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Huawei reveals the Watch 2 at MWC 2017
It was almost two years ago to the day that Huawei unveiled the "Watch," the company's first Android Wear device. Today, at MWC in Barcelona, Huawei has just announced its successor, the imaginatively named Watch 2. Perhaps the first notable difference (beyond the design tweaks), is the inclusion of 4G connectivity (on select models, via SIM or eSIM), meaning you won't need a phone for all the smart features to work. According to Huawei, the Watch 2 will debut this month in Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Italy and, of course Huawei's native China. It will arrive in the US and UK in April. There are a few different strap and color combinations, but prices start at €320 (around $350).
TAG Heuer's next smartwatch may include a swappable timepiece
TAG Heuer has dropped a few hints about its plans for a successor to the Connected, but the biggest news may be what it isn't mentioning. Android Central sources claim that TAG is working on the Connected Modular, a "fully customizable" Android Wear 2.0 watch that would let you not only replace the straps, but the timepiece itself. Reportedly, you could swap in an automatic mechanical watch module on demand -- say, for social occasions when you feel that a smartwatch would be too gauche. That would be far more convenient than TAG's current strategy, which gives you the 'privilege' of buying a mechanical equivalent to the Connected (at the same price as your original watch) after the warranty expires.
The Morning After: Thursday, February 9 2017
Welcome to Thursday morning. Android Wear 2.0 lands on two new LG smartwatches, Adidas has beef with Tesla, and the next iPhone could be expensive. I mean, more expensive.
Verizon is releasing its own Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch
Carriers are no stranger to selling smartwatches, but offering one of their own? That's rare, but Verizon is giving it a shot. The carrier (and Engadget corporate overlord) has unveiled the Wear24, a network-exclusive Android Wear 2.0 watch that will sell alongside the LG Watch Sport. It hasn't revealed full specs at this point, but the initial indications are that it's on the higher end. On top of the expected LTE data, you're looking at Android Pay support, a 450mAh battery (slightly larger than LG's 430mAh pack), IP67 water resistance and a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen. We've asked about the presence of a heart rate monitor.
LG Watch Sport review: Where software steals the show
Today has been a long time coming. Android Wear 2.0 was originally announced last May, groomed for launch last fall and then delayed until, well, now. Since that first announcement was made at Google I/O last year, we've seen plenty of new Android Wear watches hit store shelves, but it was hard to get worked up over version 1.whatever when something better, faster and more functional was oh so close. Now the wait is over. As rumored, Google and LG have teamed up on a pair of smartwatches to usher in a new Android Wear 2.0 era. You can find our review of the more basic LG Watch Style here, but with its bigger battery, larger screen and extra niceties, the $349 LG Watch Sport now seems like the Android Wear smartwatch to beat.
Android Wear 2.0 was worth the long wait
When Google introduced Android Wear back in 2014, the smartwatch industry was young. The only players worth noting were Pebble, Samsung (with its Tizen-based offerings) and a few other niche options (like Sony's proprietary SmartWatch OS). Google, however, aimed to kick the door wide open with the same approach it had taken with phones: Instead of making both the watch and the software, it would court different hardware manufacturers, cultivating a diverse set of designs along with a robust third-party app ecosystem. Three years later, the bet seems to have paid off. Although it's had to fight off tough competition from the Apple Watch, Android Wear has survived and, according to Google, thrived. "If you compare the holiday season of 2016 with the holiday season the year before, we saw more than 70 percent growth," says Android Wear VP David Singleton (not that that's necessarily saying much). And so with all that success comes time for the second iteration of Google's wearable OS, Android Wear 2.0. It'll be available first on the newly announced LG Watch Style and Watch Sport on Feb. 10th and will roll out to compatible existing hardware in the coming weeks.
Google Play listing shows how you'll pay on Android Wear
Google is hoping the release of Android Wear 2.0 will push more people toward smartwatches, and one of the key pillars of that strategy is Android Pay. Ahead of the launch, it has (perhaps accidentally) released some screenshots on the Play Store that show how it'll work and look. At supported retailers with an Android Pay or contactless logo, you simply hold your NFC-equipped Android Wear watch next to the terminal until it's approved. It'll then detail the latest transaction in a list, and you can scroll to see your recent history.
LG's Nexus-like Watch Style surfaces in photos
LG's Google-blessed smartwatches now exist as more than a set of specs. Well-known leaker Evan Blass has scored photos of the Watch Style, the budget model of the two that LG is expected to launch in early February. The Android Wear 2.0 device certainly lives up to its name -- it's designed to look good, with a subtle bezel (silver and rose gold are shown here) and matching, easily removed leather straps. They're even relatively thin, although that's partly a trick of the eye.
Latest Android Wear 2.0 preview delivers better iOS support
Google has delayed the launch of Android Wear 2.0 once, but it looks like the operating system may actually be on track for its early February release. The company today released the fifth and final developer preview of the updated platform, adding iOS compatibility along with some bug fixes to the version already available. Apps that are compiled with this edition of the preview can be submitted for publication in the Google Play Store, where they will later be available for users to download onto their wearables.
Tag Heuer sold more $1,500 smartwatches than it expected
I'm not much of a smartwatch guy, but I like my LG R Android Wear watch and its bright OLED screen. An acquaintance recently expressed admiration for it, and to my surprise, came back the next day with a $1,500 Tag Heuer Connected. ("Must be nice to have money," I thought.) He wasn't alone, though: In an interview with German site NZZ, Tag Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver said that over 56,000 people bought one, tripling expected sales. As a result, the Swiss company will release new smartwatch models in May and expects to sell 150,000 units.
LG's Nexus-like Android Wear watches emerge in a leak
For months, rumors have circulated of Google formally launching Android Wear 2.0 with a pair of flagship smartwatches -- not Google-designed, but certainly intended as reference models like Nexus phones used to be. But what will they be like? We might just have an idea -- Evan Blass (of @evleaks fame) claims to have details of the two devices, LG's Watch Sport and Watch Style. Both will reportedly arrive on February 9th alongside Android Wear 2.0 itself. They won't have revolutionary specs, if the leak is accurate, but they will be showcases for what Google's latest wearable software can do.
Casio's new smartwatch is a chunky beast made for the outdoors
Android Wear 2.0 was supposed to arrive a long time ago, but we've just gotten our first look at it in the wild thanks to Casio's just-announced WSD-F20 smartwatch. Well, almost: The watches on display at CES were working, but only running demo software. But we were able to swipe around the watch's interface, with all the expected tweaks that Wear 2.0 provides (even that ridiculously tiny keyboard) seemingly in tact.
Here's the smartwatch New Balance and Intel have been working on
It was nearly a year ago to the day that Intel and New Balance announced they were teaming up to launch the New Balance RunIQ, an Android Wear watch for fitness enthusiasts. Now, at CES 2017, we're finally getting a good look at the finished product. The device is designed to be used by runners looking for an accessory for their fancy sneakers -- also made by New Balance, of course. But beyond that, it's not clear what this device does that so many other Android Wear watches can't already do.
Casio's latest smartwatch is among the first with Android Wear 2.0
Casio's second watch, the WSD-F20, doesn't look much different than the outdoor smartwatch it revealed at last year's CES. However, the software brains inside the rugged-ized timepiece have been given a strong nudge forward. This is one of the first Android Wear 2.0 devices to surface, over half a year since we first got to play with Google's retooled wearable OS. The watch -- designed for outdoor types -- also comes equipped with low-power GPS and color maps that can be downloaded offline for true outdoorsmen and women. You will survive.
Android Wear 2.0 will launch on a pair of flagship smartwatches
The market for smartwatches is drying up, but Google seems intent on shaking it up. We already knew that Android Wear 2.0 would arrive in early 2017, but Android Wear product manager Jeff Chang recently confirmed to The Verge that the updated platform would launch on two new, flagship smartwatches. Make no mistake, though: these aren't Google watches, strictly speaking. While the search giant will no doubt promote them like crazy, Chang noted in the interview that the watches will bear the brand of their manufacturer rather than Google. In other words, Pixel watches these ain't.
Google bought the firm behind that Amazon Alexa smartwatch
Cronologics, the company that developed what it hoped would be an alternative smartwatch OS to Android Wear, has been acquired by Google for an unknown sum. The startup was founded by former Google employees, ironically enough, and developed the software behind recently launched the Alexa-powered and Amazon-blessed CoWatch from Imco. The Cronologics OS that powers it is based on Android Lollipop, and can supposedly run almost any Android app, assuming the CoWatch could sideload them (it can't).
Google readying tap-to-pay for Android Wear smartwatches
Google may finally be ready to bring tap-to-pay to Android Wear, judging by evidence discovered in the Google Play Services version 10.0 by Android Police. Text prompt strings with messages like "Try holding your watch to the terminal again" make it fairly clear that Google is in the late stages of testing the feature. If you have a compatible Android Wear watch (one with an NFC chip), it will let you touch your watch to an NFC-equipped retail terminal to pay for goods.
HTC's Android Wear watch emerges in a photo leak
HTC has had on-again, off-again plans for a smartwatch for years, but it looks like something is finally starting to materialize. A Weibo user has posted what are claimed to be photos of the "Halfbeak," an in-development Android Wear smartwatch that only recently surfaced in a Phandroid rumor. As you might surmise from the Under Armour branding, this would be all about fitness -- you'd get a heart rate sensor, a rubber strap and other exercise-friendly design touches.
Google pushes Android Wear 2.0 back to early 2017
If you're champing at the bit waiting for your chance to try Android Wear 2.0 this fall, you're about to be disappointed. As part of the launch of a third Developer Preview, Google has revealed that the overhaul of its wearable platform won't officially reach smartwatches until early 2017. There should be at least one more preview release between then and now. It's more than a little unfortunate for smart wristwear fans, although it might be worth the wait given what Google is adding today.
Michael Kors Access smartwatches' value is face deep
Not gonna lie. I'm a giant smartwatch nerd, and an even bigger Michael Kors fan. So when I received the invitation to review the company's new Android Wear timepieces, I was stoked. The Michael Kors Access range falls in line with partner company Fossil Group's mission to smarten up its range of wristwatches across its brands, from Fossil (duh) and Kate Spade to Emporio Armani, Diesel and Skagen. And that should only mean good things for the fashionable wearable industry. But, try as I might, I'm having a hard time staying excited about the new MK smartwatches.
