Fossil Q Grant total review

Fossil is really getting into the smartwatch market and following the Q Founder with Android Wear we've got our hands on the Q Grant, an analogue watch with smart features. Here's our Fossil Q Grant review. See also: Best smartwatches 2016.

Also see: Best Black Friday Smartwatch Deals

What is a semi-smartwatch? Simply put, information technology'south the proper noun we give to an analogue watch which also has smart features. It gives consumers the option to wear a 'normal' scout but still benefit from mod tech like Bluetooth connectivity. Fossil puts it quite nicely maxim it'due south "A smartwatch for analogue watch lovers."

Fossil Q Grant review: Price and rivals

You might be surprised to hear that the Fossil Q Grant toll is a rather reasonable £165 which is a lot cheaper than the house's £259 Q Founder which runs Android Wear.

That price is for the 'dark brown leather' model which we looked at merely there are more expensive options. It's notwithstanding our favourite of the bunch but you can besides opt for a stainless steel model, sand leather (which has a rose gilded finish) or blackness leather (which has a black metallic finish. All of these are yours for £185 which is still affordable.

There are cheaper semi-smartwatches out there such equally the Martian Notifier (£129) and the Elephone W2 Smart Watch (£59), but they pale in comparison to the Fossil Q Grant. If you lot can stretch to a college budget, the Guess Connect semi-smartwatch (£289) adds voice commands and the ability to read out texts and respond calls on your lookout.

Fossil Q Grant price

Fossil Q Grant review: Design and build

As mentioned, a semi-smartwatch means the device looks and works like a regular analogue sentinel. It is one after all and the Fossil Q Grant is leagues ahead of the competition when it comes to pattern and build.

It may exist more expensive than some rivals we've tested but you're ownership a well-known and respected brand in watches.

The Q Grant is a real head-turner with it gorgeous scout face up, in this example in a stylish cream colour with roman numerals and a sunken section in the middle which houses iii more dials (we'll explain what they do later).

We love the chunky 44m metallic frame on the Q Grant which has a chrome terminate where information technology meets the glass and a bushed finish circular the edge for a ii-tone look. At that place'southward likewise the matching buttons and crown on the right-side. The leather strap is comfy and starts to expect weathered after a while, calculation character – it'due south 22mm and quick release so it's easy to change it.

Acquit in mind that the more feminine 'sand leather' pick is still a 44mm example which volition be also big for a lot of women. It's as well non the most slender of watches at 15mm making it all the more manly.

Fossil Q Grant colours

The distressing affair is that the dorsum of the spotter is made from a low-cal greyness coloured plastic, and while the back doesn't actually affair much this does go a reasonable amount up the side of the sentinel where is meets the metal. It's conspicuously visible when the watch is on your wrist detracting from the overall style somewhat. Even the FFC ID and some other long series of digits are visible if y'all await hard enough.

Last but not least on the pattern and build forepart is the 3ATM rating which means its splash proof and h2o resistant just you shouldn't dunk it fully so don't wear it pond.

Fossil Q Grant review: Specs and features

There's non a massive corporeality to talk most when information technology comes to the Fossil Q Grant specs since the sentry doesn't have a touchscreen and therefore the need for serious components although there is an Intel logo on the back indicating the supplier of the tech element.

Fossil Q Grant plastic back

Instead, the smart features come up in the simplistic form of a vibration motor and LED lights (one on either side of the case). Continued to an iPhone (5 or afterward with iOS 8.2 or afterward) or Android (version four.four or later) over Bluetooth (iv.ane LE) you can get notifications through to the Q Grant.

A note on connectivity is due as nosotros had issues using the Q Grant with Android with frequent drop outs and sometimes even had to pair information technology with the phone equally if it was the first time. Other reviewers seem to have had the same issue but non with iOS. We've seen some software updates since receiving our sample but nothing has fixed information technology sadly.

Using the Fossil Q app, you can customise the notifications you lot become starting with contacts. You can set to five favourite contacts, each with a different colour (choose from seven options) and vibration patterns and so you know who is calling or texting you. It's just a shame you tin can't accept a setting for all other contacts so you're limited to just the favourites.

Fossil Q Grant LED

The LEDs (see above under the left-push) can also be used to notify yous of other things such as when certain apps have a notification on your telephone or even when a detail hashtag or emoji is used.

Customisation includes how potent the vibration is and the length of delay betwixt the vibration and the LED coming on – handy if you demand more fourth dimension to glace at the color. You tin merely take i or the other if you like, too. There's likewise the choice of which LED to use or have both flashing.

The Fossil Q Grant tin can also track your activeness thanks to its iii-centrality accelerometer providing basic information via the app such as steps taken, distance covered and calories burned. There's nothing fancy like a center rate monitor, superlative or slumber tracking.

It's a shame then, that 1 of those three minor dials on the sentinel face isn't linked to your activity progress. Nosotros imagined that one would be your step count (or percentage of goal) similar the Withings Activité but sadly none are. Instead they are for (left to right) stopwatch minutes, stopwatch seconds and 24 hr count. Y'all command the chronograph stopwatch with the two buttons either side of the watch crown.

Fossil Q Grant charger

Battery life is quoted at a week but we constitute the picket tin go for longer if you don't get too many notifications. It's easy to charge it though every bit the supplied stand is also a wireless charger.

Specs

Fossil Q Grant: Specs

  • Android 4.4 or later
  • iPhone 5 onwards, with iOS 8.ii or later
  • Bluetooth 4.one LE
  • three-axis Accelerometer
  • Vibration/Haptics engine
  • Wireless charging with included dock
  • 3ATM water resistant
  • 27mAh battery
  • 44mm case
  • 15mm thick
  • 72g
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Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor

Chris Martin

Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for nearly 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home amusement, phones, laptops, tablets and more.