Armani Exchange Connected review: Premium looks with ‘smart’ features

Priced at ₹22,495, Armani Exchange Connected comes with all necessary sensors for a smartwatch. It also looks beautiful.

Armani Exchange Connected review (Fossil)

Brand: Fossil

Product: Armani Exchange Connected

Price: ₹22,495

Rating: 3.5/5

Smartwatches are dime a dozen. While Google and Apple had the first mover advantage, traditional watch makers have also joined the fray, giving users more options to choose from. Fossil, a known watch brand in India, is offering smartwatches under Armani Exchange branding. One of its top smartwatch is Armani Exchange Connected.

With Armani Exchange Connected, Fossil aims to bring a combination of latest smartwatch features in a luxury watch design. Priced at ₹22,495, Armani Exchange runs on Google's WearOS and comes with stainless steel case.

Powered by Snapdragon Wear 2100 platform, Armani Exchange Connected is compatible with Android phones running v4.4 and above, and iPhones with iOS 9.3 and above. It comes with a range of sensors including heart rate, GPS, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light, and microphone.

Despite a lower price than luxury watches, Armani Exchange doesn't look cheap at all. The stainless steel case is durable and didn't suffer any dent or scratch despite bumping the case here and there. On the side it has a familiar crown that can be rotated and allows you to access different features of the phone. The touch display, however, also lets you do these tasks.

Armani Exchange Connected's display is quite impressive. It's bright and is responsive. There are a few pre-loaded watchfaces which you can set as default. You can also set the display to twist to wake up to in order to save battery.

As far as battery goes, it depends upon your usage. If you keep the brightness high and always on, the battery may not last more than a day. With a few settings adjustment you can squeeze 6-7 hours more from the device.

Verdict
If you're looking for a wearable that retains the look of traditional watches and doesn't compromise on features of a smart watch, Armani Exchange Connect is worth considering. There are fitness-focused features as well. Some of the top alternatives you can consider are Apple Watch Series 4, and Huawei Watch.