Customer Ratings & Reviews

I must say I was skeptical because I am not much of a smartwatch person. I actually used to wear nice watches all the time but in the last few years had just stopped because I always had my phone with me. I was always looking at the other brands and got close a couple times but never went forward. I finally did that with the Fossil Gen 5. First, I was impressed with the size. It is very thin and fits my normal to smaller wrist even better than some of my older non-smartwatches I used to wear. The fact that it is thin, and light made this really easy to get back into the habit of wearing a watch. This watch runs on Google’s Wear-OS. You download the app, sync with the phone with the watch and setup was quick and easy. I was a bit disappointed in the Wear-OS options on the app. You can change the face setting, manage notifications, change tiles (you can have 5 on your rotation), I use Weather Forecast, Headlines, Heart Rate, Heart Points and Agenda. I really like being able to control my Pandora and Spotify from the watch. I can still not get Spotify to download music to the watch. I was however able to open Play Music and see playlists that I had previously setup. I was then able to download them to the watch and since I had paird my headset, I was able to take a walk and enjoy music from the watch without my phone. That was Great! If I could do that with Spotify, it would be amazing! I also setup the watch with my Galaxy S10+ and was able to answer, speak and be heard from watch but I only was able to get an echo from those that called me, and I could not hear them on the watch. I have seen posts that Fossil is preparing a fix for this. One of the cool things I like is my blink camera notifications show up on the watch and even have an image capture from it so I can see if I really need to go to the phone and see the clip or realize it was just a squirrel! I love the Cardiogram function and have it tracking my heartrate every 5 min. It is very accurate and comparable to my higher end home blood pressure tracking machine. It seems to accurately measure my move minutes. I wish it would automatically track my step vs. me having to go into fit and select start workout and select walking. They really should add step tracking to occur automatically. My hope is that Wear-OS will continue to improve because I really like the feel of this watch and getting the notifications, alarm, fitness tracking, news. Fossil has done a great job on the watch but I really want the music on my watch from my Spotify. I hope that I will not be limited to Play Music only. I did not actually use Google pay yet but was able to quickly setup my newer card. Battery Life is average. I like all the features so I am getting 20hrs or so. What I do is after I get settled at work in the AM, I take it off and charge it for less than an hour while I am working. Charges quickly so has not been an issue. I bought extra cables on Amazon for less than $12 bucks so I threw one in the car, perfect! Overall, this thing is really nice. Comfort and features are key for me. Comfort has me at a 5 while features are still lagging at a 4 but I am hopeful. I would still highly recommend this watch, it’s beautiful, comfortable and full of features and opportunity!

In my opinion, you'd be hard-pressed to find a nicer looking watch than this. It has a very classic style and is not near as bulky as many other smartwatches. It packs many competitive features as well, with few compromises. I'll get the biggest issue out of the way first. If you're using all the features, the battery is going to need to be charged daily. If you're fine with that, then this watch will likely easily suit you. The bright side of that, is that the watch charges very quickly. They boast 80% in an hour, but I think it may be even faster than that. It also has some great options to extend battery life. For instance, you can have it shut off connections from 11 pm to 6 am to conserve battery life, and that will help it easily last two full days. You can also enter these battery saving modes very quickly from the pull down menu on the watch. It's quick to navigate between screens and applications, call quality is very good, notification management in this latest version of Wear OS is quick and easy to use. Notifications show on the watch instantaneously, which were sometimes slightly delays on other watched I've used. The knob dials on the side of the watch are very smooth, and I haven't accidentally used them unintentionally like I initially feared. The clasp is also great, I have a medium-sized wrist and had a local jeweler remove 3 links to fit me. It's not overly snug or uncomfortable, and it actually feels lighter than any of the other smartwatches I've owned. Even with the metal band, which looks very nice in my opinion. The fitness tracking actually seems to be a bit more accurate than other watched I've had as well. Including a near-continous heart rate monitor. I have mine currently set to take a reading every five minutes. I haven't seen a way to track floors though, and perhaps it's unable to do so. It also doesn't track sleep natively that I could see, but there are some third part apps that fill this need, if that's something you're looking for. The one I used (Sleep as Android) also integrated with Google Fit. Overall, I'm very happy. This is a smartwatch that gives you all the features you'd expect, and looks very classy doing so. Pros: Elegant, lighter than expected, quick, charges very fast Cons: Battery life (though this can be tweaked to last longer), some fitness features may not be available out of the box, or at all

When you open the Fossil box It is instantly obvious that the Fossil Gen 5 is a high-quality watch with a gorgeous wristband and clear detail to attention in the watch casing and face, stunning. This is a watch you will feel quite comfortable wearing into a boardroom or at play. Fossil has years of experience in fashion and it is displayed brilliantly in the Gen 5. First impression wearing the Gen 5 was that it weighs slightly more than any watch I have owned previously, though after wearing a short time it is no longer perceptible. Setup could not have been easier, has a pre-loaded on-screen tutorial to get you going. After a few days was concerned about the battery life lasting 24 hours and was charging nightly. Then my kid walks by and suggests I turn the always on (the default setting) screen off. Duh. Amazing how the battery life of the Gen 5 increased. Has a great NFC charger, just pop under the bottom of the watch case, simple. With the always on display turned off you need only simply turn your wrist over to look at the watch face to display the screen. Big factor for me is fitness, cardio, step count, etc. Still getting familiar with the fitness system which looks to have great potential. Would like to have the option of large on-screen Heartbeat and Steps displayed. The Cardiogram apps for the Gen 5 and phone are well thought out and executed, though feels as it needs improving. Real time syncing of steps and heartbeat on the watch and phone app would be a great addition. Fitness Apps on Watch: - Cardiogram - Fit - Fit Breath - Fit Workout OK Google Search is especially convenient, “OK Google weather” and so on is quite handy on the run. One caveat is that voice command only works once, if you want to use OK Google a second time you must tap the microphone icon. That I do not get if the function it to make searching convenient. If I am driving and want the weather and then then directions, I would have to take my hands from the wheel to do the second search. The Right Stuff: - 8GB storage 1GB memory - Phone calls - Google Assistant - Blue Tooth 4.2 Low Energy - Wi-Fi - Google Fit - Android and iPhone compatible - Wear OS operating system - Calendar, email, contacts and social media connectivity - Play Store – lots of apps - Spotify Music App pre-loaded - Bright vibrant display - Battery saving modes - Built in GPS - Powered by Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor = Fast! A Brilliantly conceived smartwatch that is Engineered, Designed, Built and Equipped to go the distance.

The Fossil Carlyle HR Smoke Stainless Steel watch is an attractive option for IOS or Android based phone users. I really like the look of the watch and find it to be quite stylish. Rather than taking the stainless steel watchband to a jeweler to be sized I opted to order additional Fossil watchbands. Fossil has some great color and material options to change up the look of their Gen 5 watch. I opted for a black band and a gray band and prefer the leather material for lightweight comfort and ease of adjustment. Along with being stylish, the watch screen is also very responsive. There are a large variety of watch faces to choose from, including seasonal ones. The variety of tiles is plentiful and includes fitness, reminders, calendar, weather, social app notifications, etc... I've found Google Assistant to work quite well. Overall, the watch operating system works very well. Initially, I did experience some connection issues, but after resetting the watch the problem was eliminated and has not been an issue since. Battery life thus far has been quite good and I typically get two days of use. Recharging is quite simple with the included USB magnetic charger. One awesome feature of this watch is that it has a water-resistant design that is good up to 98' of water. The watch is also good for tracking other fitness activities, sleep activity and heart rate. If you're looking for a stylish, quality smartwatch with a lot of features then the Fossil Gen 5 is a great option. For those looking for the stainless steel watchband model it would have been great had Fossil included a tool for resizing.

sometimes it glitches out if i charge it overnight so don’t charge it too long, and always wipe off the sweat so its not mosti when you put it on the charger, and don’t wear it in the shower or the ocean, workouts sure, but make sure you have a screen protector, andmake sure you don’t get any apps that will mess up the watch or brick it anyway its changed my life helps me track my sleep heart rate excersice steps pulse...makes me feel liek im going something with my life and not just vegging out at home

Looks good. Wear OS let me customize how I want it. Battery life lasted a day based on my needs. Love seeing steps, heart rate, and other 'get moving' Google fit motivators.

This is a great smartwatch and the best you can get for Wear OS. NFC, Speaker, fitness tracking, heart rate sensor and OLED display. It's fast and smooth. Best of all it looks and feels like a normal watch. Highly recommend.

Works perfectly with my Pixel 4XL! Easily control your music, phone and keep track of your fitness!

Great smartwatch. May not be the best but it works well to keep track daily steps, heartrate, and exercise.

WearOS has finally arrived! What a difference a few years can make. Do yourself a favor, be sure your watch has all the updates before starting to install apps. Do yourself another favor, install and set up ONE app at a time to avoid buggy apps and conflicts. Not a complaint, just some advice to save you from having to go back and start all over if you cram a bunch of apps on the phone before checking them out. Patience with updating and installing apps will keep you smiling and give you something to do. I am comfortable with setting up apps and watches, and “knowing what I want on my watch” led me to doing too much at once and having to purge the system and start over with setting up the watch. Take your time and update first. Nuff said. This watch is replacing a Tizen-based watch I have had for about 3 years. Of course it is going to be a little different and have a learning curve, as with most smart watches – but once all the updates are installed (plan to spend a few hours going through this process) and desired apps installed, I can say that the Wear OS system is as good, if not better, than the Tizen system. Getting used to the button (or swipe) system as opposed to the rotating crown (or swipe) system is a learning curve, but that is a result of what I am used to doing and not a complaint about the Fossil watch. In daily use, I actually resort to the screen swipe more than rotating bezels or pushing buttons except for the button push to clear the screen and go back to the watch face – which works the same way on both my old phone and the new Fossil. No problems, either one just takes some practice and getting-used-to time on the wrist. The appearance and style of this watch are very nice – definitely masculine size and the watch itself is about the same weight as others I have used or tried on. I thought this would be a little heavy for the ladies, but several female friends have tried it on and most don’t seem to mind the size and weight. One said she actually liked the size as the screen was easier to read than her A**le and the watch felt more durable. Your mileage may vary and I would suggest trying one on from the display cabinet if you are concerned about have a smart watch that is “too big” for your comfort. Personally, I am used to the size and weight from my previous watch and find that the Fossil is a step up in style and appearance. The Wear OS has come a long way since earlier days when I first had a look at it before getting my first smart watch, and being able to directly access Google Play without having to go to a separate site for apps is definitely a time-saver. Do yourself a favor and read the app reviews and install/setup one app at a time, as some of the available apps are a little buggy and don’t work as well as they could. This is advice that I give having learned the “hard way” by loading up several apps that look interesting and then having to go back and do a factory reset to clean the slate – one or two of the apps were messing up the whole system and if you don’t set them up and try them out one at a time you might end up spending more time than you would like troubleshooting some buggy apps. Although this is not a designed “fitness” watch, there are most of the monitors such as heart rate and GPS that are needed for keeping track of daily activity, walking, jogging, and light workouts. I would suggest that you don’t want to use this watch in the weight room when you are hanging and banging, mostly to preserve the stylish appearance and avoid scratches. If you are dead set on using this for regular fitness tracking, then a flexible steel mesh or silicone band may be more suited than the metal link band that comes with it. A recent update to WearOS also has added sleep tracking through the Google Fit app, but personally I have a lighter and more “sleep comfortable” watch that I wear at night while my daytime watch is charging. On a personal note, the band that comes with the watch is very nice, but I may replace it with a Milanese Loop band with magnetic clasp, which I absolutely love on my old Tizen. Probably a case of preferring what I am used to, but I love those magnetic clasps as they are so easy to make a quick adjustment if my wrists puff up a little or get a little “touchy” during the day. The display is a definite improvement over my older Tizen watch and is easy to read in all but direct sunlight. Colors are bright and crisp, which allows for some really nice choices for watch faces – again available from Google Play directly without having to install a series of separate apps on your phone and watch to get a new watch face that catches your eye. The availability of Google Assistant is also a nice feature, as the B*xby function on my older watch got used (and crashed) a few times before I had to give up on voice prompts through my watch. This Fossil is actually functional with Google Assistant, and allows me to send texts, make and receive calls, and get a quick weather report while driving without having to get a ticket for violating the “hands free” law in my state. I am used to a built-in speaker for alarm tones and notifications, and have been OK with the quality of voices when making phone calls (good, not great) on the older Tizen watch. The Fossil is a definite improvement in speaker quality for voice messages and phone calls, but I would not get too excited about being able to play music on your watch, as none that I have tried are much good for more than carrying a tune in general or listening to a podcast in a pinch. Battery life seems sufficient to get me through the day, with the recommendation that “always on” is not running to pull the battery down. The wrist-action activation is nicely responsive when you raise your hand to check the time, about the same as what I am used to with my Tizen watch, so whoever is using “always on” and complaining about the battery life would have the same problem no matter what watch they are using. Battery life for daily use (other than the first days of massive fiddling around to get the phone set up) is sufficient to go through a 6AM to 5PM day with not problems, and plenty of battery to spare for evening hours. I charge my watch overnight, since I have a lighter fitness watch for evening and sleeping, so don’t anticipate any issues with getting a good full day out of the Fossil. If I need the watch to take me into the wee hours of the evening, a quick 30 minute connection to the charger takes care of going through an 18 hour day with plenty of reserve. Again, there are those that will be constantly fiddling with their watch and making phone calls and texting and using the weather radar and playing a game or two, and that might be problematic for battery life. If you are a moderate user of the watch and make a few calls and send a few texts and check the weather from time to time, you should be just fine with the battery. Keep the brightness set to “automatic” or dim it down a little and that will make the difference if your battery time is on the edge of acceptable. Also want to mention there are several battery modes that can be pretty quickly changed to conserve battery power if you see that you are getting in a pinch. My older Tizen watch goes to “saver mode” from time to time on a long day or after heavy usage, but not very often and when you need it on the Fossil, it is there to use. Personally I have a watch face installed that displays both phone and watch battery charge, which makes it easy to keep track of battery drain to drop the watch to lower power consumption if it’s going to be a long day with no charger nearby. Bluetooth and wireless setup are very smooth and no problems connecting to the phone, home wireless, open wireless (if needed), or Bluetooth headsets (if your phone is nearby why would you do this but thought I would mention that my headsets connect OK). Some folks recommend leaving the wireless off to conserve battery life, but I haven’t found this necessary with my daily usage pattern. Your mileage may vary and if you are concerned about battery life you can always turn off the wireless and location functions to save some juice when needed. Pricing on the top-end Tizen and WearOS watches are about the same. I have used Tizen for several years and admittedly once you get it set up, it works pretty well except for the poor voice recognition. WearOS struggled along for several years but with the Fossil Gen5 seems to have closed the gap and offers the advantages of direct access to Google Play (admittedly with less choice of apps but gaining ground quickly) and excellent voice recognition. Both are about the same price, and both work about equally as well. The tipping point for me comes with having several “Google Voice” devices around the house, and the comfort and familiarity with interacting with the Google ecosystem. Having a watch that ties right in with both my phone and the smart home system is the clincher for me. Another way to put it would be that the few things that disappointed me about the Tizen system are well satisfied with the WearOS system. These are nice benefits for me personally, and other than that either the Tizen or the WearOS are competing against each other hard enough to provide similar functions for their smart watches. Again, if you are looking for a hard-core fitness watch, keep looking, but for daily fitness and health tracking, the Fossil will not disappoint, and the “missing” features of the Tizen (if you want them) are well met by the WearOS. All in all, if you want to have a stylish watch that keeps good track of basic fitness functions, makes good use of the Google ecosystem, and allows you to keep your phone tucked away when you want to send a text message or make a call, this Fossil will satisfy.