What you might want to know
- Fossil Group introduced right this moment that it might now not be making smartwatches.
- Other than the primary Fossil model, the group additionally resealed smartwatches beneath its sub-brands as nicely, which embrace Citizen, Skagen, Diesel, Michael Kors, and Kate Spade.
- Fossil mentioned that it might proceed to help its present smartwatches “for the subsequent few years.”
Fossil Group, the corporate that desperately tried to make fashionable smartwatches that represented their conventional counterparts, is now giving up on the enterprise altogether. Fossil’s Gen 6 might be its final era of Put on OS watches, the corporate mentioned in an announcement Friday to The Verge.
“Because the smartwatch panorama has advanced considerably over the previous few years, we’ve got made the strategic determination to exit the smartwatch enterprise,” mentioned a Fossil spokesperson. “Fossil Group is redirecting sources to help our core power and the core segments of our enterprise that proceed to supply sturdy progress alternatives for us: designing and distributing thrilling conventional watches, jewellery, and leather-based items beneath our personal in addition to licensed model names.”
Fossil made smartwatches by the worst intervals of Put on OS. At instances when main OEMs and even Google appeared to overlook about Put on OS, Fossil was there. That remained true till 2021 when Google and Samsung teamed as much as create Put on OS 3 primarily based on Android 11.
The 2 firms seem to have lastly made Put on OS a thriving and secure working system. For the primary time in years, Put on OS appears destined for a yearly launch schedule.
The success of Put on OS has been intently associated to Google and Samsung’s personal {hardware} initiatives. Google purchased Fitbit and has now launched two generations of Pixel Watch. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup has additionally discovered some favor with customers, culminating within the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Traditional final yr.
These are possible the elements of the smartwatch market which have “advanced considerably over the previous few years,” as Fossil described it.
The writing was on the wall for fairly some time. Fossil did not launch a brand new smartwatch final yr, at the same time as Qualcomm’s W5+ cell platforms supercharged Put on OS gadgets. That is with out even mentioning the Fossil retail staff who informed prospects to not count on one other smartwatch, as a Reddit person documented.
Fossil says that it’ll preserve updating its present smartwatches “for the subsequent few years.”
Fossil’s exit from the smartwatch market will go away a gap within the trade. Its minimalist and fashion-first method to smartwatch design is in contrast to something that exists right this moment. The closest factor to Fossil smartwatches available on the market now might be the Withings ScanWatch line, however these are extra health-oriented than fashion-centric.
Android Central has reached out to Fossil Group about its determination, and they didn’t get again to us in time for publication. We are going to replace the article as soon as we’ve got extra info.
