Fossil 44mm Gen 5E Stainless Steel and Silicone Touchscreen Smart Watch with Heart Rate

A lot of bang for your buck!
I have been waiting 2 years for a smartwatch to come along to replace my beloved Pebble round. Finally I pulled the trigger with this Fossil 5E. For the most part I like it a lot. It has some interesting features, the best of which are the pull menus. you can pull from the top, the left, or the bottom and get different menus. If you pull from the top you can quickly turn off sound, put the phone in do not disturb mode, or turn off the screen until you press the button. If you pull from the bottom, you can see all your notifications. If you pull from the left, you can access your Google Assistant and send texts, control your Google smart home, etc. The apps that come on this watch are pretty extensive, since Wear OS has finally been updated. I enjoy using Google Pay from my watch and leaving my wallet in my pocket. One thing I did not realize right away is that all the watch faces that come with the 5E are customizable. You can choose what, if any, digital buttons to add to your watch face. The only con is the battery life. With normal use it will last almost 24 hours. If it could beat the 24-hour mark, that would be better. Also, if you turn on heart rate monitoring, the battery will only last between 6 and 8 hours. For that reason I leave heart rate monitoring off. Overall, this watch gives you a great deal of bang for your buck. I recommend!

Buyer Beware: A Defective Watch and a Non-Existent Warranty (Update 10/19/2021)
UPDATE (10/19/2021): It took several calls back and forth, but eventually Amazon came through for me and replaced my product. So what do I think of it? Honestly, I really like this watch coming from a FitBit Charge 3. Google’s Wear OS makes so much sense and Google Fit is leaps and bounds better than any FitBit program with the way it integrates into my “Lose It!” app. That being said, the battery might be a deal-breaker for some. I typically have to charge my watch at least once a day, which is why I have a beside charging stand, a charger at work, a travel charger, and will probably be buying another soon to keep in my car just in case. The charger’s aren’t necessarily super easy to find, but they are inexpensive at least. a WARNING though: Fossil’s Customer Service is an absolute nightmare to deal with and will only replace your product, god forbid it’s defective, if you purchase directly from them as opposed to Amazon. I’ve upgraded my review from a 1 to 4-star. I think you’ll like this watch a lot, especially if the new Gen 6 model is pricier. Just keep what I’ve said here in mind and remember that if your product is buggy your only saving grace is the mercy and pity of an Amazon customer service rep thousands of miles away.I’m typically not one to leave bad reviews, or even pay much attention to them on Amazon, but I feel a need to warn buyers of this product and possibly any other expensive electronic purchases from Amazon. I was so excited when I purchased my Fossil Watch on Prime Day this year! It was normally a $250 watch, but I scored it for $145. On paper, it was exactly what was looking for: multiple faces, interchangeable bands, a sporty or fashionable look, Google ios, and built for exercise. When my watch arrived on June 27, 2021 and for several weeks I was so happy about this purchase, often calling it one of my better shopping decisions. My only complaint was that the battery could drain very fast and it needed to be charged about every day, although it charged quickly. I tried my best to take care of it as well, carefully using a damp cloth to clean it after exercise and giving it time to dry. Overall it was so much more useful, accurate, and easier to care for than my fitbit. This all changed 31 days later on July 28, 2021. That evening after a night out and running low on batter I decided to charge the watch overnight instead of wearing it to track my sleep like usual. After I plugged it into its Fossil charger though I was startled by a constant vibrating sound from the watch. I turned to see the following message (see attached) “Corrupt device. May not work properly.” My watch was stuck in a boot-up loop and couldn’t charge or escape form this error message. After searching Redditt the following day for reports of similar problems I concluded there was no fix and engaged my Fossil warranty, hoping that my watch would either be fixed or replaced. I mailed my watch to Dallas and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, a week later informed via an email from Fossil Repair Services that not only was my unit not repairable (No diagnosis or reasoning was provided), but I would not be provided with a replacement product. Instead, Fossil’s solution was to provide me a voucher valued at the Prime Day sale price of the watch for $145. Keep in mind while the value of watch is constantly shifting on Amazon’s website, it’s suggested retail value is $249, a $100 difference from the offered voucher. The voucher wouldn’t even help me if the watch went on sale again on Amazon’s website, because it was only usable for purchases directly from Fossil. When I later followed up with Amazon customer service to see what my options were I was told that because I had passed the 30-day return window my only solution was to activate my fossil warranty. Once again, keep in mind that my unit stopped working 31 days after delivery and that if you buy a refurbished electronic product from Amazon you will receive a 90-day return window. I have since had two more conversations with Fossil and Amazon and have additionally learned that Fossil will only supply a replacement product if you purchase directly from them. I can’t express how disappointed I am by this episode. While I’ll continue to purchase small cheap orders or possibly electronics accessories, I can’t advise ordering consumer electronics from Amazon ever again. Also note, I purchased a $7.00 Progressive electronics policy with this watch, but it too will only cover my watch up to the sale price of $145, roughly $100 short of what it would cost to replace the watch.

Day To Day Must Have!!!!
I like the Gen 5 Fossil Smart Watch does everything I need it to do. The down fall is the battery don’t last very long but charges very fast quick charge in no time. Battery on a full charge can last about a day. Fossil watches always has great style. This is a must have to connect to your phone or other devices via bluetooth and wifi.

Fossil were not given information on Wear OS3 early enough so they released the Gen 6 model that although can handle OS3 is not streamlined for it. So on the Fossil Gen 6 you will be able to install Wear OS3.0 when it comes out BUT it isn’t going to give you the best experience. Follow so far?We decided to buy the Gen 5 model that IS set up for Wear OS2.0. Our son loves it, does everything he wants in a smart watch, speaker microphone, bright screen etc, etc. Job done!

Was really apprehensive about the purchase seeing all those negative reviews. Almost cancelled the order but then decided to give a try trusting the Amazon’s return policy. Well, after few days extensive usage, I can say that the product doesn’t deserve the harsh treatment it is receiving through the reviews. First thing one need to consider is that this is not a fitness tracker disguised as a smart watch, but a Wear OS based smart watch. So don’t compare this watch with the ‘bolts’ and ‘noises’ . It’s true the battery backup is not a positive thing to say about this watch, but it is not as bad as depicted in some reviews. With wifi off, connected to the phone via bluetooth and using the default watch face, I was able to retain 35% charge after a complete days usage. When you turn WiFi on, it does drain the battery faster. I have the heart rate monitor turned on, Google fit connected and no other 3rd party app installed other than Spotify. When the device bluetooth is turned off, you can extend the device battery range to a few more hours. My point is, if you are experiencing battery drainage, it has to do with the connection and the watch face. If you are going for some funky faces, obviously battery range is going to suffer. Other than the battery issue, most people were happy with the trackers and other functionalities and same applies for me too. So, would I recommend this ? Yes and no. Yes- if you have budget constraints, No- if you can spend a few more thousands and go for Galaxy Watch

I strongly recommended this to those who are willing to use Google OS with budget friendly. Pros (build quality, google wear os, amoled display, answering calls and smart reply for message, Spotify app features); Cons (less battery life and in-built memory).