The Bushnell NEO-X golf GPS watch takes a small step in the right direction by adding limited hazard information (up to two hazards per hole). As a result, it is now essentially an identical twin with the Expresso WR62 (which we had described as a fraternal twin with the prior-generation Bushnell neo+ watch) – the minor variations in aesthetics and presentation are just the equivalent of not wearing the same outfits.

Adding hazard information is good, but the limitation of two per hole can be frustrating when the hazards that the NEO-X shows are irrelevant to where you want to go. We’re not sure what’s holding Bushnell back from unleashing the entire range of hazards that their partner iGolf has already mapped on each course – c’mon Bushnell, release the hounds and let us swim awash in the glory of unfettered data!

We still want to see scoring and statistics tracking (available on competing golf GPS watches such as the Garmin Approach S2 and S3 and the Motorola MOTOACTV), but the NEO-X comes at a lower price point, so that’s the trade-off you have to make – at least for now.

Speaking of price, the suggested retail price of the Bushnell NEO-X is $199.95, which makes it one of the more affordable golf GPS devices on the market. Oddly enough, the NEO-X costs $20 more than the Expresso WR62 (which may be attributable to the better-known Bushnell brand name), but is at the same price as the neo+ watch. We can only assume that the plan is to phase out the neo+ watch in short order.

There isn’t really a break-out star yet in the watch category, but there are a number of solid options, of which the NEO-X is one. It offers a nice user interface with an intermediate level feature set, at a reasonable price.

SCORE
89
GRADE
B+
Setup/Syncing
N/A
Course Availability
93
Ease of Use
98
Course Details
78
Features
81
Accuracy
90
Cost/Value
93

Pros:

Cons:

Retail price: $199.95
Three year total cost: $199.95
Availability: Discontinued. Replaced by the Bushnell NEO XS Watch
Amazon.com: Check price now
Golfsmith: Check price now


N/A

SETUP/SYNCING

The Good: Courses are pre-loaded, so just charge the Bushnell NEO-X golf GPS watch and head to the course. Improved charging clip design!

The Bad: No wall charger provided, so the only way to charge the device is by plugging the USB cable into your computer. Syncing capability wasn’t yet available at the time of our testing.

Details:

What’s in the Box: The Bushnell NEO-X golf GPS watch comes with:

Required Downloads:

Side Note: The vast majority of devices now ship with courses pre-loaded, so syncing generally isn’t required before a device can be used. We do, however, highly recommend that users sync prior to the first use of the device just in case there have been course updates since the unit was packed in the box, and we find it useful to continue to sync on a regular basis thereafter. But we continue to be amazed by the number of incredibly poor syncing experiences we’ve experienced with golf GPS units. If syncing isn’t available or isn’t working at launch, the user will likely conclude (and rightfully so, in some cases) that they can’t count on it ever being available. Someone needs to remind these device manufacturers about first impressions!


93 / A-

COURSE AVAILABILITY

Critical Golf Test: The Bushnell NEO-X watch leverages the course database from Bushnell’s partner, iGolf. Course coverage is 93%. Note that our test only counts a course as “covered” on the NEO-X if it has both front-center-back information and hazards.

Manufacturer’s Claims: The Bushnell NEO-X watch comes with over 25,000 worldwide courses pre-loaded on the device, which ranks it near the top of our course coverage comparison test.


98 / A+

EASE OF USE

The Good:The watch form factor makes it as easy as glancing down at your wrist. Excellent battery life.

The Bad: Not big fans of the new backlight system.

Bushnell NEO-X Golf GPS Watch

Click to enlarge

Details:

For more details, check out the Critical Golf comparison of golf GPS device features.


78 / C+

COURSE DETAIL AND MAPPING

The Good: The NEO-X has distances to pre-mapped hazards!

The Bad: Only displays two hazards per hole. Distances to the green are to fixed front and back points of the green, not the near and far points of the green based on player position.

Bushnell NEO-X Golf GPS Watch

Click for more images

Details:


81 / B-

FEATURES

The Good: Shot distance measuring, auto hole advance, and an odometer that will measure how far you have walked and how quickly. And it’s also waterproof!

The Bad: No ability to track scores or statistics. None of the features or preference settings other than shot tracking can be accessed without exiting from your current round.

Details:

For more details, check out the Critical Golf comparison of golf GPS device features.


90 / A-

ACCURACY

In our on-course testing the Bushnell NEO-X watch generally provided readings within five yards of course marked distances. The distances to points continue to be shown throughout the hole, regardless of how far away you are from those points. We compared the NEO-X against a Bushnell Hybrid, and found that the two devices were consistently within a few yards of one another, reasonable given the usual accuracy of GPS devices.


93 / A-

COST/VALUE

Retail Price: The Bushnell NEO-X golf GPS watch launched in May 2013 at a suggested retail price of $199.95 (which, oddly enough, is still the suggested retail price of the prior generation neo+ watch).

Fees for Access to Course Database: There are no additional fees for access to the course database through Bushnell’s partner, iGolf.

Three-Year Total Cost of Ownership: With no cost for access to the iGolf course database, the three-year total cost for the Bushnell NEO-X golf GPS watch remains $199.95. This makes the NEO-X one of the lower-priced golf GPS devices in terms of overall cost over three years.

Value: The Bushnell NEO-X provides solid functionality at a reasonable price. It doesn’t track scores or statistics, but the addition of pre-mapped hazard information (although only two hazards are shown at a time) makes the NEO-X a good buy.


3 Responses

  1. Can’t wait to see a review and how it stacks up what what else is available. Does it let you track more than just your score? How is the syncing feature?

  2. I’ve owned the watch for three years. After year one, had to send it back to the factory to repair as the battery was unable to recharge and the information it was showing on the watch was totally wrong. Now, two years later, I am unable to recharge the watch. When I returned the watch the first time, I was told that they no longer manufactured the battery. Fortunately, as it turned out, it wasn’t a battery issue but apparently there were some loose connections inside the watch which they repaired. Now the battery won’t recharge again. Maybe this explains why the review on this website is for a three year cost of ownership because that is the expected lifespan of the watch.

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