Skip to main content

Casio adds Bluetooth and solar to the hugely popular GA-2100

Don’t brush the new G-Shock GA-B2100 aside as just a collection of new colors, as this is a major update to  the highly popular octagonal GA-2100 watch. Casio has added desirable tech in the form of Bluetooth connectivity and solar charging to give it high-tech appeal, and we predict that’s going to put this watch on a lot of wrists.

Casio G Shock GA-B2100 in blue.

The Bluetooth connectivity enables the watch to sync with the Casio Watches app, where adjusting the time happens automatically and you can set alarms and timers too. It’s also simple to add a location for the world time, plus there’s a phone finder feature too. While the GA-B2100 isn’t going to challenge the Apple Watch for functionality, it does make using simple features easier and faster.

Related Videos

Casio’s Tough Solar feature is very welcome. Despite the Bluetooth connection, you don’t have to plug the watch in to a charger, as the solar cells on the dial collect enough energy to power it. When it’s fully charged, the watch will last for many months even if it stays in complete darkness. With normal use, you won’t have to worry about the battery at all.

Even with the addition of the new technology ,the GA-B2100 retains the compact dimensions that make the non-Bluetooth version so wearable. The 48.5mm case is 11.9mm thick, so it easily fits under a shirt cuff, and it’s not so massive that it overpowers small wrists. At 52 grams, it’s lightweight too. The design hasn’t changed either, with the octagonal shape earning the GA-2100 the nickname of CasiOak due to its passing similarity to the Audemars Piquet Royal Oak watches.

Utilizing Casio’s Carbon Core Guard structure — which uses carbon fiber to reinforce the resin case — the GA-B2100 is shock resistant and water resistant to 200 meters. There are five color choices in the range, starting with the black-on-black and black-on-gray models, and continuing with the more eye-catching yellow, green, and blue models. These all recall the tones used on the very first G-Shock DW-5600 watches released in the late 1980s.

The watch has been announced by Casio, but price and availability details for the U.S. have not been confirmed yet. In the U.K. the watch will be released on May 2 and cost 130 British pounds, or about $170 for all but the yellow version, which costs 140 pounds, which converts to about $184.

Editors' Recommendations

This cool gadget adds emergency satellite messaging to any smartphone
The Motorola Defy Satellite Link dongle being used with a smartphone.

Motorola is bringing the benefits of satellite communication to almost any phone with the Motorola Defy Satellite Link. The rugged dongle connects using Bluetooth to your Android phone or iPhone. And through the use of a special app, it adds the ability to send and receive messages — or call for help in an emergency — when your phone is out of cellular service.

Satellite communication is one of the hottest mobile trends, with Apple adding it to the iPhone 14 series and Qualcomm announcing its own Snapdragon Satellite service recently. The new Motorola Defy Satellite Link is the product of three companies coming together to make this special feature more accessible.

Read more
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 ushers in the next era of 5G connectivity
Qualcomm Snapdragon X75.

Qualcomm has just announced the Snapdragon X75, the company's sixth-generation 5G modem that promises to push smartphones and other connected devices into the next phase of 5G technology.

The Snapdragon X75 is the successor to last year's X70, which is the modem found in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powers this year's most powerful 5G smartphones — including Samsung's recently unveiled Galaxy S23 Ultra and the OnePlus 11. However, it's more than just an evolution of that earlier modem system, as Qualcomm has packed in support for next-generation 5G Advanced technology along with an entirely new architecture and powerful AI features that will allow mobile devices to access better coverage and achieve even faster speeds.
5G grows up big-time

Read more
G-Shock’s latest watch turned my wrist into a poisonous frog
The G-Shock Poison Dart Frog Frogman worn on a person's wrist.

I didn't really think about what a Poison dart frog looked like until recently, as — luckily — we don’t get many in the wilds of rural Surrey here in the U.K. But thanks to the new G-Shock Poison Dart Frog Frogman watch, I have a good idea of what to look out for, should I ever encounter one.

Why is that? Because the brand has done a brilliant job of bringing the amphibian’s bright colors to life on my wrist. Here's a closer look.
Just like a poison dart frog

Read more