Android Wear devices are getting a big update this month. Google will soon begin a big roll out with some major new features users may find interesting. One of the most important updates is the ability to take and make calls directly on the watch ( you would, of course, need a watch with a speaker to do this). Only two smartwatches have a speaker at the moment, namely Asus ZenWatch 2 (49mm) and the Huawei Watch. The Android Wear update also brings better support for controlling your watch with gestures, even if some may need to be decoded to work, and the ability to dictate messages that you can then send from apps like WhatsApp and Hangouts. Google mentioned that the update will start rolling out on existing Android smartwatches in the next couple of weeks. This important update that adds message dictation can make this type of wearable more important and useful than before while adding an innovative idea such as using a wearable device with additional gestures. Google has not made any important changes since it launched the Android Wear platform, but the resulting wearables offer users more stylistic diversity when compared to the offerings of Samsung, Pebble or Apple, for example. Source: Google via The Verge
Tag Archives: android wear
Casio Android Wear rugged smartwatch to launch in April
Casio followed in the steps of Tag Heuer and announced a smart watch of its own. Casio’s first Android Wear device stays in line with the company’s rugged look on watches. It has large screws lodged onto each corner of the device to blatantly show you that it can take a beating if need be. The Casio smart watch is MIL-810 certified which means that you can swim in up to 50 meters in water with it on without it getting damaged. When it is hit or dropped it should also manage do hold itself together because it was made for battlefield situations, not that most of us will use it in war theaters anyway. Casio has an ingenious solution to battery life as it lets users change the screen into a monochrome LCD mode that can last for days ( the downside is that you can only read time in this mode). You can also go to the full extreme with full-fledged colors and the genuine Android Wear experience if battery life is not your most important feature to nourish. You get a number of watch faces to swap and you can check air pressure, altitude, compass direction, sunrise and sunset time, tide graphs and more by browsing the apps. It is a powerful beast that comes along with a powerful price: $500. It is much less expensive than the Tag Heuer option, but its price can still be a shock for many. Since the rugged smart watch […]
New Android Wear themed smartwatch faces you can download!
This year was full of wearable device launches, most of them Android Wear smartwatches and bands. This means that we get more and more choices when it comes to pairing your smartphones with wearables. Among the most important OEMs that adventured in the wearable niche market we can count LG, ASUS, Huawei, Motorola, Samsung, Sony and Fossil and even Tag Heuer. Smartwatches are getting more and more popular because you can personalize them and change the design of your watch face anytime you want. Plus, you can now choose even more watch faces because the Android Wear gallery has been refilled with designs from nine fashion brands and independent designers such as Harajuku Kawaii!, Ted Baker, Mango, ASICS, Melissa Joy Manning, Y-3, Vivienne Tan, Zoe Jordan and Nicole Miller. You can choose watch faces based on your birthstone sign, on the pop art that you like or on the cuteness and playfulness of the images. You get designs for boys and for girls and for fashionistas too, you get everything you can ever want to embellish your smartwatch with. Designer-themed Watch face list: Ted Baker: Reveal your sophisticated side with ten gorgeous designs. Melissa Joy Manning: Rock a different birthstone for every month of the year. Vivienne Tam: Watch Opera Girl twirl, take a selfie, and more. Nicole Miller: Stay on track and in style with Nicole Miller’s pop art. Y-3: Sport the styles of Yohji Yamamoto, inspired by the beauty of human movement. Mango: Add instant chic to any outfit with […]
Samsung Gear S2 going live tomorrow!
Samsung Gear S2 is finally going live. Since we’re in the last quarter of 2015, most manufacturers and gadget creators will be rushing to promote their devices before the holiday season begins. One of the more devices to launch now is the Samsung S2 wear device that launches in two flavors: original and Classic. Starting October 2, you will be able to buy one of these babies from Samsung’s online store, Amazon, best Buy or Macy’s Herald Square. Samsung Gear S2: what to expect Samsung’s new smartwatch looks much more sporty than previous iterations and it will be ready in stores starting October 16th. The original version costs $300 and the Classic version will have you pay $350. In a way, these devices are not rivals to Android Wear devices because they run on Tizen OS, but otherwise they are definitely the smartwatch to watch this year. These wearables work with any Samsung smartphones AND with other Android smartphones, as long as they run Android 4.4 KitKat or more recent versions. Samsung gear S2 is the second generation of Samsung Gear S devices, and it is a clear improvement from the original. The Gear S2 and S2 Classic both have 1.2-inch circular displays running at 302ppi, 4 GB built-in storage, 512MB of RAM and they posses a gyroscope, a heart rate sensor and an accelerometer, among other interesting features. They can be used to display phone notifications for missed calls and SMS messages, incoming galls, or emails when they are […]
The Huawei watch appears online and available for pre-order
The Huawei watch recently leaked online will probably launch at the IFA next week, but until then we can see it in all of its $800 splendor online. The device is available for pre-order on Amazon and you have four different devices to choose from: Stainless steel/Black, Black/Black, Gold/Gold and Gold/Brown. The downside to this is that the devices are priced really high when compared to other Android Wear devices. The cheapest Hauwei watch models is the Stainless Black one and it costs $350. It has a steel-colored case and a black leather band. The most expensive one is the Gold/Gold one, and it sells for $799. What’s inside the Huawei watch? Here is what we know about the specs for this new wearable: 1.4” full-circle AMOLED display at 400 x 400 sapphire glass -scratch resistant stainless steel body Android 4.3 and iOS 8.2 compatibility. The last part is the most interesting one as it presents the possibility that Android Wear can support iOS. We will have to wait and see if all of this is really true or if someone made a mistake with the spec list. The price suggests that Huawei watch will be an Apple watch competitor. We will have to wait a little longer to see if it will live up to it though. Pre-orders will start to ship on September 2nd. Source: Droid-Life
Android Wear watch from Intel and Fossil: get ready for some competition!
A new Android Wear watch is being made and it is the fruition of a combination between Intel and Fossil. The announcement was made at the Intel Developers Conference, where Intel usually presents its new chips, but also some other things. This watch was teased for a while now, and the first official image seems to point at a cross-breed between the Moto 360 and LG Watch Urbane. Fossil’s watch and Intel’s Tag Heuer device are the first smartwatches or Android Wear-friendly devices made by old-school watchmakers and not tech companies like LG, Samsung, Apple or ASUS. Fossil is said to possibly supply designs for well-known brands such as Michael Kors and Giorgio Armani. This new Android wear watch is not the only project Fossil has going on as they will soon launch a connected bracelet and watch. It is safe to say that Intel does not want to reveal more information regarding the watch at the moment. It doesn’t have an official name or official specs yet and it is expected to launch sometime this holiday season. That is all we know about the Android Wear watch from Intel and Fossil, but more details will be released soon. Stay tuned! Source: Gizmodo