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2016 Gift Guide Wearables
Gift Guide, Sports, Watches, Wearable Technology

Holiday Gift Guide – Wearables

December 23, 2016

2016 Gift Guide Wearables

Wearables seem to be going through a sophomore slump right now. They are at that awkward stage of the market where they are starting to find an audience, but that audience is beginning to gather underneath a few tentpoles. As a result, the periphery marketplace is collapsing. The bowing out of 4 major wearable makers (with others likely on the way) should not be read as a failure of the segment though. The tentpole companies are putting out really exciting products that people are clamoring for. The list below is sure to please anyone!  

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by Doug Parker
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fitness activity tracker smartwatch dead future apple fitbit moto pebble
Business, Editorial, Watches, Wearable Technology

Moto Gone, Fitbit Down, Apple Unsure: What Is Happening With Wearables?

December 13, 2016

fitness activity tracker smartwatch dead future apple fitbit moto pebble

After years of false starts and stalled adoption, it was beginning to look like wearables were finally finding an audience. But the past week has brought nothing but sour news making one wonder if the connected devices are nothing but a fad. First Fitbit predicted a slow Holiday quarter, then Lenovo/Motorola announced the termination of the Moto 360, next Pebble shut down and sold off its assets for a pittance, and finally IDC released embarrassingly weak 3Q Apple Watch sales numbers. What is happening? Are wearables dead or is there more to it? While we might be a bit biased, we don’t see a reason for concern, yet. Let’s take a closer look at these headlines and the health of the industry as a whole.  

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by Doug Parker
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ASUS ZenWatch 3 smartwatch IFA Android Wear 2
Watches

ASUS Shows Off Completely Redesigned ZenWatch 3

September 1, 2016

ASUS ZenWatch 3 smartwatch IFA Android Wear 2

ASUS likes to keep us guessing with the ZenWatch. When the original debuted in 2014, it stood out from the crowd with a striking, slightly curved square display. With recessed details along the sides, the wearable had a simple elegance that we loved and cutting edge internals. What we didn’t love was the 40mm screen dwarfed by the 51mm watch face. To say it had a giant bezel would be an understatement. Last Fall we had high hopes for the ZenWatch 2 and could not have been more disappointed. Instead of releasing a smartwatch that reflected an iterative improvement, addressing issues people complained about with the original, the ZenWatch 2 barely offered an update. ASUS hardly touched the aging internals and the design actually got worse. While the watch shrunk to a more reasonable size, the bezel seemed to stand out even more. And the handsome recessed line was removed and a fake “digital crown” was stuck onto the side. The result was a cheap looking wearable. The good news – the ASUS ZenWatch 2 was comparatively cheap: $150.

This year for the ZenWatch 3, ASUS finally remembered where the drawing board was and went back to it. The ZenWatch 3 is a completely new smartwatch from ASUS.  

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by Doug Parker
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Android Wear 2 Together Social Interactive Watch Face Axe Google
Watches, Wearable Technology

Ahead Of Android Wear 2.0 Google To Suspend “Together” Watch Face

August 12, 2016

Android Wear 2 Together Social Interactive Watch Face Axe Google

Google is preparing to suspend several Android Wear apps alongside the launch of the wearable platform’s first major update. First on the chopping block appears to be the “Together” watch face; which will stop working September 30th. The face, which began shipping with Android Wear 1.3 last August, was one of the platform’s original interactive watch faces. It was designed to facilitate watch-to-watch communication similar to the Apple Watch. Users could share emoji, photos, current activity stats, or scribbles with just a tap. While the “Together” watch face might be going away, Google is promising when Android Wear 2.0 launches this Fall, similar features will be baked into the entire operating system.

While it is great news that the social features of the “Together” watch face will be included in Android Wear 2.0, not all watches will be able to run the new OS. Killing the services behind the watch face is a slap in the face to Android Wear users whose hardware is not supported by the new software. This includes the LG G Watch, Moto 360, and most likely any smartwatch with similar hardware, such as the Asus ZenWatch. If you have an Android Wear device older than last Fall, not only are you most likely stuck on Android Wear 1.x but you also are going to be loosing features. With a strong reliance on cloud based tech, it is not surprising that Android Wear would retire services, but it seems extremely aggressive to only allow the newest hardware to upgrade while simultaneously suspending services to older devices.

For those lucky enough to be able to upgrade to Android Wear 2.0, Google has introduced a number of meaningful updates. The changes focus on improving how users interact with the device for fitness, messaging, and glanceable information. For the latter, 3rd parties can now develop complications which can be added by the user to any watch face that supports complications. In the past, developers needed to include a custom watch face with their app. Using the wearable for fitness is about to become even easier because apps now have a “stand alone” mode, giving apps have the ability to operate without a cell phone being present, pulling data from the watch’s WiFi or cellular connection. This allows you to go to the gym with only your watch and a pair of Bluetooth headphones and be able to stream music from Spotify. A side benefit of “stand alone” mode is that you can also browse and install apps directly from your watch. This is a huge boon for iOS users, who previously were reliant on the built-in apps. Your smartwatch will now also be able to automatically recognize various activities and trigger a specified app (i.e. Strava when you are cycling). Perhaps the biggest change with Android Wear 2.0 is with messaging. Not only are notifications revised (shifting from a small banner to a card that slides up to fill the screen) but the way you reply is also updated. When you receive a text you can reply via emoji triggering scribbles or voice recognition, and now via handwriting recognition, contextual smart replies (similar to the Apple Watch), or a full keyboard (with swipe support).

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by Doug Parker
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michael kors access android wear smartwatch
Fashion, Watches

Michael Kors To Release Android Wear Smartwatch In Fall

April 8, 2016

Michael Kors Access Android Wear Smartwatch Fall 2015

Michael Kors has joined the growing list of brands releasing an Android Wear smartwatch. The prebuilt architecture is proving to be a quick path for new entrants to enter the wearable device market. By using Google’s software and fairly standardized hardware, the primary hurdle for a company to overcome is to simply design a watch case and band. Called MICHAEL KORS ACCESS, the smartwatch is expected to be released in Fall 2016. It will be compatible with both iOS and Android devices and available in both a men’s and women’s version. Predictably, the men’s variety features a black metal face while the women’s is gold with a crystal laden band. They are expected to be priced starting at $395 and will be available most places where you already find Michael Kors products (website, company owned stores, department stores, and specialty retail).  

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by Doug Parker
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Hublot smartwatch smart watch TAG Heuer Connected LVMH Android Wear Intel
Watches, Wearable Technology

LVMH Eyeing Hublot As Next Brand To Introduce Smartwatch

March 18, 2016

LVMH Hublot Smartwatch TAG Heuer Carrera Connected Android Wear smart watch Intel

By a lot of accounts TAG Heuer didn’t exactly knock it out of the park with their Carrera Connected smartwatch. While a decent device with a well made casing, the Connected was essentially a $250 Android Wear watch in a very fancy package. The $1500 device is less well equipped than most smartwatches, lacking a heart rate monitor and using a surprisingly low resolution screen, especially for its size. One review compared the 240 ppi display to “the pixelated experience of 1980s Tetris.” For all intents and purposes, the Connected is a Franken-watch; it is a not-fully-gelled mashup between the high-end Swiss made TAG Heuer, mass produced Chinese made electronics, and the one-size-fits-all Android Wear OS. To be truly on brand, TAG Heuer should have created their own smartwatch instead of simply repackaging existing technology and software. Thus, to us the Connected reads as more of an experiment than a true smartwatch entry. Unsurprisingly, other Swiss timepiece makers, such as Patek Philippe’s Chairman Thierry Stern, have been quick to criticize TAG Heuer for going after the quick buck and eroding the “Swiss Made” reputation. Despite all of this, TAG Heuer’ Jean-Claude Biver contends that the Connected is selling so well that the company cannot keep up with demand. Not being die hard watch people, maybe there is a special sauce that we don’t understand about TAG Heuer or maybe the feel of the Swiss made watch case makes that much of difference or perhaps buyers are blindly purchasing due to the name or simply not comparison shopping.  

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by Doug Parker
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Business, Editorial, Wearable Technology

Wearables Were Mostly Absent from MWC 2016, Why?

March 4, 2016

Wearables Missing MWC 2016 Why Fail category dead mobile world conference fitness trackers smartwatches

Mobile World Conference in Barcelona is typically a showplace of the newest and best cell phones that companies have to offer. At the 2015 MWC though, you could have easily have thought it was a wearables trade show. Practically every company had a fitness tracker, a smartwatch, or another form of wearable technology on display. But at MWC 2016, there were barely any wearables to be found. What happened? And is this the writing on the wall, showing consumer and company interest in wearables is just not that high?  Or are there other factors at hand?

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by Doug Parker
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