Wear OS
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WatchOS 7 is Apple’s best chance to get me to switch from Android
I actually Slacked my colleague that as I watched Apple’s WWDC keynote. Meanwhile, Samsung’s faces are limited to discovery within its Wearable app, while Fitbit’s options are pretty basic.
TAG Heuer's special edition smartwatch is made for the golf course
TAG Heuer's Connected Golf Edition merges its smartwatch technology with tools for the golf course.
Hublot's next smartwatch is the $5,200 Big Bang e
The new Hublot smartwatch, the Big Bang e, runs on Google’s Wear OS, and it’ll set you back $5,200.
Samsung's latest smartwatch app reminds you to wash your hands
Following Google and Wear OS, Samsung has created a hand washing app for its smartwatches.
Wear OS starts reminding you to wash your hands
Wear OS smartwatches now send periodic reminders to wash your hands and reduce the chances of contracting COVID-19.
Google Fit redesign focuses on your step count
The reworked Fit is available now for iOS users, and should roll out in the days ahead to both Android and Wear OS users.
Apple buys Dark Sky weather app
Apple has bought weather app Dark Sky, which is highly regarded for its radar maps and accuracy of its hyperlocal, by-the-minute weather predictions. It'll still be available on the iOS App Store, as you might expect, but the Android and Wear OS versions will shut down on July 1st. You'll no longer be able to download the app on those platforms, and people who are still subscribed to the service when Dark Sky pulls the plug will receive a refund.
Google survey hints at big plans for Wear OS health tracking
Wear OS is struggling, in no small part due to its so-so health features -- there's a good reason Google bought Fitbit. However, Google has hinted that it intends to catch up. Droid Life has learned that an ongoing User Experience Research survey that asks participants how they would fix Wear OS, and there's a strong emphasis on adding health features -- many of them crucial features.
Mobvoi's latest TicWatch Pro is its most durable wearable yet
Over the last couple of years, wearable maker Mobvoi has made a name for itself by producing affordable but capable Wear OS smartwatches. The company's latest product, an update to its TicWatch Pro lineup, looks like it will continue that trend.
Skagen's Falster Wear OS watch put on bulk
Developments in the land of Wear OS may have been a little scarce of late, but that doesn't mean Google's most fanatic smartwatch partner doesn't have new products to share. Fossil Group is here at CES 2020 showing off some new devices, like the Diesel On Fadelite it announced yesterday. Today, the company is unveiling the Skagen Falster 3, a follow up to one of my favorite Wear OS watches in the past. Sadly, it doesn't live up to the high design standards set by its predecessor, but it still represents a noteworthy upgrade.
Diesel's latest Wear OS watch puts a fresh design on aging tech
If you wanted to spruce up a Wear OS smartwatch lineup knowing that you were stuck with the same hardware that most companies had been using for over a year, what would you do? For Diesel, the answer is simple: tart it up with an attention-getting design. The Fossil brand has unveiled a unisex On Fadelite watch whose centerpieces are the translucent case (including an iridescent model) and matching transparent strap options like red to black, black to clear, blue to clear and all clear. It's not quite a Google-powered Swatch, but it comes close.
The Suunto 7 improves on Wear OS with offline outdoor maps and fitness features
Suunto's next wearable is trying to satisfy the needs of two different wearable types: the die-hard fans that have followed (if not bought) its multisport watches in the past, and the smartwatch buyer looking for more fitness functionality. The latter is a much bigger audience — and things are rough for wearable makers at the moment — so the Suunto 7 is aimed squarely at the middle. It's less fitness-dedicated than the Suunto 9, but it's arguably more capable than other smartwatches running Google's Wear OS. The main party trick is offline outdoor maps, calibrated to track 15 different activities, and packing heatmaps of other athletes' trails.
Google buys Fitbit for $2.1 billion
Fitbit is to be acquired by Google in an all-cash deal worth around $2.1 billion, the two companies announced today. The company will be folded in to the search giant, forming part of its hardware team, making a new generation of wearables. Judging from the statements made by Fitbit CEO James Park (pictured) and Google's hardware chief Rick Osterloh, future Fitbit devices will run Wear OS.
Fossil's latest Wear OS watches now make calls using iPhones
Fossil has acted on its promise to show more love to iPhone users with its Gen 5 smartwatches. An in-progress software update now lets the wristwear make calls using Apple's handsets, making them some of the first Wear OS devices with calling support beyond Android. You won't have to snag an Apple Watch just to handle a can't-miss call while your iPhone stays in your pocket.
Movado's new smartwatch packs a heart rate monitor and programmable buttons
Movado has unveiled the second iteration of Connect -- the first Wear OS smartwatch it launched in 2017 when Google's platform was still called Android Wear. The newer model is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 3100 chipset and comes in two sizes: a 42mm one like its predecessor and a smaller 40mm one for those who find the former a bit to chunky for their wrists. Users can modify its looks until the watch fits their aesthetic by swapping its straps/bracelets and taking advantage of its customizable watchface. Like all other Movado watches, though, it features the brand's single dot design.
Fossil's latest hybrid watch is likely powered by Wear OS
Back in January Google announced its plans to buy Fossil's smartwatch technology. Now, after a report by Wareable revealed that the deal involved the acquisition of the movements used in hybrid watches, we have our first clue as to what Google might be planning.
Diesel and Emporio Armani also release new Wear OS watches
Looks like Fossil Group is refreshing its stable of smartwatches across the family of brands it owns in preparation for the fall. After updating the Fossil Touchscreen Smartwatch in August to the fifth-generation model, the company unveiled a trio of new Michael Kors devices, as well as Puma's first-ever smartwatch. Today, it's announcing a pair of new watches, namely the Diesel On Axial and the Emporio Armani Smartwatch 3.
Puma's first smartwatch was designed for athletes
Puma has teamed up with the Fossil Group to enter the smartwatch market with a device that stays true to its brand. Like many other new wearables in the category, the company's first smartwatch is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset and runs on Google's Wear OS. It was, however, specifically created to help athletes -- or even sporty non-athlete users who stay active -- train and track goals.
Runkeeper drops its Wear OS app due to a 'buggy experience'
Add Runkeeper to the list of companies dropping their smartwatch apps -- albeit not for the usual reasons. The developer is warning customers that it's scrapping its Wear OS app as of the 9.13 release. It's "just not able" to deliver the best experience on Google's smartwatch platform, according to the notice. When a customer asked support for clarification, Runkeeper added that it was a "very buggy experience" and didn't work consistently well for most people. It's a "small team with limited resources," support added.
Fossil's latest stylish smartwatches can last for days
Fossil's smartwatches are competent, but they don't really stand out among other Wear OS watches beyond their looks. You might have a more substantial reason from now on, though. The company's new Gen 5 Fossil Touchscreen Smartwatch has a few more distinctive features that could make them easier to recommend over the competition, particularly their longevity. A new Extended Battery Mode helps the watches last for "multiple days" on a charge while receiving notifications and tracking your heart rate. You can also go for a Time-Only Mode when you just want the most basic feature, a Daily Mode with "most" options enabled and a custom option to specify the exact level of power savings you want.
