Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Smartwatches

The most successful, second-generation e-ink smartwatch of Fossil Group to date. The product, which features an electronic ink display, an accelerometer an optical heart rate sensor, boasts health tracking, notification and utility features.

Company

Fossil Group

Release Date

2022

Scope

Device software

Background

Initially designed to cater to tech-savvy individuals seeking more than a conventional wristwatch, the Fossil Hybrid smartwatch series aimed at a more advanced wearables market. However, as the competition in the wearables industry became fiercer, users' technological proficiency and anticipations for a smartwatch also heightened. Consequently, with the introduction of touchscreen smartwatches powered with Google's Wear OS into Fossil's portfolio, it became necessary to readjust the positioning of Hybrid Smartwatches in the wearables market.

Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid smartwatch is the most recent addition to the Hybrid collection and thus, serves as a pivotal product in reflecting this transition. Initially geared towards higher-tech users, Gen 6 Hybrid smartwatches have been modified to suit a lower-tech user base, those who don't necessarily identify as tech-savvy, are not ready for a touchscreen smartwatch yet and possess moderate familiarity with technology.

My Role

As the product manager in charge of the entire software of this product, I conducted thorough competitive & user research and crafted a comprehensive go-to-market strategy, built user personas and defined product requirements. Over the course of 6 months, I led an overhaul of the watch UI / UX, which included the redesign of a new System UI and the development of 12 watch apps. Due to the lack of resources, I also directly involved in the UI design process, wrote copy, defined certain UX specs and managed localization.

In addition, since this is the first watch of its kind to integrate Amazon Alexa voice assistant, I also managed an Alexa integration on both the phone and watch platforms in collaboration with Amazon Alexa team. This involved developing a Fossil custom skill and ensuring seamless setup of Alexa on the watch. I covered 20 intents and more than 1000 utterances (localization not included) for the Fossil-custom Alexa skill.

The Product

With a battery life that can last up to 3 - 4 weeks, a simplified user interface, a stylish appearance and intensive settings offloaded to a companion app on phone, Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid smartwatches aim to appeal to less tech-savvy, casual, fashion-conscious users.

Feature set

I managed and led the development of all features listed below:

1. Out of box experience:

Demo mode
Onboarding (on both watch and phone)

2. Watch apps:

Workout
Stopwatch
Timer
Wellness dashboard
Music control
Weather
Challenge
Ring Phone
Notifications
Alexa (including watch app interaction & Fossil-custom Alexa skill)

3. Watch face:

Complication: Heart rate
Complication: Second time zone
Complication: Chance of rain
Complication: Current temperature
Complication: Day - Date
Complication: Active minutes
Complication: Calories
Complication: Steps
Complication: Battery
Complication: SPO2

4. Settings:

Do not disturb mode
Heart rate tracking
Vibration setting
Dial info setting
Orientation
Notification size
About & regulations
Front light setting

5. Alerts & Reminders:

System error messages
Move alerts
Alarms

UI / UX overhaul

Moving away from vertical & horizontal navigation, the new UI embraces the circular form factor and brings a breath of fresh air to the watch experience for the less tech users.