Skip to Content

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4 Comparison: Should You Upgrade?

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4 Comparison: Should You Upgrade?

As a smartwatch user, having a wearable with great specs, aesthetic design and long battery life is a good deal. Fossil Gen 5 and Gen 4 offer these values at fair prices. Both wearables have good specs which are similar.

They both run on the Google Wear OS and they’re both stylish. If you fancy a smartwatch that strikes a good balance between health and fashion, then Fossil Gen 5 and Gen 4 are your best bet. Are you finding it difficult to upgrade from Fossil Gen 4 to Fossil Gen 5 or you just can’t decide which version of the smartwatch to go for?

Fossil Gen 4 is about a year old so should definitely be cheaper, Gen 5, on the other hand, is the latest and greatest but Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.

In this article, we’ll be comparing the Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4 to help you decide on which of them to buy.

Specification Summary of the Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4

Overview Fossil Gen 5 Fossil Gen 4
Launch Date August, 2019 November, 2018
Display Size 1.28 inches (AMOLED) 1.44 inches (AMOLED)
RAM 1GB 512MB
Internal Storage 8GB 4GB
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100
Dimensions 44*44*12 mm 41*41*12 mm
Battery Life 310mAh 350mAh
Casting Material Stainless Steel Aluminium
Water Resistance 3ATM 5ATM
Charging Time 90 minutes 90 minutes
Connectivity Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Operating System Wear OS 2.4 Wear OS 2.1
Sensors Accelerometer
Barometer
Gyroscope
Heart Rate Monitor
Ambient Light Sensor
Accelerometer
Barometer
Gyroscope
Heart Rate Monitor
Ambient Light Sensor
GPS Yes Yes
Colours Black silicone/steel, Dark Brown/black steel, Smoke stainless steel Black, gray, red, pink, green and blue
Price [amalinkspro type=”cta-btn-css” ctabtn-id=”0″ asin=”B07SRW3MCM” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SRW3MCM?tag=droidrant-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ addtocart=”false” new-window=”true” nofollow=”true” alignment=”alignnone”]Check on Amazon[/amalinkspro] [amalinkspro type=”cta-btn-css” ctabtn-id=”0″ asin=”B07GB324YK” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GB324YK?tag=droidrant-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ addtocart=”false” new-window=”true” nofollow=”true” alignment=”alignnone”]Confirm[/amalinkspro]

Head to Head Comparison of the Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4.

If you’re confused about upgrading your smartwatch from Gen 4 to Gen 5, read the head comparison of both wearables to help you make an informed decision. Both smartwatches will be compared on their body specifications, compatibility with smartphones, resolution and screen size, performance, health check and battery life.

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4: Body Specifications

The Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch is made with stainless steel and it’s more stylish design compared to the Gen 4 which is made with aluminium and has a sports-like look. Both watches come with changeable straps and rotating crown which makes them more customizable.

If you’re looking for a sophisticated and premium smartwatch that has great specs then you should consider upgrading from Fossil Gen 4 to Gen 4. Both smartwatches come in different colours. The variants of Fossil Gen 5 come in more classy colours like smoke stainless, rose gold and black. But if you fancy bright and colourful smartwatches,  then you should choose any variant of the Gen 4 blue, red or pink wearables.

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4: Compatibility With Smartphones

Both Gen 5 and Gen 4 are compatible with most android smartphones with Android 4.4 upwards and iOS 9.3 upwards. The main difference between the two wearables is their version of Bluetooth. Fossil Gen 4 comes with Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, whereas Gen 5 has Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n.

Gen 5 connects faster with smartphones and tablets because it has an updated version of Bluetooth. Both wearables are compatible with the following Android smartphones: Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Note 8, Note 9, Note, 10, OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, 7, 7 Pro, LG V50, LG V40, LG V30, LG V20, etc.

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4: Resolution and Screen Size

fossil gen 5 image

Fossil Gen 5 Watch // The Verge

In comparison, the Fossil Gen 5 has a smaller screen size when matched with the Gen 4. Gen 5 has an AMOLED display screen of 1.28 inches compared to Gen 4’s 1.44-inch AMOLED screen size. But the Gen 5 has a higher pixel density of 460 PPI while the Gen 4 comes with a pixel density of 459 PPI. Although these differences in both smartwatches are significantly small, users of these wearable devices have to decide whether to upgrade from Fossil Gen 4 to the Gen 5 smartwatch.

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4: Performance

The Fossil Gen 5 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 chipset, while the Gen 4 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100. Also Gen 5 has a RAM size of 1GB and internal storage of 8GB whereas the Fossil Gen 4 smartwatch comes with a RAM of 512MB and memory of 4GB. These differences in RAM and storage capacity makes the Fossil Gen 5 a better performing and faster wearable device with.

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4: Health Check

Although both devices have similar health tracking features, but because the Fossil Gen 5 runs on the higher version of Google’s OS, Wear OS 2.4 and also because of its improved hardware the Fossil Gen 5 performance better than the Gen 4 watch. Since both smartwatches run on the Wear OS, you can always download and install your favourite health monitoring apps from the Google PlayStore.

The Gen 5 and Gen 4 also come with a built-in GPS. This helps you to track your move even without connecting to your phone.  Both smartwatches record the functioning of your body’s vital organs. You can comfortably swim whilst wearing the Gen 5 and Gen 4 smartwatches because they both have water resistance ratings of 3 ATM and 5ATM respectively.

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4: Battery Life

fossil gen 4

Fossil Gen 4 // Geek Gear

The Fossil Gen 4 has more battery capacity compared to the Gen 5. Both smartwatches have 310mAh and 350mAh respectively. Although the Gen 4 has an extra 40mAh, the Fossil Gen 5 lasts longer – thanks to it different battery-powered modes.

Gen 5 has four power-saving modes: the daily mode keeps all the smartwatch’s features on, the extended battery mode turns off the Bluetooth and other features that consume power, the time-bound mode makes the smart device function like an ordinary watch, and the custom mode lets you tweak the functionality of your smartwatch watch to meet your needs.

Fossil Gen 5 Vs Gen 4: Our Verdict!

Although both smartwatches have similar features and functions alike, they both have their unique attributes. If you’re in search of a wearable device with premium features and a touch of elegance, then you should buy the Gen 5 smartwatch. The Fossil Gen 4 is a better choice if you want a sporty smartwatch at a lower price.

[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B07SRW3MCM” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SRW3MCM?tag=droidrant-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ imgs=”LargeImage” link-imgs=”false” specs=”Smartwatches powered with wear OS by Google work with iPhone and Android phones~~~Extend your battery life for multiple days with new, smart Battery modes; magnetic usb rapid Charger included; charge UP to 80 percent in under an hour~~~Heart rate and activity tracking using Google fit; Built in GPS for Distance tracking; swimproof design 3Atm; responses from Google assistant it’s your own personal Google, always ready to help; speed through checkout with your watch using Google pay~~~” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Buy on Amazon” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-reviews=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″]Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle HR Heart Rate Stainless Steel and Silicone Touchscreen Smartwatch, Color: Black[/amalinkspro]

[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B07G9QNYBD” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9QNYBD?tag=droidrant-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”false” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ imgs=”LargeImage” link-imgs=”false” specs=”Smartwatches powered with Wear OS by Google work with iPhone and Android Phones~~~Heart Rate & Activity Tracking using Google Fit; Built-in GPS for distance tracking; Swimproof design 3ATM; Google Assistant built in – it’s your own personal Google, always ready to help; Speed through checkout with your watch using Google Pay~~~Estimated 24 hour battery life, based on usage plus 2 additional days in low-power mode; magnetic USB rapid charger included; charge up to 80% in under an hour~~~” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”Buy on Amazon” alignment=”alignnone” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-reviews=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”750″]Fossil Men’s Gen 4 Explorist HR Heart Rate Stainless Steel and Silicone Touchscreen Smartwatch, Color: Black[/amalinkspro]

Read next: The Best Android Skins — One UI, Oxygen OS, MIUI, Stock Android.