smartwatches

Garmin has announced a new version of the Vivoactive 3, the fitness tracking GPS smartwatch it launched last August. This new version, dubbed the Vivoactive 3 Music, is pretty much the same as the original that debuted last year, but with one key difference: it comes with onboard storage you can fill up with music. At first blush, that might seem a little underwhelming as the only new addition, but the Vivoactive 3 was already a pretty capable wearable before this.

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The Riley watch by Marc Jacobs was revealed in a new edition this week - complete with Wear OS. This was the first time the Marc Jacobs brand released its Riley design with Wear OS - but not the first time the Riley came as a so-called smartwatch. The first "Riley Hybrid Smartwatch" had analog parts, but a few "smart" features - like notifications and Bluetooth connectivity. This new Riley rolls with full-on Wear OS smartwatch software from Google.

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The original Apple Watch is officially in its final days. During its WWDC 2018 keynote today, Apple took the wraps off watchOS 5 and all the great features customers can expect. There's a lot to be excited about -- robust fitness and health tracking, podcasts, and more. However, none of these things will be available on the original Apple Watch, which isn't in the pipeline to get watchOS 5.

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Matrix Industries has started shipping its PowerWatch X, a smartwatch powered by body heat. The smartwatch uses Matrix's proprietary thermoelectric technology, enabling it to harvest energy from the wearer's body heat. This is the only body-heat powered smartwatch currently available that is able to provide notifications, track activity, and more.

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Chinese company Blu, best known for its inexpensive smartphones, has quietly launched a new smartwatch for iOS and Android users. Called Blu X Link, the new model sports a 1.1-inch display and 2G network connectivity, as well as basic features like activity tracking and heart rate monitoring. Unlike most competing devices, though, Blu's X Link only costs $60.

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Casio is back with a new Pro Trek lineup smartwatch, the WSD-F20A. As the name implies, this model is designed for hikers and other wearers who engage in outdoor adventures. The Pro Trek features a round display and, among other things, Google's Wear OS platform. Users get access to high durability and offline maps. Casio will launch this model in the United States next month.

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Swiss watchmaker Hublot has unveiled a Wear OS smartwatch designed specifically for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and it's called the Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. "It was a specific need expressed by FIFA," the company says, "and Hublot brought it to life!" The wearable will be used by the game referees, though a limited number of units will also be made available to the public starting May 1.

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Fitbit just announced not just one but two wearables, a smartwatch and a fitness tracker for kids. Google is expected to do a rebranding, and maybe even a re-envisioning, of its Android Wear platform. Amidst all of these announcements, one can't help but wonder what has become of what should have been the next phase in our mobile evolution.

Smartwatches still exist, no mistake about that, probably as long as Apple is still playing the game. But smartwatches need to do some heavy thinking, maybe even a U-turn if it's to remain relevant, even if Apple suddenly decides to throw in the towel.

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Tata Communications has announced Omate x Nanoblock, a smartwatch designed for children. This wearable's design somewhat resembles the Apple Watch, only with miniature plastic blocks like LEGOs on the band. The Omate x Nanoblock is designed to help parents keep track of their kids and communicate with them on the go, offering a bunch of features including 3G, two-way voice chatting, and a front-facing camera.

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Empatica has announced that its Embrace smartband, which was first introduced in 2014, has been approved by the FDA as a medical device. The smartband is able to detect seizures, among other things, sending alerts to caregivers so that rapid support can be provided. The FDA has very strict requirements for a gadget to get a medical device designation, but Embrace has managed to satisfy them.

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An EKG reader by the name of KardiaBand is officially the first Apple Watch medical accessory to be approved by the FDA. This device works with the Apple Watch to detect abnormal heart rate. KardiaBand allows users to take a single 30 second EKG on their own wrist with a tap.

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Vaporwear it is no more. Misfit has finally announced that their first ever touchscreen smartwatch, the poorly named Vapor, is ready to go on your wrists in less than a week’s time. Powered by Android Wear 2.0, the Misfit Vapor brings more conventional smartwatch capabilities to its smart and stylish trackers, like the Ray and the Shine. But perhaps more interestingly, the Vapor also brings what is perhaps the most affordable Android Wear smartwatch in the market that doesn’t look like an out of place prototype.

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