Photos of the BMW Vision iNEXT Concept leak onto the web despite embargo

Earlier this week, journalists from around the world, including yours truly, were invited to preview BMW’s all-new Vision iNEXT Concept as it travels around the world to various cities to be showcased. Although we were all under an embargo, the photos of the concept somehow leaked onto the web before it lifted.

So while we can now see it in the full via some pictures, you’ll have to sit tight for us to spill the beans on the specific details.

Regardless, this is it, BMW’s anticipated Vision iNEXT concept:

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According to CarAdvice in Australia, a user on Bimmerpost leaked low-resolution photos, showcasing the concept in full.

Just by looking at it, you can tell the design is quite bold and certainly inherits the sort of design cues you’d expect from BMW and its i-brand, the same one that gave us the i3 and the i8. You can also obviously tell that this is nowhere near production ready.

Unlike the i3 or the i8, however, the Vision iNEXT Concept is more of a crossover sport utility vehicle, whereas the i3 is a tiny city car, and the i8 is a mid-engine luxury sports coupe.

From the leaked photos, the Vision iNEXT’s size and profile put it nearly in the realm of a midsize crossover, with plenty of ground clearance and an upright shoulder profile, but with a low roofline.

Overall, the cabin also appears rather airy, with large windows and a windscreen that meets a panoramic glass roof on top. Upfront, the signature kidney grille grows to the size that we were expecting based on the previous video teaser that was released not too long ago.

From previous reports, we know BMW is on a big electrification effort to expand its electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) options. The German automaker wants to push outside the envelope and become a leader via innovation as a mass-market automobile manufacturer.

This means we can expect a huge range of new powertrain and platform technologies and an influx of new models. The Vision iNEXT concept itself is a result of these efforts.

Editors’ Recommendations

• BMW teases its Vision iNEXT Concept ahead of global debut next week
• BMW’s flagship luxury coupe returns after a 20-year hiatus
• We drove the Volkswagen concept pickup that truck fans will drool over
• Aston Martin flying concept brings style and luxury to the skies
• Autonomous Mercedes concept shape-shifts from cargo van to rideshare vehicle

Amazon Prime members can grab a Fire TV Cube for just $80 right now

“Alexa, it’s movie night.”

Update: This deal, along with the discount on the Fire TV Stick, is set to last only through September 17, so make sure to place your order while it’s active!

Right now, Amazon Prime members can score a Fire TV Cube for just $79.99. Though we did see a coupon last week dropping its price to $70, that offer was only available to select Amazon accounts, whereas this deal is open to anyone who has a Prime membership. This is its next lowest price ever too. During its pre-order phase, it was available for $90, but since then it has mainly sold for $120.

CordCutters did a full review of the Fire TV Cube. Essentially, imagine the way you use an Echo Dot now to control all the wirelessly connected appliances around your home. Then imagine that control plugged into your TV so you can control everything plugged in there with your voice as well. That’s what you get with this new device. It’s a way to turn on the TV, play your favorite DVD, adjust the volume on your home audio system, dim the lights, and get your microwave to cook some popcorn all without moving from the best spot on the couch.

See at Amazon

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is down to just $25 right now for Prime members

Streaming made affordable.

Update: This deal, along with the discount on the Fire TV Cube, is set to last only through September 17, so make sure to place your order while it’s active!

Right now, Prime members can pick up an Amazon Fire TV Stick for just $24.99, which is $15 less than it normally sells for. The Fire TV Stick is Amazon’s most affordable streaming hardware that provides quick and easy access to popular services like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, and more. It has an Alexa-enabled voice remote, which means that you can speak to it and get your favorite shows played without having to search for them manually.

If you’re looking for something more robust, the Fire TV Cube is also on sale, which adds the best of Amazon’s Alexa as well. This one lets you turn your TV on, change apps, and more with just your voice. You can’t go wrong with either, but you’ll want to make sure you grab one now, before the discounts are gone.

See at Amazon

Lexus digitizes side-view mirrors with cameras for Japan’s 2019 ES sedan

It seems Lexus is fed up with having to look at a piece of reflective glass and plastic to know what’s in your side rearview. That’s so 2017. So the company decided to introduce a new way to look behind you and to the sides with the  2019 Lexus ES sedan.

The automaker announced that new digital side-view monitors will replace the traditional side-view mirror on the new ES when it launches in Japan next month. The monitors basically replace the old, analog reflective surface in favor of a compact high-definition camera. The camera then projects what it sees through two additional LCD screens the size of your average portable satellite navigation, mounted at the A-pillar of the ES sedan.

As if cars already don’t come with enough screens… And honestly, we’re not quite sure what’s wrong with the traditional side-view mirror? Sometimes old tech is simply the best tech.

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Lexus claims this arrangement as the world’s first application of “digital side-view monitors” on a mass-produced vehicle. The purpose is to offer a far more expanded and detailed view of what’s behind and to the sides of the car while traveling, to avoid collisions with other vehicles.

Lexus also boasts it increases forward side visibility while reducing the size of the blind spot caused by the traditional side-vide mirror, thanks to a smaller shape. And because of the units’ smaller sizes, there is less wind noise as well.

Further, with the digitization of the side-view comes unique software. The system also displays visual overlays on the screen whenever it senses a vehicle in one of the rear-three-quarter areas, highlighting the other vehicle and notifying the driver.

Lexus says the system will debut on the new ES in Japan when it launches in October. The system is only for the Japanese market, where legislators approved its use earlier this year. As you expect, such tech advancements are not yet available in the U.S. due to the snail pace in policy making with U.S. Department of Transportation safety standards — which also explains why we can’t get some of the cool headlight technology available on some German automobiles.

This is also not the first time an automaker replaced traditional mirrors with a digital camera and screen for rear views: Cadillac introduced a digital center rearview display to replace the usual rearview mirror on some of its models in 2016.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 2018 Lexus LC500 review
• Mirror unveils a gym-in-a-mirror, so you can watch yourself sweat
• The Huawei Mate 20 Lite is A.I.-powered, attractive, and affordable
• Audi funnels its racing heritage into an electric supercar concept
• LG V35 ThinQ review

Giant NASA space laser satellite will gauge climate change’s impact on ice sheets

No, it’s not the villainous plan of a James Bond antagonist — although we’d totally understand if you thought it might be. On Saturday, September 15, NASA is set to launch its most advanced space laser of all time as part of a $1 billion mission aimed at revealing the extent to which climate change has affected Earth’s ice sheet surface elevation.

Called ICESat-2, the half-ton satellite will blast off at around 5:46 a.m. PT from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. It is the follow-up to a previous five-year mission, ICESat, which concluded in 2009. The first ICESat helped demonstrate the way that ice cover has disappeared from coastal parts of Greenland and Antarctica. It also made clear that the sea ice is thinning. As its successor, ICESat-2 will fill in more detail about the bigger picture by examining how ice cover changes over the course of one year. The mission follows four of the hottest years in recent times, spanning 2014 to 2017. The hope is that this data will help scientists to better forecast the rise of the sea level, as well as provide a better understanding of climate change and its effects.

Richard Slonaker, ICESat-2 program executive at NASA, told reporters ahead of the launch that this mission is, “exceptionally important for science.”

ICESat-2 boasts a fearsome pair of lasers (the second is a backup), which will fire at a rate of 10,000 times per second. While these won’t produce enough heat to do any damage to the ice, they will enable the satellite to take incredibly detailed measurements. These measurements will be taken approximately every 2.3 feet along the path of the satellite. They will be used to check the slope and height of the ice, not just the area that it covers.

“The mission will gather enough data to estimate the annual elevation change in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, even if it’s as slight as four millimeters — the width of a No. 2 pencil,” NASA said in a statement.

The ICESat-2 mission is expected to run for three years. But there is enough fuel on board to let it continue for up to a decade should mission control decide it is important.

Editors’ Recommendations

• As sea levels rise, NASA’s new laser satellite will monitor polar ice decline
• Get your Sagan on with 60 awe-inspiring photos of the final frontier
• We’re going to the Red Planet! All the past, present, and future missions to Mars
• NASA’s planet-hunting TESS satellite: What you need to know
• Astronomers make huge exoplanet discovery haul in record time

Photo FOMO: Recharge and stash lenses with this smartphone photo bag

Manfrotto

Afraid of missing out on the latest photo industry news while you’re out, well, actually taking pictures? Photo FOMO is all the news you might have missed this week, published on the weekends. Alongside the biggest stories of the week, like Photoshop’s upcoming advanced Content-Aware Fill, Adobe Premiere Pro’s AI audio clean-up, and Aurora HDR’s latest update, find briefs on the latest in accessories and photo industry news from this week with Photo FOMO.

The Manfrotto Befree is a bit more free with a convertible monopod built-in

The Manfrotto Befree is a popular travel tripod option, but now the line allows photographers to skip packing a monopod too. The Manfrotto Befree 2N1 is a tripod that converts to a monopod in a few steps. The company says that a new locking system allows the system to remain sturdy as both a tripod and monopod.

The tripod converts to a monopod by twisting off one leg and locking into the center column for use as a monopod. The Befree 2N1 will have two versions, one with twist locks and one with lever locks. The convertible tripod will be available later this month at a retail price of $220. The company also announced that the new Befree Live tripod designed for video will also be launching with a lever lock option.

Cosyspeed wants to launch camera bags for … smartphones?

Most camera bags are dedicated to stashing larger gear and accessories, but what about smartphone photographers? Cosyspeed’s Phoneslinger bags are designed for the smartphone photographer with a place to stash add-on lenses and even wirelessly charging your smartphone on the go. The company says the line is the first bags designed specifically for smartphone photography and videography.

The line comes includes three different options, all that can be worn on a belt the strap of another bag or with Cosyspeed’s modular belt system. The Phoneslinger Power includes a wireless power bank to charge your phone while it’s stashed in the bag. Phonesligher Prime is designed to hold a smartphone and up to four smartphone lenses, while the Phoneslinger Outdoor is constructed from a rugged material. The bags can also be added to the Flowbelt Modular Belt system along with other existing Cosyspeed bags.

The company aims to launch the smartphone photography bags on Indiegogo, where there are two months left to raise $25,000. The smartphone bags start at $39 with accessories starting at $16 — if the crowdfunding is successful.

Moment’s new $99 iPhone case charges your phone too

After funding on Kickstarter, Moment now has iPhone cases designed both for the company’s lenses as well as wireless charging. Compatible with the iPhone X and XS with options for the XS Max and XR expected out later this month, the case also has a two-stage shutter release. That shutter button means the camera shoots similar to a DSLR with a half press to focus and a full press to shoot, a feature in Moment’s new camera app.

Sigma’s cinema lens line gains a new 28mm, 40mm, and 105mm

Sigma’s cinema lens family just got a bit bigger — this week, Sigma announced the 28mm T1.5, the 40mm T1.5, and the 105mm T1.5. All three lenses are designed for 6K and 8K resolution, Sigma says. The update brings the total lens count for the cinema line to 10, with options in PL, Canon EF and Sony E mounts. The 105mm is slated to arrive first next month, with the 40mm to follow before the end of the year and the 28mm early next year. Prices haven’t yet been announced.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Photo FOMO: Wearable monopod, phone viewfinder are odd, but maybe useful
• Photo FOMO: A tripod with literal strings attached, Flickr’s new look for albums
• Photo FOMO: This retro-inspired instant camera has swappable lenses, $69 price
• Photo FOMO: VSCO makes harsh sun look cool, Apple wants to make 360 look better
• How to take travel photos with just your smartphone

Lidar-equipped drones could help protect California from future wildfires

Flight Evolved

Last year saw the most devastating wildfire season on record in California. Over the course of the year, more than 9,000 separate fires burned through 1.3 million acres of land in the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Upward of 10,000 buildings were destroyed in the wildfires, which also claimed the lives of 47 people. In the aftermath, a large number of people are understandably looking for a proactive solution to help avert future blazes. Could drones help?

One company, Flight Evolved, is doing its part to help. Having long used drones to create 3D maps for utility companies, Flight Evolved has been called in by some of the Golden State’s largest utilities to find ways of avoiding another destructive season. The innovative startup uses multicopter drones equipped with lidar remote sensing for its work.

“If you’ve been following the automotive industry, you’ll know that lidar is the hot-ticket item right now,” David Ilgenfritz, owner and chief operating officer of Flight Evolved, told Digital Trends. “It shoots out laser pulses and measures distances to objects in a way that allows it to make maps in 3D space. We use similar scanners, designed for surveying, to map out utility assets for companies — in this case as part of a fire mitigation program. We’re working with engineering companies and vegetation management companies to provide them with data to assist in the assessment of potential fire threat zones.”

Ilgenfritz said that utility companies have long created maps showing the layout of power lines and electrical equipment, and their proximity to trees and other forms of vegetation — which could result in fire hazards. However, before Lidar-equipped drones came along, this was either achieved using ground surveys or, at best, snapping a few photos from a helicopter.

“Our drones shoot out a million laser pulses, compared to a surveyor who is shooting one image at a time,” Ilgenfritz said. “The efficiency gain is therefore pretty significant.”

Using state-of-the-art RIEGL VUX-1 lidar detectors, the team creates detailed maps of the scenery and then uses forecasting and modeling techniques to predict how wildfires are likely to spread. As a result, they can gather deep data insights which could help prevent fires by, for instance, removing vegetation that would let it spread — or, in the case of a fire, potentially offer other actionable data.

While it’s still relatively early days, the hope is that projects such as this one could help save billions of dollars — and people’s lives, too.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Some folks still think it’s a good idea to fly drones over wildfires
• 7 amazing anti-drone technologies designed to swat UAVs out of the sky
• It flies and floats! The Spry drone wants to master both the sky and sea
• Parrot Anafi drone review
• U.S. Army wants to use laser power to keep drones airborne indefinitely

InvisbleShield’s new screen protector helps spare eyes from blue light

As we continue to stare at our phones on a daily basis, we often don’t realize how much damage we’re doing to our eyes. That’s where InvisibleShield comes in — with its Glass+ VisionGuard that filters out portions of blue light specifically on Apple’s new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

InvisibleShield is known for creating screen protectors for a variety of devices. It also offers a “lifetime protection” against scratched, shattered, and cracked screen thanks to its military-grade solutions.

With its latest Glass+ Vision Guard, high-energy visible (HEV) blue light exposure has shown that it contributes to eye strain. With eye strain, also comes along the possibility of irritated eyes, sleep loss or disruption, but also premature eye aging or blurred vision.

So what exactly does the screen protector do to help combat those issues? For starters, there’s a protective “EyeSafe” layer along with an “Ion Matrix” technology that is strengthened at the molecular level. This then preserves the glass-like feel of the screen protector, to allow for a more comfortable experience that mimics the way your display would feel without it.

“We use mobile devices in nearly every facet of our lives, whether texting with loved ones, responding to a work email, browsing social media or consuming entertainment. These levels of screen time can take a toll on our eyes,” said Steve Bain, general manager for InvisibleShield, in a press release. “InvisibleShield Glass+ VisionGuard is specifically designed to filter harmful blue light, all while maintaining your screen’s color and image clarity.”

Those who have had an iPhone for a while likely know the iPhone already offers a ‘Night Mode’ feature that filters out blue light. You can either turn it on manually or set a specific time you would like to schedule it for which will allow it to automatically turn on each time it’s set for. When it’s on, you’ll notice your display adjusts to a warmer, more yellowish tone.

But with the Glass+ Vision Guard, you can choose to not use the setting. If you’re bothered by the change in colors, you’ll be glad to know the screen protector doesn’t change the look of your display.

InvisibleShield Glass+ VisionGuard is available on InvisibleShield’s site, as well as with T-Mobile and Verizon. As for the cost, the screen protector retails for $45.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR: All the hands-on photos you could ever need
• The best iPhone XS cases
• Apple iPhone XR: Everything you need to know
• iPhone XR hands-on review
• Apple iPhone XS: News, release, specs, and more

Whitestone Dome glass screen protector for Galaxy Note 9 review

Last week we uploaded our Galaxy Note 9 review and had some overall positive words to say about the device. Such a device is an investment though, and with phones rising in price, you should protect them. That’s where Whitestone Dome arrives. They have, over the past few years, created the best, tempered-glass screen protectors especially for phones with curved displays.

The reason Whitestone Dome’s tempered glass protectors are better than others is in part due to the installation process. They use a process called curing, which uses a UV light to dry solution under the glass. In this process, the adhesive thoroughly covers the display instead of just the corners or sides, like other protectors. Also included in their process in an installation tray, and other accessories to make it virtually impossible to screw applying the screen. The total process takes about 30 minutes, but I assure you, it’s worth it.

There is a little thickness to your Note 9 after you install the screen, not too much to disturb any case. Also, there may be a slight smell for a few hours afterward due to the curing process. Now though, your phone’s display is protected against scratches and impact. Note that glass is still glass and it can still break. You still need to keep your phone in safe conditions, or you’ll have to implement Whitestone Dome’s lifetime warranty process.

With the Whitestone Dome screen protector, you near-$1000 phone now has a great chance of keeping its display in perfect condition. The Note 9 is a great device and keeping it looking good should be something you’d want to do with it. For all this easy and worthwhile protection, Whitestone Dome’s screen protector is $45 for a 1-pack, $60 for a 2-pack. You can get them on Amazon via the link below.

Let us know how you’re liking your protected Galaxy Note 9, and your general thoughts on the phone as well.

Amazon: Whitestone Dome Glass Galaxy Note 9 (1-pack)

Amazon: Whitestone Dome Glass Galaxy Note 9 (2-pack)

Fossil Q Control review

Think back a few years to when Android Wear was introduced and how many thought that Google had tapped into something extremely special. Having all but pulled the plug on its Google Glass endeavor, Android Wear seemed much more practical and beneficial.

As much as we didn’t picture ourselves wearing Glass, or having this little screen hovering right outside of our eye, we were intrigued. There truly was something interesting and intriguing about it — regardless of how dumb we might have looked.

Android Wear was going to fix that. We would go back to wearing watches again, relying on them for not only the time, but notifications, tracking, and so many other things. Right? Yeah, right.

Fitbit, Jawbone, and Pebble notwithstanding, the first few years and iterations of smartwatches were exciting and full of promise. We had companies like Motorola, LG, Samsung, and Huawei getting into wearables.

Android had already conquered the smartphone space on the backs of these brands; it made sense that the same would be replicated on the wrist. And, really, why buy an activity tracker when there was something much smarter to consider?

Today that landscape is entirely different. Pretty much all of those phone companies have gone stopped working on wearables with some deciding to go after VR and AR instead. But, despite that, Google has continued to refine and rebrand its wearable OS.

Known now as Wear OS, it’s the platform of choice for smartwatch makers. The problem? That list of watch manufacturers has evolved and is now largely comprised of traditional companies like Fossil, Casio, Movado, and TAG Heuer.

Somewhere along the line tech brands stopped caring so much about watches. At the same time, your favorite watchmakers got smarter and began tapping into Wear OS.

One wearable brand we’ve reviewed a few times here is Fossil. Historically, we’ve found the watches to be among the best in the space, largely because of the hardware and materials. Today finds us looking at one of its newest models, the Q Control.

Fossil Q Control

The Fossil Q Control is one of the first models under the brand to focus more on the sporty side of things. Whereas the company’s umbrella covers the likes of Kate Spade, Diesel, and Michael Kors, the main brand has been more traditional in its approach. To be more specific, it tends to focus on leather and premium bands with fashion-focused designs.

The Q Control looks unlike most of the Fossil stuff you’ve seen over the years. At first blush it reminds us of something that Samsung might produce. The black on black is not all that exciting but it’s not meant to be. This is the sort of watch you want if you’re looking to track your activities and/or live a more active lifestyle.

The Q Control also calls to mind the Misfit Vapor, another brand under the Fossil line. In fact, there’s a lot of crossover between the two models with both offering the same tracking features.

Design

The review unit we received was all black, however there is also a rose gold version offered, too. Both have a 45mm case which comes in at 14mm thick. Water resistant up to 50 meters, you can certainly take it for a swim or keep it on in the shower.

With interchangeable 20mm straps, you can change up the look of the watch by simply sliding a pin on the back of the band. Heading out to a formal event or night on the town? You can go from sporty and uninspired to eye catching inside of a few seconds.

As we see it, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with the design of the Q Control. Our main complaint, at least with the black, is that it’s pretty uninspiring. The side edge of the face is more of a brushed nickel than black but it’s dark and semi-stylish nonetheless. Fossil calls it “Gunmetal” and it’s comprised of stainless steel. With the right band we could see this being a very attractive unit.

The display is a 1.39-inch circle with 450×450 pixel resolution and it offers up a bright, rich image. The blacks are deep and dark thanks the OLED screen, but the color can sometimes feel a little oversaturated. On the other hand, it’s better than having a watch that makes you squint or causes you to cover it from light.

We applaud Fossil for giving us a full circle here as the flat tire seems to be a thing of the past. That wasn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world, but we appreciate that a circular display is a full circle again.

As far as other physical characteristics go, there’s one button to the side of the screen and a heart rate monitor on the back. The included silicone bands are very soft and flexible, making for a comfortable wearing experience. The face feels somewhat heavy upon first wearing it, but we got used to it fairly quick.

We’ve had watches, especially those in the “active” market, which employ generic materials in the band. Moreover, we’ve seen our share of bands which cause minor skin irritation, or feel generally stiff. This is not the case here as the out-of-box Q Control experience is a pleasure to wear.

Hardware

Internally, the watch houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor with 768MB RAM and 4GB storage. If you want to add your own music, and somehow still have MP3 files to do so, there’s room here.

Noticeably absent from the Q Control are LTE radios and NFC connectivity. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of owning a watch with either of those, you know how convenient it can be. But, LTE is not a necessity and NFC (Google Pay, for instance) is more want than need. There’s also no GPS inside, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

There’s a microphone located on the left edge of the display which allows for voice commands and usage. Want to trigger or use Google Assistant? Talk to the hand because the face ain’t… Well, talk to the hand. It works, and it’s really nice to have when your phone is tucked away.

Software

In terms of software, the Wear OS has grown over the years and feels a little bit more natural and intuitive with each iteration. The Q Control comes with standard fare of apps and features including reminders, weather, and translate. Indeed, there are also plenty of watch faces to be found with many of them offering further personalization.

Although Wear OS has grown in the four years since it launched as Android Wear, there’s still something in it that sometimes feels like a hacked-on software experience. It’s nowhere near what it was in the first few years, but we’re occasionally reminded that the hardware and software come from two different places.

As a “sports watch” the Q Control does an okay job. It’s certainly not going to be in direct competition with any Garmin or high end Fitbit, but it’s an excellent everyday unit.

If you’re just starting to get more active and want some help with accountability and tracking, this is a great option. However, if you’ve come to rely on GPS and a more standalone experience, you’ll find this one lacking.

If you’re interested in tracking walks, runs, or bike rides, you’ll need to rely on your phone for the GPS side of things. This isn’t always convenient, especially if you’re pushing for personal bests or looking to improve on times. Do you want to wear a phone on your arm or hold one in your hand?

Checking your heart rate isn’t quite as simple as it sounds as there’s not really an always-on way to simply glance at it. You’ll have to go through the app to pull it up and even then your rate could have changed a fair amount in that time.

Want to track calories or measure steps and distance? Google Fit handles that for you but it’s something that you’ll be manually working with instead of passively reading. Unlike, say, a Fitbit Ionic, you aren’t going to glance at your wrist and see all of that stuff updated on a regular basis.

Swimming is another area where you might encounter a wonky experience. Out of the box there’s nothing here that makes it easy to track your swims. However, an app like MySwimPro is available, but it looks to be geared toward serious swimmers.

As a whole, the aforementioned things are what cause us to remember that one company is creating software that is designed to work on a variety of devices. The common denominator approach is okay, but it’s certainly not optimal. This is where a Garmin, Misfit, or Fitbit rises above — at least when it comes to sports and activities.

Battery & Charging

The Q Control will get you through a day of usage without any issue. Much longer than that, though, and you’ll be reaching for a charger. Unlike less “smart” watches, you will want to plug this one it at night.

The charging mechanism is similar to what we’ve seen before from Fossil and other players. It amounts to a USB cord with a magnetic platter. There are three pins on the “dock” which line up to the back of the watch. There’s a noticeable vibration and animation to signal that charging is underway.

Conclusion

It’s hard to fault Fossil for anything here as it’s not necessarily their sole responsibility to create a smooth and intuitive user experience. This is a watchmaker first, and one that didn’t rely on any software in the past. It surely doesn’t need to be “smart” to stay in its current line of work. The shortcomings we experienced fell at Google’s feet.

Wear OS is the best that’s available to them and it’s good stuff to be sure. We like having all of the features available within a literal arm’s length, whether with or without a phone. Maybe what the platform needs is a whole litany of features and options that watchmakers can enable or disable based on hardware.

There’s something really great about how cohesive the experience is on a Pixel phone. Given Google is directly responsible for how the hardware works with its software, it makes sense. We’d love to see a Pixel-like watch from Google but as of today that doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. Until then, we‘ll (hopefully) continue to get various watch manufacturers employing the ever-evolving Wear OS.

If it sounds like we hate the software experience, we don’t. In fact, it grows on us more with each update. Further, we root for it and hope that Google is able to deliver something that works for watches in the same way that Android does for phones.

Could the Q Control stand to include GPS, LTE, and/or NFC? Sure, but that comes with a cost. As of today you can purchase the watch for less than $200 from Fossil. This is a good price point for smart wearables designed for the everyday user. Much more and you’ll start looking at dedicated stuff like a Garmin.

Interestingly, and oddly, enough, the Q Control launched with a $275 price tag. That’s way too much for our liking given the overall package. We would have knocked $50 off the wearable before we’d consider it. Where it is today is the right pricing.

Each time we’ve taken a look at Fossil we come away impressed with the overall package. And, each time we’re reminded as to how handy and helpful Android Wear/Wear OS can be on a daily basis. Unfortunately, once we stop wearing them for a bit of time we don’t exactly miss it. The longer we’re away from one, the less enthusiastic we find ourselves at considering the next one.

We have enjoyed our time with the Fossil Q Control to be sure; however, we don’t know that we’ll miss it when we send it back. It’s a solid buy for the money, and well built, but it’s not the cohesive sports tracker and standalone watch that we’d like to see. We understand keeping the cost down and respect that this sits where it is — yet there’s just something lacking.

When it comes to all-around tracking of activities and life, we love Fitbit. Its software experience, and hardware, is among the best you’ll find and there’s a whole array of offerings at different prices. Why does it work so well? Likely because it keeps everything under one roof. If only that were the case here.

When you start to get into $200 or so, and look at what you want versus what you need, then an educated buyer does his or her homework. Our advice, look around, find out exactly what you plan to do or how you want to use a smartwatch, and then narrow your decision.

If, when you’re done whittling down a list of potential sport and fitness watches, you have various Wear OS models to choose from, definitely consider the Fossil Q Control. Other than that, it’s hard for us to fast-track this one to the top of a pile of contenders.