Comparisons

Fossil Men\'s Gen 4 Explorist vs Samsung Electronics SM-R500NZDAXAR

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Fossil Men\'s Gen 4 ExploristSamsung Electronics SM-R500NZDAXAR
Title Fossil Men's Gen 4 Explorist HR Heart Rate Stainless Steel and Silicone Touchscreen Smartwatch, Color: Black (Model: FTW4018)Samsung Galaxy Watch Active (40mm, GPS, Bluetooth) Smart Watch with Fitness Tracking, and Sleep Analysis - Rose Gold  (US Version)
Model Fossil
Men\'s Gen 4 Explorist
Samsung Electronics
SM-R500NZDAXAR

Basic Info

Suggested Price $198.84$159.99
Sale Price Check Price*Check Price*
Release Feb 2019Apr 2019

Overview

DescriptionThe lightweight yet durable Galaxy Watch Active smartwatch understands the way you work out. With auto workout tracking, you'll have the power to reach new goals, and a suite of apps helps you monitor your stress and sleep while you stay connected.
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
  • Track your way to real results: Automatically detects up to 6 exercises, while tracking up to 39 more, right from your wrist
  • Resolve to rest better: Helps you analyze your sleep patterns and encourages you to wind down to keep you refreshed and at your best
  • Sends you real time alerts if ever detecting a high or low heart rate, so you can be more proactive about your heart health
  • Expand your Galaxy: Sync with your phone to stream your playlist, get notifications and more, right on your wrist
  • Thin; Light; Durable: A thin, lightweight and durable swim ready design comes in a variety of colors and interchangeable bands
  • Lasts for days: Go non stop with a long lasting battery that lasts for days on a single charge

Reviews

Walmart Rating3.5 (out of 171 reviews)3.9 (out of 239 reviews)
BestBuy Rating4.5 (out of 6038 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

samsung active watch
Rating: 5
Great watch my wife loves it. She is still figuring a few things out but over all she rely loves all the functions of it
by Freddie on 2020-04-30T17:00:00


Rating: 5

by Keisha on 2020-08-07T17:00:00

Love this watch!
Rating: 5
I always wanted to upgrade to a real smartwatch from a basic fitness tracker I had gotten for free a while back. So, when I had the option to get one with my S20 Ultra pre-order, I jumped at the chance! I'm really happy with it. The size is great for me at 40mm. I went with the rose gold option as I really like rose gold jewelry. It not only looks great but works great. I have no issues with it connecting to my phone or using it. I really like all the watch face options as well as all the apps I can use. I love how I can get notified from the apps on my phone on my watch. I have A LOT of trouble sleeping and being able to track my sleep is a great thing. The fitness options are great too. I love how customizable it is. I'm still getting the hang of it but I'm very happy with it so far!
by LindsayDD on 2020-03-19T17:00:00


Rating: 4
I love how easy it was to set the watch up. its very customizable. I can get a lot of different watch faces and also add widgets. It synced effortlessly to my Note 9 and its light on my wrist. The only thing I dont like is not being able to make or receive calls on it.
by Tameli on 2019-03-29T17:00:00

Like it a lot
Rating: 4
i wish a smaller face size was available. 40mm is a little big for my liking but that is just my preference. the only negative is the battery life. it needs to be charged every day and a half to 2 days. devices i've had in the past have usually lasted twice as long on a charge.
by Brellas mom on 2020-08-02T17:00:00

Rear glass plate came off completely
Rating: 1
today i woke up and found that the rear glass plate of my galaxy watch active came off exposing the internals of the watch. i'm very careful with my devices, i never washed my hands with the watch on it. i'm extremely disappointed because the warranty has expired recently.
by reaver2006 on 2020-07-31T17:00:00

Terrible battery life
Rating: 1
After many tries at adjusting various features to reduce battery usage it was evident it came no where close to the advertised 80 hour battery life for even the basic functions. I even tried contacting Samsung for help on this issue which was pretty much useless. The reason I bought it was to replace my Fitbit, and mainly so I could listen to Spotify when running. It was between this watch and the new Fitbit equivalent but since I had a Samsung S9 I thought the they would be more compatible and it would be a seamless type of experience. Quite the opposite. The Bluetooth keeps cutting out and has to reconnect. If I keep the watch 1 or 2 feet from my ear pods it is OK, anything further it keeps dropping the connection. I bought because I thought they would be good fit with my Samsung phone. I am now turned off by everything that's Samsung. I am ditching their phone and TV's for better quality and customer service. Be warned people, their products and quality as well as their customer service has really taken a turn for the worst anymore, look somewhere else.
by Mark on 2020-08-15T17:00:00

Battery
Rating: 1
The battery absolutely sucks on the watch ,it also drains the battery on my phone , I closed out as many as as I could and didn't help, won't even make a full day on a single charge, most likely I'll be returning
by Jilly on 2020-01-11T16:00:00

Glossy coating on the band starts peeling!
Rating: 1
I bought this 1 month ago and the glossy coating on the original Samsung silicone band started peeling. I raised my concern to Samsung, and their response was its normal "wear and tear". It's extremely ugly to look at. Huge design flaw on the strap. Should not have the glossy coating on silicone, now it just looks bad.
by Penguin on 2019-12-18T16:00:00

Battery shortage
Rating: 1
i recently ordered the galaxy watch to help monitor my heart rate but was unable to do so because the battery would not even last four hours. i ordered the watch brand new and had the battery die on me several times with minimal usage time of the watch throughout the week that i had it. battery life was not good at all, quite horrible!
by Hyacinth on 2020-07-11T17:00:00

All Features

Assembled Product Weight8 oz
Features45mm case 22mm interchangeable strap
releaseFeb 2019Apr 2019
Screen Resolution360 x 360
Display Size1.1\" / 27.9 mm
Display TypeAMOLED
IP RatingIP68
Estimated Battery Life45 Hours
Watch Crystal MaterialCorning Gorilla Glass 3
CPU1.15 GHz Samsung Exynos 9110 Dual-Core
Band MaterialFluoroelastomer
Storage4 GB
TouchscreenYes
Wireless ConnectivityBluetooth 4.2Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
Global PositioningGPS
Water Resistance Depth164.04' / 50 m
SensorsAccelerometer
OS CompatibilityAndroid 5.0 or LateriOS 9.0 or Later
Rechargeable Battery Capacity230 mAh
Band Circumference0.8\" / 20 mm
Audio Formats3GA, AAC, AMR, AWB, M4A, MP3, OGA, OGG, WAV, WMA
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)3.95 x 3.4 x 2.2\"
Splash ProofYes
RAM768 MB
Operating SystemTizen
Ingress Protection (IP) RatingIP68
Battery Strength IndicatorYes
Internal Memory Capacity4 gigabytes
Dust ResistantYes
Customizable Watch FacesYes
Shock ResistantYes
Form FactorWristwatch
Charging Interface(s)Wireless
Touch ScreenYes
Clock DisplayYes
ColorRose Gold
Maximum Depth of Water Resistance164 feet
RechargeableYes
Model FamilyGalaxy Watch Active
Product Depth0.41 inches
Wi-Fi CompatibilityWireless B
Mobile NotificationsYes
Alert TypeVibration
Screen MaterialGorilla Glass
Voice ActivatedYes
Screen Size40 millimeters
Processor Speed1.15 gigahertz
Replaceable BatteryNo
Product NameGalaxy Watch Active Smartwatch 40mm Aluminum
Display ScreenYes
Band Width20 millimeters
Case ShapeRound
BrandSamsung
Bluetooth Version4.2
Product Weight0.88 ounces
Color DisplayYes
Number of Sensors4
Backlit DisplayNo
Integrated CameraNo
Battery Capacity230 milliampere hours
Metrics MeasuredActivity vs. inactivity
Music PlayerYes
Charging Time120 minutes
Battery TypeLithium-ion
Manufacturer's Warranty - Parts1 Year
Multi-Sport TrackingYes
Usage Time45 hours
Built-In MicrophoneYes
SeriesGalaxy Watch
Silent AlarmNo
Case MaterialAluminum
Case Thickness0.41 inches
Case Width1.56 inches
System Memory (RAM)0.75 gigabytes
Bluetooth EnabledYes
Data Plan RequiredNo
Band TypeFluoroelastomer band
Mobile Payment Service SupportedSamsung Pay
Clasp TypeBuckle
Maximum Height of Shock Resistance4.9 feet
NFC TechnologyYes
Color CategoryRose gold
Model NumberSM-R500NZDAXAR
Operating System CompatibilityAndroid
Water ResistantYes
Manufacturer's Warranty - Labor1 Year
Additional Accessories IncludedAdditional straps; wireless charging pad
Adjustable BrightnessNo
Vibration AlertYes
Band ColorRose Gold
Product TypeSmartwatch
Voice Assistant Built-inOther

More Information

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