The Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch is the best Wear OS watch you can buy (Updated) - Android - Canadian apps and news

The Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch is the best Wear OS watch you can buy (Updated) - Android

«««««

»»»»»

The Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch just got a huge software update. Read on for the details!

Update: August 19, 2020: We have updated our Fossil Gen 5 review with details on a new software update that brings sleep tracking, new phone app updates, and more. Read on for the details!

Fossil is one of the last remaining watchmakers to stay committed to Google’s Wear OS platform. The company launches multiple smartwatches each year, and they’re some of the best looking Wear OS watches in the business. Despite this, I didn’t expect to like the latest Fossil watch as much as I did — many Wear OS watches are slow and struggle to last a full day on a charge.

The new Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch is different. Its upgraded specs, custom battery modes, and new hardware make for one of the best Wear OS experiences you can find right now. Read our full Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch review to find out why you should buy one, and why you might want to pass.

Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch on Amazon

Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch review notes: I’ve been using the Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle Smartwatch for roughly a week, running Wear OS version 2.8 with build number PWDU.190718.013 on the July 1, 2019 security patch. It’s been paired with my Google Pixel 3 for the duration of this review.

Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch review: The big picture

Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch

Wear OS is in an awkward place — major fashion companies and tech brands are releasing Wear OS smartwatches left and right, but Google doesn’t seem too committed to the platform. If you don’t believe me, just look back at the zero Wear OS mentions at Google I/O 2019.

Still, Fossil and its long list of brands continue to remain true to Wear OS. The Gen 5 Smartwatch is one of the few Wear OS watches to run on the newer Snapdragon 3100 chipset, and it has a few features you won’t find on other devices: custom battery modes, plenty of RAM to help with performance, and even a built-in speaker.

It may be in the running as one of the best Wear OS watches out right now, but it has more competition outside of the relatively small Wear OS bubble. Can it really compete with the Apple Watch, Fitbit Versa, and Galaxy Watch?

Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch review: Design and display

Display: 1.28-inch AMOLED
- 416 x 416 resolution
- 328ppi
Case size: 44 x 12mm
Strap size: 22mm
Weight: 99.79g

If you’re at all familiar with Fossil smartwatches, you’ll be right at home with the Generation 5 smartwatch. It features similar overall design to previous Fossil watches, with a big, bright 1.28-inch AMOLED display, a sharp pixel density of 328ppi, and three programmable pushers on the right side — the middle of which is a rotatable crown. The buttons are easy to press, and the spinning crown provides a nice alternative to swiping on that tiny screen with your finger. It’s no rotating bezel like you’ll find on the Samsung Galaxy Watch, but it’ll do.

There are three Gen 5 models: the Carlyle (our review unit), the Julianna, and the newer Garrett model that launched at CES 2020. They’re all the same price and come with a variety of different strap options. Our review unit has a black silicone strap, but you can also buy variants with metal and leather straps. Of course, the straps are interchangeable, so you can swap them out for any 22mm straps you have lying around.