Modern people crave non-stop connectivity with their relatives, friends, and business partners. When they can’t stay connected with their phone, they can do this thanks to other wearable technology.
Smartwatches are not an innovation. Can you imagine that Fossil Group has 15 years of experience in their production? Despite the fact that this corporation has recently released the fifth generation smartwatches, this post will portray its previous collection. Many hours have been spent while analyzing customers’ reviews and making comparative characteristics to make the report more complete. Read this Fossil Gen 4 review about the two most popular models and stay connected with the world with the help of these best wearables.
Best Fossil Gen 4 Smartwatch
| Review | Name | Features |
|---|---|---|
 | Men's Gen 4 Smartwatch - Explorist HR Smoke Stainless Steel View Details | Smartphone notifications Heart rate sensor and fitness tracker Untethered GPS 4GB (512MB RAM) memory Water-resistant to 100 ft Google Pay Microphone 1-day battery life Stationary bezel function Calendar (day/date/month) 2-year warranty Bluetooth Stainless steel case and bracelet performed in smoke grey |
 | Women's Gen 4 Smartwatch - Venture HR Rose Gold-Tone Stainless Steel View Details | Smartphone notifications Heart rate sensor and fitness tracker Untethered GPS 4GB (512MB RAM) memory Water-resistant to 100 ft Google Pay Microphone 1-day battery life Calendar (day/date/month) 2-year warranty Bluetooth Stainless steel case and bracelet in rose gold inlaid with rhinestones |
Men’s Gen 4 Smartwatch – Explorist HR Smoke Stainless Steel
In 2018, Fossil Group launched its fourth generation smartwatch, Men’s Gen 4 Explorist HR. With its outstanding fitness functionality, this model is an ideal option for men who are active and need to track their exercise.
Design
The design of this smartwatch is very sleek. In fact, this model is available in multiple colors and allows the wearers to use interchangeable bands. This can be done very fast thanks to quick release pins.
This timepiece has a 45 mm round case and a 22 mm bracelet. Both are smoke grey and come in stainless steel. The strap features a single pusher fold-over clasp. The size of the band is standard, and it can be replaced with something the users like more.
Its dial is protected by a glass window. The screen is bright, crisp, and awesome-looking. The device weighs 5 oz.
Features
This smartwatch is multifunctional. Its touchscreen allows the users to receive app alerts and all kinds of phone notifications (emails, text, time zones, social media, weather, alarm clock, etc.). A gentle buzz signals an alert.
The wearers can easily control music and manage their calendar. The watch allows downloading third-party apps and customizing the face. The users can swap the dial and personalize the watch face using favorite photos and images.
During workouts, the timepiece measures the heart rate automatically. It provides adequate metrics of the user’s activities.
The watch includes a built-in GPS to track distance and personal Google Assistant always ready to help. It includes a Google Pay application that allows paying from the watch in stores where mobile payments are accepted.
The Explorist is waterproof to 100 ft. It is powered by Google Wear OS hardware and compatible with Android phones and iPhones. The timepiece is backed by a 2-year warranty.
Battery
The Explorist battery charges very fast and gets up to 80% charge within an hour. Its battery life lasts 1 day, and it can also work 2 days in a low-power mode.
The watch uses a 1 CR2 battery. It comes with a magnetic USB charger.
Performance
When men take this watch out of the box, they get everything they expect: a good look, quality materials, a comfortable band, etc. Let’s inspect how the watch works:
- GPS works better outdoors than indoors.
- The battery goes faster if the users leave the screen on, have an animated watch face or GPS always turned on, scroll through apps too often, etc. Stop playing games, set the screen brightness to auto-dim, and disable a shake-to-wake function. This will allow the battery to last up to 15 hours. In its power-saving mode, the watch discharges 1% per hour.
- The watch features 3 side pusher buttons that can be rotated, pressed, and long pressed. These positions allow reprogramming various watch functions. The middle button is pressed to enter the menu, and it should be long pressed to launch Google Assistant. Customize the top and bottom buttons to access other features. The wearers can program them for phone messages or as a countdown timer so helpful in the kitchen. The rotating crown wheel is a good alternative to screen swipes. Every detail in the watch works well and is very responsive.
- The Google Pay system also works well. All the users need is to tap the Explorist to the terminal.
- The watch screen is very strong and durable, but most users recommend buying face protectors.
- The microphone is not perfect. The voice response may come with a delay.
Overall, the Explorist works pretty well. Its performance is perfect if the device is used solely as a watch or a fitness tracker. More demanding tasks (changing music, checking calendar events, etc.) make its performance slower.
Advantages and Disadvantages
- Tracks user’s fitness activity with Google Fit
- The vibrations for notifications feel strong
- Integrated GPS
- Allows a contactless payment for quicker checkouts
- A customizable watch face
- A LED flashlight
- An easy music storage and control
- Wireless syncing
- Supports Bluetooth technology
- Swimproof and shows zero issues with water and sand
- Interferes with implanted medical devices and should be kept more than 20 cm away from them
- Some users complain of its short battery life (less than a day)
- Can randomly restart on its own
- In standby, it gives inaccurate data (for example, a calorie burnt count)
- When the band is too loose, the heart rate tracker may give incorrect data
Price
Fossil Group offers a good price on this model. Follow its commercials and discount programs to purchase the Explorist under $200. However, some select color watches may remain full price for long.
Women’s Gen 4 Smartwatch – Venture HR Rose Gold-Tone Stainless Steel
The Gen 4 Venture HR is a smartwatch designed exclusively for ladies. In gentle rose, it looks very feminine, but due to a number of fitness functions it integrates, this model is suitable for active women. In fact, it is similar to the male timepiece described above.
Design
This smartwatch features a round stainless steel case performed in a rose gold tone. Its bezel is decorated with diamond-like crystals and looks amazing. When the device catches a ray of sunshine, this makes them sparkle and play all the rainbow colors. Naturally, the case diameter is smaller than in the men’s version and features 40 mm.
The 18 mm rose bracelet is also made of stainless steel and inlaid with 5 rows of rhinestones. It has a 2-pusher fold-over clasp. The strap is interchangeable and can be replaced with a leather one. The weight of this smartwatch is 3.6 oz.
Features
This device is indispensable if its owner leads a healthy lifestyle and enjoys sports activities. The smartwatch integrates a fitness tracker and is able to measure the wearer’s heart rate during workouts. When its user is practicing yoga or running, a “personal doctor” is watching one’s health condition.
The watch shows all notifications received by the smartphone (calendar alerts, emails, alarm clock, weather forecast, etc.). When traveling through various time zones, it updates the current local date and time automatically.
The users can store and control music and send text messages. Its dial can be customized – women can easily change the picture that matches their mood. They can create custom goals of what is more important like checking the calories burnt or drinking water.
The device comes with a Google Pay integration that allows its users to pay directly from the watch and leave their purse and credit cards at home.
With a gyroscope and GPS navigation installed, this is easy to track the distance and determine the location. The watch is swimproof to 100 ft and allows its wearer to hit the pool and wash hands without fear.
The device uses Google Wear OS and works with iPhones and Android phones. The 2-year warranty is provided for this model.
Battery
The battery of Ventura keeps its charge all day in case the screen is dimmed and health tracking applications are turned off. It will work less under heavy use if the wearer checks lots of messages and uses activity monitors.
The watch requires a daily charge within an hour and a half. It includes a magnetic USB charger.
Performance
Talking about the performance of this smartwatch, the wearers report no negative issues that may seem significant. All functions and systems work as expected. The device is made from quality materials and has a solid construction. The notifications sent by the watch are very helpful. A gentle buzz and vibration on the wrist send alerts that are noticeable.
Some users complain that the battery life is short, but the device has a quick charging time and a compact charger that can be tossed in the bag.
The smartwatch has an LED flashlight to illuminate some small area, for example, a carryall interior.
The manufacturer doesn’t recommend using any peripheral devices (a USB hub or splitter) to charge the watch but the charger that is included.
The timepiece is suitable for showering and swimming in shallow water. When the watch is in water, its touchscreen and microphone may not work properly.
Advantages and Disadvantages
- The rhinestones don’t come loose or fall off
- Looks beautiful
- The face is large enough to read messages and graphics
- Offers tons of functions to track fitness activity and receive notifications
- Comfortable and doesn’t feel heavy
- Includes GPS
- Rapid charging
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Stores music
- Allows making payments
- The band is big for women’s wrists, so some links should be removed
- Doesn’t provide sleep tracking data
- The touchscreen is very sensitive and may respond to unintended swipes (for example, a cuff hit)
- Interferes with implanted medical devices
Price
This model is available in online stores under $200. This is a great price for a smartwatch with such awesome features. Check the discount programs offered by the official Fossil Group website as well.
FAQ
Both models come with a Quick Start guide that explains the watch functionality in detail. Here are the most typical questions and answers for customers who are only planning to buy a smartwatch and are curious about its operation.
What Is the Difference Between a Fossil Gen 4 and Gen 3 Men’s Smartwatch ⌚?
The following table features the major differences between the Fossil Gen 3 smartwatch and its successor, the Gen 4. Both of them are high-end devices, but customers can compare their main characteristics head-to-head before they buy.
| Specification | Fossil Gen 3 | Fossil Gen 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Date of release | 2017 | 2018 |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| GPS | No | Yes |
| Heart rate monitor | No | Yes |
| Swimproof | No | Yes |
| Calories burned / consumed | No | Yes |
| Barometer | No | Yes |
| Battery life | Standby – 1 day | Standby – 2 days |
| Google Pay | No | Yes |
Obviously, the Gen 4 timepiece is a better choice, because it gives real value for money, coming with a fascinating appearance, a better design, and multiple functions.
How to Charge Fossil Gen 4 Smartwatch?
Each Gen 4 smartwatch comes with a magnetic USB charger. To power ⚡ the device, place it on the magnetic pad and plug its USB cord into a power source. The process takes 1-2 hours.
Check that the watch is charging and find a lightning bolt on the watch face. It will appear next to the battery percentage. Based on usage, the battery may last up to 24 hours.
How to Reset ??
To reset the Gen 4 smartwatch, follow these steps:
- swipe down from the top of the screen;
- find the “Settings” scrolling through the menu;
- choose “System”;
- tap on “Disconnect and Reset”;
- confirm this step.
After that, remove the watch from Bluetooth settings on the phone. The watch should be paired with the smartphone again. Another way to reset the device is to press its middle button.
Remember that resetting the watch to the factory setting means that all data stored on the watch will be erased and can’t be restored (fitness data, active notifications, preferences, and other stored information). Google Account information is not affected.
How Do I Turn off GPS on Fossil Gen 4 Smartwatch?
To toggle off GPS tracking on the watch ⌚, open the “Settings” and choose “Connectivity”. Scroll to “Location” and turn it off.
Conclusion
The fourth generation collection of smartwatches from Fossil Group is a clear upgrade in comparison to Gen 3. These devices continue the trend of substantial steel timepieces with a dose of industrial charm, but they are packed with solid software and hardware. The Gen 4 smartwatches inherit the best features and a good look from its predecessors with all drawbacks improved and add a long list of features that make them so popular on the market.
References
- Official Gen 4 Smartwatch – Explorist HR Smoke – https://www.fossil.com/
- Official Gen 4 Smartwatch – Venture HR Rose Gold-Tone – https://www.fossil.com/
- Is Fossil Explorist HR Gen 4 Any Good? – https://www.reddit.com/
- Is the Fossil Explorist Gen 4 Worth the Buy? – https://www.reddit.com/
