When Google recently announced Android Wear 2.0 finally ready to ship, a bunch of smartwatch makers lined up to be first to push out this new update. Now, Fossil brand is among the first that make good on its promise, announcing that it begun pushing the new OS to its trio of smartwatches.
If you own or are interested in purchasing the Fossil Q Marshal, Fossil Q Wander or the new Fossil Q Founder 2.0, you will soon be greeted with the new software, which adds a bunch of features, including the standalone apps, improved navigation, an on-watch Play Store, and fitness enhancements. However, since the original batch of the Android Wear watches weren’t built with NFC chips inside them, they will not be able to take advantage of the new Android Pay support. It is Android Wear’s biggest update since it launched a few years ago and frankly, it is a game-changer for the platform.
Not just that, the new software copies your Google account so that you can receive and send text messages when connected to Wi-Fi. In the case of the Q Founder 2.0 that has both a speaker and microphone, you will be able to take phone calls.
While numerous manufacturers have promised Android Wear 2.0 upgrades for at least some of the models, Fossil is one of few to have an upgrade already in hand — even TAG Heuer will not offer 2.0 until end of March. It also bodes well if you already own a Michael Kors smartwatch, for that matter, since Fossil promised an upgrade for that timepiece. We would not buy a smartwatch just for speedy updates, but it is something to consider if you’re on the fence about your choice of Android accessories.
Multiple manufacturers have announced new Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch models, including the LG. Still, though, many older smartwatch models haven’t been updated to the new OS and never will be; Sony’s SmartWatch 3 and the Samsung Gear Live, for instance, are not getting the new Android Wear.
