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The latest TicWatch Pro includes 4G LTE to free you from your phone
Mobvoi's second generation TicWatch Pro is available today, and the company hopes it will free you from your phone. The Wear OS-powered TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE offers wireless connectivity, so you can receive voice calls and app notifications, send and receive texts and use popular messaging apps. You can also hit an SOS button that will dial 911, and it will automatically sync your data with the cloud -- all without tethering you to another device.
IDC: Android smartwatches only rival Apple in China
If you're eyeing a smartwatch, there are virtually hundreds you can choose from -- but odds are high you'll flock to Apple. The Apple Watch has beat out the competition in the global smartwatch market and will continue to do so, according to estimates by research firm IDC. While Google's Wear OS and Samsung's Tizen continue to expand worldwide, Android smartwatches only sell really well in China. "Apple's [...] nearest competitors follow by a long margin," said Ramon T. Llamas, research director for IDC's wearables team to CNET. "Android also plays a big role here, but it's mostly known as a Chinese wearables platform."
Google's swipeable Wear OS Tiles offer info at a glance
Swiping is one of the easiest and most intuitive gestures in the touchscreen armory, especially when you've got limited space. Google clearly gets that, having added swiping to Google Fit and Google Assistant on Wear OS smartwatches. Now, it's announcing Tiles, a new quick-access interface for more watch functions.
This week in tech history: Android Wear, Twitter and Friendster
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're looking back at Android Wear, Twitter and Friendster (yep, that's a deep cut).
Google Wear OS at five: Older, wiser, but unpolished
Half a decade has passed since Android Wear debuted. During that time, we've seen in-screen fingerprint readers, rollable TVs, self-driving cars, super-smart AI, phones with folding screens and more. In the midst of all that technological advancement, Android Wear has remained relatively unchanged. In its five years, Google's OS has grown smarter and more useful and has even undergone a serious makeover. But the system, now known as Wear OS, still doesn't feel fully matured.
Google Fit update delivers a much-needed power-saving mode
Google is taking steps to address one of the most commonly-cited smartwatch complaints: battery life. In a bid to increase the time between charges (which at this juncture is usually two days max), Google Fit's latest update will come with a battery-saving low power GPS mode.
