Fossil's MetaWatch pushed back again to September
updated 07:35 pm EDT, Mon August 22, 2011
Company explains production issues
Fossil has announced that its MetaWatch connected wristwatches are facing yet another delay, pushing the expected launch window into September. The company has acknowledged several production "hiccups" that have stalled the project, including a software problem that affected connections to the micro USB interface. The steel case bodies for the analog version also needed to be reworked and polished to resolve a separate quality issue.
"The work is looking good, but now the Analog watch version is going to be a week behind the Digital watch version," the company wrote on a blog post. "Trust me, it's worth it."
Both of the watches feature white-on-black OLED displays, though the digital version provides a larger area to present information such as weather, e-mail alerts, calendar entries, caller ID and text messages. Bluetooth radios provide wireless communication with smartphones, tablets or other devices. TI's ultra-low-power chips also take advantage of a vibrating motor, three-axis accelerometer and ambient light sensor.
Fossil is currently wooing developers to participate in the program and expand the watches' software-based features. Developers can use an accessory clip to program the watches and charge the internal batteries.
The first batch of digital watches is not expected to arrive in Hong Kong for further processing until August 31, with the analog edition slated for September 2. The company has yet to announce specific launch dates, however.
