Unsurprisingly for a Wear OS-powered smartwatch, Google Fit is the in-built fitness experience of choice. The basic concept of Google Fit falls to Move Minutes and Heart Points, two metrics that (not unlike Apple’s fitness app) are represented by rings that you close by staying active each day. As with the rest of Fossil’s late 2018 smartwatch crop, this latest Armani Connected sports the most recent major release of Google’s Wear OS.

This isn’t a cheap watch, and it doesn’t feel like one. It’s understated, stylish, very well made, and light enough to wear every day. Its presentation is superb, right down to the cool travel case it comes in. Judged purely by design, it’s worth the investment; but what happens when we look closer? Android Wear 2.0 The Snapdragon Wear 2100 is an outdated chipset that undermines the premium experience this watch is intended to offer and the integrated GPS is only usable in specific situations due to its damaging impact on battery life. We've been spending the last few weeks with the Emporio Armani Connected to understand whether it offers a convincing touchscreen design, how it tweaks the smarts of Android Wear and if it can compete with the rest of the smartwatch field. Read on for our full verdict. Emporio Armani Connected: Design However, in the same way you’re unlikely to buy a pair of shoes without trying them on at some point, we’d say that the size of the EA Connected Watch may mean it doesn’t suit everyone. Try it on if you can, and if you love the way it looks, you’re going to be satisfied with the way it works. However, while last year's edition was a little too small and stiff to twist, the Connected 2018 goes the other way. Cycling through menus with the crown takes a while to get used to, due to the high sensitivity, though this is still a neat way to get around if you're looking to avoid smudging the display. And, spoiler alert, this doesn't take kindly to fingerprints.If the design is somewhat ordinary, then the technology inside will give you deja-vu. The aging Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor is inside with 4GB of internal storage space, while the 1.2-inch OLED screen has a 390 x 390 pixel resolution. Do you never want to miss a photo opportunity, but sometimes aren’t sure if a photo or video will work best to capture the moment? Samsung’s Single Take mode is for you. It leans on Samsung’s enhanced artificial intelligence (A.I.), comprehensive editing suite, and multiple cameras to take all the work out of making sure you’ve got the entire scene covered, and all you have to do is point your phone in the right direction. Armani does not install any superfluous apps, adding only a Saved Looks app to store modified watch faces. While we don’t want pointless extra apps, something to distinguish the AX Connected from the other fashion smartwatches out there would be nice. It all feels a little half-hearted, like Armani Exchange couldn’t be bothered to personalize the watch. Andy Boxall/Digital Trends Smartwatches need to look good, and as luxury brands enter the market, we find they end up producing some of the best-looking wearables. One of the latest is the Emporio Armani Connected, Armani’s first Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch. It’s unquestionably attractive, with a name that oozes class, style, and sophistication. In our Emporio Armani Connected review, we see if the watch is all style and no substance, and if it is, whether it really matters. Understated and stylish It’s proven to be a usable chipset in a number of watches but it consistently underperforms when it comes to user experience fluidity. I’ll admit that the Connected faired better than most of the 2100-powered devices I’ve worn but it still suffered from stutter and lag from time to time, something that simply doesn’t happen with the Apple Watch Series 4 or Samsung’s Galaxy Watch.

Unlike some watches, I had zero issues with the Connected’s automatic brightness adjustment and overall brightness. The display can be a touch on the reflective side in select environments but I never encountered any real issues when trying to see what was on-screen. If you want to force the display to remain at a constant brightness level, you have the option to switch from ‘automatic’ to one of five different brightness increments too. Emporio Armani Connected – FeaturesThe company offers a two-year warranty, where it will replace your unit if there are any manufacturing defects. Our Take As we mentioned this is a watch made from steel, so the strap (like the face) is big, solid and IP67 rated. That means you can have it on your wrist in the rain without fear that the water will degrade the strap in any way, but don't wear the watch into the shower as it's not fully waterproof. Notifications are still a lengthy list without much categorization, but it’s better than it used to be in Android Wear 1.0. The Google Play Store is accessible in version 2.0, and there’s a reasonable amount of apps available for your smartwatch. It’s easy to use on the watch so it you are looking for an app, it’s not a nightmare, but it’s still just a long list of mediocre apps to scroll through. Android Wear (and wearables in general) work best with notifications, calendar access, navigation, and increasingly, music. Load music onto the watch, connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones, and you’ve got a convenient music player that’s ideal for workouts. The Google Play Music app is well designed, with large, easy-to-tap buttons.