Fossil Unveils New Android Smartwatch
The holiday shopping season will start any time now so we can expect the launches of new products that manufacturers hope will make great gifts. That will include several smartwatches and other wearable devices like the ones unveiled by Fossil this week.
Fossil seems like a natural choice to enter the smartwatch game since the moderately priced brand is one of the names most likely to be threatened by the new wearable devices. The watchmaker teamed up with tech giant Intel to create three Android Wear devices that were introduced at the Intel Developers Conference.
While attendees did get a sneak peek at the Fossil smartwatch, the specs and official name remain under wraps. What we do know is that in appearance the device is a cross between the LG Watch Urbane and the Motorola Moto 360 with a similar flat tire type of display. The hardware casing resembles that of the Urbane and the watch will be available with a choice of bands including silver, gold and leather.
Fossil called the line “connected wearables” and the collection also includes an Android Wear bracelet. Coming in the future will be Android Wear designs created by Fossil for Giorgio Armani and Michael Kors.
In an interview earlier this month, Fossil CEO Kosta Kartsotis gave a hint of what the brand had planned for the smartwatch market. “We believe a branded fashion experience will be the catalyst to further accelerate the connected accessory trend and that we are uniquely positioned to leverage our capabilities and technology partnerships to be a leader in this space.”
While Fossil did not give a release date or pricing information, the line of wearables is expected to hit stores in time for holiday shopping—and plenty of competition from the other new devices coming out in the next few weeks.
