PER
Very nice design
Very good workmanship
Nice display
waterproof
Replaceable bracelets
CONTRAINDICATIONS
No SIM / eSIM support
Average battery life
Fossil Q Venture HR and Explorist HR Gen. 4 - Design
Fossil as an experienced watch brand can do a lot of good, especially design, and so it's not surprising that the Fossil Q Venture HR and Fossil Q Explorist HR are among the most beautiful and timeless smartwatches on the market, because they really look like classic watches and not like a rough piece of technology or like a fitness tracker on the arm, as is the case with many smartwatches. In addition, the watch (without straps) is also pleasantly light (especially in comparison with other smartwatches) and can be worn on any occasion. I was often approached by people on the clock. A difference between the two watches is the size. The Fossil Q Explorist HR comes with a diameter of 45 mm and the Venture with 40 mm, at a height of 13 mm. Personally, I like the size of the explorer visually a little more. Also, I like the overall color black best, because it makes the screen look a little bigger and the edges are less noticeable. The glass looks very scratch and impact resistant, similar to current flagship smartphones, and some accidental bumps or accidents have survived it already.
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
Fossil Q Explorist HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 2
At the up to 3 ATM waterproof high quality processed stainless steel case there are two buttons and a rotatable crown for operation, if you do not want to use the touch screen. Both controls work great and I use both about the same amount. Under the housing is the heart rate monitor and the contacts for charging the clock.
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
ossil Q Explorist HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
Tapes are available in different colors, made of different materials and with different closures. These can be ordered either separately when buying together with the clock or separately. But since these are of fairly high quality, you will have to pay quite a few for them. In addition to the stainless steel and leather variants I like the silicone band best, because this is again better for sports activities and thus is more flexible usable. It accumulates but now and then a little dust, which you usually see more clearly in the black version. This helps occasional washing out. Fit all 22mm wide Fossil bands at the Explorist and 18mm width at the Venture. You may also find cheap alternatives on Amazon or Ebay. But I can not comment on their quality.
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
ossil Q Explorist HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
Fossil Q Venture HR and Explorist HR Gen. 4 - hardware and battery
display
AMOLED, 454 x 454 pixels
processor
4x 1.20GHz Cortex-A7 ( Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100)
Our test equipment: Wear 2105 (Explorist), Wear 2112 (Venture)
random access memory
512 MB RAM
Internal memory
4 GB
operating system
Wear OS
Battery / Run Time
Up to 24 hours
Fast charging with induction charger (no Qi charging)
sensors
Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, heart rate sensor
compatibility
Android 4.4+ ( except Go edition), iOS 9.3+
connectivity
Bluetooth® Smart Enabled / 4.1 Low Energy, WLAN 802.11b / g / n
features
Heart rate monitor, GPS, water resistant to 3 ATM, display notifications, custom dial design, music control, bands interchangeable (Explorist HR: 22mm, Venture HR: 18mm)
Dimensions
Explorist HR: 45 x 13 mm
Venture HR: 40 x 13 mm
In terms of hardware, both watches have everything a smartwatch needs, unless you really need a SIM or eSim support. Also speakers are missing here. Personally, I can do without it very well, as I always take my smartphone with me and can also connect the watch to my Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipsets keep the system fluid and responsive to input. Rarely can there be a slight drop in performance, but in the last few months it has only happened three times and it has often been of very short duration. The memory with 4 GB is completely sufficient, if you want to save not only apps but also music via Spotify on the clock.
The display of the AMOLED display is great and the clock is always easy to read even outside. I like to use it often with active always-on display and automatic brightness, where the light sensor performs very reliable work.
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
When the battery comes the biggest weakness of smartwatches to light. Because with the built-in chipsets and the system is limited in some ways and if you do not want to carry a monster on his arm, 24 hours is the realistic maximum of many smartwatches with Wear OS. There are smartwatches like the Galaxy Watch that last three days or the Huawei Watch GT that lasts for up to two weeks, but they have their own CPUs and systems, which is why they are better-optimized, but in the end they offer less Smartwatch with WearOS. Fosill manages to get the best out of the Smartwatch and 24 hours and more are realistic, depending on the used. That's ok, since it would survive at least a normal working day, which is usually enough. If you then like me at times, where you do not want to use the clock or just does not need all the functionalities in the flight mode and the Always on display disables even 3-4 days with it, because you often have the cell phone at hand anyway, has a jacket on or the sweater has slightly longer sleeves, which is why it is impractical to actively use the smartwatch. Overall, both Venture HR and Explorist HR are noticeably longer than most Wear OS smartwatches.
Even if you shop daily but thanks to the fast charger is relatively fixed and you can reach 80% in one hour. However, to ensure better speed, Qi-standard fourth-generation charging has been removed. Although it invites by induction, but not on conventional chargers, so you have to carry the charging cable when you travel. If you can not stand the idea of having to load the machine more often, you can also look at the hybrid versions. These last much longer and at least offer some of the most important functions for me.
Fossil Q Venture HR and Explorist HR Gen. 4 - Software and Functions
You do not really need the software here, because apart from the slightly adapted look of Fossil, everything is as it is known from Wear OS. Accordingly, one has no restrictions on the functionality, but also no special proprietary extras. Of course, the integration of the Google Assistant is particularly useful, because the integrated microphone also makes it possible to control smart home devices in-house. For example, we used voice commands to use Venture HR when shooting our Smart Light video to customize the light for the scenes. One thing should iOS usershowever, note that answering messages does not work. Also, you can not transfer music to the clock. In addition, you only have access to apps that can be installed through the clock.
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4 and Fossil Q Venture HR Gen 4
All remaining functions can be found in the overview below, as can be found on the shop page of the two watches. It has basically everything else you should have with a smartwatch. I myself use it mainly:
To control smart home devices, either through various apps or through the Google Assistant
To read notifications and even send a quick response if I do not want to get the smartphone out, or it would be inappropriate
For sports, ie running and home training in combination with various fitness apps and Google Fit
As a fashion accessory
For payment via Google Pay
Fossil Q Venture HR and Explorist HR Gen. 4 functions
Source: Fossil.de
Fossil Q Venture HR and Explorist HR Gen. 4 - price and availability
Both watches are already available online and offline in various shops. Both clocks currently start at about 250 euros, which is quite a reasonable price for a watch, if you want to wear something higher quality and fancier on your arm, which also looks like a real watch and not like a smartwatch. At least that's the style that I personally like the most.
RATING
DESIGN / 10
PERFORMANCE / 8.5
BATTERY LIFE / 6.5
SOFTWARE / 8.5
PRICE / 8
EDITOR'S CHOICE / 9
HARDWARE / 9
DISPLAY / 9.5
The Fossil Q Venture HR and Explorist HR Gen. 4 are two very nice smartwatches that combine the beautiful design of a classic watch with smartwatch functions, making it not only a nice accessory, but also a smart companion. In terms of features, it does not have anything of its own or special, but it does offer the full functionality of Wear OS and the quality of its workmanship. Only the battery could definitely be better, but there are currently no better alternatives among smartphones with Wear OS. Overall, I like the clocks very much, or are my current favorites, and I can recommend them to anyone who is currently looking for a smartwatch.
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