Last month, we caught wind of Fossil's plan to launch its first LTE-enabled smartwatch. Documents submitted to the FCC revealed few details about the smartwatch, so it wasn't clear if Fossil Group was planning on launching a new lineup or a new entry to its existing Gen 5 line. Today, we have an answer. The new Fossil Gen 5 LTE smartwatch has essentially the same hardware as the other models in the Gen 5 line, but it adds LTE connectivity so you can use it as a standalone device while on-the-go.

Announced today at CES 2021 (via 9to5Google), the Fossil Gen 5 LTE smartwatch is already available for purchase from Fossil.com in the U.S., though you'll only be able to provision the smartwatch on Verizon Wireless. The new smartwatch starts at $349, which is $50 more than the non-LTE models, and features essentially the same design as seen in the standard Gen 5 line. That means it has a 45mm stainless steel case available in black or rose gold and an 18mm strap available in silicone, stainless steel, or leather. On the side, there's a rotating crown and two shortcut buttons. Under-the-hood, you'll still be getting a 1.28" AMOLED display, the last-gen Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, Google's Wear OS software, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, NFC, GPS, a loudspeaker, 24 hours of battery life, and 5ATM of water resistance.

We were hoping to see Fossil's Gen 6 lineup today, but a new LTE-enabled entry in the Gen 5 line should satisfy users looking to leave their smartphone at home. Hopefully, the Fossil Group will return in the near future with its Gen 6 line and an upgrade to Qualcomm's substantially better Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor. We're long overdue for a proper successor.