Fossil decided to enter the smartwatch market with the Fossil Q Founder, a $275 piece of stylish wearable technology that seems to say "better later than never."
Rumors dating back to August stated that Intel and Fossil signed an agreement to develop a posh smartwatch, and at first look it seems that the technical aspects and the design were neatly combined.
In early November, Fossil paid $260 million for the purchase of the fitness wearables manufacturer Misfit, and declared that the acquisition was made so that it could "scale Misfit's technology." This is why it should come as no surprise that Fossil Q Founder comes with an embedded activity tracker.
"Q Founder tracks your activity, connects to your favorite apps, alerts you of your notifications, and has customizable digital watch faces that are sure to fit your style," Fossil announced.
The competitive pricing of the Fossil Q Founder caught the eye of wearable fans. Not at all surprising, the Q Founder costs way less than the Apple Watch, which is priced between $349 and $399. What raises eyebrows is the fact that the Fossil-manufactured wearable is also below the average price-point of other Android Wear devices.
For example, the commended Huawei Watch can be bought for $349. For $299, you can own a Moto 360. LG Watch Urbane (initial edition) is on level with Huawei's wearable at $349. If you wondered how to spend $1,500 on a smartwatch, the Tag Heuer Connected can help you with that. For the same amount, you could get ten units of Asus ZenWatch 2, for $149 each.
Fossil pointed out that the Q line works great with both Android and iOS. Android 4.4 or better, as well as iOS 8.2 and higher are compatible with the Q Founder. The wearable has Bluetooth connectivity and can recharge using a wireless charging base. The estimated duration between recharges for the Q Founder is about 24 hours.
"With its stunning touchscreen display, refined steel and classic leather accents, Q Founder is an unassuming powerhouse," Fossil underlined.
The wearable alerts you of incoming calls, text messages and helps you be up to date with future appointments. It even has a voice command functionality for hands-free type of situations.
Fossil, a traditional quality watch builder, took its time before launching a smartwatch, and the result seems to be promising.
