Again in January, it was introduced that Google had agreed to buy the mental property rights to some proprietary expertise being developed by the Fossil Group. The expertise was described on the time as a “new product innovation that’s not but hit the market” by Greg McKelvey, Fossil’s govt vice chairman of chief technique and digital officer. Only a few years in the past, Fossil acquired the linked wearable firm Misfit as half of a bigger technique to deal with smartwatches and different technology-driven wearables. aBlogtoWatch mentioned Fossil’s then smartwatch technique right here. That exact plan appears to have shifted a bit, as Fossil and Google will now be sharing in Fossil’s smartwatch expertise and the assets it has developed over the previous couple of years.
As the developer of the Android Put on smartwatch working system, Google doesn’t presently produce any precise smartwatches that we’re conscious of (the Google Play Retailer definitely isn’t carrying any on the time of writing). Google’s authentic focus was to permit third events to make use of its personal software program for its gadgets — much like Google’s authentic technique with the Android smartphone working system. Then, Google made the sensible choice to supply gadgets with its software program for purists on the lookout for the core expertise. That very same technique Google efficiently employed with smartphones might quickly be coming to smartwatches because it acquires plenty of the intelligence it must make a great smartwatch. As we all know, a fascinating product on this house is simply partially in regards to the software program.
Sister Fossil Group model Michael Kors has additionally launched the totally spherical, touchscreen smartwatches with their Michael Kors Entry.
Stacey Burr, president of product administration for Google’s WearOS platform, defined that Google’s motivation to make the acquisition was all the way down to the potential her staff believed it needed to differentiate the WearOS platform from these of rivals. Burr believed the brand new improvement “might be introduced out in a extra expansive means if Google had that expertise and was not solely capable of proceed to make use of it with Fossil however carry it to different companions within the ecosystem, too.” That assertion leaves so much to be interpreted. Some may learn this information as an indicator that Fossil is exiting the smartwatch house. Ariel Adams from aBlogtgoWatch doesn’t assume that’s in any respect correct. He believes Fossil desires to principally deal with producing non-electronic watch (the case, bracelet, and so on.) together with design, whereas it permits firms like Google to deal with the software program facet of the smartwatch equation.
Whereas Google is but to make its personal smartwatch, the corporate has collaborated with Fossil for years, lending the group its WearOS platform to be used within the group’s smartwatches. WearOS can be utilized in main manufacturers similar to TAG Heuer, LG, and Movado. Buying this new expertise from Fossil, which may even port a portion of its R&D division over to Google so the expertise’s new house owners can proceed its improvement seamlessly, offers Google not only a head begin in creating its personal product, however, extra crucially, the possibility to supply one thing completely different.
Though we’ve solely heard whispers of what this new expertise might supply, it’s clear from the $40 million USD buy value that Google believes there’s a great motive to be excited. Forty million bucks appears like so much, however in an trade that craves differentiation, it might grow to be an absolute cut price. As Ariel famous in an article from 2018, the theoretical potential of (and maybe critical want for) smartwatches (or wearable expertise, normally) to take a extra lively, autonomous function in assessing the surroundings of the wearer, with a purpose to present a extra intimate and tailor-made expertise, is huge. If this new tech is ready to enhance the WearOS platform on this method, then Google might be sitting on a game-changing product, which it is going to want ought to it hope to steal away a good portion of the rising smartwatch market, which IDC (the premier world market intelligence agency) believes will proceed to develop by 11 p.c via 2022, because of elevated adoption of smartwatches and wearable expertise. To comply with the collaboration between Google and the Fossil Group, try fossil.com.
