Fossil is introducing its Gen 5E smartwatches which come in a smaller 42mm casing alongside the 44mm option from last year. The premise is that the Gen 5E is a more affordable alternative to last year’s Gen 5 with a retail price of US$ 249 for both the 42mm and 44mm models.
The 5E comes with the same
basic specs as last year’s model including an AMOLED display, Snapdragon Wear
3100 chipset alongside a speaker/microphone setup for taking and receiving
calls directly on the watch. There’s the standard array of sensors that can
track your heart rate, sleep and fitness activities. The watches are 3ATM
splash proof and also come with NFC and always-on display functionality.
Some corners had to be cut to
get the price down so there's no longer onboard GPS, compass and light sensor
as well as non-rotating crowns and lowered 4GB storage. The Gen 5Es make up
with plenty of color options as well as leather, stainless steel and silicone
watch straps. Both models have a 300mAh battery which charges via a proprietary
magnetic charger.
The Gen 5E smartwatches are
expected to begin shipping around November 3 according to Fossil's website.
