If there’s one factor the Danes are identified for, it’s impeccable design. That actually rings true for smartwatch maker Skagen, an organization recognised as one in all tech’s most trendy wearable makers.

On the flip aspect, the Fossil Group-owned Danish firm additionally has a little bit of a fame for fashion over substance. The agency’s final launch, the Falster 2, positively regarded the half for anybody wanting a sexier wanting smartwatch nevertheless it was missing in progressive performance.

Well, Skagen’s contemporary wrist companion, the Falster 3, is lastly that can be purchased following its launch at CES in January earlier this 12 months, and boy it’s a stunner. But does the subtle smartwatch’s function set match up? There are plenty of updates on this iteration, so we examined them for per week to seek out out.

DESIGN: CLASSICALLY ROBUST

The Skagen Falster 3 is a fantastically designed smartwatch with a pointy, minimal aesthetic, giving it a glossy look that you simply’d count on from a extra conventional timepiece. Surprisingly, this works effectively alongside the digital display, providing a little bit of a juxtaposition of traditional meets fashionable.

It additionally feels tremendous strong and costly (albeit just a little heavy) on the wrist due to its stainless-steel building. Although that’ll be partly as a result of we reviewed the mesh steel strap version. There are a number of totally different watch straps accessible, together with silicon choices for a extra light-weight and sports-friendly design. We’d suggest the latter if you happen to’re wanting to make use of this watch as extra of a sport tracker, as we did discover the stainless-steel strap just a little obtrusive throughout lengthy runs.

As for dimension, the watch face measures 42mm, which is barely greater than its 41mm predecessor. Unlike most smartwatches which come in several case sizes, the Falster 3 simply has the one. Nevertheless, within the phrases of Goldie Locks – this dimension feels excellent. The bigger face additionally offers it a pleasant high-end look whereas making it simpler to prod at.

The factor we love about Skagen smartwatches is that the corporate actually is aware of find out how to make some nice digital watch face designs. They’re easy but completely customisable with plenty of digital and analogue choices, together with a special-edition X by KYGO which Skagen appear fairly happy with. The analogue choices are nice for these wanting a extra traditional look.

SCREEN: PROD-A-LICIOUS

As for the show, the Falster 3 touts a bigger display over the second gen mannequin, up from 1.19in to 1.3in. It is actually the identical OLED panel discovered on different Fossil Group smartwatches; a 390 x 390 decision and a reasonably sharp pixel density of 328ppi.

Overall, colors are effectively represented and blacks supply an excellent distinction, showing good and darkish.

In phrases of normal responsiveness, the display reacts very effectively to the touch instructions, with textual content and icons displayed clearly and neatly. During train, nevertheless, the Falster 3 will dim its show to protect power, which may show annoying if you wish to rapidly look at your stats throughout a sunny day run. It also can decide up reflections annoyingly effectively, which isn’t nice you probably have it on the decrease brightness setting to assist scale back battery utilization.

APP AND SMARTWATCH FEATURES: BIG IMPROVEMENTS

In phrases of software program options, the Falster 3 makes use of Google’s Android Wear OS, working all of your normal exercise monitoring features, resembling heart-rate monitoring, NFC funds through Google Pay and GPS capabilities. It’s a disgrace that such a pleasant watch makes use of Android Wear OS, although, as we don’t suppose it’s the most effective wearable platform on the market. We discover that whereas it’s been vastly improved over time, it will possibly usually really feel just a little cumbersome and never as intuitive as say Apple’s Watch OS. It’s simply unnecessarily fiddly to function – which might be irritating whenever you’re sweating your tits off, making an attempt to finish the exercise.

Nevertheless, the precise sports activities monitoring options work effectively and Google’s smartwatch OS ensures they’re offered in a horny method with vivid, vibrant colors and plenty of detailed well being and health knowledge, particularly simply after a exercise. Although we’ll delve extra into this within the Performance part under. Another helpful function not seen on all smartwatches lately is the Falster 3’s built-in speaker, which suggests customers can take calls proper from their wrist. In the previous, this was a Wear functionality that solely Android cellphone homeowners may make use of. Now, Fossil Group (who owns Skagen) has developed a proprietary app permitting iPhone customers to reply tethered calls, making the Falster 3 the primary Wear OS machine with this functionality. This means all customers also can use the Google Assistant performance and listen to a response such as you would in a Google Home speaker. You’ll even be happy to listen to that each the Falster 3’s casing and the speaker are 3ATM water-resistant.

In case if you happen to’re eager to know which precise smartphones the Falster 3 is suitable with, Skagen says it’ll work with iOS 10.zero and above or Android 6.zero or later.

PERFORMANCE: SMOOTH OPERATOR

Powered by the model new Qualcomm Wear 3100 chip, the Falster 3 is ready to deal with every thing you throw at it – and most significantly – with out lag. This is as a result of it’s a way more environment friendly chip than earlier variations, providing a greater degree of efficiency than seen on the Falster 2, for instance, whereas utilizing much less energy – one thing that also needs to assist lengthen battery life. Speaking of, we discovered that Skagen’s new watch retained its energy for round two days earlier than needing a recharge. While not the most effective on the market, it’s nonetheless fairly good by Android Wear requirements. Take the Fossil Sport, as an illustration, which lasts slightly below a day. This is probably a results of higher {hardware} configuration within the Falster 3 in addition to it’s battery saving mode, which limits the performance of the smartwatch Because the contact display is a pleasant giant dimension, it’s a lot simpler to make use of than the smaller screens as seen on rival Android Wear smartwatches, with icons showing barely bigger, making them simpler to faucet.

Transitions between apps is good and easy, too, which isn’t all the time the case on some Android Wear units. *Cough, Fossil Sport, cough*. This is probably going due to its 8GB of whole storage alongside 1 GB RAM, which suggests customers can have much more house to obtain apps and media, in addition to see an total efficiency enhance.

If you’re a primary time Android Wear person, for instance, making use of Google Fit and doing the entire ‘monitoring a exercise’ factor can see you faffing round for 5 minutes earlier than you possibly can start monitoring your exercise. This is as a result of it asks you a variety of questions as a way to get began after which discovering the exercise you wish to observe from the intensive record might be time consuming.

However, over time you possibly can add common workout routines to a favourites record, which provides a shortcut to the exercise monitoring display. Also, a customisable ‘tiles’ shortcut can now be accessed by a proper swipe from the house display, connecting you to often-used options extra rapidly. Things do get simpler and sooner the extra you utilize this watch, however you may discover the training curve is barely steeper than, say, an Apple Watch as an illustration.

SKAGEN FALSTER 3 VERDICT

Thanks to an upgraded processor and RAM over its predecessor, the Skagen Falster 3 not solely seems to be the half, nevertheless it’s capable of carry on high of every thing you want for an excellent all-round smartwatch.

Welcoming multiple-day battery life, a built-in speaker for cellphone calls over Bluetooth and the sexiest smartwatch design but, Skagen has actually outdone itself with the Falster 3. It’s nice to see a smartwatch that appears so good ship so effectively.

However, there are nonetheless some drawbacks, the obvious being that it runs Android Wear OS – one thing you’re type of caught with. It may not be the most effective smartwatch working system on the market, however a minimum of it’s continuously enhancing with each replace that Google sends our method.

The Falster 3 is a superb smartwatch for these in search of one thing with traditional beauty and now the sensible credentials to match, even when it’s a little on the dear aspect.