Wear OS 3.0 Integration on Fossil Gen 6 Touchscreen Smartwatch

The update to Wear OS 3.0 on Fossil Gen 6 touchscreen smartwatches encompasses a transition from Wear OS 2.0 to 3.0, a complete revamp of the system user interface, and the integration of Fossil's proprietary watch apps.

Company
Fossil Group
Release Date
2022
Scope
SysUI integration, OS upgrade
Fossil Group

Background

Fossil touchscreen smartwatches historically operated on Wear OS 2.0. The update to Wear OS 3.0 on Gen 6 touchscreen smartwatches brought about a seismic shift in Fossil's approach to wearables since this is the first time a Fossil touchscreen smartwatch can be paired with a Fossil-owned phone companion app, marking a significant departure from Fossil's reliance on the Wear OS by Google app. The change granted Fossil greater autonomy and control over its smartwatches to tailor its offerings and create a more seamless and integrated user experience.

Due to the scarcity of design resources, the project heavily relied on the available system UI with minor tweaks. The primary objective was to facilitate users in upgrading from Wear OS 2.0 to Wear OS 3.0 with ease.

Fossil Group

My Role

The integration involved modifications on both the watch and phone sides. I primarily oversaw the watch side, which encompassed the upgrade experience from Wear OS 2.0 to Wear OS 3.0, the integration of the revamped system UI and the incorporation of Fossil proprietary watch apps, namely Wellness, Fossil Phone, and Battery Modes.

I facilitated cross-functional communication with higher level management, drafted the PRDs for all SysUI components, and created user flows and wireframes. I also worked closely with the Data Analytics team to improve event tracking and analytics. In addition, I took charge of certain aspects of the phone companion app side to ensure a consistent experience between the watch and phone.

The Product

The upgrade includes a transition from Wear OS 2.0 to Wear OS 3.0, a system UI overhaul and an integration of branded watch apps.

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

1. Transition from Wear OS 2.0 to Wear OS 3.0:
  • Wear OS 2.0 Offboarding (data backup, supported system instructions)
  • Wear OS 3.0 Onboarding on both phone and watch (this earned positive feedback from the Google UX team due to the addition of a QR code that streamlined app discovery and clear instructions)
2. SysUI:

Most of the new UI elements provided by Google were reused with modifications to suit Fossil watch models with 3 buttons.

  • Quick shade settings
  • Watch settings
  • Button configuration
  • App launcher
  • Tiles
  • Media control
  • Voice assistants
  • SOS features
  • Ambient lite mode
  • Attract loop and retail mode
  • Watch face picker
  • Tutorial
3. Integration of watch apps:
  • Fossil proprietary watch apps (Wellness app, Phone app, Battery modes app)
  • ROM pre-installed apps and PAI apps (apps that are automatically installed through Play Store on watch upon onboarding)

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