Wearable

Xiaomi has finally made the Mi Band 6, or Mi Smart Band 6 rather, official in India. Many fitness-tracker fans might welcome its upgraded 1.56-inch AMOLED display, expanded workout mode line-up and blood oxygen sensor. It will be available to buy via the OEM's channels in the country soon.

According to a new report, Apple plans to adjust the sizes of the Apple Watch this year. Reputedly, the company has decided to release larger models, with the 38 mm size of previous Apple Watch generations not set to return.

Panasonic has launched its take on what is often called the "wearable speaker" in 2021. Like some others on the market, the accessory is worn around the neck for "immersive" sound. The OEM is pitching this version - the SoundSlayer WIGSS or SC-GN01 - at gamers, with wired compatibility for consoles such as the PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch.

The Fitbit Charge 5 has arrived and for just US$179.95. The new Fitbit Charge is thinner than its predecessor, while retaining week-long battery life and adding more health-tracking functionality. The Fitbit Charge 5 even has a brighter display that is a colour AMOLED panel, too.

YouTube Music has arrived on Wear OS, bringing offline downloads to the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. There are numerous drawbacks to Google's music service on Wear OS though, including performance issues and the inability to stream anything.

OPPO is currently at the Smart China Expo 2021 to launch new additions to its VOOC line of mobile-device chargers. They are (surprise, surprise) new magnetic wireless chargers for improved attachment to their compatible phones. This new MagVOOC series consists of a slim charging puck, a power bank and a new charging stand thus far.

A marketing video for the Fitbit Charge 5 tracker has been leaked onto social media. The promo clip reveals a lot of pertinent details about the Fitbit Charge 5, including its price, release date, and key features. These include a built-in GPS, ECG app, EDA sensor, and a host of tools for keen fitness users.

The Galaxy Watch4 and 4 Classic still have a few days to go before reaching their new owners. However, that has apparently not stopped them from receiving an OTA update already. This new firmware is rated to optimize stability and performance on the new wearables as they start to go to work tracking a user's health.

Haylou has announced another new smartwatch, following the RS3 earlier this year. The Haylou RT2, also called the Haylou LS10, has a chic design, IP68 certification and a reasonably large battery, among other features.

OnePlus' 2020 flagship 8-series have acquired new updates for their version of Android, OxygenOS 11. It upgrades the phones to compatibility with the OEM's latest TWS earbuds, the Buds Pro, now released to the European market. The OTA also adds the latest software tweaks developed for its brand, its new Bitmoji AOD feature included.

Xiaomi has only released the Mi Band 6 NFC in China so far, with the non-NFC model the sole option for fans outside of the company's home market. A new certification suggests that Xiaomi could be about to bring the Mi Band 6 NFC to more markets, though.

Nura has released the Nurabuds, a pair of TWS earbuds that seem fairly unremarkable. However, they are only available with a Nuranow subscription, priced at US$5 per month.

Zeblaze has started selling the GTR 2, a successor to the affordable GTR. The 44 mm smartwatch has a 1.28-inch display, a Bluetooth 5.0 modem and is compatible with Android or iOS devices.

The Fossil Gen 6 has leaked again, this time revealing its design and multiple specifications. The smartwatch will be available in 42 mm and 44 mm sizes with GPS support. A Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and Wear OS 2 at launch will not set the world alight, though.

It appears that Bose is on the verge of announcing the QuietComfort 45, its next-generation ANC headphones. The QC45 will launch in two colours for US$329, along with a revised design, USB Type-C charging and up to 24 hours of battery life.

Xiaomi will allegedly resurrect the Mi CC line of smartphone soon. The all-but-abandoned series is slated to gain new variants with high display refresh rates and potentially premium-grade rear cameras. They are also now said to debut alongside a Mi Watch successor with a brand-new Qualcomm platform.

Fitbit has unveiled new band options for its Sense and Versa 3 smartwatches. Nine new bands are available, including two that Fitbit has called leather scrunchies. The Fitbit Sense is now available with a silver stainless steel watch body, along with a Sage Grey watch band.

Klipsch has announced the T5 II Series True Wireless ANC Earphones, which come in Standard and McLaren Editions. They are rated for Dirac HD-tuned sound and for up to 21 hours of battery life with their USB type-C case. Their new racing-inspired special edition also comes with a "2X" wireless charging pad with NuCurrent technology.

OPPO has had a new patent for potential next-gen wearables granted in its native China. It is intended to allow the accessories in question to authenticate the user by reading their veins rather than their fingerprints or faces. This form of biometric recognition could thus be added to a future Band or Watch from this OEM.

Renders of the Fitbit Charge 5 tracker have been leaked, showing off the fitness and health-related accessory in a choice of three colors. The most noticeable upgrade over the Fitbit Charge 4 is the color display, and it seems the Fitbit Charge 5 release date has also been teased in the new marketing renders.

Honor has unveiled the Watch GS 3, a stylish smartwatch that will be available in three colours. Reputedly, the Watch GS 3 has an industry-leading heart rate sensor too, although many details are up in the air currently.

Samsung wrapped its latest Galaxy Unpacked show up with the latest generation of its Galaxy Buds. They offer many of the features found in their immediate Pro predecessors, as well as up to 20 hours of battery life and new colors. However, they also start for less than these high-end TWS peripherals.

Samsung has launched its latest high-end wearables, the Galaxy Watch4 series, today (August 11, 2021). These new smartwatches incorporate the cutting-edge sensors for health metrics that include blood pressure and advanced sleep tracking as might be expected from the OEM. However, they have something new as well: body-composition sensing that apparently rivals industry-standard equipment.

Fossil has confirmed the name of its next smartwatch, and the first in a year. The Gen 6 will debut in the autumn and will be 'way more way faster' than its predecessors.

A well-known leaker claims to have found out that OnePlus is making a new, special-edition version of its first-gen Watch. Unlike the gaming theme of the last, this one is apparently Harry Potter-themed. Then again, availability in only 1 market has been mentioned thus far.

Logitech has developed its first set of TWS earphones targeted at the growing work from home market. The new Logitech Zone TWS earphones can also simultaneously pair to a smartphone and a computer.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6, also known as the Mi Band 6, has recently received a useful feature thanks to the latest firmware update for the activity tracker. Users of the Mi Band 6 wearable will be able to use the smart band as a basic flashlight as long as version 5.3.0 of the Mi Fit app is also installed.

GoPro has announced that it has made no less than US$250 million in revenue for the second quarter of 2021 (or 2Q2021). The action-cam company has also reported it has amassed 211% more subscribers compared to 2Q2020. It has also made a net gain for this quarter, as opposed to the sizeable net loss posted for the same quarter of the last year.

Multiple Galaxy Watch 4 series product slides have leaked online. The slides offer a considerable amount of details about the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which will both be available in two sizes. The slides also provide another look at One UI Watch, the replacement for Tizen.

Honor has launched 2 new products today (August 5, 2021): a new pair of TWS earbuds and a smartphone. The Play 5T Pro has a 6.6-inch display, driven by a MediaTek processor, and a larger battery compared to the existing Play 5. Similarly, the Earbuds 2 Lite are rated for up to 32 hours of use on a single charge, and for active noise cancellation (ANC).

The latest market research indicates that the brand Realme has passed an important milestone: 100 million units sold worldwide. Furthermore, it has broken the record for the time taken to sell this many devices. Realme is now in the top 10 smartphone OEMs worldwide.

The Cubot ID206 looks an awful lot like an Apple Watch, albeit with Amazon Alexa integration. The ID206 has a heart rate sensor too, along with a 1.7-inch display and 5 ATM waterproofing. The sub-US$55 smartwatch is available in two colours, too.

The Zeblaze Stratos is a rugged smartwatch with plenty of features for its budget launch price of US$79.99. Not only does the device support multiple GPS modes, over 120 exercise modes and SpO2 monitoring, but it also has a 1.32-inch display and 5 ATM water resistance. Zeblaze claims that the Stratos should last up to 25 days between charges, too.

Qualcomm looks like it is preparing a new Snapdragon Wear chip to coincide with the launch of Google and Samsung’s Wear OS 3. The new chip appears to carry the Snapdragon Wear 5100 branding that would make the successor to last year’s Snapdragon Wear 4100.

The Apple Watch Series 7 release date appears to be nearing as no less than six new model references have appeared in filings for the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). While it’s expected the Apple Watch Series 7 will get a new design and an updated processor, the inclusion of a blood-sugar sensor in an Apple Watch is still likely years away.

The TONE FREE DFP8Ws (or FP8s) are the latest generation of LG TWS earbuds that come with their own UV-emitting charging case for an "auto-cleaning" feature. The OEM has announced pricing and availability for these allegedly bacteria-repelling accessories in the US. They will also soon be joined there by new FP9 and FP5 variants.

Fans of high-end TWS earphones with active noise cancelling now have a new choice. Bang & Olufsen has launched the Beoplay EQ which are the first TWS earphones from the company to feature ANC coupled with its signature premium sound.

The latest versions of the Comply Foam TrueGrip Pro Tips 2.0 are made for Google's latest Pixel Buds A. Therefore, these TWS accessories now have third-party add-ons geared at improved fit and comfort, due to their memory foam-based construction. The new Comply tips are also compatible with the original Pixel Buds, and are on sale from now.

Some details of a Xiaomi Mi Band X have leaked online, and it seems the Chinese company is looking to add something extraordinary to its hugely successful smart band lineup. The Mi Band X will apparently have a wraparound display and do without watch straps, utilizing a magnetic bracelet clasp for wearing and taking off.
Update: Xiaomi PR states the Mi Band X is a "virtual product" used in marketing training.

A potential Fitbit Charge 5 tracker has turned up in a single image that reveals the device has a color display. The overall design of the possible Fitbit Charge 5 is distinctly different to that of its predecessor. The tracker in this leaked image has the codename “Morgan” and is expected to at least feature NFC payment support.

ZTE is scheduled to launch its new under-display camera phone, the Axon 30, on July 27, 2021. Now, the OEM has also just announced that 2 new pairs of TWS earbuds will join it on stage. The LiveBuds Pro sport the mics necessary for noise-reducing features, whereas the ZTE Buds might be more cost-effective.

Following an extensive series of teasers, the Carl Pei-run start-up Nothing has formally launched its inaugural ear (1) TWS earbuds, thereby also finally revealing the peripherals' design and specs for the first time. They are to become available in an initial limited batch on July 31, 2021, followed by a larger drop in August.

Samsung is projected to provide a successor for the well-regarded Galaxy S20 FE at some point in 2021. According to the latest rumors, this will not fall on August 11, the date chosen for the OEM's next upcoming major product event. Therefore, an actual debut for the potentially popular mid-ranger remains uncertain at this point.

The United States' Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a crackdown on practices that make it harder for citizens or even organizations to fix electronics themselves or seek alternatives to first-party services. The Commission asserts that these new measures will benefit businesses and consumers alike.

The innovative biofuel cells are capable of converting sweat and the pressure from your fingertips into electric energy, which could soon be enough to power smartwatches and other wearables and sensors. In the long term, this invention could also make integrated batteries obsolete.

Fossil wants to launch the 'best possible' smartwatch later this year, or 'best possible' considering the constraints of Wear OS at any rate. Presumably, Fossil means the Gen 6, which it has teased will run not only Wear OS 3.0, but also hardware from Qualcomm.