Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch is the latest timepiece promises to fix many of the things that have held back Android-powered smartwatches in the past. But does it deliver?
Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle Key Features
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100
- 8GB storage / 1GB RAM
- 1.28in AMOLED display, 328 ppi
- Stainless steel 44mm face, 12mm thickness
- Accelerometer/Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Altimeter, Built-in GPS, NFC, microphone
- Powered with Wear OS by Google
- Compatible with iOS 10.0+ or Android 4.4+
- Review price: £279
I was a late convert to smart watches, largely in part because I didn’t see the point, but also because they were so laggy and battery life has never been genuinely “all day”. But I was tempted into the fray by 2018’s Gen 4 from Fossil’s Emporio Armani piece. It was almost the perfect balance of style and smartwatch substance. However, the battery performance wasn’t there, meaning I reverted to having Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity off, sacrificing notifications and just enjoying its beautiful digital watch face.
It was only 75% of the smartwatch experience, but it was enough. However, with the launch of the new Fossil Gen 5, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100, I’m getting the 100% experience I craved.
Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle – Design
Measuring 44mm, the stainless steel angled chassis of the Carlyle is sleek and has a healthy weight to it. Even in black, it grabs attention without being showy. Five other colours are available and the Carlyle has some great branded and third party straps available. My personal fave is the metal strap that comes with the Smoke Stainless Steel Carlyle. Literally thousands of digital faces can be found and created for Wear OS, so you can customise the style of your watch to suit your personal taste.
There are only three controls; the crown, which can be twisted and pushed in open the app draw and to confirm selections and then two customisable buttons. By default, the top button launches the Fossil app, and the bottom one is set to launch the Google Fit app, which has some great health tracking features, including providing heart rate via the watch’s heart rate monitor on the reverse of its face.
All straightforward stuff.
Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle – Performance and battery
This is where Gen 5 really comes alive. Benefitting from 1GB RAM and Qualcomm’s latest Wear 3100 chipset, Gen 5 smartwatches are more responsive and slicker than ever. In the few weeks I’ve had it, I’ve experienced no lag in functionality or freezing – both things I had become accustomed to with the previous generation. Another benefit of the new chip is significant improvements in power management.
The Gen 5 has helpful set up modes that can walk you through its power management options; Daily, Extended, Time-only and Custom. The modes do what they describe. I have mine in custom mode, obvs and have Wi-Fi/NFC off by default. I just put them on when I specifically need them, like when paying for things at the shops or updating and downloading apps. One thing I turned on that was oddly off by default was “Tilt-to-wake”. That is something I would expect to be standard on a smart watch. I can get a full day of use with my Gen 5 Carlyle, and if I know I’m on a long trip, I can extend the battery to get a couple of day’s use by turning off smart features.
Even using Gen 4 as watch only, I couldn’t get through 24 hours. The new Gen 5 also has fast charging, although Gen 4 never felt particularly slow. But now, my Gen 5 watch will charge up to 80% in 50 minutes, it’s a nice touch. It means I can put on charge during a meeting and be back at 100% by the time it’s over. Crucially, thanks to its performance boosts and enhancements, Gen 5 watches feel genuinely smart, rather than attempting to be.
Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle – Features
Fossil has introduced some positive new features, including a built-in speaker that allows the watch to play music and make/receive phone calls. The phone calling is the first time a Wear OS watch has been able to deliver this functionality to iPhones. Increased onboard storage, now up to 8GB, means more space for apps and music. But it also means more head room for smoother performance.
Swimmers will enjoy that the new Gen 5 is also swimproof for up to 30 metres depth. But this also means you don’t have to worry about taking off your watch when washing hands or showering. I also like that the GPS-function on this phone is now independent of your phone. This means you can leave your mobile at home and still get tracking data from a walk/run/bike ride.
Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle – Conclusion: Should I buy the Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch?
If you’re in the market for a smartwatch in 2019, there doesn’t seem to be a much better choice. The Gen 5 is a superb all-rounder with improvements in areas that matter. It looks fantastic, functions consistently well and lasts all day, with smart features enabled. If I had anything to complain about, it would be that Fossil uses a proprietary charger that is expensive to replace and an ache if you travel and forget to take it with you. At least if they added an open standard wireless charging option or USB-C port, you’d be covered if you forgot your watch charger at home.
Highly customisable to your tastes and needs, the Fossil Gen 5 is one of the best smartwatches money can buy in 2019.
To learn more about the whole range, click here.
