The ‘herd’ mentality of copying a trend and building a product around it is nothing new. In fact, certain brands are built entirely by cloning a hit product and selling it under a new name with minimum changes. But the new Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid does not belong to the “clone” club. It’s a smartwatch that takes an entirely different approach compared to traditional smartwatches, including the Apple Watch.
With its hybrid analogue-digital design, an e-ink display, built-in ‘smart’ features and two weeks of battery life, the Gen 6 Hybrid is a fresh take on smartwatches. The attempt here is to make an anti-smartwatch for those who don’t like computers on their wrist and want a classic timepiece instead. Does it make sense to purchase the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid in 2022? Are there better alternatives? We look to answer all these questions below.
The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid looks like a regular traditional watch but has an e-ink display. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid price in India: Rs 18,495
The classic design
I am not a big fan of smartwatches. Except for the Apple Watch, almost every smartwatch feels like a forced attempt to impose a digital screen on your wrist. For me, my bag or wristwatch defines my personal style. I still get compliments for a Titan watch I bought 17 years ago. The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid watch has a very classic appeal to it and it goes with everything from your official engagement to your morning walk. My review unit came in the 41mm rose gold case made of stainless steel and had a high-quality black leather band.
The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid watch has a very classic appeal to it. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
It looks like a regular traditional watch but has an e-ink display (more on that later) — the same type of display you will see on Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader. It’s a high-impact watch, balancing form and function, and available in a range of sizes and band options. There’s also the option to swap the band of your own choice. The three navigation buttons are on the right-hand side of the case. You can use the Fossil app to turn them into shortcuts for different features. The Gen 6 Hybrid has a 3ATM rating meaning it’s splashproof but not fit for swimming or diving.
The E-ink display is convenient
Unlike most smartwatches that either use LCD or OLED colour displays, Fossil’s Gen 6 Hybrid uses an e-ink display. The benefits of e-ink displays are manifold, including superior battery life (more on that later) and outdoor readability. With an e-ink display, the comparison between traditional smartwatches and the Gen 6 Hybrid immediately ends. That display is simply used to show the basics, like the weather, notifications and some fitness options.
The watch tracks my heart rate, and exercise, and even measures blood oxygen levels with the SpO2 sensor.
The watch’s display isn’t lit up automatically. You need to double-tap the display to see the time in the dark. The e-ink screen blends nicely with the watch faces, something I like about e-paper displays. Remember the Gen 6 Hybrid has analogue elements to it as well. The physical watch hands and number marking around the bezels aren’t there for decorative purposes. They never obstruct, the hands automatically move to the three and nine positions …….
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-reviews/fossil-gen-6-hybrid-review-8017040/