Wear OS 3 is finally coming to these older smartwatches this month

By Peter Hunt Szpytek Published October 13, 2022

Wear OS 3 has been supported by Samsung smartwatches for over a year at this point, but now it’s finally coming to Fossil devices in just a few days. While the launch of the Google Pixel Watch today has put Wear OS 3 back in the spotlight, Fossil smartwatches are the first to be upgraded from the previous Wear OS 2 version.

While it’s certainly exciting that Wear OS 3 is coming to more devices, it’s important to note that it won’t be headed to all of Fossil’s lineup. As reported by Android Central, the upcoming Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition will be launching with Wear OS 3; the Fossil Gen 6, the Michael Kors Gen 6, and the Skagen Falster Gen 6 will all be receiving the OS update together when the Wellness Edition launches. Luckily, fans won’t have to wait long as the update rolls out on October 17.

Fossil Skagen Falster Gen 6 on the wrist. — Fossil

Google has been pretty selective about which devices even support Wear OS 3, with the current list before the Fossil update only hosting four entries — one of which costs over $1,200. It’s exciting, then, for Fossil to be doubling the number of supported smartwatches. Wear OS 3 is a decent step up from previous iterations, and up until now, it’s been gated off from most smartwatches. Hopefully, this opens the floodgates for more adoption.

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Although Fossil Gen 6 watches will be running Wear OS 3, there’s a major difference between its version and the ones found in previous iterations: iOS connection support. Previously, if you wanted to use a Wear OS 3 watch, you’d need to have an Android phone. With these Fossil watches being updated to Wear OS 3, iPhone users can get in on everything the OS brings to the table. In addition to iOS support, the Fossil Gen 6 watches allow users to set custom battery settings and use the Fossil Wellness app instead of the Google Fit app.

Like the Montblanc Summit 3 (the only non-Samsung, non-Google smartwatch to support Wear OS 3,) the Fossil Gen 6 smartwatches don’t support Google Assistant. Should more smartwatches upgrade to the OS down the line, this may be a trend as Assistant isn’t compatible with smartwatches using a Qualcomm chipset.

Peter Hunt Szpytek

Former Mobile Writer

A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…

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