It's apparently smartwatch week; in addition to Huawei, ASUS, and Samsung, Motorola's dived (dove? diven?) back into the pool with updated Moto360s. They're a lot like their predecessors: Android Wear, round screen, customizable at purchase, small "flat-tire" cutout at the bottom of the dial. But there are also some notable improvements and extensions to the line. This is … [Read more...]
Samsung Sneaks Next Gear Smartwatch
Samsung held a press shindig today to show off its latest cellphone and phablet (a word that our spell-checker seems to think is OK), and used the occasion to give a quick look at the Gear S2 smartwatch, which it won't formally introduce until next month. The round-faced S2, like most Samsung smartwatches, looks like it will be based on the Tizen operating system. Nice watch … [Read more...]
Mondiane Smartwatch Available for Pre-Order, Uses MMT Movement
The first wave of smartwatches using the Swiss MMT movement from Philippe Kahn's FullPower Technologies are starting to hit the market. Mondiane's Helvetica 1, based on the well-known "Swiss Rail" watch face, is now available for pre-order. The Helvetica 1, announced earlier this year at the Baselworld watch show, is an analog watch based on the MMT movement. MMT-based … [Read more...]
Olio Smart Watch Closes $10M Round, Intros Gold-Plated Versions
Olio, makers of one of the more interesting high-end smartwatches, says it has just closed a $10 million Series A funding round led by New Enterprise Associates. In addition, the company has put on sale its latest round of limited-edition watches, led by versions plated in yellow or rose gold. As we've written previously, Olio has developed its own hardware and software … [Read more...]
NYTimes Long Read About Smartwatches
There probably isn't much that in it that faithful readers of this site don't already know, but the New York Times published a pretty good long read this weekend about the smartwatch business seen from the perspective of Swiss watchmakers. TL;dr: Yes, they're nervous. Yes, they're defensive. The companies in the $1,000 price range are adapting; the ones who sell stuff more … [Read more...]
New Boutique Watch Company, Olio, Launches Smartwatch
There have been one or two smartwatch announcements over the last year, mostly coming as extensions of already well-established companies. For all the trumpeting, (and with Pebble as a very notable exception), actual new smartwatch companies are pretty thin on the ground. That's one reason that Olio is so interesting. Here's a company, based in Silicon Valley, with roots in … [Read more...]
Baselworld: Mondiane Shows The First MMT Platform Watch
Mondiane, perhaps best known for its iconic Swiss Railways watch face, today announced the first fruits of the recent MMT smartwatch alliance that puts technology from Philippe Kahn's Fullpower Technologies into watches that can be labeled as "Swiss Made." The Helvetica No 1 Smart has a brushed steel case, white dial, sapphire crystal, and a soft leather strap. It looks like … [Read more...]
MWC Day 0: Huawei Joins the Smartwatch Hunt with Android Wear and Jawbone
Chinese tech giant Huawei announced a stainless steel smartwatch at Mobile World Congress that runs Android Wear and relies on Jawbone's UP software ecosystem. Huawei, the world's third largest cellphone maker, is very little known in the United States consumer market -- although it is no stranger to the enterprise world -- but has been working hard to raise its … [Read more...]
Swatch to Sell Smartwatch Within Three Months, Says Bloomberg
Remember when Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek said smartwatches would never catch on? He's changed his tune, and now tells Bloomberg that he'll be selling a smartwatch, complete with an NFC chip for payments, within the next three months. Why the turnaround? Because Hayek did not get to be the boss of the world's biggest watch company by being stupid. It's clear that people want … [Read more...]
New Sony Wristware Reportedly Coming at IFA
We told you last week that there was going to be a drumbeat of news coming out of IFA this week. Sony is apparently joining the conga line with a refresh of its Smartwatch and a new lower-end Smartband. The Smartwatch 3, according to 9to5Google, is a follow-on to the company's earlier Smartwatches, which have proven popular in Europe but not the United States. The Smartwatch … [Read more...]