Fossil has announced a new generation of smartwatches to join the already crowded market but this time they’re aiming for “simplicity, beauty, and functionality”. The new Fossil Gen 5 LTE smartwatch line still has the signature Fossil look and quality but at a more affordable price range as compared to the market leading Apple Watch. While it is being marketed as “exclusively for Android phones powered by Verizon, in the USA only”, it actually works with iOS devices as well.
The Fossil Gen 5 LTE comes with a 45MM stainless steel casing and an interchangeable 18MM strap. It has a 1.28″ AMOLED screen with a 416 x 416 / 328ppi display. It has 1GB RAM, 8GB storage and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 SoC and will be running on Google’s Wear OS platform. The watch has two buttons, a rotating home button, and a touchscreen. It can also work with voice commands through Google Assistant.
It has the usual sensors like accelerometer, altimeter, compass, gyroscope, off-body-IR sensor, and PPG heart rate. It also comes with a loudspeaker system and vibration feedback plus a USB cable with magnetic connector for the charging part of it. No mention was made of the battery capacity of the Gen 5 LTE smartwatch although it does mention the different battery modes you can use which some of them can make it last for days. It also comes with support for Bluetooth 4.2 LE, GPS, NFC, Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity which is where the Verizon LTE exclusivity probably comes in.
Because of all those specs, it does the usual things that smartwatches with those specs are supposed to do. You can make and take calls, control your music, get notifications from your apps, make contactless payments, tracking your activities and getting Heart Points through Google Fit, and control home devices. You can also use it as your Toyota Remote Connect so you can start your car even from afar.
There are two major models of the Fossil Gen 5 LTE. The Blush Silicone version and the Black version both cost around $349, with extra straps available ranging from $20-$49. It will start shipping out around January 20, 2021.