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Google’s Android Wear hasn’t found too many takers in a wearable market which hasn’t really taken off as expected so far. Samsung has been betting big on its Tizen OS wearable platform and Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch 2, if it launches later this year, may take away a bulk of the market share that Android Wear had been hoping to get hold of. While there has been some talk about Google working on a new Nexus watch which may run on Android Wear, the OS recently got a shot in the arm after Fossil, among the most popular American watch manufacturers, announced during its recent earnings call that it will be launching more wearables before the end of the year, with prices spanning $100 to $400.
Fossil has already launched a number of wearables running Android Wear like the Q Founder, Q Wander and Q Marshal and it seems the company believes that the wearable market will bring a good return in the coming months, despite the fact that the company’s focus on wearables saw its revenue falling by $55 million in Q1 of this year, compared to the corresponding period of last year. “Weaker performance in our wholesale channel, particularly in the US, where the business is most challenged, is likely to continue. However, we believe the innovative products launched later in the year can begin to re-energize the channel,” said Kosta Kartsotis, CEO at Fossil. The new innovative products will include pure smartwatches running Android Wear, hybrid devices as well as activity trackers. Earlier this month, it turned out that Fossil filed a new document with the FCC which listed out specifications for a new smartwatch like a 1.4-inch TFT-LCD ‘flat tire’ display, wireless charging and Bluetooth capabilities and a 400 mAh battery. The leaked smartwatch could be among the range of wearables that Fossil plans to launch in the coming months.
Back in January, Fossil published a full page ad in Esquire magazine where it showcased its Q Founder smartwatch along with an iPhone, which may have been an early indication of the wider direction that Fossil hopes to take with their smartwatches, regardless of whether they run on Android Wear or not. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the watchmaker’s upcoming wearables compete with Samsung’s Gear S3 smartwatch which is also due to be introduced and released soon.