Wearable

OPPO has launched a new Air variant of its Android tablet today (May 23, 2022). It has debuted alongside new Enco R TWS earbuds. The former looks a lot like its Pad forebear, although it, like the Rs, is clearly pitched at a much lower tier than their respective predecessors.

It seems that Huawei is not quite ready to launch the Watch D in Europe or the UK. According to a company spokesperson, important features will be unavailable until 'later this year', with no timescale given. Meanwhile, only 11 countries will be able to make use of the Watch D's full functionality.

A US retailer has outlined the Forerunner 955, one of Garmin's upcoming smartwatch series. Not only has the retailer provided specifications about Solar and non-Solar models, it has also published numerous marketing images. For some reason, Garmin has sought to equip the Forerunner 955 with a touchscreen display.

The AppGallery is Huawei's in-house version of something like Apple's App Store that the OEM has been obliged to establish after it lost access to the Google Play Store. A developer claims that it has exhibited a vulnerability that might let users circumvent the theoretical paywall in front of the premium version of apps on the market. However, Huawei allegedly did nothing about the situation for "weeks" after the report.

Samsung has unleashed the Galaxy Buds2 in 2 limited-edition co-branded forms on its home market of South Korea. One is a Pokémon-themed bundle that could go with a matching Galaxy Z Flip3 from an earlier event, whereas the other is one for fans of soft drinks. They both largely entail a new carrying-case for the TWS accessories in question.

The IFA tech trade show is now set to return to an in-person format set in its traditional Berlin venue in 2022. The conference will take place at the start of September of this year. Its organizers are celebrating this announcement with early-bird prices on its tickets, although they are for only one of five of the event's scheduled days.

The USPTO has published a patent for 'three-wavelength pulse oximetry', filed by Garmin in 2020. The new style of sensor could make its way into commercially-available smartwatches, although Garmin is expected to launch the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955 series before that happens.

A battery-related problem with Garmin Fenix 6 smartwatches has been reported. Users claim that their batteries are draining at ~2% an hour, significantly reducing the wearable's lifetime. The issue was discovered following a recent firmware update. Garmin has since issued a new update though this does not resolve the problem; it is purely for diagnosis.

Xiaomi has lifted the lid on the Band 7, potentially to be sold as the Smart Band 7 outside China. Not only has Xiaomi revealed what the Band 7 looks like, but it has also confirmed the fitness tracker's launch date and several features.

Afon is back teasing its promised portable and non-invasive blood glucose monitor. The Wales-based firm has already offered a glimpse at its device and has now shared details about further steps it has taken to make its blood sugar measurement sensor a reality. Afon claims that it is “on the verge of a major breakthrough in the management of diabetes”.

Two possible new Amazfit smartwatches have been discovered, the Bip 3 and the Bip 3 Pro. AndoirdTR found the devices in the source code of the Zepp app, which also suggests that the Bip 3 Pro will have the same functionality as the Bip U Pro. These features would include blood-oxygen-level measurement and 24/7 heart rate monitoring.

The Withings ScanWatch Horizon has launched in the US for US$499.95. The device builds on the ScanWatch, with a more elegant design. A rotating stainless steel bezel doubles as an ECG monitor, plus the gadget has a medical-grade SpO2 sensor. Health tracking features such as activity and sleep monitoring are also available on the watch.

It appears that Xiaomi is close to announcing the Band 7, its next-generation fitness tracker that will replace the Mi Band 6. Not only has the design of the Xiaomi Band 7 leaked, but so has the price of its NFC variant.

Among other changes, the new firmware update for the Huawei Watch GT 3 includes an intriguing feature that allows the smartwatch to detect lung infections by utilizing its integrated blood oxygen sensor.

Huawei has announced that it will sell the Watch D in Europe. To be released for €449, the Watch D can monitor blood pressure levels, take ECGs and provides up to 7 days of battery life.

A typically well-informed leaker has shared renders of this year's Apple Watch refreshes. Billed as the Watch Series 8 and the Watch Extreme Edition, the pair are expected to arrive with flat chassis and flat displays, both significant changes for the Apple Watch Series that were expected to debut with the Watch Series 7.

Huawei has introduced the Band 7 in Europe, a fitness tracker that it already sells in China. The Huawei Band 7 will retail for €59 in the Eurozone, matching its predecessor's launch price. The Band 7 offers up to 14 days of battery life and comes pre-loaded with 96 sports modes, among other features.

Huawei has released the Watch GT 3 Pro outside China. As expected, the smartwatch comes in a new all-titanium variant that Huawei restricts to its larger 46.6 mm case size. The Watch GT 3 Pro features plenty of health tracking features within HarmonyOS 2 and joins the Mate Xs 2 at today's hardware event.

Huawei has announced the Watch FIT 2, a fitness tracker with a 1.74-inch AMOLED display, numerous exercise modes and GPS connectivity. The Watch FIT 2 will start at €149.99 and will be available in three styles, which Huawei bills as the Active, Classic and Elegant editions. In comparison, the Watch FIT 2 Elegant Edition will retail for €229.99 in the Eurozone.

The FCC has published documents for Garmin's upcoming Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955 series smartwatches. The pair are thought to be only a month away from release and should include special Music variants.

Reputedly, Apple has developed flat display glass for a future Watch Series device. According to reports, the intended smartwatch could be the Watch Series 8, which is destined for a September release.

ONVY is beta-testing an iOS app that can provide insights from data collated from your wearables. The platform can merge metrics from over 300 services, including Apple and Fitbit. Based on the data from your various wearables, the app will give you an overall Balance Score, with AI recommendations to improve your health.

According to reports, Huawei will be introducing the Band 7 in Europe 'within the next few weeks'. The Band 7 has a 1.47-inch display, 5 ATM water resistance and a 180 mAh battery that delivers up to a week's battery life, among other features.

Smart ring company Oura has sued its competitor, Circular. Both companies offer wearables that can track your health, measuring your breathing rate and body temperature, among other metrics. A document explains that Oura believes Circular has infringed on two of its patents relating to the gadget's design and technology.

According to reports, the Galaxy Watch5 Pro will debut with a more premium design than the Galaxy Watch4 or Galaxy Watch4 Classic. Purportedly, the Galaxy Watch5 Pro will not feature slim display bezels though, for one reason or another.

The Vwar Stratos 2 is a new smartwatch with GPS tracking and health-related features, such as blood oxygen level monitoring. The gadget has a 1.3-in AMOLED HD display and is 5 ATM water-resistant. With typical usage, the wearable can last for up to 15 days between charges, with battery-saving mode extending this to 25 days.

The NORM 1 smartwatch is now available to pre-order via a Kickstarter campaign. The watch has a minimalist design thanks to its hidden OLED display. The device is set to rival the Withings Steel HR wearable, with many similar health features such as heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking.

Realme is now linked to the launch of a third generation of its Watch, a line of square-faced wearables with an increasingly large range of sports- and health-tracking modes. Its product name has reportedly been certified with regulators in countries where its predecessors tend to be sold.

Movano has shared some promising news in regard to development in both non-invasive glucose monitoring and cuffless blood pressure measurement. The company has finished functional testing of its tiny custom SoC (System-on-Chip) and is now preparing to study the processor’s performance as part of a presumably wearable glucose monitor system.

Honor has released the Watch GS 3 in UK, starting at £189.99. The smartwatch will be orderable from tomorrow in three colours; Honor will offer the Watch GS 3 elsewhere 'in the near future'.

Sony has introduced the Wena 3 Ultraman Edition, a special edition version of the Wena 3 smartwatch. The Wena 3 Ultraman Edition also features a stylish wristwatch based on the Ultraman series and retails for JPY 68,200 (~US$524).

Garmin has released substantial software updates to the Epix 2 and Fenix 7 series. Distributed as software version 8.18, the updates are available to all Epix 2 and Fenix 7 series owners, not just those who participate in Garmin's public beta program.

Kumi has released the 2022 Kumi KU5 Pro globally. The smartwatch has many health tools, such as heart rate and blood oxygen level monitoring. The gadget can also measure your blood pressure using soft silicone airbag technology built into the watch strap. A 200 mAH battery gives the device a seven day lifetime.

Google has announced a second-gen Wallet in the course of its I/O 2022 keynote. This app is slated to support more than just payments this time around. It will also support the Mountain View giant's growing capacity to turn mobile devices into digital ID containers. The Wallet Android app is coming to users in 40 countries soon.

Google has announced the Pixel Buds Pro, a premium answer to the Pixel Buds A-Series. Launching this summer for US$199, the Pixel Buds Pro will be available in four colours, all with ANC and Bluetooth multipoint. The Pixel Buds Pro should deliver decent battery life with ANC enabled too.

The OnePlus Watch is available for free with the purchase of a new 10 Pro Android flagship smartphone. However, this offer is a flash sale in effect for one day (May 11, 2022) only, and seems to be valid in the US and Canada only. Then again, it might prove a good enough deal for those who can get it.

According to a new leak, Huawei is preparing to release the Watch FIT 2, a true successor to the original Watch FIT. Due to be the third device in the Watch FIT series, the Watch FIT 2 promises to offer a larger battery than its predecessor, along with a taller display.

Huawei has started distributing firmware version 11.0.8.26 to the Watch GT 2 Pro in Europe. Firmware version 11.0.8.26 has a long changelog and is nearly a 100 MB download. Accordingly, Huawei has included numerous changes and optimisations, such as adding Petal Maps as a pre-installed Maps app.

Garmin's affordable but stylish Vivoactive 3 with GPS, fitness tracking and decent battery life is currently being offered at a considerable discount, which turns the smartwatch into a very affordable option for budget-minded wearable buyers.

GoPro has announced its financial performance figures for the first quarter of 2022 (1Q2022), which features highlights such as revenues of US$217 million. The action-cam brand also found that its subscriber numbers are still rising, and that it is still sitting on hundreds of millions in cash.

According to reports, Apple is looking to bring new versions of the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max to market this summer. Reputedly, next-generation AirPods Pro will also come in new colourways, potentially building on the five that Apple offers with the current model.

The Singapore Telecom Licensing System (TLS) has added five upcoming Garmin smartwatches to its database. While TLS has included the Forerunner 955, the leaked Forerunner 955 Solar is nowhere to be seen. Still, Garmin has four versions of the Forerunner 255 on the way.

Samsung has started distributing a new update to the Galaxy Watch4 series, including the Galaxy Watch4 Classic. Following on from last month's update, Samsung has brought the Galaxy Watch4 series onto the May 1 security patch. Still, the latest update is approximately a 100 MB file, which is downloadable through the Galaxy Wearable app.

Sony has started teasing a new product, dubbed #YourWorldStartsHere. To be revealed on May 12, the products appears to be the WH-1000XM5, Sony's next premium pair of over-ear headphones. In the meantime, pricing has been revealed for the WH-1000XM5, as has availability going forwards for the WH-1000XM4. Purportedly, the WH-1000XM5 will be more expensive than the WH-1000XM4 too.

Reportedly, Fitbit is planning to launch two new smartwatches this spring, both successors to existing models. Supposedly, Fitbit has made a few changes with the Sense 2 and Versa 4, although there is no sign of Wear OS 3 yet.

According to reports, Huawei plans to sell the Watch GT 3 Pro in other markets, not just China. Supposedly, Europe could be next on the list for Huawei's latest premium smartwatch, where the company could also release a regional-specific version.

Fourteen months after releasing the outrageously popular Mi Band 6, Xiaomi looks set to finally bring a successor to the market. A successor to the original Mi Watch from 2020 could launch soon as well.

The GlucoStation non-invasive glucometer for stationary use is now available for pre-order at an early-bird price of €699 (~US$736). The GlucoStation takes painless blood sugar measurements by using light waves. The company behind the device, GlucoActive, is also working on two wearable non-invasive measurement devices for diabetics.

The FCC has published a new listing for an unreleased Amazfit smartwatch. Referred to as model A2170, the smartwatch appears to be the rumoured next-generation T-Rex Pro, thought to be called the T-Rex Pro 2 or the T-Rex 2 Pro.

The supposed specs and price tag for the Apple Watch SE 2022 have been leaked. This year’s variant of the Apple Watch SE is shaping up to be a decent and more-affordable alternative to the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8. A price increase over its predecessor has been predicted but there are some hardware upgrades too.