Fossil Says Farewell To Smartwatch Business Leaving A Massive Hole In Wear OS Wearables
Among the sparse number of Google Wear OS-operated smartwatch makers, Fossil has been always right up there producing some of the most attractive timepieces on sale. Technically, the products may have struggled in places, like poor battery life and jittery user experiences, but owners generally appreciate the looks and build quality. As of today, however, Fossil has officially bowed out of the race.
In an official statement to The Verge, Jeff Boyer, Fossil's executive vice president and COO, said "“Fossil Group is redirecting resources to support our core strength and the core segments of our business that continue to provide strong growth opportunities for us: designing and distributing exciting traditional watches, jewelry, and leather goods under our own as well as licensed brand names.”
All of which is another way of saying that Apple's considerable wearable market share, Wear OS's slow growth, and the Fossil Group's small piece of the already small pie led Fossil to finally call it quits.
Nonetheless, Fossil says that it's committed to keeping its current crop of Wear OS watches like the Gen 6 updated "for the next few years." Gen 6 is currently on the newer optimized Wear OS 3.5, so the promised updates could mean security fixes at best. For those who still want a Fossil-level of look and design in their smartwatches, Citizen, Skagen, and Montblanc also have some very Fossil-inspired models.
