News & Reviews:   SmartWatch

While reports have it that the rumoured Apple iWatch could be delayed to early 2015 other reports have it that the wearable device may come in 3 distinct versions. The first Apple iWatch will have a 1.6-inch display while the other two versions will offer larger 1.8-inch displays. One of these 1.8-inch display devices will be the premium version and offer a sapphire glass covered screen. Now, we've covered this before and found it perfectly logical as the smaller iWatch could be designed for women while the larger iWatch could be for men. While there are still no details on Malaysia release dates or pricing rumours indicate that it could be priced from $349 (RM1115) which is quite high for a smartwatch and just about right for an Apple product. As always, do take such rumours with a good pinch of salt and stay tuned as we'll keep you updated as to any new developments.

LG Electronics has just announced their new LG KizON smart wristband to help parents keep track of their kids. The device uses both GPS and WiFi to track kids wearing the device while also providing kids with a way to communicate with their parents through the One Step Direct Call feature. This feature uses a simple single button which calls a pre-configured phone number (usually the parents). The communication is two way as the device can also receive calls from pre-configured numbers and if the child fails to answer within 10 seconds, the device will automatically connect the call and activate the built-in microphone.

Samsung Malaysia has started a new fitness promotion with their Gear Fit Gym Challenge. Available at selected Celebrity Fitness and Fitness First gyms, the challenge will run from 16 June 2014 to 27 August. The challenge will be open to gym members and involve completing a 5km run on a treadmill within 30 minutes, with the challenger who gets the shortest time winning a Samsung Gear Fit smartband. Challengers will put on a Gear Fit smartband, take the run and see their scores posted on the leaderboard. The challenger who gets the best time at the end of the challenge period will win the smartband. Of course, challengers can participate as many times as they want, so check out the Gear Fit Gym Challenge schedule in this article.

Google recently unveiled devices for their new Android Wear wearable operating system with three new smartwatches from major brands. This includes the LG G Watch, Motorola Moto 360 and Samsung Gear Live. While the Motorola Moto 360 and LG G Watch have both been announced, the Samsung Gear Live makes it's first appearance here. However, it is more or less the same in both look and feel as a Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch. Check out the tech specs and features of the LG G Watch, Motorola Moto 360 and Samsung Gear Live below:

• LG G Watch
• 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor
• 1.65-inch display (IPS, 280 x 280 pixel resolution)
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB storage
• 63g
• 400 mAh battery
• Compatible with device running Android 4.3 + Bluetooth 4.0
• IP67 certified
• $229 (RM740)

While there are a lot of smartwatches in the market these days, none can say that they have flexible wraparound displays. This may soon change as E Ink, the company behind all those energy-saving black-and-white displays for other smartwatches is supposedly working on a curved wraparound display for a smartwatch. E Ink supposedly have a prototype already but did not show it off at Computex 2014 this year. While they didn't reveal any specific tech specs, they did say that the device would be feature the ability to detect your heart rate, show weather info and notifications. We assume that E Ink are not working on a device themselves so keep an eye out on other smartwatch makers in the coming months. No Malaysia release dates or pricing just yet but stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.

Announced earlier in CES 2014, the LG Lifeband Touch smartband and Heart Rate Earphones have just been released by LG Electronics. The LG Lifeband Touch is a touchscreen smartband that looks like a bracelet but offers motion sensing and a responsive OLED touchscreen. The Lifeband Touch is compatible with Android and iOS devices and powered by a 90 mAh battery for five days worth of usage. The bracelet can be swapped out for three different sizes, so you don't have to worry about it dangling if your wrist is a bit small. The Heart Rate Earphones on the other hand provide accurate health tracking by measuring the blood flow signals in your ear. A clip-on Bluetooth medallion relays these statistics to the Lifeband Touch. While there isn't any specific Malaysia release date or pricing we expect both devices to be available in Asia and subsequently in Malaysia in the coming weeks. Check out the LG Lifeband Touch and Heart Rate Earphones tech specs below:

• LG Lifeband Touch
• 0.9-inch display (OLED, 128 x 32 pixel resolution)
• 90mAh battery
• supports Bluetooth 4.0
• 196mm (XL) / 181mm (L) / 166mm (M)
• 53.1g(XL) / 50.1g(L) / 49.9g(M)

LeapFrog is introducing a fitness tracker for kids in the form of the LeapBand. The kiddie friendly smartwatch like design is neon green, blue, pink, orange and white with big, colourful buttons for controls. While it works like most other fitness trackers by tracking steps and the like, it is a mostly standalone device, so you don't need to pair it with a smartphone. It is also water resistant, so it should be sweat proof and spill proof. Unlike other fitness trackers, being more active and playing the fitness games loaded onto the LeapBand lets kids unlock pets and points to customize their pets.

Samsung Malaysia recently made it official, that their flagship smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch and Samsung Gear Fit smartband are now currently available in Malaysia. While retail pricing for the three devices have been set at RM2399 for the Samsung Galaxy S5, RM899 for the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 and RM599 for the Samsung Gear Fit, they can be bought at discounted prices through local telco deals and at all Samsung Experience stores, authorized sellers and distributors. For a complete breakdown of the available Samsung Galaxy S5 local telco deals from Celcom, Maxis, DiGi and U Mobile feel free to check out our Samsung Galaxy S5 plan comparison tool. Check out the videos of the Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Gear 2 and Gear Fit in this article for a refresher.

The current Samsung Galaxy Gear range of smartwatches are companion devices, designed to work with a compatible smartphone. However, it turns out that we could be getting a standalone 3G capable smartwatch from Samsung soon and that it may be called the Gear Solo. Apparently the Samsung Gear Solo name has already been filed for patent at the Korean Intellectual Property Office. No other tech specs or Malaysia release dates were available but we expect it to come first to South Korea and maybe get a global release soon afterwards. Hopefully we won't get another small smartphone on our wrist or a smartwatch that will only last a day. Stay tuned for more updates.

Apart from the Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Malaysia also revealed their Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch and Samsung Gear Fit smartband. Previously, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch had major issues with compatibility, but not so with these two new wearable devices as Samsung Malaysia prove with an extensive device compatibility list which you can see in this article.