A year or so ago, everyone thought that Android Wear was going to take over the smartwatch category; off-the-shelf software would let hardware manufacturers focus on what they do best. It hasn't really worked out that way. There are a few Wear watches, its true. But Samsung has Android and Tizen watches. Pebble is going its own way. Sports watch makers are sticking to their … [Read more...]
Pebble Teases a Pivot
Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky gave an exclusive interview to The Verge, in which he said that his company has sold 1,000,000 watches, and that 2015 will bring new products and a new software platform. Pebble's in a pretty difficult spot. It more or less pioneered the notification device use case for wearables, and but saw Google wield its sharp elbows in the market with Android … [Read more...]
CES Day 2: LG/Audi Smartwatch Reportedly to Run WebOS
Remember how we said a couple of days ago that Tizen and WebOS were the thin edge of the wedge that would attack Android in the home? Reports started circulating at CES that LG -- home of the WebOS TV -- was working on a WebOS smartwatch that would control some Audi cars. Android Central has clear images of a WebOS smartwatch prototype with Audi markings. The site says it … [Read more...]
CES Day 0: Is Android in Trouble at Home? (Updated)
Monday was Press Day at CES: the day that most companies spend setting up their booths and the big boys corral the press at a hotel miles away from the show floors. Press Day is when companies like Samsung, LG and Sony sum up their successes, bury their mistakes, and set their agendas for the year ahead. Wearables, for companies like that, are barely rounding error. As sexy … [Read more...]
Android Wear Update Adds Untethered Music and GPS
For the record, Google has unveiled a new revision of Android Wear. This version ties its users closer than ever to the Google ecosystem, giving them direct access to their cloud-based Google Play music libraries, without the need for a smartphone. (You need offline playing, also part of the update, turned on.) Also, the new rev supports GPS on Wear devices, for functions like … [Read more...]
LG G Watch R Goes Official
We warned you the other day about the forthcoming round Android Wear smartwatch from LG. The company officially announced it today -- and it looks pretty sharp. According the company, the G Watch R uses a 1.3-inch OLED screen, carries 4 GB of memory, and included an accelerometer/gyro/compass, barometer, and heart rate monitor. It's water-resistant to 1 meter; it's not clear … [Read more...]
LG to Launch Android Wear Smartwatch at IFA
There's a big consumer electronics conference in Berlin next week; IFA claims 1400 exhibitors in 145,000 square meters and 240,000 visitors, which puts it squarely in the league of CES, which sucks the air out of the industry for a week in early January. We expect a fair amount of news out of IFA, and it's probably no coincidence that Motorola is formally announcing the Moto … [Read more...]
Hands-on With Android Wear Watches From LG, Moto, and Samsung
Our correspondent Melissa Perenson is at Google I/O this week, and she got her hands on the first set of Android Wear watches to be shown to the public. Here are her impressions: With the LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live, and Motorola Moto 360, a big challenge became clear: how to differentiate themselves from each other. Price will certainly be an issue, but so will design … [Read more...]
First Review of LG Lifeband is Unenthusiastic
LG Electronics, the Korean consumer electronics giant, announced its bangle-like Lifeband Touch fitness tracker some months back. It's apparently shipping now, and first reviews are not particularly favorable. Youkyung Lee, writing for the Associated Press, wore it for a week and found it uncomfortable and limited. The lack of a strap caused the band to move up and down the … [Read more...]