Michael Kors Women Gen 5E MKGO Touchscreen Smartwatch with Speaker, Heart Rate, GPS, NFC, and Smartphone Notifications

Product Information

We’d recommend immediately installing a third-party app if you plan on running, however, such as Runkeeper or MapMyRun, as they will provide more detail. Battery life

At least nowadays the Google Fit app for both Android and iOS is a better starting point for all. There are still superior third-party apps out there, but Google Fit is a decent starting place for novices still figuring out the right fitness app for them. 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. She’s passionate about helping people wade through tech jargon to find useful products they’ll actually use – with a focus on health and wellbeing.

Should you give it an MKGO?

This isn’t the first MKGO. We reviewed the original MKGO in 2020 and found that, although it looks good, it didn’t deliver in the fitness department. In addition to a supple rubber material on the band, the Access Gen 5E MKGO offers a unique push-stud clamping mechanism. Two studs snap into place in one of the circular band notches, creating a neat and tidy look without excess band material flapping around. 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. 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 Michael Kors Access MKGO has three buttons on the side, as is typical of most recent Wear OS watches. Most prominent is the large middle button, which is a rotating crown for easily scrolling through options or the apps menu.

The fashionable Access Gen 5E offers some flourishes that the Active2 doesn’t, such as a much wider variety of watch faces to choose from. Battery modes and the Theater Mode button are both unique to the Access Gen 5E as well. Both watches are compatible with Android and iOS, but the Tizen-based Active2 is optimal with a Galaxy smartphone, whereas the Access works well across Android devices. The Micheal Kors watches also feature in our roundup of the best wearable tech at CES 2021, along with plenty more interesting products. 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. With a fairly small silicone strap, it’s no surprise that the Michael Kors Access MKGO’s display is the most noticeable thing about it. While not the biggest screen we’ve seen on a smartwatch, 1.19 inches is more than good enough here.When comparing this device to other fashion smartwatches, it’s challenging to find a competitor outside of the Michael Kors/Fossil sphere that differs in any notable way. If you’re looking for something comparably priced with more of a fitness bent, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 is worth a look.