Xiaomi has managed to establish its presence in the wearables market thanks to the Mi Band series of fitness tracker. However, the company is moving a step forward and is reportedly all set to launch its first smartwatch in China later this month.

The report coming from China claims that the upcoming smartwatch will be powered by the Xiaomi Wear chipset and will also also come with support for eSIM card, 4G LTE network connectivity, multi-function NFC, and smart voice assistant.

It further adds that the device will be running a customized version of Google’s Android Wear operating system out-of-the-box which could be named “Mi Wear” OS. The report has also revealed an alleged image of the Xiaomi Smartwatch coming this month.

From the design point-of-view, there’s nothing unique in the smartwatch compared to other devices in the market featuring a circular dial. However, do note that it has not been confirmed if this is indeed the upcoming Xiaomi Smartwatch.

EDITOR’S PICK: China attacks Apple for allowing crowdsourced Hong Kong map app on App Store

In early September, the Chinese company had registered a few trademarks, including “Millennium MIX ALPHA”, “Mi MIX Alpha” and “Mi Watch COLOR”. Since the Mi MIX Alpha smartphone has already been unveiled, the launch of Xiaomi’s Mi Watch COLOR should not be far away.

As mentioned, Xiaomi currently sells wearable devices under its eco-chain companies which includes Huami Technology. Apart from the Mi Band fitness tracker, it has a line of smartwatches under Amazfit branding but none of them are running Android Wear OS. The upcoming smartwatch will be the first to come with company’s own branding.

UP NEXT: List reveals that Huawei and Honor have more than dozen certified 5G smartphones in China

(Via)

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Huawei has today launched the successor of Huawei Watch 2 smartwatch which was launched last year. The newly launched model, named Huawei Watch 2 (2018), comes in three variants — 4G Edition, Bluetooth-only model, and 4G eSIM Edition.

There is no major change in terms of the design. It features a double crown design and comes with shortcut keys for easy access to sport, quick exercise selection or to setup a custom quick launch. The smartwatch weighs 57 grams and measures 45 x 48.9 x 12.6 mm and comes with a waterproof casing having IP58 certification.

The Huawei Watch 2 (2018) comes with a 1.2-inch OLED display with screen resolution of 390 x 390 pixels. The display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 2100 chipset, along with 768 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage.

It has integrated GPS and Beidou dual positioning support, allowing to track users in real-time. It can also track heart rate and can monitor the quality of sleep at night. There’s a Galvanic Skin Response sensor, along with a barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass.

There are different exercise modes and the company is using FIRSTBEAT motion tracking algorithm and training plan, helping users in sports activities. The device also comes with NFC support, enabling a bunch of payment systems, including Huawei, Alibaba’s Ali Pay, and WeChat payment system.

The smartwatch runs on Google‘s Android Wear 2.0 operating system. Coming to the battery, according to the company, the battery can last one and a half days on a single charge. However, on using 4G, it drops to just 1 day of usage. Huawei claims that the battery can be charged fully in about 100 minutes.

Read More: Huawei Mate 10 Series Will Get The P20 Pro’s “Long Exposure Without Tripod” Feature Through Software Update

The Huawei Watch 2 (2018) is priced at 1,538 Yuan (approximately $xx) for the Bluetooth-only model and goes up to 1,988 Yuan (approximately $310) for the eSIM model. It will be available in three color options — Carbon Black, Vibrant Orange, and Star Grey and is available for purchase in China through Vmall.

(Source)

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Google has officially announced that it is rebranding Android Wear to Wear OS. Android Wear was introduced in the year 2014 for the wearable devices. After facing criticism related to updates and feature changes, the company is hoping to start afresh with new branding.

The new branding comes with a new logo and a new website. The company has already shared details regarding the Wear OS and called it “a wearables operating system for everyone”. The Wear OS also has a new tagline — “Make every minute matter.”

Dennis Troper, Director of Product Management, Wear OS by Google, said,

We’re announcing a new name that better reflects our technology, vision, and most important of all – the people who wear our watches. We’re now Wear OS by Google, a wearables operating system for everyone. You’ll begin to see the new name on your watch and phone app over the next few weeks.

Google has released a list of every smartwatch that will receive the Wear OS update. The list includes Fossil Q Venture, LG Watch Sport, Louis Vuitton Tambour, Michael Kors Sofie, Montblanc Summit, Hugo BOSS BOSS Touch, Movado Connect, Tommy Hilfiger 24/7 You, Guess Connect, Gc Connect, Fossil Q Founder 2.0, Fossil Q Marshal, Fossil Q Wander, Michael Kors Access Bradshaw, Michael Kors Access Dylan, TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45, Diesel Full Guard, Emporio Armani Connected, Fossil Q Explorist, Michael Kors Access Grayson, Fossil Q Control, LG Watch Style, MIsfit Vapor, Nixon Mission, and Huawei Watch 2 (non-cellular versions).

The rebranding of the platform comes as the company believes that Wear OS is a better name because Google didn’t want the “Android” branding hanging around given that one-third of Android Wear users were pairing their watches with an iPhone.

Read More: Google Working On Own Custom Chips, But Next Few Pixels May Use Qualcomm Processors

Google will likely share more details about its future ambitions and upcoming features at its I/O conference in early May. We are also expecting some new wearable devices to get launched at Baselworld 2018, the watch expo that is scheduled to take place in Switzerland from 22nd March to 27th March.

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In December 2017, Google had confirmed the list of smartwatches that will be treated with Android Wear Oreo update. Today, the search engine giant has confirmed the six smartwatches that are now receiving the major Android update.

The Huawei watch 2, Casio PRO TREK Smart WSD-F20, Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch, Polar M600, ZTE Quartz and Mobvoi Ticwatch S & E. Even though these devices belong to the list of the devices that will be upgrade to the latest Android version, they were not included in the first batch of smartwatches that were updated to Android Wear Oreo.

As of this writing, several smartwatches have received the Oreo update such as Fossil Q Venture, LG Watch Sport, Louis Vuitton Tambour, Michael Kors Sofie, and Montblanc Summit, LG Watch Style, Misfit Vapor, Nixon Mission, TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45, Fossil Q Founder 2.0, Fossil Q Marshal, Fossil Q Wander, Michael Kors Access Bradshaw, and Michael Kors Access Dylan.

Read More:Upcoming Huawei Smartwatch May Accept Gestures In The Air: New Patent Filed!

The other smartwatches that will be also receiving the Android Wear Oreo update include: Diesel Full Guard, Emporio Armani Connected, Fossil Q Control, Fossil Q Explorist, Gc Connect, Guess Connect, Hugo BOSS BOSS Touch, Michael Kors Access Grayson, Movado Connect and Tommy Hilfiger 24/7 You. Users who own any of these smartwatches are advised to check for arrival of the update. One should be aware of the fact that Android Wear Oreo is being made available in phases. Hence, it may take some time for all the smartwatches to receive the Android Wear Oreo update.

(source|via)

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Tag Heuer, a Swiss company known for designing and manufacturing luxury watches and fashion accessories, has announced its new smartwatch — the Tag Heuer Connected Full Diamond.

It is being touted as the world’s most expensive smartwatch, as it has been priced at 190,000 Swiss Francs, which roughly converts to $197,000. It is identical to the Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 smartwatch that was launched by the company last year.

However, what makes it stand out is the design. The watch’s case and the bracelet are made out of 18K polished white gold, and a total of 23.35 carats of baguette diamonds — 78 on the bezel, 16 on the lugs, and 495 on the bracelet. Apart from this design, everything else is similar to a standard smartwatch.

The Tag Heuer Connected Full Diamond comes with an AMOLED screen and is powered by an Intel Atom Z34XX processor. that will all be completely obsolete in around two years. As of the software, it is running Android Wear 2.0.

The watch is water resistant up to 50 meters and boasts an NFC sensor, enabling contactless payment via Android Pay. As it runs Android Wear operating system, it is compatible with Android 4.3 and above phones and iOS 9 or later versions.

In the 45mm smartwatch, the connected module is interchangeable with an Haute Horlogerie mechanical module, Chronograph Calibre 5 or COSC-certified Chronograph Tourbillon. Tag Heuer has said that it’ll be offering the trade-in program, enabling users to swap in a mechanical movement for the electronic one once it becomes outdated.

Read More: Xiaomi Smartwatch Partner, Huami Files for $150 million US IPO

Along with Connected Full Diamond, the company has also launched Connected Modular 41. It is powered by an Intel platform and runs on Google’s Android Wear. There’s an AMOLED display with 390 x 390 pixels screen resolution at 326ppi pixel density. It packs 1GB RAM and 8GB internal memory and features GPS and NFC for Google Pay support.

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There have been rumors of HTC releasing a smartwatch for a while now. Back in September, we saw leaked images of a smartwatch by the Taiwanese company. While the news back then mentioned HTC likely shelving the project, it seems we might be getting it on our wrists soon.

More images of the smartwatch codenamed “Halfbeak” have been leaked online. The watch appears to be a collaboration between HTC and Under Armour, an American sports clothing and accessories company.The new images which were posted on Weibo do not necessarily reveal new info but are just a way of fueling the hype.

The smartwatch has a round display with a 360 x 360 resolution and a shiny bezel around it. There is a red and a white triangle on the bezel that points to two hardware buttons on the watch The underside is where you have the heart rate scanner and charging connector pins. The rubber straps are actually black on the outside but has a red inner band with a grate-like design. The band is probably where Under Armour comes in.

HTC’s Halfbeak is seen to be running Android Wear 1.3. Android Wear 2.0 is set for a an early February launch, so if HTC unveils Halfbeak during MWC 2017 or later, it should be running the new version.

READ MORE: HTC 11 Cancelled? Company to Release 6 to 7 Smartphones in 2017

HTC itself has not made any comments about the watch as they are still busy pushing their newly released HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play, but most people hope they will take advantage of the upcoming tech event and launch their first Android Wear Watch. If they do, they might have to brace up to face competition from other companies who didn’t release an Android Wear watch last year like Huawei and Motorola/Lenovo.

Do you think HTC will be able to win in the smartwatch market? Let’s know what you think in the comment box.

(Source)

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The CEO of Huami Technology might have just revealed the company’s upcoming watch will run android wear while he was talking about the battery life.

In his post, Mr. Wang said he has used a number of smartwatches running android or android wear from big brands and battery life didn’t go beyond a day. He also mentioned that since the second generation Mi Band offers a 20-day battery life and he has gotten a 7-day battery life from other big name sports bracelets, he should be able to get a few days from the Huami watch.

Only to later post that the smartwatch will have a battery life of 2 days under normal use or close to 3 days but not more.

RELATED: Huami Will Launch Its Smartwatch on August 30

Apart from the battery life, the CEO also hinted at the Huami smartwatch possibly having a circular dial with touch support and also feature physical buttons.

The company has released a teaser image for the smartwatch which mentions a friendly-user interface and a pedometer.

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Quick youtube video showing the ELE Watch

Today sees the first teaser for the upcoming Android Wear device from Elephone, in this quick youtube video showing the ELE Watch.

The video is short and sweet but does show off some of the basic functionality of the watch. 

The ELE Watch features a 1.5″ 320 x 320 screen, is waterproof and has a heart rate sensor built in as well as wifi.

Hopefully the fact that Elephone have released this video means the watch release is not too far off, hopefully China based companies such as Elephone can bring the price of Android Wear based watches, in to a more affordable price bracket in the same way that they have for mobile phones.

So far its looking fairly good and hopefully will deliver a fully functional Android Wear device at a decent price in time for this Christmas.

As always please feel free to leave comments and questions below

Regards Shanos

Original article posted on gadgetz.tv

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[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpBhB6wfhKY[/embedyt]

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With the ELE Watch, the first Android Wear smartwatch from Elephone, they are jumping in to the ring with the big boys such as Motorolla, Lg and samsung and to some extent Apple.

Style wise the ELE watch looks fairly attractive and has a 1.5″ 320 x 320 multi touch screen (The Motorola has a 1.56′ 320 x 290 multitouch screen ), unlike the round watches seen from Motorola, the Ele Watch has a full face screen (not flat tyre for this phone), the case looks to be made of stainless steel as does the strap.

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Up till now, Google’s Android Wear powered smartwatches were restricted to Android devices only. Not surprising since Apple Watch is only compatible with iOS ecosystem. But it looks like Google is taking the high road by finally unveiling the Android Wear app for iOS devices as well. This brings a lot of new compatible devices to the Android Wear powered smartwatches, opening a majority of iOS devices to the platform.

Google has stressed that the iOS experience will be “similar” to what the Android users get. However, since Google doesn’t have control over the iOS ecosystem like it does with Android, you can expect a few differences. But majority of the features like Google Now cards, rich notifications and voice commands will be available to iOS users connected to the Android Wear powered smartwatch.

Although officially, Google has said that LG Watch Urbane and all future Android Wear powered smartwatches will be compatible with iOS devices, users have reported that many old Android Wear smartwatches like LG G Watch, G Watch R and Moto 360 too are compatible with the app.

The supported iOS devices include iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 6 and 6 Plus, provided they are running iOS 8.2 version or higher. These devices can download the app from the App Store and easily connect their Android Powered watches to their devices.

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A vast number of Smart Watches are currently available on the market. From the Moto 360 to Samsung Galaxy Gear, manufacturers have been trying to achieve the perfect smart wrist companion for a couple of years. However, following the announcement of the Apple Watch, more companies are getting on the smart watch band wagon as the wearable market promises to grow in the upcoming months.

Huawei has already released a smart watch, called TalkBand B1 and Meizu also plans to release a smart wrist band. However, the biggest Apple Watch competitor to seems to be Xiaomi.

Partnering with Huami, the company is aimed at conquering the wearable ID market. Following the success of the Mi Band, Xiaomi has recently announced a second iteration of the smart band as well as the Xiaomi Smart Watch, which seems to be a direct response to Apple’s wrist wearable device.

The Xiaomi Band 2 won’t be that different from its predecessor. With a sporty look and a light design, the band will feature a new NFC sensor in addition to the existing Bluetooth module and accelerator.

“My mission is to make the Xiaomi band (Mi Band) look better,” Huang Wang, CEO of Huami stated in a recent interview with 36 Krypton. “In addition to variety of designs, at the core of the Xiaomi band will be its customization.”

Even more interesting is the direct Apple Watch competitor – the Xiaomi Smart Watch. Improving on the wrist band, the watch will feature a large dial, making pulse wave velocity identification possible. Currently, the technology has two major problems – light pollution and high energy consumption.

“Apple did made a lot of progress in health tracking with the Apple Watch, but they also had to give up a lot of health-related functions,” researchers told 36 Krypton. Doing accurate measurements and identifying biological signs with such a small device seems to be a problem and researchers state that “in order to improve the accuracy of pulse reading and other health-related measurements, the wrist wear should be solid and well-positioned, which is hardly achieved with a smart watch.”

However, Huang Wang is certain that the engineers of Huami have managed to deal with those difficulties, while achieving an amazing design. Whether or not the new Xiaomi Smart Watch will be able to deliver on said promises is still to be seen. However, Huang said that the their previous experience in the development of consumer electronics, will help them achieve a great product at an affordable price.

What’s more, the Xiaomi Smart Watch will feature a special design and be made with brushed metal material, similar to the one used in smartphones, such as the HTC One (M8). Although, Huang did not reveal any information regarding the overall shape of the device, he noted that “the watch industry has been around for many years and the classic dial shape is the most popular, as everyone can see.” He also added that “For everyday purposes, smart watches are relatively thick, thus they can sue some trimming of the design, so it looks more pleasing.”

Huami have also made sure to get the best software engineers on their Smart Watch team, as well. Lin Bin and Hugo Barra, Huami and Google employees, stated that “the [Xiaomi Smart Watch] user experience will be the best.”

All in all, Huami seem to be pretty confident in their ability to deliver a worthy competitor to the Apple Watch. Furthermore, according to Huang, the Xiaomi Band 2 and the Xiaomi Smart Watch will come at a lower price, compared to other devices on the market.

Will the company be able to deliver on their promises? Only time will tell!

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According to PCWorld website, Google Android smart phone loses the control of the user interface, but in the face of wearable devices, Android TV equipment and Android Auto platform, Google will not repeat the mistakes of the smartphone.

In an interview with Ars Technica, Google engineering director David Burke said, Android Wear, Android Auto and Android TV’s user interface and the software code Google will control the manufacturer, this mean the third party manufacturer cannot modified the Android interface.

Burke noted that “in Android Wear, Android Auto and Android TV, the user interface is part of the product, and we hope that these platforms have a consistent for better user experience, if a user in both chambers have different manufacturers Android TV equipment, we want them to work the same and look the same.”

Burke pointed out, Google will directly manage Android Wear, Android Auto and Android TV equipment, so that all devices can receive the new version of the software to synchronize the end part of the equipment, so you need to wait for a few months for a new version.

Google apparently thinks all new Android device should adopt a consistent design, the idea that simple as what Apple is doig with iOS. Burke said, “device manufacturers can not use their own brand of software platforms, they can bundle their services in which other aspects of the same platform.

Android Auto, and Android TV will be available later this year. Samsung and LG will be on sale the Android Wear smartwatch in early July, while  Motorola plans to release Moto 360 smartwatch in late summer.

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LG, Samsung and Motorola has laready release their smartwatch device that powered by Android Wear, the other manufacturer, ASUS is now ready to develop their first smartwatch that running with Android Wear pltform.

ASUS is now works for Android Wear smartwatch device, their first smartwatch will be called as “Robin”, Asus claims in that their smartwatch device wil becoming the thinnest smartwatch device in the world.

Asus is ready to launch Asus Smartwatch on September, and as far as retail costs are concerned, the sources claim that Asus could go as low as $99 – $149, for their smartwatch price tag. In contrast, the Samsung Gear Live is $199, the LG G Watch $229 and the Motorola Moto 360 is widely expected to cost $249.

So let’s wait until Asus is officially releas this smartwatch to the market on September this year.

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Acer is ready to held the conference in April 29th, this event is speculated to released their new smarwatch device.

Acer hsa been s[read the invitation for media, but there is no specifics information about the device, Acer is only put the word “Touch More Connected” which basically implies that there will be a new touch-screen device is launched.

While for now, there is no information about the Acer Smartwatch, but the new Acer’s device will be running by Android Wear platform, that is the Google’s new wearble friendly version of Android.

It’s possible for Acer to release the smaretwatch since the wearable device is becoming more popular and big hype this year. So we will give you detailed information for you.

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