It's no longer a big secret that Wear OS
smartwatches aren't exactly selling like hotcakes, as proven by the latest
global vendor chart, dominated by Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit, neither of which
is using Google's software platform for your wrist. But the search giant still
has quite a few active hardware-making partners, the most important and
prolific of which sells its smartwatches under many different brands, including
Michael Kors, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Kate Spade, and of course, Fossil.
The US-based Fossil Group is behind Puma's
first-ever smartwatch as well, which naturally goes after the same target
audience as those special Nike+ variants of the Apple Watch or the sporty
Adidas Edition of the Fitbit Ionic. The aptly titled Puma Smartwatch comes with
a slightly simpler and more straightforward design than its direct rivals,
bearing somewhat of a resemblance to the Fossil Sport.
Instead of three side-mounted buttons, you only get
a large and stylish crown imprinted with the Puma logo, while the 44mm cut-out
case is made of an interesting combination of aluminum and nylon to stay
relatively light but also decently robust. A textured silicone strap completes
a decidedly sporty look that aims to "easily transition from the gym to
the street" without turning a lot of heads.
The list of features seems pretty straightforward as
well, with no major omissions or surprising advantages over the fitness-centric
smartwatch competition. You have your built-in heart rate monitor, standalone
GPS functionality, NFC support for wrist payments, swim-proof design, all the
activity tracking basics, as well as everything that makes Wear OS great on
paper, including Google Assistant integration and Play Store access.
The Puma Smartwatch is not particularly affordable,
at US$ 275, but with a sharp 1.19-inch AMOLED display, Snapdragon Wear 3100
processor, and up to 24-hour battery life also in tow, the value for money
seems fair. Not impressive but certainly not bad either. Hardcore fans of the
world's third largest sportswear brand should look forward to a November
release.
