smartwatches

During these uneasy and uncertain times, the last thing that consumers need is a process that is inexplicably inconvenient for seemingly arbitrary reasons. One such process is getting the fancy new Solo Loop or Braided Solo Loop bands replaced if they happened not to fit your wrist. Before today, buyers had to either go to an Apple Store to get the band replaced or mail both band and Apple Watch back and wait for weeks or even months for a replacement. Fortunately, Apple seems to have had a change of heart but not after it was called out for it.

Continue Reading

Fitbit may have released its latest Sense and Versa 3 wearables recently, but owners with older models like the Versa 2 and Ionic will be out of luck when it comes to the newest Fitbit OS 5.0. The updated software brings with it a new UI, updated navigation with swipe gesture support, and various usability improvements intended to make controlling the smartwatches easier to use while working out.

Continue Reading

Garmin has unveiled its new Venu Sq and Venu Sq Music Edition smartwatches, two models targeted at the average consumer who wants smartwatch functionality alongside extensive fitness and health features. The models are very similar, both offering GPS and heart rate monitoring, among other things, but the Music Edition quite obviously differs in one big way: it enables users to stream their favorite music without using their phone, a feature particularly useful for evening runs and time spent at the gym.

Continue Reading

Samsung is enabling ECG readings for its Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2, upgrading the health-tracking feature having recently received FDA approval. The ability to take electrocardiogram readings puts the two smartwatches in relatively rare company, including the Apple Watch and a handful of others.

Continue Reading

This year's Apple Watch generation didn't bring just two new models, the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE. This year also saw two unique and admittedly pretty Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop, both of which have no clasps or buckles and are designed to stretch and fit snugly over your wrist. Not all wrists are equal, of course, so there's an amount of personalization involved. Unfortunately, it seems that, at least for now, the bands may not be worth the hassle because of Apple's puzzling return policy.

Continue Reading

Mobvoi launched a new TicWatch GTX last week that may have left some drooling over the price but dissatisfied over its features. For those still wishing for a formidable Wear OS smartwatch won't have to wait long. The company has already confirmed that the TicWatch 3 Pro is landing this week and, if the leaks are correct, it could yet again be one of the more notable if not the most notable smartwatches running on Google's Android-based wearable platform.

Continue Reading

The Apple Watch SE doesn't look like a "cheaper" Apple Watch. That's by design, of course, as Apple doubles-down on its best-selling smartwatch by turning it into a family, not just a single timepiece. As with the second-generation iPhone SE earlier this year, the Apple Watch SE offers cherry-picked features from the flagship - in this case the new Apple Watch Series 6 - but with a more attainable price tag.

Continue Reading

We live in uncertain times but the one thing that seems to be certain is the increasing prices of consumer electronics. At a time when we've become even more reliant on these products, the last thing we need is to worry about the consequences when, not if, accidents happen. Apple has always offered its customers to pay for some peace of mind but now it is throwing device owners a bigger bone with changes and improvements to its AppleCare+ protection plan policies.

Continue Reading

Garmin today announced the Forerunner 745 GPS smartwatch, the successor to the Forerunner 735XT. These days Garmin makes smartwatches and fitness trackers for a lot of different segments, but like the 735XT, the Forerunner 745 seems aimed squarely at athletes who need a higher degree of fitness tracking. Specifically, the 745 has workout tracking features for running, biking, and swimming.

Continue Reading

Mobvoi has introduced a new inexpensive smartwatch targeted at consumers who want to track their sleep and activity, but who aren't interested in paying the fees for a more expensive product like an Apple Watch. The new TicWatch GTX has launched for sale today, September 15, for buyers in North America, Europe, the UK, and Australia, offering several notable features at a sub-$100 price point.

Continue Reading

Even without iPhone 12, Apple squeezed a lot into its hour-long Apple Watch and iPad event today. Enough, indeed, that some of the details about the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE either got nudged into the fine print or left out altogether. Some of them will save you money, and some of them might just leave you scratching your head.

Continue Reading

The Apple Watch SE was revealed by Apple today as a low-cost alternative to the main series wearable. This device works with the same look and feel of the full-powered Apple Watch. It has the same display as the main Apple Watch Series 6, and it works with standard Apple Watch straps - so what's the drawback?

Continue Reading