Fossil Gen 6 watches bring Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform and good old Wear OS

After a couple of high-profile leaks, Fossil has finally unveiled its Gen 6 smartwatch lineup powered by Google's Wear OS (but not the latest OS 3 version) and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4100+ platform. The new watches come in 44mm and 42mm sizes.

Fossil Gen 6 (image: Fossil)

Both sized watches have 1.28" AMOLED displays with 416 x 416-pixel resolution and always-on functionality. There are three buttons on the side for controls with the middle one operating as a rotating crown. The watches also bring onboard speakers and microphone allowing calls on the watch itself.

The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform powers the Gen 6 series and promises to be 85% faster than the Wear 3100. There’s 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. Connectivity includes Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS, NFC SE and WiFi. There's Google Pay support too. Fossil is strangely shipping its new watches with the older version of Wear OS though it has promised a Wear OS 3 update coming sometime next year.

Fossil Gen 6 key features (images: Fossil)

Health tracking includes SpO2 and heart rate sensors as well as sleep and nap tracking. There are various sports modes too. The watches are also 3ATM water-resistant. Battery life is rated at over 24 hours with mixed usage.

Fossil Gen 6 comes in Smoke Stainless Steel, Brown Leather, Green Camo Grosgrain and Gold/Purple options. The stainless steel model goes for $319 while the rest of the lineup is priced at $299.

Fossil is also offering replacement silicone, leather and stainless steel bands ranging from $29 to $49. Shipments in the US are expected to be fulfilled by September 27. International pricing and availability are yet to be detailed.