Watch the game from any POV, even on the field, with Canon’s upcoming VR system

Why it matters to you

Future sports games could allow fans to view the game from on the field using 3D video re-created from multiple cameras.

What if you could watch that big game from the viewpoint of a player on the field and not a cameraman on the sidelines? That’s the question Canon is asking with the Free Viewpoint Video System, a sort of reverse-engineered 360-camera system that allows viewers to pick their vantage point, from the stadium seats to right next to the players on the field. The system creates a video-game-like view — except for actual games in real life. Canon will be displaying the system next month, but outside of sharing that the system is under development, the company hasn’t yet shared details on when the tech will be available.

A typical 360-degree camera captures multiple angles but all shot from the same central location on a camera body mounted somewhere, or on someone (like on a referee). The Free Viewpoint Video system instead arranges cameras from several locations around the stadium instead of from a single spot. Those high-resolution cameras are then connected to a network, with software that allows the game to be captured from all those different viewpoints simultaneously.

After the game is recorded from all those viewpoints, the software then creates a 3D spatial data map of the game, using all the data from the different angles to re-create the game in virtual reality. The result, Canon says, is a video that can be viewed from different angles, including on the field itself.

“The Free Viewpoint Video System offers a completely new, totally immersive visual experience that enables viewers to operate a virtual camera in 3-D space to move freely around the stadium and even experience the simulated physical sensation of being among players on the field during a game,” Canon’s press release reads.

With the announcement, Canon shared a video of a soccer game from 2016 that shows both an overhead, audience view, then even the point-of-view of the goalie. The company did not offer details on when such a camera system might come into play, only that the system is currently under development. The program has potential applications for viewing games with virtual reality headsets and mobile devices.

Along with giving fans the ability to view the game from the field, Canon says the system could also be used for training athletes, offering a literal new perspective as teams watch films to prepare for their next opponent. Canon says the images are processed “afterwards,” which suggests the camera system (or at least the first version) won’t offer an instant replay for challenged calls by the referees or live games.

The camera system is similar to the Intel system that allowed for the Be The Player POV shots during the 2017 Super Bowl.

Canon will be displaying the camera system next month at the Inter BEE 2017 in Chiba, Japan from November 15 to November 17.

Valve artist releases concept drawings for presumably canceled co-op game

Why it matters to you

This concept art gives us an intriguing look at one of Valve’s many projects that never saw the light of day.

Last month, it was revealed that Valve plans to launch a brand-new game in 2018 — its first major release since Dota 2 in 2013, other than virtual reality minigame collection The Lab.  Now, we’ve been given a glimpse at another recent project — one that never saw the light of day.

Drew Wolf is an artist who has been employed by Valve since 2009. His personal website states that he’s now independent, although it’s not completely clear whether he’s still affiliated with the studio or not, according to a report from Eurogamer.

Wolf’s online portfolio features artwork produced for Dota 2, The Lab, and various other Valve projects. It also features a multitude of drawings produced for an untitled fantasy game, which seems to have been in the early stages of development at the studio in recent years.

Drew Wolf

“The project was a fantasy adventure game centered around cooperative combat and driven by story,” reads a description accompanying a set of images. It seems that players would have formed teams of four, choosing from a selection of ten archetypal characters.

This certainly seems to be in line with Valve’s output in recent years. Dota 2 has proven to be an enormous hit for the company thanks to its roster of clearly defined characters, and its capacity for endless additions of new content. It’s easy to see how this project could have been an attempt to offer up a slightly different take on co-operative multiplayer.

Ultimately, it seems that Valve chose not to pursue the idea. Based on the timing of both projects, it seems like next year’s collectible card game Artifact simply took precedence. However, it shouldn’t be too surprising for anyone who keeps up with the studio to find that an idea for a new game never made it past the prototyping phase.

Earlier this year, former Valve writer Mark Laidlaw released what seemed to be a version of his story treatment for Half-Life: Episode 3, one of the biggest ‘what-ifs’ in all of gaming. It’s impossible to understate what the company has done for PC gaming as a whole, but it’s easy to see why longtime fans have their frustrations with the studio’s intermittent output.

DJI says most drones already have the hardware to support a safety system

Why it matters to you

DJI’s latest reports show where the manufacturer stands on drone safety.

How can drone flight be managed and monitored for safety? China-based drone manufacturer DJI suggests drones already have built-in hardware sufficient to support such a system. During the International Civil Aviation Organization Drone Enable Conference held in Montreal on Saturday, September 23, DJI presented two white papers outlining the company’s recommendations for monitoring and managing traffic for drone safety.

The first paper suggests that a central control center isn’t necessary for keeping drones from hitting manned aircraft, other drones, or other obstacles. DJI says that ground-based infrastructure isn’t necessary because most drones already have the technology on-board for managing flight paths. Using On-Board Anti-Collision Technologies (OATs), obstacle-sensing systems and radio transmitters and receivers communicate with other drones and adjusts the flight path to avoid obstacles.

“We envision a future in which drones will be smart enough to navigate safely through the airspace, avoiding obstacles, each other, and manned traffic, all on their own, in most locations,” DJI’s white paper reads. “Because OATs are less complex than an end-to-end automated traffic management system, because they present fewer points of failure, and because they can be deployed with no required investment in ground-based infrastructure, we expect these technologies will receive regulatory approval well before a networked UTM system will.”

Because many consumer drones have the hardware for avoiding obstacles built-in, a system based on OATs wouldn’t require an investment in more infrastructure to manage drone flights. New systems also mean untested technology, DJI says, while OATs have already been tested.

The second part of DJI’s presentation was an update to a paper presented earlier this year proposing a sort of “invisible” license plate system for drones. In such a system, drones would use a radio control or Wi-Fi connection to transmit data such as a registration number as well as details like the location of the drone and direction and speed of the flight path. Such a system, DJI suggests, would allow authorities to respond to complaints without “infringing on operator privacy,” said Walter Stockwell, DJI’s director of technical standards, who presented the data at the conference.

DJI is working on such a system and has already tested the program twice.

“DJI’s proposals share a common belief that the drone industry, aviation regulators, drone pilots, and society at large can benefit most from drones if traffic management and identification systems are built with proven technology that can be implemented easily,” Stockwell said. “This approach protects the privacy rights of drone operators, limits the risk of central system failure, and makes it easier to fully unlock the potential of drones. We stand ready to work in partnership with industry and government to achieve these goals and make drones work better for everyone.”

Google ATAP and Project Jacquard add gesture control to Levi’s Commuter jacket

Why it matters to you

Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket has touch-sensitive technology designed by Google.

Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket, the first commercially available clothing with Google’s gesture-sensing Jacquard fabric technology, was first revealed at Google I/O 2015. But after a months-long beta production delay, it’s hitting store shelves for $350 at boutique stores on Wednesday, September 27 and Levi’s stores on October 7.

Jacquard, named after a loom, is an ongoing research project from Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects. If you saw Levi’s Commuter jacket on someone in the street, you would think that it’s just an ordinary garment. That is because Google designed the touch-sensitive Jacquard technology be as unobtrusive as possible.

The only thing that looks slightly different is the Commuter Trucker jacket’s Jacquard tag. The tag, which snaps onto the sleeve and resembles a trench coat’s cuff strap, has a light-up LED and vibration motor, recharges via USB, and lasts about two weeks on a charge. Once it is paired to your smartphone and you’re wearing the jacket (the Jacquard system can automatically tell when you put it on), you can perform gestures — a “brush in,” a “brush out,” or double tap — that manipulate apps on your phone.

Google showed a video of a man riding his bike and tapping or swiping his sleeve to pin a location to Google Maps, answer calls, and more. By default, the Jacquard smartphone reads all incoming messages aloud through your phone or a pair of headphones but can be configured to only allow calls and texts from certain contacts.

The jacket’s other cool tricks include swipe-based music playback controls and a screen that shows real-time feedback from the jacket’s touch-sensitive threads. It remembers your work and home location (a double tap of the jacket’s tag pulls Google Maps turn-by-turn directions) and can keep track of the number of miles you have biked.

The Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket is the first with Jacquard technology, but Google says the platform will be open to any clothing manufacturer that wants to implement Google’s gesture-sensing fabric into its clothes. And the company isn’t just thinking about biking — it’s planning on moving into athletic and businesswear to expand the capabilities of Jacquard.

Eventually, you will be able to control not just Google services through your clothes, but also third-party services like Spotify and Strava. The search giant said it will release its APIs for any developer to integrate the Jacquard platform into their services. On stage at a Levi’s event last year, a representative from the company played the next song by swiping his sleeve and checked to see when his next appointment was — the response came via the Google Assistant.

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Update: Added pricing and availability information. 

Google ATAP and Project Jacquard add gesture control to Levi’s Commuter jacket

Why it matters to you

Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket has touch-sensitive technology designed by Google.

Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket, the first commercially available clothing with Google’s gesture-sensing Jacquard fabric technology, was first revealed at Google I/O 2015. But after a months-long beta production delay, it’s hitting store shelves for $350 at boutique stores on Wednesday, September 27 and Levi’s stores on October 7.

Jacquard, named after a loom, is an ongoing research project from Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects. If you saw Levi’s Commuter jacket on someone in the street, you would think that it’s just an ordinary garment. That is because Google designed the touch-sensitive Jacquard technology be as unobtrusive as possible.

The only thing that looks slightly different is the Commuter Trucker jacket’s Jacquard tag. The tag, which snaps onto the sleeve and resembles a trench coat’s cuff strap, has a light-up LED and vibration motor, recharges via USB, and lasts about two weeks on a charge. Once it is paired to your smartphone and you’re wearing the jacket (the Jacquard system can automatically tell when you put it on), you can perform gestures — a “brush in,” a “brush out,” or double tap — that manipulate apps on your phone.

Google showed a video of a man riding his bike and tapping or swiping his sleeve to pin a location to Google Maps, answer calls, and more. By default, the Jacquard smartphone reads all incoming messages aloud through your phone or a pair of headphones but can be configured to only allow calls and texts from certain contacts.

The jacket’s other cool tricks include swipe-based music playback controls and a screen that shows real-time feedback from the jacket’s touch-sensitive threads. It remembers your work and home location (a double tap of the jacket’s tag pulls Google Maps turn-by-turn directions) and can keep track of the number of miles you have biked.

The Levi’s Commuter Trucker jacket is the first with Jacquard technology, but Google says the platform will be open to any clothing manufacturer that wants to implement Google’s gesture-sensing fabric into its clothes. And the company isn’t just thinking about biking — it’s planning on moving into athletic and businesswear to expand the capabilities of Jacquard.

Eventually, you will be able to control not just Google services through your clothes, but also third-party services like Spotify and Strava. The search giant said it will release its APIs for any developer to integrate the Jacquard platform into their services. On stage at a Levi’s event last year, a representative from the company played the next song by swiping his sleeve and checked to see when his next appointment was — the response came via the Google Assistant.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Update: Added pricing and availability information. 

Low-cost Chuwi LapBook Air looks to make mark in ultralight notebook market

Why it matters to you

Chuwi’s branding might need some work, but its laptops are still very affordable.

Chuwi is bringing its unique brand of economic competition to the light laptop game with the introduction of the Chuwi LapBook Air. The laptop weighs less than 3 pounds, carries a price tag of just $430, and will complement the brand’s existing 14-inch notebook offerings.

The affordable laptop market is a highly competitive one, with a number of manufacturers vying to bring some of their more impressive features down to a price that larger audiences can afford. There are always sacrifices to be made, most commonly in performance, but Chuwi is looking to deliver a pretty powerful package, despite a diminutive price tag.

Packed inside the LapBook Air’s 14-inch frame is an Intel Celeron N3450 quad-core processor, which at 2.2GHz is said to be more than enough for most everyday tasks, according to AnandTech. That’s paired up with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of solid state storage (SSD).

That’s quite a sizable amount of local storage for an affordable system like the LapBook Air, and can even be expanded through the M.2 slot if needed. However, it should be said that Chuwi isn’t 100 percent clear on the type of storage this laptop offers. In some cases, Chuwi claims it’s an SSD, while describing it in others as a “hard drive,” and in one Amazon listing as “memory.”

As AnandTech says, considering most other Chuwi laptops use EMMC flash storage, it’s probably a good bet that this model follows suit

Whatever the hardware configuration, it all helps run the 14.1-inch 1080P IPS display, which we’re told could be a little on the dim side when compared with more high-end offerings, but should otherwise be fine for most uses. It’s surrounded by a relatively slimline bezel that contributes only a few millimeters to the device’s overall thickness. At its thinnest, it’s said to be just six millimeters deep, and at just under three pounds, it’s a very portable little system.

Connectivity-wise, there’s an HDMI port, twin USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a TF card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Chuwi LapBook Air is slated for release on October 10, with a price of $430.

iPhone X 2018: News and rumors

Apple’s iPhone X, the flagship of Apple’s 2017 smartphone lineup, is taking the iPhone in bold new directions. Due on November 3, it’s the first with a curved OLED screen, the first with Apple’s brand-new Face ID biometric technology, and the first with optically stabilized dual cameras. And if the rumors are true, next year’s models could push the boundaries even further.

The iPhone X 2018 is at least a year away. But rumors of a larger screen, an embedded Touch ID sensor, and more have already started to emerge. Here’s everything we know about it so far.

Design

Details are scant when it comes to the iPhone X 2018’s design, but reports suggest it will have a larger screen. Apple recently suspended development of a 5.28-inch OLED iPhone, told parts manufacturers that it expects changes in order volumes, and signed contracts with Samsung for multiple OLED display sizes, according to The Bell. The moves were reportedly motivated by the “low marketability” of smaller phones and the “popularity of larger-screen phones for video viewing.”

Apple is said to be testing a 6.46-inch OLED screen for at least one 2018 iPhone, and an even bigger display for a future iPhone. The Korea Herald reports that Apple will tap Japan Display, the panel supplier for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, for a 6- to 7-inch smartphone screen.

Face ID and Touch ID

Face ID, the iPhone X’s 3D facial-recognition feature, is likely sticking around for the iPhone X 2018, but only if it’s well-received. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Face ID’s future will depend on whether or not it “provide[s] a positive user experience” and “impress[es] consumers.”

It will also depend on the “technical issues” associated with the alternatives. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple developed next-generation Touch ID sensor earlier this year that could scan through the iPhone’s glass display, but was forced to shelve it after it couldn’t improve “low” yield rates in time for the iPhone X launch.

“We believe Apple will replace the existing Home button-based Touch ID with [an] under-display solution for higher screen-to-body ratios, if it decides to bring back Touch ID,” Kuo said in a note to investors. “The iPhone’s 3D Touch module makes the entire panel module even thicker, and could potentially undermine the scan-through performance of the under-display solution. Apple will […] have to find ways to overcome the aforementioned technical issues.”

L-shaped battery and flexible circuit board

An under-display Touch ID sensor and a gigantic screen might not be the iPhone X 2018’s only highlights. LG Chem, LG’s chemical research division, might supply a specially-designed “L-shaped” battery that will boast a bigger capacity and slimmer profile than the iPhone X’s battery.

It’s something of a coup for LG, which is also rumored to be supplying the next iPhone’s motherboard. The Korea Economic Daily reports that LG Innotek, another LG subsidiary, may provide Apple with a bendable PCB design compatible with curved screens.

Intel’s upcoming Coffee Lake-S CPUs will require a completely new motherboard

Why it matters to you

Intel’s upcoming processor lineup brings a six-core chip to the mainstream market, but you will need a completely new motherboard.

Intel first introduced its line of eighth-generation “Coffee Lake” processors at the end of August, but those chips were only slated for notebooks. Now, thanks to someone spilling the coffee all over the internet (aka breaking the embargo), we can now reveal Intel’s plans for the next stage in its eighth-generation rollout without getting in trouble — its new desktop processors. Dubbed as Coffee Lake-S, these chips will arrive on October 5 alongside compatible motherboards.

Here is the lineup:

Cores / Threads

Base Clock

Max Clock

Cache

Power Usage

Unlocked
Price
i7-8700K
6 / 12
3.7GHz
4.7GHz
12MB
95 watts
Yes
$359
i7-8700
6 / 12
3.2GHz
4.6GHz
12MB
65 watts
No
$303
i5-8600K
6 / 6
3.6GHz
4.3GHz
9MB
95 watts
Yes
$257
i5-8400
6 / 6
2.8GHz
4.0GHz
9MB
65 watts
No
$182
i3-8350K
4 / 4
4.0GHz
N/A
6MB
91 watts
Yes
$168
i3-8100
4 / 4
3.6GHz
N/A
6MB
65 watts
No
$177

For starters, Coffee Lake-S introduces Core i7 chips with six cores, and Core i3 processors with four cores to the mainstream desktop market. They are based on what Intel calls 14nm++ process technology, a method of reducing the size of billions of transistors, and cramming them into a single, optimized chip.

The new chips promise improved single-threaded performance over the previous generation. As a refresher, a “thread” is the line of communication between an application and processor core. All versions require motherboards based on the company’s new Z370 chipset, and will not work on any other motherboard. What remains unchanged is the processor’s throne, the LGA 1151 socket, which Intel used for its sixth-generation (Skylake) and seventh-generation (Kaby Lake) desktop processor families.

The reason Coffee Lake-S chips are locked specifically to the Z370 chipset is due to power. Having up to six cores, 12 threads, and 12MB in cache simply pulls more from the motherboard, so Intel made changes in the power delivery on the package level to accommodate the extra needs. That means the Z370 motherboards will not support sixth and seventh-generation Intel desktop processors. Adding to that, the ‘K’ models are unlocked, allowing you to overclock all those cores for added performance at an additional power requirement.

And that was Intel’s proudest moment during a conference call on Friday, September 22: Talking about Coffee Lake-S overclocking. The new processor architecture includes per-core overclocking for maximum control, a maximum memory ratio of up to 8,400MT/s, real-time latency control, and more. Backing all this overclocking goodness is support for Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) 2.0 technology, and the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU). Intel will provide an optional Tuning Protection Plan just in case tweaking goes haywire.

All six chips will have integrated graphics. The architecture remains the same, but Intel promises better performance through higher frequencies and driver optimizations. The processors will also include built-in support for DisplayPort v1.4, and USB 3.1 Gen1 technology — there is no built-in support for the newer USB 3.1 Gen2. The overall Coffee Lake-S platform supports up to 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, with the processors specifically providing up to 24 of those 40 lanes.

According to Intel, the Core i7-8700K is the best desktop processors for pure PC gaming. Sure, Intel is still rolling out its X-Series chips for the enthusiast market, and they are ideal for those who want high-definition graphics while simultaneously streaming live 1080p gameplay to Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer. But if you ask Intel, the Core i7-8700K provides 25 percent more frames per second and 45 percent better mega-tasking than its seventh-generation desktop processors.

Ultimately, Intel’s Coffee Lake-S family targets the “premium performance” market consisting of gamers, overclockers, and content creators. The chips themselves will be made available on October 5 alongside new motherboards supplied by Intel’s partners. Dell also plans to make available a new Alienware Aurora desktop packed with the Core i7-8700K on the same day. Solutions from other original equipment manufacturers using the new Coffee Lake-S chips will arrive throughout the fourth quarter of 2017.

Octopod is a Swiss table clock that tells the time, looks like a robot octopus

Why it matters to you

This octopus-inspired robot clock would be a stunning centerpiece for any home. (So long as you can still afford to buy chairs to go with it.)

Are you on the lookout for an innovative timepiece, and worried that regular smartwatches are so 2016? Have you ever dreamed of owning your own steampunk octopus? Thanks to the ingenuity of Swiss designers, you can now kill two birds with one stone by purchasing your very own Octopod, a luxury table clock that mounts the inner workings of a high-end mechanical clock on eight finely articulated legs.

“Octopod is a mechanical table clock, co-created by MB&F who conceived it and L’Epée 1839 who manufacture it,” Charris Yadigaroglou, chief communications officer at MB&F, told Digital Trends. “It gives you the time, but that’s really not the point: time is a secondary benefit. We see mechanical watches and table clocks as kinetic sculptures, as mechanical art pieces. And like art, they should stir up emotions and memories. Octopod reminds us of underwater adventures like the James Cameron classic The Abyss, of marine compasses, of octopuses, and other cephalopods – that’s where it got its name.”

The piece itself is pretty stunning to behold. 28 cm tall, including its posable legs, the clock mechanism is viewable through a bubble-like glass sphere. It’s available in three different color finishes — black, blue, and silver — with each color limited to 50 units. (Oh, and in keeping with the whole “octo” thing, you only need to wind it every eight days!)

“There were many [challenges developing it],” Yadigaroglou continued. “Without getting too technical, the vast majority of mechanical watches and clocks today are simply variations of existing movements – engineers will tweak an existing movement a bit, optimize it, but they rarely develop entirely new movements. That’s why most watches are round! In the case of Octopod, almost everything had to be created from scratch. Not just the movement, whose regulating system is placed very unconventionally on the minute hand, and therefore circles around the clock in 60 minutes, but also the structure of the clock itself.”

If you like what you see, first visit MB&F’s website for more information about the various retailers around the world. Then start planning how to justify to your significant other spending $36,200 on a mecha-octopus clock.

Apple Watch Series 3 review

Research Center:
Apple Watch Series 3

The Apple Watch is the world’s best selling watch. Think about that for a moment. Not the best selling smartwatch; but the best selling watch overall. Despite many questions about whether people need smartwatches, or the usefulness of them in the first place; Apple sells more watches than Casio, Fossil, Swatch, Rolex, or anyone else.

The Apple Watch Series 3 promises to be an even bigger seller, because it apparently does something many have wanted from the start — it can potentially replace your phone. Our Apple Watch Series 3 review reveals that this still isn’t possible at the moment, but that the situation is highly likely to change in the future, once developers and app makers get started.

Does that mean it should be ignored? Forgotten? No. This is the best selling watch for a reason — it’s the best smartwatch you can buy, by far.

Design

Have you seen the Apple Watch Series 1, and the Apple Watch Series  2? Then you’ve seen the Apple Watch Series 3. It’s identical in shape and design; the only hint that you’re wearing the latest model with 4G LTE is a colored dot on the Digital Crown. We imagine that’s the only reason it’s there, and would actually rather it wasn’t. It adds nothing to the watch’s style. The underside of the Apple Watch Series 3 is a sliver thicker than the old models, but you’ll never notice.

Apple has introduced new straps with the Series 3 Watch, a series called Sport Loop. It’s like posh Velcro, and uses the same hook-and-eye system to secure it around your wrist. It’s certainly very comfortable, and due to its fitting, is suitable for all wrist sizes. The hardware attaching the strap to the watch is plastic, however, and looks cheap. Metal hardware would be much more preferable. Luckily there are hundreds of aftermarket strap options.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The OLED screen is the same as before. It’s beautifully bright and colorful, but it works best with a black watch face, because the screen seamlessly becomes one with the bezel, giving the impression that the entire front of the watch is a single screen. It looks wonderful. The Digital Crown rotates to navigate through messages and lists, a press selects or enters the helicopter view of all the installed apps, while the primary button underneath goes back a step or opens a list of recently used apps. Otherwise, all interactions with the watch are carried out using the touchscreen, which is responsive, precise, and a joy to use.

There’s a definite slickness and tactile pleasure from the Apple Watch’s screen that you don’t get with screens on most Android Wear watches. It feels more expensive, and encourages you to work with it. The lack of a raised body around it helps, as does the curved glass. We’ve been testing the aluminum bodied version, but stainless steel and ceramic are also available, if you’re willing to pay more. All have water resistance to a depth of 50 meters, and can be used when swimming.

The Apple Watch Series 3 may be more of the same, but it’s still ahead of the competition.

No phone needed

If you choose the Apple Watch Series 3 with 4G LTE — and there is a slightly cheaper model just with GPS — you’ll get a watch with a built-in eSIM , ready to connect to a cellular network and enable operation without your phone. Essentially, it becomes your phone. There’s no physical SIM inside, it’s a virtual one that uses the same number as your phone, so all the usual phone-based activity is replicated on your wrist.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is, by a massive distance, the best smartwatch you can buy

This isn’t a free service. You have to pay extra for the pleasure of not using your phone. The best way to think about it is like an add-on data plan for a tablet. You retain your phone plan and pay a little extra for another device. In the United States, all four major networks support the Apple Watch Series 3’s eSIM, provided you are a monthly subscriber, and charge what works out to be $10 extra per month, after various deals have been applied. In the United Kingdom, there is less choice. Only EE supports the eSIM at the moment, and it costs five British pounds extra on top of your monthly contract price to add the Apple Watch.

What’s it like? That depends. Do you spend a lot of time with access to Wi-Fi? If so, then your Watch will use that, and not the cellular network. Also, there’s no way to turn off Wi-Fi, so if the network’s slow, tough luck, you can’t switch. The Watch also gets confused with public Wi-Fi networks, due to conflicting security recommendations from your other Apple devices, often resulting in no connectivity at all. Apple will release a fix for this bug soon. You can tell what it’s connected to by swiping up to the Control Center and looking for the connectivity dots, a Wi-Fi icon, or a phone icon in the top left of the screen.

Making a phone call is straightforward enough, but hearing the caller when outside is a challenge as the speaker isn’t very loud. You have to raise the watch closer to your ear, which is awkward and makes you look silly. Callers appear to hear you well though, in our early tests. The Apple Watch has Bluetooth, so you can connect a set of headphones or an earpiece to it. Annoyingly, there’s no way to make FaceTime Audio calls.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Messages and iMessages can be sent and replied to, using canned replies or the “scribble” system — where each letter is traced on the touchscreen to form words in your messages — or simply using your voice. Scribbles and canned responses are fine if you’re in a hurry, but not for longer messages. Voice actually works very well, and the Watch transcribed our conversational test messages perfectly each time, even in a noisy cafe. You could easily have a long text conversation using this system, if you don’t mind talking to your watch.

Siri will also help out with hands-free operation, such as replying to messages and making calls. We streamed music purchased from iTunes, which worked well, and there’s storage space for other music files on the Watch. To sync tracks you select playlists in the Watch app, which are transferred when the Watch is on charge. It’s a slow process. Oddly, Apple Music integration isn’t available now, and will be added in the near future. Other iOS apps, such as Mail and Weather, also work across the cellular network.

Use apps outside Apple’s ecosystem and problems start to emerge, however. Even apps with Apple Watch versions, like Twitter, Line, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat, all require the phone to be connected to the watch to operate. WhatsApp, a messaging app used by more than a billion people globally, doesn’t have an Apple Watch app at all. This means if you regularly receive messages through these apps, you won’t get them on your Apple Watch Series 3 if it’s not connected to your phone. Facebook Messenger and Slack worked some of the time, but not directly through the app itself. It was possible to respond to a Messenger message through a notification, but the conversation couldn’t be viewed or interacted with in the app. Line provides notifications when away from your phone, but the app hangs when you try to read them.

All these apps and others may receive updates to change this situation in the near future. But for now, the Apple Watch Series 3 is slightly hobbled when disconnected from your phone. It’s a halfway house, essentially: Great if you use Apple’s services, poor if you rely on others. Ultimately though, you can leave your phone behind and use only the Apple Watch Series 3, provided the restrictions don’t bother you.

Performance, battery, and software

The Apple Watch Series 3 has a new dual-core processor and the new model is undeniably faster than ever. If you’re used to the Apple Watch Series 1, it’ll be a revelation. It’s smoother and faster to respond, and it zips through multiple apps. It’s no longer the frustrating experience it once was.

WatchOS 4 comes installed on the Apple Watch Series 3, and it’s almost the same as earlier versions of the OS, with a few style changes. The Dock, which replaced Glances last year, shows your recently used open apps in a vertically scrolling list; access it with a press of the large side button and sift through by touch or the Digital Crown. Swipe left on an app and the option to close it pops up.

The Watch transcribed our conversational test messages perfectly each time

There are several new watch faces. Woody, Jessie, and Buzz from Toy Story join Mickey and Minnie, along with a psychedelic kaleidoscope face; more helpful is the face that incorporates a Siri complication, a news feed, and a Breathe reminder. WatchOS 4 is available for all Apple Watches, indicating the Watch Series 3 will be supported for several years to come. It seems Apple is doing its best to make the Watch a tech product that will last a good while, just as a watch should.

Battery life is great, if your use is varied. We’re three full days into using the Watch and have only needed to charge the battery once. It spent its time being used as a standalone device, and connected to the phone, which is key to preserving its standby time. Finding and holding a cellular signal is power-intensive, and like your phone, when reception is low the battery life decreases as it searches for a signal. The battery percentage meter definitely decreased faster when not connected to the phone, as expected. But after an hour in the gym with the Watch using its own data service, tracking our workout, and streaming Bluetooth music, it only dropped by seven percent. Also, keeping the new continuous heart rate monitoring system on doesn’t seem to negatively affect battery life either.

At the end of the day, it’s no worse than previous Apple Watch models for battery life; but no better either.

Fitness

The Apple Watch is a superb fitness, health, and lifestyle tracker. It’s clear, concise, informative, and encouraging, and with many different modes to suit the majority of people. If you just want to know steps and calories burned, the “three-ring” system works brilliantly. It’s obvious how close you are to a goal, and you get a cool animation when you complete one. Adding heart-rate monitoring is easy, and there are varied tracking options for walking, running, cycling, swimming, and more. Everything gets collated in the Activity app on your phone, where it’s laid out in an easy to understand way.

That’s before you start to enjoy the benefits of reminders to move, heart-rate tracking through the day, the Breathe mindfulness feature, and the many third-party fitness and health apps. It’s incredibly comprehensive.

After using the Huawei Watch 2 in the gym for several months, which performs well, the speed of the Apple Watch Series 3 was immediately obvious and genuinely impressive. Menu access was instant, the Bluetooth connection to our headphones was faultless, and it was considerably easier to just select a workout and get going. It’s an altogether more cohesive and logically thought-out approach to fitness tracking than almost every other product this reviewer has tried.

Price, warranty, and availability

There are several different Apple Watch models. A basic aluminum Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS only, and a regular Sport Band costs $330. The Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS and cellular, with the Sport Band or new Sport Loop, is $400. These prices are for the 38mm model, so add another $30 to the price if you need the larger 42mm model. Choose the stainless-steel version with sapphire crystal over the screen and the price starts at $600. The ceramic case model starts at $1,300 and is available only with cellular.

Apple provides a one-year warranty with the Watch Series 3, which covers the device if it suffers from problems due to manufacturing errors. If you want accidental damage cover, you’ll have to pay for AppleCare+ insurance, which costs $50 for two years of coverage and telephone support. AppleCare+ for the ceramic Apple Watch Series 3 costs $100 for two years.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is available through the Apple Store online, its retail stores, and other retailers now.

Apple Watch Series 3 Compared To

Samsung Gear S3

Motorola Moto 360 (2015)

LG Watch Sport

Huawei Watch 2 Sport

Huawei Fit

Samsung Gear S2

Apple Watch Series 2

Vector Luna

Martian Passport MP100WSB

Garmin fenix 2

Sony SmartWatch 3 SWR50

LG G Watch R

Wellograph

Martian Notifier Watch

Phosphor Touch Time

Our Take

The one major new feature to the Apple Watch Series 3 — cellular connectivity — isn’t a reason to buy it, at least, not yet. But Apple’s Watch was already the best smartwatch you could buy, and the strong performance and sensible software enhancements have ensured it easily retains that title for the near future.

Is there a better alternative?

If you own an iPhone, no, there isn’t a better alternative smartwatch to the Apple Watch. You may want to think twice about purchasing the model with 4G LTE, however. It cannot replace your phone at the moment, unless all you ever use are Apple apps to communicate with people. It also costs extra every month on top of your existing phone plan.

The faster chip inside is a big bonus, and we’d suggest thinking very seriously about buying the Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS only to and save yourself money. You’ll get all the power benefits without the not-quite-finished phone aspect. This should change in the future as apps are updated and released, but there’s no guarantee when developers will do so.

How long will it last?

The Apple Watch Series 1 came out two-and-a-half years ago and has been updated to the latest software, and it’s still sold by Apple now. This tells us the Apple Watch Series 3 should have a three-year lifetime at an absolute minimum, from a software point of view. (Being outdated by software is incredibly frustrating, isn’t it?) The new watch is faster and more durable than ever before, plus because the design hasn’t changed, it’ll remain visually fresh. It’s reasonable to think the Apple Watch will be usable, battery dependent, for four years or more.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Apple Watch Series 3 is, by a massive distance, the best smartwatch you can buy. WatchOS easily eclipses Android Wear, from the fitness features to the neatness with which the cellular connectivity has been integrated, and it’s lightning fast in comparison. Even set up is easier, and that’s before we take into account the extensive range of straps and Watch accessories to personalize it later on. Simply put, if you have an iPhone, want a smartwatch, and don’t buy an Apple Watch, you’re making the wrong decision.

That’s not the end of the conversation though. Despite adding cellular connectivity, the Apple Watch still can’t replace your phone, and therefore isn’t an essential piece of kit. It remains an expensive add-on to your smartphone that isn’t particularly necessary. We wouldn’t be rushing to upgrade from a Series 2 Watch, but Series 1 owners should consider it for the speed benefits alone.

We do find the Apple Watch useful, though mostly for the basics like notifications, and the style has continued to grow on us over the past few years. Think twice about buying the Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular though, as it hasn’t achieved the dream of becoming a phone replacement just yet.