Wear OS 4, based on Android 13, originally debuted in the summer of 2023. The operating system eventually rolled out to Samsung Galaxy Watches and Pixel Watches, but not everyone in the ecosystem has it just yet. In fact, Fossil smartwatch owners have still been rolling with an older version of Wear OS. Now, an update has come to these devices, but it’s not what many were expecting.
As some Fossil Gen 6 device owners pointed out onReddit, Wear OS 3.5 has launched for Fossil smartwatches. However, it hasn’t been smooth thus far, with many bugs being reported. For example, several users have cited issues with booting their device and battery issues (via9to5Google). In some instances, users have not been able to properly download the update to their device at all. When it comes to the benefits, there are few performance enhancements that seem to accompany Wear OS 3.5.
The minor OS update has since been improved by Fossil to address frequently reported bugs that came after its initial rollout. However, some are still wondering whether Wear OS 4 will ever make it to Fossil smartwatches.
While Wear OS 4 didn’t come with dramatic UI improvements, its features ultimately proved beneficial across most devices. For instance, Google worked on developing new watch apps for its products and services, like Gmail and Calendar. It also focused on improving text-to-speech, Google Home integration, and battery life. Some of the new UI experiences that we’ve seen with Wear OS 4 are specific to Samsung devices, however — a Watch Face Studio tool, for example, allows users to create watch faces that are backward-compatible with Wear OS 3 devices. Meanwhile, Pixel Watch owners gota slew of new featureswith the update. For example, a backup-and-restore feature made it easier to transfer data from an old watch to a new one. Notifications were made more informative, and emergency and safety sharing features were integrated.
All of that being said, there is no set launch date for Wear OS 4 on Fossil smartwatches just yet. This doesn’t mean that it won’t come later down the line, but the company clearly still has its work cut out for it. On Reddit, where device owners initially began voicing their Wear OS 3.5 issues, Fossil representatives noted there is no ETA for a resolution — but this suggests the company wants to get it right before thinking about moving onto Wear OS 4. If you’re waiting for the operating system to debut before investing in a Fossil device, it could be a while. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth opting for an alternative that already has Wear OS 4 instead.
Fossil Gen 6
The Fossil Gen 6 is one of the more stylish smartwatch options out there, but the company’s sluggish pace when it comes to releasing Wear OS upgrades is something you might want to consider if you value software in addition to hardware.
