Smartwatches are getting more popular now and it shows because of the number of companies that are throwing their hats into the fray. The good news is that you have a wide range of choices that would fit your every smartwatch requirement.
Michael Kors is one of those companies that wanted to smarten up their traditional watches. The company now offers three distinct smartwatch categories for its users.
So how does the Michael Kors Access Watch compare with other smartwatches?
Design
Michael Kors offers customers three different lines for its Access smartwatch. Each of these lines has its own selections of color. There’s gold, silver, sable, blue, black, and rose gold for the Sofie Pave line. There’s the black and silver two-tone, black, silver, gold, olive, and navy for the Grayson line. And then you have the Bradshaw line, which comes in gold, rose gold, and silver color selections.
All of these lines have very elegant looks. Prices for each of these smartwatches range from $350 to $495.
The Michael Kors Access Watch is very opulent and it looks very expensive, as well. For instance, the gold-tone Sofie Pave Access has gemstones studying the stainless steel strap that frames the perfectly round watch face.
Meanwhile, the Grayson line is more muted and masculine as it looks more like a traditional luxury watch than a piece of jewelry. While both the Grayson and the Sofie Pave lines have round watch faces with a claw strap connector, the Bradshaw line looks more contoured and solid, with no visible spaces between the watch face and the strap.
Similarities and differences in Design
All Michael Kors Access Watches have a circular stainless steel case. These smartwatches are water-resistant with an IP67 rating and sport an AMOLED multi-touch screen. You can choose your own watch face, too.
However, there are differences, as well. For example, the strap material for both the Sofie and the Grayson is stainless steel, but the Bradshaw uses either silicone or leather straps.
You can also replace the band on the Bradshaw, but not on the other two lines. The case dimensions and weights also differ. The Sofie is much smaller but weighs 8 grams. This is also similar to Grayson, which has the biggest case out of the three.
| Model | Sofie | Bradshaw | Grayson |
| Shape | Circular | Circular | Circular |
| Case Dimensions (inches) | 1.65 x 1.65 x 0.43 | 1.75 x 1.75 x 0.55 | 1.85 x 1.85 x 0.51 |
| Stainless steel case | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strap Material | Stainless steel | Leather or Silicone | Stainless steel |
| Replaceable Band? | No | Yes | No |
| Weight (grams) | 226.80 | 163.29 | 226.80 |
| IP67 rating | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Display
The Michael Kors Access Watch uses a multi-touch AMOLED screen, but the screen sizes for each line differ.
The Sofie has the smallest screen size of only 1.19 inches, with a 390 x 390-pixel screen resolution at 464 pixels per inch. The Bradshaw has a 1.4-inch screen that gives you a screen resolution of 320 x 290 pixels, at 309 ppi. Meanwhile, the Grayson has almost the same screen size at 1.39 inches, with 454 x 454-pixels screen resolution at 462 ppi.
To summarize:
| Model | Sofie | Bradshaw | Grayson |
| AMOLED display | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Screen Size | 1.19 inches | 1.4 inches | 1.39 inches |
| Screen Resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | 320 x 290 pixels | 454 x 454 pixels |
| Pixel Density | 464 ppi | 309 ppi | 462 ppi |
| Multi-Touch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Activity tracking, control, and memory
All lines of the Michael Kors Access Watch have a memory of 512 MB and storage space of 4 GB. The smartwatch has some activity and fitness tracking features. It can count the number of steps you have made and the distance you have traveled. The smartwatch also has sensors, including an accelerometer, gyro, and ambient light sensor.
You can operate your smartwatch by using the touch display or via voice commands.
Aside from these, it is compatible with Bluetooth 4.1 and BLE, which allows it to connect with your smartphone so that it could be paired with the companion mobile app. It does not have GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity, or NFC. It also does not include a USB port.
| Model | Sofie | Bradshaw | Grayson |
| RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Storage | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Measures Distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate | No | No | No |
| Steps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth 4.1 and BLE | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | No | No | No |
| WiFi | No | No | No |
| NFC | No | No | No |
| USB | No | No | No |
| Radio | No | No | No |
| Touch control | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Command | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Personal Assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Android | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with iOS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gyro | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Light | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smart features
The Michael Kors Access Watch can act as a second screen for your smartphone and can show you the social media apps, SMS, e-mail, income calls, calendar entries, and even the weather.
| Model | Sofie | Bradshaw | Grayson |
| Social media alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SMS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Incoming Call Alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar Reminder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Forecast | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Battery and other features
Michael Kors Access Watch models have a built-in speaker and microphone that you can use to operate your smartwatch, including activating GoogleNow, responding to e-mails and text messages, answering a phone call, setting reminders and alarms. You can also store music on your smartwatch and then play them back as long as you have a Bluetooth speaker.
For the battery, the Bradshaw can deliver up to two days of operation on a single charge. The Grayson and Sofie lines can only last for a day. You can charge the battery wirelessly.
| Model | Sofie | Bradshaw | Grayson |
| Speaker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery capacity | 300mAh | 360mAh | 370mAh |
| Battery life (maximum) | 24 Hours | 2 Days | 24 Hours |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charging Time | 2 Hours | 2 Hours | 2 Hours |
| Built–in Payment Service | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth Music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recommendations on the Michael Kors Access Watch
There is no doubt that the Michael Kors Access Watch looks great. Looking at it, you could really see how much effort was put into the design of these smartwatches. The Michael Kors Access Sofie is really stunning and feminine with its Pave accents, while the Bradshaw and Graystone will make any man proud to wear it.
Another thing is that it works rather well. The display is responsive and easy to read even when you are under the sun. The colors are also very vibrant. You can even set the display to always be on, rather than turn itself off after a certain time has passed.
You can change the watch faces to the one you prefer, just as long as it is saved in the mobile app. There are a lot of beautiful watch faces for you to choose from. That, coupled with the high-quality materials used for the watch, gives you a smartwatch that not only looks good but feels good, as well.
Another good news is that the Michael Kors Access Watch has the Android Wear 2.0 operating system, which means that you already have a lot of apps ready for you to download and use, as well as access to a wide variety of Google’s products and services.
The Michael Kors Access Watch does suffer from several drawbacks. For one, when paired with an iOS smartphone, some features, such as some voice commands, are not available, or it may not work as well as it would when paired with an Android device.
Also, it suffers from the same limitations as most other Android Wear devices: the company cannot alter any part of the operating system. This means that no matter how stunning it looks, it is the same Android Wear smartwatch as all other Android Wear smartwatch out there.
Battery life is also not that good. You get only a day or two on a single charge, and that is drastically reduced if you use a lot of apps and you get notified constantly. Or, if you have the screen brightness turned up.
What’s more, the Michael Kors Access Watch is quite thin when it comes to fitness and activity tracking. It can measure your steps and distance traveled, but not your heart rate.
Furthermore, connectivity on these smartwatches is also quite limited. There is no support for Wi-Fi connectivity. Instead, you rely on Bluetooth to connect it to your phone. What’s more, there is no embedded GPS radio, which means that the smartwatch will need to be constantly connected to your smartphone in order for you to access location services.
There is also no NFC that would allow you to make wireless payments without having to bring your wallet.
The final say
If you are one of those people who value the looks of a smartwatch more than anything else, then there is no other smartwatch that could come close to the design and looks of the Michael Kors Access Watch, with its exquisite look that is very expensive looking.
However, if you are one of these people who are serious about their fitness level and activities, then you should look for something else.
If you like to find a more affordable smartwatch that also looks great, you can check out Fossil Q Founder. If the price is not a consideration, check out Tag Heuer Connected.
However, if smart and fitness tracking features are what you are looking for, you can check out Fitbit Ionic, or perhaps go for an Apple Watch, and even a Samsung Gear Sport.