Update (Jan 13, 12:30 pm ET): Article has been updated to include a statement from Fossil.
What you need to know
- A Fossil executive spoke with CNET about the company's Wear OS 3 strategy.
- The exec stated that Fossil plans to provide quarterly updates for Gen 6 smartwatches.
- The first major update for Fossil's Wear OS 3 smartwatches was issued in December with a number of fixes and enhancements.
Fossil Group appears to have found a second wind with its Gen 6 smartwatch lineup now that Wear OS 3 is here. The company has been busy updating its watches and releasing new models with the new software on board, but the company says we can expect even more from its current lineup as we wait for an expected Gen 7 model.
Talking to CNET, Fossil's vice president of product, Brook Eaton, highlighted Fossil's commitment to Google's wearable platform, particularly with the latest Wear OS 3 update. "This is a very relevant platform for some time to come," Eaton told CNET. "We did a Wear [OS] 3 update when we launched the [Gen 6] Wellness Edition, we did another update that was pretty meaningful in December."
Eaton informed CNET that Fossil is working to provide more consistent updates to its watches running Wear OS 3. This would come in the form of security patches and quarterly updates. It's unclear if these quarterly updates will arrive in a similar vein to Google's quarterly feature drops for Pixels, which usually come with a number of new features and enhancements.
Fossil's first post-Wear OS 3 update in December was fairly substantial and came shortly after the Pixel Watch received its first major update. Fossil's December 2022 patch included a number of bug fixes and several enhancements to features like the custom battery modes. However, the company also teased that we could expect more down the road.
"We also hear you on the desire for other features too, like Google Assistant, more use of buttons in select apps, various UI/UX changes, and battery life improvements," Fossil said in a Reddit post. "We are working hard to move the needle as much as possible where we can impact things. And we definitely have more cool features and updates planned for 2023, so stick around!"
It's also unclear whether the security patches will arrive monthly or just more often. I reached out to Fossil Group for clarification on its update plans, and while monthly patches weren't confirmed, the company reiterated its plans to bring new features.
"Updates throughout each year include the latest security updates and occasionally new features," a spokesperson told me. "While some updates may not have consumer-facing features, our teams are always working to add and upgrade features for our users."
Still, before the Wear OS 3 update, my Skagen Falster Gen 6 hadn't been updated for quite some time and was still on the December 2021 security patch. Following the Wear OS 3 update that rolled out on Thursday, the watch is now on the December 2022 patch. So, even if updates don't arrive monthly, Fossil's current direction already seems like a big improvement and leaves me hopeful that its devices will continue to get better, even amid some tough competition from some of the best Wear OS watches on the market.
You can check out the full article over at CNET, which touches on the rebranded companion apps and the lack of Google Assistant on Fossil's Wear OS 3 watches.
The Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition is a stylish smartwatch capable of keeping track of various health and fitness metrics, such as heart rate, SpO2, and much more, all thanks to the Wellness app and built-in sensors.
