Following the launch of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 3100, Fossil has officially released its first-ever smartwatch with the new chipset. Known as the Fossil Sport, the new device comes packed with a heart rate monitor, built-in GPS, and NFC, and runs Google’s latest version of Wear OS out of the box. At $255, it’s now available for purchase through Fossil’s site.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Fossil Sport smartwatch.
Fossil Sport gets new dials designed by Candice Huffine
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The Fossil Sport is already considered one of the better Wear OS watches thanks to its classy design and the fact that it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, but now it’s even better, thanks to a software update that will bring three new watch faces to the device. The faces were designed by model and entrepreneur Candice Huffine and announced at CES 2019, and include phrases designed to inspire fans. The faces join the other watch faces already available on the Fossil Sport watch.
Fossil’s Pop-up Shop in New York City
In honor of the launch, Fossil is holding a pop-up shop in New York City. For those in the area, the shop is located at 138 Wooster Street in SoHo and will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Friday, January 11 through Sunday, January 13. You’ll get to check out the Fossil Sport in person and purchase one if you’d like.
We had a tour of the pop-up shop before it opened, and we recommend getting your smartphones ready because it’s (as millennials like to call it) very Instagram-worthy.
Bright colors fill the space the moment you walk in — from a pink-accented refreshment area at the front, to neon signs and playful phrases sprinkled along the walls as you walk further in. All of which match the colorful lineup of the Fossil Sport.
Front and center, you’ll find a display where all six colorways are showcased for you to try on and interact with. Below the watches are all 28 of the new silicone watch straps available for the device. Aside from purchasing a watch, you’ll also be able to shop pieces from athletic clothing brand Day Won by Candice Huffine — the face of the Fossil Sport smartwatch.
But one of the more exciting parts of the pop-up (aside from the seesaw in the middle of the space) is located all the way towards the back. Take a very short walk through a hallway with mirrored walls and more neon lights, and you’re greeted by a ball pit. Before jumping in, you’re encouraged to take a ball and write a positive word or affirmation on it — to add to the overall theme of health and wellness.
Fossil will have a variety of activities going on at the pop-up shop throughout the next three days. Google representatives will also be present on-site to help you set up your new smartwatch and answer any questions.
Specs
As mentioned before, the Fossil Sport smartwatch boasts Qualcomm’s highly anticipated Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, which comes chock-full of new capabilities, as well as longer battery life. The Fossil Sport packs a 350mAh battery (both the 41mm and 43mm case sizes), which Fossil says should last 24 hours depending on use, with an additional two days possible when in battery-saver watch mode.
More CES 2019 coverage
- Garmin’s updated Vivoactive 3 adds Verizon 4G LTE for always-on connectivity
- Withings takes on Apple with ECG smartwatch, blood pressure monitor
- The Matrix PowerWatch 2 harvests your body heat, the power of the sun to stay charged
Normally, we’d be skeptical of those estimates, especially with a smartwatch that boasts tons of fitness features. But the new processor should help to preserve enough battery to last you far longer than the 12 hours of battery life we experienced with smartwatches that include the older Snapdragon 2100. Of course, we’ll have to put it through its paces to find an official answer.
There’s also an enhanced ambient mode — certain dials will now use the new platform to showcase color and a sweeping second hand that looks more stylish. Fossil says the Wear 3100 will continue to bring battery optimization as the software evolves. It also comes with 4GB of internal storage so you can store music on the watch.
Design and display
The Fossil Sport comes in two different case sizes to accommodate those with smaller and larger wrists — you can choose between a 41mm or 43mm, both of which feature a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen display (390 ppi). Rather than stainless steel or aluminum, the smartwatch case is made of nylon but does have an aluminum top ring and three pushers on the side — making it Fossil’s lightest smartwatch, yet.
It also comes in six different colorways. There are 28 new silicone watch straps to choose from as well.
Software and fitness features
The Fossil Sport comes with the latest, redesigned version of Wear OS, which comes with a more streamlined user interface that’s easier to navigate. For starters, you’ll no longer need to memorize tons of gestures — instead, you’ll use simple swipes to get your notifications, health metrics, and more. We’ve had experience using it on the Fossil Q Venture HR and found that it’s far more enjoyable to use.
As for fitness features, you’ll be able to take advantage of built-in GPS to track runs, walks, and bike rides without being tethered to your smartphone. Conveniently enough, the Fossil Sport comes with Spotify automatically installed on the smartwatch, allowing you to access recently played songs, browse through playlists, and control music straight from your wrist.
With the new WearOS interface, swiping to the left brings you to Google Fit, which tracks your activity throughout the day in the form of “Move Minutes” and “Heart Points.” To learn more about how it works, you can read all about our experience with the redesigned app. To accommodate the app, Fossil has provided three watch faces that integrate the two metrics so that you can easily check your progress throughout the day by tapping on the display.
There’s also a heart rate monitor to track your beats per minute (BPM) throughout the day, and NFC capabilities for contactless payments. The Fossil Sport also comes with rapid charging, which will fully charge your device within an hour. Another feature pre-installed on the smartwatch (introduced in August) is the Noonlight app, which gives users the ability to call for help in the event of an emergency by tapping on the watch face.
Price and availability
The Fossil Sport smartwatch is now available for purchase through Fossil’s site for $255. It will be available worldwide starting on November 12.
Updated on January 8, 2019: Added new watch faces designed by Candice Huffine.
