wearable-technology3.455 min read
"Oura Introduces Labs Mode for Early Health Detection and Smart Ring Features"
1 year ago•Source: Tom's Guide
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5.185 min•1 year ago
"Reconsidering Smartwatch Use During Sleep"
Android Central's Wearables Editor, Michael Hicks, shares his experience with smart rings for sleep tracking, highlighting their lightweight and comfortable form factor compared to smartwatches. He emphasizes the challenges of wearing a smartwatch to bed, including discomfort, inaccurate readings, and disrupted sleep. While acknowledging that smart rings cannot replace smartwatches for app functionality and fitness metrics, he recommends them for those seeking accurate sleep and health data without discomfort, especially for tech enthusiasts who can afford to add smart rings to their collection of devices.
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"Google Pixel Devices Receive Major Feature Upgrades in Latest Update"
Google is updating its first-generation Pixel Watch with features from the Pixel Watch 2, including automatic workout detection, pace training, heart zone alerts, and Fitbit Relax app for breathing exercises, making it a more capable fitness tracker. The update aims to provide consistency across Google's smartwatch lineup and enhance its fitness offerings, as Samsung intensifies its health tracking efforts with new features and a forthcoming fitness tracker.
"Google Unveils Dual-Engine Wear OS for OnePlus Watch 2 with Extended Battery Life"
Google has introduced a new hybrid interface for Wear OS, which offloads tasks to a low-power co-processor, resulting in improved battery life. The new OnePlus Watch 2 utilizes this interface with a dual-chipset architecture, providing over two days of battery life even with heavy use. This approach allows for intelligent switching between processors, preserving battery life by suspending the main processor when not needed and offloading tasks to the co-processor. These changes aim to create a more battery-efficient smartwatch experience without requiring app developers to deviate from recommended practices.
"Enhanced Wear OS: Improved Notifications, Transit Directions, and Maps Navigation"
Google announced new Wear OS updates at Mobile World Congress 2024, including a revamped notification system that offloads processing to improve battery life, public transit directions in Google Maps, and access to Google Wallet passes. The update allows wearable makers to offload notification processing to an ultra-low-power co-processor microcontroller unit, enabling features like reading, dismissing notifications, and sending quick replies without waking up the main processor. The OnePlus Watch 2 will be the first to implement this feature, boasting up to 100 hours of battery life on a single charge. Despite ongoing fragmentation in the Wear OS ecosystem, Google continues to make small improvements, with added features like access to Google Wallet passes and public transit directions from the wrist.
OnePlus Watch 2: Dual-Engine Smartwatch with Enhanced Battery Life
The upcoming OnePlus Watch 2, powered by Wear OS 4, is expected to offer significantly extended battery life of up to 100 hours of regular use, thanks to the new Wear OS hybrid interface. This interface intelligently switches between chips to optimize power usage, allowing for seamless transitions between power modes and reducing the need to activate the high-performance application processor (AP). Additionally, app developers are encouraged to use existing Wear OS APIs to benefit from power savings and optimizations, and Google's acquisition of KoruLab is expected to further enhance energy efficiency in future Wear OS devices.
"Garmin Forerunner 165: Affordable Sports Watch with Impressive GPS Accuracy"
The Garmin Forerunner 165 and Forerunner 265 have over 107 differences, including display size, training readiness, training status, training load, triathlon capabilities, skiing/snowboarding profiles, sensor connectivity, sport profiles, GPS technology, and battery life. The Forerunner 265 offers more advanced features such as Training Readiness, Training Status, and multisport capabilities, while the Forerunner 165 lacks these and other features. The Forerunner 265 also has longer battery life and additional sport profiles.
"Unveiling the Impact of Apple's Vision Pro on Comfort and Wearability"
The issue of comfort in wearables extends beyond just the Apple Vision Pro, as it affects smartwatches, smart rings, smart glasses, and mixed reality headsets. The challenge lies in providing a comfortable fit for a diverse range of body shapes and sizes, with technical constraints often limiting options. While some companies have made efforts to prioritize comfort, there is still a need for innovation to ensure that a wider range of people can comfortably use wearable devices for extended periods.
"Samsung Announces Galaxy AI Integration for Wearables, Including Galaxy Watch"
Samsung confirms that Galaxy AI will be integrated into select Galaxy wearables in the near future, with a focus on enhancing digital health experiences. While specific devices were not confirmed, it is likely that the Galaxy Watch lineup will be among the first to receive the AI capabilities. The expansion of Galaxy AI to wearables follows its integration into the Galaxy S24 series and hints at potential AI-powered experiences on upcoming devices like the Galaxy Ring.
"Testing Smartwatches at Mount Diablo: Which Brand Offers the Best Elevation Accuracy?"
A fitness tech expert tested five smartwatches from Apple, COROS, Garmin, Polar, and Samsung for elevation accuracy during a hike up Mount Diablo in California. The results showed variations in accuracy, with Garmin, Apple, and COROS performing well, while Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 Classic fell short. The test highlighted the importance of testing a smartwatch's accuracy in real-world scenarios and emphasized the significance of dual-band GPS tracking for more reliable elevation data.
"Enhanced COROS Firmware Introduces Running Form Test and Wellness Metrics"
COROS has released a new firmware update for select watch models, introducing features such as a running form test that requires the COROS Pod 1 or Pod 2, stress monitoring with optional enablement, and a wellness check similar to Garmin's Health Snapshot. The update also includes personalized marathon training plans based on user data. However, some concerns have been raised about the accuracy and implementation of these new features.
"Samsung's Galaxy Ring: The Game-Changer in Wearable Technology"
Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ring marks a significant shift in the smart ring market, potentially posing a challenge to established players like Oura. With Samsung's entry, the category is expected to gain mainstream attention, prompting other tech giants like Apple and Google to consider their own smart ring offerings. While Oura and similar companies have been leading the smart ring game, they now face the threat of being overshadowed by more widely recognized competitors. The smart ring market is at a tipping point, and the release of Oura Generation 4 will be crucial in maintaining its position against better-known rivals like Samsung.