Smartwatch

Mobvoi, for one, has announced a fresh app update many more of its newer and higher-end wearables. This latest version of WearOS (2.0) expands the eligibility to use Pay (new interface and all) to users in more countries. The update also unlocks Messages on a watch's screen in full, as well as Tiles for apps such as Spotify.

The unofficial concept renders confirm previous rumors which predicted that Apple's new smartwatch would receive a drastic redesign. The purported boxy appearance is quite plausible since it is reminiscent of the latest generation of iPhones.

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.

A release date for the M1X MacBook Pro laptops and tidbits about the iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, AirPods 3, iPad mini 6, and ninth-generation iPad have been offered up in Mark Gurman’s latest newsletter. He predicts that Apple will hold multiple virtual events to cover all the upcoming product launches.

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.

Google will not be bringing YouTube Music or its updated Google Maps app to Wear OS 2 smartwatches. Instead, older Wear OS devices will receive overhauled Google Pay and Messages apps. Thankfully, Spotify has come through with offline playlist support for Wear OS 2 smartwatches.

The Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic may be running Wear OS 3 under their One UI Watch 3 UI, but you must have a Samsung smartphone to use ECG and BP functionality. The new smartwatches are also incompatible with the Wear OS app, and they will not work at all with an iPhone or a recent Huawei device.

The Galaxy Watch 3 may yet receive an upgrade to One UI Watch 3, Samsung's version of Wear OS 3. Samsung thinks so, at any rate, as it has stated as much in a new advert.

Samsung has unveiled the Exynos W920, its latest crack at a wearable chipset. The Exynos W920 is the first 5 nm SoC for wearables and supposedly offers a significant improvement in CPU and GPU performance compared to the Exynos 9110.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Although it does not take big steps forward in terms of design, the Oppo Watch 2 comes with solid improvements over its predecessor on the inside. With 1 GB of memory and 8 GB of internal storage, the new smartwatch sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100 processor and is the first product to ship loaded with ColorOS Watch 2.0.

Google has revealed that upcoming Wear OS smartwatches from Mobvoi, Fossil and its subsidiaries will not launch with its 'new unified platform'. Instead, new models will only receive Wear OS 3 next year, unlike those released by Fitbit and Samsung.

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.

Smartwatches could soon be capable of measuring blood sugar, blood pressure, blood alcohol and hydration levels. The innovations come courtesy of Rockley Photonics, which has announced a biometric sensor that is small enough to fit within a smartwatch chassis.

Qualcomm has announced that it will devote further investment and effort to its wearables business. This involves Ecosystem Accelerator Program, a new initiative to bring manufacturers, service providers, developers and vendors in order to improve innovation, collaboration and commercialization in the sector. Its provider claims that over 60 leading companies in the market have already signed up for it.

OPPO's eponymous Watch is a high-end wearable that has options with on-device ECGs. Now, it officially has a second generation, slated to launch at the end of July 2021. It is slated to integrate the latest Snapdragon Wear 4100 SoC, which will help run a dual OS system designed to stretch screen-on time.

Zepp Health has announced a new function for its popular Amazfit wearables at its 2021 Next Beat Future of Health conference, which it calls "Blood Pressure Measurement on the Wrist". It is based on an algorithm that estimates this metric using a given wearable's optical sensors.

Zepp Health, formerly Huami, has now made its replacement for its current Amazfit OS official. It is rated to be much lighter, smoother and more battery-friendly than its predecessor. Consumers might find it on next-gen wearables powered by the new Huangshan 2s SoC, slated to be enhanced in terms of graphics and power efficiency.

New Realme Band 2 renders have turned up showing how different the fitness tracker looks in comparison to the original Realme Band wearable. The good-looking Realme Band 2 is expected to feature blood-pressure monitoring and possibly SpO2 measurement as well.

The Watch Live is the OEM ZTE's first-gen health-focused wearable. It is an Apple Watch clone with a blood oxygen sensor, all-day heart rate tracking and an IP68 rating. Its maker has now released it to its global website for just under US$40.

PINE64 has re-released its developer-friendly PineTime smartwatch. This time, PINE64 aims the PineTime at consumers but without hiking the price up. The revised model is pre-built, comes with an OS installed and is IP67 water resistant.

More details about the Galaxy Watch 4 series have leaked. According to a new report, Samsung has developed a new SoC for its upcoming Wear OS-based smartwatches that will significant performance improvements compared to the Galaxy Watch 3. The Galaxy Watch 4 series will have 50% more RAM than the Galaxy Watch 3 has, too.

The IMILAB W12 is a new smartwatch from Xiaomi's ecosystem that has a lot going for it. According to the manufacturer, the W12 is IP68 certified and should last up to 30 days between charges.

Samsung has released a new video introducing some software developers to the world. However, the company has apparently overlooked the fact that one developer may have had the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Watch 4 in shot, which are both still unreleased products.

Amazon Canada has listed four Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic models early. The listings confirm that the Galaxy Watch 4 will start at CAD$309.85, and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic at CAD$427.73, among facets of the upcoming smartwatches.

The TAG Heuer Connected is one of the most premium Wear OS smartwatches out there. Its latest, variant might be a big draw for some of its fans, with its re-designed Super Mario-themed case and colorway. On the other hand, it will go for even more than its vanilla counterpart.

Amazfit has announced that its next pair of TWS earbuds will be unveiled during its upcoming “Future of Health” event. The popular health-wearable brand claims that they will help the user improve their posture in addition to their cardiovascular health, thanks to various kinds of advanced sensors. Its owner may also unveil a new, custom chip and OS for smartwatches during the same show.

As the coronavirus pandemic is hopefully nearing its end, many people around the globe are fighting the long-term effects after overcoming a COVID-19 infection. According to a new study, wearables like the Apple Watch can help with diagnosing and treating these persistent symptoms.

Currently, EPOPOOS is selling a comparatively well-equipped smartwatch, not least because of its AMOLED display. The device supposedly supports Bluetooth 5.0, up to 20 days of battery life and heart rate tracking, too.

If, for some reason, you still use the Galaxy Gear, then it is worth noting that an important change is headed your way from next month. After August, it will be impossible to install any new apps on the Galaxy Gear, although other avenues are available.

The Kospet Optimus 2 has a 1.6-inch display, a 1,260 mAh battery and runs Android, rather than Google's Wear OS platform. Kospet has even included a 13 MP camera for good measure.

Google has refreshed the Play Store on Wear OS. Sporting a Wear OS 3.0 redesign, the revised app store has reached the Suunto 7 running Wear OS 2.x.