# Wear OS’s most consistent OEM quits: Fossil stops making smartwatches
Fossil, the brand that had been instrumental in sustaining Google Wear OS, has made the decision to exit the smartwatch business. According to The Verge, the company has confirmed that it will no longer be producing smartwatches. However, it intends to provide software updates for its existing watches for the next few years while also shifting its focus to traditional watches and jewelry. For several years, Fossil had been the primary option for Wear OS. Despite other major companies entering the Android Wear/Wear OS market, such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Huawei, Motorola, and Asus, Fossil remained the only consistent source for Android smartwatches. However, in 2021, Google’s decision to drop its older products and Samsung’s commitment to return to the Wear OS ecosystem caused a significant shift in the market. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4, featuring a faster SoC made by Samsung and running on Wear OS 3, was introduced alongside Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatch. The Gen 6 smartwatch, priced at $300 and running on Wear OS 2 with a slower Qualcomm chip, was unable to compete with Samsung’s offering. Consequently, the Gen 6 smartwatch will be Fossil’s final smartwatch release. Despite its consistent releases over the years, Fossil’s smartwatch sales did not significantly impact the market. In contrast, Apple shipped 248 million watches during the same period.
