Smartwatch maker Mobvoi has revealed a new model, with the TicWatch C2+ promising smoother performance as it focuses on fitness. The latest Wear OS by Google model from the company, it updates 2018's TicWatch C2 with double the memory, taking it to 1GB of RAM. That, Mobvoi promises, should make for a more responsive smartwatch day to day.
There are always expensive smartwatches but there also very expensive smartwatches. Unlike Apple's wearables that have a more or less consistent price tag, Wear OS smartwatches run the gamut of tiers, styles, and prices. That variety has been even more apparent when fashion marques and luxury watch brands practically took over but Hublot's latest timepiece makes a very poor case for an already uncertain smartwatch segment.
TAG Heuer has revealed its latest smartwatch, the third-generation of its Wear OS wearables, with the new TAG Heuer Connected focusing on sports in return for its premium price tag. Following the Connected Modular Golf Edition of last year, the new Connected watch looks like a 45mm traditional TAG from the outside, but behind the OLED touchscreen there's a new set of sensors.
While they may have more variety, smartwatches powered by Wear OS, formerly known as Android Wear, severely lag behind the Apple Watch in both sales and attention. Despite not having changed significantly in its design, Apple's smartwatch has the lion's share of the market and news coverage primarily thanks to its health features, especially those that end up saving lives. Google may finally be taking notice, at least based on a survey it sent out. Hopefully, it won't be too little too late for the tech giant that now owns Fitbit.
Today new imagery leaked of the unreleased (and still largely unrevealed) OPPO Watch. This watch was first leaked with imagery that looked a whole lot like an Apple Watch. Then we saw a slightly different angle - courtesy of Brian Shen, Vice President and President of Global Marketing for OPPO - and the term "game changer." He referred then to the "curved screen and 3D glass" that was, with the watch, forthcoming. Today we get another view.
Smartwatches started out with only 512MB of RAM at most which, considering the software available back then, was enough to support the limited functions of the first wave of wearables. These days, however, that may no longer be enough and the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro, whose 4G model launch barely a year ago, has fallen way behind. Fortunately for fans of the smartwatch line, that's changing today and a new TicWatch Pro 2020 model is finally available with twice the RAM inside.
The Apple Watch, thanks to its life-saving AFib detection, has taken the lion's share of attention when it comes to the smartwatch market. That practically leaves other wearable platforms, especially Wear OS by Google, to contend for the leftovers. That doesn't mean there's no room for massive improvement, especially when it comes to battery life. That's where Suunto makes it big boast that its latest sports-centric Suunto 7 can last you at least half a day even if you leave the GPS on.
Nostalgia is a very powerful emotion and it turns out it can be a profitable one, too. Just look at the number of retro revivals in the market and on crowdfunding platforms, especially the highly successful ones. The Moto 360 smartwatch may not be that old but, being one of if not the first Android Wear device definitely gives it a place in the annals of history. That name is now making a comeback and you can pre-order the new Moto 360 and expect it to ship in January. That is if you're totally fine that it has nothing to do with Motorola except in name.
China-based smart device maker Xiaomi just released a "Xiaomi Mi Watch" that looks a whole lot like the Apple Watch. It has a very, very similar size and shape... and home screens (watch faces). See if you can tell which of these watches (at the head of this article) are from Xiaomi, and which are from Apple. There are some simple giveaways, but really - there's no getting around the idea that there's some MAJOR design inspiration going on here - to put it kindly.
Last week, rumors of a potential Google acquisition of Fitbit started making the rounds. Google and Fitbit wasted little time in confirming those rumors, announcing today that an agreement for a merger has been reached. Assuming Fitbit's shareholders and the appropriate government regulators approve the deal, Google will purchase Fitbit for a total of $2.1 billion ($7.35 per share in cash).
Raise your hand if you thought the Moto 360 would make a comeback? One of the earliest Android Wear smartwatches, the Moto 360 carved out a place in many Android users' hearts with its circular display and near-analog styling. Now, it's being brought back from the crypt, but as with any resurrection there's some small print.
It seems that the wearable market suddenly got a little bit more interesting. At least if you're coming from the Wear OS side of things. Google is rumored to be buying wearable giant Fitbit which could give Wear OS smartwatches a new edge. Now another new edge is coming via Qualcomm based on new code for the Linux kernel. Apparently, a new Snapdragon Wear 3300 might be in the works and it could give smartwatches a much-needed performance upgrade.