Rumors say Apple Watch 2 Screen will Have no Changes in Shape, Size or Resolution

A fresh report out of South Korea says that Apple Watch 2 display will have the same shape, size and resolution as the first generation Apple Watch. Looks like Apple is sticking to the same square face for its next gen smartwatch. If the report is true, fans who were expecting a round watch face from Apple will be disappointed.

Apple Watch 2 will apparently have the same 1.32-inch 272 x 340 resolution OLED display for its 38mm version and 1.5-inch 312 x 390 resolution display for the 42mm version like Apple’s current Watch. Currently, LG alone supplies glass screens for the Apple Watch but according to the new report, Samsung will also be supplying the flexible OLED display to the Cupertino giant along with LG. This contradicts earlier rumors claiming that LG will remain the sole display supplier for the next gen Apple Watch too.

It is said that to accommodate a bigger battery, the Apple Watch 2 display might be thinner compared to the precious version. Lower battery life is one of the main issues with the Apple Watch. Improving the battery capacity will keep the Apple fans happy. There are also rumors that the upcoming Apple Watch 2 will be a standalone device like Samsung’s Gear S so it can make calls and receive calls and notifications by itself without requiring it to be paired with an iPhone.

The Apple Watch 2 is expected to be launched by the company next year.

Rumors say Apple Watch 2 Screen will Have no Changes in Shape, Size or Resolution

LG develops tiny hexagonal battery for smartwatches with 25% more battery life

Most smartwatches have a problem of low battery life because the batteries powering them are so small. Even with light usage they last for a day with difficulty. Luckily, LG’s chemical engineering arm LG Chem has come out with a solution to this problem. They have developed tiny hexagonal battery which has more capacity and offers an improved battery life.

This hexagonal battery has been developed specifically for smartwatches and its hexagonal shape is ideal for circular displays. LG Chem has already started shipping these batteries to global smartwatch manufacturers. The company says that these hexagonal batteries offer 25% more storage capacity compared to the traditionally used batteries. According to the company, more IT firms will be introducing smartwatches with round displays in the second half of the year.

Woo Byeong-Min, spokesman for LG Chem told The Korea Times, “LG Chem has started selling hexagonal batteries to global tech firms. The batteries, manufactured in Nanjing, China, where LG operates massive battery factories, will be used in upcoming smart watches.”

Mr. Woo said that the hexagonal battery was the first such battery in the industry and has been developed in collaboration with a top technology company though he declined to reveal its name. Although he did say that it was not Apple or LG Electronics.

He also claimed that this battery adds four hours to the battery life and these batteries will also be used in circular smartwatches which the company plans to launch in future. LG also plans to launch batteries in different shapes for other devices such as an L-shaped battery or a rectangular one with a hole in the center.

LG Chem plans to become the top global supplier of tiny batteries by 2018.

LG develops tiny hexagonal battery for smartwatches with 25% more battery life

Fitbit files for Initial Public Offering of $100 Million

Fitbit is a leading manufacturer of fitness and health tracking gadgets. The company has recently filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $100 million through stocks.  The lead underwriters for the IPO are Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merill Lynch.

The fitness tracker wearables market is on the rise thanks to the growing number of fitness enthusiasts across the world. Even big companies are now plunging into this field and introducing new wearables and smartwatches. Latest among them is the Apple Watch.

Fitbit was founded in the year 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman and specializes in making tracking devices to monitor health and fitness. The devices are colorful and can be clipped or strapped on to the body and can measure steps taken, distance, calories burnt, heart rate, activity levels, sleep etc.  The company also provides companion software which is accessible on more than 120 Android, iOS and Windows smartphones.  There is also an all-in-one app that shows you the stats , analyses them and gives you tips. Users can enter what they have eaten during the whole day and track their calorie intake and other health parameters.

Fitbit devices include Surge super watch, Charge and Charge HR wrist bands and other smaller devices as well as the Aria weighing scale and apparel. The company has sold 10.9 million devices in 2014 registering a rise of 142% over 2013. Most of the sales were through retail channels in the US. This year, Fitbit’s sales were 3.90 million in the first quarter itself.

The company faces huge competition from Apple Watch which offers a whole range of health and fitness services apart from a variety of features like phone calls, text messages, music, photos and GPS.

Fitbit wrote in its filing against the label ‘risk factors’:

“We expect competition in our market to intensify in the future as new and existing competitors introduce new or enhanced products and services that are potentially more competitive than our products and services.”

Fitbit files for Initial Public Offering of $100 Million

Pebble set to take on Apple Watch with a new Software Platform and new Smartwatches

Pebble has been quite successful in the competitive wearables market having sold more than a million smartwatches till date. The company’s millionth smartwatch was shipped on 31 December 2014, taking its sales to more than double the figure for March that year. The company has been quietly improving its product, adding new features and had also offered some price cuts later in the year to boost sales.

So far, Pebble faced the biggest competition from Android Wear watches including those from Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony and others. Their 2nd and 3rd generation smartwatches will be coming to the market this year. And now all eyes are set on Apple Watch that will be released this year, probably in April. Apple Watch is sure to provide a tough challenge to Pebble.

Pebble’s CEO Eric Migicovsky says that the company has plans to release a new software platform and a line of new products this year. He says that unlike Android Wear and Apple Watch that are more focused on apps like the smartphones, the new software platform being developed by Pebble will be totally different.

“We’ve found a new framework to use as an interaction model on the watch,” says Migicovsky, adding that although Pebble will have apps, they will not be the main focus. “It doesn’t look like what we have today, and it doesn’t look like what’s on your smartphone“.

Pebble’s has had a lot of success in getting support from 3rd-party developers. The company’s newly launched web-based emulator allows developers to build and test apps without the need to install software on their computers. Pebble has as many as 25,000 developers writing apps for it worldwide and currently there are about 6,000 apps and watchfaces available on its current software platform.

The company has increased its employees from 30 to 100 for developing its new software platform which also includes some web designers from LG. It is obvious that Pebble is fully geared to take on any competition, buoyed by its 1 million sales and the promising new software platform in the works.

 

Source The Verge

Pebble set to take on Apple Watch with a new Software Platform and new Smartwatches

Omate Launches Two New Smartwatches: Racer and Roma

This year, Omate is set to launch two of its new smartwatches to catch up with the trending fashion of e-watches. One is the ‘Racer’ and the other is the ‘Roma’; MediaTek MT2502 Aster chipset has been used in both of the watches.

Both smartwatches would run on proprietary software instead of Android Wear so not much is known regarding the specifications of the watches yet.

The Omate Racer will be available for pre-order from tomorrow till 15th of January at a price of $100, and will go to $130 after January 15; shipments are estimated to start at the end of February.

A deal has been signed between Richline Group and Omate. So in March, both smartwatches will be available for purchase in the stores of UK and US.

Omate Roma is located at the left side of the Racer in the picture. As these watches will be running on proprietary software so they will be deficient in supporting Android Wear app but will feature display notifications, activity tracking and customizable watch faces.

According to officials, the low-power chipset has a battery life that will last up to a week and has a support for 2G, so that both watches get data connection of their own. Also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection is also included.

A circular smartwach has also been announced by Alcatel, but it is not confirmed that if it will run on proprietary software also. It is hoped that CES would bring out some actual sheets of specifications.

Omate Launches Two New Smartwatches: Racer and Roma

TAG Heuer going in for Partnerships and Acquisitions to build its own Smartwatch

In view of the growing popularity of smartwatches, traditional watchmakers are also getting into this field. TAG Heuer had recently announced plans to come out with its own smartwatch. The Swiss luxury watchmaker is going ahead with its plans for the smartwatch that will directly take on Apple Watch and other smartwatches.

Earlier, Jean-Claude Biver, interim chief executive of TAG Heuer had made some dismissive remarks about Apple Watch but he later admitted that he might have underestimated the attraction smartwatches had for people. He said that he had now changed his mind about smart gadgets. Biver also said that in the 4 months since the project was started, the company has begun negotiations for several partnerships and was thinking of making some acquisitions too.

Nothing has been finalized yet but according to rumors, TAG Heuer is working with Intel for providing the chipset to power its smartwatch. Rumors also say that the watch’s operating system would be Google’s Android. However, nothing is clear yet.

TAG Heuer wants to retain all the mechanical functions that form an integral part of its wristwatches and will add the necessary sensors and other components that are needed to make the watch ‘smart’ i.e. to monitor distance walked, steps taken, heart rate measurement and other parameters.

TAG Heuer wants to create a unique quality product that will be different from other smartwatches in the market and will refrain from making any announcement unless and until they have a sure shot product on their hands. The TAG Heuer smartwatch is expected to be launched somewhere in late 2015. The Apple Watch with which it wants to compete is launching in early 2015.

 

Via Redmond Pie

TAG Heuer going in for Partnerships and Acquisitions to build its own Smartwatch

Pebble’s Android App 2.3 update brings support for Android Wear Notifications on Pebble Smartwatch

As a gift for the holiday season, makers of Pebble Smartwatch have come out with version 2.3 of their Android app. The new update brings Android Wear notification compatibility to the Pebble Smartwatch and allows the users to respond or act on the notifications from the Pebble watch itself.

The update has some new features built into it that perform certain actions which even the Android Wear devices cannot. You can use an emoji to reply to a Hangouts message. You can send cash to friends who send you Square Cash requests. For these new actions, Pebble’s Android app uses actions that are already integrated into Android Wear, so whatever actions you can perform with Android Wear, you can do with Pebble too.

If you want to try out the new Android app v2.3 update, you have to join Pebble’s Beta Testing Group. No invitation is needed and you can sign up directly to the group, but to use this update, your device must be running Android 4.0 or a higher version. Your Pebble must also be running the Beta version 2.9 of the firmware to be able to use the new features in the Android app 2.3. Otherwise you will have to update your pebble accordingly.

The Android App version 2.3 takes care of issues with notifications from WhatsApp. It also includes bug fixes, stability improvements and allows installation of update apps and watchfaces on the Pebble Smartwatch when it is in charging or is otherwise idle.

Check out the two videos below:

Source Pebble

Pebble’s Android App 2.3 update brings support for Android Wear Notifications on Pebble Smartwatch

Google’s Android Wear Lollipop Update is here with new watch faces, easier navigation, brightness boost and more

As we had reported yesterday, that Android Wear Lollipop could hit on December 10, it did. Google has announced the Lollipop update for Android Wear as rumored and it brings with it a number of features including the official Android Wear Watch Face API, better access to settings, screen brightness and much more.

Most of the rumored features have found a place in the updates such as retrieving dismissed cards, showing of recently used actions just by tapping the watch face, quick modes for screen brightness and sound and easy viewing of battery and storage information. The Sunlight mode will increase the brightness to a maximum while the theater mode will keep the screen off and mute the vibrations.

There are some new changes too, that were not included in the rumors. One is the change in the action carried out with the swipe-down gesture. Earlier, a short swipe would show the date and battery info while a full swipe would mute the watch. In the new update, swiping down will show the quick settings menu that will allow you to change notifications and brightness settings. All the notifications can now be muted directly from the watch instead of the smartphone as before.

The most important in the update is the inclusion of official Android Wear Watch Face API. You can choose from a wide selection of watch faces available on Google Play and many other enhancements. Watch faces in Google Play will be available under a new section and include Pac-man, Despicable, Plants v Zoombies, Google Santa, Porche as well as those from designers like Hugh Turvey, Rebecca Minkoff, Craid Ward and many more. Android Wear app in the smartphone will also be updated to make it easy for browsing, downloading or swapping watch faces.

The new Watch Face API will be available to developers who can create more watch faces. Google recommends developers to update their apps on Google Play only after the roll out of Android Wear 5.0 API 21 OTA is over because otherwise a watch face that needs API 21 will not be visible in a watch that is running API 20. Google also warns that support will be removed for watch faces not using the official API by 31 January 2015.

According to Google, both the updates will roll out over the next week. The Lollipop update will roll out for all the six Android Wear devices.

Here are a few watch faces:

 

Source Android Official Blog, Android Developers Blog

Via PhoneArena

Google’s Android Wear Lollipop Update is here with new watch faces, easier navigation, brightness boost and more

Android Wear 5.0.1 Lollipop Update could hit today

Android Wear owners can rejoice because they are going to get the 5.0.1 Lollipop upgrade for their smartwatches soon, maybe as early as today i.e. December 10. Although Google hasn’t revealed anything about it, Phandroid has learnt from a trusted source that the Mountain View giant is on the verge of rolling out the 5.0 Lollipop Update for Android Wear.

Although the update for Android wear will not be as big as it was for tablets and smartphones when their OS was shifted from Android KitKat to Lollipop, it will have some great improvements incorporated in it.

As was rumored earlier, new update will allegedly include information about the battery and storage in the companion app; recovery of dismissed cards; quick toggles for screen brightness including regular mode, theater mode and sunlight mode; several new watch faces and option to switch watch faces through the companion app; better “Ok Google” experience by reordering actions based on earlier usage; and text size, magnification and color-blind options for visually impaired.

The rumor also says that in the Android Wear 5.0.1 update, there will be a substantial improvement in the battery life of some smartwatches. The changes appear to be quite exciting and those having Android Wear watches will no doubt be eagerly waiting for the update.

Android Wear 5.0.1 Lollipop Update could hit today

Mocrosoft’s Torque Voice Search now available for Android Smartphones

Google voice search “ok Google” has got competition. Microsoft Corporation’s Torque app is now available for Android smartphones. The Torque Voice Search App that is available on Google Play Store will now support Android phones.

Torque is a voice search like Google’s, but here you don’t have to wake up the app by saying “Ok Google”. Instead, you just need to shake your phone and the Bing voice search will be initiated. The Torque app was developed by the Microsoft Garage group as a voice activated Bing search for smartwatches powered by Android Wear and was released by Microsoft in October this year. Bing voice search can be activated in an Android Wear smartwatch by the flick of a wrist.

The Torque app for Android wear smartwatches has got a very good response and has been downloaded about 10,000 times, and so Microsoft might have decided to expand its scope to include the Android smartphones too. Now even Android phone users can get immediate answers to their queries about things like weather, sports, flights, local restaurants, currency rates, stock prices and much more, just by shaking their Android phone and asking, and get an immediate verbal answer powered by Bing in return.

Torque Voice Search (English) Version 2.0 has been released on Google Play and includes a few more search categories such as status reports on flights and information on local events. It is available for free download and works on Android phones running Android 4.3 or more.

Source TechCrunch

Mocrosoft’s Torque Voice Search now available for Android Smartphones

Hands-On: Omate X Smartwatch

Omate was among the first companies to start developing premium untethered smartwatches that had their own sim cards and worked without needing a phone.

 

On August 20th, Omate announced its first notification watch, a watch that essentially acted as a second phone screen; it pushes notifications to and from Android and iOS devices and has a number of built-in apps, such as an alarm, phonebook, and music player.

 

Omate’s concept and design seemed to work on paper, but a mediocre screen and laggy software are perhaps why you should invest in a Moto 360 smartwatch instead.

 

The Omate X is equipped with fairly modest hardware: a MediaTek ARM7 processor with 128MB of RAM. It has a 1.54 inch TFT display with 240×240 resolution. It comes with a built-in speaker, camera, gyroscope, and microphone. Omate claimed one week of power on a single charge with its 400mAh battery.

What we found to be really inconvenient was how the screen automatically turned off after a short time, we constantly needed to manually activate it to look at the time. Not a deal breaker but it’s something you’ll find very annoying if you’re one of those people who need to glance at the time twice before actually knowing what the time is. Additionally, the screen was prone to smudges and fingerprints, which we didn’t find in any other high-end smartwatches.

 

The Omate X runs on a custom software platform that functions on both Android and iOS. It uses MediaTek’s Aster (MT2502) platform that was somewhat laggy when going from screen to screen, conceivably because the software is still in its early stages.

 

The Omate X’s build quality is the real selling point here, the Pebble Steel design is actually very good; it’s metal and the straps are made of genuine leather.

The Omate X is available for pre-orders from September 1^st to September 30^th for a reasonable 129$ (€99). It’s expected to start production around mid-October.

 

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below.

Hands-On: Omate X Smartwatch

HTC Desire 820 specs, info on 2 HTC Smartwatches leaked

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC is preparing to unveil the first 64-bit Android smartphone HTC Desire 820 at the IFA 2014 beginning next week. In addition, HTC is also expected to introduce two new smartwatches in September.

HTC had recently published a teaser pic on its Weibo account saying (Translated) “We look forward to the next one first HTC is ______? and hinting that it will be the HTC 820.

The above pic gives the timeline when its previous devices first introduced the new technologies. For instance, HTC was the first to use Android OS in a smartphone in 2008 (HTC Dream), first to introduce 1080p display in 2012 (HTC Butterfly), first to use f/2 in an Android smartphone primary camera in 2012 (HTC One X) and so on.

Now HTC Desire 820 would be the first Android smartphone having a Qualcomm 64-bit processor. This has been officially confirmed by the company by posting the following pic with the tagline “# World’s first 8-core 64 phone # Yes, this is the first” (translated). Interestingly, a similar pic was posted by Qualcomm two days back.

It was earlier thought that the HTC Desire 820 will sport an octa-core Snapdragon 615 CPU. However, a new leak by @upleaks suggests that HTC’ s new Desire 820 (codename A50) will host a Qualcomm MSM8916 64 bit quad-core Snapdragon 410 chipset clocked at 1.2GHz. Other specs revealed by @upleaks include a 5.5-inch HD display, 1.5GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, 13MP primary rear camera and 8MP front-facing camera. The device will pack a 2600mAh battery.

HTC A50 is Desire820. MSM8916 64Bit 1.2GHz, 8GB ROM, 1.5GB RAM, 5.5″ HD, 13MP, 8MP, 2600mAh

— @upleaks (@upleaks) August 29, 2014

@upleaks has also leaked information about two upcoming HTC smartwatches – HTC WWY and HTC CWZ. These names appear to be the codenames of these smartwatches. HTC WWY will sport a 1.8-inch 32 x 160p display and a 100mAh battery. It will be water resistant with IP57 certification and may also pack in a fitness tracker. It will be launched sometime in September.

 

HTC WWY; Smartwatch, 1.8″ 32*160, 100mAh, IP57, coming in Sep.

— @upleaks (@upleaks) August 29, 2014

HTC WWY maybe a fitness tracker like Samsung Gear Fit.

— @upleaks (@upleaks) August 29, 2014

The HTC CWZ is an Android Wear smartwatch that will be released in September across North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Japan, Brazil, Korea and Taiwan. Since both the new HTC smartwatches will allegedly be launched in September, it is quite possible that the company will announce them at the IFA.

 

HTC CWZ; Android Wear powered smartwatch, coming to North America/EMEA/Japan/Brazil/Korea and Taiwan on Sep.

— @upleaks (@upleaks) August 29, 2014

HTC Desire 820 specs, info on 2 HTC Smartwatches leaked

LG G Watch Full Specs Officially Released, Available for Pre-Order at $229

Google’s Android Wear is specifically designed for wearables. The LG G Watch is one of the first smartwatches to be powered by Android Wear. Samsung Gear Live being the other. The LG G Watch has appeared in Google’s I/O conference and LG has officially confirmed it. After various teasers and leaks in the past few weeks, The South Korean electronics giant LG’s G Watch is finally here.

Here are all the available official details for the LG G Watch such as its specifications, pricing and availability:

LG G Watch specifications:

Display: 1.65-inch LCD IPS with 280×280 resolution “Always-on”

Processor: 1.2GHz Qualcomm®Snapdragon™ 400

Memory: 512MB RAM; 4GB internal storage

Battery: 400 mAh

Operating System: Android Wear (compatible with any smartphone running Android 4.3 and above)

Size: 37.9 x 46.5 x 9.95mm

Weight: 63 grams

Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0

Ports and Connectors: Micro USB on Charging Cradle

Sensors: 9-Axis (Accelerometer/ Gyro / Compass)

Misc: Water and Dust Resistant (IP67); Ok Google; 22mm (0.86 inch) changeable Watch Strap

Available colors: Black Titan & White Gold

LG G Watch Pricing and Availability:

The LG G Watch is available for pre-order at the Google Play Store and is priced at $229. The site says that the device will be “Dispatched from warehouse by 8 July”.

The G Watch will be available for pre-order in 12 countries including US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, South Korea and Japan. It will be available “soon” in 27 markets including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Russia, Brazil and Mexico.

You can watch the G Watch video here:

LG G Watch Full Specs Officially Released, Available for Pre-Order at $229

Samsung"s First Android Wear-Based Smartwatch Could be Announced at Google I/O

According to some reports, Samsung is expected to unwrap its first smartwatch based on the Android Wear operating system at the Google I/O conference this week. Android Wear is an operating system by Google crafted specifically for smartwatches and other wearbles and was first unveiled in March this year.

Samsung is reported to be one of the first gadget manufactures to introduce a smartwatch based on the operating system. Even though there have been no official statements from Samsung about the release or announcement of the smartwatch or it’s specs, it is expected to have very much similar features with that of the previous Samsung wearables.

According to a report on CNET, “Samsung has been working on an Android Wear smartwatch that uses Samsung’s own chips, as well as another model built off of processors from Qualcomm, one person said. It’s unclear which version Samsung will show at Google I/O. Android Wear is Google’s operating system for smartwatches and other wearable devices.”

Samsung’s first version of smartwatch was the Galaxy Gear and run Android operating system. But it consumed too much battery. Therefore, Samsung switched from Android to it’s own operating system called the Tizen on it’s subsequent releases of smartwatches i.e. the Gear 2 Neo and the Gear Fit.

According to reports, LG and Motorolla are also companies that are expected to reveal their first smartwatches based on the Android Wear operating system at the conference.

Google I/O is a two days’ developer conference in San Fransisco. Starting from the year 2008, it has been held annually and this year’s conference will be held from June 25th to June 26th.

Samsung"s First Android Wear-Based Smartwatch Could be Announced at Google I/O

LG G Watch: Boot Animation, Watch Faces, Variant leaked

LG has already announced its LG G Watch in the middle of March and has special website for it. LG G Watch is one of the first to use Google’s Android Wear for its smartwatches. Android Wear is a slightly different Android version developed specifically for wearables. The LG G Watch is expected to be released soon in the near future.

Meanwhile, @upleaks has leaked system dump of the LG G Watch on its Twitter account. It shows several interesting details about the smartwatch. The leaks include a video of the boot animation for the LG G Watch and several watch faces that will be available for the G Watch. These are colorful watch faces in various designs and colors. The user can choose whichever display he fancies. There is a choice available from digital, analogue, black & white or in color. In each category there will be available different varieties that one can select.

Have a look at the leaked colorful LG G Watch watch faces:

        

        

        

        

                                                     

This is the LG G Watch boot animation video:

There is another rumor regarding LG G Watch. Another variant of the G Watch has been spotted on the website of the Korean Carrier LH U Plus. It is the LG–W120L as can be seen in the pic below:

                                           

LG G Watch model number LG-W100 has already appeared at the FCC. So the LG-W120L must be another variant of the LG G Watch.  LG-W100 needs a smartphone for calling or taking calls. The LG-W120L model is expected to have cellular connectivity.

Stay tuned for more!

LG G Watch: Boot Animation, Watch Faces, Variant leaked