smartwatches
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Mobvoi's swim-ready TicWatches are now available starting at $160
Mobvoi, a Google-backed AI company, is fleshing out the features of its new line of smartwatches set to arrive today. The TicWatch S2 and E2, announced earlier this month at CES 2019, have the active lifestyle in mind with a new suite of fitness tracking features called TicMotion. Mobvoi also announced the E2 model will retail for $159.99 while the S2 will go for $179.99.
Fossil Sport review: Just another Wear OS watch
Smartwatches seem to be enjoying a minor revival this year, with major brands like Apple and Samsung continuing to push out intriguing new wearables like the Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch Series 4. Google launched a redesign of Wear OS, and Qualcomm created a new processor specifically for watches. The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is built around a new architecture featuring low-power cores that claim to deliver dramatically better battery life. The Fossil Sport is one of the first watches to ship with the new chipset and is also the fashion company's first fitness-focused smartwatch. Since this is the first Wear 3100 watch we've got our hands on, though, I'm eager to see if the new CPU lives up to its promises.
Mobvoi’s TicWatch C2 brings classic looks to Wear OS
Mobvoi, the maker of some surprisingly good and cheap Android smartwatches, has added a new wearable to its lineup. The company announced the arrival of the TicWatch C2, a Wear OS-powered update of its Classic smartwatch.
Verizon launches a new generation of its kid-tracking wearable
Your kid almost certainly doesn't need a smartwatch, but you can still strap one to them if you want. Verizon has expanded its dormant lineup of GizmoKids wearables with the GizmoWatch—the first of the bunch to offer 4G LTE.
LG may unveil a hybrid Wear OS watch October 3rd
For months, reports have suggested LG is working on a smartwatch that combines Wear OS and physical watch hands. It appears that the company will reveal said wearable, called LG Watch G7, at the V40 ThinQ smartphone launch next week, according to VentureBeat's Evan Blass.
Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear chip could revitalize smartwatches
Don't give up on smartwatches just yet. Qualcomm has finally unveiled its latest made-for-wearables processor, which it first teased at Google I/O earlier this year. The new chipset is called the Snapdragon Wear 3100 and succeeds the existing 2100 model you'll find in many smartwatches currently on the market. The 3100 features revamped architecture that should provide the long-lasting and always-ready performance that wearables have been missing for years. The new Wear 3100 platform also integrates with Google's Wear OS and features three new software modes that are designed to maximize battery life and utility in a variety of scenarios.
Fossil will sell BMW-branded smartwatches next year
BMW is moving into the smartwatch game, but it's not actually making the devices itself. Instead, Fossil has struck a five-year deal to create BMW-branded watches and smartwatches, as part of its seemingly never-ending quest to offer a smartwatch for everyone's taste.
This day in Engadget history: Blockbuster Video tanks in a big way
Engadget has been around for 14 years and counting, which means our archives contain a veritable treasure trove of technology history. From notable reviews and news to the more mundane or ridiculous finds from across the internet, there's a lot to explore here. "This Day in Engadget History" will take you on a historical voyage as we look at what made the headlines in years past. Join us, won't you?
Qualcomm launches a new chip for kid-friendly wearables
Qualcomm has finally launched a new smartwatch chip over two years after its last one, but it was created with a specific market in mind: kids. The chipmaker's new SoC, called the Snapdragon Wear 2500, has a 4G LTE modem, as well as an integrated sensor hub and can extend a watch's battery life better than its previous platform can. Wondering why Qualcomm has to create a chip specifically for children's smartwatches? Its wearables SVP Anthony Murray said it's because the growth in the "designed-for-kids but highly capable devices" segment "is very exciting." Apparently, the company is seeing "widespread global demand" for them. The chipmaker hasn't forgotten us adults, though -- according to The Verge, this is just one of two (or more) smartwatch chips it's launching this year.
Marc Jacobs is (un)fashionably late with its first touchscreen watch
At this point in the smartwatch game, it's hard to get excited about yet another Android Wear -- sorry, Wear OS -- device. But that's not stopping Marc Jacobs from showing up fashionably late to the party. The designer's new Riley smartwatch ($295) is its first with a touchscreen display and runs Wear OS. It has a somewhat chunky round case with one button instead of the three that adorned the side of its hybrid sibling released last year, which was based on the company's existing Riley analog timepiece.
AsteroidOS is an open alternative to Wear OS you can install today
When AsteroidOS first started working on a Linux-based smartwatch platform back in 2015, the device category was still fairly new. Now, the first stable version of the OS is finally available for download, providing an Android-compatible alternative to Wear OS. It can display smartphone notifications, weather data, calendar entries, alarms and timers, as well as music playback controls. To encourage developers and those who love tinkering with their devices to create custom applications and watchfaces for the platform, AsteroidOS also released a Software Development Kit along with tutorials.
So you bought a smartwatch. Now what?
Now that smartwatches are actually useful enough for the general populace, setting them up isn't as pedestrian a task as pairing with your phone and calling it a day. On the surface, customizing your new device may not seem like a complicated task, but people often overlook some of the tools that can potentially make wearables more helpful. From recommended settings to the apps worth downloading, here's a walkthrough of what you should look out for when setting up your new wearable.
How to buy a smartwatch in 2018
The smartwatch industry's identity crisis may be coming to an end. Familiar tech brands like Motorola, Microsoft and Pebble have retired from making wearables, while others like ASUS are rumored to be giving up on the category, leaving us with a shrinking selection of devices to choose from. But fitness and fashion brands have rushed to fill the vacuum, while more specialized watches are also on the rise. This means shoppers will need to prioritize some features over others. As it turns out, there's not yet a perfect solution.
Kate Spade designed an Android Wear smartwatch
Kate Spade, known for its colorful, bubble-gum aesthetic that draws girls from all over the world to its purses and accessories, has made its first touchscreen smartwatch. The Android Wear device was unveiled at CES 2018, and it doesn't have a name other than "Kate Spade scallop touchscreen." It was designed to fit in with the rest of the brand's "unapologetically feminine" look, according to CEO Mary Beech, and it's one of the few smartwatches ever to specifically target women's wrists, and do so in an attractive way.
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.
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.
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.
Fitbit Ionic smartwatch hands-on: A surprisingly well-rounded debut
After a series of reported delays and developmental challenges, Fitbit is finally ready to unveil its first smartwatch. The timing is appropriate, given that this is the tenth anniversary of the company's first tracker. The Ionic is Fitbit's most modern device to date, featuring a colorful LCD touchscreen and advanced sensors. It also serves as the launchpad for some new Fitbit services, like a fully fledged operating system called FitbitOS, contactless payment and a subscription-based custom workout guide called Fitbit Coach. The company needs the Fitbit Ionic to be successful -- its sales have slowed in recent months, and it faces a lawsuit over its use of haptic feedback. Judging from the few days I've had an early version of the Ionic, it appears to have the potential to resuscitate Fitbit's waning business.
Smartwatches are relying on fashion brands to survive
The 2017 lineup of Android Wear watches is a techy fashionista's dream come true. With options from an ever-growing list of designers including Louis Vuitton, Movado, Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Google's smartwatch platform is impressively diverse. Fossil Group even announced it would offer 300 new smartwatch designs by year's end, with many of those models running Android Wear. Meanwhile, big tech brands like Motorola and Microsoft have stopped making wearables altogether. The fashion industry's enthusiasm is a lifeline for smartwatches as tech companies start deserting them.
Jawbone’s demise heralds the end of the wearables industry
Sometimes deaths are sudden, but most company deaths are the opposite, with Jawbone's protracted terminus taking upward of a year. The company was an early pioneer in the consumer-wearables market and had raised close to a billion dollars in investment, but that wasn't enough to save it. Its end doesn't just mean the demise for one company, but signals the end of the great generation of wearables.