Michael Kors' latest Wear OS watch features a popular design
The new Runway packs heart rate tracking, payments and GPS.
Michael Kors is going back to its roots for the next model in its ever-expanding Access smartwatch line. It's reviving its long-serving Runway watch as a Wear OS smartwatch, giving it the familiar case and steel bracelet options while throwing in new silicone strap options and, of course, some digital underpinnings. The new Runway models still use the old Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor (a bit ill-timed with Qualcomm's next chip on the way), but they won't be hurting for features. The resurrected Runway includes heart rate monitoring, NFC for Google Pay purchases, GPS tracking and a "swimproof" (3 ATM) design.
These aren't huge watches. You'll be staring at a 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 circular display that results in a body large enough to provide "approximately" a day's worth of battery life. On the software side, the Runway has new watch faces that emphasize your heart rate, and you can customize Michael Kors' social-based photo dials with themed stickers.
The watch line is available now in several styles that include silver, gold and rose gold hues. Prices start at $295 for models with silicone bands, and $350 for steel bracelet versions. They'll climb as high as $450 if you're willing to splurge. It's fairly reasonable given the feature-packed design -- just remember that this might be one of the last Wear OS watches to launch before the new guard arrives.
