The Kate Spade is another smartwatch from Fossil, combining the Kate Spade brand's aesthetic and the technical functionality that Fossil is known for. Read on to know the result of this combination.
The Kate Spade Smartwatch, also known as Scallop, is one of Fossil’s latest string of wearables. The smartwatch is a touchscreen watch that combines the Kate Spade brand's aesthetic with the functionalities of the Android Wear OS. As a result, this smartwatch can rival most, if not all, of the smartwatches in the market today.
The Kate Spade smartwatch was specially made for women. This smartwatch is a departure from the culture of adding a pink color, shrinking and stripping off some features from a male watch, and calling it a feminine watch. The manufacturer of the Kate Spade smartwatch took enough time to design and adapt the features of the smartwatch for feminine use.
In this review, we will discuss the features of the Kate Spade Smartwatch. We will examine its design, performance, and specific features of the smartwatch. At the end of the review, you will understand why the smartwatch is one of the best products ever produced by Fossil.
Our verdict
Ratings: 8 out of 10
The Kate Spade Smartwatch is an ideal option for females who want a functional and stylish smartwatch. The smartwatch design makes it suitable for females, and despite its tech functionalities, it passes for a jewelry and fashion item rather than a fitness tracker.
Why we like it:
- Amazing Design
- Functional notification features
- Impressive display screen
Why we hate it:
- Seems too big for a feminine watch
- Inadequate fitness features
Design and Screen
- Bold and exquisite feminine design
- Large and sharp display screen
The Kate Spade Smartwatch’s design is a major winner for the smartwatch. It follows through on the conventional Kate Spade design. The symbol of the Kate Spade brand sits comfortably on the crown of the watch, while the trademark scallop design surrounds the watch by the edges.
The watch also features other quirky design functionalities known as Kate Spade. Examples of these include the option that allows you to add animations such as a New York taxi, an animation of falling petals, and winking eyes. All of these animations reflect the New York heritage of the brand and the feminine beauty it seeks to promote.
The watch's display screen measures 1.9 inches with a 390 by 390 resolution and a sensor that detects ambient light. The display screen is another impressive feature of the Kate Spade Smartwatch. It is big enough to allow you to see all that you need to see clearly and easily. It even allows you to adjust and customize the display brightness to suit you and your immediate environment through the ambient light sensor.
However, with this impressive display screen comes one of Kate Spade's downsides. The watch is a bit too large for a female watch. The case of the watch measures 42 by 46mm, and its thickness measures 9mm. While these dimensions are not too large for a typical watch, it feels too large and bulky for a watch designed for females. So if you are used to lightweight smartwatches and wearables, you may take some time to adapt to this watch.
Another impressive thing about this smartwatch is the style options available. There are three style options, and they include; the Rose Gold with premium link band, the Gold, and Rose Gold with leather band. Despite these styles, the straps and bands come with a quick-release mechanism, allowing you to change the bands whenever you want to.
The link band is a bit difficult to use, but you may find it easy to use after a few days of usage. The only problem you possibly could have with it is the inconvenience it causes during a workout. This is one of its drawbacks.
As said earlier, the Kate Spade Smartwatch allows you to use animations for its display. Options that you have in this regard include Ballon Digital, Core Digital, and many more. The one that stands out among these animation options is the Choose Your Look animation.
This option allows you to customize your watch face to match your clothes. You will have to provide the time of the day, the color of your clothes, bag, and jewelry. Based on these pieces of information, the watch will then give you a watch face in a color that complements your outfits.
Performance and Fitness
- Seamless and excellent performance
- Does Not have heart rate monitor or GPS tracker
The performance of the Kate Spade Smartwatch is determined by its processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset. This processor ensures that the performance of the smartwatch is fast, efficient, and seamless.
With the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset, you can navigate through the home screen and launch other tasks on the smartwatch within seconds. Even powerful tasks such as launching Google Assistant and dictating instructions to it get completed quickly within seconds.
However, despite this impressive performance rate, the Kate Spade smartwatch falls short of expectations with regards to fitness. While the smartwatch has an accelerometer that measures your steps, there are no heart rate monitors and GPS features on this smartwatch. These two are some of the basic fitness features that you can find on a smartwatch. The failure of the Kate Spade smartwatch to include it in its features is a major downside.
You will also miss the NFC, which means that you cannot access Android Pay through this smartwatch. Also, the smartwatch doesn't have a speaker, despite having a microphone that allows you to instruct the Google Assistant.
However, there is a Google Fit, a pre-installed fitness app on the smartwatch. Google Fit allows you to track a lot of activities and workout routines. But, without a heart rate monitor and a GPS tracker, there is a limit to how much activity you can track and the metrics you get from your workout routines.
Features and Wear OS
- Has a notification feature
- Allows you stream music from Google Play Music
The Kate Spade Smartwatch combines a Wear OS with powerful RAM storage to enable it to perform some tasks. One of the useful features of the smartwatch is its notification feature. This feature allows you to stay ahead of your schedules and stipulated tasks by notifying you of all important tasks as set.
The notification feature allows the smartwatch to sync up with many apps and devices, especially the Google Assistant and calendar. All you need to do is to log into your Google account and use your smartwatch to make your notifications preferences. After doing this, the smartwatch will bring your notifications to you as soon as they come in.
The smartwatch uses light and vibrations to show its notification. And because it has no digital display screen, you cannot read messages through the smartwatch. You will have to check your phone to know what message or notifications you have.
Another impressive aspect of the Kate Spade Smartwatch is its interface. If you haven’t used an Android watch or a timepiece powered by Wear OS before, you may find it a bit difficult to get used to the watch’s interface. But once you get the hang of it, you will enjoy using it.
The interface makes it easy to access and interact with the various features of a smartwatch. To access your notifications, you need to swipe up on the smartwatch, and you will find the notifications arranged in a timely order. Also, if you want to launch an app, all you need to do is push the side button, and you will get the app launcher, which allows you to scroll through the apps to make a selection.
The smartwatch allows you to play, stream, and listen to your favorite songs. To do this, you need to log into your Google Account, which allows you to download native music apps or stream music through the Google Play Music app.
Remember that the smartwatch doesn’t come with a speaker, so you will need to connect the smartwatch to a headset or external speaker to enjoy the music feature. This music feature is also made possible by the Android Wear OS on the Kate Spade Smartwatch.
Finally, the smartwatch has water-resistant features. This water resistance is effective to about 30m or 100 feet deep in the water. This means that a hard splash of water or a momentary dip in the water cannot affect the Kate Spade Smartwatch. However, this doesn't mean that it is safe to go swim or bathe with this smartwatch.
Compatibility and App
- Works easily with both iOS and Android devices
- The app is also simple to use
- The setup of the app can be a bit difficult
The Kate Spade Smartwatch has a Bluetooth connectivity feature that allows the smartwatch to connect to iPhone and Android devices. To enable this connectivity, you need to have the Android Wear App downloaded and installed on your smartwatch. After installing the app, you can then sync all necessary applications and continue using the app.
However, the process of installing the Android Wear app can be slow and frustrating. While this issue may be due to the strength of your internet or WIFI connection, many people have reported this, which means it is a general issue.
Also, if you should close the app while trying to connect to an iOS device, you will have to start the connection process all over again when you open it. This is another downside, as it is time-consuming and frustrating.
Despite all the installation and connection issues, the Android Wear app is simple and very easy to use. There is a portion at the top of the app that shows the app's state of connectivity and the smartwatch. There is also an option that allows you to choose different watch faces for your smartwatch. You can select the More option to see nine more style options.
You can also find the settings option, which allows you to do a variety of control activities on the smartwatch. These activities include checking if your Google Account is active, setting up your Google Assistant, making changes to your display screen and animations, selecting notification preferences, and many more.
Battery life and Charging
- It is easy to charge
- The battery is poor, lasting about 24 hours on standby
- Notifies you about the state of your battery frequently
One of the upsides of the Kate Spade Smartwatch is its big bright display. This also means that it uses up its battery faster. With a display like that, the battery only lasts for about 24 hours while on standby. In this stage, you are not using any of the features of the smartwatch.
However, with average use, the battery life falls to between 12 and 14 hours. With average use, it means that you have enabled the notification feature and possibly using the Google Fit app. The more apps you use, the faster the battery dissipates.
The charging mechanism for this smartwatch is simple and easy to use. It uses a magnetic charging plug. You can connect the cord to a computer or use a USB adapter and connect the other end to the back of the smartwatch to start charging. The charging duration is good, taking a few hours to charge from zero to 100%.
Warranty information
There is a two-year warranty on Kate Spade smartwatches. This means that you can return the smartwatch for a replacement or repair within two years from the date of purchase should there be a defect in material or workmanship under normal use.
This warranty option is awesome and is one of the best you can get in the smartwatch market.
Who is this for?
If you are a female with a desire for minimal technical functionality and awesome design, then the Kate Spade Smartwatch is for you. The smartwatch gives a playful and feminine vibe to its users. However, this smartwatch is not for everybody. If you have reservations about technical designs, you may find this smartwatch a bit difficult to use.
Competition
This is a strong contender and alternative for the Kate Spade Smartwatch. It features a simple, minimalist but elegant design that fits all genders. It also has a lot of customization options and features.
While the Kate Spade Smartwatch has very little to offer concerning fitness features, you will find succor in the Garmin Vivoactive. This smartwatch, from another reputable name in the industry, Garmin, provides excellent and impressive fitness features. And what’s more. It has an impressive battery life, lasting 2 to 3 days of intensive use.
Conclusion
After reviewing this smartwatch watch's features, it is safe to say that the Kate Spade smartwatch is a very good smartwatch with exquisite design and basic fitness and activity tracking features.
