Fossil Gen 6

The Fossil Gen 6 scores high on desirability with its looks and a fancy feature set; go for it only if you are willing to live with the compromised software experience until the Wear OS 3 update drops.

The Fossil Gen 6 is a powerful smartwatch that will run the new Wear OS 3 in 2022, so it’s already easier to recommend than older devices stuck using aged software. But until it has the new operating system update, the watch doesn’t have enough to distinguish it among the other top non-Apple smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and TicWatch Pro 3. The sleek design is in the Gen 6’s favor, and its 1.28-inch AMOLED display is one of the best, but its barely-one-day battery life keeps us from recommending the watch over other longer-lasting wearables, even if you can recharge it to full in just under an hour. For those who want a top watch that works with both iOS and Android, though, the Fossil Gen 6 is a decent choice that will get better once Wear OS 3 arrives...eventually.

The Fossil Gen 6 like the Gen smartwatches that came before it does not disappoint on the looks front. The boost in performance and added SpO2 sensor are welcomed, while existing sensors feel more reliable than they were previously. There's some familiar traits we don't like here. Namely, the underwhelming battery life and a version of Wear we just can't love. With Gen 6, you're really pinning your hopes that Wear OS 3 will transform this watch and it could. We just don't know when that will land and whether it will be transformational. Right now, there's easier devices to recommend.

A good-looking smartwatch that's faster and more responsive than its predecessors. But while new hardware is here, the latest Wear OS software is not - and that leaves us wanting for a little more.

Despite the presence of high-tech health monitoring tools, including a blood oxygen sensor, the Fossil Gen 6 isn't the fitness-focused wearable dedicated athletes need. Instead, it plays better as a well-designed generalist's watch craving a balanced experience that's a cut above what entry-level watches offer.

Fossil Gen 6 is a smartwatch with lots of unrealized potential. Solid hardware packs great performance, battery life, reliable health metrics, and ultra-fast charging speed. It's just a shame that Wear OS 2 holds it back so much.