Fossil Gen 5E is the latest smartwatch of the American company that, once again, has chosen WearOS for its wearables. However, this is not the primary feature of Fossil's new wearables: the 5E generation aims at a more compact size without sacrificing any functionality.
Will they have succeeded in their intent? Let's find out in this one Fossil 5E review.
Fossil Gen 5E review
42 mm case (but there is also a 44 mm version), stainless steel and circular shape: Fossil Gen 5E is apparently a classic watch, available in different colors. We have had the opportunity to try that powder pink with silicone strap but if you prefer classicism, know that you can find it silver with the steel mesh bracelet.
Colors are of course the only thing that changes. Dimensions and weight remain unchanged. And this is precisely the first point on which we want to stop. Fossil Gen 5E was born with the intention of offering everything in a smaller format but we are not there yet. The smartwatch is really very light but the thickness can certainly be improved. However, it represents a step forward compared to the past and in daily use it does not cause any discomfort.
On the other hand, the 18 mm silicone strap is excellent. It's not overly stiff, it's very comfortable, and the quality feels above average. If you don't like it, don't panic: it's interchangeable so you can choose the one you like best.
They complete the quick overview water resistance up to 3 ATM and the only button present, located on the right. You only use it to go back to the main screen or to access the application menu, for everything else there is the display.
The AMOLED screen
Fossil Gen 5E shows an AMOLED screen with a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels and 328 ppi. It is touchscreen, extremely responsive and with a decidedly convincing color rendering. Also the brightness is good but not automatic, then you will have to use the appropriate menu to adjust it by hand. In closed environments it is an action that you will practically never do. The intermediate level in fact allows you to carry out any activity without any problem. Under the sun, on the other hand, you will have to intervene to ensure maximum readability.
On the interaction front, everything depends on wear OS, which allows you to move from one screen to another with just a simple swipe. On the right you will find your favorite widgets, chosen using the dedicated application; on the left, switch to the voice assistant, while at the top you can read your notifications. A swipe down finally shows you all the settings.
Finally, we point out il supporto all’Always-On Display. You can therefore keep the screen always active but be careful because it will consume energy.
Fossil Gen 5E review: the hardware
But what is hiding inside Fossil Gen 5E? First of all we have a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor, flanked by 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of internal memory. Together they are more than enough to make the smartwatch snappy and responsive on every occasion.
Then we have the Bluetooth 4.2, the NFC for payments with Google Pay and WiFi, as well as sensors such as accelerometer, gyroscope, off-body IR and heart rate sensor.
For those who love to manage calls directly from the watch there are speaker and microphone. This means that you can answer or initiate calls even away from your smartphone. Obviously it is not the same thing: the volume is contained and every now and then the speaker croaks, while the microphone does not eliminate the surrounding noises. Nothing unusual though. However, we are talking about a smartwatch that hits the target, giving us a bit of independence.
Daily use
Wear OS gives us everything we need, starting with notification management. You can really get anything or turn off the ones you don't need. You can also reply to messages using pre-set responses, the small keyboard, emoticons or voice dictation.
The only limit is the voice messages: you cannot listen to them and you cannot send them.
Wear OS also means Play Store. The Google operating system makes it possible to install the applications you need on the smartwatch, from Telegram to Strava, via Shazam and Todoist. Let's not forget the voice assistant and the consequent possibility of controlling your smart home from the wrist.
The new generation Fossil smartwatch also helps you to manage music playback and monitor your health. In fact, you have at your disposal Google Fit which records steps, calories, km traveled and heart rate. Plus you have monitoring of the sonno which works very well but is not always usable. On the one hand you have to deal with the battery, on the other hand with the size of the smartwatch. Not everyone can sleep with a watch on their wrist. Our suggestion, however, is to try and see if you are among them or if it doesn't give you any problems.
Nothing to report regarding accuracy. The data seems pretty accurate to us, even if the GPS is missing. However, this does not mean that you will have to give up geolocation. The smartwatch can use the sensor of the phone to track your movements anyway.
Battery
The battery is the big limitation of the Fossil Gen 5E. In fact, the company has worked hard to integrate different ways to extend the life of the watch but the situation is almost unchanged. Except for the Watch Only mode, which asks you to give up all smart features, the others allow you to cover the maximum two days.
Once unloaded, you can recharge it using the base and the USB cable included in the package. The wait is not particularly long: in an hour you will have a full battery again.
Fossil Gen 5E review: do I buy it?
Fossil Gen 5E was created for a very specific target: those who want a smartwatch that looks like a real watch. With 229€ you take home an elegant product, characterized by an excellent build quality and which includes all the smart features you need in everyday life. It is not perfect but in our opinion the quality / price ratio is particularly interesting.
But be careful: it is not a sportwatch. It can track sport, but this is not its primary purpose. You will find it much more useful for notifications, calls and control of your home automation.
PRO
- Refined design
- High build quality
- Simple to use
- Smart functionality
- NFC payments
- Call management
- Interesting price
AGAINST
- No GPS
- No automatic brightness sensor
- Autonomy not exciting
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