Fossil Men's Gen 5E vs. TicWatch Pro 3: Which should you buy?

TicWatch Pro 3

Those who want a smartwatch that promises superior performance will love the new TicWatch Pro 3. The new Snapdragon 4100 ensures you'll be pleased with this wearable experience. You also get new-and-improved health sensors as well as a slimmer and more lightweight design.

Fossil Men's Gen 5E

If you want to save a bit of money and you're more worried about the appearance of your smartwatch than the features, you might prefer the Fossil Men's Gen 5E. It doesn't have GPS, but it sure is stylish. It offers different color options and you'll have smartwatch perks, like Google Pay and Google Assistant.

Fossil Men's Gen 5E vs. TicWatch Pro 3 Different goals

While many smartwatches offer similar features, they often set out to accomplish different goals, which is certainly the case with the Fossil Men's Gen 5E and the TicWatch Pro 3. You'll find some overlap between the two, but they're geared toward two entirely different types of users.

Most people buying a smartwatch want it to look nice on their wrist. Others want a stylish and flashy design that will turn heads, which is where the Fossil Men's Gen 5E excels. It has some great features, but it's the eye-catching design that stands out. On the other hand, if you're looking for a wearable that will provide unbeatable performance with plenty of essential smartwatch perks, you'll want to choose the TicWatch Pro 3.

The Fossil Men's Gen 5E is dressed to impress

As you might've guessed, the Gen 5E is a "lite" version of the original Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch. It's probably not a huge shock to learn that you'll have to sacrifice some key features if you choose to buy the Fossil Men's Gen 5E. First, you won't have built-in GPS on your smartwatch. You'll need to lug your phone around with you if you want to track your route during a run. This may not be an issue for some users, but for others, it's another thing to carry while you're exercising.

The previous Gen 5 models offered 1 GB RAM and 8 GB ROM with the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor. This time, you have the same processor but you're only getting 4 GB ROM. While this doesn't make a giant difference in the Fossil Men's Gen 5E's performance, it's still worth noting. It would've been nice to see Fossil introduce the new chipset like Mobvoi did with the TicWatch Pro 3, but it didn't happen this time.

Most smartwatches come packed with various sensors, but this is another area where the Fossil Men's Gen 5E is a bit lighter than usual. Don't expect to have an altimeter, a compass, or an ambient light sensor. You also won't have a SpO2 sensor for tracking blood oxygen saturation levels. There are still some notable smartwatch features to enjoy, including mobile payments, Google Assistant, and a built-in microphone/speaker for taking Bluetooth calls.

The battery-saving modes on the Fossil Men's Gen 5E, albeit limiting, can be useful at times. When you're in a pinch and need to extend the life of your battery between charges, you'll be glad to have them. Those who want to use all of the features on their watch will likely opt for Daily Mode, which means you'll need to charge it daily. You can also take advantage of Extended Mode, which lets you access key features and only requires a charge every few days depending on usage.

While this may not be monumental to some people, those who are seeking a fashionable smartwatch will appreciate that the Fossil Men's Gen 5E comes in a couple of different options. The 44mm stainless steel case is available with either a black silicone band or a stainless steel band. There is also an option that comes with a brown leather band if you really want to get fancy with your watch. This model is also compatible with 22mm bands, so you can use your old Fossil Gen 5 bands with the Gen 5E.

The TicWatch Pro 3 is an ambitious performer

There are many things to marvel at when exploring the new TicWatch Pro 3. While we'll get to the fresh design elements, we have to get the most important improvement out of the way first. This new smartwatch is a performance champ to the core. The new Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor is largely responsible for the increased performance. You'll quickly notice how seamless it is to switch screens, open apps, and scroll through menus.

In comparison to the original TicWatch Pro, you might be wondering what else has changed. It may not be obvious at first glance, but take a closer look. Sure, both of these models share a similar design with their metal and plastic casings, dual side buttons, and dual-layer displays, but there's more to uncover here. For starters, the displays on the TicWatch Pro 3 are larger, which is impressive considering that this model is both thinner and lighter than its predecessor.

What's more, you don't have to sacrifice battery life for these improvements. In fact, the battery in the TicWatch Pro 3 is 40% larger than the previous model. You can easily squeeze out three days of usage with all of the sensors and features running at all times. Who doesn't love more time between charges? You'll also bad glad to know that the new model is compatible with the previous model's band system. This means you can use your old TicWatch Pro bands on your new TicWatch Pro 3!

As usual, you'll have the company's signature film-compensated Super Twisted Nematic (FSTN) LCD panel, which is both transparent and reflective. The top layer provides excellent visibility in sunlight and low power consumption. You get some new perks with the TicWatch Pro 3. The Dual Display 2.0 now offers a live seconds counter and a convenient backlight.

Some other features to love on the TicWatch Pro 3 include GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, mobile payments, Google Assistant, blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring, and a new TicHear app that helps monitor and alert the user of overly loud external noises.

Fossil Men's Gen 5E vs. TicWatch Pro 3 Which should you buy?

Once you have a good idea of what you want out of your smartwatch, it'll be easier to choose between the Fossil Men's Gen 5E and the TicWatch Pro 3. If you know that you want as many features as possible and amazingly smooth performance, the answer is clear. After all, you won't find another Wear OS watch right now that can beat the TicWatch Pro 3's performance due to the updated Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor. It's also got GPS, more storage, and better battery saving modes.

Those who are more concerned about how their smartwatch looks than the features it offers might prefer the Fossil Men's Gen 5E. You'll have to be content with the older Snapdragon 3100 Wear processor, less storage, and the lack of built-in GPS. Again, if looks are your top priority, then this may not bother you in the slightest. You get a few different color options with this watch as well.

With all of that in mind, the Fossil Men's Gen 5E simply can't compare to the features and performance of the TicWatch Pro 3. Considering the small price difference, we'd have to recommend the TicWatch Pro 3 for those who want the best performance, premium features, and better battery life.