Wearable Computing & Fashion - Page 5

Apple's 2023 is far from over and there are big things expected in the final few months of the year. Alongside the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, there's ongoing talk of new wearables as well. The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 seem like a given at this point, but anyone hoping for the arrival of a new Apple Watch SE looks set to be left very disappointed indeed.

While we saw Apple release an updated Apple Watch SE alongside the Apple Watch Series 8 in 2022, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that we won't see a repeat performance when the Apple Watch Series 9 arrives this fall. Writing in the weekly Power on newsletter Gurman said that Apple is settling into a two-year release pattern for the budget wearable, leaving 2023 out in the cold. If you want to buy a new Apple Watch SE, you're going to have to make do with the current model or wait another year to fall 2024.

That is of course bad news for those who wanted to pick up a refreshed $249 Apple Watch SE this September, and it means that the watch will be even more out of date by the time a new model arrives. The current Apple Watch SE is already missing multiple features that are available on high-end models. Those features include ECG support, an always-on display, a blood oxygen sensor, and wrist temperature monitoring. The display is also less impressive, featuring thicker bezels and smaller cases than the best Apple Watches.

If you like the look of the Apple Watch Ultra but that silver finish just isn't going to work for you, we have good news. It appears that there might be a new color arriving with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 this year and it's going to be a more moody option for those who prefer a darker color.

The new color would be a dark titanium look which is no surprise given the fact that the watch is made from titanium. But the darker look could be closer to the Space Gray Apple Watch that we're all so familiar with, and that's absolutely something that we can get behind.

In fact, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman writing in the weekly Power On newsletter says that Apple had originally looked at the darker color option back in 2022. It was designed ahead of the original Apple Watch Ultra release but was ultimately canned because Apple's designers didn't like the appearance. It isn't clear yet whether that has now changed since that opinion, but Gurman says that the dark titanium look could pop up again in 2023.

If you plan on picking up a new Apple Watch Ultra 2 or Apple Watch Series 9 when they arrive later this year you're going to be in for a good time, it seems. Because for the first time in years, these new watches are going to have an upgraded chip that should make them much faster to use.

That speed improvement will hopefully ensure that apps load more quickly and data refreshes with fewer hiccups than can be the case on other Apple Watches. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in the weekly Power On newsletter, reports that both new Apple Watches announced this year will use a new S9 chip, and it'll actually be new this time.

While Apple has increased the number of its S-series Apple Watch chips every year, the last time there was a notable speed increase was right back in 2020 with the S6 inside the Apple Watch Series 6. Since then Apple has made minor changes to the chip without improving performance noticeably. Gurman says that will change this year and that we should look forward to a sizable performance bump thanks to the upgraded S9.

The Google Pixel Watch, like the Apple Watches that came before it, has multiple watch faces that users can choose from when wearing their wrist computer. With attention having now turned to the Pixel Watch 2 it seems that Google has been working on some new watch faces that will be offered on that wearable.

According to a new report, there will be as many as four new watch faces, all of which will be exclusive to the Pixel Watch 2. That means that buyers of the original Pixel Watch will have to upgrade to the new model if they want to enjoy the new watch faces.

The watch faces have been leaked by Android Authority which claims to have come about them by way of a Google insider. They're said to be an anonymous source inside Google, so it's difficult to know how legitimate this leak is at this point.

Rumors continue to point to Samsung announcing its own fitness ring similar to the Oura Ring and a new report claims that the company will make a decision on mass production as soon as next month.

The report claims that the development of the Galaxy Ring has been in the concept stage, with mass production not planned to kick off until August. However, it appears to suggest that Samsung hasn't yet decided that mass production will actually happen which could mean that the project might be delayed or ditched entirely.

The report, courtesy of the Korean supply chain watchers at The Elec, also notes that even if the mass production is given the go-ahead for August it might e some time before the product can actually go on sale. The wearable would need to go through all of the testing and licensing to ensure that it can be used to measure heart rates and other medical data. It's likely that the Galaxy Ring will keep track of things like blood oxygen levels, too.

Samsung might have only just announced the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, but it's already added a new version to the lineup, Say hello to the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Golf Edition complete with a green rotating bezel.

The new model is only available on Samsung's Korean website right now and it comes with special features that make it more suited to use on the golf course. Those included a special band and caddy app to help people work on their handicap when out on the course.

The new watch is essentially the same as the standard Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, however. That means that it comes in 43mm and 47mm configurations and features a Super AMOLED display with a 432 x 432 or 480 x 480 resolution depending on the size that you choose. It also features a Sapphire Crystal cover to ensure that nothing gets scratched. Other specifications include a 300/435mAh battery and Exynos W930 chip. The whole thing is powered by Google Wear OS 4, too.

The Apple Watch is getting some new software this fall when watchOS 10 finally ships. The update was announced during WWDC on June 5 and it's been in developer beta ever since. The latest beta includes one of the features that wowed everyone when it was previewed - a new animated Snoopy watch faces.

Apple has only just added the new animated watch faces and people have been enjoying it ever since the updated beta arrived a day or two ago.

The new watch faces show Snoopy and Woodstock but rather than be static images they're animated in such a way that they react to the time, The result is that the watch hands can knock the pair over while they're in position and the effect is as cute as it sounds.

They'd both been rumored for months but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic are both finally here, and they both look pretty sweet.

Samsung announced the two wearables during its Unpacked event alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5.

While Samsung did announce two watches, they're both essentially identical in terms of functions. Where things differ is in the aesthetics and price, with the Galaxy Watch 6 adding an overall larger case size and a rotating bezel.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic are expected to be announced in less than a week now and new details have leaked that show the specifications that we can expect from these devices.

Samsung is set to announce the new wearables during the Unpacked event on July 26 and leaker SnoopyTech has now shared details of what they believe to be the specifications of the watches. There's a lot of data here, and you can see the full details in the tweet embedded below.

According to these leaks we can expect the following main specifications:

Samsung is set to announce the Galaxy Watch 6 smartwatch during the Unpacked event on July 26 and now we know a little more about what apps it will have to offer. One of those apps will be capable of using the watch's built-in temperature sensor to measure the temperature of its surroundings.

That app will be called Thermo Check, and it will tie into the new Skin Temperature API to use the built-in infrared sensor. That means that it can be used to measure the temperature of things without even touching them, which sounds pretty cool indeed.

In fact, that's exactly what Samsung is advertising the app as being able to do, adding that it will be useful for meaning the temperature of meals before they are eaten or water before going for a swim. The lack of a physical contact requirement is a game changer, to be sure.

Samsung could be about to enter the smart ring market with the Galaxy Ring, according to a new report. And while we don't have concrete information on when the Galaxy Ring will go on sale, we do know that at least one manufacturing partner has been lined up.

Oura is perhaps the most famous company that works on smart rings today but it could be about to get some big new competition, and they don't come much bigger than Samsung. Apple has also been reported to have an interest in smart rings with various patents confirming as much. However, it appears that Samsung is the closest to having something ready to ship.

According to a report by the Korean website The Elec, Samsung has Japanese outfit Meiko lined up and ready to produce the printed circuit boards that would be used in a smart ring. We don't know for sure that Galaxy Ring is the name that Samsung will use, but that's the one being bandied around right now at the very least. And it does make sense given Samsung's other product names including Galaxy Watch.

Samsung is expected to announce the new Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic during an event at the end of July, at the same time that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 will also be announced. As we get closer to that announcement on July 26 we continue to see more and more leaks ahead of time. And now we've been treated to official-looking renders, too.

While these images aren't shared by Samsung, they do appear to be marketing images that we will see used following July 26. They were shared by Twitter leaker SnoopyTech via an Imgur link that was made available via a cryptic tweet.

The leaks show a few things but the most interesting thing is the return of the rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch 6. In terms of sizes, we're told to expect the Galaxy Watch 6 to come in 40mm and 44mm configurations while the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is thought to become available in 43mm and 47mm sizes.

People who already own an Apple Watch Ultra seem to be really big fans of them and those who haven't yet picked one up might be better waiting a little while before they do. That's because a new report appears to confirm that there will be an Apple Watch Ultra 2 later this year.

That's according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuop who posted to his Medium blog to say that Apple is working on the updated Apple Watch Ultra. What's more, it's apparently going to use 3D printing for some of its components. Those components, Kuo's supply chain sources claim, are titanium mechanical parts.

Those components could be any manner of things including the Digital Crown and Action Button, and they're all currently CNC machined. 3D printing could make a big difference for Apple, likely reducing costs and possibly making these parts quicker to produce.

The Pixel Watch has proven to be one of the more popular wearables, at least when you take the Apple Watch out of the equation, and there was always going to be a sequel on the horizon. Now it looks like that Pixel Watch 2 has started to leak, and it makes for interesting reading.

The leak comes via 9to5Google and what it says are references to the wearable in the beta version of the Google Search app - version 14.24, in case you were wondering. As part of that update, we learn that there are a couple of different codenames in use.

The first is Eos, according to the code found in the app. The second comes via 9to5Google's sources which suggest that Aurora is also being used. It's likely that the two names both relate to the Pixel Watch 2, but with one being the WiFi-only version and the other having LTE connectivity built in.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy Watch or plan on picking one up in the future you could one day be thanking it for saving your life. That's thanks to the news that it's getting a new health feature after years of forcing wearers to watch on as Apple Watch owners have their own lies saved by the same thing.

The feature in question is irregular heartbeat recognition and notifications, something that has been a staple feature of the Apple Watch for years. It's also been proven to help save lives, alerting people to an issue with their heart or other problems even when they were unaware that something was amiss. Now, it's coming to a Samsung Galaxy Watch near you.

The feature was first cleared by the FDA back in May 2023 but there's now been another step on the road to making it available to users around the world. The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has now also given the wearable the approval it needs for use in that country, too.

If you're an Apple Watch Ultra wearer you're going to get one very specific new feature when watchOS 10 ships to the public later this year. And it's one that none of your other non-Ultra Apple Watch owners will get.

That's because this new feature is specific to the Apple Watch Ultra's Night Mode. And you're going to love it if you're someone who has ever been blinded by their Apple Watch Ultra at night.

Currently, using the Apple Watch Ultra's Night Mode required manually enabling it by rotating the Digital Crown. But 9to5Mac reports that this will change when watchOS 10 ships this fall, with the Apple Watch Ultra then able to automatically enable Night Mode once it gets dark enough.

The Apple Watch Series 9 is expected to be announced during a September event later this year, but we haven't heard all that much about it so far. Now, a new report claims that the wearable will have one big upgrade that's years overdue.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims that the Apple Watch Series 9 will feature an all-new chip for the first time in years. Gurman was writing in a new Discord channel he set up for those who subscribe to his weekly Power On newsletter.

The Apple Watch Series 8, like the Apple Watch Series 7 that came before it, uses a chip that is essentially identical to that of the Apple Watch Series 6. The chips carried a new name, like S8, but don't have notable speed improvements over the S6. That's now going to change, we're told.

Razer makes hardware and peripherals, from gaming laptops to keyboards and mice. Still, it also sells gear in the form of backpacks and funky clothing created in collaboration with designer brands. Earlier this year, Razer dropped its EVISU collection, which saw funky designs from the Japanese designer clothing company for hoodies and jeans. You definitely need to check out the jeans.

In keeping with this tradition, the latest collaboration with Italian designer eyewear brand Retrosuperfuture makes sense - though it's still surprising. The collab results in the new Razersuperfuture sunglasses that look like the 3D glasses you'd put on before watching Avatar at the cinemas. Retrosuperfuture sunglasses all live up to the brand's naming, sporting sci-fi designs that look better suited to a runway than going for a walk on a sunny day.

In terms of specs (sunglasses apparently have these, too), you've got a durable, lightweight acetate frame with photochromic lenses (with 100% UVB/UVA protection) and blue light protection (up to 420 nm). The latter means they could be worn indoors while gaming on a bright HDR display.

The Apple Watch has been around since 2015 but the watchOS software that powers it hasn't changed all that much. Now, a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that software is very much about to change later this year.

According to Gurman Apple's upcoming watchOS 10 update will be its biggest yet, suggesting that we can look forward to meaningful changes to the way that we use our wearable for the first time in a long time - perhaps ever.

According to Gurman, who is normally well connected and pretty much on the money about these things, watchOS 10 will be a big one. According to him, we can expect Apple to bring widgets to the Apple Watch for the first time, building on a previous widgets-like experience that was known as Glances before they were removed in a previous release. Gurman also says that Apple is keen to bring more information to the fore, making it more easily accessible without the need to open an app first.

If you buy an Apple Watch today you pair it with an iPhone, sync it with an iPhone, and it's forever attached to that iPhone and no other. That could all be about to change when Apple releases watchOS 10 later this year.

That's according to a new report by Twitter leaker @analyst941 which suggests that there are big changes coming to the Apple Watch. In particular, the report claims that the Apple Watch will soon sync with multiple devices at once, removing the one-iPhone limit. And that's just the start.

According to the leaker, who rose to prominence last year when they shared details about the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island before it was announced, the Apple Watch will soon connect to iPads and Macs for the very first time. That would be quite the departure for Apple whose Apple Watches have long been linked to one, and only one, iPhone.