Fossil’s Wear OS exit shows the platform is both better and less competitive than ever

What it’s worthwhile to knowFossil, a style and life-style firm that made Wear OS smartwatches for years, is leaving the marketplace for good.The firm introduced the transfer in January 2024, however continued to promote smartwatches whereas provides lasted. Now, there aren’t any extra Fossil smartwatches to go round, and there is one much less participant within the Wear OS smartwatch recreation. About three months after Fossil Group introduced it could cease making smartwatches, all the prevailing inventory of Fossil’s present Gen 6 lineup has been kind of exhausted (through Droid-Life). You can not purchase a Fossil smartwatch instantly from the corporate’s on-line retailer (save for possibly just a few stragglers), and inventory is dwindling at third-party retailers as effectively. Although Fossil says that it’s going to proceed to replace offered smartwatches “for the next few years,” this growth clearly marks the top of Fossil’s run as a Wear OS smartwatch maker. Fossil is hardly a tech-first firm, however it had grow to be a family identify in each the Wear OS and hybrid smartwatch classes over the previous few years. As a standard watch producer, Fossil tried to make smartwatches that conveyed the look and look of these basic timepieces. More importantly, Fossil caught by Wear OS in the course of the instances that even Google did not appear absolutely dedicated to the platform. The firm’s selection to finish its lineup of smartwatches spans the Fossil Group, which impacts extra than simply the Fossil model. The group additionally covers smartwatches launched underneath Citizen, Skagen, Diesel, Michael Kors, and Kate Spade. Now that Fossil is completed making smartwatches, the Wear OS market has misplaced a staple model. It’s the right microcosm for the scenario affecting Wear OS at this time. Google and Samsung are extra dedicated to the platform at this time than at any level in its historical past, and Wear OS is best than ever. At the identical time, it is much less aggressive as a result of third-party OEMs are struggling to compete with Google and Samsung within the open market. Why is Fossil accomplished with smartwatches?(Image credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)The concept that Fossil is exiting the Wear OS smartwatch market because of Samsung and Google’s mixed dominance is not precisely hypothesis, both. In a January 2024 assertion, together with the announcement that Fossil’s Gen 6 can be its final, Fossil Group mentioned one thing to that impact.”As the smartwatch landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years, we have made the strategic decision to exit the smartwatch business,” mentioned a Fossil spokesperson. “Fossil Group is redirecting resources to support our core strength and the core segments of our business that continue to provide strong growth opportunities for us: designing and distributing exciting traditional watches, jewelry, and leather goods under our own as well as licensed brand names.”Fossil, speaking about how the “smartwatch landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years,” is clearly speaking in regards to the Wear OS resurgence. Why would not Google and Samsung’s newfound appreciation for the platform that powers Fossil merchandise be useful to the model? Because these corporations are constructing Wear OS, partially, round their very own smartwatch {hardware} choices. Get the newest information from Android Central, your trusted companion on the planet of AndroidGoogle launched the Pixel Watch, for instance, in October 2022. Google’s entry into the Wear OS {hardware} market got here a few yr after Fossil initially launched its Gen 6 lineup. The success of each the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch presumably led Fossil to consider it could not compete towards the giants. The Wear OS and hybrid smartwatch market now has one much less main participant(Image credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)Fossil’s exit is a disgrace as a result of whereas Wear OS is turning into extra aggressive towards the Apple Watch, there’s much less competitors inside the smartwatch market. In explicit, Fossil was recognized for making nice hybrid smartwatches that mixed a standard mechanical clock with good options and parts. Hybrid watches are a superb option to get nice wearables on the wrists of people that do not simply need a display. Using the corporate’s expertise as a standard watchmaker, Fossil made a number of the best-looking hybrid smartwatches obtainable.Now, the marketplace for high-quality hybrid smartwatches is turning into skinny. Just just like the broader Wear OS market, the choices are higher, however there are fewer choices. The greatest hybrid smartwatch at this time might be the Withings ScanWatch or a Garmin watch, however neither of these completely fills the hole left by Fossil.In some circumstances, producers have began supporting Wear OS after seeing the enhancements Google and Samsung have revamped the previous few years. OnePlus added Wear OS to the OnePlus Watch 2, and Xiaomi now has Wear OS choices as soon as once more. However, OnePlus and Xiaomi are each very giant tech corporations, and whereas their fashions are nonetheless fairly new, manufacturers with tech expertise and experience could also be higher outfitted to outlive within the new Wear OS market than these like Fossil. Bigger tech corporations, like OnePlus and Xiaomi, have the assets to compensate for his or her lack of involvement in Wear OS growth. Smaller ones—or manufacturers focusing on watches or style quite than tech—cannot work out how you can combine the brand new Wear OS with their very own methods, given there isn’t any telephone or ecosystem to connect it to. Some manufacturers, like Fossil, will select to pack up and go away as an alternative. Wear OS is best than ever — for Google and Samsung(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Fossil’s choice to exclude itself from the Wear OS market exemplifies the issue. Google and Samsung, the 2 corporations most liable for creating Wear OS, aren’t doing sufficient to assist third-party OEMs. Instead, they’re designing and releasing Wear OS upgrades that profit their very own {hardware}. For instance, Google is debuting a Wear OS 5 preview at Google I/O 2024. There, it will showcase new options to builders, possible on Pixel Watch gadgets. Then, the Wear OS 5 improve is broadly anticipated to debut on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 lineup this summer season. Of course, it will come to Pixel Watch fashions later this yr as effectively. Unfortunately, Wear OS producers, not Samsung or Google, possible will not really feel included on this course of.The difficulty extends past Fossil, too. Mobvoi has clearly struggled to maintain up with the tempo of Wear OS growth — its flagship TicWatch Pro 5 smartwatch nonetheless does not have correct Wear OS 4 help (although it is supposedly coming), even after its newest model of the watch launched in May. Is Mobvoi guilty right here, or is it simply too troublesome for third-party corporations to help new Wear OS variations with out being included? For now, that is unclear. However, it will be disappointing if extra third-party OEMs go away Wear OS. A market with simply Samsung and Google in it, regardless of how good Pixel and Galaxy watches get, would not be nice for customers.