Wear OS

Well, it happened. Google has officially announced plans to acquire leading wearable maker Fitbit. In a post, Google explains that this acquisition is largely to bolster the company’s Wear OS platform and also to help bring Made by Google wearables to market.

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After reports last week, Google has confirmed this morning that it will acquire Fitbit for the sum of $2.1 billion…

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We’ve been learning about Xiaomi’s Mi Watch over the past few days but the teasers aren’t stopping. Today, Xiaomi has posted another Mi Watch teaser that shows off the UI for the first time as well as confirming a key spec.

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There’s been a lot of news in the Wear OS world this week from Alphabet possibly buying Fitbit to a new Moto 360 and even a new chipset too. Now, we’re getting a better look at Xiaomi’s upcoming Mi Watch which is expected to run on Wear OS including a first look at its design.

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It’s very clear at this point that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset wasn’t the savior that Wear OS needed in the hardware department. However, we’re now learning more about Qualcomm’s next chipset for Wear OS, and the “Snapdragon Wear 3300” could be a pretty big improvement.

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It’s been a while since Google’s Wear OS platform picked up some new brands, but it seems Xiaomi is getting ready to throw its hat in the ring. Now, a new teaser for Xiaomi’s upcoming smartwatch reveals two key details about the product.

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Wear OS isn’t advancing much as a platform, but companies like Fossil and Mobvoi are making strides with their new hardware. Today, Mobvoi is rolling out a new app for its Wear OS-based TicWatch Pro series which delivers automatic sleep tracking.

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It only took until 2019 for Wear OS watches to finally get some capable hardware, but for whatever reason, some new releases are still a bit behind. Today, Kate Spade has launched its Sport Smartwatch, and it simply doesn’t have enough RAM.

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Fossil’s Gen 5 smartwatch is the best Wear OS watch you can buy right now, and this week it’s getting a little bit better on iOS. An update for Fossil Gen 5 that’s rolling out right now lets the watch make phone calls if it’s connected to an iPhone.

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The biggest name in Wear OS is Fossil, and the company isn’t showing any signs of slowing down with Google’s platform, either. While Google basically ignores its existence, Fossil is pumping out hardware, and now making some modifications to the software, too. The Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch is currently the best Wear OS has to offer — it’s just a shame that it’s still not enough for most people.

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According to the Wear OS companion app for Android, Xiaomi might be working on a smartwatch powered by Google’s wearable platform. Wear OS 2.28 today features a string that references a “Mi Wear” companion app.

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While we argue over the inherent strengths and weaknesses of Wear OS, Fossil continues to pump out superb smartwatch hardware — a prime example being the Misfit Vapor X.

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Movado’s original Connect smartwatch was one of the most enticing Wear OS smartwatches from a design aspect, and now the company is back with the Movado Connect 2.0. It brings better specs, welcome hardware features, and also a lower starting price of $495.

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The Apple Watch Series 5 last week kickstarted a conversation about Google, smartwatches, and how Wear OS fails to be a meaningful competitor. A new report today sheds light on Made by Google’s smartwatch ambition and how Rick Osterloh in 2016 killed Google-branded devices.

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According to a report yesterday, Google earlier this year bought Fossil’s hybrid smartwatch technology mixing analog hands and screens. Such a wearable from Fossil has now emerged and it’s possibly running Wear OS.

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This week, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 5. It’s the perhaps the most modest year-over-year upgrade for the Apple Watch yet, adding little more than an always-on display. But that’s the thing: Apple doesn’t need to make major strides with its smartwatch offering — they’re far enough ahead that it doesn’t matter. And they could leverage that lead to destroy Wear OS if they wanted to…

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Wear OS doesn’t touch what Apple is doing when it comes to software or health features, but it does give fashion brands a lot of flexibility. Tonight an early listing for the Movado Connect 2.0 has leaked showing off an updated design and heart rate sensor for the upcoming Wear OS smartwatch.

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The latest generation of Wear OS hardware has finally fixed some of the performance problems that have long plagued the platform. Today, Diesel and Emporio Armani are announcing new Wear OS smartwatches which both offer 1GB of RAM.

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With IFA 2019 in full swing, we’re getting new Wear OS watches, too. This morning, Michael Kors has announced three new additions to its Wear OS lineup with the Lexington 2, Bradshaw 2, and the fitness-focused MKGO.

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Known primarily for sportswear, Puma has now officially entered the smartwatch market with its first Wear OS device — the Puma Sport Connected.

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