Fossil Q Grant Review
The Fossil Q Grant Review
Until just recently, wearable tech had a major image problem. Everyone was aware of this, but the lack of alternative better-looking fitness trackers that did not look like random silicone straps led many to settle for them and even consider them a fashion success. Things have since changed though. Big tech companies like Huawei and LG have taken it upon themselves to test the waters and stretch the idea of wearable techs by creating smartwatches that resemble analog watches. As a matter of fact, to most, unless provided the insight, their timepieces are like any other analog watches but with insane price tags.
Fossil is a fashion company that has made a name for itself with its American vintage styled watches has decided to join in on the fun and is now producing its own line of wearable tech. The company currently has the Q range that is made up of the Q Dreamer and Q Reveler smart bands, the Q Grant which is a hybrid watch and the Q Founder Android Wear watch in which will be launched in the near future. In the past, fossil experimented with wearables but they never came up with anything close to the line they have now. The Q gadgets are smart devices that make great fashion statements. These are pieces you can have on all day, every day and will upgrade your personal sense of style.
While the Q watches are all worth some attention, in this hybrid watch review we shall focus on the Fossil Q Grant.
The Fossil Q Grant – What is It?
Simply put, the Fossil Q Grant is a smartwatch for those who love analog watches. The watch provides all the features of a stylish analog watch and doubles up as a smartwatch providing everything a fashionable tech and fitness ‘junkie’ would need. In essence, it is a simplistic watch powered by connectivity.
Build and Design
The watch comes with 3 dials on its watch face. The hands are useful for showing the date, counting hours and seconds. These dials are useful and much needed in a watch but do nothing when it comes to making a unit feel and look smart – they cannot help you with your daily distance and movement goals.
The watch comes in a rose gold color which is by far the most female friendly along with other 3 color variations. Fossil, however, has made more than 20 different colored straps available for users. In addition to this, they have created the watch in a way that any 22mm strap would do just fine. This makes it easy to customize the unit to your liking and to match your personal sense of style and fashion.
It should be noted that the unit is chunky and measures about 15mm in thickness and weighs about 72 grams. This makes it bulky. Bulkier than most watches on the market. But this does not negate the fact that it is a great looking watch which has been built with precision and with great expertise.
But there is a reason why the unit is bulkier and thicker than most. The reason is etched on the back of the watch. The Intel logo on the back signifies the power the unit comes packing. The watch is a modern tech engine room with a 3 axis accelerometer and a Bluetooth 4.1 hardware.
The date and time are set manually using the main dials. The other buttons above and below the main dial are used to work the stopwatch. On the underside of the left corner is an LED light which is the first sign that the unit is smart.
The Fossil Q Grant is made to be water resistant. It can hold its own up to 3ATM. With this rating, it is well able to survive splashes and slight submersions. You should, however, be warned, do not wear it when you go out swimming.
Activity Tracking
The Fossil Q Grant is referred to a smartwatch. Using this term, one might be tempted to think that the unit provides all the fitness tracking features smartwatches do. But on the contrary, this unit can only count the number of steps taken. As such, a better term for it, as opposed to an activity tracker, is a pedometer. The watches application will use the data collected to make educated guesses about the number of calories burnt and the distance traveled. You should however not be expecting it to do fancy things like keeping track of the stair steps climbed, your elevation or even monitor your heart rate.
The Fossil Q Grant does not offer sleep tracking either. It is the lack of this feature that its main rivals stand out.
But even with its shyness in activity tracking, there is one thing that gives it an edge over all the rest; consistency, and accuracy. It is true that no step counting algorithm is 100% accurate, but the accuracy provided by the Q Grant in comparison to other units is more than sufficient.
Every time you hit your step goal, the Q Grant will vibrate, and the LED below the watch will light up orange. The daily step goal can be adjusted from the app.
Smartphone Notifications
The Fossil Q Grant excels in its notification system. In fact, it is so good that it gives other units like the Mondaine and the Withings a run for their money.
Anything that happens on your mobile device be it receiving an E-mail, an SMS, a call, a Facebook message or update or Whatsapp, the Fossil Q Grant can vibrate and the LED lights blue.
Since the unit features no screen, you are not able to read previews of your notifications. But all the same, the watch does a pretty good job of keeping you in touch with your digital world while letting you indulge with your physical and immediate environment to the fullest.
With the notifications alerts, you can customize how your watch behaves through the application. You can detail the alerts you want, from which contacts you want them from, activate both the vibrations and LED lights or maybe both. The LED unit lights up to 7 different colors. You can take advantage of these colors to differentiate the alerts.
The Fosil Smartphone App
The Fossil Q Grant makes use of the app that the Dreamer and Reveler bands use. The application is simple and clean. The application comes with 3 different sections namely, Q Notifications, Q Curiosity and Q Activity. You should know that the Q Activity section is not as detailed the app sections of Jawbone and Fitbit. It comes with a simple step chart only. It, however, allows you to sync to UP By Jawbone, Under Armour and share your daily steps data.
The Q Curiosity section to say the least is a flimsy attempt to get its users to stay in touch with their environment. Chances are, you might not attempt any of the daily challenges listed on the Q Curiosity section.
Lastly, in the Q Notification section, you have a chance to sort out your alerts. Here you get to customize the alerts your watch receives and how the watch alerts you.
The great news is that the application is compatible with the iOS and Android mobile device platforms.
Battery Life
The battery life on most smartwatches is not as long as with traditional watches. Nonetheless, the battery lasts a decent amount of time. The Q Grant 27mAh battery lasts for about a week which is pretty good for a smartwatch with its functionality.
That said, comparing the unit to other units in its market space, this battery lifespan is quite disappointing. The likes of Withings Activite have their batteries lasting up to several months or even years. As such, the 7 days battery life provided by the Q Grant fades in comparison.
The wireless charger of this unit is built to resemble a stand. It is perfect for placement on a desk or on your bedside or any other flat surface. It works pretty well.
Review Conclusion
For those looking for an affordable, stylish looking and well-built hybrid watch, the Fossil Q Grant is the best. To enjoy the watch, you have to be interested in basic fitness tracking abilities, since the unit is for the most part basic with a unique design.
If you have used the unit before, we would like to hear your experience with the unit. Feel free to share your likes and dislikes below in the comment section.
