Corey Gaskin / Digital Trends
The first smartwatch I call up buying from a lifestyle wall plug , and not a smartphone or multi - branded electronics memory , was the Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle . It was a conscious determination , as I did n’t want to wear a Fitbit or the Apple Watch to company or family outcome like some frumpish tech nerd . Those days are formally over , as Fossil has decided to leave office the smartwatch business .
The globular fashion trade name tellsThe Vergethat the Fossil Gen 6 — whichgot a Wellness Edition refresh in 2022 — was its last smartwatch . “ As the smartwatch landscape painting has evolve importantly over the past few years , we have made the strategical decision to give-up the ghost the smartwatch business , ” Fossil COO Jeff Boyer told the outlet .
Corey Gaskin / Digital Trends
The company say it will continue support its exist Wear oxygen smartwatches portfolio for the “ next few years . ” regrettably , “ existing ” and “ few ” are rather flexile term here , and not necessarily in a good fashion .
A Fossil flagship store executive tells Digital Trends that the current - gen , Gen 6 will get software system updates for two year . When ask to clarify whether that includes yearly Wear OS updates or just security - centric updates , the administrator decline to extend any more details .
On inquiring about the older - generation Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches and whether they will also get the same treatment , we were told that they are awaiting more lucidness on that . However , it ’s a cutting photograph . The Fossil Gen 6 ( with the Snapdragon Wear 4100 + micro chip inside ) is already a generational trailer in Qualcomm ’s portfolio , while the Fossil Gen 5 series swear on an even older Snapdragon Wear 3100 atomic number 14 .
A sadly predictable demise
Notably , it seems that Fossil wants to offload its inventory of Wear OS smartwatches , and that the signs of Wear oxygen shuttering had been communicated internally well in procession . At least two Fossil Exclusive retail memory told Digital Trends they have been run a salubrious 50 % deduction on a handful of Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch role model .
As far as warrantee go , we were told that if a client purchases a Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch today , they will get a hardware warranty deserving one twelvemonth . That ’s the standard warranty insurance for major market place , including the United States . However , Fossil appear to be sweetening the spate for its last - ditch - effort loyalist .
Digital Trends was told by the brand ’s exclusive issue that if you buy a Fossil Gen 6 whole at a 50 % deduction but the smartwatch runs into an result within the first class of purchase , you will get a store credit worth the original non - discounted retail price and that it can be used to buy any other Fossil lifestyle and fashion accessory on the ledge .
But the software update situation is a bit tricky . Because atomic number 8 updates lean to direct a certain baseline in terms of processing power , it ’s hard to imagine that the Fossil Gen 5 card will get the same two - year update handling as the comparatively Modern Gen 6 smartwatches .
However , since the Fossil Gen 5 has been discontinued officially , you will only be receive the newer Gen 6 at retail outlets . But the writing has been on the wall for a while now .
Fossil has n’t release a next - gen smartwatch since the Gen 6 family ’s comer . Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon Wear 5 ( or W5 ) and its Plus variants halfway through 2022 , but Fossil did n’t release a new product based on the fresh Qualcomm wearable silicon .
It ’s a pity that Fossil has had to exit the smartwatch globe , especially at a time when theWear OS + Tizen OS merger gave a new life to the Android smartwatch ecosystem . But more significantly , Fossil was the only brand that made stylish and fashionable smartwatches that did n’t count like a boringly mainstream must - have widget service as a tech statement .
Or , at worst , a duncish wristwear with a concealment that was seemingly pulled from theBen 10universe !
