Google’s best standalone smart speaker is the Nest Audio. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, like the Nest Hub and other smart displays, but it offers excellent sound quality and the ability to pair two units together for stereo sound. The speaker normally goes for around $90-100, but it’s currently on sale for $79.99 at multiple retail stores.
The Nest Audio is a Google Assistant smart speaker, so it can stream music, give you the weather, play news reports, control smart home devices, set alarms, and much more — all with simple voice commands. It has a 0.7″ tweeter and a 3″ woofer, so anything from podcasts to music sounds great, and the three far-field microphones can pick up voice commands from any direction. Like all other Assistant speakers, you can “cast” content to the speaker from compatible apps on your phone or tablet, and it can be set up as a Bluetooth speaker.
The sale is currently live at both Best Buy and B&H Photo & Video. Every available color is discounted, including Chalk, Charcoal, Sage (green-ish), Sand (pink), and Sky (blue). If you already own one Nest Audio, or if you’re planning on buying two, you can pair two of them together for stereo sound. We also have a full review of the Nest Audio, if you’re on the fence.
HP recently unveiled the new Chromebook x2 11, available from Best Buy and HP’s own website later this month. The Chromebook x2 11 is the first new Chrome OS tablet we’ve seen in quite some time. It looks like a compelling product, but it’s always a good idea to consider all available options. Even though it had a short-lived product cycle, Google’s Pixel Slate is still one of the most popular Chrome OS tablets out there. In this comparison, we’ll take a look at how these tablets differ and which one you should buy today.
HP Chromebook x2 11 vs Google Pixel Slate: Specifications
Specification
HP Chromebook x2 11
Google Pixel Slate
Dimensions & Weight
9.94″ x 6.96″ x 0.3″
2.57 lbs
11.45 x 7.95 x 0.28 inches
1.59 lbs
Display
11″ 2160 x 1440 (Full HD+)
IPS LED
Touchscreen
All-new Molecular Display
12.3” LCD 3000×2000 LTPS
Touchscreen
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Compute Platform
8 core
Qualcomm Adreno 618 GPU
8th Gen Intel Core m3, i5 or i7 or Celeron
Intel UHD graphics
RAM & Storage
8GB RAM
64GB eMMc storage
4GB, 8GB, or 16GB RAM
32, 64, 128 or 256GB eMMc storage
Battery & Charging
2-cell
Lithium-Ion
Up to 12 hours
48 WHr battery
45W charging
Security
H1 Secure Microcontroller
Fingerprint scanner
Pixel Imprint fingerprint sensor on power button
Titan C security chip for better on device security
Front camera
5MP camera
Duo Cam optimized for video calling: 8MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture,
World-facing camera
HP Wide Vision 8MP camera
Duo Cam optimized for video calling: 8MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture,
Port(s)
2 SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps
3.5mm headphone jack
microSD card reader
2 USB-C ports for charging and 4K display connection
Connector for keyboard
Audio
Audio by Bang & Olufsen with dual speakers
Built-in microphone
Dual front-firing speakers for better surround sound
Starting off with design and build, these tablets are different in a number of ways. First, the HP Chromebook x2 11 is considerably heavier than the Pixel Slate, according to the specs sheets. This is something to take note of, especially since the Pixel Slate actually has a slightly larger screen. Both tablets are similarly thin and compact, but the extra pound of weight would certainly be substantial when considering portability. Keep in mind the Pixel Slate weighs nearly 2.9 lbs if you add the optional detachable keyboard.
One thing to mention here is we don’t know if HP is including the Chromebook x2 11’s keyboard in their weight calculation. This would mean the true weight of the device as a tablet could be considerably closer to the Pixel Slate. This is something we’ll test and update when we review the HP Chromebook x2 11 ourselves. The Pixel Slate also has an optional detachable keyboard, which must be bought separately. The inclusion of the detachable keyboard in the base price is a definite win for the HP Chromebook x2 11.
Both tablets are made of metal and quite durable. The Pixel Slate is constructed from magnesium alloy while the HP Chromebook x2 11 is made from an aluminum alloy. Both of these tablets also support pen input. The Pixel Slate requires the optional Pixelbook Pen, bought separately. The HP Chromebook x2 11 supports the USI pen standard, and actually includes a pen that attaches magnetically to the tablet.
Another key similarity is the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner on both devices. This is refreshing to see as many high-end Chromebooks leave off biometric security options that improve user experience.
As for the displays, you get a high-resolution panel on both of these Chrome tablets. However, the Pixel slate is the winner in overall ppi with its 3000 x 2000 Molecular Display. The display on the Pixel Slate doesn’t have the best color accuracy though, so we’ll need to see how the Chromebook x2 11 compares there when we review it. Either way, you’re getting an above-average panel with solid brightness from both of these devices.
Keyboard and pen support
As mentioned earlier, the keyboard and pen on the Pixel Slate are completely optional add-ons. The HP Chromebook x2 11 includes both the detachable keyboard as well as the magnetically attached USI pen. With the Pixel Slate, you’re going to spend an additional $300 just to enjoy keyboard and pen support on the device. This is the biggest consideration right now if you need to use your Chrome tablet for work and need a keyboard or pen input.
When it comes to keyboard quality, much is still unknown about the HP Chromebook x2 11. The initial reviews of the Pixel Slate keyboard were favorable, although the Slate did have a lot of buggy Bluetooth issues. Still, the Pixel Slate does offer a keyboard with multiple typing orientations and a comfortable layout. The Chromebook x2 11 keyboard layout looks nice, but we can’t say for sure it will be comparable until we test it out.
Performance and battery
If you’re looking for the performance winner on paper, that’s the HP Chromebook x2 11 quite handily. Although we don’t know much about real-world performance just yet, the newer processors in HP’s tablet will handily outscore the Pixel Slate in benchmarks.
One thing we know for sure, the Pixel Slate has its own share of performance hiccups. Playing high-end Android games like PUBG or Asphalt 9 is very difficult on the Slate. Multi-tasking can also be difficult on the Slate if you want to use multiple Linux apps or run demanding programs for photo or video editing in Chrome OS.
It seems likely the HP Chromebook x2 11 will take the crown in overall performance on paper and in practice, something we can and will test in our review.
In theory, both devices get similar battery ratings from their respective OEMs. The Pixel Slate reviews indicate the Google tablet gets about 7-8 hours of real world use, compared to the 12 hours claimed on the spec sheet. This is fairly common to see and we would typically expect similar battery life from HP Chromebook x2 11. One thing that might improve battery life however, is the Snapdragon 7c processor inside the Chromebook x2 11. If HP optimized the tablet to take advantage of the 7c’s capabilities, we could see significantly improved battery life.
Cameras and audio
Over the course of the last 18 months, video calling rose to prominence thanks to the ongoing pandemic. Most Chromebooks still have mediocre 720p webcams and don’t feature a rear camera at all.
Camera quality is an outstanding feature on both of these tablets. Both the HP Chromebook x2 11 and Pixel Slate feature FHD+ resolution cameras on both the front and back. The Pixel Slate includes an 8 MP camera on both front and back, while the HP Chromebook x2 11 features a 5 MP front camera and 8MP wide-vision rear camera. In the age of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, these cameras are a big deal.
The Pixel Slate has some of the better speakers you can find on any Chrome OS device. At launch, the audio quality was one of the key appeals for Google’s tablet. The HP Chromebook x2 11 has dual speakers tuned by Bang and Olufsen, so this tablet should also perform admirably when it comes to audio.
Conclusion
While both devices have pros and cons, in 2021 the HP Chromebook x2 11 has too many features missing from the Pixel Slate. Not only do you get newer Intel processors inside, you also get an included detachable keyboard, USI pen, and longer Chrome OS support timeline. The HP Chromebook x2 11 looks poised to be one of the best Chromebooks of 2021.
The inclusion of the USI pen and detachable keyboard is really the largest selling point for me. If you buy a similar package with the Pixel Slate, it’s going to cost nearly $300 more just for those accessories. Paying that extra price for older hardware isn’t worth it, even if the device has the Google logo on it.
The HP Chromebook x2 11 combines the power of Chrome OS with the portability of a traditional tablet. You can work anywhere thanks to the optional 4G LTE capability. This is the new top of the line Chrome OS tablet experience.
While it's getting a bit older these days, the Pixel Slate is still an excellent option for the true Google experience on Chrome OS. It also supports an optional detachable keyboard and the Pixel Slate pen for productivity on the go.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 takes the already excellent Fold 2 and adds a bunch of refinement and polish, including sturdier materials, water-proofing, and stylus input support. The first two upgrades are immediately noticeable the minute you begin using the Galaxy Z Fold 3. But to use a stylus — better known as the “S Pen” — requires a separate purchase.
Samsung released two styluses alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 — the S Pen Fold Edition and S Pen Pro. The Fold Edition is a “dumb” stylus, meaning it offers no other features outside of just stylus input, and it only works with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The S Pen Pro, meanwhile, works with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 plus every existing Samsung product that has stylus support. In other words, the S Pen Pro is the universal Samsung S Pen.
How does the S Pen Pro perform with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy S21 Ultra?
Galaxy S21 Ultra (left); S Pen Pro; and Galaxy Z Fold 3 (right).
List of devices from Samsung that are compatible with the S Pen Pro. Click to expand
Here’s a list of compatible devices:
Galaxy Z Fold 3
Galaxy S21 Ultra
Galaxy Note series
Galaxy Tab S7 FE
Galaxy Tab S7/7+
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Galaxy Tab S6
Galaxy Tab S4
Galaxy Tab S3
Galaxy Tab Active Pro
Galaxy Tab Active 3
Galaxy Tab Active 2
Galaxy Tab Active
Galaxy Tab A 8.0 2019 with S Pen
Galaxy Tab A 10.1 2016 with S Pen
Galaxy Tab A 9.7 with S Pen
Galaxy Tab A 8.0 2015 with S Pen
Galaxy Note Pro – 12.2
Galaxy Note 8.0
Galaxy Note 10.1 2012/2014
Galaxy Book Pro 360
Galaxy Book Flex 2
Galaxy Book Flex S Pen
Galaxy Book Flex 5G
Galaxy Book Flex α S Pen
Galaxy Book 10.6
Galaxy Book 12.0
Chromebook Plus V2
Chromebook Pro
Notebook 7 spin
Notebook S51 Pen
Notebook 9 Pen
Notebook 9 Pro
S Pen Pro: Design
The S Pen Pro is noticeably thicker than previous S Pens — not just the petite S Pens that came with previous Note phones, but the S Pen Pro is thicker than the S Pens also designed for the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S7. Still, at 14g, it’s light enough to wield without issues. It’s definitely easier to hold and use than the tiny, ultra-thin S Pens that came with Galaxy Note phones.
The stylus is made of plastic, but with a soft matte coating that gives it a bit of grip. It’s mostly rounded with one flat side to prevent it from rolling off a table. Alongside the flat sides are two moving parts — a toggle switch for switching between “Z Fold” or “S Pen” modes (more on this later) and a single button with two clickable parts for Bluetooth controls. At the bottom end is the rubber tip that’s retractable (if pressed down too hard) to prevent damaging the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s foldable screen.
At the top end of the S Pen Pro is a removable tip that unveils a USB-C port for charging. This is what sets this stylus apart from other S Pens — it has its own battery and memory, so it supports Samsung’s “Air Actions” Bluetooth gestures on every device that supports it (like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S7, etc), and it can even copy and paste content from one device to another. Charging the S Pen Pro to full takes 50 minutes, after which the stylus lasts for around 16 days. Note that the S Pen Pro does not come with a USB cable, so ensure that you also pick up a USB C cable if you don’t have one around already.
Included in the retail package is a faux leather sleeve and three extra rubber tips. The sleeve feels nice and provides protection against the soft rubber tip, but the reason it’s needed is that the S Pen Pro has a flaw — it can’t be magnetically attached or placed in any existing Samsung device. The Galaxy Z Fold 3, for example, has no room to house the S Pen Pro; and the S Pen slots in previous Galaxy Note phones are obviously far too small for this stylus.
Registering input on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy S21 Ultra
So how does the S Pen Pro perform on the Galaxy Z Fold 3? Much better than any of us could have imagined a couple of years ago, when foldable phone screens were considered highly fragile and could be scratched by a fingernail. The new “Stretchable PET” (Polyethylene terephthalate) film material that Samsung applied over the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s screen feels less plasticky and closer to glass than any foldable before it, and as such, the tip of the S Pen Pro glides along smoothly. Latency is low enough to be a non-issue, and after almost a week of testing, my Fold 3’s screen is still pristine and without a scratch.
Sketching on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 with the S Pen Pro.
However, the experience still falls short of using an S Pen on, say, the Galaxy Tab S7. My gripe is mainly with the crease. Not only can I feel the slight disruption in a horizontal pen stroke anytime the tip runs across the indented groove, but also inputs won’t register correctly sometimes around this groove. This is due to the fact that Samsung had to work around the folding bits of the screen.
As reported by The Verge, the Wacom digitizer underneath the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s display panel is in fact two separate parts and does not cover the actual crease. Instead, Samsung uses software smarts to guess and predict what the S Pen Pro (or S Pen Fold Edition) is doing when running across that gap. This explains the occasional hiccup every now and then when I try to sketch across the crease.
The folding nature of the screen adds another wrinkle to the traditional S Pen experience. Due to the unique nature of the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s screen, Samsung could not use the same digitizer it had used across all of its previous non-folding devices. This explains why the S Pen Pro has that aforementioned toggle switch. For use with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the S Pen Pro needs to be in “Z Fold” mode. For any other Samsung device that supports the S Pen, the stylus has to switch over to “S Pen” mode.
The fact I need to flip a switch every time I bring the S Pen from a Galaxy Z Fold 3 screen to a Galaxy S21 Ultra screen feels a bit clunky. I can’t help but think that, if Apple had made the S Pen Pro, it would have either found a way to switch modes automatically, or perhaps the action to switch would feel more intuitive, like perhaps a double-tap of the stylus’ lower tip.
S Pen Pro with a Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Using the S Pen Pro with the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a seamless experience
But anyway, using the S Pen Pro with the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a seamless experience that feels much like the S Pen experience on previous Galaxy Note phones. The previously mentioned problem of running across uneven parts of the screen is obviously not an issue on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Software features for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy S21 Ultra
Since the S Pen Pro isn’t linked exclusively to one device the way, say, the Galaxy Note 20’s S Pen is to be used for that specific Note 20, there is a setup process. When I first booted up the S Pen Pro, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 showed an on-screen prompt for me to connect. This is a one-time process, but if I take the S Pen Pro over to another device and bring it back to the Fold 3, I often have to hit the Bluetooth pairing button once to trigger a pair. The same action is needed if I’m using the S Pen Pro with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The various Air Actions and Bluetooth remote control gestures, which were first introduced in the Galaxy Note 9, are all here. In the photo album, for example, I can press the Bluetooth button of the S Pen Pro and swipe the stylus left or right to cycle through the albums. In the camera app, I can cycle through the shooting modes and switch between cameras remotely with the S Pen.
Controlling the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s cameras with the S Pen Pro.
These remote camera controls, along with the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s ability to serve as its own tripod due to “Flex Mode” with the rear camera make the Galaxy Z Fold 3 a very easy device to set up group photos during gatherings with friends or family.
The Galaxy Note’s S Pen-specific UX is here on both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy S21 Ultra. Hover the S Pen Pro over a video thumbnail in the photo gallery and the video pops up and plays automatically. Grabbing screenshots with unique shapes is as easy as the flick of a wrist.
Samsung’s written-words-to-text algorithm works quite well. Even with my messy handwriting, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy S21 Ultra could convert my writing into text at, I’d estimate, an 85% accuracy rate. However, I have almost no use for this feature as I’m a much faster typist than I am actually writing words with a pencil. But it’s here for those who still think the pen is mightier.
One feature that has lost some of its usability is “Screen-off Memo.” On Galaxy Note phones, if I pull out the S Pen while the phone is locked, the black screen immediately turns into a digital notepad, and whatever notes I jot on it gets saved to Samsung’s Notes app, and can even be pinned to the always-on display. It’s super useful when I need to quickly remind myself to, say, pick up laundry in an hour, or remember to buy eggs on the way back home.
But on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the S Pen only works on the inside large display and not on the outside cover display. This means you have to open up the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to access Screen-off Memo, and since unfolding the phone is a two-handed action, it makes the entire process not as quick and easily accessible.
The S Pen Pro is a great option if you are immersed in Samsung’s ecosystem
As the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has no place to house the S Pen Pro, I find myself often leaving it at home, as it’s not worth the hassle to carry a separate item when I’m out for the day. And if I’m back home and want to sketch or jot notes, I have larger-screened tablets that offer a better canvas. In other words, I don’t have much use for the S Pen Pro with the Z Fold 3. However, that’s not to say I find the new S Pen support to be a gimmick. I applaud Samsung for adding this feature to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, as it only adds more versatility and use cases for an expensive device.
The S Pen Pro is a worthy purchase for those immersed in Samsung's ecosystem
The S Pen Pro is a worthy purchase in particular for those immersed in Samsung’s ecosystem, as the ability to use one stylus across the Galaxy Book Pro, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and presumably future Samsung smartphones like the next top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 device, is genuinely useful. I wish I could use the Apple Pencil across an iPad, iPhone, and MacBook.
If you don’t own a Samsung tablet or laptop, and plan on just using a stylus for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, then I think the smaller and cheaper S Pen Fold Edition is a better option — unless you really need the bluetooth remote controls.
NVIDIA’s SHIELD TV is often cited as one of the best Android TV boxes out there, and for good reasons. Not only it offers powerful hardware, but it also keeps getting better with new features and additions regularly being delivered via software updates. Since the device launched with Android TV 9 running out of the box, many users were waiting for Android TV 10 update. But it looks like the Android TV 10 update isn’t on the cards.
An NVIDIA staff member has officially confirmed (via Twitter user @mrjuzmafia) in a forum post that they have decided to skip Android 10 for the SHIELD TV. However, the company reiterated that it still has a lot of things planned for the device.
Here’s the full statement from NVIDIA:
SHIELD development is still full steam ahead, we just had a release not too long ago. Android 10 was a no-op for Android TV, so we decided to skip it as the effort was large, and there was essentially no impact to end users other than the version string changing. Behond that, we don’t talk about our Roadmap ahead of time anymore, but I can tell you there is still a lot of development going into SHIELD.
It’s worth noting that OS updates aren’t as important for Android TV devices as they’re for smartphones. This is because the Android TV platform rarely gets major features through an OS update. Instead, many new features are delivered through system apps like the Android TV launcher. For example, the SHIELD TV recently received a new Discover feature which displays personalized content recommendations on the home screen based on your watching activity.
While this news may disappoint some users, we have heard murmurs that NVIDIA plans to skip Android 10 in favor of Android 11. We’re also hoping that NVIDIA upgrades the SHIELD to Android TV 12 as it adds support for a native 4K resolution UI and refresh rate switching. Although the SHIED TV does have its own refresh rate switching feature, it will be nice to have official OS-level support so that apps can take advantage of it.
For now, the NVIDIA SHIELD TV remains stuck on Android TV 9. We’ll let you know if we hear anything about the Android TV 11 update from the company.
Apple announced late last week that it is finally dropping its controversial “anti-steering” policy as part of a settlement it reached in a class action lawsuit. Before this announcement, Apple didn’t let app developers directly contact users informing them about alternate payment methods outside of their apps, but the Cupertino giant has now agreed to drop that controversial policy.
The updated App Store policy will no longer prohibit developers from directly contacting their users with information about non-Apple payment options, thus avoiding Apple’s commission fee, which ranges from 15% to 30% fee on all App Store purchases. However, developers are still prohibited from communicating about competing payment options or lower prices within their iOS apps.
“To give developers even more flexibility to reach their customers, Apple is also clarifying that developers can use communications, such as email, to share information about payment methods outside of their iOS app. As always, developers will not pay Apple a commission on any purchases taking place outside of their app or the App Store. Users must consent to the communication and have the right to opt-out,” Apple said in a blog post.
This policy update comes in response to a lawsuit that was initially filed by two iOS app developers in mid-2019. The lawsuit asserted that Apple ran afoul of the Sherman Act and California’s Unfair Competition Law by monopolizing iOS app and in-app-product distribution services to charge app developers supracompetitive commissions. In mid-2021, the plaintiffs moved for class certification, and the law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLC was appointed as Class Counsel. Finally, late last week, Hagens Berman announced the details of the class action settlement it reached with Apple, resulting in numerous small concessions for iOS app developers.
Apart from dropping the aforementioned anti-steering policy, Apple will also create a $100 million fund for smaller app developers. Developers who earned less than $1 million a year from June 2015 to April 2021 can claim payouts from as low as $250 to as high as $30,000 from this fund, depending on historic proceeds from distributing apps on the App Store. The settlement website, www.SmallAppDeveloperAssistance.com, is not yet live at the time of publication.
Other changes that Apple has agreed to make to its App Store policy include keeping its lowered fee for app developers making less than $1 million for at least 3 years, improving search discovery, and “giving new and high-quality apps a chance to be found,” expanding the number of price points from 100 to more than 500, and publishing an annual transparency report containing statistics about the number of app rejections, the number of customer and developer accounts deactivated, the number of apps removed from the App Store, and more.
Responding to Apple’s proposed changes, Meghan Dimuzio, executive director of the Coalition for App Fairness, said (via the Washington Post) Apple’s offer did little to address the real issues: “Apple’s sham settlement offer is nothing more than a desperate attempt to avoid the judgment of courts, regulators, and legislators worldwide. This offer does nothing to address the structural, foundational problems facing all developers, large and small, undermining innovation and competition in the app ecosystem.”
Xbox has announced the games that’ll be coming to its Xbox Games with Gold service in September. As usual, we’ll be getting four free games to redeem, two in the first half of the month, two in the second half. One of the games will remain available until the middle of October.
The first games that will be available are Warhammer: Chaosbane and Zone of the Enders HD Collection, both of which will be available to redeem starting on September 1. Chaosbane is a hack-and-slash game that is set in the Warhammer universe, and it’ll be available from September 1 through 30. Zone of the Enders HD Collection contains the first two games in the mecha combat series Zone of the Enders and is available from September 1 through 15.
The next games will be available on September 16, and they are Mulaka and Samurai Shodown II. Mulaka is an action-adventure title set in the Sierra Madre mountains that is, according to Microsoft, “based on the rich indigenous culture of the Tarahumara,” which will be available from September 16 through October 15. Samurai Shodown II is an entry in the classic fighting game series, and it’ll be available from September 16 through 30.
One of the August Games with Gold, Yooka-Laylee, will be available to claim until September 15. It’s a kid-friendly 3D platformer that’s a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie.
As always with Xbox Games with Gold, the games will be free for anyone to access if they have an Xbox Live Gold membership. As long as you have your subscription, you’ll be able to download and play the game any time after you redeem it, though you will lose access if your subscription lapses. Also, Xbox Games with Gold is included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, meaning you can play your Games with Gold alongside the truly dizzying amount of free games that are included with Xbox Game Pass.
Fossil’s new Wear OS smartwatches are finally here, and they promise significant performance improvements over the previous generation. The new Fossil Gen 6 smartwatches are based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform, and they feature a 1.28-inch display, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of onboard storage.
Fossil Gen 6 smartwatches: Specifications
Specification
Fossil Gen 6
Build
Stainless steel case, topring, and buttons
Dimensions & Weight
42mm
44mm
Display
1.28-inch AMOLED
326 PPI
SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+
RAM & Storage
1GB RAM
8GB storage
Battery & Charging
4-pin USB fast charger with magnetic puck
Fast charging support (80% in just over 30 minutes)
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Wi-Fi
GPS
NFC
Sensors
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Compass
Altimeter
PPG Heart rate sensor
SpO2
Off-body IR
Ambient light
Audio
Built-in speakers and microphone for calls
Software
Wear OS by Google
Other features
Customizable dials and buttons
Interchangeable straps and bracelets
Swimproof
As we saw in previous leaks, the new Fossil Gen 6 smartwatches bring several hardware upgrades over the previous model. These include the new Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chipset, fast charging support (up to 80% in just over 30 minutes), a new SpO2 sensor, etc.
On the software front, the new Fossil Gen 6 range offers several new health and fitness tracking features, calling functionality, smart battery modes, and more. It’s worth noting that although the smartwatches run Wear OS, they don’t come with Wear OS 3 out of the box. Instead, they run an older release at the moment, and Fossil plans to upgrade them to Wear OS 3 sometime next year.
Talking about the new smartwatches, Steve Evans, Chief Brand Officer at Fossil Group, said, “We are proud to announce our highly-anticipated next generation of smartwatches. At Fossil Group, we are always striving to deliver increased performance and delight users, working in partnership with Qualcomm and Google, and we are excited by the new capabilities Gen 6 is bringing to our users. Faster interface, less time to charge and upgraded health and wellness features are only a few of the benefits Gen 6 will see as our teams continue to innovate and evolve our smartwatch portfolio. We also know how crucial personalized style continues to be in the wearables space for our design-conscious consumer, so I am excited to share that in addition to Fossil brand, Michael Kors will soon be launching Gen 6 as well. Our innovation teams at Fossil Group continue to provide users the best-in-class experience without compromising stunning design from brands they love.”
Pricing & Availability
The Fossil Gen 6 range will be available in three colorways and two size options — 42mm and 44mm. The smartwatches will be available for pre-order on Fossil’s website starting today, and they’re priced between $299-$319. For more information about the Michael Kors Gen 6 smartwatches, follow this link.
fingerprint sensor on power button
