Last Updated: January 26, 2020 (Refresh Now)
Fossil Men s Gen 4 Explorist HR Stainless Steel Touchscreen Smartwatch with Heart Rate GPS NFC and Smartphone Notifications
Last Updated: January 26, 2020 (Refresh Now)
7.2
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
620
Old Reviews
0
Unverified
81
Spam Test
PASS
1181.1 meters
SIZE
Yes
GPS
LED
TYPE
2
NUMBER OF USB PORTS
Review Analysis - 539 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Battery Life
139battery, watch, hours, charge, lasts
+49%
-51%
" ... But the worse is the battery. ... "
" ... Battery is the worst part of the watch, long story short . ... "
" ... Battery dies so fast making it pointless to even use. ... "
" ... Completely useless because the battery dies so quickly. ... "
" ... Battery barely last 3 hrs after a whole night charge. ... "
" ... I did not like anything I could not pay runs aut of battery so fast I have to bring the charger with me all time it doesn’t even let me send messages through iPhone or call when I download the message app it goes to the sos google and says unable to continue ... "
" ... Like many users have said the battery life is awful. ... And the ultimate kicker is that when I ran the battery out after a few hours, after I recharged it it will no longer pair with my phone. ... "
" ... Battery llife is shorter than promised ... "
Software Platform
79google, watch, wear os, wearos, os
+53%
-47%
" ... It is Google wear compatible which makes this watch ideal with my Google pixel. ... "
" ... The touch screen is reaponsive and apps open reasonably quickly. ... "
" ... Refurbished version was the same as new! ... You will have to download some third part app. ... "
" ... I do have to say it did take over an hour to update, and froze a lot but after the update it was great! ... "
" ... I've had the original Moto 360, Moto V2, Asus zenwatch, and third gen fossil. ... "
" ... Gorgeous, well made and runs on the Google WearOS system. ... Limited numbers of Apps, but who cares when all I want is my shopping list (Bring!). ... "
" ... Love the watch, face plates are cool but wish it could text on IOS. ... "
" ... This is a great style watch, and a nice upgrade from my original Moto 360 first gen watch I replaced with it. ... "
Design
68looks, looking, stylish, smartwatch, fossil
+100%
" ... Nice looking that's about it. ... "
" ... The watch looks great and functions well. ... "
" ... The good, for me firstly, is the design. ... This watch is gorgeous. ... I think this watch and Skagen Falster 2 are the best-looking smartwatches in the market that looks less like a mini computer and more like an actual watch. ... "
" ... Being a Fossil, it's a beautiful watch of course. ... The faces Fossil provides are cool as well. ... "
" ... It does die a bit fast but it works great looks great and simply to use. ... "
" ... This is a very nice looking watch, and the size is large enough to be in proportion to an average male without looking like a vambrace. ... "
" ... -Looks very good for both a mildly formal and informal setting, and there are lot of watch faces and styles to choose from ... "
" ... It’s a great looking dressy watch without looking sporty. ... "
Apps
54watch, google, notifications, os, google assistant
+50%
-50%
" ... I get a lot of notifications and have a lot of apps, but despite this if I unplug it in the morning around 6:30 AM I end the day at about 40 percent battery life. ... The performance leaves a bit to be desired, but that's if you're really messing with apps. ... Most of my apps open quickly but the lag can be noticeable at times. ... "
" ... Slow software response when opening applications and attempting to perform actions in them. ... "
" ... NOPE it was thinking and transitioning to the screen or app or what ever it was that I touched for it to do. ... "
" ... The software on the watch is Extremely buggy, sometimes I have to click a command numerous times before I can get a reaction. ... Extremely poor software. ... "
" ... Keeps lagging, hanging, kept on launching apps without touching, and vibrated randomly, while trying to launch its random apps itself. ... "
" ... The wear os needs improvement, similar to apple watch app. ... "
" ... Currently the faces will randomly change and then revert back to the old one, alerts for no reason, freezing a lot where the touchscreen stops working so it has to be restarted, half the face of the watch will stop working. ... "
" ... After a couple tries it did re-boot, where I was greeted with a ~30 minute OS download. ... Would it still be functional with half a download? ... WearOS app on my phone only says "Connected" . ... I try and use the WatchMaker app to change watch faces over bluetooth and it results in a watch not connected warning. ... BUT in the process it terminated permission settings with Android Messages. ... Amazfit app updated automatically and pushed itself over to the watch via bluetooth. ... UNLIKE your android phone however, updates waiting on standby will terminate basic functions of the watch. ... I am taking off one star because this watch is now so slow and laggy, its un-usable beyond really really basic functions or apps. ... "
Charging
50watch, charging, charger, day, charges
+46%
-54%
" ... Fully changed and left in charger at 10pm, come 8 am when I took off the charger it was at 35% left and went down quick. ... "
" ... Have been charging it again for few hours and try it back, but again is not working. ... "
" ... Recently, it started charging erratically and I noticed that the charging ring on the back of the watch has dislodged. ... "
" ... I had to charge the watch twice a day which isn't practical for me. ... "
" ... Nothing worked, the watch was not charging. ... The watch is supposed to have a quick charge function that will charge it in an hour, my watch has been hooked up for 5 hours and it hasn't gone up in at all. ... The watch indicates that it's charging but the percentage indicator has not gone up at all. ... "
" ... I left fossil gen 4 charging last night and got up in the morning to put my fossil gen 4 which I was so exited to wear it on work ... "
" ... LIterally 1 day after my Amazon product coverage ended, it quit charging. ... If the watch doesn't support wireless charging, then don't purchase it. ... "
" ... Battery barely last 3 hrs after a whole night charge. ... "
Display Clarity
41watch, touch, display, battery life, always on display
+66%
-34%
" ... Watch looks nice, screen is good. ... "
" ... -Screen is gorgeous, bright, and informative. ... "
" ... Bigger display, smoother animations, more intuitive navigation/UI, NO BIXBY thank the Lord on high . ... "
" ... This is an attractive watch with a really good looking screen. ... "
" ... The screen and watch look amazing. ... "
" ... Would highly recommend getting screen protectors for the watch as a precaution from everyday life. ... "
" ... Screen is very nice. ... "
" ... Touch screen is good, many dial faces, designs. ... "
Product Reliability
39months, last, month, working, day
+33%
-67%
" ... I bought a watch and within a month it stopped working. ... Here we are one month later and it is already not wanting to work. ... "
" ... It NEVER worked consistently with my moto360. ... Its now July 2019. ... "
" ... The knob on the side of the watch has mostly quit working. ... I have performed not just one, but two factory resets on the device. ... "
" ... Have been charging it again for few hours and try it back, but again is not working. ... "
" ... The return window closed after 60 days and there is no product support after 4 months. ... "
" ... The back came off and won't go back on after a couple months of LIGHT use ( I go in to an office and home with it on and that's it). ... A couple months in I had to factory reset it because it bricked. ... "
" ... stopped working and wont turn on ... "
" ... We have already had to send it back a few months ago because it wouldn’t turn on after a month of having it. ... "
Comfort
35watch, comfortable, wear, feels, wearing
+80%
-20%
" ... It's comfortable, somewhat light, and no bulkier than a regular watch. ... "
" ... Very nice watch the wrist style makes it a comfortable fit for anyone but is google functioned so is slightly better with androids ... "
" ... The watch is comfortable on your wrist. ... "
" ... Watch face is a little big but the watch is comfortable. ... "
" ... Good gear to wear ... "
" ... Maybe the best looking watch on the wrist. ... "
" ... I am all for metal straps so maybe this may be a little bit biased but I love how it looks on my wrist. ... "
" ... Wear 2.0 on this watch is fantastic. ... "
Band
31watch, wrist, strap, leather, fossil
+74%
-26%
" ... The stock band is a little less comfortable than the full silicone bands. ... "
" ... Once I got it paired to my phone and the band sized correctly, it's been a real trooper. ... I love the finish of the band, and I'm sure I'll love the watch itself in the long run. ... "
" ... I got this on sale slightly under $180, I got the black watch, and black stainless steel band. ... "
" ... I am all for metal straps so maybe this may be a little bit biased but I love how it looks on my wrist. ... "
" ... Maybe the best looking watch on the wrist. ... "
" ... Love the style and bought metal band with it. ... "
" ... I also love that the watch doesn't look like a box sitting on my wrist like a lot of other smart watches do. ... "
" ... -The watch band feels very comfortable, the watch is light, and it's easy to forget I'm wearing a watch ... "
Device Compatibility
28apple watch, bluetooth, notifications, wearos, connected
+46%
-54%
" ... Do not waste your Money, go buy a Galaxy S3 if you want the best non apple watch in the class. ... "
" ... The percentage goes down as soon as I unplug it and will not go up at all when plugged in. ... "
" ... I expected it to not work when I got too far away from my phone, but what I didn’t expect what that when I got back right next to my phone again, it wouldn’t automatically reconnect like my old Apple Watch did ... I ended up returning it and buying an Apple Watch. ... "
" ... It doesn't stay connected to my Pixel phone. ... I am constantly restarting it to get it to connect. ... "
" ... The watch wasn’t connecting to the phone. ... "
" ... Watch was connected to my phone for maybe an hour before it disconnected, even though my phone said it was still connected. ... "
" ... No me agrado por que no tiene buena función para iPhone lo quiero devolver ... "
" ... It says it is connected to my internet but when I go to use a internet feature it will not work and says "not connected to internet". ... "
Build Quality
28metal, build quality, fossil, feels, strap
+71%
-29%
" ... Great looking watch though that can be worn dressed up and for working out ... "
" ... at first glance it's a very beautiful watch very solid construction similar to high end luxury watches . ... "
" ... The build quality is great, and the styling is classic and clean, all around a great watch. ... "
" ... Easily adjustable metal link strap was unexpected. ... "
" ... I'm sooooo glad I chose the stainless steel look. ... "
" ... Love the style and bought metal band with it. ... "
" ... I got this on sale slightly under $180, I got the black watch, and black stainless steel band. ... "
" ... Just need to get the metal band links removed for a perfect fit. ... "
As Gift
23christmas, husband, watch, loves, loved
+96%
-4%
" ... My husband loved it as a Christmas gift this year. ... "
" ... My husband loved this gift. ... "
" ... Got this for Christmas ... "
" ... Bought this for my husband as a Christmas gift, and he absolutely loves it! ... "
" ... Brought it as a gift for my brother. ... "
" ... A gift for my son ... "
" ... Got this as a gift for my husband & he loves it ! ... "
" ... I purchased this watch as a gift for my Father . ... "
Price
21money, watch, waste, waste your money, worth
+62%
-38%
" ... But so far loving the watch and functionality, and price! ... "
" ... Great watch for the price. ... "
" ... Ended up returning for better price. ... "
" ... The price is reasonable especially considering these are Fossil. ... "
" ... Worth the price. ... "
" ... For what it is and the price I payed for it I.E. ... It was worth every penny I spent. ... "
" ... Looks similar and nearly half the price. ... "
" ... Value to money ... "
Returns
21returning, amazon, returned, replacement, window
+14%
-86%
" ... Returned it, wouldn't last a 8 he shift. ... "
" ... Glitchy…if I could return it I would. ... "
" ... Giving it another day and then returning if it doesn’t improve. ... "
" ... I contacted Amazon who said they would return it. ... "
" ... Definitely returning for a refund. ... "
" ... I’m going to return mine only after wearing it for one day :/ ... "
" ... I returned this product to Amazon. ... "
" ... I have contacted the seller to see about returning the device directly to them. ... "
Ease of Use
19easy, setup, set, figure, difficult
+89%
-11%
" ... Easy to use, easy to setup. ... "
" ... easy to use . ... "
" ... Easy to use. ... "
" ... I love how easy it is to set up me watch face with everything I want to see at a glance. ... "
" ... It's very fast and easy to use. ... "
" ... I trusted my millennial powers to be able to figure out how to configure it correctly so that I could get a full day's worth of use without losing much functionality. ... "
" ... It's easy to use. ... "
" ... Sturdy and easy to use. ... "
Touch Sensitivity
18screen, watch, respond, unresponsive, touchscreen
+33%
-67%
" ... The touch pad works sometimes, other (most) times it doesn't. ... Right now I can't get it to restart because I can't get past the password screen because the touch pad doesn't work! ... "
" ... Now August 2nd and all screen touch functions have completely stopped working. ... "
" ... It will only last all day if you dont touch it at all. ... "
" ... Touch screen does not work. ... "
" ... Touch screen is unresponsive. ... "
" ... Screen barely responds to any touch and phantom touches happens a lot. ... After a couple of days the watch actually started to function decently but there are moments when the screen will not respond to any touch at all and restarting the device just causes it to over heat again. ... "
" ... The battery died in almost 2 hours of use , the screen was freezing , touch screen doesn’t work properly, it moves very slow ! ... "
" ... It takes 20 seconds to respond to touch inputs, that assumes it actually will respond. ... "
Lagging
17laggy, restart, lag, freeze, delay
+12%
-88%
" ... Then I did a factory reset and the problems persisted. ... "
" ... There's also a lag issue with the display. ... "
" ... It lags really bad. ... "
" ... In 20 minutes, it crashed 3 times, and it is super laggy! ... "
" ... Also, its not easy to restart. ... "
" ... The first boot was very lagging. ... "
" ... I have had it freeze but that isn't the norm. ... "
" ... It disconnects continuously. ... "
Heartrate
15watch, heart rate monitor, monitoring, monitor, hr
+73%
-27%
" ... The heart monitor is fun, but knowing that, I would have just bought another device to do exactly that. ... "
" ... My purchase need was two-fold, 1) for monitoring my blood glucose values via Phone/Bluetooth 2) tracking my workouts and heart rate. ... along with workout times and heart rate was pretty much all I needed. ... "
" ... The HR monitor seems to be fairly accurate. ... "
" ... Very nice watch - especially good HR sensor and tracker. ... "
" ... Text and email and message notifications, exercise workout and heart rate are all standard with WearOS. ... "
" ... The NFC works great and I love the Heart Rate monitor. ... "
" ... Battery life is also so that to use any heart rate ect. ... "
" ... Background heart rate monitoring on . ... "
Overall performance
14processor, performance, reliability, overall, laggy
+29%
-71%
" ... Touchscreen did not work, very slow processor. ... "
" ... It's annoyingly slow. ... "
" ... The first boot was very lagging. ... "
" ... Mainly, it was extremely slow in responding. ... "
" ... In 20 minutes, it crashed 3 times, and it is super laggy! ... "
" ... It glitches all the time, get’s hot fast, it’s too slow. ... "
" ... It looks good but it's slow as potato and freezes each time without barely doing anything. ... "
Features
13watch, looking, think, mode, go
+85%
-15%
" ... I also set the brightness to auto-dim. ... This is also a really nice feature, that I think keeps it fresh and new. ... "
" ... He love it more & more each day as he gets more familiar with all its features. ... "
" ... It can go for days on extended mode ... "
" ... The features are everything I expected. ... "
" ... Otherwise this watch works great in all other functionality and features. ... "
" ... More professional looking but still plenty of great features ... "
" ... The watch is beautiful and the features are great. ... "
" ... And he was very happy to wear it for all its great features. ... "
Controls
12button, watch, press, settings, wrist
+42%
-58%
" ... Keep hitting the home button it's to big and sensitive. ... "
" ... I can control music, but it has to be initiated by my phone, and the watch is 100% dependant upon the phone, it has no standalone features other than a clock face. ... "
" ... FURTHERMORE, while wearing the watch on my left wrist, the right-side buttons would constantly be pressed up against the back of my hand, thus causing the phone to vibrate and enter some sort of input mode which was always a pain to get out of. ... "
" ... I long press the power button hoping to boot-cycle. ... "
" ... The buttons are too big and keep activated Google assistant. ... "
Notifications
12notification, text messages, reply, checking, texts
+33%
-67%
" ... You need to reconnect at any time to receive notifications. ... Many times I did not receive call notifications ... "
" ... I know you can adjust the notifications . ... "
" ... Difficult to understand what notifications were coming in, because it wasn't showing up. ... "
" ... I still have to rely on my phone 100% of the time to reply to notifications. ... "
" ... Notifications are a mess, sometimes you get them sometimes you don't and often there's no telling what you're being notified about - (check your phone to see what you're really being notified about . ... "
" ... That was fine, but then the watch continued to vibrate randomly (when I didn't even have a notification) and would sometimes vibrate non-stop for no reason at all. ... "
Call quality
11call, calls, notifications, calling, talk
+36%
-64%
" ... Many times I did not receive call notifications ... "
" ... I can control music, but it has to be initiated by my phone, and the watch is 100% dependant upon the phone, it has no standalone features other than a clock face. ... "
" ... I'm still waiting to hear back from Google. ... "
" ... Really wanted to be able to talk on the phone or listen to music. ... "
" ... All I need a smart watch for is vibration notification from SMS, MMS and voice calls. ... "
Setup
10install, took, minutes to download, easy, initial
+60%
-40%
" ... Setup and pairing with my pixel 3a was easy. ... "
" ... Easy to use, easy to setup. ... "
" ... Awesome easy setup ... "
" ... I trusted my millennial powers to be able to figure out how to configure it correctly so that I could get a full day's worth of use without losing much functionality. ... "
" ... A simple reboot seems to resolve the issue, but I have to do it mutiple times a week. ... "
Marketplace
9seller, going, fossil, batch, bad
+22%
-78%
" ... This vendor is garbage! ... The replacement got here in September. ... "
" ... Purchased on June 6th. ... "
" ... I am going to return it to Amazon tomorrow. ... "
" ... I returned this product to Amazon. ... "
" ... I am not sure if Amazon received a bad batch from Fossil or if this is a known issue. ... "
" ... I called fossil, and they said Amazon must have gotten a bad batch. ... I'm getting a refund from Amazon. ... "
Sleep Tracking
8sleep, watch, battery, night, heart rate
+63%
-38%
" ... I guess if you had a bright face, and used some features that I don't (steps, heart rate, sleep tracking) it might be worse. ... "
" ... For the most part the watch is great I wanted it for work and it is almost perfect i haven’t used the sleep timer so I’m not sure how well it works ... "
" ... Have not used it for sleep tracking yet. ... "
" ... So basically it doesnt have any sleep tracking capablities if you would like to have the battery on it last all day. ... "
" ... Thus limiting the sleep monitoring ability. ... "
Fit
8google fit, fits, come, well, remove
+63%
-38%
" ... Battery life is awesome if you're not using that stupid Google fit stuff. ... "
" ... Looks and fits good too. ... "
" ... This watch holds up fairly well for what he does for a living. ... "
" ... The Google fit paired with the capabilities of this watch provide the adequate metrics for my activities. ... "
For Kids
7son, watch, bought, birthday
+100%
" ... I bought it for my son in law he loves it. ... "
" ... Great watch my son loves it ... "
" ... Husband loves it. ... "
" ... Amazing watch, he loves it! ... "
" ... Bought for my boyfriend for his birthday and he loves it! ... "
" ... My son loves his new smart watch. ... "
Sound Quality
7watch, talk, listen to music, generation, disappointed
+29%
-71%
" ... No tiene speaker ... "
" ... Disappointed that it doesn't have a speaker. ... Really wanted to be able to talk on the phone or listen to music. ... "
Watchfaces
7watch, fossil, face, amazing, watchmaker
+86%
-14%
" ... There's a very good selection of watch faces from Fossil. ... "
" ... -The stock Fossil watch faces are just amazing and there's so many of them I've yet to download any third-party watch faces because I'm completely satisfied with what already comes with the watch as well as a customisation of all the watch faces ... As an actual watch it's amazing the round face is amazing the watch faces are amazing. ... "
" ... -Looks very good for both a mildly formal and informal setting, and there are lot of watch faces and styles to choose from ... "
" ... Really liked its design, Fossil faces are good enough, performance is ok . ... "
" ... The faces Fossil provides are cool as well. ... "
" ... Tons of faces to chose from. ... "
Screen Protection
7watch, protectors, protector, glass, face
+43%
-57%
" ... Screen stopped working. ... "
" ... And the screen went dark an never came back on. ... "
" ... The screen in not up the edge. ... "
" ... It was simply a blank screen. ... "
Pedometer
6fitness tracking, laps, fitness, fitbit, counted
+83%
-17%
" ... He's more inot fitness and this watch is really helping him to keep track of his fitness routine and goals. ... "
" ... If you're not into fitness and want a smart watch for work this one is great! ... "
" ... This is replacing an old fitbit that I don't use for exercise tracking. ... "
" ... -Accurately tracks activities, even on running on the treadmill. ... "
GPS
5hours, garmin, battery life, watch, sensor
+20%
-80%
" ... tennis) it's GPS is so bad that it well show me which park I'm in, but but doesn't have enough accuracy to assist with anything but heart rate. ... "
" ... Once the GPS is on you will only have 6 hours or less battery life. ... "
" ... The GPS hardware isn't sync'd to any software at initial install. ... "
Delivery
5+80%
-20%
" ... value for money and great delivery ... "
" ... Came as expected!! ... "
Bluetooth
5connected, watch, wifi, via bluetooth, wearos
+60%
-40%
" ... receiving calls work as expected (using wifi and bluetooth) ... "
" ... The watch GPS is usually pretty accurate and it can receive notifications from the phone even when Bluetooth is turned off, as long as the watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network. ... "
" ... The battery can last a day but if can be improved by choosing to connect with WiFi instead of Bluetooth especially when you're at work or home where you have a secure WiFi connection. ... "
Size
5size, pocket, large, heavy, bit
+80%
-20%
" ... It’s larger the. ... "
" ... Audible and Pocket Casts are awesome ... "
" ... Works grate and it comes in soooo handy. ... "
" ... Excellent, but too large ... "
Wifi
4connected, update, turn, watch, stay
-100%
" ... When connected to the WiFi. ... "
" ... It says it is connected to my internet but when I go to use a internet feature it will not work and says "not connected to internet". ... "
" ... Furthermore I suspect it needed to maintain the wifi connection. ... "
" ... It also wouldn't stay connected to my home WiFi network and no other tech pieces have had this issue. ... "
Network
4update, connected
+25%
-75%
" ... When connected to the WiFi. ... "
" ... Furthermore I suspect it needed to maintain the wifi connection. ... "
Water Resistance
4water, swim, water resistant, swimming, sweat
+75%
-25%
" ... -The watch also seems to be pretty durable I mean it's even swim proof. ... "
" ... I like that I can swim with this watch. ... "
" ... - water+sand resistant: taken jetskiing, to the beach, in the shower with 0 issues so far ... "
Volume
3downside, disappointed
-100%
" ... No tiene speaker ... "
" ... Disappointed that it doesn't have a speaker. ... "
Clock
3watch, wake, speaker, alarm
+33%
-67%
" ... The "raise to wake" feature that is vital SINCE IT IS A WATCH, doesn't work the majority of the time. ... "
" ... The clock went very bad. ... "
Color
3brown, went, thread, strap, screen
+67%
-33%
" ... really cool looking because it changes color (even if it's inaccurate, it is still unique so I don't really care!) ... "
" ... Color is great. ... "
Cleaning
3dust, clean, build quality
+33%
-67%
" ... First, i received the watch with dust over the its box and over the watch itself. ... "
" ... the competition continues to leave it in the dust. ... "
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Specifications
Body
Size: 1181.1 meters
Connectivity
GPS: Yes
Number of USB ports: 2
USB: Yes
Display
Type: LED
Recommendations
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