Although the MKGO Gen 5E has a more minimal design than other smartwatches from Michael Kors, it’s still unashamedly fashion-focused with plenty of sparkles thanks to a pave-studded ring around the edge of the screen. There is a 4100 processor out now, and we'll likely see this on Fossil Gen 6 devices at the end of 2021 or early 2022 – so that's something to bear in mind. But again, if you're studying the tech specs list, the Darci 5E will come up short against rivals. However, answering calls from the wrist was far from seamless. Our phone rang for 8 to 10 seconds before it registered on the watch and the connection was also slow, which isn't a great experience.

If you’re attracted to the smarts but usually opt for something light and minimal, the Gen 5E Darci is unlikely to suit you. Fossil smartwatches are currently on Gen 5 hardware – and now Michael Kors has updated two of its lines to run on the latest hardware: the sportier Gen 5E MKGO and sparkling statement Darci Gen 5E Smartwatch. Priced at , The MKGO Gen 5e is significantly cheaper than other options from Michael Kors – the latest Gen 5E Darci comes in at . But it’s also more affordable than the Apple Watch Series SE, Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 or Fitbit Versa 3. The smartwatch uses connected GPS, which worked well most of the time we used it for outdoor activities. Although occasionally it was more fussy than other devices and needed a little longer or a short walk in another direction to connect.If you really start pushing yourself the heart rate sensor does struggle to keep up – but for general gym workouts or runs – it's a solid performance that will give you a good estimate of your exertion and make post-workout data relevant and useful.

This watch is big, bold and blingy. It weighs a whopping 112g, which felt very heavy during the first day of wear. We got used to it, but one thing is clear: this is for those who want the premium look and feel of a designer watch. Michael Kors was one of the first fashion brands to embrace wearable tech and the MKGO Gen 5E is the latest in the company’s line-up of smartwatches. The Snapdragon 4100 is now out, but has only made it to one smartwatch so far – the TicWatch Pro 3. So the 3100 is a capable processor that will delivers a decent experience. The main issue - especially when connected to an iPhone - is that you can't do much with the notifications that come through. You can answer a call, though it gets transferred to your phone to continue the call, and we had a number of occasions where it cut the call off too, as well as the battery draining quite a bit during a long active call. There is also no way to reply to messages so the information is delivered but functionality of what you can then do with that is limited.The battery can last 24 hours, but that depends on how you use the smartwatch. For example, cranking up full-screen brightness, using GPS and taking heart rate readings will significantly drain it. Size-wise, the watch is 43mm with a 1.19-inch AMOLED screen. There’s a pavé-studded bezel and a crown on the side with the MK logo etched into it. Push it to open up an app menu or long-press to activate Google Assistant. At 70g, it’s also lightweight compared to Michael Kors alternatives, which makes it a better option for fitness and more wearable every day than the hefty Darci Gen 5E at 80g. Becca has been writing about technology for nearly ten years. In that time she’s covered topics from robotics and virtual reality to simulated universe theory and brain-computer interfaces for a wide range of titles, including TechRadar, New Scientist, Wired UK, OneZero by Medium, Stuff, T3, Metro and many more. We’ve put the latest version of Michael Kors’ sporty smartwatch to the test to see if it can serve up both style and substance this time around.

On the inside of the Gen 5E Darci, you’ll find the same smarts as the Fossil Gen 5E smartwatch, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor and 512MB of RAM. Performance was good and felt improved on previous versions of Michael Kors smartwatches. Around a day’s worth of battery life is what you can expect from an MK smartwatch – as well as all Fossil smartwatches using the same tech. This is similar to some of the top smartwatches, including the Apple Watch Series 6, but still might be frustrating if you don’t want to charge it up most days.

The Michael Kors Gen 5E Darci smartwatch offers a lovely and solid design - if you're into that style. It's got a premium build quality, runs smoothly, and delivers some great features - including the specific Michael Kors features that come with the MK Access app. Becca is also interested in how scientific developments and technological advances will impact us all in the near future. Many of her features ask big questions about what’s in store for wearable technology, especially the potential of virtual reality and artificial intelligence. The two devices recorded similar heart rate readings during a 40 minute spinning session. The Whoop Band 3.0 recorded an average of 118bpm throughout the session, the Darci 120bpm. The Whoop recorded a high of 145bpm and the Darci 142bpm. If you really start pushing your heart rate up and down the sensor will start to produce less accurate data – but as a general guide of effort on steady workouts, the sensor is good enough.