Fossil shows off stylish new Android Wear smartwatches

[midian182]

With the exception of the Apple Watch, most consumers haven’t taken to smartwatches the way manufacturers expected. But that hasn’t stopped companies from bringing out new products. At IFA in Berlin, Fossil Group announced it has teamed up with Google for a new collection of stylish Android 2.0 wearables.

Fossil Group will be showing off some 2017 models in Germany from Diesel, Emporio Armani, Fossil, Michael Kors and Misfit, which, if not already available, will launch in this fall or holiday season.

Emporio Armani entered the smartwatch market with a hybrid device last year. Its first Android 2.0 wearable, the Snapdragon 2100-powered Emporio Armani Connected, goes on sale September 11 for around $300.

The Diesel On Full Guard is another Snapdragon 2100-powered touchscreen smartwatch with a circular display. It’s available to pre-order now, with the entire collection globally available from September 25 for $325.

Fossil says The Michael Kors Access Sofie was designed with women in mind, with its “dazzling, sleek casebody and screen.” Whereas the stainless steel casebody and oversized screen of the Michael Kors Access Grayson is aimed at men. The all new Michael Kors Access touchscreen smartwatches will be available globally September 25.

Back at CES in January, Fossil-owned Misfit unveiled its first touchscreen smartwatch – the Vapor. The 44mm device features a bright 1.4-inch full AMOLED display that comes in at 326 ppi. It’s also powered by the Snapdragon 2100 and has 4GB of onboard storage for music, a built-in GPS, accelerometer, altimeter, and optical heart sensors. The Vapor launches in October for $199.

Finally, there are the Fossil Q Venture and Fossil Q Explorist, the company’s first full-round touchscreen smartwatches. They feature “stunning OLED displays and exclusive new watch apps.” Both are available now for $255 to $275 in select Fossil stores and online.

In addition to these devices, Fossil said that hybrid watches from Armani Exchange, Chaps, Emporio Armani, Diesel, DKNY, Fossil, kate spade new york, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, MICHELE, Misfit, Relic, Skagen and Tory Burch would arrive later this year. By the end of 2017, Fossil Group will have launched more than 300 connected watch styles across 14 brands.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/70778-fossil-unveils-stylish-new-android-wear-smartwatches.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Without proper activity and fitness tracking, and these look too 'smart' to incorporate that necessity, they're simply irrelevant and redundant to most.

 

[TomSEA]

Without proper activity and fitness tracking, and these look too 'smart' to incorporate that necessity, they're simply irrelevant and redundant to most.

From their website: "Even though your smartwatch is busy looking cool on your wrist, it’s also busy tracking your movement when in use, collecting your various activities such as walking, running and cycling. And if you need to literally step up your activity, our smartwatches will help cue you..."

I've never been a fan of smartwatches, but these look pretty damn nice and are reasonably priced. Might put this down as a Christmas gift to myself.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

From their website: "Even though your smartwatch is busy looking cool on your wrist, it’s also busy tracking your movement when in use, collecting your various activities such as walking, running and cycling. And if you need to literally step up your activity, our smartwatches will help cue you..."

I've never been a fan of smartwatches, but these look pretty damn nice and are reasonably priced. Might put this down as a Christmas gift to myself.

Well if they're activity trackers as well then those prices ain't looking bad at all but I still think they're too fancy looking to be used for serious workouts, they won't look as cool after a months use of abusive usage with all the nicks, dents & scratches they'll undoubtedly pick up but if you want them just to track your light activities while walking around malls, running up and down stairs at the office place and stuff like that all the while still looking cool and fashionable, then they'll fit the bill very nicely.

 

[TomSEA]

Agreed, but don't think anyone would use those for heavy workouts. Mainly as a step checker. There are some pretty inexpensive wrist fitness trackers available (in the $25 range) that you could swap out for during a workout.

At any rate, nice looking watches. If I'm going to make the jump to a smart watch, these look like they could do the trick.

 

[mbrowne5061]

It's nice to see a little more competition, but Garmin still wears the crown in the smart watch market. More than a few of theirs can function as standalone activity trackers without needing a phone; WiFi and GPS built right in to the watch.