Skip to main content

The Skagen Falster 3 smartwatch embodies minimalist Scandinavian style

The minimalist Skagen Falster 3 is the latest Wear OS smartwatch from the Danish brand, and we got our hands on it at CES 2020. The Falster 3 hits the same design beats as its predecessor, but this time around, it has the Qualcomm Wear 3100 platform on board, backed by 1GB of RAM for snappy performance.

Other improvements over the Falster 2 include extra storage at 8GB, the addition of a speaker, and some new smart battery modes that enable you to squeeze in a few extra hours between charges. The speaker enables you to talk to Google Assistant, hear notifications and alerts, and take or make calls from your wrist.

The Falster 3 is light and supremely comfortable to wear, particularly the blue silicone mesh strap variant. It sports a 42mm stainless steel case and top ring with a 1.3-inch AMOLED screen that’s sharp and legible at 328 pixels per inch. You can also get the Falster 3 with a brown leather or silver metal mesh band, but most enticing is the special edition black Falster 3 crafted in partnership with the X by Kygo brand.

Founded by the eponymous Norwegian DJ and producer, X by Kygo has also collaborated with Skagen on some wireless earphones and a Wi-Fi smart speaker. The special edition Falster 3 has a distinctive black body and silicone strap; there’s a subtle X design on the strap and a secondary white keeper bearing the X by Kygo logo. You’ll also find an exclusive digital dial.

Skagen Falster 3
Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Manufactured by the Fossil Group, the internals of the Falster 3 are identical to smartwatches like the Diesel On Axial and Fossil Gen 5, but the external design is distinctive offering wearers a taste of understated Scandinavian style. The special X by Kygo edition is the pick of the bunch, and it’s the kind of watch that will blend in with any outfit and look equally home at the office, at the gym, or out at a restaurant.

The Skagen Falster 3 is swim-proof (up to 30 meters), and support for Google Fit makes it a great wearable to track your exercise. There’s also a heart rate sensor and untethered GPS. Throw in NFC for Google Pay and you have as complete a smartwatch as you could want.

The first three versions of the Skagen Falster 3 are available in select markets now, and it will cost you $295 (279 British pounds) if you fancy getting your hands on one. The special X by Kygo edition lands in the spring.

Follow our live blog for more CES news and announcements.

Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
Fossil’s first Wear OS 3 smartwatch looks like a better (and cheaper) Pixel Watch
fossil gen 6 wellness smartwatch wear os 3 pixel watch

Fossil today launched the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition, its first Wear OS 3 watch. It's a minor update on something we've already seen before, with the major non-aesthetic updates here being driven by the Fossil Wellness app.

The Fossil Gen 6 is reasonably powerful. It's got a Snapdragon 4100+, 1 GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and a 1,3-inch AMOLED display — all wrapped in a 44mm chassis. The connectivity specs are here, with Bluetooth 5.0 and all the usual suspects. There's 3ATM water resistance and sensors for your heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. These all play with the Wellness App and allow you to keep track of your vitals while exercising, sleeping, and passively. Fast charging is also included here, and it'll take your battery to 80% capacity in 30 minutes as with other Fossil watches.

Read more
Wear OS 3 is finally coming to these older smartwatches this month
Fossil Skagen Falster Gen 6 on the wrist.

Wear OS 3 has been supported by Samsung smartwatches for over a year at this point, but now it's finally coming to Fossil devices in just a few days. While the launch of the Google Pixel Watch today has put Wear OS 3 back in the spotlight, Fossil smartwatches are the first to be upgraded from the previous Wear OS 2 version.

While it's certainly exciting that Wear OS 3 is coming to more devices, it's important to note that it won't be headed to all of Fossil's lineup. As reported by Android Central, the upcoming Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition will be launching with Wear OS 3; the Fossil Gen 6, the Michael Kors Gen 6, and the Skagen Falster Gen 6 will all be receiving the OS update together when the Wellness Edition launches. Luckily, fans won't have to wait long as the update rolls out on October 17.

Read more
Why this luxury smartwatch isn’t out to beat the Apple Watch
The Montblanc Summit 3 on a mans wrist.

“When we decided to make a smartwatch, our inspiration was to take something from our history and give it smart technology. We’re trying to bring the story of watchmaking to smartwatches. Something that’s true to us”

This is how Felix Obschonka, category director of new technologies at Montblanc, described the company’s approach to its range of smartwatches, and how the new Summit 3 differs from models made by technology brands. However, the Summit 3 is also the first non-Samsung smartwatch to use Google’s Wear OS 3 software, so while it’s steeped in Montblanc’s history, it’s not lacking in tech credentials.

Read more