• gen/Eric@iusearchlinux.fyi
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    I had a Fossil Wear OS smartwatch, I liked it but I barely used any of its features. Basically, I’d use it to notify me of messages and then I could see whether or not to pick up my phone.

    I sold it and bought a Fossil hybrid (Collider HR) and I love that thing. The battery lasts about 2 weeks and people always think it’s so cool that it has physical hands.

    It shows me whenever I get a message or calendar notification (or whatever notifications I want) and that’s all I care about.

    I haven’t looked at the newer generation of watches, but I don’t think I’d upgrade or anything.

    I also have other Fossil stuff, like belts. They make cool stuff, but they’ve always been a fashion brand first before a tech brand.

    If they stop making smartwatches, are there any other brands that make good hybrid, eink watches?

    Also, the article just mentioned they’d stop making Wear OS devices so maybe they’ll still make the hybrid watches?

    • mudeth@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      9 months ago

      Not hybrid watches but Garmin watches have a passive LCD screen that is readable under reflected light and the app is excellent, albeit proprietary.

      I have a Fossil hybrid and Garmin Instinct and wear the instinct most of the time. I find the Fossil app too basic and it drains battery. I have heard about an open source app that can sync to them however.

      • gen/Eric@iusearchlinux.fyi
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        9 months ago

        I recently switched to using GadgetBridge with my Fossil Hybrid. It was a little annoying to set up, but it works.

        • mudeth@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          9 months ago

          That’s the one, thanks! I better get to it before Fossil pulls the app. You need to extract a private key from the paired app correct?

          • gen/Eric@iusearchlinux.fyi
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            9 months ago

            Yes, there are a few ways to do it. You need to have logged into the Fossil app with an email/password, it didn’t seem to work with “login with Google.”

            I used a python script that I ran on my computer that got the private key from the Fossil servers.

            https://gadgetbridge.org/basics/pairing/fossil-server/

            NOTE: You need to add the private key before pairing with GadgetBridge, if you add it after then it won’t work.