Huawei CEO is not a fan of smartwatches

Huawei may have some of the best smartwatches on the market but, curiously enough, its CEO can't understand why people would want one.

No new Android Wear smartwatches are coming from LG, Huawei or Motorola

With Apple about to launch its new Apple Watch Series 2 and revamped Series 1, you'd expect lots of other brands rushing to launch competing smartwatches... but it doesn't seem to be the case, and LG, Huawei and Motorola have already stated they have no plans for new smartwatches in the coming months.

Blocks modular smartwatch on Kickstarter

While Google's Project Ara is showing signs of delays and added issues, the modular smartwatch Blocks seems to be progressing at a good pace, and now arrives on Kickstarter.

Ulefone uWear is a Apple Watch look-alike for under $30

So, you're curious about smartwatches but aren't willing to spend several hundred dollars on a Apple Watch, the only one you find good looking? How about if it cost you less than $30? That's kind of what you get with the new Ulefone uWear.

Android Wear 1.3 arrives with interactive watch faces and Google Translate

Android Wear 1.3 is out and heading to all the Android smartphones out there, and it comes with some nifty new features, such as interactive watch faces and embedded Google Translate.

Google showcases Android Wear diversity and customization

It probably wasn't "by chance" that Google decided to tout it's Android Wear diversity and customization possibilities just as Apple's Watch entered the pre-order phase; anyway, Google is well within reason to do so, and it's up to each one to make up is own mind.

Pebble announces Time Steel and Smartstraps

If you thought Pebble was going to rest now that it surpassed the 12 million mark on its Pebble Time crowdfunding campaign, you'd be mistaken. Pebble was holding some tricks up its sleeves, like a new Pebble Time Steel, and smarstraps that take Pebble into the "modular" arena.

LG Watch R algo has a circular display

Motorola's Moto 360 may be one of the most anticipated smartwatches ever, in large part due to it's uncommon circular display, but it looks like LG isn't far behind. In fact, we may even end up seeing this LG Watch R arrive on market before the Moto 360.

Moto 360 will cost $249

The upcoming Moto 360 is one of the most desirable smartwatches we've been able to see for (although we haven't really seen much of it so far, other than it looks really good). But looking good and being amazing wouldn't mean much if you couldn't afford it. Considering you can now pay upwards of $100 for a simple fitness tracker and smartwatches like Samsung's Galaxy Gear 2 can cost about $300... most feared this Moto 360 would cost even more. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Motorola has been experiencing a huge success in the affordable range. Their Moto G and the new Moto E are big hits, providing people with great "bang-for-your-money" devices, and they seem to want to do the same with the Moto 360. Although we're still waiting for an official announcement, a design contest by Motorola for the creation of a Moto 360 watch face has stated that the first prize (a Moto 360) has a commercial value of $249.

If that's the case, we seem to have a winner in our hand (literally :) Though it may still be more expensive than you'd like, it sure beats having to pay $299 or even more for a piece of high-tech Googliness in your wrist (the Moto 360 will run Android Wear, which seems to rely a lot on Google Now to push you information you need when you need it without you having to do anything.)

So... what do you think about a $249 Moto 360? Will this be your first next-gen smartwatch this Summer?

LG G Watch teases us a bit more in new video

Although the Moto 360 has "spoiled" us with its square-breaking-design, LG's G Watch is still a curious smartwatch we want to try out as soon as possible, not to mention it will be one of the first Android Wear devices on the market.

This news video doesn't reveal any new technical information, but it focus on it's timeless design, its waterproof all weather operation (will be interesting to see how the touchscreen behaves when wet), long battery life (mostly due to its low-power always-on screen), and Android compatibility (iOS seems to be left out - which isn't a surprise considering the deep integration Android Wear will have with the Android platform).

I just hope LG has included Qi wireless charging, as the pins we see in the back seem to indicate the G Watch will require a proprietary charging cradle, which is a bit annoying. But if it had wireless charging, I suspect LG would have stated it by now as being a big plus.

... Guess we'll find out soon enough, as the G Watch is expected to reach the stores in June.

LG G Watch will have an "always on" screen

The smartwatch revolution is coming whether you want it or not, and one of the most appealing models is LG's G Watch with Android Wear. And now that it has an official site, we get to know that it will have something that might make it a lot more appealing than some of its competitors: an always on screen.

I find it kind of curious to see how people easily let go of "features" they had in older devices, even going to the point of justifying/excusing the shortcomings of newer devices. Most people today would be just fine with having a smarwatch that requires you to press a button to wake its screen to be able to see something as simple as what time it is - even though any cheap watch is constantly showing the time. Sure, screens use power and etc. etc. But instead of justifying and accommodating it, wouldn't it be better to tell manufacturers: "no, this is not ok, find a way to do it better"?

I believe so, and this G Watch seems to prove that this is possible, and that we should be more demanding about what they trey to push us.

I just don't understand why, with this always-on screen, LG has decided to use so many beauty shots of its G Watch with the screen... off.

Anyway, I admit that while I'm still quite interested in this G Watch, my interest has subsided a bit since Motorola showed us their upcoming Moto 360. In a single moment, "square" smartwatches became "old fashioned" (if we can say so). Even so, I do hope LG's G Watch to be successful, and show us that Android Wear can really make these devices more useful in our daily life.

LG shows its G Watch smartwatch

You don't need to predict the future to tell that the second half of the year will bring us a deluge of smartwatches, each competing for your attention for the next holiday season. LG has revealed one more photo of its upcoming G Watch, a device that may very well become Google's Nexus Smartwach and be one of the first to use the new Android Wear for wearable devices.

Its looks quite simple and nice, and no doubt that just a few weeks ago, it would be exactly the kind os smartwatch you'd hope for. The problem is... since then we've seen Motorola's new Moto 360 smartwatch, and everything changed. Even if it's just for the novelty factor of having a traditional looking circular watch combined with the modernity of a smartwatch, the truth is... it seems to be working. Suddenly, people are talking more and more about how design is important (it always was), and they may no longer settle for having just a "square screen with a bracelet" wrapped around their wrists.

What do you think, do you still think smartwatches like these G Watch attractive - or did the Moto 360 made you re-think what kind of smartwatch you'd be willing to wear on your wrist?

Pebble sold 400k smartwatches

The smartwatch that took the world by storm by breaking all crowdfunding records is doing great. Pebble has sold over 400,000 smartwatches in 2013, and is expecting to double its revenue in 2014. It's an amazing feat for a project that began as a crowdfunding project, and it proved to many (all?) that market really wants a smartwatch device.

Even with this success, I can avoid but feel a sort of déjà-vu, taking me back to the first days of the Android devices. Back then, we had but a single Android smartphone, and people struggled to find one such device. Now, you can find hundreds, thousands, of different models in all shapes and sizes (and prices).

In the smartwatch segment, I think we'll see the same. Smartwatches will become as common and diversified as regular watches are today, surpassing even the number of different models of smartphones. People may even have different smartwatches for different purposes, like casual wearing, a more stylish one for special occasions, and a sports model for jogging or swimming.  It will soon become irrelevant to say if a smartwatch is "smart" or not, just like today the smartphones are surpassing "dumb phones".

The major casualty will be the current generation of fitness trackers, that will have little space to live within a market where smartwatches can do everything that they do... and more. But even current smartwatches will soon feel pre-historic compared to what's coming, when things like the iWatch from Apple, and a new deluge of Android Wear devices come out, offering features such as continuous health monitoring and more.

It's an exciting time to live in! :)

Moto 360 - a stylish Motorola Smartphone for Android Wear

Google has just unveiled the way it will tackle the growing number of werable devices, with a dedicated version of it's Android plataform called Android Wear conceived specifically for this kind of devices, starting with smartwatches - but in the future expanding it to a lot of different devices.

The idea is having smart devices that will present us with the information we need just as we need it, and answering all our questions and voice commands, and in the video it looks great... though we'll have to wait a few more months till we see if it does so well in real life. Google should launch a "Nexus" smartwatch made by LG soon, but the smartwatch that really caught our attention was the Moto 360 by Motorola.

We haven't see a real working model, but if they succeed in turning the concept they've shown is into reality, I'm sure there will be a lot of people jumping into the smartwatch bandwagon. The Moto 360 really does look amazing, and we can only hope it will be available at an affordable price and have a decent battery life.

Check out the following videos to have a better feel about what Android Wear is all about and this amazing Moto 360 smarwatch that should be out in the Summer.

Galaxy Gear smartwatch: Flop or not?

Everyone is in turmoil trying to see if Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch can be considered a success or a mega-flop. On one side we have reports that only 50,000 of these smartwatches have been sold, on the other hand we have information from Samsung that states they have shipped more than 800,000 Gears in the first two months... who's right after all?

Most likely, the truth will be somewhere between the two. Shipped units don't mean a thing - they might as well be stuck inside a storage warehouse somewhere, or on the shelves, and those that were actually sold might have been returned after its users found out they couldn't do much with it (that has changed with the recent Gear Manager update Samsung made available - but many users probably didn't wait for it.) Some stores said they had nearly 30% return rates for the Galaxy Gear.

The market sure is hyped up for the wearable revolution, but for it to occur one does not need only a "first to market" approach - we need to have device that are actually useful in our daily lives. And Samsung - in my opinion - was to focused on being the first... and forgot to make their Galaxy Gear useful. Now, even though each and every update will certainly make it better, for thousands of buyers their feedback will be "it sucks", and they'll be sure to tell that to their friends, and family, and everyone else.

First impressions count. And as sure as you won't bother trying some clothes a second time after you've tried it once; wearable devices better get their act straight and make sure they amaze us from the very start. Why else do you think Google is taking its time to bring its Google Glass to market?

Google to announce SmartWatch this month?

Looks like Google may be preparing to pull a fast one on the competition and announce their SmartWatch sooner than most people would think. Some people say that is bound to happen this month at the expected Android 4.4 KitKat presentation.

Considering there are lots (all?) of companies working on SmartWatches, not only the "big ones" but also successful independent projects on Kickstarter, with some models already on the market, I think it's safe to say that technically speaking there isn't any "issues" with bringing such a device to market. More critical is the software side of the question - but Google also has that part covered: the Google Now and voice interaction is a good indication of what you could easily transpose to a SmartWatch: just talk to it and let it speak to you in return while displaying the "cards" on its small screen.

I don't know if it's possible for Google to have pulled such a thing off while keeping it in absolute secret. If we're about to see such a device in less than two weeks from now, I imagine there would be some leaks somewhere... But, Apple did manage to pull it off during the Steve Jobs era (for the most part) albeit under draconian rules to ensure secrets were kept secret. Maybe now it is time for Google to bring us the "... one more thing" that will amaze its audience? Can't wait to find out. :)

Samsung unveils its Galaxy Gear Smartwatch

It was one of the most expected gadgets of the season, Samsung's attempt to pave the way for the smartwatch revolution, their much touted Galaxy Gear.


Thankfully, the final version isn't as ugly as it had been feared, but neither is as futuristic as some of the concept renderings had made us believe (with curved screens, and such). At the end of the day,whil a bit more polished, it still looks like a small screen strapped to a bracelet. The screen in a 1.63" Super AMOLED with 320x320 (which requires you to push a button to light up and show you the time). And it's also quite bulky...  And it that wasn't enough, it's 25h battery life is overly optimistic. Based on the hardware it has, you could run through the battery in a single hour of heavy use - though that's highly unexpected. But even so, it better to hope we'll be able to get about 10h of regular use.

It has a camera in the bracelet, which is kind of nice... though you won't be able to snap some unsuspecting spy shots, as you can't silence the "shutter sound" it makes (guess you won't be able to snap some quick photo of your sleeping baby without waking him up).

The really worst part is that the Galaxy Gear will only work with Samsung smartphones and tablets - at the moment, just the new Note 3 and 10.1. That, and the fact that will cost $299 makes me believe that it will be just another gadget that, jute like all previous smartwatch attempts, won't convince the general public (and that's assuming someday one will).

As a side note, this Galaxy Gear makes the Kreyos Meteor and Omate TrueSmart look much better deals. And at least they'll work with your non-Samsung Android devices.

Kreyos Meteor Smartwatch surpasses 1 Million at Indiegogo

We've heard of cases of crowdfunding projects largely surpassing its intended goals thanks to a much larger audience pitching in to support it, and I think we can safely say the Kreyos Meteor smartwatch certainly fits the bill, having surpassed 1 million dollars -  not bad when you consider that's over ten times the initial objective. I have already talked about the Kreyos Meteor before, and just like before, I still continue to think this is one of the best smartwatches (at least for the time being).

This milestone comes with a nice extra: the Meteor will now have sleep tracking. It's nice, but its the kind of thing you'd expect it to have anyway... So, I'd like that for such an important stretch goal, they could have come up with something more appealing.

Talking about appealing... Kreyos have been doing their share of viral marketing, and there are a few ince things in store for all those that bring some friends into the fold: if you get two friends to back up thios project, you'll get an additional charger; three friends get you two Kreyos accessories; and last - but definitely more interesting - if you convince five friends to buy a Kreyos Meteor smartwatch, you'll get yours for free.

... Now, that's what I call a real motivation! :)

In any case, with or without friends pitching in, mine is already booked! Now we just have to wait until November to get it (hopefully there won't be any delays).

Apple registers iWatch in Japan

When it comes to Apple there are more than enough rumors to go around, and some of them are related to the possibility of Apple developing a smartwatch - with some saying Apple has devoted hundreds of people to that project. Until now it was nothing but rumor... but with Apple applying for the iWatch trademark in Japan, we can definitely say there's "fire" under all that smoke.

Smartwatches have been popping up like crazy, but this is an area that is particularly suited for Apple cto sweep in and save the day. Existing smartwatches are either very limited or plain ugly. Like any regular wristwatch, this is the kind of device people take pride in wearing, and they do so only if they like it. If not, there would only be a single wristwatch manufacturer in the world, as all watches do the same: show time.

Apple can use their design and tech teams in order to build a "I want one of those!" smartwatch, just because it looks good - more so than their iPhone. Sure, the smartwatch competition is bound to become harder by the minute - the Kreyos Meteor is one of the latest to pop up, with the ability to use Siri and Google Voice Actions from your wrist (and I've ordered mine), and it does so for just about $100. I think it's safe to say that Apple's iWatch should cost quite a bit more.


[The image is for illustrative purposes only - there's still no idea regarding how the iWatch will look like; and we can expect it will be kept that way until its public unveiling... unless someone forgets one in a bar. :]

Kreyos Meteor - Voice Activated Smartwatch

Interesting crowdfunding projects keep popping up every day, and after the success some SmartWatches  made on the scene (like Pebble), there's a new kid on the block that is bound to follow in its footsteps and become a huge success: the Kreyos Meteor.

In just a single day it flew past the $100k objective, and I wouldn't be surprised if it reached over $1 million in the upcoming weeks. Why? Besides looking great, this smartwatch promises to have a 1 week battery life (thanks fo its low power LCD - 144x169 pixels). But even better is that you can use voice and gestures to interact with it. Yes, you can use Siri and/or Google Now by talking to your wrist. You can also move your hand around, as it can detect several different gestures thanks to its internal motion sensors.

It can even interface with ANT/ANT+ fitnesse trackers, which makes it even more appealing for sports fans; and best of all, it's completely waterproof even though it has a microphone and micro-speakers. It will have apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

If everything goes according to plan, it will be delivered in November, and you too can have one for just $100. (I've already ordered mine :)