Designer brand Michael Kors covers everything from handbags to swimwear, yet it is for his watches that the name has become best known lately. Combining superb looks and quality with sensible prices, the range of watches includes everything from sedate, muted colours to gold cases, through bright offerings that are fun and frivolous. So, how does the latest Michael Kors Runway smart watch fare in a competitive market?
First, we should say it looks great. The metal casing and choice of metal or leather straps – and classic, understated circular face – give this a traditional look rather than the often-chosen futuristic choice. Few smartwatches are beautiful to look at, but this one certainly is. If you check out this review page you’ll see some excellent images that confirm what we say – this is a very good-looking smart watch!
So, you want to know more about the watch, how it works and what it does? Let’s get started!
Google Wear OS
The Michael Kors Runway uses Wear OS, the Google smart watch operating system, and this is the latest iteration that will be familiar to some. They have done away with the awkward gesture operations of the previous version, and replaced it with a much easier to use swipe system. For example, swipe down for some of the shortcuts – Google Play and battery saver are there – and so on. Swiping left gives you access to Google Fit, great app if you’re into keep fit or want to see how many miles you’ve walked or run, and there are more.
But, it’s perhaps the notifications that are most impressive when it comes to how the Michael Kors Runway works. They appear stacked in chronological order so you can go through them as they were received, and it takes one tap to expand, and another to close – a really simple way of doing things that highlight why smart phones such as this are becoming more popular.
One of the cleverest features comes with Google Assistant, and this one is new to the Michael Kors Runway smart watch. If you swipe right to access Assistant you will see an overview of your day – all your appointments, travel, any important information you should know, it’s all there – laid out neatly for you to get up to date. This is a feature that will certainly appeal to business users.
Display and Connectivity
The display on the Michael Kors Runway is right up there with the best, being a clear and sharp AMOLED 1.19inch screen presented as a traditional circular watch. It is nice to look at and just big enough for the information needed to be read easily, without being too big and boisterous. The designers have done a very good job of making this look like a classy and very stylish watch – which indeed it is!
The operating system allows for easy use with Android devices – don’t forget you need a smartphone to run alongside the Michael Kors Runway as you do with any smart watch – but it is not designed for use with Apple operating systems, so if you have an iPhone this is not the watch for you. Battery life is around 12hours – that’s allowing for a decent amount of functions to be used through the day – and all in all, it’s a well-designed, capable and very nice smart watch at a sensible price.
This is a very competitive market so it’s always worth looking around when you’re choosing a smart watch, but we wouldn’t hesitate to put the Michael Kors Runway on our shortlist thanks to its great looks and more than ample usability.