Fossil launched the Gen 5 smartwatch powered by WearOS in August 2019. A year later, the company is releasing a new OTA update to bring in a bunch of new features. The upcoming OTA update, which features these new changes along with regular improvements, will start rolling out from August 19.
The two major features will be sleep tracking and VO2 max monitoring. This update, considered as “Wellness app rollout,” will allow the Gen 5 Fossil smartwatch users to start a run, measure cardio fitness levels, and track their sleep.
Gen 5 Fossil smartwatch to get sleep tracking with the August 19 update
The new update will introduce avatars for the contacts within the phone app and a shortcut for quickly accessing the “key tools.” To help the smartwatch last 24 hours on a single charge, the company is also bringing in new battery modes with custom profiles.
These new modes should compensate for the shorter battery life complained about by its users. The new Wellness app will be able to track the workout while consuming 50-percent less energy. Both the sleep tracking VO2 Max monitoring could also be part of this app.
While sleep tracking is not new for smartwatches, many of them just provide inaccurate data. Considering the company is making smartwatches for quite some time, we should expect good results. Speaking of the VO2 Max, it became a mainstream feature in the wearable space in the last couple of years.
More than just for everyday users, it’s a significant feature for athletes and other fitness enthusiasts. Once the August update rolls out, we will know about the other new features coming to the Gen 5 Fossil smartwatch. However, it’s good to see a brand coming up with such an important update even a year after the launch, that too for a WearOS smartwatch.
New Fossil smartwatches to use the last-gen Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip
While the year-old Gen 5 smartwatch users will be getting a new OTA update, the company is also rumored to be working on a new Fossil smartwatch powered by the last-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip. This is the same chipset that also powers the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch.
Talking of the internals, the Gen 5 touchscreen smartwatch runs on the Wear OS by Google and can be used with both iOS and Android smartphones. The Gen 5 smartwatch from Fossil is currently retailing for $275. It comes with several strap options including stainless steel, stainless steel mesh, leather, and silicone.