Customer Ratings & Reviews

Overall this watch feels more like a traditional watch than the other smart watches I own. It has a great look to it and enough weight to actually feel like I am wearing a watch. It has what looks like a normal crown dial that functions as an app button along with two other buttons that can be programmed. The watch was fairly easy to setup and after charging for a few hours out of the box I was setting it up using the Google Wear OS. Total time was about 10 mins to get setup and synched up with my phone. I did have an issue after it performed a firmware update that required me to unpaired it from my phone and perform a factory reset. After that it has worked fine. I am still getting used to the Google Wear OS and when compared to the Samsung interface for their smart watches I don't feel it is as polished or as intuitive. I feel it is more challenging to add apps and additional faces to this watch when compared to my Samsung S3. The need to download multiple apps or watch faces from different apps via the google store is somewhat annoying. It would be better if just one app or interface would allow me to select and push new watch faces to the watch without having to perform additional steps on the watch. One pro I do like about this watch when compared to my Samsung is the fact it is waterproof up to 9 ATM so no worries now when hitting the pool. Adjusting the band was straightforward and I was able to remove a few links at home due to having the necessary tools to remove pins. If you are familiar with the Google Wear OS and want a solid feeling watch that looks like a traditional watch you can't go wrong with this one. If you are accustomed to the Samsung interface there will be a bit of a learning curve to overcome but not impossible.

The fourth generation of the Explorist with heart rate monitor is a good smartwatch for fashion conscious people. Any wearable tech needs to be fashionable in some sense, but this 45mm model has a very robust feel to it. The steel grey metal link band and case add a honed, no nonsense look. Being a 4th gen model, I was hoping for the Qualcomm 3100 chipset to be inside, but alas no. It still runs on the older 2100 chip, but utilizes some battery saving features that maintain a decent 36hrs operating range. The interface is a bit slow compared to a 1st gen 360 with regard to the tilt-to-wake feature, but faster voice recognition when dictating text messages. The screen is clear and bright with very good resolution. I only have 2 issues, first is with the perceived screen size and the actual size. They did away with the flat tire, but at the expense of a side wall all the way around (extending the metaphor), thus taking 3/16" off the screen's radius. A huge chunk of real estate on such an already small screen. The other is quite an oversight, the lack of a speaker to be able to answer calls and get info from google assistant. Wear OS, being essential to the operation of the watch, wouldn't connect the device to my phone. After a week of attempting the setup, I managed to get it paired with another phone. I can't fault the watch for that, but the Wear app being a crucial part of the watch's functionality is why I had to put that in. This watch is great for now until the new 3100 chipset starts rolling out.

It’s looks very nice I love it but after every 5 to 10 minutes it would be disconnected from my phone and every time asking for WiFi so it’s hard otherwise looks are good

The Fossil age 4 Explorist HR is a smart watch based on Google Wear OS 2.1. It has an attractive smoked colored band and a battery that will last for approximately 1 day depending on usage. I won’t detail the functionality of the Wear operating system. Suffice it to say that it is the latest version of the operating system that provides the ability to read your agenda, read and respond to messages, read gmail, etc. and Google Fit. The watch also includes built in GPS but no speaker. The watch is like most current smart watches and requires a phone to be nearby to complete most tasks. To achieve this, you download an app from either Googles Play Store or Apples App Store. For me, the Play Store app worked well. The app from Apples App Store however had problems and would not always work. The most useful feature was the ability to respond to messages by voice without removing the phone from your pocket. If you are looking for a smartwatch that is attractive and runs Google Wear, I recommend the Fossil with the understanding that it does not integrate well with the iPhone and its one day battery limitation.

Operating system isn’t compatible with iOS (iphone7)

Dont buy it, if you really want a good watch go with apple.

I like this watch. It's the best looking smartwatch I've seen imo. Very similar to my older Fossil Q Marshal but with a few more features like built in gps, heartrate monitor, NFC, and deeper waterproofing. Seems a little thinner and sleeker too. I mainly use it for casual use but it looks kind of dressy. I have several nice watches so I may not wear it everyday but if you do you will probably need to charge it most nights. It does seem to charge quickly. Good price for what you get.

So I have had an Apple Watch for over a year now and I kind of got bored with it. I like to change the watch face frequently and there just aren’t many classy faces available. This fossil watch does everything the Apple does but has many more classy watch faces and it appears to update frequently with even more. The only thing I do mis is the ability to text back from your watch and if it is possible with the Fossil I haven’t figured it out yet. If you’re looking for a classic look and more options get this over the Apple.

I guess I am spoiled with having a Garmin Fenix 5S; this watch, although it looks very nice, and is perfect for work or dress up, isnt much when it comes to a fitness watch/workout watch. Google wear software is alot better than it was, but, its not in the same league as the Garmin software is. If you want a dressy watch, with some smart features, then this would work well for you; if you want a hi tech fitness sports watch, then keep looking, because thats not what this watch is..

I bought this watch in August. Right when it came out. I am so happy that I made this purchase. My wife has the Samsung Gear Sport, but for me, its the OS that makes the difference. Using Wear OS vs Samsung's Tizen OS was an easy decision. I like the Wear OS and this watch does exactly what it says it does. I wear it everyday to workout. Great for tracking my sets and calories. Might not be completely accurate with calories, but at least it gives me a baseline of how many calories I'm burning. The heart rate monitor is a good addition from the Gen 3, as is the waterproofing for swimming. At the gym, I leave my phone in the locker and bluetooth my headphones to listen to music. If you have a Google Music subscription, you can download playlists to the watch and listen to them without carrying around your bulky phone. This is great at the gym. You can also receive text messages without your phone if you are connected to wifi. You can't respond, with other than canned responses built into the watch, but you can at least be notified and view your messaged on the watch, even without the phone in hand. The battery life is really good on this watch. When I first bought it, it would barely last an 8 hour workday. I received the update to the watch and now battery life is great. After a full day at work, my battery life is around 70% by the time i get home. Mind you, I don't keep the screen on all day, this all depends on how you use the watch. The interchangeable bands are also a great feature. It can be worn as a formal watch with a leather band, everyday watch with the metal band, or a sport watch with the silicone bands. Very versatile. As an aside. If you decide to purchase this watch, buy the stainless steel version. Overall its less expensive. The leather and silicone bands are cheaper when buying with the watch however, if you decide to buy a steel band later, as an accessory, it will be much more expensive. As a result, I'm going to get my wife the Fossil Venture and get rid of the Samsung Gear Sport. This is not a perfect watch. There are minor issues with the OS. Occasional lag when switching screens and having to restart the watch, but these are the same issues we all encounter with our phones. I highly recommend this watch. Fossil did a great job in the design and usability factors in this watch.

The watch face, screen, and band are beautiful. I hate the buttons. I was constantly tapping them with the back of my hand. I'm completely in love with Wear OS. Its superior to the other platforms I've used. That being said, the battery life of this watch is underwhelming. I was losing 25% battery life within the first 90 minutes. My Scores (1-5): Screen: 5 Design: 1 OS: 5 Battery: 1

If it had built-in speaker, it could be the best smartwatch. Unlike Samsung smartwatches it has built-in google assistant and much better looking design. I had to return due to the lack of built in speaker. Poor engineering.

Not recommended too slow abd laggy might get Samsung galaxy watch..............

I bought this watch hoping to avoid being like everyone else who has an Apple Watch. I’ll be asking for an Apple Watch this year. This watch was slow, basic, and limited when I originally unboxed it. It’s useless two years later.

Was excited to get this watch but my disappointment was overwhelming after I felt how cheap the watch feels combined with how slow it was. I believe the speed has nothing to do with the Wear OS...the watch wouldn't wake up when I turned my wrist toward me unless I repeated the motion a few times. I would press a button on the side to wake it up and it wouldn't...until a few seconds later. By that time I had already pressed the button again and it would turn into an endless cycle of on/off, back and forth. Spent two days with the watch and returned it to BestBuy.

Purchased this watch as a replacement for my Moto 360 Gen2, and everything appeared to be working fine until after the setup wizard closed. Every time the screen turns on, I get treated to a second or so of bright green static before it deigns to display an image. Tried a factory reset, same result after setup with no third party software on the device. Other than the display issues it appears to be a perfectly functional and aesthetically pleasing smart watch, but the display defects are so consistent and so off-putting that I've marked it all the way down to one star. I may revise based on any feedback I get from Fossil's support department in the morning, but I expect I'll likely end up returning it for a refund or sending it to the manufacturer as defective hardware under the warranty.