Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Fossil Gen 6 smartwatches will be one of the first smartwatches to upgrade from Wear OS 2 to Wear OS 3.
- The update will only be coming to Gen 6 devices and not the rest of Fossil’s portfolio.
- The update will provide iOS connection support.
When we talk about Wear OS 3, much of the conversation is limited to a select few devices. However, it looks like that will soon change once the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition hits store shelves later this month.
Earlier today, Fossil announced a new addition to its Gen 6 lineup of smartwatches — the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition. The new device will come loaded with Wear OS 3 and will join the extremely small group of other smartwatches that also have the operating system. While it’s nice to see another smartwatch get the Wear OS 3 treatment, it seems it won’t be alone.
According to Android Central, along with the Wellness Edition, Fossil’s other Gen 6 smartwatches will also receive the Wear OS 3 update. This includes the Fossil Gen 6, the Michael Kors Gen 6, and the Skagen Falster Gen 6. All of these wearables will be receiving the update at the same time when the Wellness Edition launches on October 17.
This is kind of a big deal given that until now, Wear OS 3 was only present on four devices. That means with these smartwatches hopping on the Wear OS 3 train, the OS has essentially doubled its presence.
There will be an interesting twist to the version of Wear OS 3 that gets installed on the Gen 6 smartwatches as well. Unlike previous iterations of Wear OS 3, the version coming to Fossil’s Gen 6 hardware will support iOS connections. This will allow owners the option to pair their Fossil smartwatch with an Android phone or an iPhone. Additionally, this update will allow users to set custom battery settings and use the Fossil Wellness app.
The one drawback appears to be that Fossil owners won’t have access to Google Assistant. This is similar to the Montblanc Summit 3, which is the only other Wear OS 3 device that’s not from Samsung or Google. If Wear OS 3 comes to other smartwatches down the road, Google Assistant may end up missing from those devices as well as the feature doesn’t work with Qualcomm chipsets.
If you’re looking to get a Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition, you can order one from Fossil’s website. But it will cost you $299.
