- Fossil presented its first LTE-enabled smartwatch, the Fossil Gen 5 LTE, at CES 2021.
- As expected, this is almost the same smartwatch as the 2019 Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch, just with cellular connectivity.
- It will be released exclusively on Verizon this year for $ 349.
Update, Jan. 21, 2021 (3:54 p.m. ET): It looks like things are going a lot faster than expected for the Fossil Gen 5 LTE. Although Fossil told us it would land this spring, it’s already here – just ten days after the company announced it.
Today you can download Fossil’s first LTE watch from the official website for $ 349. Conversely, you can also go to Verizon and buy there for the same price. You can also use a Verizon payment plan and pay $ 14.54 every month for 24 months.
Note that the Gen 5 LTE is exclusive to Verizon. Even if you buy it directly from Fossil, you can only enable LTE features on the Verizon network. In other words, if you’re not with Verizon or planning on moving, the Gen 5 LTE is not for you.
Original article, Jan. 11, 2021 (8:00 a.m. ET): Wear OS smartwatches with LTE connectivity. Mobvoi was really the only company that got involved in LTE Wear OS smartwatches, but now we can add Fossil to that list. Fossil has announced the Fossil Gen 5 LTE, the first LTE-equipped smartwatch.
Having access to an LTE connection on your watch is invaluable to some people. So you don’t need to have a phone nearby to send texts or receive calls. And since all Gen 5 smartwatches have a built-in speaker, it’s a lot easier to take calls from your wrist.
However, you must be a Verizon customer to use Fossil’s new smartwatch. The Fossil Gen 5 LTE is initially only available for Verizon, though Fossil says it is working on supporting more carriers in the future. While we’re looking at exclusivity, it’s also a pure Android smartwatch. Fossil is also working on iOS compatibility, although there is no time frame for it.
Connected: Wear OS in 2020: The Most Stagnant Smartwatch Platform
As the name suggests, the new watch is almost identical to the company’s previous Gen 5 watches. The Fossil Gen 5 LTE has the same display, processor, RAM and storage configuration as the version we tested in 2019. This means that the new chipset of the Snapdragon Wear 4100 series from Qualcomm is unfortunately not available. However, we felt that the 3100 chip’s performance was quite acceptable. Battery life was good too – thanks in part to Fossil’s custom battery modes – although it will be interesting to see how an LTE connection affects battery life.
There’s one more caveat worth mentioning: the LTE smartwatch is kind of missing out on the latest software update that Fossil released last August. It launches with no VO2 max estimates, the new wellness app, expanded custom battery modes, and more. Fossil hopes to be able to bring this software update to the LTE version “soon”.
The Fossil Gen 5 LTE is available for pre-order now and will launch in the US this spring for $ 349. It will be rolled out worldwide later this year. There are two color options available: a smoke-colored stainless steel case with black straps and a rose gold-colored stainless steel case with blushing straps – both in the larger size of 45 mm. We’ve linked to Fossil’s landing page below, but you can also find it on Verizon.com and in select Verizon stores this spring.