Wearable

The new Redmi SonicBass Wireless Earphones are accessories of the 'neckbud' variety alluded to in a leak earlier in 2020. Now, the brand has finally launched them in their first market, Nepal. They will cost the equivalent of about US$17 in this country on their imminent release.

Apple has maintained a strong regional share for the North America wearables market and even enjoyed growth in terms of amount of units shipped. Discounted Apple Watch Series 3 devices and the popularity of the Series 5 smartwatches have contributed to a steep decline for Samsung in this particular sector.

Realme has made a successful foray into the true-wireless (TWS) earbud market recently. Then again, none of its products have have the sought-after spec of active noise cancelling (ANC). A new leak suggests it is coming in a new set soon, and that their launch will take place in India.

The Withings ScanWatch hybrid smartwatch is now available to buy in Europe, and it can be purchased from £249.95/€279 (about US$330). This incredible health-focused wearable comes with its own on-demand electrocardiogram, respiratory scanner, atrial fibrillation detector, medical-grade SpO2 oximeter, and the ScanWatch is water resistant to 165 ft (50 m).

Realme rose to be a top 5 hearable (or audio wearables with a smart component) brand in research on the Indian sector of this market during the first quarter of 2020 (1Q2020). Now, a new Counterpoint Research report on the same space for 2Q2020 has found the OEM has taken the No.1 spot in its TWS earbud sub-sector. Its success is based on the increasing affordability of the devices in question.

Skullcandy has announced the latest addition to the Crusher series of personal audio products. The Evo headphones are equipped with Haptic Bass, which reinforces this range with physical feedback. They also offer the option of building an Audiododo personalized audio profile, which may tailor the headphones' sound delivery to each individual user.

The TCL 10 TABMAX and 10 TABMID are 2 new slates launched at IFA this year. They feature their brand's in-house NXTVISION technology for "the most vibrant colors and rich details", as well as reduced blue-light emission. They may also go well with the OEM's new MOVEAUDIO S200 TWS earbuds.

Marketing renders of the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro have been leaked ahead of its likely launch later this month. The Watch GT 2 Pro is somewhat of an iterative update over last year's Watch GT 2 with a more refined design and the adoption of wireless charging.

Honor has released its first rugged smartwatch, the Watch GS Pro. With an AMOLED screen, over 100 workout modes and GPS, the €249.99/£249.99 smartwatch should be suited for most eventualities. The Honor Watch GS Pro will be available in three colours and also includes a heart rate monitor, along with a SpO2 sensor.

Honor's answer to the Huawei Watch Fit has arrived. Called the Honor Watch ES, the device features an elongated AMOLED screen, an optical heart rate sensor, a SpO2 sensor and a 6-axis IMU sensor. The Honor Watch ES retails for £99.99/€99.99 and comes in three colours.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) has been found to be of interest for 71% of consumers planning to buy true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds. However, the feature does require physical seals and a fit that some users may find less tolerable over time. Qualcomm claims that its new Adaptive ANC solves these problems.

Bang & Olufsen has a well-earned reputation as the purveyor of high-quality audio experiences so it is always exciting when the company launches a new set of headphones. Its new H95 compact over ear headphones have all the traditional hallmarks we expect from B&O blending enhanced comfort with active noise cancellation.

The Zepp E is now shipping in the UK and US. The Zepp E is available in two styles, which both feature AMOLED screens, up to 15 days of battery life and a host of sensors. The Zepp E supports Bluetooth 5.0 BLE connectivity, too.
Update: Zepp has clarified its relationship with Amazfit.

The Huami Amazfit Band 5 fitness tracker is now officially available to pre-order from Amazon. The wearable has a price tag of US$49.99 and offers users Amazon Alexa built in, heart-rate tracking, SpO2 monitor, women’s health tracking, and up to 15 days of battery life. The Amazfit Band 5 will be released on September 30.

The design of the Watch GT 2 Pro has leaked, and Huawei has made a few changes from last year's Watch GT 2. Huawei's next premium smartwatch will make the switch to Qi wireless charging too and boasts up to two weeks of battery life.

The Huawei Watch Fit is an interesting sports-focused smartwatch as it has launched with a screen that is rectangular rather than the usual square or strip-like shapes. Now, it seems this company's second major brand, Honor, is also going to adopt it in an upcoming wearable. It would join products like the MagicWatch on the market.

Xiaomi has what appear to be a Pro variant of its Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 in the works. This has been confirmed overtly by the certification of products going by this name by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). This is a strong indication they will be introduced to the market soon.

Huawei's latest smartwatch here and it is rather affordable. Priced at AED 399 (~US$109) and thought to retail for €119 in Europe eventually, the Huawei Watch Fit looks like a stretched Apple Watch without a Digital Crown. The Huawei Watch Fit has a SpO2 sensor, an optical heart rate sensor, 5 ATM water resistance, GPS and up to 10 days of battery life.

A respected leaker has reportedly let it be known that the successor to the Mi Band 4 will be unleashed on the Indian market soon. It will apparently be joined there by the Mi Watch Revolve, the global version of Xiaomi's first round-faced smartwatch. However, the tipster did not mention an exact date for this event.

The number of "workplace-style" headsets shipped worldwide might exceed 65 million over the next 6 years, compared to a figure of 22.9 million from 2019. This may correspond to a market value of US$2.94 billion in 2026. This growth is associated with the shift in trends to virtual and online meeting types, as well as the rise of remote work in 2020.

Sunglasses that also act as personal audio devices are a rapidly expanding category of tech. The start-up SND RAY has put its take on this concept up for crowd-funding on Indiegogo. It claims that this product has improved audio quality compared to its rivals in this space.

Apple has certified eight new smartwatches with the EEC, prompting speculation that they make up the company's Watch Series 6 offering. The smartwatches, likely to be released alongside the iPhone 12 series, will come in multiple styles and sizes.

The new Huami Amazfit Neo smartwatch has appeared online for sale. The latest wearable from Huami comes with a 24/7 always-on display, heart-rate and sleep monitoring, water resistance to 5 ATM, and up to 28-day battery life. The rugged-looking Amazfit Neo can be purchased at a discount price of US$39.99 by using coupons.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro from Xiaomi have appeared in a listing for the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). Although there are scant details about the earphones in the WPC record, there is an image included of the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro that shows off the sleek and premium-looking personal audio device.

The COLMI V23 is an affordable smartwatch that supports multiple sports modes, a heart rate monitor and IP67 water and dust resistance. The 1.28-inch smartwatch supports Android and iOS too.

According to a source familiar with the matter, Apple will reportedly start direct-to-consumer sales in India this October. The move will help Apple market its products better and reduce its reliance on third-party retailers. The company is also expected to open an Apple Store in 2021, but that remains unconfirmed.

The Huami Amazfit X has reached the Xiaomi's Youpin eCommerce platform. The smartwatch has already received almost US$2 million in crowdfunding on Indiegogo and comes with a 2.07-inch AMOLED screen, along with up to 7 days of battery life, 5 ATM water resistance and an SpO2 sensor.

It has been reported that Apple is working on both a budget smartwatch and ultra-premium smartwatch for fans of the brand to choose from. Details of a supposed Apple Watch SE, which would replace the current Series 3 models, have been leaked, and images of an alleged new AW Gold Edition have also surfaced.

Huawei has developed a new pair of smart glasses in collaboration with Gentle Monster. The new glasses feature a range of smart features, including an integrated voice assistant and built-in microphones. The Huawei x Gentle Monster Eyewear II support touch controls, too.

The new wearables brand Zepp has launched its first smartwatch, the E. This device has a choice of square or round 3D curved bezel-free glass faces with AMOLED displays and stainless steel backing. Both versions also feature 11 sports modes, advanced sleep tracking and a blood-oxygen sensor.

Google has posted a blog outlining a new set of features being bestowed upon its true wireless Pixel Buds via a software update. The range has also been bolstered with the release of new variants in orange, mint and black colors.

Honor is on the verge of launching the Watch GS Pro, according to a first round of teasers by the company. The Watch GS Pro was recently certified by the EEC and looks to be more of a rugged smartwatch than its predecessor, the MagicWatch 2.

Nubia launched its second-generation flexible display watch in China at the start of August 2020, and it has been exclusive to that market since. Now, however, the OEM has broadened its availability by making it a reward on a Kickstarter campaign. It has attracted nearly 7 times its original goal at this point.

Augmented reality (AR) may emerge as a prominent medium for content and entertainment in the future. At least, Samsung appears to think so, as it has reportedly claimed a new form of the glasses that facilitate it at the South Korean intellectual property office. Should this be the case, the resulting product may look more like sports AR goggles than anything.

Rumour has it that Huawei will unveil the Watch GT 2 Pro alongside the Mate 40 series. The smartwatch has recently been certified by multiple regulatory bodies, confirming the presence of a 455 mAh battery that will charge wirelessly at up to 10 W.

The prolific leaker Roland Quandt now claims to have laid hands on product images for Fitbit's next wave of smartwatches and fitness trackers. They include possible new generations of the familiar Versa and Inspire lines. However, there is also a completely new name that may encompass various recent health-wearable trends.

Lenovo has revealed a new pair of its Yoga ANC Headphones. The over-ear headphones come in what Lenovo calls Shadow Black and offer up to 14 hours of battery life. The Yoga ANC Headphones will retail for US$149.99, making them a much cheaper alternative to the likes of the Bose 700, Surface Headphones 2 and Sony WH-1000XM4.

The Galaxy Z Fold2 is Samsung's second-generation book-form flexible tablet. It is slated to launch in the US on September 1, 2020, followed by a debut in China eight days later. The device has appeared on the database of the regulator TENAA ahead of this event.

The ability to complete point-of-sale transactions using wearables alone represented a market worth US$285.47 billion in 2019, according to new market research. However, this value is also now thought to grow until it reaches $1.37 trillion by 2027. This trend may be influenced by an increasing demand for novel ways to pay that are contactless as well as cashless.

LG USA has announced that every customer who buys an eligible OLED TV from its 2020 line-up will also get a pair of TONE Frees as a promotional gift. They are this OEM's latest TWS earbuds that are tuned by Meridian and are rated for up to 18 hours of battery life. This offer is valid until the end of August 2020.

Today (August 13, 2020), Mobvoi launched its latest Earbud Gesture product on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. The OEM was able to score its goal twice over within the first hour of this project going live. The TWS devices in question are rated for up to 50 hours of battery life with their case.

Recently, a leaker claimed to have spoiled the line-up of Apple's upcoming launch event, to be held online this year. It was to have introduced various products, the new iPhones and Watch included, in a specific order. Now, another tipster asserts this is not the case at all and that some new devices will not get to debut on stage at all.

The Mudra Band is not an ordinary third-party strap for the Apple Watch. Wearable Devices Ltd claims to have brought gesture controls to the popular smartwatch by way of interpreting nerve signals. The Mudra Band communicates via Bluetooth and is currently available to order for US$159. The project has raised over US$170,000 in crowdfunding so far, too.

The THX Spatial Audio app is software developed in conjunction with Razer that may improve the immersion offered by headsets of nearly any type. Its latest update is to add Spatial Audio Game Profiles, which may improve environmental awareness or realism while playing a compatible range of titles.

Nreal has launched its Light AR glasses in Korea. Ostensibly looking like a pair of slightly oversize sunglasses, the Light can be pre-ordered now and bundled with either the LG Velvet or Samsung Galaxy Note 20.

A leak has revealed Huawei's plans to release a smartwatch called the Watch Fit. Branded as the HUAWEI Watch FIT, the device will feature a 1.64-inch AMOLED panel, a host of sensors and 5 ATM water resistance. The Watch Fit will retail for €119 and will be available from September in four colours.

GoPro is an OEM nearly synonymous with outdoor pursuits and occupations. Therefore, it may come as no surprise that it posted a net loss of nearly US$51 million for the second quarter of 2020 (2Q2020). However, it is not all bad news for the popular action-cam brand: for example, its online sales model seems to be taking off.