There’s no picking between operating systems for the Fossil Gen 6 Smartwatch as it uses Wear OS by Google, so it means it’s available to use for both iPhone and Android users and is a strong competitor for the Apple Watch and Samsung’s Galaxy series.
The Gen 6 comes in different designs but they’re not interchangeable. There’s a purple silicone strap with a rose gold diamante face and a rose gold stainless steel strap, both catered towards women, for genderless options, there is a brown leather strap and a black silicone strap, and for a more masculine feel, smoky stainless steel, dark camo and gunmetal grey, all with dark grey or black watch faces.
It has an impressive array of features packed into the oversized watch face with a 1.28-inch AMOLED display, that also features three large buttons on the side to switch between functions. The watch runs on a Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus chipset with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage – it makes it fast, and there are no delays when switching between menus.
So does the battery cope with such amazing functions, or is it a case of charging up daily? More on that later. The Fossil Gen 6 is at the higher end of the price points for a smartwatch, the Fossil brand, the technology and the look push it up to £279 or £299 depending on which design you opt for.
Let’s find out how What’s The Best's deputy commercial content editor Natalie Corner, got on with the latest Fossil smartwatch to enter the arena.
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www.fossil.com
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Can use instead of phone | • Poor battery life |
| • Fast charging | • Too many apps |
| • Fast Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus chipset | • Unnecessary buttons |
| • Clear crisp OLED display |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Touchscreen? | Yes |
| Colour display? | Yes 1.28" Color AMOLED |
| GPS? | Yes |
| Bluetooth? | Yes 5.0 |
| Compatibility? | Both iOs and Android |
| Size: | 42mm x 42mm |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours |
| Material | Silicone strap, case stainless steel |
| Sound | Loudspeaker, Microphone, Vibration |
| Water resistant | Yes 3 ATM |
{#h-}
Build
> Bold interface
> Unnecessary buttons
> Lightweight
Compared to the Fossil Gen 5 there have been a couple of changes to the Fossil Gen 6. The Gen 5 had a smooth bevel on the watch face, this has been upgraded to a ridged bevel and the three rose gold designs also feature jazzy diamantes. I immediately tried to give the edge a twist thinking that it rotated as the navigation, instead that resides in the three extra push buttons on the right side of the watch.
The three buttons in my opinion are a useless design flaw, the two smaller one's act as shortcuts to part of the menu depending on how you set it up. The larger middle one rotates to go through one of the drop-down menus, but when it’s pressed it doesn’t cancel your choice and return to the main screen.
The overall build, however, is smart and bold. If you are used to a chunky timepiece then this is one for you. Even though it’s larger at 42mm it isn’t heavy and more than comfortable to sleep in thanks to the soft silicone that I reviewed.
Usability
> Too many apps
> Great connectivity to your phone
> Send messages and take calls
As a regular Fitbit user, I only need one app on my phone to sync my watch so I can read more data and track my daily activities, sleep patterns and heart rate. Setting up the Fossil Gen 6 felt complicated because it needed the Wear OS app as well as the Google Fit app to connect my watch, and only then was I able to see more of the data.
It all seemed so convoluted, but you can see some of your data directly on the watch, if only for brief moments after you’ve completed a workout and the graphs that are displayed are very small. The Google Fit app has your usual activity tracking, vitals like heart rate, oxygen saturation, body temperature, blood pressure and resting heart rate, there’s sleep tracking and for those who menstruate, period cycle tracking.
The user experience isn’t always easy and the menstrual tracking doesn’t allow you to log any symptoms. However, sleep tracking does tell you the stages of your sleep, efficiency and measure your heart rate while you snooze.
The notifications were easy to set up, once you allow access to your phone you can pick and choose what appears on the display, and full text messages can be clearly read thanks to the OLED screen, and you can type on a mini keyboard as well as send emojis. You can absolutely leave your phone in your bag and do everything from your watch including taking phone calls.
Performance
> Poor battery life
> Light sensor distracting
> Amazing features
There are so many detailed features packed into the Fossil Gen 6 that it left me wondering just how long the watch would last before it had to be charged again. The not-so-very surprising answer was less than half a day when I discovered on my first wear that I’d left the ‘Always On’ display turned on and it had drained the battery.
The watch runs on a Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus chipset with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, which makes it very fast and as close to the functionality and speed of an Apple Watch. You can swipe seamlessly through the menu without delay and the crisp OLED display is very impressive.
To reduce battery usage I turned off the ‘Always On’ display, but then I found that the raise to wake function didn’t always register if I needed to check the time and I had to tap it three times before the screen would appear. The push-button on the outside immediately took me to the menu and meant always tapping backwards just to see the home screen.
It's recommended to turn off the heart rate monitor and a few other bits to reduce the battery usage like not choosing a fancy watch face, it will last through the night so you can track your sleep. But another issue for me was the light sensor on the back that shone brightly during the night and disturbed my sleep. If you don’t wear the watch tightly it will constantly flicker because it isn’t connected to your wrist.
This watch also isn’t designed as a fitness tracker, yes you can track your activities and read the data but it’s for style and appearance first and foremost. If I performed an exercise like a push-up the buttons on the watch pressed and paused my workout. If I locked the screen, the button would still press long enough for it to unlock and still pause my screen. I had to swap to my left hand to get through a workout. But at least it wasn’t fazed by sweat, unlike the Garmin Lily Sport Smartwatch.
Price
RRP £279 & £299
A big investment for a smartwatch the Fossil Gen 6 starts at £279, but cheaper than an Apple Series 7 at £369. Compared to the latest Fitbit Charge 5, which is a pretty impressive fitness tracker and smartwatch combined, at £169.99, you’re probably going to want to think about what function it will serve.
Considering how brilliant it works as a standalone smartwatch, rendering your phone unnecessary unless you want to browse the internet, it’s a great addition to have. But if you’re really into fitness it would be better to opt for something that will function properly and not be so cumbersome in your workout.
Verdict
www.fossil.com
There is a great deal to unpack with the Fossil Gen 6 and I couldn’t fault the design or technology that resides inside. It runs smoothly and has an array of features to track your health and lifestyle.
As a standalone watch when you want to put your phone away, I would vote a huge yes on snapping this up. But as someone who wears their watch to workout every day it was in the way a little bit too much. I’d probably wear the Fossil Gen 6 if I was taking a break from heavy exercise, but I don’t think I could afford to have a smartwatch for every mood!
A very solid performance with just a few personal niggles, if you’re happy charging your watch up every day just like you do with your phone it shouldn’t be an issue. And with the fast charging, you’re not going to be hanging around long for it to be fully charged.
What to read next
Natalie Corner is the Deputy Commercial Content Editor for Bauer Media, working across brands such as What’s The Best, Yours, Mother&Baby, Grazia, Heat and Closer, specialising in lifestyle and fitness content.
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