News & Reviews:   SmartWatch

Everyone seems to be getting on the smartwatch bandwagon,  including ZTE who are rumoured to be coming out with a smartwatch in Q1 of 2014. Initial rumours say that the ZTE smartwatch will only work or sync with ZTE devices and eventually work with every other Android smartphone. However, new rumours indicate that the upcoming ZTE smartwatch could be a stand alone device where it could call, SMS or connect to the Internet without having to sync with a smartphone through Bluetooth. This is because rumours say that will be able to accept a SIM or micro SIM card. These rumours go on to state that the ZTE smartwatch will be launched first in China before being rolled out internationally and reaching Malaysia. It is expected to be priced much lower than the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch which retails at RM999 here in Malaysia. 

And the Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours continue to pile up. This time around it also concerns the Samsung Galaxy Gearsmartwatch which was initially released with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. In line with that, rumour mongers are saying that we may see the next generation Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch announced alongside the Samsung Galaxy S5. While we're not too thrilled about another Bluetooth companion accessory (we're still hoping for a standalone watch phone) rumours indicate that the Gear 2 could be thinner by about 15% to 20% compared to the original Gear. It would be great if the price was dropped and the battery life improved but a thinner smartwatch could also mean a smaller battery. In related news, more Samsung Galaxy S5 tech specs and features were leaked as well with both plastic and metal versions. Asides from the already mentioned rumours of either the Snapdragon 805 or a 64-bit Samsung Exynos Octa powering the S5, rumours are also saying the S5 could come with a 4000 mAh battery. Personally, we're not sure where Samsung would stick such a large battery unless it is a moulded non-removable kind but we're looking forward to next year sometime in January or February 2014 when the Samsung Galaxy S5 is expected to make an appearance.

In today's connected life, many times parents would consider giving their young school going children mobile phones and even smartphones to stay connected and protected. However, most parents and schools feel that this is not the best idea as your standard mobile phone or smartphone opens up possibilities of games, texting or calling during class and much more (like the super dangerous Internet). One of the more interesting solutions is the FiLIP,  which is a silicon encased phone watch that can only call up to five preset numbers, cannot text or install games and has a built-in GPS. What makes the FiLIP different is that children can use it to make calls back, perhaps to tell the parents to come pick them up or some other emergency. Parents can also call and send one-way text messages or locate them via GPS (they can also set a safezone) using the smartphone app.

There have been quite a few smartwatch announcements recently and one of the latest is the Neptune Pine smartwatch. Originally a Kickstarter crowd-funding project (which is still running and has already met it's $100000 goal), the Pine smartwatch is a standalone device that packs in the tech specs and hardware of an entry-level smartphone into a rather chunky smartwatch that you can remove from the dock like strap to take pictures. This is because the Pine has a 5MP rear camera to go with a VGA front camera as well, both complete with LED flash. Other tech specs include a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB / 32GB of storage and a 2.4-inch screen with 320 x 240 pixel resolution. The Pine supports Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and even 3G along with voice calls and SMS. While it runs on Android 4.1, Neptune devs are currently working on an Android 4.4 update. Check out the videos, images and links in this article.

Despite poor reviews (ourselves included) of the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Samsung still managed to move 800000 units of the smartwatch, making it probably the most profitable smartwatch to date. It does help that the smartwatch market is still very small but this is still a cause for celebration, at least for Samsung. However, it does raise the question of what you would really want in a smartwatch. Quite obviously, many of the smartwatches available on the market aren't what you want. So, what would you want from a smartwatch or what sort of smartwatch would you really want? How much would it cost?

ZTE was recently quoted that it would be launching a smartwatch as early as 2014 with a possible release date in Q1 of 2014. Unfortunately, there were no tech specs or other feature details but if it looks to make any sort of impact they will likely have to address most of the main limitations of current smartwatches in the market. These include cripplingly short battery life, compatibility, limited features and functionality, the now standard thick slab of touchscreen design and a rather high price tag. Most smartwatches are also aiming to be little more than notification centers for your smartphone that connect via bluetooth. We're hoping more for a standalone device and there are already quite a few of those in development or recently introduced. None have answered all of the main limitations of current smartwatches but we ZTE could be the one to finally break the deadlock. As it is, the ZTE smartwatch would probably surface at CES 2014, where Samsung is also rumoured to be coming out with a better Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch as well.

When the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch came out we were wondering when it would be available and for how much as many of the features on it made it an interesting entry into the growing smartwatch market. Well, the good news is that Qualcomm have revealed the pricing at $349 (RM1111) from 2 December 2013. Unfortunately, this is also the bad news. If you need to see how the Toq measures up to the Samsung Galaxy Gear and Sony SmartWatch 2 check out our earlier comparison article. Suffice to say, we're a little down because for what it can do complete with the available tech specs and features, it does less than the Galaxy Gear but costs more (the Samsung Galaxy Gear costs RM999 in Malaysia). Again, we're put in mind that the Toq, like the Galaxy Gear before it, is actually a beta device and is more out there to test the waters, get user feedback and prep the market for a better smartwatch. Hopefully that is the case. It is also fully compatible with any Android smartphone from Android 4.0.3. If you're still interested, check out the Qualcomm Toq site. Check out the video in this article for a refresher of the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch.

The rumour that Apple may be making a smartwatch called the Apple iWatch in 2014 is getting more meat and details as other rumours pop up. One of the latest is that we may be getting two types or sizes of Apple iWatch come this 2014, a 1.7-inch Apple iWatch for men and a 1.3-inch Apple iWatch for women. This rumour comes courtesy of analyst David Hsieh who has been quite accurate so far about previous Apple products. While this prediction does not mention how exactly each Apple iWatch may look or what tech specs they may have, it is a very logical conclusion. Traditionally, watches are very different in terms of size for men and women, after all, you probably won't see a large Rolex or sports watch on a woman's wrist or vice versa. While Apple have traditionally followed the one-size-fits-all design paradign they recently changed this approach when they released the Apple iPhone 5S and Apple iPhone 5C, so the rumour of two different Apple iWatch smartwatches according to gender sounds like the right way to go. As usual, do take this with a pinch of salt, as a rumour remains a rumour until it is proven.

The Android operating system is nearly synonymous with Google, however, there is a small watch company who is actually named Android, and they are looking to release a smartwatch designed for Android smartphones next month. Bear in mind that this is not the rumoured Google smartwatch nor is the Android watch company in any way affiliated with Google but it has been in the watch industry for years, which is probably why there hasn't been any legal issue with Google. As it is the Android smartwatch looks to be another bluetooth remote control and follows the now standard slab of touchscreen on a strap smartwatch design. According to the features list the smartwatch can answer calls, show you calls and messages, has a pedometer, calculator, chronograph and calendar function and lets you stream and control music from your smartphone. You can also record a voice memo, but apart from that there don't seem to be any other functions. Unfortunately, the features list didn't have any tech specs or specifications listed so we can only assume that it is just another Bluetooth remote control. We also assume it should work for any Android smartphone with Bluetooth as the video shows it interfacing with the Samsung Galaxy S4 but it could just as well work with iOS provided there is an app for it. The Android smartwatch is due in December 2013 but there wasn't any specific Malaysia release date or pricing. The Android smartwatch will be available in black, blue, orange, red and white.

Coming from the usual source of parts suppliers, Google has been rumoured to start mass production of their smartwatch device and soon. According to the Wall Street Journal this is because Google have solved the 2 main obstacles involved with smartwatches which is how useful the smartwatch can be and battery life. Supposedly, the Google smartwatch will include a battery saving feature that extends the battery life. There are no details if this better battery life will be past the current 1 week standard smartwatch battery life or past 25 hours which is the battery life of currently the most feature-filled smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Gear. The Google smartwatch will also use Google Now as the main interface, which could mean many more voice commands and the ability to always be listening, much like the Motorola Moto X.

So far, reports indicate that it would still have to rely on your smartphone as a stand-alone smartwatch would cost too much and be to big to be worn on the wrist (which doesn't seem to be the case for some other smartwatch makers). We're still hoping that Google will offer a stand-alone smartwatch but we should find out soon enough. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Google Watch could come within a matter of months which could mean either the end of 2013 in December or early 2014. No specifics on pricing or Malaysia release dates but we'll keep you posted.