Wear OS, Google’s smartwatch platform based on Android, isn’t as popular as the big names like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch. But thankfully, Google hasn’t abandoned it just yet and seems to be investing a lot more in the platform. Today, Fossil announced that Google is buying a portion of its ‘smartwatch technology’ and R&D team for $40 million.
In a statement, neither company said anything revealing, but we know what you’re probably thinking. With Google having an actual smartwatch hardware team under their roof, the likelihood of a Google-branded Pixel Watch is high.
Wearable was given additional details about the acquisition that are quite interesting. The “under development” and undisclosed smartwatch tech that Google purchased from Fossil is something that the company created after buying the fitness tech company Misfit and “has features and benefits that aren’t in the category today,” according to Greg McKelvey, an EVP with Fossil Group.
Google’s Stacey Burr, the VP of product management of Wear OS, added that they “saw some technology that [Fossil was] developing that [they] thought could be brought out in a more expansive way if Google had that technology, and was not only able to continue to use it with Fossil but bring it to other partners in the ecosystem.” Basically, this smartwatch tech can possibly be used on other future Wear OS devices instead of being a Fossil exclusive.
The deal is set to close this month.
Source: Fossil Group, Wearable
Featured-Image: The Verge
