Like (or almost) the smartphone market, the smartphone market is also smartwatch it is constantly changing. There are new companies that enter and others that, after years of activity, decide to leave. Among the latter there is also Fossilwho officially announced that he will leave this business and will invest its resources elsewhere.
Over the last few years the US company has been one of the most prolific by presenting numerous wearable devices with Wear OS, the operating system owned by Google. For this reason, his farewell will leave a significant void.
Fossil: the reasons for exiting the smartwatch business
Reached by the editorial team of The Vergethe executive vice president and chief operating officer of Fossil Jeff Boyer revealed the reason for the decision: «As the smartwatch landscape has evolved significantly in recent years, we have made the strategic decision to exit the smartwatch business».
Then some details about the future. «Fossil Group is redirecting resources to support the core segments of our business that continue to provide us with strong growth opportunities: design and distribution of traditional watches, jewelry and leather goods with our trademarks and licensed trademarks», concluded Boyer.
So looking at the catalogue, the Gen 6 – launched on the market in 2021 – is to be considered the latest smartwatch from the Texan company. For anyone who has purchased it (or plans to purchase it now), there is no need to fear: the company will continue to release updates for several more years.
However, the exit from the smartwatch business is not a surprise for some, considering the rumors circulating on Reddit which suggested precisely this type of outcome. Even the absence at the most recent editions of CES raised alarm bells, especially among those who were waiting for the Gen 7 wearable with Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Plus chip.