Last Updated on March 31, 2020 by Jude Simeone
Fossil in august 2018, unveiled the Gen 4 Q Explorist which unlike the Gen 3 series has an NFC chip that supports Google pay, Heart rate monitor and a GPS for tracking outdoor activities plus the design is even more stylish now. Just like the Gen 3, the Gen 4 runs on Google wear OS which means more access to apps.
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Fossil Gen 4 Q Explorist Full Specifications
Fossil Gen 4 Q Explorist | |||||||||||||
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EDITOR'S RATING |
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WHERE TO BUY | Check at Amazon | ||||||||||||
ABOUT DEVICE |
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Device name | Fossil Gen 4 Explorist | ||||||||||||
Device type | Classic/Fitness smartwatch | ||||||||||||
Predessesor | Fossil Gen 3 Q Explorist | ||||||||||||
Successor | Fossil Gen 5 Calyle | ||||||||||||
Released date | August, 2018 | ||||||||||||
Ideal for | Men | ||||||||||||
DISPLAY |
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Display type | AMOLED | ||||||||||||
Display size | 1.4 inch | ||||||||||||
Display resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | ||||||||||||
Pixel density | -- | ||||||||||||
Input type | Touchscreen plus 3 physical buttons | ||||||||||||
Always-on | Yes | ||||||||||||
BODY |
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Shape | Circular | ||||||||||||
Dimension | 45 x 45 x 13 mm | ||||||||||||
Weight | -- | ||||||||||||
Casing material | Stainless steel | ||||||||||||
Strap/band material | Leather Stainless steel straps |
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Bezel Material | Stainless steel | ||||||||||||
Strap size | 22mm | ||||||||||||
Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass | ||||||||||||
Water resistant/Protection | Yes, 3ATM | ||||||||||||
Swim-proof | Yes | ||||||||||||
Color(s) | Smoke Black Brown |
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MEMORY |
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RAM | 0.5GB | ||||||||||||
Internal storage | 4GB | ||||||||||||
Memory card slot | No | ||||||||||||
CONNECTIVITY |
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Bluetooth | Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE | ||||||||||||
Bluetooth calling | No | ||||||||||||
Wi-Fi | Yes | ||||||||||||
NFC | Yes | ||||||||||||
GPS | Yes | ||||||||||||
CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY | |||||||||||||
Technology | No | ||||||||||||
SIM | No | ||||||||||||
Band | No | ||||||||||||
NOTIFICATIONS | |||||||||||||
Email alert | Yes | ||||||||||||
SMS alert | Yes | ||||||||||||
Calls alert | Yes | ||||||||||||
Event reminder | Yes | ||||||||||||
Weather | Yes | ||||||||||||
Third-party apps | Yes | ||||||||||||
FITNESS TRACKING | |||||||||||||
Sleep apnea | No | ||||||||||||
Sleep tracking | Yes | ||||||||||||
Steps | Yes | ||||||||||||
Floors climbed | No | ||||||||||||
Heart rate monitoring | Yes | ||||||||||||
Calories | Yes | ||||||||||||
Distance | Yes | ||||||||||||
Stress | Yes | ||||||||||||
VO2 Max. | Yes | ||||||||||||
Blood oxygen | No | ||||||||||||
Blood pressure | No | ||||||||||||
Menstrual cycle tracking | No | ||||||||||||
Swim tracking | Yes | ||||||||||||
Under-water heart rate tracking | No | ||||||||||||
Preloaded maps | No | ||||||||||||
On-screen workout modes | No | ||||||||||||
Triathlon mode | __ | ||||||||||||
ECG Tracking | No | ||||||||||||
Preloaded sport modes | Yes | ||||||||||||
Safety tracking | No | ||||||||||||
MEDIA |
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Audio | mp3/mp4 | ||||||||||||
Music streaming | Yes | ||||||||||||
Bluetooth music | Yes | ||||||||||||
Radio | No | ||||||||||||
Loudspeaker | No | ||||||||||||
Microphone | Yes | ||||||||||||
Camera | No | ||||||||||||
SENSORS |
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Accelerometer | Yes | ||||||||||||
Barometer/Altimeter | No | ||||||||||||
Heart rate monitor (HRM) | Yes | ||||||||||||
Compass | No | ||||||||||||
Gyroscope | Yes | ||||||||||||
Ambient light | Yes | ||||||||||||
Pulse Ox. | No | ||||||||||||
ECG | No | ||||||||||||
Thermometer | No | ||||||||||||
Other sensors | __ | ||||||||||||
PLATFORM |
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Operating system (OS) | Wear OS | ||||||||||||
Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 | ||||||||||||
CPU | -- | ||||||||||||
GPU | -- | ||||||||||||
BATTERY |
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Type of battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery | ||||||||||||
Battery capacity | __ | ||||||||||||
Battery life | Standby: 2 days+ Mixed usage: ~1 day |
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Charging type | Inductive charging magnet | ||||||||||||
Charging time | About 1-2 hours | ||||||||||||
Battery saver mode | No | ||||||||||||
Solar power | No | ||||||||||||
Rapid charging | Yes | ||||||||||||
CLOCK FEATURES |
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Time/Date | Yes | ||||||||||||
Stopwatch | Yes | ||||||||||||
Alarm | Yes | ||||||||||||
OTHER FUNCTIONS |
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Control camera | Yes | ||||||||||||
Music control | Yes | ||||||||||||
Find phone | Yes | ||||||||||||
Text response | Yes | ||||||||||||
MISC |
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Payment system | Google pay | ||||||||||||
Compatibility | Android 6.0 (excluding Go edition)+ iOS 10.0+ |
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Companion app | Fossil Q app | ||||||||||||
Customizable watch face | Yes | ||||||||||||
Interchangeable band | Yes, 22mm | ||||||||||||
Voice command | Yes | ||||||||||||
BOX CONTENTS | |||||||||||||
Fossil Gen 4 Explorist | |||||||||||||
Straps | |||||||||||||
Inductive charging magnet | |||||||||||||
Quick start guide | |||||||||||||
NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error. | |||||||||||||
Official Site |
Fossil Gen 4 Explorist Features
- Design
- Battery
- Media
- Water Resistance/Protection
- Activity/Fitness tracking
- Notifications & Application
The new Gen 4 Q Explorist from Fossil is a classic and elegant piece that will look great for any event. The screen size is 1.4 inches which is great, the casing is built for durability with stainless steel while the strap is a 22mm silicone material that is interchangeable. We don’t know what the glass is made of but from all indications, it’s certainly a tempered glass material similar to that used on most phones.
The display quality is great. It features a bright full-color display with a high resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. It’s touchscreen and features additional 3 physical buttons by the right side which aids accessibility on the 1.4-inch screen. The top 2 buttons can be customized in wear OS while the center button rotating button acts as the home button.
The battery life of Gen 4 Q Explorist is not too great, however, it’s a little bit better than the Gen 3. First, it’s still powered by the Qualcomm snapdragon wear 2100 which is considered outdated and drains the battery. The battery is a li-ion, on standby you should expect a battery life of about 2-3days while on mixed average usage it’s estimated to last the whole day.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist battery can be charged simply by plugging the USB end to a low-power source, then place the smartwatch on the inductive charging magnet. It takes about 1-2 hours for the battery to be fully charged, an improvement from Gen 3 which took longer to charge. To avoid damage to the device, it is recommended that you use only inductive chargers. Also do not use a USB hub, USB splitter, USB y-cable, battery pack or other peripheral devices to charge.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist is fun-packed as it comes with about 4GB internal storage space that lets you store your favorite tracks and other files. You can listen via a Bluetooth enabled earbud. However, Gen 4 Explorist lacks a loudspeaker.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist is water-resistant, It is IP67 and 3ATM certified which means it is water-resistant up to 30meter. As a result, you can wear this under the rain or perhaps to the shower without worrying about damaging it. You can also wear to the pool or ocean, track your swimming activities.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist comes with all the standard sensors which include an accelerometer, gyroscope and heart rate monitor (HRM) these are capable of tracking various activities such as monitoring your heart rate variations, calories burned, calories consumed, steps and distance covered.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist, unlike the previous versions, comes with an in-built GPS sensor that is able to track outdoor activities such as distance, routes, and locations.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist comes with a Bluetooth v4.1 LE which can connect to your phone to enable notifications alert as they arrive. Notifications include;
- It alerts you when there is an incoming call or missed calls.
- It keeps you updated with its event reminder and calendar features.
- It is capable of updating you with weather forecast data.
- It notifies you when you have a new text message alert.
- It also alerts you when there is a new email on your phone.
- It alerts you instantly when there is a notification from different third-party applications such as Facebook alerts, Whatapp alert and Twitter.
One good thing about Gen 4 Q Explorist is that the straps are interchangeable with any 22mm strap of your choice. Besides this, the watch faces can also be customized to your choice. You can set the watch face to your favorite social media photos.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist also has a LED flashlight that you can use to illuminate dark spaces.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist is compatible with android 4.4 (excluding Go edition) or later and iOS 9.3 or later.
Unlike previous versions, The Gen 4 explorist now has an NFC chip that powers Google Pay, a contactless payment system that lets you make payments on the go with a simple swap.
The Gen 4 Q Explorist has a loudspeaker and a microphone which lets you use the voice command feature for text and otherwise via Google assistant. Besides this the Gen 4 is able to keep track of multiple time zones, your local time as well other time zones. Also when you travel out to another country it automatically updates to the correct time of that country.
The three button on the right side of the Gen 4 can be customized. You can assign functions to the buttons you use most.
Pros
- The design is classy.
- The body is built for durability.
- There is GPS for outdoor activity tracking.
- It has support for a huge list of fitness and sporting activities that help you stay fit and healthy.
- The Straps and watch faces are customizable.
- It has a LED flashlight.
- Customizable buttons.
- There is a microphone and NFC that supports Google pay.
- It is swim -proof.
Cons
- The battery is not so great.
- No sim slot, not a standalone smartwatch.