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Fitbit to launch new 'Force' fitness and sleep-tracking watch
Not content with its current range of fitness wearables, Fitbit is set to unveil an updated version of its Flex tracking device called the Fitbit Force. As spotted by The Verge, the Force will introduce a number of features that were omitted from the Flex but are present in its popular One tracker clip. One such feature is an altimeter that calculates your current altitude and the number of steps you have climbed over a 24-hour period. The second is that the Force will offer a digital watch face, effectively turning it into a fitness-focused smartwatch. This feature will give it an edge over some of its wearable rivals -- most notably the Jawbone Up. Although Fitbit has yet to announce its new product, the company has been taking steps to update its website, uploading a sizing guide for black and slate models of the wristband, as well as early listings for replacement clasps (which have since been removed). We were able to access some of Fitbit's promotional material, which highlights the Force's different measurements metrics, and have included some of them in the gallery below. Apparently the Force will be priced at $129.95, $30 more than the Flex, when it goes on sale -- but when that is, only time will tell.
Daily Roundup: Galaxy Gear and Note 10.1 (2014) reviews, CEATEC 2013, GTA 5 multiplayer and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung Galaxy Gear review
When we speak of smartwatches, what do you think of first? If you're the nostalgic type, your mind might drift back to Dick Tracy, or to those times when Michael Knight yelled at KITT to help get him out of impossibly tight spots (which, let's face it, was nearly every single episode). But those types of products, once associated with sci-fi movies and TV shows, are now a dime a dozen -- they're so numerous in 2013, in fact, that an entire industry has been built around them, and big-name companies like Google and Apple are starting to show an intense interest in them. It was only a matter of time (har) before a large manufacturer like Samsung tossed its hat into the wearables arena. Its first attempt, known as the Galaxy Gear, was announced alongside the Galaxy Note 3 and the new Note 10.1 about a month ago. With a 1.6-inch AMOLED screen, upcoming third-party support and even a camera, this promises to be unlike any smartwatch we've played with before. Still, the suggested MSRP of $300 is a pretty high price to pay for the convenience of looking at texts on your wrist, and you may not even see Warren Beatty rocking the thing on the red carpet. But is this first-generation Samsung device executed well enough that you might consider purchasing it along with your new Galaxy Note 3? Let's see.
Omate TrueSmart smartwatch is also a phone, incorporates Fleksy keyboard (hands-on)
While most smartwatches like the Pebble and the Galaxy Gear can't live up to their true potential without the assistance of a smartphone, the Omate TrueSmart is a full-fledged calling and texting machine right out of the box. We've seen a couple of other such smartwatches of course, but the TrueSmart sets itself apart with a design that's both water- and scratch-resistant, a unique UI that runs full-on Android 4.2 and most intriguing to us, a partnership with Syntellia's Fleksy keyboard so that you can actually type coherently on such a tiny screen. We had a brief hands-on with the TrueSmart at the Glazed conference in San Francisco, and we'll admit to a bit of skepticism that we'd be able to do much with a 1.54-inch screen. However, we did manage to flip through the four-icon menu without too much trouble. The icons were large enough for us to tap, and we simply had to slide our finger to the left to go to the previous screen. It refused to recognize our swipes on occasion, but hopefully that's just due to it being a pre-production unit.
A.I smartwatch is also a standalone Android smartphone (updated)
Smartwatches sure are multiplying faster than rabbits. One of the newest devices hoping to make it to market is the A.I Watch: a companion gadget that's also a standalone Android phone, similar to a Chinese creation we saw in August. According to its developers, you can use the A.I Watch to make and accept calls -- à la Hot Watch -- even if it's not connected to a phone via Bluetooth. That's because it has its own SIM card slot and supports 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM bands, as well as 3G. They also claim that its unspecified 1.2GHz dual-core processor is powerful enough for downloading apps from Google Play, loading Maps for navigation, streaming videos and accessing social networks, among others. The A.I Watch runs Android 4.0.4, has 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, a 1.54-inch 240 x 240 touchscreen display, a 500mAh battery and a 5-megapixel camera. If the device ever makes it to retail, it'll sell for $279 each, which is around the price of Samsung's Galaxy Gear. Right now, however, the device's fate hangs in the balance as its creators work to raise $100,000 on Indiegogo to cover mass production costs. Check out videos of the A.I Watch in action after the break, and enjoy a chuckle over one of its watchfaces that looks undeniably Metro-esque. Update (09/30/2013): So, a lot of you have pointed out that the A.I watch is a dead-ringer for Vapirius' AX2 smartwatch. We don't know for sure if A.I watch is merely a copy, but we've reached out to its developers for comment -- we'll update this post once we hear back. Meanwhile, the AX2 is available in Europe for €299 ($400), so you can probably bypass this Indiegogo campaign and go straight to Vapirius' website... although seeing as A.I has only raised a miserable $3,677 of its $100,000 goal, it seems like plenty of you weren't that excited to begin with. Update #2 (09/30/2013): Thanks to a helpful tipster, we've tracked the likely source of the A.I. smartwatch to a Chinese manufacturer known as Shenzhen Hop Industrial, which markets the device as the EC309 (shown after the break). These watches are sold individually at $229, or as little as $158 with bulk discounts. Needless to say, if you'd like to buy an A.I. smartwatch today -- and for a lot less -- you might look to an importer for the hookup. [Thanks, Lokifish Marz]
Samsung exec admits Galaxy Gear smartwatch 'lacks something special'
In an unusual bout of frankness, a Samsung official has acknowledged that the Galaxy Gear smartwatch lacks, you know, whatever the Korean is for je ne sais quoi. As reported by the Korea Times, the unnamed official said: "We've acknowledged that our Gear lacks something special. With more investment for user interface and user experience, Samsung devices will be better in terms of customer satisfaction." We're not sure if the source of the quote is Samsung's VP of strategic marketing, Lee Don-joo, but this exec is quoted in the same Korea Times article as saying that the watch is "definitely receiving a warm response" and that improvements would stem from software tweaks and the hiring of new UI experts, rather than from the development of a whole new device. He described the Gear as part of Samsung's drive to create new categories of "wow product" and, in virtually the same gasp, he also reiterated that Samsung would launch some sort of heavily curved -- or perhaps even partially bendable -- smartphone in Korea next month.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear now on sale in the UK
If you've been looking to get your hands on Samsung's new Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear, boom, they're here. The company has kicked off another of its world tours to announce availability of its 5.7-inch smartphone and new smartwatch in 58 countries. In the UK, an unlocked Galaxy Note 3 will set you back £649 but it's also available on nearly all of the major carriers (we're still waiting to hear from Three) -- starting at around £30 on a traditional contract, or free if you decide to sign up to a new early-upgrader tariff. The Galaxy Gear retails at £299, but Samsung thinks you could use a £100 discount if you bundle it with an unlocked Galaxy Note 3, for a total cost of £848. Customers in the US, Canada and Japan, however, will have to wait 'til October -- though pre-orders are already open.
Coolpad intros 5.9-inch Magview 4 phone with CoolHub and cWatch accessories
Oppo isn't the only company launching a 5.9-inch smartphone today. Coolpad has just unveiled the Magview 4, which mates a similarly large display with a 1.8GHz Tegra 4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 13-megapixel f/2.0 rear camera and an aluminum chassis. The Android 4.2 handset doesn't offer as many built-in tricks as its Oppo counterpart, but it's arriving alongside a trio of clever accessories. The pocketable CoolHub combines a battery with a Bluetooth speaker, a microSD card reader and NFC tag support; the CoolHub 2 extends this with environmental sensors and a pedometer. Coolpad is also launching the cWatch C1, a waterproof smartwatch with alerts for calendars, calls and messages. While the company hasn't yet priced its add-ons, it will ship the Magview 4 to mainland China in October for ¥3,980 ($650).
AT&T will start taking Galaxy Gear pre-orders tomorrow
You can stop wondering when AT&T will let you plunk down cash for a Galaxy Gear: the carrier has just announced that it will start taking pre-orders for Samsung's smartwatch at 12:01AM ET tomorrow, September 17th. AT&T hasn't detailed pricing or a final release date, although Samsung has previously suggested that the Galaxy Gear should reach the US by October for $299. Given the pre-order timing, we wouldn't be surprised if the Gear arrives shortly after the Galaxy Note 3.
Eric Migicovsky on Pebble's origin, smartwatch philosophy and what's wrong with the competition
Pebble is an unequivocal success story thus far -- setting Kickstarter funding records and making its way to retail outlets. However, the road it's taken hasn't been been all smooth, and at TechCrunch Disrupt today, company CEO Eric Migicovsky spoke about Pebble's beginnings and some of the challenges it faced as a hardware startup. Migicovsky said that he first started working on Pebble's precursor five years ago, not because he thought it would become a business but because "it was something I wanted to have," he said. That first prototype was essentially a hacked Arduino strapped to his wrist, and while it "didn't work too well as a watch" due to poor battery life and performance, he got a lot of positive feedback from other folks who saw it. Those folks geeking out over that prototype is what convinced him to enter the smartwach business.
Daily Roundup: LG G2 review, Lumia 625 review, Sony's new PS Vita, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Nissan surprises us all with smartwatch concept for Nismo cars (video)
Nissan's no stranger to conjuring up ideas outside its wheelhouse, but we still didn't expect the company to join the smartwatch fray. The device, if and when ready for commercial release, won't be a staunch Galaxy Gear competitor, though -- it's being developed specifically for the Nismo motorsports line. Since it's meant for use by racers, it'll monitor and analyze a vehicle's performance, and, as a nice bonus, even a driver's heart rate and social media presence. To be able to do so, it connects via Bluetooth to a proprietary smartphone app. The Nissan Nismo Watch is far from gracing shelves, but the concept will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. Those who can't make the long trek to Germany will have to make do watching the video after the jump.
Telus to bring Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear to Canada on October 4th
Canadians won't have to wait much longer than their American counterparts to get their hands on the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear. Telus sends word that it will carry both Samsung devices on October 4th, just a few days after AT&T gets its turn at the Note 3. The carrier doesn't yet have pricing. As for additional Canadian networks? We've reached out to Bell and Rogers for their launch details, and we'll let you know when they have something to share. If history is any indication, though, other providers will quickly follow in Telus' footsteps.
Confused by the Galaxy Gear? Apple released a better, cheaper watch in 2010
The smartwatch market is a weird one, so when a new device enters the fray it can be somewhat confusing to pinpoint exactly where it fits in. Samsung jumped in today with the reveal of the Galaxy Gear, a $299 smartwatch that, at launch, will work with exactly one smartphone, the Galaxy Note 3. Unless you're planning on dropping the cash to upgrade your handset to the as-of-yet unreleased new Note, there's no reason to really consider the Galaxy Gear in the first place. But don't worry, Apple already released a device way back in 2010 that competes with the Gear, and it can now be found for less than half the price of Samsung's new gadget. That device is the 6th generation iPod Nano, and it might not be a smartwatch, but it does a pretty respectable job of faking it. Check out the head-to-head comparison below and see which one is the better value for you.
Samsung Galaxy Gear apps include Path, Pocket, RunKeeper and more
Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch will launch with 70 native apps, and it turns out that there's quite a few heavy-hitters in that bunch. Path is available to share photos taken from the Gear's wriststrap; Pocket users, meanwhile, can have Gear read saved articles out loud. And fitness apps will definitely be in vogue -- RunKeeper, MyFitnessPal, Phigolf and others have embraced Samsung's vision. There are too many other apps to list them all, although we've noticed big-name titles like Snapchat in the mix. If you're planning to pick up Samsung's wristwear in the next few weeks, there won't be any shortage of things to do with it. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Qualcomm makes a timely entrance with full-featured Toq Mirasol smartwatch (hands-on video)
Qualcomm's certainly made a name for itself in the mobile chipset space, but the company's past attempts at creating a fully baked consumer device have not been tremendously successful. Take FLO TV, for example. The pocketable television receiver had potential, but a botched execution left the firm with an embarrassing failure. It's this legacy that leaves us cautiously optimistic about today's product introduction, a full-function smartwatch called Toq. Why is Qualcomm designing, marketing and selling a smartwatch, you ask? The answer lies in a troubled display tech called Mirasol. We got our first good look at this low-power color display technology at CES back in 2010. Since then, Mirasol has had a hard time catching on, with manufacturing costs a likely culprit. We've seen new iterations each year, mostly in the form of prototype e-readers, but a decision to shutter production last summer seemingly marked the final straw for the inventive concept. Then, we regained hope following this year's SID Display Week, where two new high-res panels made their debut, including one in a smartwatch. Curiously, that wearable we saw in May bears little resemblance to the product we're meeting today, which you'll find detailed in full after the break.
Samsung's Galaxy Gear is only compatible with Note 3, 10.1 at launch
Samsung's making waves in the wearables category today with its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but the device's compatibility will be surprisingly limited at launch, curtailing our excitement quite a bit. According to reps, the connected wristwatch will only pair with Galaxy devices running Android version 4.3 -- for the time being, that restricts use to the smartphone and tablet announced today, Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and the refreshed Note 10.1, though the next version of Jelly Bean may roll out to the GS4 later this year, so Samsung's flagship handset shouldn't be left out in the cold for long. As for third-party devices? There's always a chance that Gear support could come in the future, but we're certainly not counting on it, especially with this first-generation wearable. Update: It's not clear if Galaxy Nexus devices will be supported when updated to Android 4.3 as well, but Samsung has confirmed that the Gear will work with a refreshed Galaxy S4. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch hands-on (video)
Wrist watches, smart or otherwise, are simply not for everyone -- there are more smartphone users in the world, many times over, than there will ever be smartwatch owners. Despite the limited market for such a device, however, Samsung's decided it's time to join in on the fun. The Galaxy Gear, as we've known it to be called for a few weeks now, was hardly guarded with a level of secrecy that's become standard for a flagship smartphone, but as the device is finally official -- and expected to launch in more than 100 countries within weeks -- just how does it perform? Find our take after the break. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear smartwatch with 1.63-inch AMOLED touchscreen, built-in camera, 70 apps
This week's Galaxy Gear prototype leak didn't leave much to the imagination. Samsung's new wearable was expected to debut with a built-in camera, speakers and a relatively clunky design, all of which are indeed present on the device we're meeting today. But we now have quite a bit more clarity when it comes to functionality and specifications -- the rumored 3-inch display size and 4-megapixel camera resolution, for example, were incorrect. The Gear will instead ship with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 320 x 320. That strap-mounted camera, for its part, is designed to capture low-res shots and 10-second 720p videos, and includes a 1.9-megapixel BSI sensor and an auto-focus lens. The big surprise here is third-party applications support -- there will be a total of 70 partner programs at launch, including sharing apps like Evernote and Path, fitness companions like RunKeeper and MyFitnessPal, and a handful of other offerings, such as TripIt, Line, Vivino and even eBay. We'll dive into software functionality a bit more in our hands-on, so for now, let's talk compatibility and specs. We were caught a bit off guard by the wearable's limited compatibility, though -- at launch, it'll only work with the Note 3 and Note 10.1, though some Galaxy S4 owners may be able to take advantage soon, after that device scores an update to Android 4.3. Assuming your handset is compatible, the Gear will serve as a companion device, enabling access to features like S Voice, Find My Device, a pedometer and third-party additions including those outlined above. The device is powered by an 800MHz processor and a 315 mAh non-removable cell, which Samsung reps say should provide up to a day of "regular" use. There are two built-in mics (with noise cancellation support), a speaker, Bluetooth 4.0, an accelerometer and gyroscope, 4GB of storage and 512MB of RAM. The Galaxy Gear will eventually ship, along with the Note 3, to more than 140 countries. Pricing and country-specific availability has yet to be confirmed, but some customers should expect to have it in hand (or on hand, rather) beginning September 25th. Sadly, customers in the US and Japan will have to wait until October to pick one up for $299. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Sony's SmartWatch 2 hits IFA, we go wrists-on
Sure smart watches are the hot newness, but Sony's already been there and done that. In fact, the company got a jump on IFA by first announcing its second-gen wearable way back in late June. The device did grab a brief mention at today's press conference (due in part, we suspect, to something Samsung may have up its sleeve), and the device got some face time on the IFA show floor. The watch doesn't look entirely unlike its predecessor, though there have been some modifications. For starters, the display has been kicked up a bit to a 1.6-incher with 220 x 176 resolution. Of course, that's still a tiny color touchscreen, so you're only going to fit around six icons on there at any one time. The device is also slimmer than its predecessor, which goes a long way for something you're going to wear on your wrist, though we wouldn't exactly call it thin at the moment.
