The Gen 5E is the latest smartwatch from Fossil, it’s not a successor to Gen 5 that was released last year, but a lower-end smartwatch that comes in two sizes with a lower 4GB storage alongside loudspeaker, microphone, and also equipped to track your daily activities with Snapdragon 3100 chip under the hood. The Gen 4 Sport which was the first Fossil smartwatch to have the 3100 chip also has a lot of features in common with the Gen 5E which makes this comparison an interesting one. Featured in this comparison post is Fossil Gen 5E (44mm) vs Gen 4 Sport (43mm), compare these two head-to-head to find out the differences and to help you decide which is a better smartwatch for you.
Table of Contents
Fossil Gen 5E (44mm) vs Gen 4 Sport (43mm): Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Fossil Gen 5E (44mm) Full Specifications, Features and Price |
 Fossil Gen 4 Sport (43mm) Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.00 | - |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | (44mm), Fossil Gen 5E | Fossil Gen 4 Sport (43mm) |
| Device type | Fitness/Classic smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Men | Unisex |
| Release date | October, 2020 | November, 2018 |
| Predecessor | Fossil Gen 4 Explorist | Fossil Gen 3 Sport |
| Successor | — | — |
| Versions | — | — |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 44 x 44 x 12 mm | 43 x 43 x 12 mm |
| Weight | — | — |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Case material | Stainless steel | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Leather, Silicone, Stainless steel | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Stainless steel | Aluminum |
| Strap size | 22 mm | 20 mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Water resistance | 3ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes | Yes |
| Color | Black case/black silicone, Black case/black steel, Black case/brown leather | Black, Blue, Gray |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.2 inches | 1.2 inches |
| Display type | AMOLED, Full color | AMOLED, Full color |
| Display resolution | 390 x 390 px | 390 x 390 px |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Physical button, Touchscreen | 3 Physical buttons, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE | Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | No |
| GPS | (connected GPS), No | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 1GB | 512MB |
| ROM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| Band | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | No |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | No | Yes |
| Ambient light | No | Yes |
| Barometer | No | No |
| Compass | No | No |
| ECG | No | No |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | No | No |
| Thermometer | No | No |
| Other sensors | — | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | No | No |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | - | - |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle | No | No |
| VO2 Max | Yes | — |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | No | No |
| On-screen workout | No | No |
| Sport modes | Yes | Yes |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | 310mAh | — |
| Battery life | Regular: 24hrs+ | Regular: 24hrs+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 3100 | Snapdragon 3100 |
| CPU | 1.2GHz Quad-core (4x ARM Cortex A7) | — |
| GPU | Adreno 304 | — |
| Operating system | Wear OS | Wear OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Fossil Q App | Fossil Q App |
| Compatibility | Android 6.0+, iOS 10.0+ | Android 6.0+, iOS 10.0+ |
| Payment system | Google Pay | Google Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | 22 mm, Yes | 20mm, Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Google Assistant | Yes, Google Assistant |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Fossil Gen 5E, Manual, Straps | Charger, Fossil Gen 4 Sport, Manual, Straps |
| Price | $179.00 |
Which is Better?
Although each of these two is a decent Wear OS smartwatch, the Gen 5E is a better smartwatch than Gen 4 Sport. With 1GB RAM paired with 3100 chip it certainly offers a slight better performance than Gen 4 Sport with lesser memory. Moreover, the Gen 5E has a more premium build than Gen 4 Sport eventhough, the later is a more befiting choice for sport activities, thanks to its lightweight design.
The Gen 5E has a loudspeaker that Gen 4 Sport lacks, as a result, you can make and receive calls directly from the Gen 5E via Bluetooth connection of a paired phone as well as play media files aloud which are not possible with Gen 4 Sport.
In other words, Gen 5E is a more comprehensive smartwatch than Gen 4 Sport which is a cheaper alternative.
