There’s no doubt that with the popularity of smartphones that can manage virtually every aspect of our lives, the trend in technology is to get more and more “connectivity” into smaller and smaller packages.
Simultaneously, wrist watches have become a lesson in technological redundancy for many people. Ask a friend for the time of day and they’re just as likely to glance at their smartphone as they are to look at an actual wrist-bound timepiece. The newest wave of smart watches aims to change all that.
Just as with your smartphone, Internet access enables a smart watch with whole world of potential capabilities, like message notifications, GPS navigation and calendar synchronization. And of course, a Bluetooth connection to your phone means the watch can help you place calls or send and receive messages.
Some smart watches are made specifically for athletics purposes, letting you track your lap times, distance and route. They may work in tandem with accessories such as a heart rate monitor or cadence sensor. There are specialty smart watches built especially for sailing enthusiasts, helping them track variables such as speed, wind direction and wind speed.
To many people, these newfangled watches might look like a brand new technology. The truth, however, is that smart watches have been lurking on the fringes of gadgetry for a long time. The very first may have been Microsoft’s UC-2000, a digital watch released in 1984 that could be programmed in BASIC via its keypad. In 2002, Microsoft introduced a technology called Smart Personal Object Technology, or SPOT, designed to add new purpose to everyday objects by integrating so-called smart software. Watches built around SPOT were discontinued in in 2008, but the idea of the smart watch lived on.
Many people think that it’s finally time to usher the digital wizardry of smart watches into the mainstream. Keep reading and you’ll find out why.
New Balance Run IQ: ETA February 2017
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Upcoming smartwatches 2016: What to expect from the next-gen wearables
A year after the sports giant announced it was making an Android Wear smartwatch, we finally got to see it up close CES 2017 in the shape of the New Balance RunIQ.
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)Like the Polar M600 and Moto 360 Sport, this is a Wear watch designed for runners. It’s powered by Intel and features built-in GPS, an optical heart rate monitor and a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen.
It also has 4GB of storage to download music from Google Play and Strava integration to track running and cycling sessions then share them quickly to the third party fitness app.
Casio WSD-F20: ETA April 2017
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Upcoming smartwatches 2016: What to expect from the next-gen wearables
Casio’s second generation Android Wear smartwatch is still a rugged, connected timepiece but now it’s a much better fit for outdoor adventurers.
That’s because it finally includes built-in GPS, which let’s you track routes sans smartphone. It also unlocks new features including GPS-enabled watch faces and the ability to lay markers if you want to revisit a memorable spot on your travels.
It crams in all of the same sensors found in the original, but in a slimmer body and now supports colour maps, even in offline mode. It’s set to cost $500 making it by far the most expensive Android Wear smartwatch you can wrap around your wrist.
Misfit Vapor: ETA July 2017
Upcoming smartwatches 2016: What to expect from the next-gen wearables
After launching the Misfit Phase hybrid smartwatch, the Fossil-owned company has turned its attention to a genuine Apple Watch and Samsung Gear rival with the Vapor.
The circular smartwatch features a vibrant 1.39-inch OLED display with a barely visible touch bezel to navigate Misfit’s proprietary operating system. There’s built-in GPS, an optical heart rate monitor and it’s waterproof so you can take it for a dip in the pool. Unlike Misfit’s fitness trackers though, battery life is just a couple of days.
Misfit is still refining the Vapor’s OS, so you can expect the $199 smartwatch to launch later in 2017.
Google Android Wear watches: ETA April 2017
The world's most hotly anticipated wearable tech
Android Wear product manager Jeff Chang has confirmed that Google is set to launch two of its own Android Wear smartwatches with both set to land alongside Google Android Wear v2.0.
They won’t be branded as Pixel smartwatches as had previously been rumoured, but it’s expected that they’ll feature circular displays and are likely to include GPS and LTE connectivity support. You can expect Google Assistant integration as well to deliver contextual alerts.
When will the land? It’s likely to be around Spring time, which is around the time we’re expecting to see new Android Wear 2.0-running watches from Casio and New Balance.
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ZTE Android Wear: ETA July 2017
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Upcoming smartwatches 2016: What to expect from the next-gen wearables
Who said Android Wear was dead? ZTE USA CEO Lixin Cheng has confirmed that the company is planning to launch its first Android Wear smartwatch in 2017.
We don’t have a lot of specifics of what to expect, but it’s likely to have LTE connectivity support to work as a standalone device. So you can leave that smartphone behind.
Cheng has also hinted that battery life will exceed what is currently on offer by the current crop of Android Wear watches. If it looks anything like the ZTE Axon watch (above) and can deliver great battery life, then this could definitely be one to keep an eye on.
Other Smartwatches to Look Out For
Blocks: ETA February 2017
One of the watches we most want to get our hands on is the Blocks Modular Smartwatch. It was set to start shipping in May 2016 to backers of its Kickstarter campaign , then the date slipped to December and now it’s moved to early 2017.
The core Blocks smartwatch module runs Android Marshmallow and features a 1.4-inch 400 x 400 AMOLED display. Qualcomm’s low power Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor is on board and there’s 4GB of memory plus 512MB of RAM, as well as Bluetooth 4.1 LE, Wi-Fi and sensors for activity tracking.
The extra Blocks modules are made from polycarbonate and their maximum dimensions are 25 x 31 x 8mm. It costs $330 with four modules of your choice. Extra modules are $35.
Swarovski Android Wear: ETA March 2017
Upcoming smartwatches 2016: What to expect from the next-gen wearables
Yes, we are set to see an Android Wear smartwatch for women this year after Qualcomm announced it’ll be powering the device.
The cut crystal specialist is no stranger to the world of wearables having already partnered with Misfit for the Swarovski Shine fitness tracker and teamed up with Samsung, Polar and Huawei in the past for special editions of its wearables.
We have no idea what the Swarovski androis wear is going to look like, but we’ll find out more in March 2017 when a big reveal is scheduled for the Baselworld watch and jewellery show.
To think Dick Tracy started it all, just my thoughts but I still think people like wearing beautiful watches, like a jewelry accessory, may a rolex with bells, whistles and diamond, thanks for the update.
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