Back in September this year we got an early look at a leaked hybrid smartwatch from Fossil apparently based on their DIANA platform. At the time the rumours were that the new device would be built on top of Wear OS and include Google services such as Google Pay — that now all looks like false hope.
Thanks to a cached listing on Amazon we have gotten a good look at an almost-complete retail page with specs, pricing and availability. Unofrtunately (or fortunately) Wear OS or Google Pay don’t rate a mention and in fact no Google Service does apart from compatibility with Android 5.0 and above. So what’s powering it? Fossils existing Hybrid smartwatch app, ‘The Fossil App’.
This does not mean that the Collider won’t be a great device, but I have to admit the potential lack of NFC payments makes it almost DOA for me unfortunately. The Collider is expected to ship 29 November for USD$195 which if it goes on sale in Australia would mean a retail price in the vicinity of AUD$300.
Other confirmed specs include two weeks of battery life, thanks to the mechanical movement and an e-ink display, heart rate, activity & sleep tracking with in-depth wellness stats, notification and alert support, media playback control and compatibility with both iOS and Android.
With a little over 3 weeks until the apparent retail date hopefully it won’t be long until all is revealed. I’m still holding out hope for some sort of NFC payments making its way onto the device but at the same time not holding my breath.
I have 4 watches and a phone with nfc, and have yet to use it. Not a real breaker for me.
I gave up on Google Pay on Wear as it failed the last 3 times I tried to use it at different stores and terminals. I whip out the phone and it works every time now. Pay on Wear is great if it works consistently but I’ve removed my card now (on Fossil Sport).
I have had inconsistent performance on many Wear Devices until th Gen 5 from Fossill, it worked first time every time. Perhaps there was an issue with the older hardware?