Fossil's Gen 5 Smartwatch Will Let iPhone Users Take Calls From Their Wrists, Just Like Apple Watch

[MacRumors]

Fossil today announced its latest smartwatch, the Gen 5, which will let users make calls from the watch itself when connected to an iPhone (via The Verge). This has been possible with Android smartphones previously, but as of yet iPhone users who own a Fossil smartwatch have only been able to receive alerts about an incoming call.

Now, the Gen 5 will act similarly to the Apple Watch, and users will be able to talk into the smartwatch's speaker to make phone calls. The new smartwatch is launching today, but this feature for iPhones won't launch until sometime in the fall. As a note, it was confirmed that the Gen 5 watch still doesn't support Apple iMessages.

According to a Fossil spokesperson, "No action is required from your iPhone. The watch becomes another way to take your call via Bluetooth."

Otherwise, the Gen 5 smartwatch has a longer battery life than the previous version, and can last for multiple days on a single charge. The device comes in six colors, all of which include a 1.28-inch AMOLED screen inside of a 44mm case that's 12mm thick.

It also has 8GB of storage, 1GB RAM, NFC, a heart rate sensor, GPS, and a speaker. Fossil said that the watch is waterproof up to 30 meters deep. The smartwatch runs on Google's Wear OS platform, and supports Google features like Google Fit, Google Pay, and the Google Assistant.

Fossil's Gen 5 smartwatch is available today starting at $295.

Article Link: Fossil's Gen 5 Smartwatch Will Let iPhone Users Take Calls From Their Wrists, Just Like Apple Watch

 

[44267547]

To be honest, I didn’t know Fossil was even relevant in the smart watch sector anymore. (But I do like the round design they have.)

 

[mikzn]

Nice looking watches, might have to check one out.

 

[timeconsumer]

I was somewhat interested until I read this... “As a note, it was confirmed that the Gen 5 watch still doesn't support Apple iMessages.”

 

[mikzn]

Looks like Fossil was recently aquired by Goggle

 

[jona2125]

I was somewhat interested until I read this... “As a note, it was confirmed that the Gen 5 watch still doesn't support Apple iMessages.”

Yeah good luck seeing that having authorized support outside of any Apple device. I definitely sympathize with your comment but I really can’t justify an Apple Watch anymore. It really is trying to be a jack of all trades but turns out to be a master of none. Our company will be looking elsewhere now.

 

[Ds6778]

These watches are poorly made... People scoff at Apple prices for their watches but man, they're on another level with fit and finish.

 

[- rob -]

I remember walking into a fossil store a few years ago with an Apple Watch on. My friend was looking at the purses.

The sales person asked if I was interested in looking at watches and I showed my Apple Watch and said no thank you. But do you have any AW bands? They didn’t.

I’m guessing Fossil is going to lose its Watch business entirely. This is probably one of the last gasps of a major part of their business.

 

[magicschoolbus]

I'd get one of these over that ugly Samsung watch. I think these are really nice. If I had a driod, I'd be all over it.

 

[Motawa]

It’s laggy. Watch the videos on YouTube

 

[SigEp265]

Not a bad looking watch though.

 

[coolfactor]

You don't "talk into a speaker", you speak into a microphone. Speakers emit sound.

 

[brinary001]

I remember walking into a fossil store a few years ago with an Apple Watch on. My friend was looking at the purses.

The sales person asked if I was interested in looking at watches and I showed my Apple Watch and said no thank you. But do you have any AW bands? They didn’t.

I’m guessing Fossil is going to lose its Watch business entirely. This is probably one of the last gasps of a major part of their business.

Why would you think they would carry their biggest competitor's merchandise? Likewise, would you also expect to go in to an Apple Store and see Fossil stuff..?

Relative to Apple customers, Fossil's watches won't seem that appealing because Apple only wants you to use THEIR watch, and they'll do everything they can to make sure customers have a much worse experience on non-Apple hardware. Android users on the other hand, are not so locked in to their host ecosystem (quite the opposite actually) and thus can really use this product to its full potential.

 

[coolfactor]

I was somewhat interested until I read this... “As a note, it was confirmed that the Gen 5 watch still doesn't support Apple iMessages.”

How is it supposed to without Apple releasing an SDK for Android?

 

[kis]

Ugly, slow, lousy battery life - like all Qualcomm 3100 watches. And google-infested of course. No idea why anybody with an iPhone would buy that thing.

 

[mannyvel]

I was somewhat interested until I read this... “As a note, it was confirmed that the Gen 5 watch still doesn't support Apple iMessages.”

Connected cars can get messages from iMessage. I'm not sure if those are limited to SMS or all message traffic (iMessage + SMS) goes through.

It's probably yet another SDK/program that a vendor has to go through.

 

[Hushpuppy!]

Why would you think they would carry their biggest competitor's merchandise? Likewise, would you also expect to go in to an Apple Store and see Fossil stuff..?

Relative to Apple customers, Fossil's watches won't seem that appealing because Apple only wants you to use THEIR watch, and they'll do everything they can to make sure customers have a much worse experience on non-Apple hardware. Android users on the other hand, are not so locked in to their host ecosystem (quite the opposite actually) and thus can really use this product to its full potential.

Except that fossil watches are as laggy as crippled 18 year old mutt.

 

[Kabeyun]

I do like round. But that’s where it ends.

 

[timeconsumer]

How is it supposed to without Apple releasing an SDK for Android?

I’m not sure. I haven’t looked into other watches before as I’ve had my Apple Watch for awhile. But my next watch will not be an Apple Watch so I’m looking at other watches now. The article specifically mentioned this so I assumed that other non-Apple watches have this capability.

 

[bLackjackj]

You don't "talk into a speaker", you speak into a microphone. Speakers emit sound.

Actually there are speakers that you CAN talk into that include uni directional miniature microphones.

So technically the article is 100% correct & you are wrong.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Looks like Fossil was recently aquired by Goggle

Makes sense since every luxury smart watch brand like Diesel, Tag Hueur and others use Fossil hardware and partnered for design. Google doesn’t like competition getting a foot hold on their technology. Samsung learned this as they once where the kings on Android smartwatch until google Wear became a thing.

 

[fhall1]

Ugly, slow, lousy battery life - like all Qualcomm 3100 watches. And google-infested of course. No idea why anybody with an iPhone would buy that thing.

“Gen 5 smartwatch has a longer battery life than the previous version, and can last for multiple days on a single charge”.

Multiple days on a charge sounds way better than current Apple Watches

 

[kis]

“Gen 5 smartwatch has a longer battery life than the previous version, and can last for multiple days on a single charge”.

Multiple days on a charge sounds way better than current Apple Watches

Except that it's BS. I owned the Montblanc Summit 2 watch when I took a short detour to the Android camp last year. They also promised much better battery life (with the same processor as the new Fossil watches). Crapped out at 5 p.m. every evening. There's a longer lasting mode for that one as well but then you turn your smart watch into a dumb watch.

Apart from all of that: 44mm is positively gigantic.

 

[jonnysods]

I'm not sure about their smartwatch lineup, but I like Fossil watches (the analog ones)

 

[shakopeemn]

To be honest, I didn’t know Fossil was even relevant in the smart watch sector anymore. (But I do like the round design they have.)

Agreed. I think it looks more like jewelry than a device. I'm disappointed in the amateur analog faces for my AW3. I get a kick how Apple only allows the Hermes line to get the full analog face display. Really? +$1000 option.....?