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 Access Gen 5E performs all of the usual smartwatch essentials with ease. Day-to-day connectivity features include Bluetooth-enabled calling, smartphone notifications, social media alerts, weather and calendar updates, and the convenience of Google Assistant.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. 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.

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. Still, the Michael Kors Access MKGO uses a 350mAh battery, so if you tweak it just so, it can potentially last about a day and a half. In reality though, expect about a day and you won’t be disappointed or caught out.

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. 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.

And, of course, Google Pay works for everyone (a hugely useful tool), and there’s support for both Apple and Google Calendar. Sure, Android users get the edge, but iOS users aren’t missing out too much. Fitness 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.

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. 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. Without onboard GPS, the only way to measure distance is to use a tethered GPS connection with a smartphone. Acquiring a signal was generally fast, but unfortunately, the watch’s summary was more than a little off. Compared with a Garmin, the Access Gen 5E overshot by 1 mile, and the pace registered at about 90 seconds faster. However, for walking workouts, step count differed only slightly compared with a Garmin smartwatch and the iOS Health app.