Roger Fingas
Presenting Tuesday at the annual Intel Developer Forum, fashion brand Fossil teased its first competitor to the Apple Watch, a device that will run Google's Android Wear platform.
The company didn't announce many features, but on Twitter, Intel noted that the device will use its technology and ship later this year. A photo obtained by CNet shows that the product is similar in design to the Moto 360, one of the first Android Wear products, including a round display cut off by a black bar at the bottom.
The device will also offer a silver finish and multiple bands, photos from Engadget indicate. These include leather and metal link options.
A full product announcement, including pricing, should happen in coming months.
The smartwatch market has so far been dominated by technology companies such as Apple, Garmin, Pebble, Motorola, and Samsung. Traditional watch companies are only beginning to enter the field, in some cases out of concern that the Apple Watch could eat into low- to mid-range sales.
Fossil's product may be more directly aimed at competing with Apple than others, given the choice of materials and its current conventional options costing less than $1,000. Apple has focused heavily on making the Watch a fashion item, producing a wide variety of bands and using materials like sapphire, stainless steel, and/or gold in more expensive units.
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
66 Comments
Man, that's quite a hockey puck.
Bring on the "competition"...
If Apple watch is a failure and it allegedly has a majority of the market, what does it say about its competitors? Of course Apple is always graded on a curve. Its sales being compared to a completely different product.
Oh no, another conventional watch maker enters a field which they have no familiarity except the name "watch".
I have a fossil watch which I have owned and cherished for years, if I ever considered purchasing a smart watch though it would be Apple. I am confused as to the reason why traditional watchmakers would deal threatened by Apple and cosy up to crappy android variants, this is not the future.
It's like a cross between the Moto 360 (flat tire to accommodate ambient light sensor) and LG Urbane (lugs). How are any of these going to stand out when they all look alike and run the same software? [img]http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Motorola-Moto-360-Shows-Up-With-Silver-Metal-Band-and-Casing-449844-2.jpg[/img] [img]https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QzHPDqUIqYxuDtQHVnofcHToG5A=/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3458186/lg-watch-urbane--6279.0.0.jpg[/img]