Fossil continues trying to sell smartwatches to the mainstream with new product lineup

By Marc Lagace
last updated

Fossil was one of the first watchmakers to get in on the smartwatch game, releasing its first attempt, the Fossil Q Founder back in 2015. More recently, its second-generation smartwatches were upgraded to Android Wear 2.0, giving them most of the same functionality as the new LG Watch Sport — excluding the hardware limitations.

This week, at the Baselworld watch and jewellery conference in Switzerland, Fossil revealed a slew of new watch styles for 2017, all running on the latest Android Wear 2.0.

First, there's the new touchscreen watches, the 42mm diameter Q Venture and 44mm diameter Q Explorist. The new watches feature Fossil's first ever round touchscreen, offering a much more cohesive look. Both run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and 4GB of built-in memory along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and an improved magnetic charger. Running on Android Wear 2.0 means they allow for downloadable third-party apps and watchfaces from Google Play, along with Google Assistant integration. These new styles will start rolling out in the fall with prices starting at $255.

Fossil also unveiled its latest hybrid smartwatches, the Q Accomplice and Q Activist. Offering an unassumingly traditional watch face, these hybrids are slim yet come with functionality for activity tracking and notifications for calls, texts, emails, and calendar events. They also feature programmable "pusher" buttons on the side which can be used to take selfies with your phone, skip tracks while listening to music, or for playing a unique ringtone for those times you misplace your phone. These new styles will be available later this year and will retail with prices starting from $155.

Blending Fossil's stylish watch design with smartwatch features, these new devices exemplify Fossil future vision for this market.

"Almost two years after our initial launch, it is abundantly clear why we entered this market: as creatives, we felt there was a void of beautifully designed smartwatches where users could customize technology to their unique lifestyle," said Jill Elliott, Fossil's Chief Creative Officer.

Thanks to Google's latest Android Wear 2.0 software, 2017 is shaping up to be a huge year for Android wearables. Expect to hear more smartwatch news emerge from Baselworld, as the conference continues through the weekend, wrapping up March 30.

What do you think about these watches? Since the release of Android Wear 2.0, are you more inclined to buy a smartwatch from a traditional watch manufacturer, or are you still more comfortable buying your wearable tech from companies like LG or Motorola? Let us know in the comments!

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Marc Lagace
Marc Lagace

Marc Lagace was an Apps and Games Editor at Android Central between 2016 and 2020. You can reach out to him on Twitter [@spacelagace.

14 Comments
  • Have the fossil q love the watch. Very well made watch. Waiting on update to wear 2
  • Still waiting for the promised AW 2.0 that was supposed to start rolling out over a week ago. Methinks it got yanked.
  • I sent an email 3 days ago to Fossil support about my Q Marshal not getting the AW2.0 yet. They said that it is a staged rollout that should be on all devices by the end of March.
  • This is such an obvious lie at this point. I get that there is usually a disconnect between the people who push this out and PR but I will.be surprised if we get the update by the end of the month.
  • I thought Google has control over updates
  • It doesn't mention above; I'm curious if the hybrid Q series manages to implement NFC for Android Pay - that's one of the big plusses in 2.0, so would be a shame if it got cut from the hybrid watches. I was wondering if the watch face would cause to much signal blockage. Hopefully it's still there.
  • Also curious about NFC. I would jump at the $200 Misfit Vapor if it had NFC even if it had to cost more
  • I don't think it would work even if they did have NFC, since they aren't running Android.
  • I received a Q Marshal as a BD present this week. I've only set it up and haven't worn it, yet, because I was working and didn't want to damage.
    It weighs a cubic butt ton, but seems nice enough. I'm not too concerned about the latest SW, as long as it works as intended.
    I was able to pair it to my Moto X, along with my DD and now work smartwatch, Samsung Gear 2 Neo.
    It's not much effort to switch between the two, but the Neo has been a bit glitchy. Phone should be silent while watch is connected, but phone intermittently vibrates for notifications. Perhaps just a coincidence.
  • I think they will do better at lower prices. They were kinda pricey (for a rehashed Moto 360 with a fossil logo) - not G2 or G3 prices, but not cheap. They are attractive though, especially in leather. It's too humid down here for leather bands though. They crack and snap on no time.
  • IIRC their first gen smartwatches had the infamous flat tyre/sensor. The 2nd gen doesn't, so now I'm interested ...
  • GEN 2 has the 'flat tire'.
  • I just ordered a Fossil Smartwatch off of Best Buy Canada's auction site. Got it for about 60% of retail They look great! Can't wait to get it on Tuesday :)
  • Nice... Hopefully prices will drop too.