What you need to know
- Fossil launches its latest hybrid smartwatch with several improvements.
- The new Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid features access to Amazon Alexa and an improved health tracking sensor.
- The smartwatch comes in two styles with several colorways, starting at $229.
Fossil is among our favorite smartwatch brands, and the company has just unveiled its latest hybrid smartwatch under the "Gen 6" moniker. The new Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid smartwatch comes with a few new upgrades that make it just a little more "smart" than "watch."
The most significant addition to Fossil's new hybrid smartwatch is the built-in Alexa compatibility. This feature launched this year on the Fossil Gen 6 smartwatches running Wear OS and should definitely give other hybrid smartwatches a run for their money. Android and iOS users can interact with Alexa with their voice using the watch's built-in microphone and view the response on the e-ink display.
Fossil says it has updated the watch's UI to make it more user-friendly. For example, when presented with selection options, they will better follow the watch's display, with the watch hands acting as "pointers."
Also updated was Fossil's companion app for its hybrid smartwatches. It gains a brand-new UI and allows for better personalization, allowing users to check their activity metrics, personalize their watch faces, and more. The updated app will be compatible with all of Fossil's hybrid smartwatches.
Anyone interested in health and fitness tracking will be happy to know that Fossil has upgraded this aspect of the Gen 6 Hybrid, outfitting it with a new SpO2 sensor and improving the heart rate sensor for continuous tracking. And like many of the company's hybrid HR smartwatches, users can expect up to two weeks of continuous battery life.
The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid comes in two styles — Machine and Stella — with 45mm and 40.5mm cases, respectively. Both are available in several colorways with a selection of bands to choose from.
The new smartwatch starts at $229 and will be available for purchase on June 27.
