Canalys gives more optimistic view on smartwatch shipments

(c)iStock.com/Mutlu Kurtbas

If there’s one thing analyst companies like to do, it’s disagree with each other. Gartner and IDC recently had slightly different paths over the future role of the CIO – and now Canalys is disagreeing with IDC over wearable shipments.

According to a note issued at the end of last week, Canalys argued that Apple shipped 2.8 million smartwatches in the third quarter, making a specific point that shipments compared favourably “despite reports to the...

By James Bourne, 08 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, iOS, Smartwatches.

Apple showcases watchOS 3 and promises ‘breakthrough’ health features

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Apple has looked to reinvigorate the Apple Watch with watchOS 3 with improvements to performance and navigation along with new features related to fitness and health.

New physical features include new watch faces including Minnie Mouse, Activity and Numerals. Apps – such as, Workout, Music or Messages – will now be able to launch from the watch face. Customers can add complications to the Photo, Motion or Timelapse watch faces.

As regards performance, users can press...

By Wearable Tech, 20 June 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Fitness, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness, iOS.

Is the Apple Watch a flop? Not as far as Fluent research can see

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8% of American adults say they own an Apple Watch, according to research by ad tech provider Fluent.

The results of the survey, which polled 2,500 respondents, exceeded the expectations set after its first Apple Watch study in April 2015. In the 2015 survey, Fluent found that 5% of Americans planned to buy the first version of the Apple Watch, amounting to around 12.5 million people.

A year later, the figures show that 8% of Americans now own an Apple Watch. With the 2% margin of...

By Wearable Tech, 12 April 2016, 0 comments. Categories: iOS, Smartwatches.

Xero rolls out Apple Watch app, aims for easier accounting on the move

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Cloud accounting software provider Xero has rolled out its app for Apple Watch, aiming for it to be the fastest way for entrepreneurs to stay on top of their cash flow.

Using Xero’s Apple Watch app, which is catered mainly for small businesses, will allow customers to benefit from notifications on transactions. The app will also display an updated balance and provide insight on all accounts across multiple banks.

The company is already running apps for iPhone and iPad and is...

By Wearable Tech, 27 November 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, iOS, Smartwatches.

Review: Beat the winter blues with Re-Timer

(Image Credit: Re-Timer)

Re-Timer is a pair of glasses designed in Australia which uses light therapy to alter your circadian rhythm, or "body clock" as it's often known. One season in particular causes havoc with our natural sleep cycle and can affect our mental state, winter. 

Many people, including me, suffer from something called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) whereby the short hours of daylight – combined with dark mornings and evenings –...

By Ryan Daws, 04 November 2015, 2 comments. Categories: Devices, Health & Wellness, iOS.

Smartwatch awareness continues to soar with Apple Watch

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New research by CCS Insight has found that the wearables market has seen rapid growth in the past 12 months thanks to heightened awareness and improved products.

The study surveyed 3,000 consumers in China, the US and the UK, looking at their perception of wearable technology, awareness, ownership and usage patterns.

Consumer awareness of smartwatches has risen by ten percentage points, but wearables still lack mass appeal, with many owners abandoning their gadgets quickly after they...

By Wearable Tech, 30 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, iOS, Smartwatches.

Fossil is the next fashion brand to adopt Android Wear - debuts four new wearables

(Image Credit: Fossil)

Watches should be stylish, but few smartwatch manufacturers know how to combine fashion with technology due to a lack of experience. Traditional watchmakers are looking to fill that void and deliver an iconic timepiece which pays homage to decades of history – and Fossil is next up to lend their expertise. 

The watch manufacturer has announced four new smart wearables ahead of the holiday season – one of which is an interesting Android Wear...

By Ryan Daws, 21 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Devices, Fitness, iOS, Smartwatches.

Review: Hands-on with the Huawei Watch

You can look at the specs and features of a wearable device, but little gives you a sense of how it feels and performs day-to-day without using it. In this article, I'll go over my personal experience after spending a week using the Huawei Watch and exploring some of its unique features. 

Earlier in the week I posted a review of the design of the Huawei Watch, which is superb. In this article...

By Ryan Daws, 16 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Applications, Apps, Devices, Fitness, Health Monitoring, iOS, Smartwatches.

Research: Apple Watch sales have plunged 90%

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Mutlu Kurtbas)

According to California-based Slice Intelligence, sales of the Apple Watch have plunged 90% since the opening week. Apple, who is also based in California, has been selling fewer than 20,000 watches a day in the U.S. since the initial surge in April, and on some days fewer than 10,000. 

This is a sharp contrast to the approximately 200,000 watches...

By Ryan Daws, 08 July 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, iOS, Research, Smartwatches.

Pebble's future seems uncertain - despite $18 million in the bank

Despite holding a fond place in my heart as one of the OG smartwatches, it seemed inevitable that Pebble would find itself struggling against the titans of the industry.

Sources close to the company report that employees are unhappy with Pebble's direction as it attempts to fight Apple and Google

With the launch of Google's Android Wear platform, came a serious competitor with far more resources. This is something which has heated-up even more since the Apple Watch launched out of the...

By Ryan Daws, 21 May 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Devices, iOS, Smartwatches.