Fossil has finally decided to move on to a new generation of smartwatches, two years after their last big update. The Fossil Gen 6 line is now official. It starts with a new chipset that promises to be faster and last longer than its predecessors.
As in the past, this update isn’t just for Fossil’s own brand of smartwatches. Michael Kors’ Gen 6 watches are also coming out at the same time as this update (Michael Kors smartwatches fall under the Fossil Group, which includes the likes of Diesel, Skagen and more).
Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatches come in a few different designs, but they all have the same basic look. It has a round 44mm case and a round 1.28-inch OLED screen. There are two buttons on either side of the main centre crown, which can also be turned to move the watch around.
Specifications
- Operating System: Powered with Wear OS by Google
- Processor:Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Wear 4100+
- Memory:1GB RAM, 8GB Storage
- Display:1.28″ Color AMOLED / 416 x 416 / 326ppi
- Connectivity:Bluetooth 5.0 LE, GPS, NFC SE, WiFi
- Case Water Resistance:3 ATM
Where to get Fossil Gen 6?
The battery life has been a little bit of a let down. It can last all day and into the morning after. There are a few different power modes, and if you really want to save battery life, you can dig deeper and turn off certain features. It’s charging if there’s a bright spot. Fossil can charge up quickly because it uses direct-contact pogo pins that connect more securely than older models.
Fossil had added all the sensors that other popular smartwatches have, like a blood oxygen monitor, but they didn’t add an EKG monitor like other watches do. The problem is easy to find: Wear OS 2 can’t handle all the advanced features Fossil wants to add, even with a newer Qualcomm processor that includes a low-power chip to help the battery last longer.
Wear OS 2 can’t set more than one timer, and sometimes scrolling with the crown just doesn’t work. Fossil has had to make its own apps to make up for the lack of features. Along with the 4100+ chipset is an always-on co-processor that lets more smartwatch functions run in the background than the previous model. When always-on is on, features like tracking your heart rate and counting your steps won’t change.