Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR review: Better than Fossil?

There are many hybrid smartwatches out there, but none resemble the Fossil Group’s lineup. I’m talking about Fossil Hybrid HR in 2020, of course. It uses a power-friendly e-ink display to provide smartwatch functionality in subtle ways. Now the company has brought the same technology to the Skagen brand with the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR.

The first hybrid HR smartwatch from Skagen is classy and innovative, but it still suffers from some persistent software problems. Read our full Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR Review to find out if this is the hybrid watch for you.

About This Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR Review: I have been using the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR for two weeks with software version 1.0.2.20r.v5 (not final). It was connected to my Google Pixel 5 throughout the trial period. The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR review unit was provided Android Authority by Fossil Group.

What you need to know about the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR is a hybrid smartwatch based on the relatively new e-ink smartwatch platform from the Fossil Group. It’s essentially the same as the original Fossil Hybrid HR from 2020. However, it features new watch faces, a slightly different app experience, and of course a Skagen branded design.

A hybrid smartwatch is a device that lands somewhere between a typical touchscreen smartwatch and a normal old analog watch. It has some smart features. This includes support for smartphone notifications, activity tracking, weather details and music controls. However, you won’t find any advanced features like voice assistants or contactless payment support. It’s a smartwatch for those who want the bare essentials.

However, the Fossil Group’s Hybrid HR platform is different from other hybrids. The watches have e-ink displays behind the traditional physical pointers. The physical hands make the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR look like a traditional watch, while the e-ink display shows other important elements like step count and heart rate.

Do not miss: Fossil Hybrid HR rating: beautifully flawed

What’s good about the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR?

Skagen’s Danish-inspired design language is rooted in minimalism and exudes in the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR. To be honest, this watch is beautiful. The brushed stainless steel case, the beveled bezel and the sporty, classic bracelet will undoubtedly appeal to a wide range of users. Personally, I love Skagen’s restrained design language.

Skagen’s new Hybrid HR watch is beautiful.

Not only does it look good, but the hardware is a huge improvement over the Fossil Hybrid HR. The three pushers on the right side of the watch case are clickier and less squishy than Fossil’s offer. They’re not perfect, but they’re better.

The e-ink display has its drawbacks (more on that later), but it also has a big advantage: the longevity of the battery. Most OLED advertising smartwatches last less than five or six days. The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR, on the other hand, can last up to two weeks depending on usage. I am on track to get exactly two weeks of battery life based on my previous usage. I played around with the display and also trained a lot. You could probably get out another day or two if you rarely interact with the watch itself.

With its e-ink display, the Hybrid HR mirrors your smartphone’s notifications and shows things like the daily number of steps, calorie consumption and heart rate. You can also control the music that is playing on your smartphone. Because the display is so subtle, you can use the smartwatch functions as often or as little as you want. Personally, I only use “smart” features (checking notifications or step counts) when it’s convenient, instead of checking religiously throughout the day.

If you’re not into Skagen’s simple watch face, you can create it yourself in the new Skagen Hybrid Smartwatch app. You can add more complications, change the preset designs, and even add your own photos to your watch face. Fossils Hybrid HR also has a thriving community on Reddit where user-made watch faces can be shared. However, I think Skagen could go a little further with its standard watch face options. Only a handful are available at the time of this writing.

Like the Fossil Hybrid HR, the Skagen device also has a backlight that can be triggered by double-tapping the dial. If the hands on the watch interfere with reading the display, moving your wrist quickly will get them out of the way. (See it in action here.)

Those with smaller wrists will be happy to hear that Skagen is bringing out two sizes of the Jorn Hybrid HR: 42 and 38 mm. Our Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR test device is 42 mm tall. It goes well with my average sized wrists.

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR also doubles as a fitness tracker. Via the connected GPS you can track your daily steps, your calories burned, your heart rate, your sleep and your distance. It supports ten training profiles. These include running, biking, hiking, walking, treadmill, elliptical, weights, rowing machine, spin, and a general exercise profile. There is also automatic activity detection for running, cycling, walking and row machines.

The Jorn Hybrid HR’s step tracking numbers matched those of my Garmin Forerunner 245. I also had no issues when I plugged the watch into my phone for an outdoor run with GPS attached.

Additionally, from all I can tell, the sleep tracking was all around accurate. I tested it with the Fitbit Sense (one of our favorite sleep trackers) for several nights and the results were more or less consistent.

That said, I wouldn’t rely on the Hybrid HR’s heart rate sensor to provide accurate numbers, at least for higher-intensity workouts. Below is a ~ 32 minute treadmill with the Skagen watch (blue) and the Garmin Fenix ​​6 Pro (purple).

Here are a few important things to keep in mind. First, the data looks a little strange. This is because the Skagen watch only displays heart rate readings roughly every 40 seconds. Compare that to the down to the second data from the Fenix ​​6 Pro and Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR, which definitely overlooked some of the nuances of this workout. There are many points in this run where the Skagen clock missed larger peaks and valleys.

Even so, the general heart rate trend remained throughout the run. The average heart rate was spot on with the Garmin watch. For what it’s worth, I also had no concerns with the Skagen watch’s resting heart rate data compared to the Fenix ​​6 Pro and Fitbit Sense.

Also read: The Best Fossil Smartwatches You Can Buy

I doubt many people who buy this watch will be expecting a top notch fitness experience anyway. So keep that in mind, but don’t let it become a deal breaker for you.

And yes, if you know someone who owns a Skagen hybrid watch, you can take part in fitness challenges right from the Skagen app. Unfortunately, owners of fossil hybrids have their own challenges. So you need to know someone else Skagen Users, not everyone with a Fossil Group Hybrid.

Are there any disadvantages?

First, let me say that developing software for an e-ink display has to be difficult, at least in a smartwatch form factor. We didn’t see until later years that Pebble (RIP) had really mastered its user interface and made the transition to full color e-ink displays with smoother animation. Unfortunately, many of the navigation issues we encountered with the Fossil Hybrid HR also affect Skagen’s watch.

Navigating the user interface is, in a word, slow. There is a noticeable delay in pressing any of the hardware buttons to bring up your notifications or even the bare bones training screen. Scrolling through the settings menu can also be frustrating. Key presses don’t feel as responsive as they should.

Next: The best smartwatch deals

I think some work needs to be done on the UI layout in general as well. The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR has basic smartwatch apps like a timer, stopwatch and a weather app. However, to get to your apps list, you’ll have to long-press the center button and scroll past certain apps that should stay in the background, e.g. B. Regulatory information and the info screen. As far as I can tell, there is no way to sort the order in which the apps are displayed. I think an easily accessible list of all the apps would really benefit the user interface here.

Overall, the on-device software isn’t in a bad place, but it could use some TLC. From what I hear from the Fossil Group team, they are very committed to this platform and plan to keep improving it over time.

Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR Review: Should You Buy It?

I think a lot of people will be very happy with the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR. It retains its classic design without getting too much into the field of the smartwatch. There are just enough smart features to please people who don’t want to go all-in on smartwatches.

Nevertheless, the e-ink display makes me want more software. While I trust the Fossil Group will continue to release new and useful updates throughout the watch’s lifecycle, this is not necessarily a reason to buy the watch now.

Still, the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR is an all-round good, albeit limited, wearable solution if you’re into hybrid smartwatches.

---

That’s all for our Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR test. Let us know what you think about the hybrid smartwatch in the comments and subscribe below so as not to miss any of it Android AuthorityReviews.