Fossil's third-generation Q smartwatches have been going on sale frequently as of late - and now we know why. Today the company announced fourth-gen Fossil Q watches, starting with the Q Venture HR and Q Explorist HR.

The two watches are very similar in styling to the third-gen equivalents, but the hardware is getting an upgrade. These are the first mainstream Fossil watches with heart-rate sensors and water protection - the only previous model with those features was the sports-oriented Fossil Q Control. These are also the first Fossil watches, period, to support Google Pay and untethered GPS.

It's nice to finally see Fossil's mainstream watches adopt heart rate sensors and NFC, especially since the Q Venture might be the first non-bulky Wear OS watch to support Google Pay. Unfortunately, these watches are using the two year-old Wear 2100 hardware platform, which will finally be replaced later this year. Even though these appear to be decent watches, there could be something significantly better around the corner.

Both watches start at $255.00, and the more premium styles (like stainless steel) cost $275.00. You can pre-order the Q Venture and Q Explorist right now from Fossil's online store. All models have an estimated shipping date of August 28.

PRESS RELEASE