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The Skagen Falster is 2018’s best-looking smartwatch, but beyond that and its impressively low asking price, there’s not a whole lot else working in its favor.
That’s not such a bad thing if you’re looking for a well-built option that can do the smartwatch basics just fine. On the other hand, if you’re after a watch that’s competent for fitness and is stocked with desired features, like built-in GPS and a speaker for taking calls, keep looking. There are better-equipped, long-lasting Android Wear watches in our best smartwatch list.
Who's this for?
The Skagen Falster is for those who have been ever so patiently waiting for a smartwatch that closely matches the low-profile style worn for years – decades even – by analog watches.
While not suited for fitness-centric individuals, or even those who want to dabble in working out in a way that’s deeper than tracking steps, the Falster is still a competent Android Wear smartwatch. But given that so many other models have achieved that status, the Falster falters in that it lacks fitness-focused features that many offer for a cheaper price. Things like built-in GPS, heart rate tracking and, critically for some, a speaker for providing any sort of audible feedback, shouldn’t be seen as optional.
Should you buy it?
If you’re itching for something truly new and innovating in the wearable scene, you’ll have to keep waiting because the Skagen Falster doesn’t deliver in that regard.
You’ll have a hard time finding a smartwatch that, out of the box, arrives in such luscious fashion. This is a really good-looking wearable that will attract the eyes of those who love watches. But focusing on value alone, you’ll have an even harder time justifying the Falster’s price when stacked up against much more affordable and feature-stacked competitors.
Competition
Ticwatch E
Robust functionality comes cheap in the Ticwatch E, which isn’t nearly as fashionable as the Falster, but comes packed with built-in GPS and a heart rate sensor for $159 – close to half the price of Skagen’s debut smartwatch.
LG Watch Style
LG’s stylish smartwatch sits close to parity with Skagen’s in terms of looks and functionality. At the time of its launch, we thought the Watch Style was a good offering, but time has shown that even if you can get it cheap now, the lack of features, namely GPS and heart rate tracking, prevent it from being a smart buy. Now, launching for $275, the Falster mostly find itself in the same place.
Misfit Vapor
Misfit’s Android Wear watch debut goes bigger than Skagen, both in terms of its screen size and its fitness capabilities. Striking a nice balance between looking gym-ready and suited for the office, the Vapor packs a lot of features in for the price, which is something we can’t say about the Falster.
