Razer x Fossil Gen 6 Review – Ride On Time

We got to try out the Gen 6 model of the Razer X Fossil smartwatch– the latest in the line of fitness based smartwatches made in collaboration between gaming lifestyle brand Razer and smartwatch experts Fossil.

One thing I really appreciate about the Razer X Fossil Gen 6 is just how refined it looks. As a piece of sports apparel, it features two sets of interchangeable silicone straps meaning you won’t have to worry about the straps stinking up after a long run like you would with cloth straps. I’m not actually that big a fan of smartwatches because of how obviously not-a-watch they all are. Thankfully the Razer Fossil one keeps that to a minimum, letting you keep that classic look of an analogue watch with its classic puck shape.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the black straps. Combined with the black watch itself, it just looks really tasteful. That’s not to say the green is bad either, since it’s bright enough to be great for night running since it might help with visibility.

As A Smartwatch

The Gen 6 Razer X Fossil smartwatch uses the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chipset, which gives a 30% performance boost compared to its counterparts. It’s not just numbers, since the watch actually feels great to use. Admittedly this was my first time using the Razer and Fossil co-branded smartwatch, but navigating the menus never felt like a drag to me since every popup felt snappy and responsive.

On top of that, you can get three special watch faces exclusive to the Razer-branded smartwatches: these are the Analog, Team Razer and Chroma watch faces. I’m a particularly big fan of the Chroma watch face- like plenty of other Razer goods, this creates a visual spectacle on your wrists with various cool RGB effects to pick.

Aside from that, there’s a whole bunch of other Smartwatch utility you’ll get out of it, such as the ability to play songs to bluetooth speakers directly from the watch, easily setting the tone for a romantic night in.

You’ll also be able to use text-to-speech to answer your text messages on the fly, letting you just speak your responses before the watch fixes them.

Gesundheit

Of course, where would a fitness tracker be if it didn’t have actual fitness tracking? The Razer Fossil smartwatch excels at this with new tools, such as a more accurate heart rate tracker to better detect your vitals during a run or a lifting session.

The watch also features a new SpO2 sensor, letting you estimate your body’s blood-oxygen levels to make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard. You can even use this with the various fitness tracking apps on the smartwatch, letting you not only get numbers back on your health but also set plans and goals for your journey to feeling better.

Considering its main function as a fitness tracker, its not surprising that this is by far the best part of the watch’s tools. Sure, monitoring your messages and the like is great- but if you’re coming into the new year wanting to exercise more, the Razer Fossil smartwatch is definitely a great tool to plan your routine better.

With Great Power

One thing that’s great about a platform upgrade is the tech improvements. The Razer x Fossil Gen 6 does sport some great battery features, such as various power consumption modes that can go from “I have a place to charge my watch every day” to “I won’t have access to a charger for the next few days”. The watch lasts about 2 days on its “Extended” mode, which selectively turns off power consuming features until you need to use them.

Of course if you really need to push the device’s battery life, you can also use the “Time only” mode, which goes from smart watch to, well, basically just a watch. It’s the least flashy mode, but at least you won’t be lugging around a dead smartwatch.

Even if you do find yourself low though, you won’t need to stop your workout for long- the watch charges really quickly, being able to go from 0-80 in about half an hour. As someone with a bad habit of forgetting to charge their electronics, this is probably my favorite feature. Better yet, even if you’re low on ports to charge your electronics, it just means you can push the smartwatch down the queue since you can literally get it up to a good level while having your morning coffee.

Closing Thoughts

The Razer x Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch is definitely a great piece of tech for anyone in the market for a fitness tracker and smartwatch. That being said, it’s admittedly going to be a hard find- only 1,3337 units of it are being sold, and once they go on sale later this month they’ll be available for USD 329 (RM1380).

If you’re committed to getting one though, you’ll love what you get- it’s easily a refined smartwatch that accessorizes well with a variety of looks so you’ll never look out of place when you’re on a night out.