Samsung press invite hints at IFA debut for Gear S3 smartwatch
Samsung typically has a strong presence at the IFA trade show every September and we’re starting to get more news about certain gadgets. After weeks of rumors that the company will reveal its latest Gear S3 smartwatch at the German event, the Korean tech giant sent a press invitation that all but confirms it.
Given that the company announced the previous Gear smartwatch, the S2, at IFA 2015, it’s pretty likely that the press invite above spotted by AndroidCentral refers to the next model. That and the rumors swirling around the new gadget the past few weeks. SamMobile was the first to release details about the awaited product, noting that it will likely have a circular face with a rotary bezel like the last one. Further reports from the site report that the upcoming S3 will come in standard and “Classic” variants along with a new “Explorer” model.
Note that Samsung hasn’t directly confirmed any details nor have they released any images of the upcoming smartwatch. But if you’re curious for any peek at possible designs, sketchy photos and renders have been online for a few months. For the rest of us, we’ll have to wait til IFA begins on September 7th.
Source: 9to5Google
Fossil’s latest Android Wear smartwatches arrive on August 29th
Fossil revealed a handful of new wearables back in March and a pair of those gadgets are arriving this month. The company announced today that its Q Wander and Q Marshal smartwatches would be available for pre-order August 12th and are due to hit Fossil stores (both retail and online) August 29th. Both models run Android Wear, so they’re compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The 45mm timepieces pack touchscreen displays, steel cases, interchangeable bands and magnetic charging. To complete the look you’re after, Fossil offers a range of bands that include leather, silicon and stainless steel options.
Thanks to Android Wear, you can expect notifications, custom watch faces and activity tracking with the likes of Google Fit, Under Armour’s UA Record, Jawbone UP and MyFitness Pal. While the Q smartwatches will work with an iPhone, the Android faithful will be able to respond to text messages on-screen or using voice commands with the smartwatches. The Q Wander and Q Marshal will set you back $295 if you’re will to take the leap. These two models join Fossil’s other Q wearables that include smartwatches with both digital and analog displays in addition to dedicated activity trackers.
Source: Fossil (PR Newswire)
Basis recalls Peak smartwatch for burn risk from overheating
Back in June, Basis stopped sales of its fitness-focused Peak smartwatch following reports that the wearable was overheating. Today, the company issued a recall for the device, citing the risk of burns or blisters due the device running hot. When it first acknowledged the issue, Basis said it was working on a software update that would remedy the temperature problem and urged customers not to use the wearable until a solution was in place. However, the company revealed today that “despite our best efforts,” it couldn’t find a fix that wasn’t detrimental to the overall user experience.
If you’re a Basis Peak owner, you can return the wearable and any accessories to the company for a full refund. Basis urges all customers, even those who haven’t encountered any issues, to stop using the device immediately and send it back. The company will no longer support the gadget, but users will still be able to access any stored data until December 31, 2016. At that point, all Peak services will shut down, so the watch won’t sync and it will become unusable. For more information on the recall, Basis set up a support site to guide customers through the process.
Source: Basis
Polar thinks there’s room for another Android Wear smartwatch
It was inevitable that smartwatches would eventually consume “dumb” activity trackers like the Fuelband (RIP) and Fitbit. These days, almost any device that you can slap on your wrist offers you basic fitness and sleep tracking as standard. Similarly, most of these gadgets offer smartphone notifications and control of your smartphone’s music playback. But as smartwatches have made in-roads to the world of fitness tech, there’s been little pushback from companies like Garmin, Polar and TomTom. At least, not until now.
The Polar M600 is the Finnish company’s first Android Wear device, which the firm’s Marco Suvilaakso describes as a “sport optimized smartwatch.” Rather than simply slapping its branding on a generic wearable, Suvilaakso says that his team has worked to make the unit a class-leading activity tracker. The result is a muscular, fully-featured smartwatch that’s as comfortable tracking laps in the swimming pool as helping you order an Uber.
There’s nothing particularly eye-catching about the M600, although that’s made up by a series of neat touches that help mark it out from the pack. For instance, rather than using one or two LEDs in the optical heart rate monitor, Polar equipped its version with six. That should both increase the reliability and accuracy of its pulse tracking and also reduce the need for the strap to be on so tight. Much like the company’s A360, the HRM will only operate during training, unlike all-day trackers like Sony’s SmartBand 2. Suvilaakso says that this is because such data isn’t “meaningful.”
The device is waterproof and has a Gorilla Glass lens covering the 1.3-inch TFT touchscreen, making it ideal for Tough Mudder types and triathletes. The silicone housing / strap, meanwhile, is removable and washable, not to mention swappable for different colors. The M600 will retail initially in black or white, with the spare band costing $30, but there’s also a red version that’s coming at some point in the not-too distant future.
Beneath the display you’ll find integrated GPS and GLONASS as well as a 500mAh battery that, Suvilaakso promises, will last two days on a charge. If, however, you want to use location-tracking, you’ll crank 8.5 hours out of that same power cell before resorting to the custom charger. The M600 uses the same custom, magnetized charging cable as the Polar Loop 2, and apparently you’ll be able to share them between these two devices.
A button on the left hand side will let you swap from Polar’s custom watch face and the Android Wear elements of the device. Additionally, a central button below the display sends you straight into the M600’s training mode, a feature that can be configured further via companion app Polar Flow. Another nice little touch is baked into the face itself: a blue line that creeps up the screen activity you do through the day.
Polar’s also hoping that its software smarts will help set it apart from other Android Wear devices, like its Smart Coaching and Activity Prompts. If you’re having a day where you’ve been grinding at the office too long, the device will let you know what you have to do to make amends. In addition, if you need to get in shape for an upcoming race, plug in the deadline and what targets you need to hit and you’ll be told what you need to do to get there.
Like several other Android Wear watches, there’s 4GB of on-board storage which can be used to sync music from Google Play. That way, they can connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones and leave their smartphone at home when they go for a run. The device works with Android and iOS devices, and will set you back $329.00 / €349.00 when it launches at some point at the end of Q3.
Rithmio Edge tracks weightlifting sessions with Android Wear
We’ve seen a number of wearable devices that track your weightlifting sessions at the gym, but Rithmio has a new app that does so with a device you may already own. The Rithmio Edge app works with Android Wear smartwatches to keep tabs on your workout, tracking both exercises and reps using the company’s gesture recognition technology. The app learns your movements as you go so it can log the different exercises you fancy during those lifting routines. It also tracks reps and sets so you’ll not exactly where you stand when it comes time to analyze progress.
At the end of each session, the Rithmio Edge app offers a summary of the muscle groups you worked, how long you were active and an overview of the workout. It also keeps track of stats on the exercise level, so you can easily keep an eye on personal goals. All of that sounds great, but the software has to be able to distinguish between exercises in order to be really useful. Rithmio says over the course of five years it developed the software that runs Edge, fine-tuning it to tell the difference between similar movements. It can discern when you’re doing a bicep curl and when you opt for a hammer curl, for example. We look forward to putting it to the test.
Weightlifting trackers have been around for a while now, but most of what we’ve seen has been a dedicated wearable just for your time at the gym. Whether it’s the Push band, Gymwatch, Atlas Wristband or Beast Sensor, the options are many if you don’t mind taking a separate gadget with you. If you already own an Android Wear smartwatch, Edge offers a more convenient method for tracking activity that doesn’t require one more thing to keep up with.
Rithmio has more features in the works for the Edge app, too. Eventually, the goal is to allow users to build their workout plan inside the app as well as enhancing post-workout analysis and tracking more exercises. If there’s a movement that the software doesn’t recognize right now, you can log those manually. Again, you’ll need an Android Wear smartwatch to give it a shot, but you can grab the free companion app from Google Play now.
Source: Rithmio, Google Play
An unknown company made an actually decent $99 smartwatch
You probably haven’t heard of Mobvoi, the Chinese company that helped Google circumvent some blocked services to bring Android Wear to China. But now might be a good time to get to know the company. Mobvoi debuted its Ticwatch 2 smartwatch on Kickstarter today, bringing its popular smartwatch, which was previously only available in China, to the world. I got a chance to use a pre-production Ticwatch 2 for a week and so far, I’m intrigued.
I received the $99 “sport” version of the watch with a white silicone band. The Ticwatch 2 attracted plenty of curious glances, and my friends commented on its simple, clean design. It has a standard 20mm band that you can easily replace with other third-party bands you prefer, while the round silver case goes with most outfits. Impressively, the watch also comes with a heart rate monitor and GPS built in — something you generally won’t find on other watches in this price range.
This wearable differs from typical smartwatches in a couple of ways. It runs an Android-based OS that’s not Android Wear, and has a touch-sensitive surface on the right side of the face. Mobvoi calls this side strip the “Tickle,” which, apart from making me giggle, also lets you scroll through menus and notifications, control music playback volume as well as magnification of maps on the screen. That’s somewhat similar to what you can do with the Apple Watch’s crown dial.
Although I found myself swiping on the screen more often than “tickling,” having this alternate method of scrolling could let developers program swipes for other things. That would make it less swipe-dependent than Android Wear. The side panel was responsive as well, and allowed for fine control of the scrolling speed.
To me, the biggest selling point of the Ticwatch is its promised compatibility with all Android Wear apps. Despite running the company’s own Ticwear 4.0 platform, the Ticwatch has a compatibility mode that lets you connect the watch to the Android Wear app and install programs from there. My unit did not yet have this feature enabled, so I can’t vouch for how well it performs. But it apparently already works with Chinese devices.
I’m generally skeptical of startups and indie brands who make their own operating systems without first getting buy-in from major third-party players. But I was pleasantly surprised by how well a lot of the little things worked. Every time I lifted my wrist to look at the watch, the beautiful butterfly background I picked would appear and light up the watch face, which always displays the time. Other Android wearables dim and stop showing the time after 30 minutes of inactivity, even with Always On enabled.
Gestures are familiar: Swiping down on the face brings down a Wear-like quick settings menu, while sliding up shows the Notifications hub. Your watch apps are a left-swipe away, while hiding in the left of the watch face is the voice control page. These functions are much easier to get to than on Android Wear, which would require lots of swiping back and forth.
I also liked the bright, colorful OLED touchscreen, which was easy to see in sunlight, and the 300mAh battery lasts nearly two days on a charge. The heart rate monitor is a nice touch, and I appreciated getting the occasional (unintentionally hilariously named) “Sedentariness Reminder” that prompted me to get up and move.
Since Mobvoi is an AI company that focuses on voice recognition software, the voice assistant on its smartwatch is supposed to be more powerful than (or at least comparable to) others. Like Siri, “Tico” was able to pull up weather forecasts, nearby restaurants (via Yelp) and Google results. But it couldn’t handle contextual follow-up questions (such as, “What about tomorrow?” after a question about the day’s weather), nor could it show me sports results or a list of nearby ATMs. Siri, on the other hand, fielded these requests without issue.
I’ll give it to Tico, though: As long as it was activated (whether by trigger phrase or by swiping right), it always correctly interpreted what I was saying.
Unfortunately, my test unit still had some flaws. The watch is supposed to support voice and preset responses to messages, but this didn’t work on my unit (paired with an Android handset). The voice control function cannot be woken up with the verbal trigger phrase (“OK Tico”) if the watchface isn’t active, and I’m still suspicious about the promise of Android Wear apps on Ticwear. The iOS companion app isn’t ready yet either, and for some reason the Yelp app on the watch thought I was in Chinatown, when instead I was miles north.
Since my test device was not the final version that will ship to backers in September, Mobvoi has some time to iron out these kinks. The Ticwatch 2 is cheaper than most of the competition if you pre-order it. At retail, the sport version of the watch will cost $200, while leather and metal versions will cost $250 and $300, respectively. The more-premium metal model won’t be available for pre-order. The company expects to meet its $50,000 funding goal due to the popularity of its previous product, but its success will ultimately depend on having a smarter voice assistant and true Android Wear compatibility.
Apple Watch Remains Nearly Three Times as Popular as Samsung Smartwatches
The latest data from market research firm IDC reveals that Apple Watch sales totaled an estimated 1.6 million units in the second quarter, for an industry leading 47 percent market share, compared to Samsung’s estimated 600,000 smartwatch sales and 16 percent market share during the March-June period.
The numbers suggest that the Apple Watch remains nearly three times as popular as Samsung Gear smartwatches, nearly fifteen months after launching in the U.S. and eight other countries. Nevertheless, Samsung did close the gap with strong 51 percent year-over-year growth and a 9 point rise in market share.
Apple, meanwhile, experienced a 55 percent year-over-year decline, but the year-ago quarter encompassed the Apple Watch’s launch and is thereby an unfair comparison. Apple Watch market share has dropped substantially, however, from an estimated peak of 72 to 75 percent following its launch quarter.
Despite a down quarter, Apple remains far and away the market leader in smartwatches. Apple faces the same challenges as other OEMs, but the pure exposure of the device and brand through tactical marketing gives it a leg up on the competition. Watch 2.0, along with updates to watchOS, could help drive existing user refresh and more importantly, a new wave of first-time buyers.
The overall smartwatch market experienced its first-ever decline as shipments fell 32 percent in the second quarter, totaling an estimated 3.5 million units compared to an estimated 5.1 million units in the year-ago quarter. Lenovo, LG, and Garmin rounded off the top five smartwatch vendors in the second quarter, but the trio combined to sell only 700,000 units. All other vendors sold a combined 600,000 units.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the so-called Apple Watch 2 will debut in the third quarter, setting the stage for a possible launch alongside the next iPhone in September. The next-generation Apple Watch could feature a FaceTime video camera, expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, cellular connectivity, and other internal upgrades, while new models and bands are always possibilities.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tags: Samsung, IDC, smartwatch
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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Android Wear’s latest preview opens gestures to other apps
Are you the sort to treat your wrist as a test bed for Google software? If so, today’s a grand day. Google has released its second developer preview of Android Wear 2.0, and it packs more than just some extra spit and polish. It now supports wrist gestures in third-party apps, to start. While you’ll need apps to take advantage of this, it raises hope that your favorite fitness or messaging tool won’t require a free hand (or your voice) for navigation.
Other upgrades are minor, unless you really, really like easier access to action and navigation drawers. However, the biggest gripe may simply be finding a device to use with the preview. The software-based emulator will work on a computer, but you’ll need either a Huawei Watch or the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE to try this beyond your PC. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until the fall to see what all the fuss is about.
Source: Android Developers Blog
Apple WatchOS 3 is faster, more intuitive and fitness-friendly
The Apple Watch might only be a little over one year old, but that isn’t stopping Apple from introducing the wearable’s third major release in a year. WatchOS 3 tackles some of the biggest gripes of early adopters, most notably performance: it keeps favorite apps in memory and updates them in the background. You won’t stare awkwardly at your wrist while software loads, in other words.
The interface is getting a significant overhaul, too. There’s a Dock (accessible by swiping up from the home screen) that gives you quick access to favorite apps. Smart replies are now baked right into message notifications, and emergency calls are just a matter of holding down the side button. Also, like with Android Wear 2.0, you can now draw text onscreen with a Scribble mode. That’s more than a little helpful for those moments when it’s too noisy (or just too embarrassing) to dictate with your voice. And yes, there’s the obligatory round of new watch faces — there’s an activity face that highlights your progress, a minimalist “numerals” face and even a Minnie Mouse face with customizable skirt colors.
This is also a big update for fitness mavens. Besides a more prominent quick start for workouts, you’ll also find activity sharing that both shows how friends are doing and gives you an opportunity to talk smack (or, if you’re nicer, offer some motivation). WatchOS is more accommodating, to boot. You can optionally set reminders for deep breathing exercises that help manage stress, and wheelchair users get activity progress optimized for their vehicles.
Developers should be happy. Third-party apps can now use Apple Pay, and fitness apps can gather data in the background. They also have access to digital crown and touch events, inline video, speaker audio and existing iOS frameworks like CloudKit and Game Center.
Want to try it? A developer preview of WatchOS 3 is available today, while the finished release arrives in the fall.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
The Blocks modular smartwatch is finally (almost) ready
Years after the Blocks modular smartwatch first popped up on our radar, the company seems to finally be close to hitting assembly lines. The company has at least 5,500 orders from Kickstarter to fulfill, and if you’d like to add to that number you can pre-order the set for $330.
Blocks is already behind its projected May 2016 delivery date, so it’s probably heartening for backers to see some progress. The company said its Android-based “factory-ready devices” are currently undergoing final testing before hitting the mass production lines. The watches are now slated to ship in September.
At launch, you’ll have six modules to choose from: a GPS unit, an extra battery, a pulse sensor, a humidity/temperature/altitude sensor, a programmable button and a flashlight. Blocks says add-ons for body temperature, perspiration, fingerprint authentication and gesture control are in the works. Since the platform is open, third-party developers can make more parts as well.
Each Blocks purchase comes with a watch face unit, called a “Core,” along with four modules that form the strap; larger-wristed folks can go up to five links. If all goes well with testing, then, the days of having a super-powered smartwatch could come very soon.
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