Smartwatch

Qualcomm has asserted that some of its Snapdragon Wear SoCs are compatible with Wear OS 3.0, despite Google's continued silence on the matter. Apparently, the Snapdragon Wear 3100, Wear 4100 and Wear 4100+ 'are capable' of running Wear OS 3.0, whatever capable means in this context.

The Lemfo T92 is a strange smartwatch, not least because of its built-in TWS earbuds. However, the smartwatch also packs a host of sensors, a large battery and is IP68 certified.

While Google is yet to detail all aspects of its Wear OS reboot, Mobvoi has released a new Wear OS smartwatch. The TicWatch E3 shares many features with the TicWatch Pro 3, including a Wear 4100 SoC and 1 GB of RAM. The TicWatch E3 is US$100 cheaper than the Pro 3, though.

Huawei has not started shipping the Watch 3 or Watch 3 Pro to people yet, but it has already furnished the pair with a software update. The update brings several features to the two smartwatches, albeit only those that Huawei advertised at launch.

According to a report, Apple has a slew of new smartwatches in development. The first is the Watch Series 7, which features four significant upgrades over the Watch Series 6. There is also a Watch SE successor and a rugged smartwatch though, as Apple expands its smartwatch offering.

Realme has released its Watch 2 and 2 Pro to the European market today (June 16, 2021), during an event also rumored to reveal the OEM's first-gen laptop. This did not transpire as anticipated, although the launch did show the brand is making further inroads on these ambitions, as well as those for the smart home market.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved 2 new Samsung devices, the SM-R880 and SM-R885, for sale. As they are thought to be 2 versions of the upcoming Galaxy Watch 4, this may put the flagship wearables closer to launch than ever. Furthermore, the regulator has confirmed that one of these products has 4G/LTE connectivity.

Mobvoi has updated its Android app to reflect that it will soon be selling the TicWatch E3, two days before its official unveiling. A hands-on video has confirmed most specifications about the smartwatch too, including its SoC, RAM and storage.

Xiaomi has announced that it will release a new smartwatch to the Indian market soon. This new wearable is called the Active version of the Mi Watch Revolve, and does not appear hugely different from that pre-existing smartwatch. Then again, it may have an updated UI, driven by a new "Watchful Living" philosophy.

Samsung’s next major Galaxy Unpacked event is tipped for August 3. The event is expected to see the unveiling of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Flip 3 and Galaxy Watch 4 series.

Contrary to previous reports, Mobvoi has denied that the TicWatch Pro 3 will necessarily receive Wear OS 3.0, or 'Wear' as Google now calls it. Supposedly, Mobvoi awaits 'official confirmation...from Google' on the matter.

Facebook is prepping its first smartwatch that can also double as standalone camera of sorts. According to The Verge, the new smartwatch will feature two cameras and can be detached from a watch band and used for taking photos and videos.

Samsung has set a date for presenting its 'New Watch Experience', following the announcement that Wear OS and Tizen will merge. The presentation is only a few weeks away, of which the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4 are expected to be a part.

Apple has confirmed which of its smartwatches are compatible with watchOS 8. There is a catch regarding compatibility, but there are no great surprises this time, unlike with watchOS 7.

While the fate of existing Wear OS smartwatches remains undecided, Mobvoi has committed to upgrading the TicWatch Pro 3 to Google's new Wear OS platform. The TicWatch Pro 3 remains the most powerful Wear OS smartwatch, thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 SoC, nearly nine months after its release.

Samsung is thought to introduce the Galaxy Watch 4 and Active 4 lines of smartwatches during its next major product event. Now, another domino in this rumored sequence might have fallen, in the form of 3C certification for new wearables from this OEM. It may confirm earlier leaks pointing to nearly unchanged charging specs for one new Active SKU.

Fossil has commented on the fate of the Gen 5 and Gen 5E, its most recent Wear OS smartwatches. The company has confirmed a Gen 6 model is due soon with the latest version of Wear OS, albeit only as a premium smartwatch.

Samsung has reportedly certified a new battery with the group SGS Fimko, listed as intended for what looks like 2 variants of the same upcoming smartwatch. Their model numbers have become linked to the next-gen Galaxy Watch Active in earlier leaks. This latest one suggests that this model will get an upgrade in these terms, albeit not much of one.

Apple is prepping major updates for Safari, Health, Maps and iMessage, according to the Wall Street Journal. The upgraded apps will debut at Apple’s WWDC 2021 event alongside the latest versions of Apple’s various operating systems.

Counterpoint has produced a bill of materials (BoM) analysis for the Apple Watch Series 6 and has estimated that the cost is just over a third of the official price of the popular smartwatch. The most expensive parts of the 2020 Apple Watch are the processor and memory, with Cupertino cutting costs by removing Force Touch.

A Twitter-based leaker claims that Samsung has a new, AirPower-like wireless charger in the works. This pad is apparently thinner than its closest pre-existing counterpart, thanks to slimmer coil and thermal-management technology. The putative accessory is touted to power compatible devices at up to 25W.

Fitbit has brought a raft of changes to its most recent smartwatches with their latest updates. FitbitOS now supports faster access to the pair's SpO2 sensors and improved Google Assistant integration, among other changes.

Zepp Health has announced that its increasingly popular brands Amazfit and Zepp broke into the top 4 of names in the smartwatch market in terms of shipments for the first quarter of 2021 (1Q2021). They sold nearly 69% more units compared to 1Q2020. Zepp Health brands were also #1 in several countries for the quarter.

Huawei has launched its latest smartwatches alongside its new MatePads. The 3 and 3 Pro have eSIM functions in addition to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. The OEM also claims 24/7 heart-rate and blood-oxygen tracking, as well as long battery life, for the new HarmonyOS-powered wearables.

Huawei is only two days away from unveiling the Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro, its first flagship smartwatches since the Watch GT 2 Pro. The Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro have already leaked extensively though, including in a hands-on video.

Meizu has just announced a new smartwatch powered by the latest Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform for wearables. The OEM has packed it with a raft of health-monitoring features, heart-rate and blood-oxygen measurements included, not to mention 4G/LTE support. It can be pre-ordered from tomorrow (June 1, 2021) at a price equivalent to US$235.

The OPPO Watch is probably one of the most Apple-like smartwatches with Wear OS out there. Now, some leaks hint strongly at a second generation powered by Qualcomm's most up-to-date platforms for wearables. Meanwhile, the company Ambiq seems to have already gone ahead and confirmed that it has provided a back-up SoC that conserves battery life on this device.

Huawei is close to unveiling the Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro, but a hands-on photo has already confirmed the latter's design. The pair will arrive on June 2 alongside other new HarmonyOS-powered devices.

Smartwatch company VIITA has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the first Bugatti smartwatch. Three bezels are on offer for the Bugatti Ceramique Edition One, which are inspired by vehicles from the world-famous car manufacturer. The beautiful Bugatti watch is jam-packed full of features but unsurprisingly comes at a high price.

The medical-grade wearables company AliveCor has decided to push for an anti-trust suit against Apple over the manner in which the Cupertino giant has taken over the market for smart watches or bands that support on-device electroechocardiography (ECG). It follows allegations that Apple Watches with this technology infringes on AliveCor's patents.

The Suunto 9 Peak is a GPS-enabled smartwatch with a lightweight and hardy chassis. The device supports blood oxygen saturation measurements via a SpO2 sensor and has a large battery for up to 170 hours between charges with GPS enabled. The Suunto 9 Peak will be available from early next month.

Huawei has reinforced that it will be revealing the Watch 3 series on June 2, one of the company's first products to launch with HarmonyOS 2.0. Huawei has teased the Watch 3's design too, in what could be a departure for its smartwatch series.

According to a new report, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has entered mass production ahead of its anticipated summer 2021 release. The smartwatch will reputedly arrive in two sizes and will be joined by the smaller Galaxy Watch Active 4.

Fuchsia is the name of an in-house OS Google has reportedly had in the works for years. Now, it is finally due to see a roll-out on one of the OEM's more recent smart-home products. The Nest Hub is slated to start using this new system in an impending update.

The Haylou RS3 is an affordable smartwatch that is compatible with Android and iOS devices. The smartwatch has built-in GPS, a waterproof body and retails for under US$70.

Google is a technology giant that has sold products exclusively through its official online stores throughout its history. However, it is now breaking that trend with an imminent brick-and-mortar equivalent, located near its New York headquarters. It is slated to open its doors in the real during the summer of 2021.

DOOGEE has launched the DG Band, a wearable of the traditional fitness tracker form-factor. It has a 1.05-inch LCD display, which can display data from its sensors for heart-rate, stress and blood-oxygen. It is also rated to track 14 different exercise types, and to last for up to 10 days between charges.

Huawei has set a date for the launch of its first-party operating system, HarmonyOS, in its native China. The software may have originally been intended to replace Android on its smartphones, but may also ship with other new products such as the MatePad Pro 2 and Watch 3, which are also now expected to debut on the same day.

OnePlus is all set to launch a Cyberpunk 2077-themed OnePlus Watch in China. Much like the limited-edition OnePlus 8T, the wearable will use UI elements from the game, such as a black and yellow colour scheme, font, and more. There is no word about its global launch just yet.

The Realme Watch 2 Pro is a new smartwatch with a blood-oxygen sensor, 90 sports modes and sleep-tracking - as does its vanilla sibling. However, it has a bigger 1.75-inch display, as well as the in-built GPS the plain Watch 2 lacks. It also has exclusive new watch-faces, as well as a larger battery rated for up to 14 days of use between charges.

A new leak from Jon Prosser shows the Apple Watch 7 in an entirely new light. According to the leaker, the upcoming Apple wearables could follow the M1 iMacs and ship in multiple colour variants, including Black, White, Red, Blue and Green. It will also ship with a more square, rounded-off display.

Samsung and Google may have agreed to merge Tizen OS and Wear OS, but current Galaxy Watch smartwatches will be left on the older Tizen OS platform. Samsung will update the Galaxy Watch Active, Watch Active 2 and Watch 3 for at least three years from their launch date, mind you.

Google and Spotify have finally got around to integrating offline playback on Wear OS, now Wear. However, it seems that Garmin smartwatches will still have more Spotify functionality than their Wear OS rivals.

Specifications for one of Samsung's next flagship smartwatches have leaked. Apparently, the Galaxy Watch Active 4 will have smaller display bezels than the current model, along with a revised SoC, among other changes.

The Apple Watch Series 7 could be in line for a redesign according to tipster Jon Prosser. The changes would make the Watch look squared off at the edges and replace the currently rounded off look bringing it in line with the squared off look that started with the iPad Pro design and most recently made its way to the iPhone 12.

Google I/O 2021 has kicked off with what the OEM calls "the biggest update to Wear OS" in this software's history. It has collaborated with Samsung and Fitbit to bake the better features of their wearable platforms into this upcoming version. It will be available to the next generations of both OEMs' watches, as well as those of other Android manufacturers.