Smartwatch

Apple has started distributing watchOS 8.4 globally. The software update arrives for all Apple Watch Series devices from the Watch Series 3 onwards and is roughly a 200 MB download. According to Apple, watchOS 8.4 addresses eight security vulnerabilities and fixes a charging bug that affected some smartwatches.

To celebrate Black History Month, Apple has unveiled a brand new watch band for the Apple Watch. The Black Unity Braided Solo Loop contains 16,000 interwoven threads made from recycled polyester yarn and is inspired by Afrofuturism. In addition, the Apple Watch finally supports ray tracing, but only through a new watch face.

Huawei has revealed the Watch GT Runner in Europe, a 46 mm smartwatch with up to 14 days of battery life. The Watch GT Runner comes with numerous health tracking and exercise features, plus wireless charging support. Unusually, the Watch GT Runner supports reverse wireless charging, too.

Garmin's website has already listed the Forerunner 955 LTE, a smartwatch that also has GPS connectivity. The Forerunner 955 should cost as much as the fēnix 7 and fēnix 7S, at least in its LTE form. The Forerunner 955 is one of many Garmin smartwatches that the company has released this year or plans to, including the Instinct 2 series.

While Apple Watch became the number one best selling watch in the world, surpassing Rolex back in 2017, the smartwatch still feels very much like a unique utility for Apple enthusiasts. Here are four amazing apps that casual users and dedicated techies alike will find entertaining, useful, & packed full of utility.

Reebok has joined already offers various watches under its subsidiary brand Reebok, both analog and digital, now Reebok has presented its first smartwatch. The ActiveFit 1.0 offers up to 15 days of runtime and a SpO2 sensor at an attractive price.

A new leak has revealed details about yet more Garmin smartwatches. Reputedly, the Instinct 2 and the Instinct 2S will be more expensive than their predecessors, but they will receive a superior SpO2 sensor, plus an NFC chip and the ability to calculate VO₂ max levels.

The iPhone 14 series, a refreshed iPad Pro with M2 silicon, and a new entry-level MacBook Pro are some of the highlights of a full launch schedule Apple reportedly has planned for fall (autumn) 2022. On top of those headliners, it’s also believed that Cupertino will have the Apple Watch Series 8 and an updated Mac Pro to show off.

Rockley Photonics Holdings has announced the successful completion of the first human studies trial for its biomarker sensing platform. Future VitalSpex modules should be able to non-invasively provide data about biomarkers such as blood alcohol content, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Rockley is also known for its association with Apple.

Reportedly, Google has set a date for the Pixel Watch's release. Likely also the date of this year's Google I/O conference, Google could use the launch event to showcase the finished version of Wear OS 3, an OS that it debuted at last year's event.

Huawei has added a feature to the Watch GT 2, Watch GT 2 Pro and Watch GT 2e's arsenals, having recently issued an update to the Watch GT 2. The new feature makes it possible to use the Watch GT 2 series as the heart of fitness equipment, albeit only in China for the time being.

Polar has started distributing firmware version 2.0.12 to the Polar Grit X, a nearly two-year-old smartwatch. The update adds some features to the smartwatch that Polar previously reserved for the more expensive Grit X Pro, including the ability to use the Grit X as a heart rate sensor on gym equipment.

The Finnish smartwatch manufacturer Suunto has announced a new version of the Suunto 5, the Suunto 5 Peak. The new model is cheaper, lighter and smaller than the original version. The extensive GPS features of the Suunto 5 remain though, despite the price cut, plus over 80 sports modes.

Garmin has finally revealed a second-generation Epix smartwatch, six years after the inaugural model arrived. The Epix 2, or epix (Gen 2) as Garmin calls it, has a large AMOLED display, up to 32 GB of storage and is available in steel or titanium finishes.

Garmin has revealed the fēnix 7 series, consisting of the fēnix 7, fēnix 7s and the fēnix 7x. The series starts at US$699.99 and is available in Standard, Solar and Sapphire Solar versions. All models have touchscreen displays, among various changes.

Garmin has released a new update to numerous smartwatches in its fēnix series, including the fēnix 6. The update brings some major changes and improvements to the smartwatches, including adding support for HIIT workouts. Some Marq models also benefit from Garmin's extensive update.

Huawei is currently updating the Watch GT 2 in China, a smartwatch that it launched over two years ago. While the new software is unavailable outside Huawei's home market, the features it contains should make their way to other markets soon.

The start-up Chargeasap set up an Indiegogo campaign to fund the production of its Flash Pro and Pro Plus power banks. Its success has enabled the company to start selling the ~100W-capable accessories through its own website. They boast 25,000mAh rated capacities based on the latest graphene power-storage technology.

Google has agreed to include options for left-handed people to wear Wear OS smartwatches on their right wrist. The issue, which people have logged for years in Google's Issue Tracker, may only be available 'on future devices' though, for some reason.

Apple has expanded its Fitness+ subscription service with new features. Now, the service supports Collections, Time to Run, a new season of Time to Walk and new Artist Spotlight workouts, all designed to get people moving. The new features are available now to Apple Fitness+ subscribers.

Honor has launched its latest wearable alongside the new Magic V foldable flagship smartphone. With a 316L low-carbon stainless steel, a round AMOLED screen and a new "8-channel" heart-rate monitor, it also has a premium appeal. The Watch GS 3 has the option of leather straps and

The Apple Watch Series 8 is likely to miss out on various health functions according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, including the much-rumored non-invasive blood glucose monitor. Disappointingly, Gurman opines that it could be quite a few years before such a useful tool for diabetics could turn up in an Apple Watch.

The Xiaomi Watch S1 is already orderable in China, having been announced at the end of last year. Reputedly, Xiaomi hopes to release the smartwatch outside globally too, ahead of which it has already some software improvements. Now, the Watch S1 has access to 11 more apps, including music streaming and audiobook services.

Skagen has announced the Falster Gen 6, the successor to the Falster 3. As it name suggests, the Falster Gen 6 is the Skagen version of the Fossil Gen 6. Accordingly, the Falster Gen 6 has a Snapdragon Wear 4100+ SoC and fast charging, but also a more minimal design than its sibling.

Realme has unveiled the DIZO Watch R, an affordable smartwatch with an AMOLED display that packs AoD functionality. The DIZO Watch R comes with over 110 exercise modes, 150 watch faces and plenty of health-tracking features.

The Honor Watch GS 3 was originally pitched as a companion for the OEM's mid-2021 flagship smartphones with advanced heart-rate sensing tech. However, the wearable then failed to launch in full and has remained absent from online sales listings ever since. Now, it has reportedly materialized in a brick-and-mortar store in China, spilling more of its specs in the process.

Razer has unveiled a limited edition version of the Fossil Gen 6. The Razer X Fossil Gen 6 contains three watch dials and two Razer-branded watch straps, but no hardware changes from the Fossil Gen 6. Fossil and Razer will only sell 1,337 Razer X Fossil Gen 6 units, starting later this month.

Garmin has launched the Venu 2 Plus, a 43 mm smartwatch available in three colours. The Venu 2 Plus has an AMOLED display, stainless steel hardware, countless health and fitness features, plus voice assistant functionality. The Venu 2 Plus will be orderable in multiple markets, starting with the US.

CES 2022 is around the corner, ahead of which Quantum Operation has announced a smartwatch that can measure blood glucose levels non-invasively. The company will showcase the smartwatch at next year's event between January 3 and January 8.

Xiaomi has released another smartwatch, the Watch S1. The company's latest smartwatch has a large and high-resolution display, plenty of exercise modes and a built-in GPS module, among other features. The Xiaomi Watch S1 starts at CNY 1,049 (~US$165) in China.

Xiaomi has started teasing its Watch S1 device via official social media in China. The Xiaomi smartwatch is something of a mystery, with few details leaked about the wearable so far. The Xiaomi Watch S1 will be launched alongside the Xiaomi 12 smartphones on December 28.

Huawei has unveiled the Watch D, the company's latest smartwatch and its first that can measure blood pressure levels. The Watch D can take an ECG too, and has built-in GPS and NFC support. Huawei has equipped the Watch D with a large display, but the smartwatch will currently only be available in China.

The Pixel Watch may still be a few months away from launching, but 9to5Google has found more details about it within Google apps. Google's first smartwatch will showcase Wear OS 3, with support for a next-generation Google Assistant. The Pixel Watch could be powered by an Exynos-manufactured SoC, too.

A patent filed by Fitbit has led to the suggestion that the company could be working on a smartwatch device or similar wearable that is capable of tracking the user’s mental health or mood. The Fitbit wearable would use non-invasive methods to help diagnose mental state; however, some parts of the patent do set off privacy alarm bells.

Amazfit launched its third-gen GT-series flagship wearables earlier in 2021, complete with an inaugural Pro variant. This GTR 3 Pro is the only one that has reportedly received a new GoPro app via its latest update. The other 2 have mostly been graced with stability and system upgrades.

Mobvoi has presented the TicWatch GTK, an affordable smartwatch with a 1.3-inch display. Supposedly, the TicWatch GTK should last up to 10 days between charges too and supports over 100 pre-loaded watch faces.

Garmin plans to start its 2022 with a bang, according to a new leak. The OEM allegedly has no less than 7 new smartwatches to show off at the upcoming CES event in Las Vegas, to become the latest additions to 4 product lines. They range from potentially entry-level new Instincts to a possible next-gen Venu flagship with a high-end display.

An early Wear OS 3 build contains hidden gems relating to Google's planned Fitbit integration. The watch faces match those seen in leaked Pixel Watch marketing materials.

Thanks to its next software update, the ageing Watch GT 2 will soon support even more third-party apps. The same update also brings new health and fitness features to the former flagship smartwatch. By contrast, the Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro now support more SMS quick replies with their new updates.

The Pixel Watch is tipped to launch next year in what could be Wear OS 3's official debut. Google has published an early build of its Android 11-based OS, providing a taste of what to expect from the company's first smartwatch.

Vivo has confirmed more details about the Watch 2. Launching on December 22, the smartwatch will feature an eSIM and up to 7 days of battery life. Its bezels will be much thicker than those of the Galaxy Watch4 though, to which it bears an uncanny resemblance.

Huawei has confirmed that it will announce the Watch D later this month, just two days before Christmas. The company has confirmed that the smartwatch has received Class II medical device certification, necessary for it to take ECGs and blood pressure readings.

Apple has released HomePod 15.2, iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 and watchOS 8.3. The four updates bring several new features to eligible devices, including the new Apple Music Voice subscription. There is no equivalent update for tvOS, though.

Xiaomi has started selling the Redmi Watch 2 Lite in Europe. The smartwatch retails for €69.99 and comes with a free gift. So far, Xiaomi has listed the budget smartwatch in Germany, Italy and Spain.

Reportedly, Xiaomi has settled on releasing the Watch S1 before April 2022. The smartwatch does away with Xiaomi's 'Mi' branding and will be available across Europe and Asia Pacific countries.

Vwar has launched the Fly7, a blatant Apple Watch Series 7 copy. The Vwar Fly7 has a 1.84-inch display, a GPS module and is IP67 certified. The smartwatch starts at just US$75.

Huawei may be ten days away from revealing the Watch D, but hands-on photos have already leaked. The photos confirm several aspects, including the smartwatch's design and that it can monitor blood pressure levels.

The Watch D is projected to be Huawei's first smartwatch marketed as one capable of clinical-grade blood pressure-monitoring. Now, a box presented as the wearable's original packaging may confirm that this is the case. This leak has emerged alongside claims that the Watch Fit Mini will launch alongside it later in December 2021.

The extensible display can effectively double its size through the use of a crown that also activates the rotating mechanism, plus the touchscreen supports S Pen inputs. There is an under-display camera and a suite of sensors, as well, so this type of device could soon replace a smartphone.