Garmin, one of the leading wearable brands in the world introduced vivoactive 3 GPS-enabled fitness smartwatch at IFA 2017, and now it has debut in India. The vivoactive 3 has 1.2-inch color display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and comes pre-loaded with 15 GPS and indoor sports apps such as Strength Training, Cardio Training, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga, Cardio workouts, Strength workouts, Automatic rep counting and more that will help monitor fitness activities. It is also capable of tracking daily activities like steps taken, distance traveled, intensity minutes and sleep monitoring. It can also monitor heart rate as well via Garmin Elevate wrist technology. According to Garmin, the vivoactive 3 promises up to seven days of battery life in smartwatch mode, and up to 11 hours in GPS mode. It features 5ATM waterproof technology for water resistant, which protects them for up to 50 meters under water. The vivoactive 3 has been priced at Rs. 24,990 and will be offered in Black (stainless), White (stainless) and Slate Black colors. It will be available in select stores of Croma, Helios and Reliance Digital, as well as eCommerce platforms.
Google released Android Wear 2.0 earlier this year, bringing new features to supported smartwatch like ability to make calls with LTE supported models, install apps from Play Store without a phone, gesture based keyboard and support for Assistant and Android Pay and more. Now the Pixel maker is rolling out a new feature that changes the way new features and improvements will be delivered to Android Wear 2.0 wearables. Until now, Android Wear users had to download a firmware update, delivered by OEMs. But now Google will deliver some of the update through the PlayStore itself. This means you don't have to wait for a major OTA updates to get new features. However, major OTA updates will still be part of Android wear, but through PlayStore, Google's aim is to roll out bug fixes, performance improvements, and new function in between OTA updates. Google has already pushed out new features using the new method last week like third-party chat app support, that lets users to use WhatsApp, etc to text their contacts. The update also includes reducing accidental entry into the watch face picker, improved Play Store discoverability for new apps, along with other bug fixes and improvements. Via
Apple at its iPhone event introduced the Watch Series 3, its first smartwatch with built-in cellular connectivity. This means the wearer can make calls, receive texts and more, directly with the Apple Watch even without the iPhone nearby. Not just calling, you can even stream songs from Apple Music using the Watch 3 series as well. To add cellular connectivity, Apple designed the display to transmit and receive frequencies, and used built-in eSIM instead of the traditional SIM card, while keeping the design and size same as the Apple Watch Series 2. The Watch Series 3 comes in two models: one with GPS and cellular, and one with GPS, both powered by a faster dual-core processor that offers 70% more performance. This also allows the Watch to enable conversations with Siri. It also gets a new W2 wireless chip, making WiFi 85 percent faster, and Bluetooth 50 percent faster, while still providing all-day battery life. It also features a barometric altimeter that assists with tracking activity, flights climbed and outdoor workouts, including elevation gain. It is swim proof, and Apple is claiming 18 hours of battery life. The Watch also gets a new digital crown on the right side for navigation (only cellular model). It will ship with WatchOS 4, which includes an updated Heart Rate app, that will provide even more insight of heart rate, including measurements during resting, workout, recovery, walking and Breathe sessions. Now you can check your heart rate on the watch face, and the improved app will let you set alerts for notifications when heart rate is elevated above a specific threshold while inactive. The Apple Watch Series 3 will be available in two different case sizes, 38mm and 42mm. Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) will be available in gold, silver or space gray aluminum, or silver or space black stainless steel paired with a variety of bands starting at $399 (US). Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) will be available in gold, silver or space gray aluminum cases with a Sport Band starting at $329 (US). Pre-orders will open September 15, and it will be available from September 22.
Ambrane earlier this year set foot into the Indian wearable market with a fitness tracker called Flexi Fit. Now the popular accessories maker is launching its first smartwatch called Smartwatch ASW-11. The wearable also functions as fitness tracker, and is able to track activities like steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned and sleep monitoring. The Ambrane Smartwatch ASW-11 is said to be a "multi-functional' watch with built-in speaker and microphone, and lets users to accept/reject calls, play music, snooze an alarm and set call or message reminder. The smartwatch also has a stopwatch, a calendar, and lets you create short reminders and manage to-do lists. The watch has 1.44-inch touch screen display, comes with rubber strap and weighs just 50g. It is fueled by 200mAh battery, which promises two days of run time. It is compatible with Android and iOS devices. The Smartwatch AQ-11 is priced at Rs. 899, and is available on Flipkart in Black color. Via
Samsung at its IFA 2017 event announced its latest smartwatch, the Gear Sport. It sports a durable design boasting MIL-STD-8210G tested case, Gorilla Glass 3 screen and 5 ATM certified for water resistance up to 50 meters. Besides heart rate monitoring, recording daily activities (walking, running, cycling), and offering personalized motivation, the Gear Sport also supports swim tracking via Speedo swimming training app Speedo On. The app can track key swim metrics including lap count, lap time, stroke type and more. The Samsung Gear Sport features 1.2-inch (360 x 360 pixels) Circular Super AMOLED Always on display and has a bezel that you can rotate to interact with the watch. It comes with 1GHz dual-core processor, 768MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. It runs Samsung's Tizen OS and supports WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and NFC (for Samsung Pay). It is fueled by 300mAh battery, supports wireless charging and is compatible with Android and iOS devices. The Samsung Gear Sports supports 22mm straps, and comes in Blue and Black color. It is priced at 349.99 Euros ($417 | Rs. 26,500), and will go on sale in Europe in October. Samsung Gear Sport
Popular fitness wearable maker Fitbit usually launches fitness and activity trackers, but now the company has finally introduced its first real smartwatch to compete with Samsung's Gear line of smartwatch, Apple Watch, and Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches. Dubbed Ionic it runs home-grown operating system called FitbitOS and includes an App Gallery, that lets users select the apps and clock faces. The App Gallery also offers a range of fitness apps from Fitbit, as well as popular apps like Pandora, Starbucks, Starva and AccuWeather. The Fitbit Ionic has a 1.4-inch (348 x 250 pixel) rectangular display with up to 1,000 nits of brightness, making it sunlight readable. It offers personalized guidance and on-device dynamic workouts to motivate reach your goals. The smartwatch features automatic activity & sleep tracking, GPS for outdoor fitness tracking, all-day heart rate tracking, SpO2 sensor (for estimating blood oxygen levels), swim tracking, contactless payment and smart notifications (receive call, text and callender alerts and more). It also has an on-board music player thanks to the 2.5GB of native storage, that can store more than 300 songs. It is water resistant for up to 50 meters, and promises up to four days of battery life, or up to 10 hours with GPS and music use. The smartwatch will be offered in small and large sizes in Blue Gray band with Silver Gray case, Slate Blue Band with Burnt Orange case and Charcol band with Smoke Gray case. The Fitbit Ionic is pricedt at$299.95 (Rs. 19,000), and will be available in October 2017.
The Huawei Watch 2 is a $350 Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch. Now it's getting a premium version and a higher price tag. Huawei in collaboration with Porsche Design has released Porsche Design Huawei Watch 2. It was initially announced at MWC 2017 back in February and is now hitting select market. The new Porsche Design Huawei Watch 2 has the same internals as the Huawei Watch 2, but differs in terms of look. It sports stainless steel case, a hybrid strap with red stitching, and custom watchfaces created by Porsche Design. To recap the specs, the Huawei Watch 2 comes with circular 1.2-inch AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 3, Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100, IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, built-in GPS and NFC for making wireless payments. It's worth mentioning that the premium model doesn't support 4G LTE, and comes with only WiFi. The Porsche Design Huawei Watch 2 costs 795 Euros ($926 | Rs. 60,000), and is available for purchase in the UK and Europe from Porsche-design website in Black color. Via
Louis Vuitton is the latest luxury fashion brand to foray in to connected watch market, which already include top luxury brands like Tag Heuer, Montblanc, Movado, Hugo Boss, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger. The Tamboru Horizon runs Android Wear 2.0 and is developed in collaboration with Qualcomm and Google. It comes with a 42mm stain less steel case and is 12.5mm thickness and will be available in Black, Graphite and Monorgram based colors, in 60 different strap designs — 30 designed for males and 30 targeted at females. It can perform most of the functions, that most of the smartwatches do, like alert you off email and texts, incoming calls, reminders and more, step counter, alarm, weather forecast, but misses most of the health-related stuff. And since it runs Android Wear 2.0 users will be able to access Google Play Store on the watch itself and download app of their choice. It also comes pre-loaded with custom watch faces that provide at-a-glance information like City Guide (automatically recognizes the city and suggests restaurants, bars, hotels, and nearby attractions) and MyFlight (aims for your airport experience to be better by providing flight times, remind when flight is due and more). The Tamboru Horizon smartwatch features 1.2-inch (390 x 390 pixels) AMOLED display covered by Sapphire glass, Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip and 512MB RAM. It supports LTE and WiFi for connectivity and packs a 300mAh battery. It charges via a wireless charging station is promises up to 10 hours of regular use. It is also water resistant for up to 30 meters. The Tamboru Horizon starts at $2450 for the regular stainless steel model, and $2900 for the black version. It will be available soon from Louise Vuitton. Via
Back in 2015, Sony introduced Wena Wrist, an analog style smartwatch that was capable of tracking movements, offer notification alerts and support mobile payments. Now the company has announced a new range of Wena smartwatch called Three Hands Square. The Three Hand Square line comes with the option of leather (Black, White, Brown and Wine Red) and steel strap (Silver, Black), and will be available in three lug sizes 18mm, 20mm and 22mm. Both the leather and Steel strap versions has NFC chip for mobile payments, but only the steel strap version will support activity tracking and notification alerts. Notifications will be delivered via the LED indicator in the bracelet. The Three Hand Square with steel band will be available later this month, while the leather band version will be available in December. The smartwatch's body starts at 10,380 yen ($91), while the steel band and leather band will cost 33,880 yen ($299) and 8,380 yen ($74) respectively. Currently the Three Hand Square is a Japan exclusive Via
TCL has launched a new smartwatch in India with fitness tracking called Movetime. It comes with heart rate monitor, and can track fitness activities like steps taken, distance covered, sleep monitoring and sport activity tracking. The Movetime sports a round 1.39-inch AMOLED touch display, and offers gesture controls that lets you take a photo or play music by twisting your wrist. When paired with compatible smartphone (Android & iOS), the smartwatch offers notifications for calls, messages, social media, calendar and more. It supports WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity, weighs 50g and comes with a range of high-quality leather straps. Unfortunately the battery backup is not known. The TCL Movetime has been priced at Rs. 9,999 and is now exclusively available on Amazon India.
Bingo Technologies has launched a new smartwatch called Bingo T30
with voice calling functionality, SMS support and fitness tracking. The
Bingo T30 pairs with compatible devices via Bluetooth 3.0 , and can be used for calling, sending and receiving
messages notifications and missed call reminder. It also features direct SIM enabling mode, allowing
you to insert a SIM card to the smartwatch's SIM slot, and use it as a
standalone device like a regular phone to call or send and receive message. It
can also store up to 500 contacts and is capable of playing MP3 or MP4
files from connected smartphone. It also allows users to count steps,
monitor sleep and offers sedentary reminders thanks to the
integrated pedometer. Other functions on offer are thermometer,
E-reader, anti-lost reminder, sound recorder, world clock, time &
weather, calculator, stopwatch, calendar and image viewer. In
terms of specifications, the Bingo T30 has a 1.56-inch (240 x 240
pixels) square LCD display with a layer of NANO toughened glass to
protect from scrathes. It is equipped with MediaTek MTK6260 chip
(with 128MB RAM and 64GB MB storage), 2MP camera, MIC & speaker,
and supports microSD card for storage expansion (up to 16GB). It weighs
75g and packs in a 380mAh battery, that's rated to deliver three hours of talk time and 180 hours of standby time. The
Bingo T30 is priced at Rs. 1,099 and is now available from leading
e-commerce platforms like Amazon India, Flipkarty, PayTm and Snapdeal in
Silver, Black and Rose colors.
iMCO is launching CoWatch, a smartwatch powered by Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. The company touts it to be the first smartwatch integrated with Alexa. It is made entirely of stainless steel barring the display and ceramic ring, and a single button on the side is used to turn the display on or off. The Alexa assistant can be activated by pressing down on the smartwatch's crown button, or by tapping Alexa icon the screen. You can use voice commands to get weather & sports update, latest new, control smart home appliances, look up for information and more. Unfortunately, the smartwatch won't respond to 'Alexa' hot-word, as used in Echo because it is not available in India just yet. The smartwatch also offers fitness features like heart rate monitoring, tracks you daily activities like, distance traveled, steps taken and calories burned. It can also connect to compatible devices, and show notifications for incoming calls, appointments, messages and more, and allow you to control the music. In terms of specification, the CoWatch features 400 x 400 pixel AMOLED display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. It has WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity, and is rated to deliver up to 32 hours of battery life in always-on mode, and up to two days with the display turned off. The CoWatch runs Android-based OS called Cronologics and is compatible with both Android (v5.0 and above) and iOS (v9.0 and above). However, it doesn't need a device to work, as the smartwatch, can do all the computing either on the smartwatch itself or in the cloud. The CoWatch smartwatch carries a price tag of Rs. 13,900, and will be available exclusively on Yehra.com in Mineral Silver and Carbon Black hues. Source
Xiaomi partner WeLoop has introduced a new product under Xiaomi's MIJIA platform in the form of a smartwatch called WeLoop Hey 3S, which looks exactly like an Apple Watch. The WeLoop Hey 3S features heart rate sensor and offers fitness tracking features like distance traveled, steps taken, sleep monitoring and sports related activities. The watch sports a rectangular design with 1.28-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to show time, date, weather, battery status and health information. It is also light-weight at 38g and water resistant for up to 50 meters and promises up to 30 days of battery life. There's also 9-axis motion sensor (3-axis accelerometer, Electronic compass, gryo), GPS/AGPS+GLONASS for tracking activities and Bluetooth 4.2 to connect to a compatible device. When connected to a smartwatch it offers the regular functions like notification for missed calls, text message, calendar reminders, control music and more. It also supports magnetic charging interface. The WeLoop Hey 3S smartwatch is priced at CNY 539 ($78 | Rs. 5,000) and is available through Xiaomi's MIJIA crowdfunding platform in Dynamic Black, Bright Red and Grey Youth colors. Interestingly, the Green Youth color version reminds of Apple Watch series 2's Nike Edition. Via
Timex has launched IQ+ Move, an anologue watch for men with fitness tracking capablities. The smartwatch is capable of tracking all day activities like steps taken, distance covered, calories burned and sleep metrics. Unfortunately, the watch will not be able to notify you of incoming calls and messages. The Timex IQ+ Move sports a traditional look with a round analogue dial along with a sub-dial on the watch face that shows your fitness progress. It also features TIMEX's signature INDIGLO backlight, so that you can see the time in the dark. The wearable is waterproof for up to 50 meters and is equipped with traditional watch battery that lasts for a year and can be replaced, so there is no charging required. The data collected from the smartwatch will sync with the TIMEX Connected app on your smartphone (Android/iOS) via Bluetooth. Also the app can synchronize the watch's time and date details, so you don't need the crown to set them. It comes in two styles ã…¡ one has a Silver Tone Case, White Dial with Gold Tone Accents and Brown Leather Strap while the other comes with a Gray Silicone Strap and a Gray Finish Case, Black Dial with Blue Accents. The straps can also be removed via a quick-release system. The Timex IQ+ is priced at Rs. 9,995 and will be available across all TIMEX World stores across the country.
Samsung has launched three new activity focused Watchface for the Gear S3 in aimed at traveling, training and trekking. For the new watchface, the company has teamed up with three inspirational individuals ã…¡ a world famous adventurer, travel photographer and daredevil to demonstrate the new watchface's ability.
The new Outdoor Watchface for Gear S3 is aimed at adventurers, and include an altimeter at three o' clock, a barometer at nine, a date and weather indication at six, and a sunrise/sunset display that arches over the screen. For instance, the watchface allows users to preset altitude and atmospheric figures that, if exceeded, will cause the screen to flash red. It also has a dedicated night mode and will be offered in multiple colors, so that users can customize their screen. For the Outdoor Watchface, Samsung has teamed up with British explorer Bear Grylls.
The Travel Watchface offer a host of functions, that can help business travelers and tourists manage their trips better. It has a customizable dual-time indication, so users can easily monitor time and temperature back home as well in their current location. The Watchface has currency display at 12'o clock that also offers easy access to exchange rate, and My Journey indication rounding the screen at six o'clock, that allows you to keep track of distance traveled. The My Journey function, also provides a detailed map to help users navigate a new city. For the Travel Watchface, Samsung has collaborated with Russian travel photographer Murad Osmann and his wife Natalia who are popularly known for the 'Follow me to' photo series.
Lastly, the Samsung Sports Watchface is aimed at users who engage in training activities or sports. The watchface features a stopwatch at three o'clock, and a speedometer at nine, beneath side-by-side displays for the user’s current heart rate and calories burned. It also provides easy access to My Journey at the bottom of the screen, to help users map out runs and rides. It also includes built-in alert function, designed to help users keep an eye on their exertion and exercise safely. If the user exceeds the preset activity level, for instance maximum heart rate, the screen will flash red. To illustrate the Sports Watchface's functions, Samsung has teamed up with stunt biker Robbie Maddison. The new Gear S3's Outdoor, Travel and Sports watchfaces are currently available for download via Gear App store. Source
ZTE has announced its first Android Wear smartwatch, the Quartz in the U.S. The budget smartwatch runs Android Wear 2.0 and comes pre-loaded with Google Assistant. The ZTE Quartz sports 1.4-inch Circular AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass protection and is equipped with Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, 768MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. The smartwatch supports 3G and also has built-in speaker and microphone
for calling using T-Mobile's network, and packs GPS and sensors like
accelerometer, gyroscope and barometer. It is IP67 rated for water and dust resistance and supports WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1 for connectivity. It packs a large 500mAh battery, that promises up to 36 hours of standby time. The watch will be available in Silver, and comes with interchangeable wrist bands and customized watch faces as well. The ZTE Quartz is priced at $192 (Rs. 13,000) and will be exclusively available from TMobile.com starting April 14 and T-Mobile stores from April 21. Source
Finnish-based fitness wearable maker Polar has introduced its latest smartwatch called M430, aimed at runners. It is equipped with Polar’s proprietary 6-LEDs wrist-based heart rate technology and GPS and offers personalized adaptive training guidance as tools for runners to reach their personal best. The Polar M430 is fully waterproof and sports a lightweight, breathable wristband, and offers vibration alerts to inform runners when they reach their goals during training. It can also track steps, distance, calories burned and sleep, as well as display notifications from your phone. The smartwatch features Black-and-White display, 8MB flash memory and is backed by 240mAh battery, which promises up to eight hours of run time with GPS and optical heart rate on, up to 30 hours when using the low-powered GPS and up to 20 days of normal usage. It is compatible with devices running Android and iOS. There's also a dedicated app called Polar Flow that provides personalized feedback, adaptive training plan and live guidance for athletes during various stages of their training sessions. It also comes with Polar's Running Program and Smart Coaching features. The Polar M430 is priced at $229/€229 (Rs. 14,800) and starts shipping in May. It comes in Dark Grey, White and Orange colors. Source
Garmin on Wednesday announced its latest wearable device, the Forerunner 935 GPS Running and Triathlon Watch, aimed at athletes who focus on performance and results. The smartwatch comes with new performance monitoring tools, GPS and Elevate wrist-based heart rate technology. Additionally it includes built-in sensors for altimeter, barometer and compass, as well as built-in multi-sport tracking for hiking, trail running, sking, paddle sports, golf and more. The Garmin Forerunner 935 comes with new training features with technology provided by Firstbeat that allows users to monitor performance and better prepare for a race or training cycle. It offers two training features: training load and training status. Training status analyzes the users previous exercise and fitness level to let them known, how their body is responding to the workout, and letting them know if they are training productively, peaking or overreaching. Training load gives users an overview of their weekly activity and help them to determine if they are training in the right zone and whether their sessions are too easy or hard. The smartwatch also features advanced dynamics for cycling and swim training. For cycling, the wearable will track dynamics including power zones, time seated and standing, while on water, it can track distance, stroke, pace, personal records and more. The data for every activity collected by the smartwatch is automatically uploaded to the Garmin Connect app. It weighs 49g and is waterproof for up to 50 meters, and promises up to 24 hours of battery life in GPS mode, up to 50 hours in UltraTrac battery saver model, and up to two weeks in watch mode. The Forerunner 935 is priced at $499 and comes in Black color . There's also a tri-bundle options priced at $649.99, which includes a black watch face with force yellow strap, HRM Tri, HRM-Swim, Quick Release Kit and additional strap in black.
Fashion brands Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger and Diesel have jumped into the smartwatch bandwagon. The brands have introduced their new smartwatches running Android Wear 2.0 at BaselWorld 2017 watch show. Unfortunately, apart from prices and a couple of photos and details, the brands have not revealed much info about the new smartwatches. The Hugo Boss Touch is the company's first Android Wear smartwatch, and is made of carbon black IP stainless steel, and includes interchangeable straps. It can be used for Android Pay via its NFC feature. The Hugo Boss Touch will be available for purchase globally in August for $395.
The Tommy Hilfiger TH24 is a more affordable option and its packs Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip, but does not support NFC. It will be priced at $299, when it goes on sale later this year.
Lastly, the Diesel On also runs on the same Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and come with fitness tracking capabilities. Although its looks like a rugged smartwatch, it actually isn't. The watch will cost $325 when it hits the shelves later this year. Via
Luxury watch maker Movado unveiled its new Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch, the Movado Connect at the Baselworld 2017 watch show. The Movado Connect touchscreen smartwatch sports an edge-to-edge crystal and always on display, and has a stylish and elegant design, with a simple dot used as a 12'o clock indicator. It will also come with 100 other watchfaces, and each will have single dot design with brilliant new color, dimension, complication, details and day to night transformation. The smartwatch supports NFC for Android Pay, and can also integrate with Google Fit and Health apps and receive push notifications. Since Movado Connect is running Android Wear 2.0 it will support Google Assistant for performing tasks, getting answers, directions and timely reminders. Movado did not reveal the specs of the smartwatch, but it is most likely to run Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 wearable platform. The Movado Connect smartwatch will launch this fall in five styles for men starting at $495 (Rs. 32,500). Source
