Fossil Sport
If you want to buy a Wear OS smartwatch right now, the Fossil Sport is the best one in terms of form and functionality. This watch has all the sporty fitness tracking you want, NFC for payments, and a scrolling crown for easier navigation.
TicWatch Pro
This watch makes me wish all watches had dual-layer screens, and it's hard to understate how wonderful the LCD "always on" layer is for battery and functionality. Alas, the Pro has all the tracking you could want, but it's also comically large on most wrists.
The market for Wear OS watches continues to focus more on fitness tracking and everyday performance prowess, and right now, the TicWatch Pro and Fossil Sport are the cream of the crop. Unless you like your watches extra chunky, the choice here is pretty clear.
The best vs. the biggest
I've used a TicWatch Pro for about six months, and I thoroughly enjoyed its hybrid screen and unkillable battery. That said, even most movie spy-watches aren't this big, and even though it doesn't sound that much bigger than the Fossil Sport on paper, trust me: the Pro is a big hulking monster on your wrist. It's a monster with the best hybrid display I've seen yet in a Wear OS watch, but it is a monster nonetheless.
The Fossil Sport, by comparison, checks just about all the same boxes while looking and feeling much more manageable on your wrist, and coming in a plethora of color options between the 41mm and 43 mm versions.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Fossil Sport | Mobvoi TicWatch Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $275 | $250 |
| Dimensions | 41mm x 12mm43mm x 12mm | 45mm x 12.6mm |
| Colors | 41mm: Red, Blush, Black, Grey, Light Blue Neon43mm: Black, Smokey Blue | Black/Black, Silver/Black |
| Watch housing | Aluminum bezel and buttonsPlastic frame | Stainless steel bezel and backplatePlastic frame |
| Button configuration | Three button rightScrolling crown | Three button right |
| Display | 1.2" AMOLED 390 x 390px | 1.39" OLED 400 x 400pxFSTN display |
| Chipset | Snapdragon Wear 3100 | Snapdragon Wear 2100 |
| Storage | 4GB | 4GB |
| GPS | Untethered GPS | GPSAGPS |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth v4.2 Low EnergyWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/nNFC | Bluetooth v4.2Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GhzNFC |
| Battery | "Estimated all day" | 415mAh2 days on regular Wear OS30 days on Essential Mode |
| Water resistance | 5ATM | IP68 dustproof, waterproofNot recommended for swimming |
| Sensors | AccelerometerAltimeterAmbient LightGyroscopeHeart Rate | AccelerometerGyroscopePPG Heart Rate sensorMagnetic SensorAmbient Light SensorLow Latency Off-Body Sensor |
The Fossil Sport's 5ATM waterproofing is tighter than the TicWatch Pro, allowing you to swim with it while a TicWatch Pro would be forced to watch from the sidelines, and the Fossil Sport also features the newer Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor inside running the show, though the Fossil Sport has seen more performance bugs at launch than the TicWatch Pro has in over 6 months.
If there's one area where the Pro stands head and shoulders above the Fossil Sport, it's battery life. The Fossil Sport can get through one day, and that's about it, whereas the TicWatch Pro can easily go two days of mixed-use on Wear OS mode, thanks in large part to that battery-sipping LCD secondary display layer. If you kick over to Essential Mode, the Pro can last a month, but let's call that the "Desert Island Castaway" option.
The Fossil Sport can get through the day, I can charge it at night, and it looks much, much better on my wrist while packing the latest Wear 3100 chipset and upgraded Wear OS 2.0 UI inside, so while my TicWatch's hybrid screen sings its siren song from my bookshelf, it's the Fossil Sport I want to wear out to the theme parks.
The best Wear OS watch you can buy right now
While battery life could stand to be better, the Fossil Sport will last the day and look good doing it. Whether you're hitting the gym or off on a wild day of errands and chasing after your kids, the Fossil Sport has got your back in style.
For someone who needs a watch to go the distance
The TicWatch Pro's battery will never leave you hanging, and its hybrid display will help you see your steps, time, and heart rate even in the hot midday sun. So long as you can fit the TicWatch Pro on your wrist, you'll be happy with it.
