Smartwatch

The shares of the company Spotify were down 11% at the start of today (November 1, 2018) due to a forecast that shows relatively poor fourth-quarter performance. In addition, Spotify is now reported to be committed to new investments to boost innovation and future-proofing in its products.

Some Apple Watch Series 4 users have reported that updating their wearable to watchOS 5.1 bricked their device. After rebooting the Watch when installing the update, the device would freeze on the Apple logo and become unresponsive. Apple has since pulled the update and is working on a fix. In the meantime, affected users have been instructed to contact AppleCare for assistance.

Casio wants to solve its customer's daylight savings time problems with the latest versions of its EDIFICE line. These motorsport-inspired watches can sync via a smartphone in order to maintain its timekeeping accuracy. On the other hand, this is all the supposed connected devices do.

A curious incident of the iPhones in the hospital: A post in r/sysadmin by a hospital IT admin tells a strange story: devices in his hospital either died completely or lost important functions on the same day. Oddly, all these electronics had only one thing in common: they were all Apple products.

2018 could be considered the year of the successful hybrid smartwatch. The LG Watch W7, which has a physical timepiece in addition to a digital display, was received well, as was the dual-display Ticwatch Pro. Now, a new patent suggests that Samsung is at least considering this design choice as well.

A list of proposed rules put out by the U.S. Copyright Office would make jailbreaking devices like smartphones and smart speakers completely legal, if adopted. Jailbreaking, or circumventing DRM, is currently in a legally grey area. If these rules are implemented, then people could create their own tools to jailbreak a device for repair purposes. However, jailbreaking tools could not be distributed under these rules.

Most people who own connected devices appear not to need them in their everyday lives. This is one of the findings of a new study into IoT use in the home and similar settings. 29% of these users were unsure of how their data was used across all their devices.

Misfit, the American wearables manufacturer, has unveiled official details about the upcoming Vapor 2 smartwatch. The wearable will come in two different sizes and feature a phone-free music player, a standalone GPS, and it will have a built-in heart-rate sensor. This useful device is currently advertised at a starting price of US$249.99.

The music streaming service Spotify has finally pushed an update for the app used on Android smartwatches. This version takes on the functions users formerly had to turn to 3rd-party solutions for. For example, the new Spotify for Wear OS has an actual set of music controls, and also syncs speakers with them.

Google has lost out in an anti-trust hearing conducted by the European Commission. As a result, the company have been fined US$5 billion, although it is currently appealing this decision. In the meantime, the requirements for Android phones in the EEA to ship with certain Google apps will be lifted - for a price.

The memory found in typical RAM and storage components - DRAM and NAND respectively - may drop in price, particularly as we move into 2019. This is based on new research by DRAMeXchange. This group claims that prices for this technology has not grown in 2018 Q3 as it normally does.

Android is the most successful smartphone OS in the world. Despite this, Google did not mention the brand name during its recent hardware event. This sounds strange, but it might be part of a larger plan to eventually drop Android altogether.

A developer has created an app that can test the 60fps rendering capabilities of the S4 SIP, the processing platform found in the 4th-gen Apple Watch. He has reported that the watch equals the iPhone 6S in this test. The watch also used less than 70% of its processing power while running this app.

The third generation of the Huawei Watch, which may be named the Watch GT rather than the Watch 3, is the subject of new image leaks at WinFuture. The watch may have a larger display than its predecessor, and may have more than one version. It has also reportedly been approved by the FCC.

At the end of September, Google updated Wear OS with a few Google Fit features and a new notifications system that brings browsing, dismissing, and shortcuts. A trip assistant is now available with Google Assistant as well, and it also includes suggestions for restaurants. Thanks to this update, Wear OS devices get "proactive and personalized help."

Evan Blass, a noted tech leaker, has now confirmed that LG will be launching its latest Android wearable, the Watch W7, alongside the V40 smartphone this Wednesday. While the watch will use mechanical hands and watch movement to extend battery life in a low-powered mode to extend battery life, it's unlikely that the Watch W7 will see much market penetration.

When compared to the regular Galaxy Watch, the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Golf Edition comes with the Smart Caddie app that has a database with information about no less than 60,000 golf courses worldwide. This limited edition wearable succeeds last year's Gear S3 Golf Edition and, for now, it can only be found in South Korea.

Chinese brand Mobvoi released quite a few smart wearables so far, and the TicWatch E2 is expected to be the next in line. Advertised as a water-friendly smartwatch, it has just been unveiled on the official Mobvoi website. Sadly, there are no details to talk about yet, but more information should be unveiled shortly.

The popular and consistently accurate leaker evleaks has tweeted a set of renders that match what many people now think of as the Pixel 3 and 3 XL exactly. The larger of the two phones persists in exhibiting an honestly colossal-looking notch. It appears Google is conclusively out of surprises for its next smartphone launch event.

Traditional nano-, micro- or mini-SIMs have dominated mobile connection delivery for smartphones during the devices' rise in the 21st century. Now, however, ABI Research think eSIMs are going to start getting much more popular, mainly as a result of Apple's inclusion of them in their newest iPhones.

Providing health- and wellness-related services to a crowd of over 65 million active users worldwide, Samsung Health has just been updated to version 6.0. This major release comes with a redesigned interface, updated tools, as well as a whole new range of personalization options.

The latest version of the Apple Watch (the Series 4) has just been released, promising upgrades in terms of hardware and features. Ironically, an equally new report from the analyst group ABI Research indicates that this device line is losing market share. However, the future of smartwatches in general is painted as increasingly rosy.

Apple has launched the all-new version of the world's best-selling smartwatch. The new Apple Watch Series 4 gets a complete redesign with a larger display, thinner body and the ability to undertake a ECG assessment via the new Digital Crown among the headlining features.

The new Montblanc Summit smartwatch is scheduled to arrive in October, and what we already know is that it uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 SoC. Unfortunately, most other details — including its price — have yet to be revealed, but it will probably cost more than US$1,500 (the launch price of the model currently on the market).

The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is likely to feature in many next-generation wearables. Qualcomm held a launch event for it yesterday (September 10, 2018). The company claimed it will bring improvements in battery life and usability. The Wear 3100 is also to be used by new, high-end players in the wearables game.

A hands-on image of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 4 has leaked showing a slightly larger edge-to-edge display with rounded corners. The resolution of this display is expected to be around 384 x 480 pixels, which allows for a higher information density than the Watch Series 3.

The wearables market grew 5.5% from Q2 2017 to Q2 2018 mainly due to large growth in developing markets. Apple continued its dominance and enjoyed a 38% year over year growth. Xiaomi came in a close second. Fitbit was a big loser, seeing a year over year decline of 22%. While the future of wearables is still in flux, the market is far from dead.

The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL's progress toward official release is gathering speed. Following their application to the FCC, they have now been sighted on the website of the Taiwanese NCC. However, this new documentation is relatively low on new details about the phones.

Xiaomi has been reported to have tested its own version of Samsung Pay out in one of its biggest markets. Should it be approved by the Reserve Bank of India, it will be called Mi Pay and could help consolidate its considerable presence in the country.

While Samsung, LG and Motorola are planning to release foldable phones next year, Chinese companies like Nubia are pushing for late 2018 releases. Even if it's not a full-fledged foldable phone, the Nubia Alpha bracelet concept showcases an interesting take on flexible displays. Specific details on hardware specs are not yet available, but the Nubia Alpha should launch in Q4 this year.

Two devices with the brand Google have recently secured FCC approval. They are most likely to be the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, which are estimated to be released in October. Interestingly, there is no similar certification for the Pixel Watch.

Three years since it surfaced as a Kickstarter project and over a year since it became available for purchase in Japan, the Sony FES Watch U finally gets an official introduction in Europe. This "fashion watch" will go on sale in the region mid-September starting at 599 EUR.

Apple's next-generation iPhone and Watch have been leaked in press renders. Said to be called the iPhone XS, the new iPhone is depicted in Gold while the new Apple Watch Series 4 confirms rumors it would pick up a larger display.

Ticwatch is the increasingly familiar smartwatch-related brand of Mobvoi. Its latest model is the Ticwatch Pro, a watch with premium materials. In addition, it has both LCD and AMOLED displays. The company claims that this will help the Pro's battery last longer.

Skagen has released its second-generation smartwatch. The new Skagen Falster 2 maintains the style of the original, but adds more functionality so that it can compete with the best on the market.

The new WSD-F30 is a rugged outdoor smartwatch from Casio. The WSD-F30 is about 4 mm thinner than Casio's other rugged smartwatches but manages to run for longer, thanks in part to a new "Extend Mode" setting that shuts off some wireless radios. Casio has yet to announce pricing or a release date.

Revealed alongside the Galaxy Note 9 earlier this month, the Samsung Galaxy Watch LTE is now available for pre-order. Priced at US$379.99 (42 mm in Rose Gold or Midnight Black) and US$399.99 (Silver), this smartwatch is designed for T-Mobile and will begin shipping in the first week of September.

A number of variations on the same device are specified in a newly-secured approval from the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The document's repeated references to "watchOS 5" increase the probability that the certification is for the upcoming Apple Watch refresh.

Apple has filed a patent that may contribute to the voice assistant Siri's functionality in the future. It may impart the ability to recognize different voices and attribute them to corresponding users on new versions of the software. This could give the assistant software a much-needed boost in its relevant marketplaces.

Although the recent official teasers have not revealed what is this all about, insiders familiar with the matter revealed that Qualcomm will launch a new mobile chip on September 10. As its alleged name suggests, the upcoming Snapdragon Wear 3100 is the successor of the Snapdragon Wear 2100, which was released two years ago.

A tech website claims to have found an invitation sent to content creators in Canada relating to the Pixel 3. If this leak is genuine, the new Android device's release will take place in October. However, the leak's contents fail to mention the other products rumored to also be included in the next Pixel line.

The processor supplier MediaTek have posted an increase in second-quarter profits; however, its sales may have been unchanged compared to last quarter. Accordingly, the company's CEO has predicted a slight downturn in MediaTek's main market for the rest of 2018.

Samsung's upcoming smartwatch will be called the Galaxy Watch instead of the Gear S4 according to its FCC certification. The Galaxy Watch is slated to launch alongside the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9 and comes in two variants along with an additional LTE option.

Samsung's next generation smartwatch is likely to skip its 'Gear' branding in favor of new 'Galaxy Watch' branding. The realigned brand is also expected to coincide with a switch in operating system from Samsung's Tizen OS to Google's Wear OS.

Huawei is set to release the latest version of its TalkBand. The TalkBand 5 can be worn as a watch, but also features a pop out ear piece for taking and making calls on the move.

Rumors that Samsung may be switching to Google's Wear OS for its Galaxy Gear range of smartwatches have proven to be a false alarm. Samsung will continue with its custom Linux-based Tizen OS for its next-generation smartwatches and beyond.

Join us as we share our thoughts during Apple's WWDC 2018 developer conference.

The Relay secure smartphone for kids by Republic Wireless is so secure that it does not feature a display. This accessory can be considered a basic phone with tracking capabilities for kids, as it features nationwide 4G LTE connectivity, as well as WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated GPS, NFC contact sharing, and even a smart assistant.

AsteroidOS, best described as an open source alternative to watchOS and Wear OS, launched its first stable release yesterday. Designed by a small group of developers and open to the public, the OS can run on a few Wear OS-compatible smartwatches, including devices from LG, Asus, and Sony.