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The Dripp Dropp truly wireless earbuds. (Source: Indiegogo)

The Dripp Dropps are the "most affordable" truly wireless earphones with Qualcomm tech on Indiegogo

Dripp Audio is a new company that has put its interestingly-named true-wireless earbuds on Indiegogo. The "Dropps" are described as the cheapest products in their category to have Qualcomm aptX and cVc noise-cancelling tech. They ...

Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 19 Nov 2019 21:48:00 +0100

The TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE can now be bought in Europe. (Source: Mobvoi)

The TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE variant is now on sale in Europe

Mobvoi has released the 4G/LTE version of its TicWatch Pro to the European region. It costs €329.99 (about US$365) in its new market. However, its SIM functions can only be activated in Germany through this country's Vodafone divi...

Deirdre O Donnell, Mon, 18 Nov 2019 18:36:00 +0100

The Huawei FreeBuds 3 will launch on November 18. (Image source: Huawei)

Huawei FreeBuds 3: Apple AirPods Pro competitors launching imminently at €179 (~US$197)

Huawei is expanding the launch of its FreeBuds 3 beyond China within the next few days. The wireless earbuds will undercut the Apple AirPods Pro on price while featuring active noise cancellation (ANC) and a Kirin A1 SoC. Some pre...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:14:00 +0100

The Manifest has released the results of a new study on wearables. (Source: The Manifest)

Up to 56% of all US consumers may own a wearable at this point

A new study of wearable uptake in the US shows that 56% of its participants own such a device. Furthermore, another 13% of this group reported considering the purchase of one by 2020. This study's publication also contained some r...

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 14 Nov 2019 19:56:00 +0100

The new Spectacles 3 from Snap Inc can shoot 3D stills and video. (Source: Snap Inc)

Snap Inc launches Spectacles 3 with 3D VR recording and AR effects capabilities

Snap Inc has officially launched its new Spectacles 3. The Spectacles 3 feature dual built-in cameras that can shoot photos and video in 3D at up to 60fps with the ability to overlay 3D AR-style effects.

Sanjiv Sathiah, Wed, 13 Nov 2019 10:33:00 +0100

The Amazfit Stratos3 is a new sports smartwatch coming to Europe soon

The Amazfit Sports Watch 3 was released in China recently. However, its series is also marketed internationally as the Stratos line of sports-focused wearables. Its 3rd generation is now set for launch across multiple European cou...

Deirdre O Donnell, Mon, 11 Nov 2019 19:39:00 +0100

The Apple Watch Series 5 (Image via Apple)

Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple Watch Series 6 will use flexible circuit boards for faster performance, better waterproofing

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Apple Watch Series 6 will mark a switch to flexible circuit boards made of liquid crystal polymer. These new circuit boards should make the Series 6 noticeable faster than the Series 5 and ma...

Sam Medley, Mon, 11 Nov 2019 19:27:00 +0100

Umidigi Uwatch GT smartwatch with heart rate monitor and Bluetooth launching this December

The Android and iOS-compatible smartwatch promises 15 days of battery life, a plastic case, and a 240 x 240 resolution display for just under $80 USD.

Allen Ngo, Mon, 11 Nov 2019 18:56:00 +0100

Qualcomm has a new permanent CFO. (Source: ZDNet)

Qualcomm names its next permanent chief financial officer

Akash Palkhiwala is Qualcomm's new CFO (or chief financial officer). His appointment comes following a stint as the company's interim CFO, as well as the senior vice president and finance head of its CDMA tech division. Palkhiwala...

Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 10 Nov 2019 20:36:00 +0100

Apple still dominates smartwatch market, sees 51% growth in Q3 sales

Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market; 47.9% of smartwatches sold in Q3 2019 were from Apple. The company enjoyed a 51% year-over-year growth from Q3 2018, bumping sales to 6.8 million units during the past quarter. Sa...

Sam Medley, Fri, 08 Nov 2019 23:10:00 +0100

The Xiaomi Mi Watch, a familiar sight? (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi Watch: A ~US$170 Apple Watch clone with 4G, Wear OS and strong battery life

The Xiaomi Mi Watch is here, and it costs just 1,299 CNY (~US$170). The spitting image of the Apple Watch runs Wear OS, although the MIUI version of it and features a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 4G chipset. The watch has a 570 m...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 08 Nov 2019 00:42:00 +0100

The Apple Watch Series 5 has everything but the kitchen sink, and battery life. (Image source: Apple)

Apple Watch Series 5: The best smartwatch around? Only if you do not value battery life

Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market, but is its latest iteration the best device of its kind? Part fashion accessory, part lifestyle smartwatch, but not a professional fitness tracker. We expected better battery life...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 07 Nov 2019 23:42:00 +0100

AirPods Pro: Professional-grade wireless earbuds? (Image source: Apple)

Apple AirPods Pro: A US$250 charlatan?

Apple heralds its latest AirPods as a "Pro" product that offers amazing audio quality and immersive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), but do they live up to the hype? Our time with them would suggest otherwise, although they will l...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 07 Nov 2019 12:46:00 +0100

Samsung is now making an effort to draw 3rd-party TVs into its ecosystem. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung makes Tizen available for third-party TVs

Samsung's Developer Conference (SDC) 2019 contained numerous interesting announcements, not the least that Tizen OS for TVs can be ported to third-party devices. In addition, there are now additional developer-friendly facilities ...

Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 06 Nov 2019 23:41:00 +0100

The Fossil Hybrid HR smartwatch lasts 2 weeks on a charge thanks to its E Ink display

The Fossil Hybrid HR is a new hybrid smartwatch that mixed the traditional face and hands of a mechanical watch with an E Ink display for notification and fitness tracking information. The watch runs proprietary software rather th...

Sam Medley, Wed, 06 Nov 2019 18:20:00 +0100

The new House of Marley Exodus headphones. (Source: House of Marley)

House of Marley updates its Exodus headphones with ANC

House of Marley's Exodus is a pair of premium over-ear headphones with 50-millimeter (mm) drivers and a sustainable provenance. Their latest refresh has active noise cancellation (ANC). They are also rated for a 28-hour battery li...

Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 05 Nov 2019 23:09:00 +0100

Fitbit is to be acquired by Google for just over US$2 billion

Google has released a statement on its agreement to buy the wearables company Fitbit at a price of US$2.1 billion. The Mountain View may intend to use this acquisition to boost Wear OS. This deal may see the 2 companies collaborat...

Deirdre O Donnell, Fri, 01 Nov 2019 19:25:00 +0100

The Huawei Band 3 Pro offers health tracking and built-in GPS. (Image source: Huawei)

Battle of the bands heats up as leaked Huawei Band 4 Pro render shows off colorful options

A new image of the Huawei Band 4 Pro has been shared online. Although details about the specifications are still thin on the ground, the first appearance of the activity tracker is seemingly positive. There is a range of colors to...

Daniel R Deakin, Thu, 31 Oct 2019 03:09:00 +0100

The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless: A mouthful, but one with a unique feature. (Image source: Razer)

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless: The first earbuds with ultra-low latency Bluetooth

Latency remains an issue with wireless headphones, with most sets being unsuitable for gaming. The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless seeks to address that, with the US$99.99 (£99.99/€119.99) pair of earbuds offering an ultra-low late...

Alex Alderson, Wed, 30 Oct 2019 16:36:00 +0100

A new Moto 360 smartwatch is coming, but not from Motorola

A new Moto 360 smartwatch was unveiled today, but it won't be made by Motorola. Rather, a company called eBuyNow has purchased the rights to the Moto 360 brand and will manufacture the new smartwatch. The Moto 360 3rd generation w...

Sam Medley, Wed, 30 Oct 2019 03:33:00 +0100

Sharp's alleged schematic for a foldable gaming console. (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Sharp's foldable ambitions may extend beyond phones to smart bands and even hand-held consoles

A tech blog claims to have dug up a number of Japanese-language patents, awarded to Sharp, that show this OEM's plans for its oneday line of foldable electronics. Some show rather slim-line devices that are most likely clam-shell ...

Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:52:00 +0100

The next Snapdragon Wear processor may be one to take more seriously. (Source: Qualcomm)

Qualcomm's next-gen smartwatch SoC is now rumored to be called the Snapdragon Wear 3300

A leak from earlier in 2019 suggested that the next processor designed for Wear OS devices would be based on the Snapdragon 429, an SoC that features in low-end phones and tablets. It was hypothesized to be called the Wear 2700. H...

Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:04:00 +0100

Fitbit could be set to join the Alphabet stable of brands. (Source: Fitbit)

Rumor: Alphabet in talks to acquire Fitbit

Google’s parent company Alphabet is said to be deep in negotiations to buy fitness wearables company Fitbit. Fitbit had indicated late last month that it was interested in a sale of the company and it looks like it might likely en...

Sanjiv Sathiah, Tue, 29 Oct 2019 10:26:00 +0100

The Mi Watch may look like this. (Source: Weibo)

Xiaomi's Mi Watch and next-gen Mi TV are now set for launch in November 2019

The "Mi Watch" is the likely name of Xiaomi's next wearable. The OEM has indicated that it is to be released on November 5, 2019, alongside the Mi TV 5 and Mi CC9 Pro. This new product is also projected to be a Wear OS device.

Deirdre O Donnell, Mon, 28 Oct 2019 15:37:00 +0100

An AirPods Pro render based on their leaks. (Source: EverythingApplePro)

AirPods Pro: The latest rumors point to new colors and water resistance

Apple's AirPods are currently projected to gain a Pro version soon, thanks to a recent slew of leaks and rumors. The latest of these may indicate that they will finally launch in colors besides white for a change. Furthermore, it ...

Deirdre O Donnell, Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:09:00 +0100

Smartwatches are increasingly popular, but could be more secure. (Source: TechRadar)

Nok Nok Labs claims that its new SDK can make smartwatches more secure and better equipped to take over from phones

The consumer-grade security development group Nok Nok Labs has unveiled its new SDK. It asserts that it is the first such app software capable of conferring FIDO-based authentication on smartwatches. This, then, may help users dep...

Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 27 Oct 2019 14:34:00 +0100

Huami Amazfit GTS: A ~US$140 Apple Watch clone with software flaws

Does the Amazfit GTS look familiar to you? Well, while it may look like the spitting image of the Apple Watch, it is actually the latest smartwatch by Huami, Xiaomi's sister company. The device is a snip at around ~US$140 in most ...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 24 Oct 2019 16:44:00 +0200

ARM is targeting IP usage in smart devices such as televisions, phones, and consoles. (Image source: ARM)

ARM announces Ethos-N57 and Ethos-N37 NPUs, Mali-G57 GPU, and Mali-D37 DPU

ARM has revealed four new processors that should help enrich consumer tech products aimed at the mainstream market. The new additions to the company’s lineup are the Ethos-N57 and Ethos-N37 Neural Processing Units (NPU), the Mali-...

Daniel R Deakin, Thu, 24 Oct 2019 04:52:00 +0200

Huawei Honor Band 5i fitness tracker and xSport Pro in-ear headphones launched. (Image source: Honor)

The Honor Band 5i: A CNY 159 (~US$22) fitness tracker released ahead of imminent launch

The Honor Band incorporates a 0.96-inch colour touchscreen display that operates at a resolution of 160 x 80. The fitness tracker supports NFC, along with heart rate, sleep patterns and Sp02 monitoring. The band is up to 5 ATM wat...

Alex Alderson, Tue, 22 Oct 2019 18:59:00 +0200

Wearables users are most concerned about their health-monitoring functions. (Source: Needpics)

Fitness tracker users are found to worry that their devices may not be accurate enough

A new study into user attitudes towards wearables found that health tracking is the most popular use of this electronics category. 36% of those polled reported concerns that these functions may not live up to reality, however. 10%...

Deirdre O Donnell, Mon, 21 Oct 2019 23:10:00 +0200

Apple of my eye: Apple to release AR headset in 2020

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is planning on releasing its rumored AR glasses sometime in 2020. The glasses, while still in development, may eventually become a replacement product of the iPhone. However, a lot of work re...

Sam Medley, Mon, 21 Oct 2019 16:21:00 +0200

The Razer Hammerhead Wireless? (Image source: Razer via Tmall & Expreview)

Razer Hammerhead wireless earbuds: Apple AirPods competitors that cost CNY 799 (~US$113)

Razer is getting into the wireless earbuds market, according to news from China. The earbuds and their accompanying charging case look like a hybrid between the Apple AirPods and the Samsung Galaxy Buds but adorned with the gaming...

Alex Alderson, Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:41:00 +0200

Huawei Watch GT 2: An intelligent, stylish and flawed smartwatch

The Huawei Watch GT 2 has now been released, with our review following in tow too. While the successor to the Watch GT is certainly appealing, it suffers from some glaring issues too.

Alex Alderson, Sat, 19 Oct 2019 22:51:00 +0200

Older Fitbit devices can now use Spotify. (Source: Fitbit)

Fitbit updates older Versa devices with support for Spotify

Fitbit has expanded access to its Spotify app to the first-generation Versa and Versa Lite. The Ionic fitness watch is also included in this update. It enables these wearables to manage playback and podcasts on the music streaming...

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 17 Oct 2019 00:23:00 +0200

1More announces the release of its first ANC true-wireless earbuds

1More is the ODM responsible for Xiaomi's audio wearables. However, it also releases these products under its own brand. The latest of these are truly wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC).

Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 16 Oct 2019 20:35:00 +0200

Google launches its first pair of true wireless earbuds

Google unveiled its second-generation Pixel Buds at its 2019 'Made By' event. They are truly wireless products that, as the OEM claims, have been designed to be as compact and streamlined as possible. Nevertheless, they are rated...

Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 15 Oct 2019 19:21:00 +0200

The Amazfit GTS includes a metal watch body and a 1.65-inch AMOLED panel. (Image source: Huami)

Amazfit GTS: Huami launches its Apple Watch imitator in India for ₹9,999 (~US$140)

The Amazfit GTS has made its way to India, having been unveiled in China earlier this year. The Apple Watch clone features a 1.65-inch and 348 x 442 AMOLED panel, which sits within a 43.25 x 36.25 x 9.4 mm chassis. The 5 ATM water...

Alex Alderson, Mon, 14 Oct 2019 16:49:00 +0200

The Honor Band 5 is a successful evolution of its predecessors. (Image source: Honor)

The Honor Band 5 is better value than the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 despite its faux pas

The Honor Band 5 convinced us during our tests and is a good fitness tracker package at an affordable cost. The device offers more than the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 does in our opinion too, despite its shortcomings. One may have people lo...

Alex Alderson, Mon, 14 Oct 2019 00:59:00 +0200

The Skullcandy Vert earbuds. (Source: Skullcandy)

Skullcandy invents the clip-on wireless earbud set

Skullcandy has released Vert, a new set of Bluetooth wireless earbuds. Unlike most products in this category, however, they are not of the typical "neckbud" form-factor. Instead, the buds are linked to a dial-like clip-on module, ...

Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 13 Oct 2019 23:22:00 +0200

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 Under Armour offers exclusive running features. (Source: Under Armour))

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 Under Armour Editon goes on sale

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active 2 has been on the market for a weeks but its special Under Armour Edition has been MIA until now. The Apple Watch Nike challenger has finally hit the market in the US with its global rollout also unde...

Sanjiv Sathiah, Sun, 13 Oct 2019 11:26:00 +0200

The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition is introduced on stage. (Source: YouTube)

OnePlus launches the 7T Pro and its McLaren special edition in London

OnePlus has unveiled its second-gen McLaren Edition phone today (October 10, 2019). It is a 12GB/256GB version of the new 7T Pro (which was also unveiled today)...
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ / 855 Plus | Qualcomm Adreno 640 | 6.67" | 206 g

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:43:00 +0200

Semiconductors are not going anywhere any time soon. (Source: Flickr)

The semiconductor market will reach US$573 billion by 2024

New research has shown that the market for semiconductors is estimated to grow to US$573 billion in 5 years. This may be driven by a demand for these materials in wireless communications, vehicles and online connectivity. However,...

Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 08 Oct 2019 21:34:00 +0200

The Xiaomi Mi Band 4. (Source: PhoneArena)

Xiaomi may add NFC to the international-variant Mi Band 5

The Mi Band is a popular fitness wearable series worldwide, albeit with one potential drawback: many units sold outside China come without NFC. Its maker, Xiaomi, will reportedly address this deficiency in its next generation. Thi...

Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 06 Oct 2019 16:17:00 +0200

The Surface Earbuds. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft unveils the Surface Earbuds: Wireless audio "with a little magic"

Along with its (impressively varied) new PCs, Microsoft also introduced its first-ever true wireless earbuds today (October 2, 2019). These Surface Earbuds are capable of noise-canceling and voice-activation features. However, the...

Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 02 Oct 2019 19:01:00 +0200

The LG Tone+ Free truly wireless earbuds. (Source: LG)

LG launches its first true wireless earbuds in South Korea

LG has unveiled new products called the Tone+ Free earbuds in its home country. Unlike the OEM's earlier similar products, these wearables are completely wireless and come in a charging case like the AirPods and other similar devi...

Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 01 Oct 2019 23:47:00 +0200

The GoPro Max: A US$499.99 360° action camera. (Image source: GoPro)

GoPro Max: A 360° action camera that costs US$499.99

One of two cameras that GoPro has announced today, the GoPro Max replaces the GoPro Fusion 360 as the company's premier 360° action camera. The GoPro Max features 16.6 MP 360° and 5.5 MP sensors and costs US$499.99. GoPro is offe...

Alex Alderson, Tue, 01 Oct 2019 17:30:00 +0200

Wearable