Fossil just announced a new smartwatch, the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition. If that sounds familiar, that’s because the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition was announced back in October. You’ll find that the “hybrid” part is the differentiator here.
The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition is officially with E Ink display
So what does “hybrid” stand for? Well, the regular model is a Wear OS-based version, while the “Hybrid” doesn’t come with Wear OS. This watch actually contains a backlit e-ink display and combines this with mechanical hands above it.
You may remember the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR smartwatch, well, Skagen is part of the Fossil Group, so if you’ve had a chance to look at this watch, this will feel somewhat familiar.
Since it’s an E Ink display, it’s always on. The more light, the more visible it is. The built-in backlight helps at night, since the display is not clearly visible even at night.
There are three buttons on the right side of the watch. The watch is made of stainless steel and is 44 mm wide and 11.4 mm thick. WE are looking at a watch that supports 20mm straps, standard straps by the way.
It has great battery life
It also comes with a 3ATM water resistance certification and offers great battery life, mainly due to the display and software. Fossil says you can get up to two weeks of battery life, while a 60-minute charge gets you around 80%. Unfortunately the charging isn’t wireless, POGO pins are included as you can see.
Yes, this watch can show you your notifications, it can notify you when a call comes in, you can use it to control music and so on. A look at the calendar is just as possible as a look at the weather.
The watch supports Amazon Alexa, while you need the Fossil Smartwatches app to take full advantage of what this smartwatch has to offer. You can change the watch faces, of course, but those physical watch faces at the top will always be there.
A number of “wellness” features are included here
Fossil has incorporated a number of “wellness” features here, hence the “Wellness Edition” branding. It has a heart rate sensor with zones, blood oxygen (SpO2), VO2 Max and automatic training detection. Fossil has also integrated the “Wellness Gauge” dial here.
Bluetooth 5.0 is also included in the package, as is WiFi. The same applies to connected GPS, a vibration motor and a microphone. However, there is no speaker on this watch.
The Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition is available in three combinations. It is available with a black dial and case, a blue dial with a silver case, and a pink dial with a rose gold case. It is priced at $229 and will be available from January 5th.
