Smartwatch

Samsung has added some new features to the Galaxy Watch 3 and the Galaxy Watch Active 2, its current flagship smartwatches. Unfortunately, one such feature requires you to have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, which seems unnecessary.

Recent leaks have supplied possible evidence of a successor to the popular, affordable Mi Band 5. Now, a new tip asserts that the wearable has been registered with Indonesian and Indian authorities, suggesting it may debut soon in those markets, at least. It also seems to spill the 6's model number, if no additional specs for the putative fitness tracker.

More evidence of Samsung's foray into the augmented reality (AR) market has emerged, in the form of a new video that might be marketing material for its first-gen Glasses. They are apparently pitched at use-cases such as gaming and content consumption as well as virtual conferencing and presentations. They may also work as sunglasses and have a virtual DeX modes.

According to a new report, Samsung has two new Galaxy smartwatches in development, model numbers SM-R86x and SM-R87x. These smartwatches may be Samsung's first to run Android since 2013, with a pivot to Wear OS apparently on the cards, too.

Rollme has just launched the Hero, its latest smartwatch with a completely bezel-free display. This is joined by a nano-SIM card slot for 4G/LTE connectivity in this wearable, not to mention up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Not only that, but it boasts an unusually large 1,600mAh battery rated for up to 10 days on power-save mode.

The GSMA has announced that it is currently considering running its flagship conference live and in Barcelona once again, albeit with up to 50,000 in-person attendees. Meanwhile, its Chinese counterpart, MWC Shanghai, is slated to begin on February 23, 2021 with 20,000 such attendees and in accordance with anti-Covid-19 health checks. Its success may determine whether MWC 2021 will return to something like "normality" this year.

Garmin has unveiled the Enduro, a new smartwatch with up to 65 days of battery life. The Enduro has such long runtimes thanks to solar charging technology. Still, it is more than capable in other areas, including GPS tracking, NFC contactless payments and all the fitness functionality one could expect from a Garmin.

Xiaomi has added several features to the Mi Watch with this month's software update. One of the highlights is Amazon Alexa support, as is the inclusion of a camera shutter button. V1.2.52 is hitting devices globally now as an OTA download.

Images of the OnePlus Watch's probable design have been published online, courtesy of the German Patent and Trademark Office. The images show two designs, which are seemingly sports and luxury models of the same smartwatch.

The Deauther Watch V3 is an intriguing smartwatch. Based on an ESP8266 board, the device can hack Wi-Fi networks and can even create fake ones. The Deauther Watch V3 also has a 1.3-inch OLED display and is orderable for US$65.00.

The LS02 smartwatch from Haylou has a simple design and is aimed at price-sensitive buyers. The smartwatch, which has a 1.4-inch display and up to 20 days of battery life, is now orderable for US$25.99, or under US$20 if you are happy to have the device shipped from China.

The market research group Above Avalon has studied the fortunes of the Apple Watch series up to 2020, and has put the number of its adopters at 100 million. This would make it the OEM's fourth biggest product, with iPhones, iPads and Macs the only lines to sell better than these wearables. Should this trend continue, they may in fact be able to overtake the PCs by 2022.

Facebook is planning to expand its hardware ambitions further according to a report from The Information. Facebook is said to be working on a smartwatch along with its own operating system for mobile devices as it looks to diversify while also bolstering the anonymized aggregated data it collects from its users.

The Watch GT 2 series debuted in 2019, so it was only a matter of time before information about a new series of Huawei smartwatches appeared. According to a well-informed source, the Watch GT3 and Watch 3 will feature a host of impressive hardware, and will be part of a major Huawei hardware refresh this year.

The Gocomma W5 retails for a mere US$63.99, and yet it features LTE and GPS connectivity. The W5 has a 1.54-inch display and runs Android 9.0 Pie natively.

Huawei has rolled out a new update to its most-expensive smartwatch, the Watch GT 2 Pro. The update brings plenty of improvements to the device, including the ability to set a password. 11.0.4.22 also optimises the Watch GT 2 Pro in multiple areas.

RedMagic is a brand based on Android gaming phones with the specs and design required for players in this arena. However, it is now slated to branch into smartwatches in 2021, something confirmed by a new FCC listing. It is a round-faced wearable with an AMOLED display and heart-rate monitor.

The S21 is a surprisingly comprehensive package, with Lemfo having equipped it with an LTE modem, GPS and a heart rate monitor, among other features. The S21 supposedly runs Android 10.0 and can access the Google Play Store too, for better or worse.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 has received many new features, including support for the company's SmartThings platform. The update, which is rolling out now, should also improve the smartwatch's reliability and stability.

Mobvoi's latest update for the TicWatch Pro 3 has not only added four new features to its popular smartwatch, but six improvements and a few bug fixes too. The update is rolling out now to smartwatches globally.

With the S2, Lenovo has created an affordable smartwatch that includes a lot of features. The Lenovo S2 has a 1.4-inch touchscreen, a real-time heart rate monitor and a purported battery life of up to 7 days.

The January 2021 update has brought new features and improvements to the Huawei Watch Fit, one of the Chinese company's cheaper smartwatches. The Watch Fit can now measure SpO2 levels periodically and manually split workout routines, among other changes. The update is rolling out now via the Huawei Health app.

SQFMI has released the Watchy on Crowd Supply, having sold out of the open-source smartwatch on Tindie. The Watchy, which was an e-Paper display, can be ordered from US$50 and will begin shipping in May. SQFMI is offering the Watchy with CNC and injection moulded cases this time around.

The Huawei Watch GT 2e has received a new feature courtesy of its latest software update. Huawei also claims that the update improves system stability and fixes some known issues that the Watch GT 2e had.

SQFMI has brought its open-source smartwatch to market, and for just US$44.99. The Watchy features an e-Paper display and features an ESP32 processor.

The tipster Digital Chat Station claims to have found new premium phones from Meizu on the 3C regulatory website. One might be called the 18 and support 30-watt (W) charging, while the other might be a 40W 18 Pro. However, despite these specs, it is said that the company will follow Apple and Samsung's example in leaving the necessary power bricks out of their retail boxes.

The FCC has published another Amazfit smartwatch certification, albeit one that currently goes by two names. The smartwatch, which has model number A2013, is either the T-Rex Pro or the T-Rex 2. Regardless, the upcoming smartwatch will have a round screen, GPS, automatic training detection and will support music playback.

Apple has launched a limited edition Apple Watch celebrating Black Unity. The Watch, along with several other product initiatives have been launched to coincide with Black History Month.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 has gained some new features courtesy of its latest software update, despite its release in October 2019. The latest firmware, which Huawei has called v1.0.11.20, is a 24.11 MB download and is rolling out to smartwatches now.

The Samsung Health Monitor app has finally acquired the CE mark of approval in Europe. This means that the Galaxy Watch3 can finally use its electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood-pressure monitoring features, as can the Galaxy Watch Active2, across the European Economic Area (EEA). This is also true of the UK, UAE, Chilean and Indonesian markets.

A first leak of Xiaomi Mi Band 6-related specifications has offered up a goldmine of information about the upcoming budget fitness tracker – apart from its release date and probable price. However, Xiaomi’s habits with previous Mi Band launches and the state of the wearables market offer up some useful clues for predictions.

A report out of South Korea has claimed that both Apple and Samsung are preparing to include a blood glucose monitor in their upcoming 2021 smartwatch releases. This means that an Apple Watch 7, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, or Galaxy Watch Active 3 could end up being fitted with a vital, and non-invasive, sensor for checking glucose levels.

The Redmi Watch - or Mi Watch Lite for global markets - has been spotted on the BIS regulatory documentation, hinting that it will launch in India soon. It is slated to be the Redmi-branded version as it has been registered under that name. By any name, it has a 1.4-inch square face, 5ATM water resistance and up to 9 hours of battery life.

The first details of the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 have been posted online, and it seems likely there will be a global variant called the Mi Smart Band 6. The upcoming activity tracker has all the features that the Mi Band 5 offers but with additional utilities, such as SpO2 tracking (blood oxygen level measurement) and Alexa support. The Mi Band 6 may have a larger display too.

Huawei has trademarked the name 'Nova Watch' in China. Undoubtedly, this suggests that the Chinese company plans to release at least one smartwatch as part of a new series soon. Huawei reserves Nova for its mid-range smartphones, so it may have a new midrange smartwatch in the offing.

The OnePlus Watch is coming to India, according to a new regulatory certification posted by a well-known tipster. It has been presumed that this wearable would have a round face; however, the new registration specifies 2 variants with different model numbers. Therefore, a square-faced option from OnePlus might be back on the cards.

Realme's first-ever smartwatch was an Apple Watch clone, whereas its second had a round face and a Pro variant. A new FCC registration reveals the OEM has gone back to a square face for its next wearable. It has an on-trend blood oxygen monitor, as well as "dynamic" heart-rate tracking and IP68 ingress-protection.

Huawei has updated the Watch GT 2 Pro once again, this time with general system stability improvements. The update follows the release of the New Year Edition that Huawei announced last week. There is a New Year Edition of the Watch Fit, too.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 has a new firmware update that brings part of the OEM's virtual group-workout initiative to the wearable. It also now supports SmartThings Find, which might help an owner recover a missing unit, as well as Samsung's hand-washing app.

Can smartwatches help to diagnose cases of Covid-19? According to a couple of new studies, they can. The research applies to the Apple Watch and other wearables associated with heart-rate monitoring, as they might record the variations in this metric that might indicate the presence of the virus, even in asymptomatic patients.

Amazfit has teased another member of the growing GTR 2 and GTS 2 family in the form of the upcoming Amazfit GTR 2 LTE. This latest addition will bring the total of smartwatches in this range to six SKUs. Fortunately, Amazfit has published a handy graphic to help shoppers choose from the diverse range of “fitness for all” smartwatches.

The Amazfit GTR 2e and Amazfit GTS 2e smartwatches from Huami have now officially become available to customers in North America. Both watches are priced at US$139.99, with the main differences between them being design and battery life. The Amazfit GTR 2e and Amazfit GTS 2e come with a data sensor for blood-oxygen saturation measurement.

A new app called OnePlus Health has reportedly appeared on the Google Play Store. It has ostensibly been developed to accompany the new fitness band and smartwatch coming soon from this brand. Tech bloggers claiming to have torn its APK down have posted faces and UI snippets for either device.

An owner of a Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness tracker has taken to Reddit to report about the gadget exploding while it was being charged. Apparently, it was the global version of the Mi Band 5 wearable and was not a copy or mishandled in any way. Issues likes this have been frequently reported in regard to smartphones, such as the notorious Samsung Galaxy Note 7 episode.

OnePlus has started officially teasing its upcoming fitness tracker that will feature useful tools such as SpO2 blood saturation monitoring and real-time heart-rate tracker. The alleged OnePlus Band price in India and its launch date have also been leaked along with some key specifications. The OnePlus Band is expected to cost around ₹2,499 (US$34).

The OnePlus Band is seemingly in the works and should soon be ready to challenge the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 in the budget wearable sector. Rumors state that the OnePlus Band will be unleashed with a sub-US$40 price tag and may be launched in the Indian market first, where the Xiaomi Mi Band series has dominated affordable fitness tracker sales.