Comparisons

Fossil Men\'s Gen 4 Explorist vs Garmin Swim 2

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Fossil Men\'s Gen 4 ExploristGarmin Swim 2
Title Fossil Men's Gen 4 Explorist HR Heart Rate Stainless Steel and Silicone Touchscreen Smartwatch, Color: Black (Model: FTW4018)Garmin Swim 2, GPS Swimming Smartwatch for Pool and Open Water, Underwater Heart Rate, Records Distance, Pace, Stroke Count and Type, Slate Gray
Model Fossil
Men\'s Gen 4 Explorist
Garmin
Swim 2

Basic Info

Suggested Price $198.84$249.99
Sale Price Check Price*Check Price*
Release Feb 2019

Overview

DescriptionKeep tabs on your health and fitness with this slate Garmin Swim 2 smartwatch. The activity-specific profiles monitor swimming activities for accurate performance data, while the GPS tracks your movements to analyze distance and speed during outdoor workouts. This Garmin Swim 2 smartwatch synchronizes with iOS and Android devices for calls and notifications.
Top Features
  • Smartwatches powered with Wear OS by Google work with iPhone and Android Phones
  • Heart Rate & Activity Tracking using Google Fit; Built-in GPS for distance tracking; Swimproof design 3ATM; Google Assistant built in - it’s your own personal Google, always ready to help; Speed through checkout with your watch using Google Pay
  • This is one smart watch - receive smartphone notifications and app alerts, manage your calendar, control your music, download third party apps (your favorite ride-sharing or music apps), and customize your watch face; touchscreen functionality, built-in fitness tracker, microphone, music storage & controls, custom goal & alarm settings, calendar alerts, multiple time zones, weather, LED flashlight, wireless syncing
  • Estimated 24 hour battery life, based on usage plus 2 additional days in low-power mode; magnetic USB rapid charger included; charge up to 80% in under an hour
  • Classic Design. Modern Tech. This 45mm Explorist HR (Heart Rate) touchscreen smartwatch lets you track your heart rate, receive notifications, customize your dial and more; Case size: 45mm; Band size: 22mm; interchangeable with all Fossil 22mm bands; easily change your watch band with quick release pins; imported
  • GPS swimming smartwatch for the pool and open water
  • Monitors underwater estimated wrist-based heart rate during swim activities
  • Pool swim mode: records distance, pace, stroke count, stroke type and SWOLF (gauges swimming efficiency)
  • Open-water swim mode: uses built-in GPS for swims in lakes, oceans or rivers; records distance, pace, stroke count, SWOLF, stroke rate and stroke distance
  • Offers advanced features for staying on pace, logging drills and more
  • Includes free online analysis, custom workout creation, storage and sharing on Garmin Connect online community
  • Connected features (paired with a compatible smartphone) include smart notifications and automatic uploads to our Garmin Connect online community
  • Battery life: up to 7 days in smartwatch mode, 13 hours in GPS and optical heart rate (ohr) mode and 72 hours in pool and ohr mode

Reviews

Walmart Rating3.5 (out of 171 reviews)5.0 (out of 1 reviews)
BestBuy Rating5 (out of 2 reviews)
Latest Reviews

I'm Totally Satisfied
Rating: 5
I fell in love with this watch since the first day I bought it. I really love all the features on the watch.
by Alwayz Hungry on 2020-03-21T17:00:00

I like this
Rating: 5
Goos watch, amazing design
by Alberths28 on 2020-02-02T16:00:00

Really great with a few minor setbacks
Rating: 4
It's a good watch and well-rounded. However, the touch screen can be a little sluggish as well as some of the fitness apps. It's very usable, though, and if anyone wants an affordable and usable watch, I would recommend this one.
by Sierra on 2019-12-31T16:00:00

A solid upgrade
Rating: 4
So far, I've had a gen 2 Wander (LOVED), a gen 3 Explorist, and have just upgraded to the exact same in gen 4, (another black Explorist)--so this is a real apples-to-apples review. (I'm 5'3", 150lb F & love my chunky watches!) Something I noticed immediately was how much lighter the gen 4 Explorist was compared to gen 3. The case is just slightly thinner, with a more platicky back to accommodate the HR monitor. So the profile is just a little thinner. The case looks bigger, because the metal frame is narrower, but the bezel under the glass is still pretty big--the screen itself is no bigger, but it looks really nice. I DO miss the speaker a little bit--I never used my watches for phone calls, but liked to have a sound go with the vibration when getting an alert or alarm. However the change in weight has made the vibration feel better on this watch than the last generation, so I've been pretty comfortable with having it gone. The three hardware buttons are still one of my favorite things--the two side buttons are still re-mappable, and that's very handy! I'm finding that this watch isn't scooting down on my wrist as much as the heavier gen 3, so I'm not accidentally hitting the buttons with the top of my hand when bending my wrist nearly as much. Battery life at first was pretty awful, but that's par for the course on a new watch. Remember to give your watch a few days to fully update. One thing I did that immediately improved my battery life was clear the data from the fossil app on the watch so that the "Fossil" app was no longer reading HR. That was an unfortunate loss for me--I really liked seeing my heart rate on my watch faces, and that was one of my reasons for upgrading. But the Fossil app was killing my battery life. I was able to turn on constant monitoring in Google Fit, and I'm consistently getting 20-24 hours of battery. I get better stats, and all I have to do is scroll over to the HR tile. Happy with my upgrade!
by Lolo on 2019-06-20T17:00:00

Very good
Rating: 4
I love what options I have with this watch and the compatibility. However not all the apps work how I expected they would, which is understandable as I am not familiar with smartwatch tech. I purchased this for work so that I could answer texts and look at work email. I can in fact do those things, but there are apps that simply do not work the same as you would expect. In summary, it does depend on your phone and its service and it seems to be more of an incoming message reciever rather than making a quick text outgoing.
by Amanda on 2018-12-07T16:00:00

Watch is good, strap not so much.
Rating: 3
The watch itself is very nice and easy to use. I would not get the silicone band again. It ripped off on the third day of use from simply reaching into my pocket. Get the leather or a metal band and you should be good to go.
by BrokeBandBobby on 2020-01-10T16:00:00

Still getting the hang of it, not 100% yet.
Rating: 3
Over all i really love the watch. Its really nice and fits my wrist well. I am still getting the hang of it though so theres a few things that either are glitches or its just me. But, the battery does not last as long as i thought it would. Im wearing it by 5am and it will definitely be dead by midnight. Also it does not seem to be able to be connected to my phone and my headphones at the same time, so i have to disconnect it from my phone so i can play music at the gym. This was a huge hassle to then reconnect. Other than that its been good. Still not 100% loving it yet though. Time will tell.
by Brie Brie on 2019-12-09T16:00:00

Don't buy this watch if you wear on left wrist.
Rating: 2
I'm left handed and I wear watches on my left wrist. Every time I bend my wrist it presses all the buttons and the watch goes crazy. I thought when it said adjustable watch face it meant you could invert it to wear on your left wrist with the buttons facing away from your hand. Plus it's hard to figure out if you don't use google apps.
by Cptn Rich on 2020-07-04T17:00:00

Step count between Explorist HR Gen 4 and Fitbit versa 2
Rating: 2
I have this model, I like all its design. What I do not like is the way of counting steps, I have compared it with the fitbit versa 2, I have walked them at the same time and at the end of the day the fibit counts almost 5,000 more steps. I have taken steps and seeing both smartwatch. I still don't know the reason why
by Aldemar on 2020-06-11T17:00:00

I wouldn't recommend this watch.
Rating: 1
The battery dies like in 8 hours it's crazy. I have the wifi and that feature allowing you to make payments turned off and this battery still does not last. I'm wondering how can I get my money back but I think I threw away the return slip.
by Bre the gullible on 2020-04-11T17:00:00


Rating: 5

by Angelique on 2020-06-29T17:00:00

All Features

Assembled Product Weight8 oz
Features45mm case 22mm interchangeable strap
releaseFeb 2019
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SensorsAccelerometer
Battery Strength IndicatorYes
Product Weight1.27 ounces
Display TypeMIP LCD
Color DisplayYes
Case Size42 millimeters
Customizable Watch FacesYes
Form FactorWristwatch
Backlit DisplayYes
Metrics MeasuredActivity vs. inactivity
Music PlayerYes
Product Width1.65 inches
Battery TypeLithium-ion
Charging Interface(s)USB
Manufacturer's Warranty - Parts1 Year
Maximum Wrist Size7.76 inches
Clock DisplayYes
Multi-Sport TrackingYes
ColorSlate With Silicone Band
Maximum Depth of Water Resistance170 feet
RechargeableYes
Model FamilyGarmin Swim 2
Product Depth0.45 inches
Wi-Fi CompatibilityNone
SeriesSwim 2
Minimum Wrist Size5.08 inches
Mobile NotificationsYes
Alert TypeAudible
Case MaterialPolymer
Case Thickness0.45 inches
Case Width1.65 inches
Screen MaterialGlass
Bluetooth EnabledYes
Adjustable Band LengthYes
Screen Size26.3 millimeters
Band MaterialSilicone
Band TypeStrap
Clasp TypeBuckle
Global PositioningGLONASS
Color CategoryGray
Model Number010-02247-00
Maximum Operating Temperature140 degrees fahrenheit
Operating System CompatibilityAndroid
Water ResistantYes
Minimum Operating Temperature-4 degrees fahrenheit
Product Height1.65 inches
Screen Resolution208 x 208
Product NameSwim 2 Smartwatch 42mm Fiber-Reinforced Polymer
Display ScreenYes
Case ShapeRound
Manufacturer's Warranty - Labor1 Year
BrandGarmin
Additional Accessories IncludedCharging/data cable
Operating SystemGarmin
App CompatibleYes
Vibration AlertYes
Product TypeSmartwatch

More Information

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