Citizen has announced the temporary suspension of sales for its second-generation CZ Smart smartwatch due to a technical issue negatively affecting the user experience. The announcement comes after several weeks of product testing and review, during which multiple bugs and performance issues were identified, including a laggy interface, poor battery life, inaccurate heart rate data, and freezing screens. Many customers have also reported similar complaints, including poor battery life and laggy software. Citizen is currently investigating the issue, recalling review models, and working towards finding the best solution for its customers and partners.
The CZ Smart smartwatch, which runs on Google’s Wear OS 3 platform, was launched in May 2023 and was intended to offer a range of features, including personalized wellness software called CZ Smart YouQ. This software, developed in partnership with IBM Watson and NASA researchers, is designed to learn the user’s physical and cognitive energy levels and provide them with Power Scores and “Power Fixes” to boost alertness and productivity throughout the day. However, the technical issues with the smartwatch have overshadowed these features, and Citizen is facing the challenge of addressing these concerns while working on rectifying the performance problems.
The temporary suspension of sales will likely take at least a week or more as Citizen aims to pinpoint the source of the technical issue and provide a suitable solution. With numerous bugs and performance issues affecting the user experience, it remains unclear how long it will take for Citizen to resolve these problems and resume sales of the CZ Smart smartwatch. Meanwhile, customers who have purchased the watch can expect to be contacted by Citizen to address their concerns and find an appropriate resolution.