Hands-on: SKAGEN Falster 3 is here with improved specs, custom battery modes

The SKAGEN Falster 3 is here and rights many of the wrongs committed by its predecessor.

2018’s Falster 2 smartwatch was a letdown — it was so pretty, but I just couldn’t get the thing to last even a full day on a single charge. Shortly thereafter, Fossil and its partner brands started rolling out smartwatches with updated internals that quickly eliminated any gripes I had with the older models. Now, it’s finally time for the SKAGEN Falster brand to be back in the limelight, and not just for its looks.

Think of the SKAGEN Falster 3 as a different-looking Fossil Gen 5. It has most of the same specs, most of the same hardware, and even some of the Gen 5’s software features. First, the big two: The new Falster smartwatch is powered by the Snapdragon Wear 3100 SoC and has 1GB of RAM. My main complaint with the Falster 2 was its slow processor and 512MB of RAM, so these upgrades should make for a decent bump in performance. SKAGEN also doubled the storage to 8GB.

Battery life should also be better this time around. The Falster 3 comes with the same custom battery modes that debuted on the Fossil Gen 5, which allow users to customize which sensors are active and inactive throughout the day. Custom battery mode includes daily mode, which enables just about every sensor including the always-on display; extended battery mode, which turns off most sensors aside from heart rate and notifications; custom mode, which lets the user turn on/off any sensor they wish; and time-only mode, which only gives you the time.

The Falster 3 also has a speaker, so you can hear audio notifications, Google Assistant prompts, and hear phone calls without first connecting to Bluetooth headphones. Speaking of calling, the Falster 3 also supports Fossil’s proprietary companion app that allows users to make and receive Bluetooth phone calls right from their wrist.

Elsewhere, the new watch comes with a 3ATM water resistance rating, GPS, and NFC for Google Pay.

SKAGEN is partnering with KYGO, the popular Norwegian DJ, for the release of the Falster 3. The X by KYGO-themed SKAGEN Falster 3 (above) comes in a sleek all-black colorway with a white strap loop. It also has an X logo on the strap right below the watch case. This special-edition watch is launching later in Spring 2020.

Additionally, all SKAGEN Falster 3 will come with an exclusive X by KYGO watch face, also pictured above.

The other three Falster 3 styles will be available in select markets on Tuesday, January 7 for $295. There’s only one case size — 42mm — but you’ll get the option to choose different strap options, including one of the new mesh silicone straps.

I’m really looking forward to the SKAGEN Falster 3, and it felt really nice on the wrist during my demo at CES. The Falster 2 was a bit small for me (41mm vs 42mm on the Falster 3), and I think that bigger size will make a lot of people happy.

Thoughts? Sound off in the comments.