Thursday, March 23, 2017
Best smartwatches to look forward to in 2016
Best smartwatches to look forward to in 2016
Best smartwatches to look forward to in 2016
To hear watch without the word smart in front of it will soon be indicative of a heirloom description. Even luxury watch brands have embraced smartwatches with some exciting announcements having already been made this year and more set to come.
In 2015, we saw Apple finally take the plunge into the smartwatch market, Pebble hit us with not one but three new smartwatches in one year alone, and LG dive even further into the pool with yet another smarter offering. So what else do we have to look forward to? Well, there are plenty of devices left to keep an eye out for.
It seems 2015 was the year of intelligent wrist adornment and chances are, 2016 will continue the trend, so here are all the best smartwatches to look forward to in 2016. We have included devices that have been announced but are not yet available to buy, as well as a few rumoured timepieces for good measure.
Hublot smartwatch
Hublot could be the next LVMH brand to launch a smartwatch, according to a Bloomberg interview with Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and Hublot. Although details were thin on the ground, Biver said a Hublot smartwatch would feature sports-related functions.
It is not clear whether Hublot will follow the same path as the TAG Heuer Connected by opting for Android Wear as the platform, but its expected to arrive in 2017 or 2018.
Considering how well the TAG Heuer Connected is reported to be doing, it is not surprising to see other brands within the parent company wanting a slice of the pie.
TAG Heuer Connected 2
The original TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch was teased at Baselworld 2015, followed by a proper launch at the end of last year. It might have been the first smartwatch from the company, but it wont be the last it seems.
CEO Jean-Claude Biver not only revealed sister-company Hublot would be releasing a smartwatch at some point in the future, but he also told Reuters at Baselworld 2016 that TAG Heuer had "totally underestimated demand" for the Connected watch.
Having already sold 20,000 of the $1500 Android Wear smartwatch, a further 60,000 are expected to be sold in 2016 and a new model will apparently debut in 2017. Biver told Reuters that because of the success of the original, the company is planning a new collection for next year with six to eight models.
Nixon Mission - Android Wear
The Mission has a round AMOLED display surrounded by a stainless steel bezel and incorporated in a polycarbonate and stainless steel shell with a silicone wristband. Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and it will offer the standard Android Wear features.
The Nixon Mission all be available in Autumn but pricing has yet to be announced.
Fossil Q
Fossil has said it will be releasing more than 100 connected devices in 2016, two of which will come in the form of the Q Wander and Q Marshal. The company announced its first Android Wear smartwatch last year with the Q Founder and these two new devices will join it.
The Wander features a 44mm gold case with interchangeable leather straps, while the Marshal has a 46mm "rugged" case with a navy blue finish and vintage-looking leather straps. Both devices offer circular, always-on touchscreen displays and functionality is the same, meaning you can expect similar features to the Q Founder and most Android Wear watches.
Fossil said the new watches cost $275 each and come with a wireless charger. There will also be a collection of analogue watches including the Q Crewmaster, Q Gazer, Q Nate and Q Tailor, which continue the journey of the Q54 Pilot and Q Grant models.
Michael Kors Access Collection
As we mentioned above, the Fossil Group is planning on launching 100 wearables by the end of 2016. These will come come from eight brands, including Fossil, Kate Spade New York, Misfit and Michael Kors.
The Michael Kors Access collection will include two Android Wear watches, designed to offer a "stylish, even glamorous design". The two watches, one of which has a gold sparkly case, while the other is a black, sportier model, will feature exclusive faces and interchangeable wristbands.
They will cost $395 each and they will be sold through the Michael Kors stores. Details are still a little thin on the ground but it is thought they wont be available until Autumn.
Samsung Gear S2 by de Grisogono
Samsung teamed up with de Grisogono at Baselworld 2016 to announce a luxury model of the Gear S2. It features 56 white diamonds, comprising 1.2 carats around the bezel of the circular face, as well as rose gold edging.
If that wasnt enough, there are also 71 black diamonds, making up a further 1.8 carats. The strap is black and studded with galuchat, a finish that is signature to de Grisogono.
Elsewhere, the same Gear S2 specs remain with a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display, 4GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, a 250mAh battery and a heart rate monitor. This luxury model will also come with unique faces and a massive price tag at some point this summer.
Tissot Smart-Touch
The design is based on the T-Touch Solar models, featuring a titanium case, ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal face with quartz movement inside. The battery can be charged by the sun and it features functions including a timer, alarms, compass, barometer and temperature.
When connected to your smartphone, the Smart-Touch will all you to sync the time, get weather updates, change settings and share experiences with friends. There are also connected accessories, including a Find-It tag to help you keep track of other items and a weather station that can give you humidity, air quality and temperature readings.
The Tissot Smart-Touch smartwatch should be available late-2016 for around CHF1000, which is roughly £710.
HTC One smartwatch
Rumours that HTC is making a smartwatch have been circulating for some time now. Last year, it was thought the Taiwanese company would launch the Petra smartwatch at Mobile World Congress, but nothing ever appeared. The rumours then suggested the design was being changed to a round model that would apparently appear in 2016.
Since then, serial leaker Evan Blass has shared on Twitter that the HTC smartwatch "should be out mid-April", suggesting it might launch with the next flagship - the M10. There arent many other details at the moment but perhaps 2016 will be the year HTC hops on the smartwatch bandwagon.
Apple Watch 2
Apple announced the Apple Watch in September of 2014, releasing it for sale in April of 2015 but rumours have already started circulating for a second generation of the iOS-specific smartwatch.
The Apple Watch 2, as we are calling it for now, has been rumoured to be unveiled at an event on 21 March, with suggestions it will go on sale in June 2016, or the second quarter of 2016. It will apparently come with the same design as the original with the same rectangular screen size options, screen resolutions, and body, which might mean current straps might remain compatible.
Word has it new materials might come for the second generation however, and it is thought it will also sport a front-facing video camera (located near the top of the display) that will allow for proper FaceTime calls. Improved wireless capabilities have also been touted.
Guess Connect (2016)
Guess announced the Guess Connect smartwatch last year at CES. It looked like the traditional Guess Rigor watch but added a notification bar at the bottom of the face, powered by Martian. The company announced there would be several new designs of the Guess Connect appear for 2016, including a leopard print design and a new, smarter option.
In addition to the new colours and styles of the original Guess Connect however, the company is also planning to launch an entirely new model, which will again be powered by Martian. The new watch will focus more on looking like a normal watch, adding just an LED notifier light within the watch housing instead. There are plenty of styles coming with the new model arriving in November.
LG Watch Urbane 2
LGs second generation of its Watch Urbane offers a full range of wireless connections, including 4G and 3G meaning it will be able to make and receive calls, operating independently of your connected smartphone.
The LG Watch Urbane 2 expands the P-OLED display to 1.38-inches, 348ppi, and is powered by the standard Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset, with 768MB RAM. Theres 4GB of internal storage, should you wish to keep your music offline, and GPS for tracking your runs and so on.
The LG Watch Urbane second edition will be compatible with Android and iOS devices and it will be available in Space Black, Opal Blue, Luxe White and Signature Brown, which refers to the strap colour options.
LG launched the watch before pulling it almost immediately after issues with the display. It has now been confirmed the Watch Urbane 2 hasnt been cancelled and will make a reappearance in the second half of 2016 so eyes peeled for this one.
Haier Watch
White-good manufacturer Haier announced its move into wearables at Mobile World Congress 2016 with the Haier Watch that sports full-blown Android 6.0 Marshmallow rather than Android Wear.
The Haier Watch comes with multiple watch faces and sports Bluetooth 4.0, 8GB of storage and a 1.4-inch display with a 400 x 400 resolution and no flat tyre. The 42mm casing is built from 316L stainless steel and it features an integrated speaker, as well as the ability to be used as an MP3 player. There is also a microphone on board.
Additionally, the Haier Watch has heart rate tracking, activity tracking and it is IP65 water resistant. It will be available in April and pricing is expected to be around €200.
Samsung SM-R150
It looks like Samsung might be working on its next-generation activity tracker if images revealed by Tizen Cafe and later republished by Sammobile are anything to go by. The device is said to be going by the name of Triathlon internally but known by the model number SM-R150 and it appears to look similar to the Gear S2 with a round face and rotating bezel.
Based on the leaked images, it looks like the SM-R150 will feature a heart-rate sensor, something to count workout repetitions, a way to track water intake and some kind of body fat measurement ability. There also seems to be a way to attach the device to your chest.
Huawei Watch Jewel and Elegant
Yes, we know the Huawei Watch has already been announced and is currently available to buy - here we are now referring to a couple of womens models that were announced at CES 2016. The Chinese manufacturer has teamed up with Swarovski to produce the Huawei Watch Jewel and Huawei Watch Elegant.
The Jewel is all about the bling with crystals surrounding the face, while the Elegant model opts for a knurled pattern instead. Both models have genuine Italian leather straps in pearl white and sapphire blue and they both come with 40 pre-loaded faces like the original model, as well as a heart rate sensor and motion sensors for fitness tracking. You will find 10 exclusive feminine watch faces on the new models however. They will be available in March.
It has also been rumoured that the Chinese company has also started working on a second generation of the watch, which has been scheduled to arrive in the second half of the year. If this is the case, we wouldnt be surprised to see it launch at IFA. The second-generation is rumoured to possibly offer a cellular version but take that with pinch of salt for now.
Casio Smart Outdoor Watch WSD-F10
Casio announced its first smartwatch at CES 2016 in the form of the Smart Outdoor Watch WSD-F10. It runs on Android Wear but it is a little more rugged than its competition with water-resistance up to 50 metres and MSL-STD-810 military compliance.
There is a 1.32-inch screen on board offering a resolution of 320 x 300 and a choice between monochrome and full-colour mode. The Smart Outdoor Watch WSD-F10 comes complete with a pressure sensor, compass and accelerometer, with users able to check altitude, air pressure, tide graphs and activity, among other things.
The Casio Smart Outdoor Watch WSD-F10 comes in black, orange, red and army green colour options, will cost around $500
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