Fossil’s Gen 5 smartwatches get on better with your iPhone

Wear OS watches and iPhones are usually about as friendly to one another as Wenger and Mourinho, but Fossil’s Gen 5 wearables look to change that. For the first time on a device packing Google’s software, you’ll be able to take incoming calls from your tethered iPhone on the watch itself, rather than just being notified of them. And that’s not all that’s new; an extended battery mode will purportedly give you multiple days of usage on a single charge, while keeping important features like notifications and heart rate readings active. A swimproof speaker allows you to hear alarms and responses from Google Assistant, and all devices now run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform. The new Gen 5 Fossil will be available from £279 on August 5.

Matt Tate Contributor

About

I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Harry Kane is never going to leave Spurs.

Areas of expertise

Video games, VR, smartwatches, headphones, smart speakers, bizarre Kickstarter campaigns