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Fitbit's $200 Versa is a friendlier fitness smartwatch for the masses
Fitbit's first true smartwatch, the Ionic, was an impressive attempt that lacked the polish needed to make it great. That's often how it goes for first attempts, but Fitbit has learned a few key lessons and is trying to crack the smartwatch market once more. Its weapon of choice? The thoroughly leaked $200 Fitbit Versa, a wearable clearly designed to offer a little something for everyone. Fitbit's focus on health still forms the core of the Versa experience, but after some hands-on time at an event in New York, I left with the impression the Versa could be the hit Fitbit really needs.
With the Ace, kids are finally getting their own cheap Fitbit
When Fitbit said it was working on a "family" of devices for this year, it really wasn't kidding. While Mom and Dad might choose to strap on a Versa, Fitbit now has a fitness tracker -- the Fitbit Ace -- meant exclusively for wee ones.
Fitbit plans a 'family' of smartwatches in 2018
Fitbit knows it can't lean on activity trackers forever, and it's going to shake things up in 2018. As part of a call discussing its latest earnings, the company said it would produce a "family" of smartwatches this year -- it's not just going to hope a single model like the Ionic will be enough. Details are unsurprisingly thin (this wasn't an announcement), but the aim is to produce smartwatches with "more mass appeal" while taking advantage of its core strengths in health and fitness. Don't be surprised if that translates to more aggressive pricing.
What does Fitbit need to succeed?
Fitbit is the current king of wearables, but for how much longer? The company has recorded four successive quarters of losses since the tail end of 2016, and that's a problem. Fitbit will publish its latest earnings results later today, and those numbers won't just tell us how the company is faring, but also how the wearables industry is doing as a whole.
Microsoft Band 3 prototype reveals the wearable that might have been
When Microsoft killed its Band wearables, a leak emerged of what was believed to be the cancelled third-generation model. Well, it's real -- and it says a lot about what Microsoft was thinking before it pulled the plug. Windows Central has obtained a Band 3 prototype and given it a shakedown to see how well it would have worked. True to the rumors, the biggest deals were the additions of waterproofing, swim tracking and (most importantly) an electrocardiogram sensor to track your blood pressure. We now know that the Band 3 could tell if you were stressed out, check your body temperature or otherwise track your health beyond fundamentals like heart rate and calorie burn.
Garmin's new Vivofit lasts for a year with an always-on color display
It's hard to stand out in the fitness tracker world when you can easily cover the fundamentals at a very low price. Garmin, however, is trying its level best. It just launched the Vivofit 4, which combines an always-on color display with its predecessor's claimed year-long battery life. You can now check your activity goals or the time without having to either wake up the screen, kill your battery or settle for a drab monochrome display. Logically, the band includes Garmin mainstays like Move IQ automatic activity detection and the Connect online community to get you motivated.
Fitbit's Ionic will let you play Deezer from your wrist
Fitbit's Ionic smartwatch suffers from a dearth of apps, we noted in our Engadget review, but the wearable firm is trying to flip that equation with an update to its Fitbit OS. It will bring over 100 new watch faces and 60 apps, including Yelp, Nest, Hue Lights and Flipboard. The most interesting one is Deezer, coming in 2018, as it will run on the Ionic without a smartphone, lightening the load for runners and other athletes. The company also launched Fitbit Labs, a new effort to create apps that motivate athlete behavior changes and accelerate Fitbit's pace of innovation.
Misfit's latest hybrid smartwatch focuses on classic style
If it wasn't already evident that Misfit is on a fashion kick with its smartwatches, it is now. The Fossil-owned badge has unveiled a new hybrid smartwatch, the Command, that promises to track your fitness while looking appropriate for formal wear. It delivers notifications and tracks activity (including step count, calories, distance and sleep) much like the Phase did, just without screaming "I am tech." The steel bracelet model in particular wouldn't be out of place at a formal event, even if people won't mistake it for a Montblanc.
Apple retakes the top spot in wearable device shipments
It looks like Xiaomi's reign as the wearable device champion was short-lived. Canalys' latest estimates indicate that Apple regained the lead in wearable shipments during the third quarter of the year, shipping 3.9 million smartwatches over the summer. That's only slightly ahead of Xiaomi's 3.6 million and Fitbit's 3.5 million, but that's no mean feat when the Apple Watch is typically far more expensive (Xiaomi's Mi Band 2 cost $23 when new) and only works with one manufacturer's smartphones. And it's no surprise as to why Apple pulled out in front: new hardware.
Matrix PowerWatch hands-on: The promise of a world without chargers
When Matrix co-founder Douglas Tham handed me my review unit of the PowerWatch, I had to fight the instinct to ask for a charger. This thermal-powered wearable doesn't need one -- it gets energy by converting your body heat into electricity. It's been a year since I saw an early prototype of the PowerWatch -- a smart(ish) watch that tracks basic fitness metrics. Now, the self-proclaimed energy-harvesting company is finally ready to ship PowerWatches to the early adopters who backed its Indiegogo campaign. I spent some time with this first-generation watch in all its chunky, rugged glory and, while I still wish it were smaller and did more, I find its potential compelling.
Samsung Gear Sport review: A versatile fitness-first smartwatch
As the holiday season approaches and New Year's and its inevitable fitness-related resolutions draw near, wearables makers are scrambling. Major brands like Apple and Samsung have realized that smartwatches need to at least be good activity trackers for users to keep wearing them. Samsung decided that "good activity tracker" wasn't enough, though, and built a device around exercise that also packs a slew of smartwatch features. The Gear Sport does so much that it's one of the most versatile health-centric smartwatches in this price range.
Fitbit Ionic review: Good fitness tracker, passable smartwatch
Fitbit's first real smartwatch was the worst kept secret in tech. After months of rumors, leaks and the acquisition of smartwatch pioneer Pebble that all but revealed the company's intentions, Fitbit presented the Ionic to the world. It was a promising debut, featuring a shiny new operating system built with Pebble's expertise. The company also unveiled its own contactless payment system meant to make running or working out without a phone feel more feasible.
24 hours with Fitbit’s first smartwatch
The holiday season is almost upon us, but as you fantasize about the mouthwatering delicacies you're going to put in your bellies, some of you may already be getting ready to shed a few pounds. A new and improved crop of fitness-centric smartwatches will be arriving soon to make staying in shape easier, and the Fitbit Ionic may be one to consider. It's the company's first full-fledged smartwatch, and the device packs a slew of new features designed to help people follow through on their workout plans. Well, that's the promise, anyway. As the Ionic's October arrival approaches, the company has pushed out software updates to early reviewers, but the device still feels unfinished.
Red Sox reportedly cheated with a Fitbit, not an Apple Watch
Reports that the Boston Red Sox cheated in games with an Apple Watch may have been slightly off the mark. A source speaking to Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo claims that the team used a Fitbit device, not Apple's smartwatch. It's not certain which model would have been used, but the Blaze seems like a prime candidate given its smartwatch-like design. You don't need a high-priced smartwatch to get text messages, after all.
Fitness wearables will live or die by their apps
This week at IFA, some of the biggest players in wearables launched their latest smartwatches. From Fitbit's debut Ionic to Samsung's Gear Sport, these fitness-focused watches also run the companies' own proprietary platforms, each offering their own app selection. For them to succeed, Samsung, Fitbit and Garmin, which also unveiled a new watch at the show, must now race to stock their stores with the best apps. That's good news for smartwatches in general, because the influx of wearable apps could do for smartwatches what it did for smartphones years ago.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 hands-on: More than just a running watch
Garmin's image as a niche fitness brand catering for a group of hardcore athletes does the company a massive disservice. Because the newest generation of its Vivoactive and Vivomove watches have the potential to be some of the best on the market.
Garmin's latest smartwatch can buy your post-run drink
Garmin's smartwatches are still largely focused on fitness, but they're learning a few new tricks -- and in one case, they don't need your phone to do it. The company has unveiled a trio of Vivo smartwatches headlined by the Vivoactive 3 (far left), which introduces Garmin Pay. As the name suggests, it lets you make tap-to-pay purchases without your phone, much in the same way you would with an Apple Watch. If you want to buy an energy drink as the reward for a long run, you don't have to carry anything in your pockets. The technology requires an eligible credit or debit card from MasterCard or Visa, so you'll want to check the support list before you leave your phone behind.
Samsung Gear Sport hands-on: Promising but incomplete
Samsung may have just unveiled the Galaxy Note 8, but it's not finished with new devices yet. Here at IFA 2017, the company unveiled a trio of wearables with a deeper focus on fitness: the Gear Sport smartwatch, Gear Fit 2 Pro fitness band and the Gear IconX 2018 wireless earbuds. The Gear Sport in particular stands out as a sleeker, more-health-centric version of the Gear S3. The Sport borrows its overall aesthetic from the S3 but has some key differences, including an assortment of new features that are reminiscent of Fitbit's recently launched smartwatch. Samsung hasn't shared how much the Sport will cost yet, but we know it will range between $200 and $350 when it arrives for this year's holiday season.
Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro hands-on: Tiny changes, big improvements
As the all-important holiday season approaches, companies want to make sure their products have a spot on your shopping list. So Samsung's trio of wearables launching at IFA 2017 is timely, especially given how well wearables tend to sell ahead of fitness-related New Year's resolutions. At a relatively affordable $200, the new Gear Fit 2 Pro is poised to be a popular gift. It adds a handful of updates to the existing Fit 2 activity band to make it a better tracker than before, especially for swimmers and runners. During a brief hands-on here at the show, I was impressed by how a few small enhancements helped the Fit 2 Pro feel like a huge improvement on its predecessor.
NHS could trade free cinema tickets for hitting fitness goals
Just as insurers are looking to wearables to motivate people to lead healthier lifestyles, the NHS is now also exploring a scheme that would reward active participants with discounts on shopping, fitness gear and gym memberships, as well as free cinema tickets. The concept programme would use a mobile app to track exercise and encourage people to hit targets in order to earn such bounties. The end goal being, naturally, to promote healthier lifestyles and thus "reduce pressure on the NHS."
