It may surprise you that I am incredibly concerned about the fate of human existence in congruence with modern technology. I firmly believe that with every day that goes by, we are becoming far more dependent on devices than any of us would like to admit, except for me. I fully understand the glitz and glamor dazzling friends with the newest Apple (AAPL) product or some other shiny, high-functioning device, but doesn’t it bother you that devices are becoming more connected to our bodies, both technically speaking as well as literally, in terms of their designs.
A decade ago, almost nobody could’ve anticipated that millions of people would buy a watch that tells time, but also gives you access to your own internal vital signs. Whereas televisions were invented with remote control, giving users a comforting distance between themselves and the screen, we are slowly innovating towards closing the gap between our physical proximity with our devices. One such category of devices referred to as “wearables” by those of us privy to tech jargon, is a collection of pieces of tech driving someone like me up the wall with anxiety. We decided some years ago, after the release of the Apple Watch (AAPL), that wearing technology was somehow a brilliant idea.
In the years following the introduction of wearable devices, companies across the tech industry have championed products designed to allow consumers to track their heart rate, send text messages, and even navigate around whatever city they may find themselves in. One such company, Google (GOOGL) has yet to enter the wearable space, but rumors about a Pixel Watch have whispered in the wind for quite some time now. Today, the world’s search engine turned rumors into facts as it announced plans to purchase smartwatch technology from Fossil Group (FOSL) for $40 million. As part of the transaction, per the official press release, a portion of Fossil Group’s (FOSL) research and development team currently supporting the transferring IP will join Google (GOOGL).
“Fossil Group has experienced significant success in its wearable business by focusing on product design and development informed by our strong understanding of consumers’ needs and style preferences. We’ve built and advanced a technology that has the potential to improve upon our existing platform of smartwatches. Together with Google, our innovation partner, we’ll continue to unlock growth in wearables.”
–Greg McKelvey, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Digital Officer, Fossil Group
Though the smartwatch sub-sect of the tech consumer marketplace has been dominated by Apple (AAPL), Fitbit (FIT), and Samsung, it makes sense that Google (GOOGL) would have an interest in getting a piece of the action. Stacey Burr, VP of Wear OS, Google’s (GOOGL) wearable technology division, lauded the Fossil collaboration announcement, expressing that “the addition of Fossil Group’s technology and team” would allow Google (GOOGL) to develop a beautifully designed portfolio of smartwatches, while continuing to support the “ever-evolving needs of the vitality-seeking, on-the-go consumer.”
It’s worth noting that Google’s (GOOGL) $40 million deal is for technology that has yet to hit the market. Fossil Group’s (FOSL) research and development team have been working tirelessly to create a new product innovation relating to smartwatch technology, but it been kept under wraps for the most part. Burr told Wareable that Google (GOOGL) saw the technology being worked on by Fossil R&D and believed that it “could be brought out in a more expansive way if Google (GOOGL) had that technology, and was not only able to continue to use it with Fossil but bring it to other partners in the ecosystem.”
