Smartwatch maker Fossil is back at CES in 2021 to unveil a new lineup of products for 2021. But is there enough to warrant an upgrade? It’s debatable.
What’s New From Fossil?
At first glance, it looks like Fossil has come to virtual Vegas laden with fresh ideas. Dig a little deeper, however, and that’s not necessarily the case.
Take the new Fossil Gen 5 LTE watch. It’s almost identical to 2020’s standard Fossil Gen 5, but with the added benefits of 4G cellular connectivity and 8GB of storage. Unless you’re a hardcore Fossil fan, the $349 sticker price is too much for such a small upgrade.
There’s also new Michael Kors Access Gen 5E, but it’s just a repackaged version of the Gen 5E. And it’s the same story with the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR; under the hood, it is almost identical to 2020’s Fossil Hybrid HR.
Tell Me More About the Fossil Gen 5 LTE
If you’re new to Fossil, then the new version is more appealing. Despite the small upgrade, it’s still a great watch.
You get Google’s Wear OS, untethered GPS, NFC payments, 1GB of RAM, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, rapid charging, four smart battery modes, a multi-day battery life, and a heart rate sensor.
Sadly, no release date has yet been confirmed, but it will be sometime in 2021.