Fossil Smartwatch Gen 4

8.8
8.8 score
(TheGearHunt) score (8.8)/10

Our TheGearHunt score is based on 3 different factors: Editor's rating after in-depth testing. User ratings submitted on this page Overall score from the "reviewmeter" based on reviews across the web the weight of each factor is: 40% editor rating 15% user ratings 45% reviewmeter.
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Editor rating: 9.4 / 10
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Fossil Smartwatch Gen 4 Review Facts

Fossil has come out with many series of smartwatches, all of which come in many different colors and style choices. These smartwatches are not only intended to be fitness trackers, but they will also allow you to receive notifications including calendar alerts, your alarm clock, app alerts, social media, email, and text messages. These smartwatches are a great way for you to multitask, stay fit, and stay up to date on everything that is taking place in your social life, too. You can also use the Fossil Smartwatch to set your alarm, and you can use it to control the music that you are listening to. It also does not matter what type of phone you have to connect it to, as Fossil Smartwatches are compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Bonus features include waterproof abilities and the ability to use the smartwatch to pay. Let’s now get into all the other features that the Fossil Smartwatch offers, and whether or not we think that you should purchase it.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • The watch has a very appealing design, and it comes available in many different colors, giving customers plenty of options to choose from
  • The Fossil Smartwatch sends the person notifications, making it easier to stay connected without having to use their smartphone constantly
  • The watch is waterproof, meaning that you can wash your hands with it on or swim while wearing it
  • Many people were pleased with the durability of the watch and said that it was made out of high-quality materials
Cons
  • People complained that the watch does need to be charged quite frequently, and it does not hold charge for long
  • While the watch is great for staying up to date on social media, it does not provide too much data to store your information, however

Activities

As with most smartwatches, the Fossil Smartwatch is good for helping you to track your daily fitness activities. It helps you to count how many steps you have taken throughout the day, how long you have walked, and how many calories you have burned. The smartwatch will also track your heart rate, and you can use it during multiple different activities, including during swimming.

The smartwatch can also help you stay up to date on your text messages, emails, and social media. You will receive multiple app alerts, and you can also set your alarm using the smartwatch. You can personalize the watch face as you please, and you can also use the watch to control your music.

Basic Features

Some of the most basic features of the watch are that it helps you to track your daily movement. You will receive information every day about how many steps you have taken, how far you have traveled (i.e., you walked today the equivalent of x miles), and how many calories you have burned in total.

The watch also has a heart rate monitor, which allows you to see how fast your heart is beating and how your heart rate has changed throughout the course of your exercise.

Another basic feature of the watch is that it goes to sleep when you aren’t using it or looking at it. All you need to do to wake it up is lift your wrist. Fossil included this feature in the watch in order to help save some battery life.

Advanced Features

The newer versions of the Fossil Smartwatch do come with many advanced features. One of the greatest features of the smartwatch is that it will send you notifications, so you can always stay up to date, even if you don’t have your phone with you at the moment. You will receive smart notifications of your text messages, emails, and anything pertaining to social media. The watch does not allow you to answer calls, but considering the fact that you don’t need to have your phone out constantly makes this highly convenient. The watch also does have a microphone, which lets you use voice activation technology by Google.

You can also use the smartwatch as an alarm clock, and the newer models do include a GPS. The Generation 4, for example, has an untethered GPS which will not only show you where you are going, but it will also help you to see how far you have run and let you listen to your music. The watch will also let you control the music that you are listening to.

Another interesting feature of the watch is that it is also waterproof, which means that if one of your preferred activities is swimming, you can wear the watch while swimming and it will track how many laps you swam. You also can keep the watch on if you are washing your hands.

The smartwatch has Google Pay, which means that you can connect your debit card and use the watch to make payments.

And, the watch does have an LED flashlight, which will help you if you’re in a dark place or if you have lost power. However, something to take into consideration is the fact that the Fossil Smartwatch does not have sleep tracking features or automatic recognition of the activities you are participating in.

Connectivity

The Fossil Smartwatch is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. However, many people who used the smartwatch with their iPhones said that they did have some problems connecting their watch to their iPhone. They said that the watch did not send them all of their notifications. So, if you have an iPhone, this might not be the perfect smartwatch for you.

However, the watch will connect to your phone using Bluetooth, and it also is able to connect using Wi-Fi. The watch will also sync your phone’s data.

Apps

The watch includes Google Pay, which allows you to connect to your debit card and make payments anywhere that credit cards are accepted. The watch also has a GPS, and the ability to show you the weather. It does come with apps meant for Android and iOS devices, but some of the people who had iPhones said that the app was not that great for their watches and it needed a lot of updates. However, people using Android devices said that they liked the way the app worked with their phones.

Comfort

A lot of people who purchased the Fossil Smartwatch said that the watch itself was not very comfortable. Since the watch is indeed heavy, they felt that their wrists were being weighed down. And this is not the greatest feature for a watch that is meant to be worn all day, every day in order to track people’s steps and movements. The watch felt clunky on the wrist, and it is of a rather large size. However, no one complained about the comfort of the watch straps, especially due to the fact that each smartwatch comes with several straps that people can change according to their tastes and comfort.

Style

A lot of people were impressed by the Fossil Smartwatch’s pleasant design. It does not look too sporty, and in fact, will look great with almost anything that you will wear. While the Fossil Smartwatch is not particularly small, it does look good. The watch has three different types- the Founder, Marshal, and Wander, the latter of which being the sportiest-looking of all of them.

Depending on which version of the watch you get, you will find that you have many options when it comes to color. The band is also replaceable, and you can change out the band depending on your taste. The Generation 4, for example, comes in 12 different colors.

Another example is the Q Wander, which comes in tan leather, black silicone, rose gold, rose gold steel, maroon, and white. The Q Founder and Q Marshal also have stainless steel options. So, as you can see, there are plenty of ways for you to style and customize your watches according to your tastes and what you will be wearing for the day.

Durability

Another thing that people highly appreciate about Fossil Smartwatches is their durability. Most Fossil watches in general- smartwatches are not- are well-known for being some of the best on the market, and for being made with only the best materials. People were pleased with the fact that the watch is made of very solid materials, and said that by simply holding and looking at the watch, they were able to understand how well-made it was. The only thing that a very small minority of people complained about was the fact that they had gotten several scratches on the watch screen, but it seems that they were people who participated in hardcore sports often. While this watch is made to withstand exercise, if you are going to participate in very hardcore sports that have a high risk of injury, this watch is not the best option.

Face

The face of the watch is customizable, so you can include anything you want on it. The watch connects to your Facebook and Instagram, which will also allow you to choose a photo from those sites as your screensaver. Fossil has also included appealing designs for the face of the watch. And since the watch face is a touchscreen, this makes the use of the watch much easier. Some people did not think that the screen was of the best quality due to the fact that there was a cut off on the bottom of the screen that affected the way a new background would appear. The Wander version of the smartwatch has the smallest face, and is recommended especially for people who have smaller wrists.

Band

All Fossil smartwatches have replaceable bands and ones that come in many different design options. For example, you can choose from having a leather band, a stainless steel one, and a silicone one. The bands were reviewed as being both attractive and comfortable, and people found that they were able to wear the smartwatch no matter where they went due to the attractive design.

Also, the stainless steel band was made so that it will not rust, stain, or corrode as easily as a watch that might be made with regular steel would.

Ease of Use

The watch is marketed as being fairly simple to use, with the only issue being people who had iPhones. Many of them said that the watch was not very compatible with their phone, and it was not able to sync accurately with the iPhone, which caused them to return the watch.

Battery

The watch has a 360mAh battery, but it does not have a great battery life; it is estimated at about 24 hours. People complained about the battery life, and while they did know about this before they went out to purchase the watch, it did seem like a nuisance. And, since the watch does not have options for sleep tracking, you could perhaps take it off during the night to charge. But in any case, the watch has wireless charging, and people agreed that the charging process was easy. The website claims that the watch will charge in about one hour.

Price

The price of the watch depends on what version you are going to get. For example, the Generation 2 smartwatch is approximately $255, whereas the Generation 4 is $275. Some people believe that the watch is a little too pricey considering the fact that it is not too detailed in its tracking abilities, it has a poor battery life, and it does not have sleep tracking. If you don’t do very hardcore exercising and you are looking for a smartwatch that is stylish, this might be a good option for you.

Accessories

The smartwatch does not come with any accessories.

Key Features

-The watch tracks the number of steps you have taken, how far you have walked, and how many calories you’ve burned.
-The Fossil Smartwatch gives you the ability to control your music.
-It has an untethered GPS, which allows you to see where you’re going, how far you are running, and play music you have stored on your watch.
-The watch is waterproof, meaning you can use it during swim practice, and you don’t need to take it off if you are going to be handling water.
-The watch is highly durable and is made out of top-quality materials.

Bottom Line

The Fossil Smartwatch is a highly fashionable smartwatch that allows you to track your fitness and receive important notifications. However, if you are someone with an iPhone, or if you do particularly hardcore exercise, the Fossil Smartwatch might not be the best option for you. But if you want something that looks great and allows you to use basic fitness tracking, then, by all means, it is a great option.