“The Michael Kors Access Grayson doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other smartwatches at its price, but it puts fashion first.”
- Good design
- High-resolution display
- IP67 waterproof
- No Android Pay or GPS
- iOS functions are limited
Fashion companies are fully on board with smartwatches, and for good reason. Smartwatches are wearables — they don’t live hidden in your pocket when not in use; they’re meant to be stylish and personal. Michael Kors’ latest men’s smartwatch fits the bill: Appearance is priority, and everything else is secondary. In our Michael Kors Access Grayson review, we found the Android Wear smartwatch to have a classic design, with good performance.
Fashion first
At a quick glance, Michael Kors’ Access Grayson looks like a normal watch. The body is slightly thick and a little heavy, but not uncharacteristically so for a Michael Kors watch.
Our review unit is the Grayson Silver-Tone model, which has a silver metal body with a clasp link band. There are three other variants you can get, all for the same price: Grayson Gold-Tone, Grayson Navy-Tone, and the Grayson Black-Tone.
On the right of the watch, you’ll find three buttons: The main crown acts as a home button and it’s how you access Google Assistant. You can rotate it to scroll through the Android Wear operating system. The top button by default gives you access to micro apps from Michael Kors, such as My Social, My Looks, and My Modes (more on these later); and the bottom button by default launches the Google Play Store. You can customize these two buttons to open whatever app or action you want.
On the underside of the watch sits the Michael Kors logo. Unfortunately, you won’t find a heart rate monitor here, but that doesn’t mean the watch can’t track basic fitness metrics. Tracking steps and calories burned via the Google Fit app was a cinch with this watch.
It feels and looks like a normal watch in every way.
The Access Grayson boasts an IP67 water- and dust- resistance rating as well, which means it can withstand being submerged underwater up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
As far as straps go, there are a few options. Ours came with the metal band, but it’s easy to swap it for another like a leather strap if you so choose. There is no sizing tool provided, so you’ll have to take the watch to a Michael Kors store to make sure the metal band fits well on your wrist (or any watch repair shop, but Michael Kors will do it for free).
When it comes to comfort, the Grayson is as comfortable as any other watch with a metal band; it’s a little heavy, but not overly so. We like the look of the Grayson, though we might prefer the Navy-Tone model. It feels and looks like a normal watch in every way.
But functionality comes second to style. There are some features missing, like
Good performance and display
While performance isn’t necessarily as important on a watch as it is on a phone, it still plays a role in the overall experience.
Michael Kors’ Grayson features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, which is Qualcomm’s flagship wearable chip. That chip has been used on almost all
The resolution of the circular 1.39-inch display on the Grayson is 454 x 454, and it’s sharp — much sharper than many other
Android Wear 2.0
The Grayson runs
The Michael Kors watch faces pre-loaded on the Grayson aren’t the most attractive.
Swipe down from the main watch face to access quick settings, and swipe up to scroll through your notifications. You can also use the rotating crown to scroll up and down. Tap the crown to access your installed apps, and you can also find the Google Play Store here in case you want to install other apps.
Tap on a notification, and you’ll see it expand with options on what you want to do with it. Swipe left or right to get rid of it and it will disappear on your phone. Apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger let you respond or interact to notifications. You can use a tiny keyboard, voice input, scribble letters down, or use Smart Replies that use artificial intelligence to offer up relevant, short phrases.
But not all
The Michael Kors watch faces pre-loaded on the Grayson aren’t the most attractive — they look a little cluttered and over-the-top, so we ended up switching to the “Google Fit Analog” face that was more minimal. The good thing is there are hundreds of watch faces to choose from via the Google Play Store on the watch, or you can download them through your phone. You can also customize the look of each watch face by tapping and holding the watch face. You can add “Complications,” which are dials that offer information or shortcuts from apps (like widgets), or you can change the color scheme.
Battery life
The Michael Kors Access Grayson packs a 370mAh battery, which is able to power the device for about a full day. It’s standard battery life on most smartwatches these days, and it means you’ll have to charge the Grayson every night to make sure it doesn’t die during the day.
The charger magnetically snaps on the back and wirelessly charges the watch.
Availability and warranty
The Michael Kors Access Grayson smartwatch comes at $350, which is pricey, but not as expensive as smartwatches from other fashion brands. It comes in four color options: Silver, gold, blue, and black, and they’re available now from the Michael Kors website.
The watch comes with a limited two-year warranty that only covers manufacturer defects. It does not cover wear and tear, or accidental damage incurred by the wearer.
Our Take
The Michael Kors Access Grayson doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other smartwatches at its price, but it puts fashion first. It’s a watch we would wear because it looks nice, and the ability to change watch faces to our attire or mood is appealing. Being able to respond and interact with notifications is a plus.
If
Is there a better alternative?
Yes, and it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a watch that can offer you notifications but appearance is a priority, the Grayson is a solid option. There are also numerous fashion brands releasing
If you want an
For iOS users, the Apple Watch will always be far more functional than an
If you’re a fitness junkie, then perhaps a dedicated fitness tracker like Samsung Gear Fit 2 (the Gear Fit2 Pro is launching in October) or Garmin Forerunner 35 is the right device for you.
How long will it last?
The Michael Kors Access Grayson should last two years at the least, but it could certainly extend beyond that if you take care of it. You may not get software updates after those two years, and the smartwatch’s battery may start to underperform.
Should you buy it?
Yes, if you’re set on
