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Complete your steampunk cosplay with a Samsung pocket watch
As the world's biggest watch show continues to pump out smartwatch variants from nearly everyone, at Baselworld, established player Samsung apparently wanted to pay lip-service to the horological items that came before watches got smart. It unveiled a handful of concept devices, including one Gear S3-esque device that houses a mechanical Swiss-made movement -- apparently instead of your smartwatch touchscreen. It also had three more typical Gear S3 watches with upgraded build materials -- classier Gear S3 smartwatches. However, my attention was drawn to the device on the far left: a hybrid pocket watch version of the Gear S3 that appears to pair two smaller watch faces with a compass, for bonus ... "innovation" points.
Montblanc's first smartwatch is the luxury Summit
Luxury brand Montblanc has already made a few tentative steps into the smart things space. And just as a simpler stylus preceded a fancier note digitizer, Montblanc is now ready to follow up its e-Strap accessory with a fully fledged Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch. It's called the Summit, and there's nothing too out of the ordinary as far as components go: A 1.39-inch (400 x 400) AMOLED display sits up front, with a Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip, 512MB of RAM and 4 gigs of storage tucked away behind. Other notable elements include a heart-rate sensor and built-in microphone, but Montblanc is under no illusion it's pushing the boundaries of technology here. It's much more concerned with style.
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).
Samsung's smartwatch lineup now works with your iPhone
Did you sigh wistfully at Samsung's Gear S3, knowing you couldn't use it because you have an iPhone? Relax. Samsung has launched new Gear S and Gear Fit apps that bring iOS compatibility to all of its current wrist-worn devices, including the Gear S3 (both Classic and Frontier), the Gear S2 and the Gear Fit 2. You won't see all the integration you would on an Android phone (let alone a Samsung phone), but you can receive notifications, manage apps and track your S Health data. Hardware features should work, too, so you can expect GPS and environmental sensors to play a part.
Apple Watch goads you into getting some post-holiday exercise
Guilt over holiday eating might just convince you to hit the gym in the coming weeks, but Apple wants to offer some motivation of its own. On December 28th, the company pushed a notification to every Apple Watch owner encouraging them to participate in a Ring in the New Year Challenge starting January 2nd, 2017. If you complete all three of your activity goals (Move, Exercise, Stand) every day for at least one week in January, you'll get a special achievement medal (above) and an iMessage sticker pack to help you brag about your performance.
Apple Watch refurbs lower the cost of outfitting your wrist
You no longer have to wait for a sale to snag an Apple Watch at a more reasonable price. Apple has quietly started selling refurbished Series 1 and Series 2 models through its American online store, lowering the barrier of entry if you don't insist on untouched wristwear. They're currently the most common models, to no one's surprise (no ceramic Apple Watch Edition here), but you're getting a sizable 15 percent discount over brand new: Series 1 begins at $229, while the GPS-equipped Series 2 variants start at $309. The Series 2 lineup also includes a few stainless steel versions starting at $469.
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier review: Lots of features, not enough apps
It seems like everyone is talking about how the smartwatch market is collapsing, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from taking another stab at high-end wearables. Who could blame them, really? Last year's Tizen-powered Gear S2 was full of good ideas, from that rotating bezel to its compatibility with non-Samsung Android phones. Not trying to build on that foundation would have been a shame. Enter the Gear S3 Frontier. It's a bigger, better, more refined take on Samsung's smartwatch formula, and the company threw in every feature it could think of. That rationale is Samsung through and through, and it makes the Gear S3 worthy of your consideration, even if now might not be the best time to buy a smartwatch.
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.
Alphabet's health watch has changed a lot since last year
You know that health-tracking watch Alphabet's X research division showed off more than a year ago, the one you're looking at above? Yeah, you'll want to forget about that design. MIT Technology Review managed to get a peek at a prototype of what should be "at least" the second generation of the now Verily-made design, and it bears precious little resemblance to the squarish block from 2015. At is heart is a familiar-sounding circular e-paper screen -- not as exciting as the OLEDs and LCDs on smartwatches, but vital for a device that you're supposed to wear as often as possible.
Your health insurance might score you an Apple Watch
Apple will exclusively provide its Watch, iPad and iPhone products to Aetna for new app-oriented fitness tracking program, the US insurance giant announced. A cornerstone of the project is health tracking, so Aetna will subsidize the cost of a Watch for select customers and offer it free to its 50,000-strong workforce starting next year. Apple will also help Aetna develop new apps around medication reminders, billing (with Apple Wallet) and care management.
Apple can never release an 'iWatch' in the UK
Long before Apple actually launched its first wearable, a trademarking spree sent the rumour mill into overdrive. Understandably so, because what else could an "iWatch" be? The Swiss clocksmiths at Swatch weren't best pleased with this application, however, challenging the filing with the UK's Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in 2014. The IPO recently brought an end to the dispute, siding with Swatch in its opposition of the trademark. It doesn't really matter now, of course, with the Apple Watch already in its second generation. But, if the company ever wanted to launch an iWatch? Well, it can't.
Apple Watch Series 2 comes with waterproofing and GPS
Two years after Apple launched its first wearable, the company has pulled the dust sheets from the second generation of its watch. It's certainly not what's on the outside that defines the Apple Watch Series 2, which looks the same as its immediate predecessor. The headline feature is that the device is water resistant to depths of 50 meters and can be used to track the activity of swimmers. The second standout upgrade is the addition of built-in GPS, which the company promises won't make you wait around like other GPS watches.
Alcatel's new budget smartwatch is designed for grownups
A few years back, Alcatel surprised plenty of people by announcing its own smartwatch, the originally-named, uh, Watch. Now, the company has arrived at IFA 2016 with the follow up, that takes much of the same technology but puts it in far nicer clothes. The MoveTime WiFi uses the same basic operating system as the Watch, and has the same optical heart rate monitor, but gains a WiFi radio for better connectivity. The big selling point is the more mature case, and the new device looks a lot more mature, even if some of the original device's uniqueness has been lost in the process.
Sony returns to crowdfunding for its next e-paper watch
Miss out on Sony's original crowdfunded watch? You're about to get a second chance... at least, if you live in Japan. It's running a campaign to fund the FES Watch U, a more polished-looking version of its e-paper wristwear. You can still customize the always-on face and band (with or without a phone), but it's decidedly posher. Where the previous model looked more like an experiment, the Watch U has a steel body and (on the black premium model) scratch-resistant sapphire glass that make it more of a fashion item. As you might guess, the choice of energy-efficient e-paper gives it a healthy battery life of three weeks.
Skagen's first smartwatches are decidedly analog
Fossil is gradually dragging its watch brands into the smartwatch era, and now it's Skagen's turn: the Danish company is introducing its first smartwatch, the Hagen Connected. The new wristwear is focused on a traditional look over pure tech, and competes more with Withings' Activité watches than the likes of Apple, Google or Samsung. It tracks your fitness goals (that's what the sub-dial is for), vibrates for email and text alerts, and offers customizable shortcuts for common tasks like taking a photo or pausing your music. Effectively, it's a more refined version of the pseudo-analog watches you've seen before -- your friends might never know that your timepiece is talking to your Android phone or iPhone.
Garmin's latest smartwatch is for athletes with deep pockets
Garmin is no stranger to the smartwatch game and now the company is adding another timepiece to its lineup. The Fenix Chronos is Garmin's high-end wearable that offers "a full multi-sport and navigational toolset," if you're willing to pay big bucks. First, the Fenix Chronos comes in either titanium or steel to complete the refined look. The company says that these materials offer a design that can make easily the switch from hiking and biking on a trail to attending a dressy event that evening. Both versions have a scratch-resistant sapphire lens and a 1.2-inch Chroma display with LED backlighting for high visibility at all times.
Backers of canceled e-ink watch won't get their money back
If you were wowed by the CST-01 e-ink watch back when it appeared in early 2013 and threw down some of your hard-earned cash for it, we got some bad news for you: You're probably never getting your money back.
Navigate your smartwatch by touching your skin
Smartwatches walk a fine line between functionality and fashion, but new SkinTrack technology from Carnegie Mellon University's Future Interfaces Group makes the size of the screen a moot point. The SkinTrack system consists of a ring that emits a continuous high-frequency AC signal and a sensing wristband that goes under the watch. The wristband tracks the finger wearing the ring and senses whether the digit is hovering or actually making contact with your arm or hand, turning your skin into an extension of the touchscreen.
Apple Watch sequel reportedly includes cellular data
One of the biggest gripes with the now year-old Apple Watch is that it's not very useful away from your iPhone. You can keep track of a run and do a few things on WiFi, but not much more than that. However, that could all change when the sequel rolls around. Wall Street Journal sources hear that the next Watch should include cellular access on top of the expected faster processor. How it would work isn't mentioned, but the odds are that it'd behave like existing cellular smartwatches: you could leave your phone at home while continuing to get notifications and run apps. You'd likely still need the iPhone at some point (if just to install apps and get updates), but not nearly as much as you do today.
Apple mandates that new Watch apps 'must' work without an iPhone
Apple's laying the law down: Watch apps must operate without an iPhone nearby. In a blog post, the company mandates that anything submitted for App Store approval from this June 1st forward has to be a native app running watchOS 2. This should be a boon for anyone using the wearable during a run or workout where carrying a phone would be a hindrance. And ultimately, it'll result in higher quality applications that make full use of the device and what it's capable of rather than just being shoehorned to run on that OLED screen.