Fossil unveils two Q smartwatches to give Android Wear 2.0 some fashion cred
Android Wear 2.0 is really starting to make its mark on the fashion world.
Fossil, which has carved out a space in the wearable market with its fashion-first Q line of smart and connected watches, is unveiling two new devices for Android Wear 2.0 at the Baselworld Watch and Jewelry show in Switzerland on Thursday.
The new smartwatches, the Q Venture and Q Explorist, look to give fashion-conscious buyers more options in the increasingly crowded smartwatch field.
Fossil rolled out an Android Wear 2.0 system update for its older Q smartwatches earlier this month, so technically these won't be the first Fossil watches running the OS — but the new models will take full advantage of the wearable platform's features.
The watches offer nearly identical specs: They'll both be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, with 4 GB of memory and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The watches have the first fully-rounded touchscreen displays in Fossil's Q line.
Both the Venture and the Explorist will purportedly give wearers up to 24 hours of battery per charge — but with a significant size difference between the two, we're guessing the actual life cycle might vary a bit more than advertised.
Since they're running Android Wear 2.0, the watches have built-in Google Assistant functionality and access to standalone apps. There's also a "vintage-arcade inspired game" exclusive to the Venture and Explorist, if wrist-based gaming is something you want in a high-fashion wearable.
The similarities end there — the differences between the two smartwatches lie in their designs. Let's take a closer look.
Q Venture
The Venture is one of the sleeker Android Wear 2.0 watches we've seen. Fossil reps tell us it's the first smartwatch the brand has designed specifically for women.
The watch's stainless steel case is 42 mm in diameter and 11.5 mm thick, making it the smallest and thinnest of Fossil's touchscreen offerings. It will be available in a range of colors and interchangeable 18 mm watchbands to switch up the look, further cementing its focus on aesthetic appeal.
Q Explorist
The Explorist is the bigger and bulkier option, trading the sleek curves of the Venture for a more rugged design by adding two pusher buttons to go along with the crown. Its stainless steel case is 44 mm in diameter and 12.6 mm thick, with an interchangeable 22 mm band.
Exact cost and release details aren't available for the devices, but Fossil says we can expect both of the watches to hit stores by early fall of this year, with prices ranging from $255 to $275.
The Explorist and Venture are just the latest Android Wear 2.0-based wearables from traditional watchmakers in the lead-up to Baselworld. Guess released the specs for a new iteration of its Connect line earlier in the week, while TAG Heuer has already launched its luxury Connected Modular 45 to very wealthy Swiss watch fans.
Topics Smartwatches
Brett Williams is a Tech Reporter at Mashable. He writes about tech news, trends and other tangentially related topics with a particular interest in wearables and exercise tech. Prior to Mashable, he wrote for Inked Magazine and Thrillist. Brett's work has also appeared on Fusion and AskMen, to name a few. You can follow Brett on Twitter @bdwilliams910.
