Fossil will give you 300 new smartwatch options in 2017
Fossil swore that it would introduce smartwatches across all its brands, and it’s definitely making good on that promise… although the result is a tad overwhelming. The company has announced that it’s launching 300 (!) hybrid and touchscreen styles in 2017, and that includes brands that are both introducing their very first wearables as well as veterans jumping into the Android Wear arena. When all is said and done, most of Fossil’s labels will have at least some kind of smartwatch on store shelves. We won’t go into every single model (do you have a few hours?), but there are some definite highlights.
Among the Android watches, you’ll see first-time entries from Diesel (shown at left) and Emporio Armani. Fossil itself is introducing two slimmer and “feature-packed” models (the Q Venture and Q Explorist), while Michael Kors is introducing the Access Grayson (men) and Access Sofie (women) with a “microapp” that uses Instagram photos for your watch face. All of these entries (including the previously unveiled Misfit Vapor) will use Android Wear 2.0, AMOLED displays and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, so your purchasing decision really comes down to the look you prefer. Both Misfit and Emporio will be first out of the gate with late summer launches, while the other brands will ship their offerings in the fall or holiday season.
Things get much more crowded when it comes to more conventional-looking hybrid watches. DKNY, Marc Jacobs, Michele, Relic and Tory Burch are all introducing their first wearables, and Fossil will introduce two hybrids (the Q Accomplice and Q Activist) with customizable pushers and slimmer cases. Existing brands are adding new colors and styles, too. Fossil will start things off with a summer launch, and the rest should be widely available in the fall or the holidays.
Prices and device-to-device differences will have to wait, unfortunately. However, it’s already clear that Fossil is treating smartwatches much as it does any other fashion piece in its catalog: it’s covering virtually every potential wearer’s exact tastes, no matter how niche. That could make it ideal if you’re annoyed by the narrow selections from most rival smartwatch makers, but it might also lead to some confusion if you aren’t dead set on a particular model.
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