Fossil has its string of Android Wear smartwatches for men and women, but the company is willing to meet customers wherever they're willing to go to make a splash in the smartwatch market. "Smartwatch" has been used in the past to refer to watches with touchscreens and operating systems, but Fossil and other hybrid smartwatch makers like Martian are trying to change that with hybrid smartwatches that have some smart notifications but no touchscreen.
Fossil has already launched hybrid smartwatches such as the Q Crewmaster, Q Nate, Q Gazer, and Q Tailor, but the company isn't sitting idle and sleeping on the market. The key to good sales is to stay ahead, and Fossil is back to do that with three new hybrid smartwatches designed for those who want something of a more luxury timepiece to match that of traditional watch timepieces: the Emporio Armani, Kate Spade, and Diesel. Keep in mind that none of these new three hybrid smartwatches run Android Wear; they're more Bluetooth-connected than anything and don't run an OS.
First, the Emporio Armani comes in 5 different versions (rose gold, stainless steel, gun metal, etc.), with your selection of brown leather, blue leather, and black leather straps. The Kate Spade hybrid smartwatch from Fossil comes in three versions: rose gold with black leather strap, silver with gray leather strap, and gold with a pink leather strap. Fossil wants Kate Spade to appeal to the female smartwatch buyer. As for the Diesel watch (which seems to hint that it's designed for men), Fossil has provided 5 models, all with stainless steel casing and various strap options.
As I've said above, the Emporio Armani, Kate Spade, and Diesel hybrid smartwatches don't run an OS because they don't match the traditional idea of smartwatches (i.e., with a touchscreen). What these hybrid smartwatches will do, however, is track notifications and exercise. The absence of a touchscreen for these new Fossil hybrid smartwatches is that they'll last 6 months on a single charge. 6 months isn't necessarily a long time, but it's 6 months without needing to charge the device. If you want a touchscreen, though, you're likely to pick up a traditional smartwatch.
Fossil says that the Kate Spade hybrid smartwatches will be available in early 2017 for $250, but the Diesel and Armani models will go on sale this month. We have no word on pricing though, so stay tuned to smartwatch.me for more details as they come in.
What do you think of these hybrid smartwatches for now? Interested in picking up any of the Fossil hybrid smartwatches? All of them? Think they'll make great Christmas presents for family and friends?
