In late September, American watchmaker Fossil teased its first smartwatch at the Baja East and Dion Lee fashion shows in New York. Fossil followed up with a blog update, revealing some of the compatibility options and software features coming to the Fossil Q.
It seems that Fossil will introduce a range of smartwatches, including one that is very basic. It’s unclear which operating system the basic version will run, but at least one other watch should run Android Wear, based on what we saw earlier this year.
Apparently, the display on the Fossil Q will not be changeable or touchable, making the Fossil Q a rather timid first entry into the smartwatch market. To make the watch smart, Fossil will have a companion app and activity tracking features. Users will be able to connect to the sensors inside the Fossil Q through a smartphone to track daily movement, manage notifications, and “join a community of curious minded individuals.” The Fossil Q pairs with Android, iOS, and Windows phones; so no operating system is left out in the cold (except BlackBerry).
Design wise, the Fossil Q will come in a metallic black or silver shell. Bands are available for both men and women, so each customer can pick the right size. Fossil still wants its watch to be loved for the design and quality, not just the smart software features. The tracking is very basic, though it will serve most people’s needs. With this version of the Q, Fossil focused on its own customers who want more “smart” functionality on their normal watch, rather than geeks who want a nicer looking smartwatch with all the bells and whistles. Of course, more high-tech Fossil watches could follow.
As we found out at the Intel Developer Conference, where the Fossil Q was first announced, the wearable will use an Intel chip. Since the Fossil Q will not use an LCD display, it could last more than 30 days without any charge necessary, especially with the advances on battery saving by Intel.
If the Fossil Q strikes your fancy, it will be available in stores and online this holiday season. Fossil hasn’t given us a firm launch date, but we suspect it will arrive any time before the first week of December.
Fossil is the latest in a growing line of traditional watchmakers that are adding smart features to their timepieces. TAG Heuer announced a partnership with Google and Intel to build a smartwatch earlier this year, but we have yet to see the fruits of this partnership. We’ll keep you updated on the Fossil watch here.