Fossil Sport: What you need to know about Android’s latest Apple Watch rival
Fossil has launched its first smartwatch using the shiny new Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 chip, the Fossil Sport.
The Fossil Sport targets the same premium, wellness and fitness tracking segment of the smartwatch market as the Apple Watch Series 4, which is Trusted Reviews‘ current wearable of choice for most buyers.
Related: Best smartwatch
Despite the stiff competition, from what we’ve seen the Fossil Sport does have some pretty impressive hardware and a laundry list of smart and fitness tracking features. Here’s everything you need to know about it the Fossil Sport smartwatch.
When is the Fossil Sport out?
You can buy the Fossil Watch on the company’s site right now. It’ll be available in “select” retail stores from November 12.
How much will the Fossil Sport cost?
The Fossil Sport will retail for £249, making it significantly cheaper than its arch-rival, the Apple Watch Series 4 (which currently sells for a heftier £399).
What specs does the Fossil Sport have?
The Fossil Sport runs Google’s Android Wear OS, and will be available in 41mm and 43mm sizes and a variety of different colours.
Its headline feature is its use of the new Snapdragon 3100 chip. The chip was unveiled in September and is also confirmed to feature on competing Wear devices, such as the £849 Montblanc Summit 2.
Qualcomm claims it’s significantly more powerful and efficient than its previous generation 2100 wearable chip, which has been showing its age recently. The chip does this by intelligently switching between “modes” that optimise it for specific settings. Sports mode prioritises things like heart-rate monitoring and GPS, for example.
Fossil claims the chip means the Fossil Sport’s 350mAh battery will be able to last a whopping two days with only 20% charge, with the aid of a custom battery saving mode.
Outside of this, the mixed nylon and aluminum wristpiece has all the trimmings of a flagship smartwatch. Under the hood you’ll find an integrated heart rate monitor, NFC, GPS, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor and microphone for taking calls.
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The sensors mean the Fossil Sport will be able to track distances without needing to be paired with a smartphone, which will be a boon for runners and cyclists. Fossil created three hero watch faces that link with the Google Fit app to show provide quick access to activity goal progress, move minutes and heart points, plus some general health and fitness tips based on guidance from the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association.
The only downside is it doesn’t have any waterproofing or local storage. So you won’t be able to take it on aquatic outings or store files and music on the Fossil Sport.
You can see a full list of the Fossil Sport’s specs below.
- 41mm / 43mm case sizes
- Touchscreen digital display (resolution not given)
- 24+ hours battery life (based on usage) + two additional days in battery saver watch mode
- Interchangeable straps and bracelets (18mm / 22mm)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform
- Sensors: Heart rate, NFC, GPS, Altimeter, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient Light, Microphone
- Powered with Wear OS by Google and compatible with iOS 9.3+ and Android 4.4+ (excluding Go edition)
- Connect via Bluetooth technology
- Wireless syncing + magnetic charging
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
