What you need to know
- The Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch is the first to be able to take calls on iOS.
- The feature was added after a recent update and supposedly improves Android call quality as well.
- Fossil is using proprietary software to enable calls on iOS, and it is unlikely we'll see it added to smartwatches by brands not under the Fossil umbrella.
Fossil makes some of the best Wear OS smartwatches around, in fact, our own Joe Maring called the Gen 5 Fossil smartwatch "Wear OS at its finest" in his review back in August. Now, the fifth-generation Fossil watches are getting even better — for iOS users, that is.
Thanks to a new update that's rolling out, the Fossil Gen 5 watches will now be the first Wear OS watches to support voice calls on iOS. Previously, the watches would alert you of calls but did not allow you to take the call on your watch.
Unfortunately, for users of other Wear OS watches, you cannot expect the same feature to come to your smartwatch. Fossil is making use of proprietary software in order to enable this on its fifth-generation Wear OS watches, and probably won't be too keen on sharing it with others. Sorry, all you Huawei and TicWatch owners out there.
The good news is, Fossil makes a lot of Wear OS smartwatches, like the vast majority of them. That makes it more likely we could see this feature added to watches under its other brands such as Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Misfit, Skagen, or others.
While the software is exclusive to Fossil, we're unlikely to see it roll out to the Gen 4 watches that lack a speaker. The same is most likely true for any of the other smartwatches from its related brands that don't include a speaker.
Despite the headlining feature of the Gen 5 Fossil watches now supporting calls on iOS, some users on Reddit are also reporting improved call quality on Android. There also appears to be a new redesigned call UI as part of the update. It looks like the best Wear OS smartwatches around just keep getting better.
A smartwatch for Android or iOS
The Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch is one of the best Wear OS watches around for several reasons. First, it has the latest Snapdragon 3100 processor with 1GB of RAM ensuring the fastest and smoothest Wear OS experience around. Not only is it one of the best performing smartwatches around, but it's also one of the best looking with a classic modern watch design.
