Smartwatches seem to be all the rage at the moment – in hype if not in market value. But the latter is expanding and people seem to be considering them more and more as they progress in features and in style.
When Samsung got into the game with its Galaxy Gear to match and surpassed the Sony SmartWatch series and various fitness-oriented manufacturers like Nike and FitBit we all thought it was a nice but non-polished effort. Now that there are Pebbles and Gear 2 and Gear Fit are out there, the market seems ripe and ready. Motorola’s Moto 360 seems the tech junkie’s dream and all eyes are on Apple’s coming iWatch. But what do the numbers say? Read more »
Pebble has issued a new firmware update (version 2.2) for its smartwatch that introduces some important new features like rearranging the apps in your Launcher Menu. You also get volume control in the Music app, which has also been redesigned with a better layout, alarm vibrations that go for more than 60 seconds and the usual bug fixes and stability improvements.
The update is seeding as we speak. You can check for it through your Pebble smartphone app but keep in mind that it may take time to get to your device – one of more than 400 thousand units. Read more »
The trickle of information about the LG G Watch continues and not always from official sources – despite having scheduled the smartwatch for a launch next month there are still large parts of its spec sheet that are unclear, including the chipset.
Right from the get go LG unveiled the watch will have 512MB RAM, but a leaked firmware image has offered a wealth of information including a quad-core processor. Read more »
Just as previous announced, Samsung has pushed an update to its original smartwach, the Galaxy Gear that converts it to Tizen and puts it on par with its successors. However, the new operating system (which is simply listed as firmware v2.2 on the Galaxy Gear) introduces little changes to the actual user interface, so you won’t need to get acquainted to it again.
What the update does bring is a standalone music player – so you no longer need your phone when you go out for a run. It will also improve the battery life as Tizen has been found to be easier on the hardware than Android. Read more »
There have been murmurs and mumblings about Microsoft’s smartwatch which has reportedly been in development since last year, and a new report indicates that the Seattle-based tech giant may make their upcoming wearable play nice with multiple platforms.
Big M’s smartwatch will purportedly work with Windows Phones, as well and Android and iOS devices and will also measure your heart rate and push the data to your handset of choice. Read more »
Google is releasing info and video tutorials for developers to get them ready for the Android Wear platform. One of the recent tutorials details how notifications on a wearable will be richer than the ones in the notification area of your phone.
Android Wear notifications will feature pages – side-swipeable screens that will offer additional info and functionality. Read more »
Fitness tracking on mobile devices aren’t anything new. Manufacturers have found interesting ways for you to track your weight loss and exercise progress. The new Galaxy S5 even has a built-in heart rate monitor. But it looks like Samsung has upped the ante with its new Simband and SAMI platform.
In conjunction, SAMI and the Simband from Samsung provide a fairly comprehensive, real-time update of your health status; it’s almost like being hooked up to a health monitor at a hospital 24/7. Hit the jump and you’ll be surprised by just how granular the Korean-tech manufacturer has gotten and its plans for the Simband. Read more »
Samsung has introduced three new Gear devices alongside the Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone. The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are Tizen-based smartwatches, while the Gear Fit is more of an enhanced smartband running a proprietary OS.
The three Gear wearables are compatible with a limited number of Galaxy devices, but given how many Galaxy smartphones Samsung ships each quarter we are sure many people are probably considering getting a Gear. But which one is for you? Read more »
Despite having its announcement a while ago, LG is still keeping the G Watch shrouded in mystery. Its key specifications aren’t disclosed just yet, as the company awaits the first Android Wear devices to debut at this year’s Google I/O.
This leaves the G Watch’s features open to speculation and according to industry sources cited by a Korean media outlet, the watch is going to feature a USIM module allowing it to place calls. Not surprisingly, the report suggests LG U+ carrier will be the first to release the G Watch in South Korea. Read more »
It appears that Samsung has a round smartwatch in the works. The yet to be announced gadget was revealed in US patent filings by the Korean manufacturer from last year.
The patent paperwork reveals that the smartwatch is not a standalone device, but needs a smartphone or a tablet to work. Read more »
It appears that Motorola accidentally revealed the price tag of the Moto 360 smartwatch. The hotly anticipated gadget is pegged to have an average retail value of $249 when available.
The pricing appeared in the rules of a Motorola contest for watchface design. Read more »
With Samsung switching from Android to Tizen for its second generation smart wearables, customers and developers alike found themselves with quite a dilemma. With the market for smart watches still quite limited there’s just not enough potential for the two platforms to coexist without getting in each other’s way.
Now however, Samsung will make things a bit easier (if not necessarily better) by making the choice for you. The company has announced that it will be bringing Tizen to the original Galaxy Gear via an Update, granting the platform it codevelops with Intel another boost. Read more »
LG officially spilled the beans on the upcoming availability of its duo of fitness-centric devices. The Lifeband Touch and the HeartRate Earphones will begin shipping this month in the United States, as well as key markets in Asia and Europe.
The LG G Wear has a new video out today and it shows the watch in its full glory. The video itself doesn’t reveal anything that we didn’t already know but it’s cool enough and keeps the excitement going for the smart wearable’s summer release.
The watch will be available in two colors – stealth black and champagne gold – and its metal body will be water resistant. LG dubs the G watch display as “always-on”, so we’re intrigued to see what really stands behind those words and how would the battery endure. Read more »
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