Fossil unveils its first Android Wear watch and 'Q' line of wearables
The company known for its vintage line of watches and accessories is leaping into the 21st century with its first Android Wear smartwatch and Q line of wearables.
The flagship is the Q Founder, a $275 Android Wear watch with a circular touchscreen. The cost is a tad less than some of the other flagships out there, which could appeal to those who are tempted to dress up their wrist with a smartwatch for the first time.
Fossil didn’t give a firm release date, but did promise it’d be here in time to purchase for Christmas. Expect to hear a lot about customization, as Fossil watches are known for working with a gaggle of the company’s custom bands.
Why this matters: Fossil is the latest watchmaker to declare itself a candidate for the prized real estate on your arm. Tag Heuer, for example, has a luxury Android Wear smartwatch coming in November. These must jockey for position with watches from Motorola, Huawei, LG, Sony, and Samsung.
Fossil isn’t just cranking out a watch. Instead, it has an entire line of connected accessories that it hopes will resonate with those who want something that doesn’t look like a rubbery space-age accessory.
The Q Grant is the other watch in the group, though it’s not of the Android Wear variety. Instead it’s an analog watch that has LED indicator lights and connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The price range is $179 to $195.
The Q Reveler and Q Dreamer are fitness bands, with LED notifications and subtle vibration alerts. Both cost $125 and can share data with Google Fit, Jawbone, or Under Armour’s health platforms.
Fossil will also produce its own app to talk to these devices. It will keep the Q theme going, with three main functions dubbed Q Activity, Q Notifications, and Q Curiosity.
The first two are pretty self-explanatory, designed to serve up activity notices and other notifications. The Q Curiosity sounds like Fossil will be tucking a motivational speaker inside your wearable, as the company says it will “ignite a new perspective, open up your creativity, and leave your brain feeling refreshed.”
In practice, it could ping you with activity goals or nudge you to get up and move around.