Wearable

According to some reports, Apple has sped up the production of the Vision Pro in China. If the manufacturing keeps up the pace and doesn’t run into production issues, the mixed reality headset will likely be launched in February 2024.

Garmin has released a new software update for many of its older smartwatches. Rolling out as Beta Version 26.85, the update introduces new bug fixes to the Fenix 6 and Fenix 6 Pro models, as well as Enduro, Tactix Delta, Quatix 6 and Marq smartwatches.

Garmin is now offering the MARQ Athlete Gen 2 Performance Edition, a 46 mm smartwatch with an AMOLED display and long battery life. The new smartwatch also has a titanium grade 5 housing and a sapphire crystal display, among other features.

The Amazfit update 3.16.4.3 is currently rolling out to Balance smartwatches. The new software includes several new features for cycling accessories, winter sports, races and the Readiness score. Plus, there are various optimizations for tools like breathing exercises and Body Composition.

The Kospetfit iHeal 5 is another new smartwatch currently on sale. According to the manufacturer, it is equipped with ECG, blood sugar and blood pressure measurement as well as many other functions relating to health, sport and the like, but only costs the equivalent of less than $50.

One of Garmin’s latest smartwatches is now available in the US, Australia and some EU countries. Plus, customers in other areas can place a pre-order with deliveries expected in a matter of weeks. The powerful smartwatch has a large 1.4-in (~36 mm) AMOLED display, a durable titanium bracelet and a wide range of features.

The Komoot Garmin app for various smartwatches and bike computers can now display the brand’s maps. Until the latest software, users had to use their phones to access Komoot apps or layer Komoot navigation onto Garmin’s maps. However, early users have flagged several issues with the new tool, which will have limited access in the future.

Apple engineers are now reportedly working on an algorithm to change the way the oxygen blood sensor works. This comes after the impending ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 due to a patent dispute.

Mobvoi's new seasonal online giveaway offers the chance to win one of the brand's flagship TicWatch wearables and more besides. The "Cyber Xmas" event has started in conjunction with a new holiday sale that offers up to 70% off selected smartwatches on multiple platforms.

It looks like the next couple of years are going to be big for the Apple AirPods lineup with the possible introduction of two new AirPods models, the refreshed AirPods Max, and the AirPods Pro (3rd generation). Mark Gurman, the source behind the information, has also alleged that Cupertino is developing hearing aid functionality for the new AirPods.

The M1 is a smart ring currently on offer at a particularly affordable price. The model is designed to offer continuous monitoring of various vital parameters and activities.

CheckMag More than 200 million people wear smartwatches globally. In addition to simply showing you the time, smartwatches will let you check your fitness, monitor your health, help you find your way and track a range of indoor and outdoor activities. Everyone can benefit from one, so here are 5 smartwatches for all price ranges to give as Christmas presents this year.

iQOO has confirmed that it will launch the Neo9 and 9 Pro later in December 2023 - however, according to the latest leaks, the premium mid-range Android smartphones will bring an entire ecosystem of products along with them. They are said to include the brand's first round AMOLED display smartwatch, as well as some new wireless earphones.

German Bionic has launched the Apogee+ exoskeleton with robotic motors. This powered wearable helps nurses and other healthcare workers lift and move heavy patients with greater ease, less strain, and improved stamina.

The third generation of Amazon Echo Frames has been launched in the USA, but reviews from individual media sites have been restrained. The appearance of the Echo Frames is good, but the functionality is inadequate.

Meta is launching a prerelease version of Ray-Ban smart glasses with AI capabilities for select users in the USA. Using the glasses' camera system, Meta's AI can evaluate what you see and hear and give commentary.

Lenovo has introduced the Wireless VoIP Headset, a new Bluetooth headset that supports Multipoint connectivity. Shipping in early Q2 2024, the Lenovo Wireless VoIP Headset is Microsoft Teams certified and offers up to 30 hours of battery life, among other features.

Polar has brought another software update to the Vantage V3, the company's latest smartwatch. Rolling out as v1.2.5, the second update for the Vantage V3 should resolve several outstanding bugs that were present until now.

Rogbid has presented its first smart ring. For the launch, the compact wearable can be ordered at a whopping 50% discount. It offers 24/7 health features, touch control and a week of battery life, among other things.

Huawei has published a new update for the Watch GT 4 globally. Rolling out in Europe now, HarmonyOS 4.0.0.140 (C00M03) is rather light on changes. However, its main change should make it easier to identify apps within the app grid.

Various Garmin smartwatches are now eligible for another stable update, the second this month after v15.74. In its place arrives v15.76, which is also open to Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, Epix 2, Enduro 2, MARQ Gen 2, Quatix 7 and Tactix 7 smartwatches enrolled on Garmin's Public Beta program.

Xiaomi is now offering a new AMOLED smartwatch in the USA and Europe, the Black Shark S1 Pro. The model reportedly offers AI support and can be used to make calls. The price is very reasonable, but Xiaomi is also facing stiff competition from many other wearables.

Mobvoi claims that it is finally ready to deliver Wear OS 3 for the TicWatch E3 and TicWatch Pro 3. First announced for the pair in July 2021, the OS update will still leave the TicWatch E3 and TicWatch Pro 3 behind the times, with Google and Samsung having updated their smartwatches to Wear OS 4.

Huawei's latest accessory looks like it needs a particularly intense form of ear-piercing - however, it is in fact a new kind of wireless earphone that doesn't go in the ear at all. Instead, the FreeClip is held in place with its new "innovative C-bridge design" for the OEM's take on open-ear audio.

UGREEN has released a more affordable version of its power bank that can charge devices at up to 100W over USB-C. This new member of the Nexode series has a typical capacity of 20,000mAh and is also capable of recharging itself at a reasonably fast rate - all for about $80 - or less for a limited time.

According to some recent reports, Bose is wrapping up the production of Bose Frames - the lineup of smart audio glasses. By the end of this year, Bose Frames products will not be available for sale, while the existing owners will continue to get support.

Littlebird Connected Care has announced the first ever, child wearable capable of allowing parents to monitor their young children's location and health remotely - the Littlebird Marlon. Continuous transmission of health and location data is enabled by T-Mobile LTE-M cellular connectivity.

The 3rd gen Apple AirPods are once again discounted to their lowest price yet of $140, last seen in the Black Friday week. The earphones, otherwise priced at $169, feature spatial audio and adaptive EQ, a 6 hour battery life, and an IPX4 rating for both the earphones and the case. The AirPods Pro 2 are also currently discounted by 20% to $200.

The Garmin Beta update version 14.12 is now rolling out to the Instinct 2 smartwatch series. The new software includes bug fixes for winter sports, alongside other improvements made since the last public update. Plus, there are two methods through which customers can download the update.

Xiaomi has partnered with Genshin Impact to present a new version of the Smart Band 8 Pro. The new flagship wearable comes in custom packaging stuffed with Easter eggs dedicated to one of the game's playable characters as well as the device with a new exclusive strap styled to match. Accordingly, it costs a bit more than the standard 8 Pro in China.

The Rogbid Tank M3 is a new waterproof smartwatch with numerous functions such as health tracking and Bluetooth telephony, and also boasts a huge battery and thus long battery life. Recently launched, it is currently available for less than half the RRP.

The Smart Band 8 Pro remains a Chinese exclusive, nearly four months after Xiaomi released it in China. However, it still seems that the fitness tracker is not ready for a global introduction just yet.

Final Audio has refreshed the ZE8000, less than a year after it introduced its '8K Sound' earbuds. Now available as the ZE8000 MK2, the new earbuds have a 5 dB higher maximum volume than their predecessors, among other audio improvements.

Canopy has launched the Canopy Protect safety solution to protect hospital workers. The system utilizes discrete, wearable buttons to summon security over dedicated wireless gateways to provide hospital to parking lot coverage.

The Amazfit Balance Special Edition smartwatch is now available globally. The model comes in a range of new colors inspired by nature, with Zepp Health donating some of the profits to the non-profit One Tree Planted. The wearable has various health and wellness tracking features, including a temperature sensor.

Various sources are already speculating about Garmin's release plans for 2024. Reportedly, the Epix 3, Fenix 8 and Forerunner 65 series could be planned, as well as Lily 2 smartwatches and HRM Fit heart rate monitors.

Rockley is providing the Bioptx Biosensing Band to select customers and researchers to advance health monitoring. This wearable uses multiband light extending into the infrared to penetrate deeper into the skin to monitor the body in novel ways.

Google has confirmed it is bringing several outstanding Pixel Watch 2 features to its predecessor. Soon, the original Pixel Watch will be capable of mirroring Bedtime Mode and DND modes from a paired smartphone, among other improvements.

Huawei has released a new special edition of its latest Watch GT-series smartwatch - and a particularly seasonable one at that. It is available in both of the wearable's size variants, each with its own exclusive band color. The GT 4 Christmas Edition also comes with a second alternative strap and free TWS earbuds in some markets.

Garmin has confirmed all 'notable features' that this month's new feature updates bring to various smartwatches. Not only can recent Fenix and Forerunner smartwatches now automatically detect when you are napping, but they can also monitor skin temperature changes, among other improvements.

The Coros Pace 3 smartwatch has been pitted against various Garmin, Apple and Polar wearables in new research by the5krunner. The study looked at the performance of the Coros device across a range of exercises, proving it to be less accurate than competitor products.

Garmin has again mentioned the HRM-Fit heart rate monitor, this time on a page listing repair costs for the brand’s devices in Spain. The gadget was initially seen in a listing in a database for a product certification scheme. Little is known about the new model, though a patent application in the US could reveal more information.

The Google Pixel Watch (first-gen) price has dropped to its lowest-ever level once again, giving folks who missed earlier sales another chance to snag one. The watch is feature-rich with a wide range of health and fitness-related goodies straight from Fitbit’s ecosystem, a sleek design with a comfortable fit, and a vanilla implementation of WearOS.

Unveiled over a year ago as the first carbon fiber smartwatch, the Bugatti Carbone Limited Edition is a prized collectors' item, with just 2,500 units ever to be made, of which 2,000 have been sold already. The latest firmware update comes with a new watch face alongside BioAge, which compares the user's biological and chronological ages.

Varjo has released the XR-4 mixed reality headsets with 4K displays for each eye that produce a combined 28 million pixel display resolution. This exceeds the resolution of all consumer VR/XR headsets on the market today including the upcoming Apple Vision Pro. Three models are available – the XR-4, XR-4 Focal Edition, and XR-4 Secure Edition.

Details about Garmin's next set of smartwatches have turned up online courtesy of various official support listings. The first retailer has revealed UK launch pricing for the same smartwatches, too.

OtterBox touts its new Lumen series as the most novel and innovative cases on the market, with a "trusted" protective design finished with aerial shots of "iconic destination" cities such as New York. Accordingly, the brand hints that they may be the perfect unique holiday gift for iPhone 15-series users who also love travel (or the idea of travel, at least). The Lumen Series Passport cases are also MagSafe-compatible and have optional matching AirTag covers.

According to new analysis, Apple may have based its Apple S9 SiP powering the Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 on its A16 Bionic chipset. Manufactured using TSMC's N4P process, the Apple S9 contains about 60% more transistors than its predecessors.

EarFun touts its new Free Pro 3s as "dual certified" TWS earbuds, in that they officially support both Hi-Res Audio and Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon Sound suite of audio features, aptX Adaptive included. They are also rated for a decent level of ANC, even though their noise-cancelling tech is of the hybrid variety. The Pro 3s' case is also backed to deliver "generous" battery life and also supports wireless charging.