Win a trip to LA and two tickets to the Engadget Experience!

Next month Engadget is trying something a little different: We’re hosting a series of futuristic art installations and panels, bringing together the brightest minds in art and technology. To make The Engadget Experience happen, we gave out the largest prizes ever in the field of immersive tech — $100,000 apiece to five visionaries making art out of VR, artificial intelligence and even search results. We are so excited to showcase our winners next month, when the event opens at LA’s Ace Hotel on November 14th.

Tickets are on sale now at a temporarily reduced price, but one lucky reader can win two free tickets — plus a boatload of other stuff. We’re also throwing in a two-night stay at the Ace Hotel, a $1,000 airfare stipend and a collection of gadgets that includes the Amazon Echo, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Gear VR and a Smarthome automation bundle. Enter here to win — we hope to see you there!

Source: Alternate Realities Getaway to LA Giveaway

Universal debuts a vinyl buying service based on SMS recommendations

It isn’t hard to find vinyl subscription services these days. All it takes is a scroll through your Facebook News Feed and you’re bound to stumble across at least a few. While outfits like Turntable Lab and Vinyl Me, Please offer exclusive reissues (like Gorillaz’s Demon Days), there’s a lot of chaff in the mix as well. That’s something Universal Music Group’s new service The Sound of Vinyl might address.

There will be some 20,000 records on offer, drawing from the label’s vast archives. You sign up for the service, and Billboard says after answering a few questions about your tastes, it will send you daily text messages to gauge your music interests. Respond with “Yes” to buy a record and it’ll show up five to seven business days later. Other commands include “Like,” “Dislike” or “Own.” If you’re so inclined, you can even search Sound of Vinyl’s catalog via text message.

There aren’t any obligations, subscription fees or purchase requirements either, which gives Sound of Vinyl a leg up over other services. Shipping runs, on average $3 per record, but that can go up if you’re buying a deluxe box set — a product Sound of Vinyl is banking on pretty heavily. Specifically, stuff like remasters from Abbey Road studios.

In addition to the SMS music recommendations, there’s a website where you can browse the catalog, and a blog with entriss from curators including former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins. There’s also a pretty solid selection of records that’ve been temporarily discounted, some by 50 percent or more.

Kool Keith and Dan the Automator’s project Dr. Octagonecologyst is currently $19 versus its normal $35.98, for example. Amazon sells the album for $26.43. Slayer’s thrash-metal magnum opus Reign in Blood will set you back $25 versus Amazon’s $22.99, so you’ll still want to shop around. What’s nice is that you aren’t bound by a subscription, so it’s not like you have to buy from Sound of Vinyl just to fulfill membership requirements.

If you don’t have a good record store in your area, and don’t like the idea of automatically getting (and paying for) records you might not like, Sound of Vinyl could help you fill a few milk crates. Considering the help vinyl sales are giving the music industry, maybe don’t be too surprised if other labels follow suit. Here’s to hoping the industry follows this model, versus, say Columbia House’s from the days of yore.

Via: Billboard

Source: The Sound of Vinyl

Order from Target nationwide by chatting with Google Assistant

For the past few years, Target has been testing the Google Express service in California and New York City. Now, the service is expanding nationwide. Starting today, you can now use Google’s same-day home delivery service at Targets all across the continental US (but not Alaska or Hawaii). You can also use Google Assistant to shop with your voice; it’s coming soon to eligible Android and iPhone devices and available now on Google Home devices and Android TV.

Google Express is a delivery service that is somewhat of a competitor to Amazon Prime. You can shop from local stores and pay a per-order delivery fee, rather than Amazon’s flat yearly fee. It also promises same-day delivery, rather than a two-day wait.

Google Express’s partnership with Target, which follows their team-up with Walmart, doesn’t stop with this nationwide expansion. Target has already announced that, starting next year, REDcard members will receive 5 percent off their orders along with free shipping when they use Google Express. You will also be able to pick up your Google Express order from a Target store, if you prefer. It’s just another way for brick-and-mortar stores to complete with Amazon.

Source: Target, Google

Square Enix’s Project Hikari makes a good case for VR comics

Comics are big business in Japan, but here in the West, Japanese and American titles alike tend to get overshadowed by movies, television and video games. In fact, many of those programs might even be adaptations of popular comic titles. For its first big VR project, Square Enix’s Advanced Technology Division is putting the spotlight back on manga. But it isn’t just about taking these stories and pasting them into a headset. Due for release in 2018 on all major VR platforms, Project Hikari aims to capture the look and feel of reading a manga while taking advantage of the immersive nature of VR to let the viewer delve deeper into these worlds.

Square Enix is best known for console role-playing games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. But it has also been a manga publisher for several decades now, putting out popular titles like Soul Eater, Black Butler and Fullmetal Alchemist. When the team first encountered the Oculus dev kit back in 2013, project lead Kaei Sou says they were inspired to do something more story-focused than the usual VR fare, as well as something unique to Square Enix. The company’s large back catalog of manga gave them that opportunity.

For Project Hikari’s first outing, the team chose Tales of Wedding Rings, a lesser-known title from the company’s oeuvre. The idea was that working on something more high profile like Fullmetal Alchemist would draw criticism from fans if they didn’t like how it looked or if something was left out. But while the creator of Tales of Wedding Rings has been giving the Advanced Technology Division some feedback and art assistance as it develops the project, he’s been mostly hands off, though apparently pleased with the results.

Instead of a fully interactive experience where you wander around a virtual space and click on things that interest you, Project Hikari is focused on feeding you the story. That means there are stretches where you’re looking at panels floating in front of you, dialogue and all. It’s similar to other attempts to translate comics into VR, with images floating in a simulated space. But the Square Enix team has also added spoken dialogue, sound effects and music.

Square Enix is hardly the first to try to meld comics with other media. Marvel has been experimenting with concepts like motion comics and adaptive audio for decades. And then there’s popular webcomic Homestuck, which incorporated various multimedia and interactive elements over its thousands of pages of story.

Where Project Hikari differs is how it incorporates animation. For companies like Marvel, calling something a motion comic was a way to cover up the fact that it was essentially a cheap cartoon, with limited motion and reused backgrounds akin to an old Hanna Barbera show. But Project Hikari aims for realistic 3D animation, something that looks smooth and natural from every angle.

One of the team’s biggest challenges has been taking 2D drawings and reconceptualizing them for the virtual space. Artists may need to take a lot of shortcuts or distort their character designs in order to get them to look the right way on the page. It doesn’t matter if something isn’t anatomically accurate, as long as it looks fine in the finished drawing. But when transferred into a 3D space, the flaws in the images become obvious, with things like overly long limbs and crooked facial features seeming downright horrific.

So the character designers have had to rework the character models, making sure protagonists Satou and Hime look well-proportioned and detailed while still maintaining the distinct look of manga. It’s not unlike how the Disney short Paperman is computer animated but still carries many visual markers of hand-drawn animation. The artists on Project Hikari pay a lot of attention to line thickness and shading, aiming for the natural, somewhat imperfect look of ink on paper. But they still need to give it some 3D shadowing to give the characters weight in the eyes of the viewers who will end up standing next to them.

The animation right now is done through motion capture. That means although it looks fluid and natural, it’s impractical in the long run. The eventual goal, which the company will work toward with later chapters, is to fully animate the story from scratch on a computer.

The characters aren’t the only thing the team has had to build out though. Even if Project Hikari heavily leans on its floating-comic-panel structure, it still takes advantage of the immersiveness of VR by dropping you into fully rendered environments from time to time. For example, during my demo at this past weekend’s New York Comic Con I saw the inside of Satou’s apartment first as a comic panel, but then it slowly opened up to surround me so that it felt like I was standing inside the room. I could look out the window at the town and forest beyond, even though the original comic panel only faced the door.

One of the challenges Square Enix’s environment artists face in recreating the world is figuring out what lies beyond the comic panels. They can glean clues from the manga’s content. For example, in a later scene from the same chapter Satou does look out that window, so they can extrapolate what it would have looked like in the earlier part of the story. But other places, like the alley behind Satou and Hime’s apartment complex, don’t get as much panel time, forcing the artists to come up with their own designs.

But with all this work into creating a full 3D world, how is this adaptation of Tales of Wedding Rings still a manga? It goes a lot further than Marvel’s experiments with sound and motion, and at times it very much falls into the “walking simulator” genre of video games, where you poke around an unfamiliar environment to uncover bits of story.

But one thing about Project Hikari is that it’s more strictly regimented. The New York Comic Con demo had all interactivity removed in the name of expediency, keeping it as short as possible to ensure that more attendees could try it. But the interactive elements planned are more about making it a better reading experience: The team wants to add the ability to skip to or rewind parts of the story and to slow down or pause the action so players can look around more. The most gamelike addition will be interactive objects that can be clicked on to reveal more about the story, though these additional bits of the experience won’t be required for finishing each chapter.

The other thing that makes it more mangalike is how the story transitions between sections. Individual scenes are often separated by panels, with the viewer’s focus shifting from one to the next and something even sliding or stepping through them to reveal the next scene. This keeps the comic book feel to it but also has a huge side benefit: It’s really good at reducing VR sickness. That disconnect you often get between what your eyes are seeing and your lack of movement doesn’t happen in Project Hikari because your viewpoint isn’t being dragged around from place to place. I’m prone to motion sickness, and I’m happy to report I didn’t feel ill once during the 11-minute demo.

Manga is supposed to be relaxing, so making the viewer as comfortable as possible is key to Project Hikari. In fact, the Advanced Technology Division might have succeeded already, as several people who tried it asked if they could lie down during the demo, since that’s how they usually read manga at home. But still, one of the things many people enjoy about reading manga is the portability of it, and that’s sort of lost when transferred to VR. You not only lose the ability to curl up on your bed but also can’t throw it in your bag and read it on the subway. But Square Enix isn’t looking to replace manga any more than an anime replaces the work it’s based on. Project Hikari is just another way to experience it.

LinkedIn would like to add autoplay ads to your professional network

LinkedIn is synonymous with email spam for many users, and their latest announcement isn’t going to help their reputation. According to Recode, the company (which is now owned by Microsoft) is going to start selling autoplay video ads that users will see in their feeds. The good news here is that the videos will play without sound.

The company was late to the video party, debuting “Influencer” videos just last year, but it seems to have doubled down on the strategy since then. Since then, they’ve also added a video creation tool that allows users to record and post clips to their feed. Video posts are shared more frequently than other types of posts on LinkedIn — up to 20 times more often, according to Recode. It makes sense that they’d want to make some revenue off of them.

Sudeep Cherian, LinkedIn’s head of product marketing for ads, says that video advertising is a “must-have” for the professional networking service. They’re currently testing the product with a small group of marketers, but will expand the option to anyone who purchases advertising on the platform eventually.

Source: Recode

Here’s How Much the Inside of an iPhone Has Changed in Ten Years

Bloomberg has partnered with iFixit to provide a high-resolution look at how the inside of the iPhone has changed since first launching a decade ago.

The original iPhone on left vs. brand new iPhone 8 via Bloomberg
The original iPhone, above left, is equipped with a bulky, yellow lithium-ion battery rated for 1,400 mAh. Apple said that was good enough for up to eight hours of talk time, six hours of web browsing, seven hours of video playback, or 24 hours of audio playback, but real-world results certainly varied.

In the top-left corner sits a 2-megapixel rear camera that lacks an LED flash and shoots photos that are unequivocally blurry by today’s standards.

While shielding covers many of the other components, the original iPhone is equipped with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of storage, a single-core ARM11 processor downclocked to 412 MHz, just 128MB of RAM, and a PowerVR MBX Lite graphics processor. It also has Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi chips.

The original iPhone supports EDGE cellular networks, often referred to as 2G. The technology is so outdated that AT&T, which was the exclusive carrier of the device in the United States, doesn’t even operate a compatible network anymore.

Other hardware in the original iPhone includes a 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 320×480 pixels, a mechanical Home button, and a deeply recessed 3.5mm headphone jack that was hard to use. The device’s iPod-like 30-pin dock connector was succeeded by the Lightning connector in 2012.

By comparison, the iPhone 8 has a tall, slim battery rated for 1,812 mAh, a 12-megapixel rear camera, up to 256GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, a six-core A11 Fusion chip, Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11a/c Wi-Fi, and LTE Advanced. It has a Lightning connector, a capacitive Home button, and no headphone jack.

The inside of an iPhone has looked similar since the iPhone 4, while the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS below look noticeably different.

iPhone 3G on left vs. iPhone 3GS on right via Bloomberg
While we’ve already seen the inside of every iPhone model thanks to iFixit’s teardowns over the years, Bloomberg’s full feature article provides high-resolution photos and is worth a look for iPhone aficionados.
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Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre Break Ground on Their New USC Academy Opening in 2019

Apple employees Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre this week broke ground on The Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, a new academy named after the two men opening at the University of Southern California in 2019 (via USC News). The academy will focus on four areas of study: art and design; engineering and computer science; business and venture management; and communication.

The origins of the academy date back to 2013, when Iovine and Dr. Dre donated $70 million to help create the 10,000 square foot academy. Although the first building won’t open for another two years — called the “Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Hall” — some of the academy’s programs and classes are being run within other USC buildings. In total, 114 students are already taking part in Iovine’s and Dr. Dre’s new program, and are set to graduate next May.

Image via Gus Ruela/USC Photo

“It will stoke the fire of students’ imaginations, and it will propel the next generations of inventions and products that will transform our lives,” USC President C. L. Max Nikias said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“I hope at this school we can help our students to dream big, execute and build the courage to stay in the saddle,” Iovine said Wednesday.

One of the academy’s programs includes an annual pitch competition where students have the opportunity to win $10,000 to help grow an original idea, and a few enrolled in its programs have recently received internships at Facebook, Hulu, Sony, and Oculus. To get into the academy, students described “the most intense application process,” where they first submit a portfolio and video of their own idea or business proposal, and then sit down for an interview with a panel of 10 people.

In a profile by The Wall Street Journal in 2014, Iovine explained that the academy was built to prepare students to “speak both languages” of technology and liberal arts. The Apple Music executive also said that one of the goals of backing the academy is to “find kids who can work at Beats or at Apple.”

Tags: Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre
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Apple Donating $1 Million to Fire Relief Efforts in Northern California

Apple has pledged to donate $1 million to fire relief efforts in Northern California, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

In addition to donating $1 million, Apple will also match employee donations two-for-one.

Image via the SF Chronicle
Tim Cook on Tuesday said Apple would donate to relief efforts, but at the time, he did not specify a dollar amount.

Our thoughts are with our Bay Area friends & neighbors affected by wildfires. Please stay safe! Apple is donating to aid relief efforts.

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 10, 2017

There are several fires raging in Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa, California, a popular area known as “wine country.” Fires in Southern and Northern California are common in October, a dry month often impacted by dry, high-speed Santa Ana winds, which makes for deadly fire conditions.

The fires in Northern California are the worst that have been seen in recent years, and the deadliest in terms of structures destroyed and people killed. 23 people have died and hundreds are marked as missing.

Fires first started on late Sunday night and have raged on since then. Even today, Thursday, the fires remain almost entirely uncontained and thousands of people are still evacuating from their homes.

Other tech companies have also pledged donations. Facebook will also donate $1 million, while Google will donate $500,000.
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Looking for the best wireless mouse you can buy? Here are six we simply love

Wires are so last century. Wireless mice have become the standard for computer interaction. They just make sense: If you’re going to have an input device that constantly moves around by its very design, why would you want anything getting in the way?

At this point, there are literally thousands of choices vying for your wireless dollar, from under $20 to well over $100, and many specifically tailored — we’ve vetted the best gaming mice separately, for example. So which one is the best? While that’s certainly a subjective question, you can’t go wrong with any of the picks for the best wireless mouse provided below.

The Best

Logitech MX Master ($62+)

Logitech MX Master

The MX series has been the cream of Logitech’s crop for high-end mice, and the company pulled out all the stops with the “Master” update to its much-loved MX Performance model. While the Master retains the basic shape of the MX line with its distinctive thumb rest flare, the body has been re-sculpted with a higher back and some eye-catching trim.

The scroll wheel now automatically switches between the gliding “fast scroll” mode and the more usable single-scroll function without the need to press a physical button, and a secondary scroll wheel lets you scroll horizontally with your thumb. Standard left, right, and middle buttons, plus forward and back buttons, and a multi-tasting thumb button, are all programmable in Logitech’s software.

But it’s what’s on the inside that counts. In addition to a new permanent rechargeable battery, the MX Master is one of the only mice on the market that works wirelessly over RF (with Logitech’s proprietary “Unifying” dongles, one of which is included) and Bluetooth, allowing dongle-free connection to most new laptops and tablets. A handy illuminated button on the bottom of the mouse allows you to switch between three devices, connected via dongle or Bluetooth, without any extra pairing.

The mouse only has two downsides. First, its $100 price tag, and second, its small and pointy forward and back buttons. If those are points of contention for you, the MX Performance (with more finger-friendly browser buttons) is still widely available, and often discounted now that its successor is on the market. Also, if you want a mobile version of this mouse, check out the superb MX Anywhere 2.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Best Buy

The Rest

Best mobile mouse — Logitech MX Anywhere 2 ($51)

If you’re looking for a wireless mouse so you’re not stuck using your laptop’s touchpad, this is the tail-free mechanical rodent for you. It sports a small profile so it’s easy to carry, but large enough so you don’t feel like you’re pushing a child’s toy. It’s compact form is sculpted to fit your hand, and provides enough space on the left side to provide two additional buttons for your thumb’s pressing pleasure.

Given this mouse is built for mobile, you won’t find an arsenal of buttons. Outside the mentioned thumb buttons, the mouse only provides the standard left/right click buttons, and a middle clicker mounted behind the mouse wheel. This wheel can tilt left to right for horizontal scrolling, and provides two tactile-based modes. It has Click-To-Click for bump-based tactile feedback, and Free-Spin for a smooth spin.

With Logitech’s MX Anywhere 2, you can connect to your PC in three ways — via the provided USB cable, Bluetooth, or using the included Logitech Unifying Receiver (2.4GHz wireless). It supports the Logitech Easy Switch platform, meaning you can pair up to three compatible mice, and switch between them with a simple press of a button located on the bottom of the peripheral.

On the technical side, the mouse has a sensitivity between 200 and 4,000 dots per inch (DPI). It’s based on Logitech’s Darkfield laser tracking system that uses a laser to track any surface, resulting in a mouse that you can use anywhere, even on glass.

We love this mobile mouse because it’s a “focused” peripheral. It’s meant for on-the-go computing, and promises up to 70 days of use on a single charge. That’s right — it includes a built-in rechargeable battery, so when the level gets low, just plug it into your laptop’s USB port. You simply can’t go wrong with this sporty compact mouse.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Best Buy

Best ergonomic mouse — Evoluent VerticalMouse ($80+)

If ergonomics is your primary focus, the Evoluent VerticalMouse is our pick. We ran this bad boy through the gauntlet in 2016, and it’s still one of our favorite mice on the market.

Overall, the VerticalMouse looks like a dorsal fin protruding from your desk. The unit tapers toward the flared base, keeping your hand elevated and allowing you to more aptly keep your wrist aligned with your forearm. This positioning relieves physiological stress, potentially minimizing fatigue and the risk of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

The unit is divided into three main elements. With the right-handed model, the button and wheel are located on the right side of the device. The left side incorporates a rounded indentation for your thumb to rest along. This setup allows you to grip the mouse at a 90-degree abduction angle when compared to a standard mouse.

A series of blue LEDs along the top ridge of the mouse illustrate the current DPI level while in use. One of the biggest drawbacks with this model, however, is that the mouse wheel does not click. Perhaps Evoluent will tweak this slight design flaw in later iterations. Read our VerticalMouse review here.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Best trackball mouse — Logitech M570 ($28)

Trackballs aren’t all that popular these days, so your options are limited, and even more limited if you want one that’s wireless. The Logitech M570 is the clear standout in the limited field of conventional stationary trackballs thanks to is standardized mouse shape that puts the ball comfortably under your thumb instead of jutting out beneath your index or middle fingers.

That design choice leaves your fingers free for mouse-style click buttons, plus smartly-placed browser buttons that leave your thumb on the ball. The M570’s ball pops out without any extra pieces or tabs for easy cleaning, and it works with Logitech’s Unifying RF receiver (handy if you share a desktop with a fan of a standard mouse).

Buy one now from:

Amazon Best Buy

Best mouse for gaming — SteelSeries Rival 700 ($75)

SteelSeries did something fantastic when it conjured up the Rival 700: it crammed a small OLED screen on the left side of this mechanical rodent for PC gamers.

This little black-and-white OLED screen sports a mere 128 x 36 resolution, but packs enough space for you to create a cool logo or some other graphic to make this mouse your own. You can even create animations that run at 10 frames per second, or install one of the pre-generated images and animations SteelSeries provides right here.

But there’s more to this mouse than just its cool OLED screen. It includes a removable rubbery nameplate, too, that’s meant to be replaced. By accessing these files provided by SteelSeries, you can design your own customized nameplate, and then 3D-print that design to replace the default Rival nameplate. It’s just another way to make this mouse your own, which we simply love.

Another cool aspect of the Rival 700 is its tactile-based feedback. You can “feel” alerts in the palm of your hand through different forms of vibrations. For instance, if you wanted to feel the firing effects of a gun, you could assign the appropriate button with “Vibrate On Click” to feel the pulse on gunfire. Want to feel the effects of bunny-hopping? Assign your jump button with the “Triple Click” vibration to feel three short pulses.

The Rival 700 is based on the PixArt PMW3360 optical sensor with a sensitivity ranging between 100 and 16,000 dots per inch. It has a polling rate of up to 1,000Hz, and a maximum acceleration of 50g. There are seven buttons in all, with the two main click buttons relying on proprietary switches promising up to 30 million clicks. That all said, the Rival 700 would definitely be a great addition to your PC gaming arsenal, even if it’s just for the visual bling.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Best Buy

Best budget mouse — Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 ($15+)

The Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 is a economic, no-frills alternative. The wireless mouse may not blow you away with adjustable click force or customizable accents, but if you’re in need of a wireless mouse and want to spend less than $20, this is your best bet.

The Mobile Mouse 3500 uses the company’s BlueTrack Technology, which capitalizes on a combination of both optical and laser precision for reliable tracking on an array of surfaces. The symmetrical, ambidextrous design also makes the Mobile Mouse 3500 perfect for users of left or right-handed persuasion.

And unlike the other premium mice on our roundup, Microsoft’s offering can last up to eight months on a single charge, which a welcome feature to say the least.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Microsoft Best Buy

The ultimate guide to 2017’s Android Wear smartwatches

If you’re shopping for an Android Wear smartwatch, it’s too easy to be overwhelmed by all the options. In addition to mobile mainstays like LG and Huawei, luxury watch makers like Fossil and Tag Heuer have also entered the fray. The market is only becoming more crowded — but fortunately, all that competition means the products are only improving year after year. In this article, we’ll break down all the timepieces toting Android Wear 2.0 releasing in 2017, whether you’re after something lavish or sporty.

As a quick refresher, Android Wear is the smartwatch operating system from Google. It has been around for a few years, but Google launched a major redesign — version 2.0 — early this year. Similarly to the Apple Watch, Android Wear watches can give you all the notifications from your phone to your wrist, and you can interact with many of them. Some tout GPS, support for NFC to make payments with Android Pay, and an LTE connection, while others keep it simple with notifications, access to Google Assistant, and a lower price tag. For more details on what’s new, read our Android Wear 2.0 guide.

Fashion watches

Michael Kors Access Sofie ($350)

Brenda Stoylar/Digital Trends

We were pleased with Michael Kors’ latest women’s smartwatch, the Access Sofie, in our review. Though it’s not a success on every front — battery life is just middle of the road, and you won’t find NFC inside — it’s one of the most attractive women’s watch we’ve seen yet. The gemstones encircling the face surely won’t be to everyone’s taste, but you can tone down the look with interchangeable mesh and leather straps. The Access Sofie feels light on the wrist, and the display is bright, if a little on the smaller side. Still, it packs performance on par with the best Android Wear has to offer, and, being a women’s watch, there aren’t many alternatives that fill the niche.

Michael Kors Access Sofie Review

Buy it now from:

Micahael Kors

Michael Kors Access Grayson ($350)

Christian de Looper/Digital Trends

The Access Grayson is Michael Kors’ Android Wear smartwatch for men. It packs the same internals as the Access Sofie, such as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, and it also has an IP67 water- and dust-resistant design, as well as support for interchangeable bands. Where it differs is design — it’s a lot bulkier, it has a bigger screen, and there are three customizable buttons on the right side. There’s no NFC here for Android Pay, and you won’t find GPS or heart-rate monitoring. If you’re looking for a good-looking watch that performs well and can offer up interactive notifications — with access to Google Assistant — the Grayson is a solid option.

Michael Kors Access Grayson review

Buy it now from:

Michael Kors

Fossil Q Explorist ($255)

Fossil’s Q Founder was one of our favorite smartwatches of last year, and the Q Explorist improves on its predecessor with a fully circular screen, a slimmer design, and the proper specs to match. The watch is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor — the same chip found in the best-performing Android Wear devices — and comes with 4GB of internal storage for music. Despite the name, you won’t find GPS or heart rate tracking here, which is typical among luxury smartwatches. When you’re buying a watch like this, style is paramount, and the Explorist picks up where the Founder left off. Best of all, the price isn’t out of the range of affordability, starting at just $255. You can opt for a stainless steel bracelet, or a leather strap, and the cases come in different colors. Look forward to our review soon.

Buy it now from:

Fossil

Fossil Q Venture ($255)

If you’re a woman and you want something a little slimmer, smaller, and lighter than Fossil’s Q Explorist, the Q Venture packs a more feminine design with the same hardware inside. The look is less rugged and more elegant, but you won’t pay any more than you would for the Q Explorist. The Venture comes in several different stainless steel finishes: rose gold, gold, silver, and a combination of navy and rose gold that can be purchased with a matching strap. Speaking of straps, all of Fossil’s 18mm collection is compatible with the Venture. We’re currently reviewing this product.

Buy it now from:

Fossil

Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 ($1,550)

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

If you want a smartwatch but refuse to compromise on design, Tag Heuer’s Connected Modular 45 is the best Android Wear has to offer. Combining the look and feel of a Swiss timepiece with everything Google’s wearable platform has to offer, the Connected 45 is the right blend of luxury and technology that doesn’t skimp on either. Owing to the name, there are a variety of straps, horns, and clasps available for the Connected Modular 45 that can be mixed and matched as you please. In total there are over 500 combinations, and they all fit together perfectly. You can even purchase a mechanical watch module ($1,650) in case you want to go off the grid. The titanium body keeps the watch light on your wrist, and while it’s questionable whether any smartwatch will stand the test of time technologically speaking, there’s no doubt the Connected Modular 45’s design and build won’t fade. At least we hope so, considering the device starts at $1,600.

Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 hands-on review

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TagHeuer

Guess Connect Touch ($300)

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Guess’ Connect Touch line is surprisingly reasonably priced — for just $300, you can get a 41mm watch face with the design you’d expect from the famed brand. A 44mm version is also available for $350, and Guess has created versions for both men and women. Each has a selection of customizable straps, with watch faces based on the company’s existing mechanical designs. In total, there are six body styles for men, six for women, and another six considered unisex. Again, there’s no GPS or heart-rate monitor. It’s expected to launch this fall.

Guess Connect Touch hands-on review

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Gc Connect

Guess’ watch sub-brand, Gc by Guess, is also releasing an Android Wear smartwatch with a similar name. The Gc Connect’s design is based on the company’s Structura analog watches, and comes in both men’s and women’s styles. The watches do look quite different from Guess’ Connect Touch, with a more minimalist design and less bling overall. They still feature the same hardware underneath however, so you won’t have to compromise on technology to achieve a more modest look. Currently, there’s no word on pricing or availability, though we expect it to launch around the same time as the Guess Connect at a similar price.

Hugo Boss Touch ($395)

Hugo Boss’ first Android Wear smartwatch, the Touch, follows up the brand’s Smart Classic hybrid released last year. That was a mechanical watch with a simple LCD display behind the face, but the Touch is a full-on smartwatch powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 platform. It features NFC, which means you can use Android Pay to make contactless payments. The device is manufactured by Movado, which is also producing Tommy Hilfiger’s TH24/7YOU, and costs $395. We haven’t heard much about it since it was announced earlier this year, but we’ll update this article when we hear a release date.

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Macy’s

Tommy Hilfiger TH24/7YOU ($300)

Both the Hugo Boss Touch and Tommy Hilfiger TH24/7YOU are mostly the same underneath, though Tommy Hilfiger’s version omits NFC to reach a price point about $100 less. There are still clear similarities in the designs, however, and the most notable difference with this model is the option of a metal link bracelet for the band. You’ll also receive a different set of watch faces bearing the brand’s iconic red, white, and blue color scheme. The TH24/7YOU is expected to go on sale this holiday season.

Movado Connect ($595)

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While Movado may produce smartwatches for Hugo Boss and Tommy Hilfiger, it’s most luxurious offering is sold under its own brand name. It’s called the Movado Connect, and its refined, minimalist design makes it one of the most attractive Android Wear products on the market today. A 46.5 mm body makes it one of the largest on this list, but it isn’t terribly thick, and you’ll find more than 100 customizable watch faces to make the most of that big display. NFC is thankfully included in the package, just like the Hugo Boss Touch. The Movado Connect begins at $595, but depending on how you configure it, the price can easily stretch close to $1,000.

Movado Connect review

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Macy’s

Montblanc Summit ($890)

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With its massive 46mm body, the Montblanc Summit is anything but subtle — but it’s the little details that really make it special. The 400 x 400 pixel resolution display is one of the best we’ve seen on a smartwatch, with a slight dome to its shape. Available in polished stainless steel or titanium, whichever Summit you choose is rated IP68 water-resistant and it features an embedded heart-rate sensor. That’s something you won’t find on many luxury wearables, and certainly helps justify the device’s steep cost of entry — $890.

Montblanc Summit hands-on review

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Bloomingdale’s

Diesel On Full Guard ($325)

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If you’re after a luxury watch with a seriously sporty flair, the Diesel On Full Guard nails the look. It’s not really a wearable for fitness connoisseurs — there’s no heart rate monitor nor is there any water resistance. If you’re looking for a watch chock full of features, you’ll be disappointed. For a starting price of $325, you’ll miss out on GPS and NFC as well. But the On is notable in other ways. The 454 x 454 display is among the highest resolution we’ve seen on an Android Wear watch yet, so it’s remarkably crisp and clear. The design looks positively stunning, when mixed with the brown leather straps, gunmetal body, and one of the more techy watch faces. Thankfully, it’s lightweight and comfortable to wear, despite bearing a more rugged and intimidating appearance.

Diesel On Full Guard Review

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Nordstrom

Emporio Armani Connected Touchscreen Smartwatch ($345)

Manufactured by Fossil, Emporio Armani’s new Android Wear-powered smartwatch sits above the company’s hybrid timepieces, but still starts at $345. If you’re shopping for fashion, that’s not bad — though under the surface, there’s very little differentiating this watch from others in the price range. The design and build quality is unquestionably solid, and it offers the same Android Wear 2.0 features as the other watches. With a Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset, it’s certainly powerful enough to handle most tasks, though you won’t find NFC, GPS, or a heart rate sensor on board. Our full review is on the way.

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Macy’s

Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon ($2,450)

In a sea of similar-looking smartwatches, Louis Vuitton’s offering easily stands out. It’s got a price tag like no other, too — $2,450. For that, you get a smartwatch that no doubt looks brilliant, with its bowed, almost hourglass-like profile. Sadly, it comes with less RAM and a smaller battery than its competitors. Fashion takes no backseat to technology in the world of jewelry, but when you’re spending that much, it’s hard not to be slightly bothered that ZTE sells a watch that comfortably beats this one in specifications and costs less than a tenth of the price. Still, you get to take your pick from a total of 60 strap designs and three case styles — stainless steel, brushed steel, and black. The Tambour Horizon, which is available now, also comes pre-loaded with a suite of travel apps to help with things like flight itineraries and finding local places of interest, which its jet-setting clientele will likely find useful.

Fitness watches

Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 ($500)

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Casio’s always had a reputation for rugged electronics, and for Android Wear, the Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 is about as rugged as they come. Adhering to the military’s MIL-STD-810G standard, the Pro Trek is resistant to shock, pressure, temperature, and, most importantly, water. With protection against up to 50 meters of water pressure, Casio’s watch is an excellent option if you’re an avid swimmer, hiker, or general outdoor enthusiast. GPS functionality and the ability to download maps make it an even better choice. But one of the most fascinating things about the Pro Trek is its dual-layered display. The watch actually has two screens stacked together: the typical color LCD, in this case with a resolution of 320 x 300, and a traditional monochrome panel on top. As a result, the Pro Trek can turn off Android Wear and switch to the monochrome screen, which conserves significantly more battery power — it can last about a month in this mode, but you only get access to the time.

Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 review

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Macy’s

LG Watch Sport (As low as $250, original retail price was $350)

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If you’re looking for a watch that will best serve your fitness needs and love of the outdoors, but isn’t quite as bulky as Casio’s Pro Trek, the LG Watch Sport might be more your speed. It’s thick and bulky, but it still carries a tasteful, minimalist design that won’t look quite so out of place during a night out. Just as important, it packs a ton of features as well, like standalone GPS, NFC, and LTE connectivity. Not many smartwatches can claim the latter, and it makes the Watch Sport something to consider if you’re after the most functionality. Unfortunately, being connected to cell towers all the time isn’t great for battery life, and unsurprisingly, that’s where the Watch Sport struggles the most. A day seems to be the max LG’s device can deliver, and even if you leave it mostly idle, it’ll eat up a third of a full charge in 20 hours. If you can put up with below average longevity, the Watch Sport is a solid option priced at $350, but it’s even better with a $250 price tag on Amazon.

LG Watch Sport Review

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LG Watch Sport

Verizon Wear24 ($350 – discontinued)

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Give Verizon credit — nobody expected a carrier to release a smartwatch, but then came the Wear24. There’s a lot to like about Big Red’s watch on paper — it was one of the first to launch with Android Wear 2.0, and it even features LTE connectivity. But that’s just about it. There’s very little to say about the design; there’s no heart rate monitor, so even with GPS and an LTE connection, it falls short of working as a true fitness companion. We also lamented the lack of NFC, which means you can’t use Android Pay, and the speaker quality is poor. You can do far better for the $350 price tag, except Verizon has already discontinued sales of the Wear24. It looks like time isn’t on Verizon’s side.

Verizon Wear24 Review

Huawei Watch 2 Classic/Sport (As low as $245, original retail price was $300)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The first Huawei Watch was one of our favorite Android Wear watches, and while the second generation isn’t quite as stylish, as an overall package, it’s even better. Whether you buy the Classic or Sport model, you get loads of features, like NFC, GPS, IP68 water resistance, and 4GB of onboard storage for music. Where the Watch 2 really shines, however, is in the battery life department. Through average usage, the Huawei Watch 2‘s 420mAh battery will put in slightly more than a day of work. But Huawei has included an optional Watch Mode that — like the Casio watch — turns off Android Wear and just displays the time and your step count, nothing else. In Watch Mode, the device can last up to 25 days. A “dumb” smartwatch is surely better than a dead one. The only difference between the Watch 2 Sport and Classic, aside from the aesthetics, is the presence of LTE connectivity. The watch retailed at $300 when introduced, but now can be found for as low as $245.

Huawei Watch 2 Review

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Newegg

New Balance RunIQ (As low as $200, original retail price was $300)

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New Balance’s smartwatch features the typical hallmarks of a high-end fitness tracker, but it goes one step further thanks to a partnership with Strava — an app popular with runners and bicyclists that tracks their activity and encourages a little healthy competition. Unfortunately, using the watch in this way significantly reduces its battery life. During casual use, you can expect to get 24 hours out of the RunIQ. On your workout, with Strava active, that drops to about five hours. Still, for your $200 (discounted price), you’ll get GPS, heart rate tracking and 5ATM water resistance. If running is your preferred way to stay in shape, it’s worth a look. This 2017 watch launched with Android Wear 1.0, but an update is now available to make the jump to version 2.0.

New Balance RunIQ hands-on review

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Amazon

Budget all-rounders

LG Watch Style (As low as $180, original retail price was $250)

For most people, LG’s Watch Style ticks all the boxes. Co-designed with Google, the Watch Style is as pure an expression of Android Wear as you’ll find. It’s not perfect — it lacks NFC, meaning you can’t use it for tap-and-pay transactions, and the battery is a little small. However, that’s partly made up with a tasteful, minimalist design, a svelte form factor, and responsive hardware. The Watch Style makes some other watches on this list feel bulky and unwieldy by comparison. It also comes with a strap made from genuine Italian leather, a welcome addition given that it starts at $250. Price actually has a lot to do with why the Watch Style is on this list — you can find one for as low as $180. With those savings, LG’s offering truly slides into budget territory, making it even more compelling.

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B&H

Misfit Vapor ($200)

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Priced at just $200, Misfit’s first full-fledged smartwatch is powered by Android Wear 2.0 and touts many features typical of more expensive devices, like a circular AMOLED display, 5ATM water resistance, a heart rate sensor, and a touch-sensitive bezel. It’s not out yet, though it’s expected to launch this month. We did have an opportunity to test the Misfit Vapor earlier in the year, before the company shifted from developing its own operating system to Android Wear. We liked what we saw, and despite the low price, there doesn’t appear to be any obvious compromises. At the very least, this is a watch you should keep a close eye on entering the new year.

Misfit Vapor hands-on review

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Misfit

ZTE Quartz (As low as $96, original retail price was $192)

In our review, we said the ZTE Quartz is “the cheapest Android watch you’ll want to wear.” While that won’t be enough to win the fashion crowd over, it does mean ZTE’s device is one of your least expensive routes to a real smartwatch — and there’s certainly some value in that. For just $192 — now discounted to just $96 — you get the best specs among any device on this list — 768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, and a 500mAh battery. Unfortunately, although it’s fast, fluid, and will last longer on a charge than its competitors, the Quartz misses the mark in a few key areas. You won’t find NFC, GPS, or a heart rate sensor onboard. Other watches might be able to get away with such omissions because they work as elegant fashion accessories, but the Quartz’s uncomfortable band and bulky, bland design don’t help the cause.

ZTE Quartz Review

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T-Mobile

Mobvoi Ticwatch S/Ticwatch E ($200 and $160)

The latest Ticwatch, made by Google-backed Chinese startup Mobvoi, was successfully funded on Kickstarter and looks to release later this year. It comes in two flavors — the S and the E — with the primary difference between them relating to the design and display size. The Ticwatch S has a slightly larger screen with GPS cleverly integrated into the band, to cut down on the thickness of the body. The Ticwatch E features the GPS in the case, allowing for interchangeable bands, and it’ll cost less. Price is a major factor with both of these watches. The Ticwatch E will cost just $160 when it hits retail. That’s is by far the cheapest device on this list (at retail price), while the Ticwatch S comes in at $200. No matter which you buy, each comes with GPS, heart rate monitoring, IP67 water resistance, and Ticwatch’s own suite of fitness apps. The screen is one of the highest-resolution you’ll find on the market, at 400 x 400 pixels, and while the plastic and rubber construction won’t fool anyone, these are two charming little smartwatches with surprisingly extensive feature sets.