One Of The Biggest Smartwatch Makers Just Gave Up On Wear OS
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The Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle is the first smartwatch I've purchased from a lifestyle store rather than a smartphone store or multi-brand electronics store. This was a conscious decision because I didn't want to wear a Fitbit or Apple Watch to parties or family events like a professional geek. Those days are officially over as Fossil has decided to exit the smartwatch business.
The global fashion brand told The Verge that the Fossil Gen 6, which will receive a Health Edition update in 2022, is its latest smartwatch. “As the smartwatch market has changed significantly over the past several years, we have made a strategic decision to exit the smartwatch business,” Fossil CEO Jeff Boyer said in a statement.
The company said it will continue to support its existing line of Wear OS smartwatches "over the next few years." Unfortunately, the concepts of “affordable” and “cheaper” are quite flexible here and not necessarily good ones.
A Fossil flagship store executive told Digital Trends that the current Gen 6 will receive software updates for two years. When asked to clarify whether this included annual Wear OS updates or just security-related updates, the executive declined to provide further information.
When asked about the older generation of Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches and whether they will be treated the same, we were told that they are waiting for more clarity on this issue. However, this is a bleak picture. The Fossil Gen 6 (with the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chip inside) is already a generation behind Qualcomm's portfolio, and the Fossil Gen 5 series is based on the older Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip.
It's worth noting that Fossil has committed to discontinuing Wear OS smartwatches, and the company has previously reported signs of Wear OS shutting down. At least two Fossil Exclusive retailers told Digital Trends they are offering 50% off select Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch models.
In terms of warranties, we're told that if customers buy a Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch today, they'll receive a one-year hardware warranty. Below are standard warranty terms for major markets including the United States. However, Fossil is sweetening the deal for those loyal to its latest efforts.
The brand's exclusive retailer told Digital Trends that if you buy a Fossil Gen 6 device at 50% off but the smartwatch has issues within the first year of purchase, you'll receive a store credit for the original retail price without the discount. . priced and can be used to purchase other fashionable and imaginative Fossil accessories on the shelves.
However, the software update situation is a bit complicated. Since OS updates are targeted at a certain level of base processing power, it's hard to imagine Fossil's Gen 5 series receiving biannual updates like the relatively new Gen 6 smartwatches.
However, since Fossil Gen 5 has officially been discontinued, you will only be able to purchase the new Gen 6 at retail locations. But the writing remained on the wall for some time.
Fossil hasn't released a next-gen smartwatch since the Gen 6 family. Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Wear 5 (or W5) and its Plus variant in mid-2022, but Fossil has yet to release a new product based on Qualcomm's new wearable silicon. . .
It's a shame that Fossil was left out of the smartwatch world, especially when the Wear OS + Tizen OS combination breathed new life into the Android smartwatch ecosystem. But more importantly, Fossil is the only brand that makes smart, stylish smartwatches that make a tech statement without looking boring and boring.
Or, at worst, a massive bracelet with a screen straight from the Ben 10 universe.
