacing, and even retrace your steps later. This level of detail makes it a practical tool for casual fitness tracking and athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who value accurate performance insights.
Battery life
The watch lasted me about two weeks, using 5–15% of the battery each day, depending on how intensive my exercise routine was. This is within the advertised range, and with moderate use, the 860mAh battery can provide 20–25 days of use or up to 60 days on standby. Of course, GPS-based activities like running consume a lot of energy and drain the battery much faster, but it still offers enough power for a couple of hours of tracking.
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