- Fossils Gen 5 Smartwatch may have shown up with the FCC with LTE.
- You can also expect NFC and other convenience.
- Whether or not a Snapdragon Wear 4100 chip is used is still a mystery.
Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatches are still pending, but that doesn’t rule out some new models until then. Fossil has sent an unnamed Wear OS watch (model number C1N) through the FCC, indicating a possible Gen 5 variant with integrated LTE data – the company’s first LTE-enabled smartwatch.
The FCC documents don’t reveal the potential Gen 5 design beyond the circular display, but it’s clear that Fossil appeals to North American users with LTE on frequencies for carriers like Verizon (Disclaimer: This author also writes for Verizon’s own Engadget). You can also expect the virtually mandatory Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Google Pay friendly NFC.
Continue reading: The best Fossil smartwatches
There is no evidence of a release date for a Fossil Gen 5 LTE smartwatch. We wouldn’t expect a CES 2021 debut, but the timing could easily pave the way for a release early in the New Year.
This could be a little disappointing if it isn’t Gen 6. Like many Wear OS smartwatches, Fossil’s Gen 5 hardware also uses the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip, first announced in 2018. You wouldn’t get the speed and battery life improvements of the Wear 4100. Both of these could help an LTE-equipped watch that can be used outside of your phone.
That said, a Fossil Gen 5 with LTE could still be a viable smartwatch option if its aging internals aren’t a problem. We liked the original model partly because of Fossil’s customizations, such as: B. the special battery modes and the dials. These benefits should remain intact. While you probably shouldn’t rush to upgrade unless you’ve been craving cellular data in a Fossil watch, it might be justified if you’re using older Google bracelets.