Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsCompatibility with iOS is just okay, but I do like some features better than apple watch
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2021
I've been using this watch with iOS which I know isn't ideal. However, it has features that my apple watch didn't. My apple watch is a series 5 40 mm and this is a Gen 6 android watch using WearOS. They both have always on screens, heart rate monitoring etc. But the Fossil watch doesn't do ECG and the Apple Watch doesn't do blood oxygen. So there are some pros and cons there. They both do sleep tracking which is nice.
Obviously the apple watch integrates with my iphone better, the apps automatically download and sync etc. Meanwhile with the Fossil watch, some of that is limited and instead I have to download apps directly to the watch through the google play store.
I did have a small issue with connectivity at first. I connected the watch to my phone, got it working. It said it needed to download some stuff while on the charger so I put it on the charger while connected to wifi. When it was done, it WOULD NOT reconnect to my phone via bluetooth. In fact, my phone had the watch saved to it twice. Apparently this is a common problem so I had to delete everything, all the bluetooth memory, the app, reset the watch etc. Then re-add it. Since then, it's been fine. So I think something about the system update really messed with it but that should be a one time thing ideally.
I really like that the watch switches to power saving mode on its own when the battery gets low. It switches back when it's charged enough. And while the photo makes it look like the face sizes are similar, I actually think the round face feels much larger and easier to read. If you are getting a watch for someone who struggles to see small text, I suspect the round face would be better for them - although the newer versions of the apple watch do have bigger faces. You can change the text size which is most obvious in my picture if you look at the little "get personalized content" part - its harder to tell if you just look at "good morning."
This watch is also a lot more attractive and interesting than my apple watch which has that uniform look to it.
While I HAVE been able to control what audio I am currently playing on my phone (like pausing a podcast) with the watch, I don't think there is a way to natively open that media through the watch. You'd have to download a different podcast or music app directly to the watch and play it from that rather than streaming from the phone.
A big feature I do miss is apple pay. There is NFC on this watch and you can use google pay so if you already were going to use that then no problem. However, I only ever use apple pay and I'm not in a rush to add all my card info to ANOTHER service.
If you are a user who likes to pick and choose and you do like the features of android watches, you can definitely make it work like I am. You have to be savvy enough to understand how to install apps directly to the watch, and in a way, it's nice because you have access to both ecosystems. However, the functionality is definitely limited (I can read my texts but I can't respond to them on the watch). Maybe over time that will change, but who knows.
As for the Fossil elements of the watch. It's well designed, its attractive. It's speedy (meaning the hardware is a good enough to run WearOS without getting bogged down). Options to change the watch straps are available like with all watches. It's comfortable and easy to put on and take off one handed.
