Fossil, the watchmaker is on a mission and if all goes well, we will see more than 100 wearables from its brand catalogue. This move will not only benefit Fossil but the entire smartwatch community. For smartwatches to become a norm just like regular wristwatches are, we need more and more manufacturer’s to jump in the bandwagon.
With Fossil taking this bold step, I’m very hopeful about the future of wearables. The Fossil Q Marshal is one of those many devices that the watchmaker recently launched and here is our unbiased review of it.
Fossil Q Marshal: Design
Fossil has recently added another smartwatch to its drool-worthy collection and it’s a design masterpiece every stylish man has to have in his wardrobe.
We love what Fossil aims to do with its Q collection of wearables, adding a modern, tech savvy touch to the classic charm of a Fossil watch. It comes as no surprise that the Fossil Q Marshal is a beautiful watch. We reviewed the one with rubber straps but the leather straps version looks stunning (straps can be switched to any Fossil 22mm strap) and customizeable 44mm dials that go from classic analog to modern touchscreen at the touch of a button, the Q Marshall stands out as a masculine watch for the gentleman who likes to keep up with the times. The small magnetic charger just likes the Apple Watch’s, is better than the flat pin charger or the bulky charging stand.
Although the Q Marshall is very similar in style to the other watches by Fossil in its Q collection or the Android Wear watches in the market , we love how this one is extra chunky with its Tachymeter style ring around the face of the watch and a very real looking crown, which is actually a button. This watch is heavy too, for a smartwatch, but that gives you the very authentic analog feel that smartwatches often don’t have. We would classify this as a man’s watch definitely, because of its size, and it does look better on a thicker wrist, unless big dials are your thing.
Fossil Q Marshal: Features
Technology wise, the Q Marshall is powered by Android Wear, and people are a little confused about what to feel about the technology of the watch. This isn’t to say that Android Wear is not up to par, it’s just that with a 20k price tag, one expects more than what the device is capable of. This watch is a pretty good for daily use though, and it does the job of keeping you synced with time and your favourite apps on your phone with perfect ease. The problem is not with Fossil but it’s Google’s Android Wear that needs a massive update for any Android Wear based smartwatch to be it’s worth.
Fossil Q Marshal: Performance
It has a 24 hour battery (with a really convenient magnetic charger that’s not bulky at all) and a screen that dims favourably when not in use. This watch is definitely not a runner’s watch and its health monitoring functions are also minimal, but that’s alright because this is an evening out kind of a watch anyway. But it does measure your footsteps and track your sleep. In terms of overall performance, the Q Marshal is fast thanks to the Snapdragon 2100 processor. There was absolutely no lag that we see in some Android Wear smartwatches.
The Fossil Q Marshall is compatible with Andriod 4.3+ and iOS 8.2+ devices (limited support for iOS devices, because it’s Google), through the Android Wear app. The app on the smartwatch can be used to download cool watch faces for the watch. Fossil Q Marshall offers plethora of watch faces that will make everyone happy.
Fossil Q Marshal: The Unbiased Verdict
All in all, we would say that if you are a style conscious person, this is a great way to enter into the smartwatch brigade and keep up your style game. But, if you are a bit more of a fitness freak or nerd, this may fall short of your expectations.
