[Review] Fossil Q Neely: What is a hybrid smartwatch for?

A few years ago the SmartWatch they assaulted the market bringing with them many promises: independence from smartphones, the ability to notify us of calls and messages, the ability to answer the phone while being far from it and to keep track of our physical activity in detail. All intentions that, over time, have been respected but which in reality have not led the smartwatches to success. Yes, that's right, perhaps the Apple Watch is an exception, but this revolutionary product has never really reached and conquered the masses.

The reasons are many: they range from the most banal "I don't know what to do with it" to a question of design and size, obviously passing through prices and the need to refer to the smartphone. In short, on balance the traditional smartwatch, the one with display, operating systems and voice assistants, seems to have remained the prerogative of technology enthusiasts. However, the producers did not give up and tried to fill the gap with a device that has been baptized "hybrid smartwatch", just like Fossil Q Neely.

What is a hybrid smartwatch?

It seems a mythological being but in reality the idea is all in all simple: a hybrid smartwatch is a device that it looks like a traditional watch but inside it hides the technology typical of smart devices.

In short, outside it looks like an elegant device characterized by a sturdy case with attention to every detail, but in reality it is designed to notify calls and messages, keep track of physical activity, take photographs and control your music.

It basically does (almost) everything you'd expect from a traditional smartwatch.

Fossil Q Neely: its technical characteristics

But how useful can this type of watch be? To find out, we decided to test Fossil Q Neely for a few weeks, the hybrid smartwatch designed for the fairer sex.

But before discovering how it behaved, let's take a look at the technical characteristics.

Form of the Case: Round
Case Size: 36 mm
Case thickness 12mm
Strap width 16mm
Movement type: Quartz
Connectivity : Bluetooth Smart enabled / 4.1 low power consumption
Sensors: Accelerometer
Battery Type: CR2025
Waterproof: 5 ATM
Battery life: Up to 1 year
Compatibility: Android OS 5.0 and later, iOS 9.0 and later

An attractive design

The first thing that amazes about Fossil Q Neely is undoubtedly the design. Available in 2 different colors - Rose Gold and Silver - and characterized by an interchangeable strap what can be in leather, silicone or metal, this watch certainly does not go unnoticed. It is elegant, suitable for any situation and definitely more captivating than a classic smartwatch.

I confess: I haven't used watches for nearly ten years, yet adapting to Fossil Q Neely was really easy. The weight and the contained dimensions make it decidedly not bulky and wearing it during the day is really a pleasure. The problem, however, arises at night: Q Neely is also able to track sleep but keeping it on the wrist while you sleep is not exactly easy.

The other flaw - albeit easily resolvable - concerns the leather strap which has blackened faster than expected and which suffers a little at the height of the buckle. Don't worry though, Fossil's hybrid smartwatch is compatible with all 16mm straps, so you can change it at any time.

Adapt to minimalism

To use Fossil Q Neely you first need the dedicated application, that is Fossil Q.

The app is divided into 4 different tabs. The first is a sort of recap: here you will find the current configuration of the keys, the one relating to notifications and the pedometer with daily information.

The second tab instead, called Device, allows you to set shortcuts. Fossil Q Neely is indeed equipped with 3 different buttons placed on the right side of the case; any of them can be customized to perform certain actions. A few examples? You can decide to show your progress related to physical activity, manage music, take a photo, show a second time zone or have your smartphone ring so you can find it easily.

The third tab is instead dedicated to contacts and applications. You can assign a number from 1 to 12 (those on the watch face) to a specific contact or app. In this way Fossil Q Neely will not only vibrate when a notification is received but the hands will move to the previously set figure, so you will know what you have been notified. Is it unclear? I'll give you an example. On my hybrid smartwatch the 2 corresponds to Whatsapp; this means that every time I receive a message on the popular instant messaging platform, the clock vibrates and the hands both move to 2.

The system, as you have probably guessed, is definitely more primitive than that found on a traditional smartwatch. First of all you have to remember which number you have associated the applications with; secondly, it is possible to associate multiple contacts or apps to a single digit, which will make everything much too chaotic. I found my balance by relying on minimalism: so I chose to connect number 1 to messages, 2 to Whatsapp, 6 to calls and 9 to emails. In this way I have no difficulty in remembering the meaning of the different notifications, but obviously I also have no way of knowing who wrote or called me without checking my smartphone.

The last tab is that of Statistics. Here you will find both the pedometer and the summary of your nocturnal activity. The first is obviously not precise to the millimeter, also because it is not designed for fitness and does not want to compete with more accurate devices, but all in all it performs well. Sleep tracking, on the other hand, is surprisingly accurate, but - I remind you - the price to achieve this is a certain inconvenience and the possibility of waking up with the imprint of the strap on your wrist.

What about the basic settings? Don't worry, those too exist. Inside the application, at the top right, you will find two small circles. The outermost allows you to access the your account and modify data such as weight, height and profile picture, but also to define the type of unit to use or the fitness applications to integrate with. The innermost circle is instead dedicated to Fossil Q Neely; here you can check the battery status, set the alarm, find the smartwatch and define the intensity of the vibration.

Who is Fossil Q Neely dedicated to?

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In short, this hybrid smartwatch it is suitable for those who are still faithfully anchored to the original idea of ​​a watch but do not want to give up a few more features, such as notifications, the ability to take pictures remotely or to manage your own music without having to take your smartphone out of your pocket.

Fossil Q Neely is already available on the market at the cost of Euro 179.