Smartwatch

Google had confirmed that it would add a Smart Unlock feature for users with a Wear OS 3 smartwatch, which works on other devices such as smartphones. Now, a new leak purports to outline how this will work, albeit on a Pixel Watch only. It also reveals that the wearable might have its own companion app, rather than the stock version, on its launch.

Meta had been rumored to launch a (possibly Facebook-brand) first-gen wearable that looked somewhat like an Apple Watch, albeit with at least 1 camera. However, the project is now believed dead in the water. Subsequently, a device that might have been its prototype has leaked out, along with reports of what would have been specs for the final product.

DIZO has unveiled the Watch D, a large smartwatch with a 1.8-inch display. To be sold initially in India, the DIZO Watch D also has over 110 exercise modes, 150 watch faces and should last up to 14 days between charges. The DIZO Watch D will start at INR 1,999 (~US$26) but will rise to INR 2,999 (~US$39) after DIZO's pre-sale period.

Samsung has a slew of highly anticipated mobile products to bring to the market in a few months, and a new leak has now revealed launch details of the devices—the Galaxy Z Fold4, Galaxy Z Flip4, and Galaxy Watch 5 series—well ahead of schedule.

Samsung has released the Galaxy Watch4 Black Yak Edition, another special edition of its first One UI Watch-powered smartwatch. Designed for outdoor use, the Galaxy Watch4 Black Yak Edition also contains an environmental protection reminder.

The global version of the Smart Band 7 is already shipping, albeit inadvertently in some cases. Xiaomi has also certified the fitness tracker with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in Singapore, underlining that it is preparing a release outside China.

Huawei has started distributing a new update for the Watch 3, one of its recent smartwatches. HarmonyOS 2.1.0.236 brings several new features and improvements, but is only rolling out in China for now.

Garmin has started issuing system software 21.80 to the Fenix 6 series, which is rolling out as an over-the-air (OTA) update. Also available through Garmin Express, system software 21.80 focuses on addressing various bugs, among other minor improvements.

During WWDC 2022, Apple announced the next major software release for the Apple Watch. Coming this fall, watchOS 9 will deliver an expansive array of health and fitness features while also enriching watch faces with refreshed aesthetics. Take a look at some of the top features coming to the next version of watchOS that you may have missed.

Fossil has finally commented on Wear OS 3 availability for its smartwatches. Confusingly, the company suggests that the Snapdragon Wear 3100-powered Fossil Gen 5 series will receive Wear OS 3, as well as the newer Fossil Gen 6. It remains to be seen whether the likes of Fossil will receive the same version of Wear OS as Samsung is currently beta testing on One UI Watch, though.

Apple has presented its latest potential Watch software updates during its WWDC 2022 keynote. The Cupertino giant has added a number of new apps and features that many users might find welcome and useful. They include a "next level of insight" into atrial fibrillation and sleep.

A beta version of the Samsung Health app has confirmed the company's plans to launch the Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro later this year. Additionally, the app now contains a reference to skin temperature monitoring, a rumoured Galaxy Watch5 feature. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro may only support up to 5 W charging, rather than matching Apple's fast charging capabilities.

New details about Amazfit's Bip 3 and Bip 3 Pro have leaked, courtesy of Amazon Brazil. Equipped with a 1.69-inch display, the Bip 3 will also feature 5 ATM water resistance, plus numerous exercise modes. The Bip 3 Pro will ship with GPS and GLONASS support too.

Realme has begun teasing the DIZO Watch D, a smartwatch that it will unveil next week. Due to arrive on June 7, the DIZO Watch D will have a monstrous display spanning 1.8-inches.

The Bluetooth SIG has certified four upcoming Fossil Group smartwatches. Seemingly the Fossil Gen 7 and the Skagen Falster Gen 7, at least the former is slated for a June 2022 release.

According to reports, the Pixel Watch will feature a 300 mAh battery, regardless of which version you pick up. Apparently, Google will rate the Pixel Watch for up to a day's use between charges, but recharging the Pixel Watch could take nearly 2 hours.

Amazfit is currently previewing a New Version of the GTS 2 smartwatch on Amazon India. However, it should be noted that this unexpected reboot has an update in terms of price and not much else. Then again, this means it has the original former flagship wearable's best attributes, an Apple Watch-like design and SpO2 measurements included.

Garmin has presented the Forerunner 955, also available as the Forerunner 955 Solar. Only available in two colours, the Forerunner 955 series has a familiar design, a few new features and longer battery life than the Forerunner 945 series.

Garmin has introduced the Forerunner 255 series, consisting of the Forerunner 255, Forerunner 255S, Forerunner 255 Music and the Forerunner 255S Music. Costing between US$349.99 and US$399.99, the Forerunner 255 series offers better battery life than Forerunner 245 smartwatches, among other changes.

According to the new information from Mark Gurman, Apple plans to introduce massive software updates for the Apple Watch and Mac hardware within the next few months. Among other things, watchOS 9 should significantly extend the battery life of eligible Apple Watch Series smartwatches.

According to a renowned leaker, the Galaxy Watch5 Pro will not retain the design of the Galaxy Watch4 Classic. Instead, both the Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro may rely on the same capacitive display bezels as the Galaxy Watch4.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 7 is up for sale in China, and it is likely a global variant of the fitness tracker will soon follow. Owners of the Mi Band 6 (aka Mi Smart Band 6) may wonder if an upgrade is worth the money, which will partially depend on how important a continuous blood oxygen measurement feature is to the wearer.

The Xiaomi Band 7 Pro could be coming soon, according to a few tech leakers. The Pro variant of the Band 7 had been rumored for some time, but Xiaomi has only officially revealed a regular and NFC variant of the smart band so far. It’s rumored that the Xiaomi Band 7 Pro will be unveiled at the same time as the Xiaomi 12 Ultra phone.

The messaging app Telegram has been linked to a shift to a subscription-based model as of late. Now, the developer Alessandro Paluzzi claims to have spotted more signs that the service is preparing for this change. It consists of the re-wording of a reassuring page many users may recognize as part of the UI furniture.

Samsung's US website has updated with some possibly improved trade-in deals for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. A customer can get some Galaxy Watch4 SKUs free with the purchase of a new Galaxy Z Fold3, or up to US$1,000 off a Galaxy S22 Ultra with a trade-in - even if the device to be exchanged has a cracked screen.

It may have taken Google and Samsung the best part of a year, but Google Assistant is finally available on the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic. Initial tests are not all that convincing though, especially compared to older Wear OS smartwatches with the last generation version of Google Assistant.

Pricing and official images of the Forerunner 255 Music have emerged. Not only does the leak confirm what the Forerunner 255 series looks like, it also suggests that Garmin will price the upcoming smartwatches at significantly higher price points than their Forerunner 245 equivalents.

Samsung has confirmed that it will begin issuing One UI Watch beta builds for the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic, still the company's flagship smartwatches. The One UI Watch beta program will begin next week, starting in South Korea.

The Honor Watch GS 3 is now officially slated to become available on the Indian market soon, thanks to a new Amazon.in preview page. The wearable is being teased in terms of its better attributes, its dual-frequency GNSS, new 8-channel PPG AI heart-rate monitor and 14-day battery life included.

Mobvoi has announced the TicWatch GTW in China, a smartwatch that offers up to 30 days of battery life. While the TicWatch GTW does not run Wear OS, it has over 100 watch faces, a comparable number of exercise modes and has an NFC module for making contactless payments. Mobvoi has even included an eSIM for LTE coverage.

Amazfit has announced the T-Rex 2, a smartwatch that features a 1.39-inch AMOLED display. Weighing in at 66.5 g, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 offers 10 ATM water resistance, up to 24 hours of battery life and over 150 sports modes, among other features. The Amazfit T-Rex 2 is orderable now in multiple markets.

Google may have announced the Pixel Watch a few weeks ago, but many details about the smartwatch remain unknown. While the Pixel Watch will not arrive until the autumn, the FCC has shared new details, including what variants to expect.

Xiaomi has introduced the Band 7, a fitness tracker that the company has released in China. With a 1.62-inch AMOLED panel and a 180 mAh battery, the Band 7 contains a few upgrades over its predecessor. The Band 7 starts at CNY 239 (~US$36) in China and is available in multiple colours.

Google has rolled out two major changes for Wear OS, months before the Pixel Watch's launch. Now, it is possible to stream music over LTE or Wi-Fi via YouTube Music, a feature that has been missing since the service's introduction last year on Wear OS. Also, the next-generation version of Google Assistant has finally landed, but only for the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic for the moment.

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.

New specifications for the upcoming Google Pixel Watch have been shared, including that it will apparently feature a co-processor to help out the Exynos 9110 with certain tasks. In addition, the Pixel Watch is expected to come with more RAM than the Galaxy Watch4 and support blood oxygen (SpO2) measurement.

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.