I was wrong. Several years ago I reviewed the first Garmin Fenix 3 smartwatch. This was before the release of the Apple Watch. That’s key to this story. I declared Garmin would have a hard time selling the Fenix 3. The Apple Watch would be better in every way, I pointed out. Therefore, there would […]
View More Understanding smartwatchesCategory: smartwatches
Fossil announces new update Android Wear watches with HR tracking, GPS
Fossil’s Q watch line is an interesting foray by a traditional fashion watchmaker into the wearable world. Their latest additions to the line, the Fossil Q Venture HR and Fossil Q Explorist HR, add a great deal of Android Wear functionality to a watch that is reminiscent of Fossil’s earlier, simpler watches. In other words, […]
View More Fossil announces new update Android Wear watches with HR tracking, GPSThe best Prime Day deals on smartwatches and fitness trackers
Over the last few years, Prime Day has emerged as the summer alternative to Black Friday, and considering some of the deals, it’s easy to see why. Whatever your lifestyle is, there’s plenty to choose from. If it’s fitness you’re after, then you’re in…
View More The best Prime Day deals on smartwatches and fitness trackersThe Skagen Falster is a high fashion Android wearable
Skagen is a well-know maker of thin and uniquely Danish watches. Founded in 1989, the company is now part of the Fossil group and, as such, has begin dabbling in both the analog with the Hagen and now Android Wear with the Falster. The Falster is unique in that it stuffs all of the power […]
View More The Skagen Falster is a high fashion Android wearableNext-gen Apple Watch might come with a 15 percent larger screen
The Apple Watch could get its first design update since it launched way back in 2015.
In his latest investor note (via 9to5Mac), KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says he believes the next Apple Watches, slated for launch this fall, might come with…
Fitbit Versa review
For most companies, the Ionic would have felt like a disappointment. For Fitbit, it was something more. It wasn’t just a fully realized piece of hardware running undercooked software, it was the basket into which the company seemed to have placed all of its eggs. The company’s first official smartwatch was the product of a […]
View More Fitbit Versa reviewGoogle’s Android Wear is now called Wear OS
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Google’s Android Wear is dead — the name, not the platform.
Ahead of Baselworld, an annual watch and jewelry show, Google is rebranding its smartwatch software as Wear OS.
Contrary to popular belief, Google’s smartwatch platform apparently isn’t dead. Though most consumer tech companies have largely abandoned releasing new smartwatches, fashion brands have propped them up and kept the platform alive.
From Google’s blog:
To celebrate the new name, Google shared a few tidbits on how Android Wear Wear OS smartwatches are doing. Read more…
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Fitbit’s Versa is the smartwatch the Ionic should have been
Half a year after launching the Ionic, Fitbit is back with Versa, a “smartwatch for all.” The new wearable builds atop the same foundation as its predecessor, but offers a lower price point and a smaller frame, addressing two of the main complaints around the company’s first smartwatch. It’s the device the Ionic should have been. Read More
Fitbit’s Versa is the smartwatch the Ionic should have been
Half a year after launching the Ionic, Fitbit is back with Versa, a “smartwatch for all.” The new wearable builds atop the same foundation as its predecessor, but offers a lower price point and a smaller frame, addressing two of the main complaints around the company’s first smartwatch. It’s the device the Ionic should have been. Read More
Fitbit is adding menstrual cycle tracking to its smartwatches
Fitbit’s first smartwatch had its fair share of issues, including a large size, which made it unwieldy for many wrists. That fact no doubt automatically excluded the product from a big chunk of its potential user base, including a lot of women. Fitbit’s hardly alone among wearable makers in that oversight, of course, but the issue certainly stood out for a company whose products… Read More
Fitbit is adding menstrual cycle tracking to its smartwatches
Fitbit’s first smartwatch had its fair share of issues, including a large size, which made it unwieldy for many wrists. That fact no doubt automatically excluded the product from a big chunk of its potential user base, including a lot of women. Fitbit’s hardly alone among wearable makers in that oversight, of course, but the issue certainly stood out for a company whose products… Read More
Hands on with the Fitbit Versa, a smartwatch for everyone
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When Fitbit launched its first “real” smartwatch, the Ionic, last fall, its target customer was clear. Between the many sensors, Fitbit Coach software, and (literally) edgy design, you could tell the Ionic was made for athletes — or at least those who consider themselves to be one.
Nothing wrong with that, of course, but what about the casual user? There are plenty of people who want to get in better shape, but aren’t so serious about it. One might even think they’re Fitbit’s primary demographic.
Well, rest easy, Jane and Joe Average — Fitbit has you covered with the Versa, a smartwatch meant for everyone. It’s cheaper, slimmer, and has fewer features: Whereas the Ionic has GPS enhanced with Glonass positional tracking, the Versa has only GPS. The Ionic also features Fitbit Pay for wireless payments, whereas that feature is only available in a premium “special edition” Versa (in the U.S., anyway — for global models, every Versa has Fitbit Pay). Read more…
More about Fitbit, Menstrual Cycle, Fitness Tracker, Smartwatches, and Tech
View More Hands on with the Fitbit Versa, a smartwatch for everyone