News & Reviews:   SmartWatch

According to a new leak, ZTE seemed to be the latest company to join in on Android Wear. Allegedly called the ZTE Quartz, ZTE is working on its first smartwatch that runs Android Wear. Though, this is not ZTE’s first attempt at making wearables, as it had made smartwatches such as the W01, as well as Venus G1 and S2 activity trackers in the past.

While the smartwatch market is getting smaller and perhaps more niche, companies are still making strides in design and technological advancements. Take for example Samsung. We like their Gear series of devices, and we have discovered some new patents that gives some hints on what their future smart wearables may look like.

A sad day in the world of wearable technology – Pebble has confirmed that they will be bought over by Fitbit. This will result in the closure of the brand, company and product line as Fitbit is only buying the software side of the company – not the hardware.

We like the Motorola Moto 360 – but according to a new report, we may not see another model come anytime soon. Motorola said that they do not have any plans to release a new smartwatch to coincide with Google’s Android Wear 2.0, which is due to be released in early 2017.

A report online is stating that FitBit, one of the world’s biggest fitness tracker manufacturer, is in talks in purchasing the wearable company Pebble. This news comes on the heel of reports where the latter had to lay-off 25% of its workforce recently.

A new report has appeared online; stating that Samsung’s Tizen OS for the smartwatch may have found a new customer. The brand to look out for is Huawei, and we may see a Tizen-powered smartphone from them pretty soon.

Style meets technology with Meizu’s Mix – at least that is what they want to portray with the smart wearable. It is not a smartwatch, as it lacks the display that is usually used– instead it is a connected analogue watch with smart features.

The folks at Pebble have announced their first round smartwatch with the Pebble Time Round which at 7.5mm thin and 28g is currently the world's thinnest and lightest smartwatch. Featuring a 1.25-inch circular e-ink display the Time Round offers a 22mm band and 14mm band and also has quick charging as well. The first thing most people will notice are the rather thick bezels but like other Pebble smartwatch, the Time Round is Android and Apple iPhone compatible. There is a cost to battery life due to the size shrink but it should last more than a day on a single charge. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details but it is currently available at pre-order for $249 (RM1093) in November 2015.

ASUS recently announced their new ASUS ZenWatch 2, the second generation in the ASUS ZenWatch series (which didn't manage to make it to Malaysia officially last time). While keeping the same beautiful curved glass look and design, the new ZenWatch 2 offers a different size and many other options to customize the smartwatch according to your tastes. The ZenWatch 2 will come in the original size with a 1.63-inch display at a 320 x 320 pixel resolution, but there is now a smaller version with a 1.45-inch display and 280 x 280 pixel resolution. Both feature the same tech specs which include a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB storage and a 400 mAh battery for the larger version and 300 mAh battery for the smaller version. Both use a magnetic connector to charge and are expected to launch in October although there are no specific Malaysia release dates just yet. You can customize the ZenWatch by choosing from a silver, gunmetal grey or rose gold body, various watch straps and using a watchface-creation tool. International pricing begins at €149 (RM702) for the larger version and €169 (RM796) for the smaller version.

Apart from their Huawei Mate S and Huawei G8 smartphones, Huawei also announced that their very premium looking Huawei Watch will soon be shipping globally. Granted, Malaysia may not see it this month in September 2015 but we should be getting it in the next couple of months. Featuring a round watch face and 1.4-inch AMOLED display with 400 x 400 pixel resolution the Huawei Watch looks like a traditional watch with a physical crown. The diplay also has two layers of scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass while the body is made from 316L stainless steel. Tech specs will include a a Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, a heart rate monitor and a 300 mAh battery which can last about 2 days on normal use. Bands include black leather, steel link, stainless steel mesh and stainless steel and black link bracelet, alligator pressed brown leather and rose gold plated link bracelet. The body also comes in Black DLC coated stainless steel or Rose Gold-plated stainless steel with pricing starting from $349 (RM1473) to $799 (RM3384). No specific Malaysia release dates but it will begin shipment on 17 September 2015. Stay tuned and we'll keep you updated.