Just a day ago, Google was involved in some type of acquisition deal with watchmaker Fossil. The watchmaker isn’t just a fashion brand, it’s also the biggest remaining seller of Google’s Android Wear OS hardware.
Google agreed to buy Fossil’s IP and “a portion of Fossil Group’s research and development team currently supporting the transferring IP” for $40 million.
What makes Google-Fossil deal more intriguing is the fact that in 2016 Wear OS made a grand entrance in the smartwatch market with brands like Fossil, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, Diesel and Skagen.
Rumors of a Google Pixel Watch have been going around since 2018 when everyone thought the search engine giant would be releasing its own smartwatch alongside the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. But that didn’t happen.
It may look like that Google is going to use Fossil’s secret tech to use as a unique selling point for a future Pixel Watch, but it looks to also be a unique feature Google wants on all of Wear OS.
“Right now we’re focused on finishing off development of the product, The Fossil Group will bring the product to market, across our full breadth of brands over time, and then in true Google fashion, the technology will be expanded across the industry over time to benefit all,” Greg McKelvey, EVP and chief strategy and digital officer of the Fossil Group, told Wareable.
Related Google Says It Won’t Release its Own Pixel Smartwatch This Year
This sounds bigger than the Pixel Watch. If this tech is really game changer, It’ll make Wear OS stronger than Apple Watch or the Fitbit smartwatches.
While Apple, Fitbit and Samsung are doing very well in the fitness area, others like Garmin and Polar aren’t very far behind.
Though Google didn’t say much about the new technology, Fossil confirmed it came from the Misfit division of its business. Therefore, we can guess that Google is planning on something related to fitness since Misfit has always specialized in fitness, reports Tech Radar.
So far it looks like Google may be planning on something entirely new rather than releasing a Pixel Watch.
