The Polar Vantage V3 smartwatch combines Nordic functionality, size, and athletic appeal

Polar just announced its newest Vantage V3 smartwatch lineup, which is the far classier-looking follow-up to its 2020 Vantage V2. It’s immediately targeted to athletes with a slew of new features like the Polar Elixir biosensing tech and a larger aluminum bezel with support for 22mm wristbands. Thanks to increased thickness and a sportier, almost Nordic look to the exterior – including those sleek red and chrome-colored buttons on the side – it may be Polar’s fanciest smart sports watch yet.

Designer: Polar

The Polar Vantage V3 is an advanced (but not quite futuristic) smart sports watch that looks like it can easily compete against other smart sports watches – like the Fitbit Sense 2 – thanks to its durable and elegant build, array of quality-of-life and GPS features, and purported 140-hour battery life in power-saving mode. Much like the Vantage V2 before it, it also stands completely apart from regular smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 9 and Google Pixel Watch 2 for users who specifically want the most accurate fitness measurements and most interactive fitness training programs built directly into their smartwatch.

It’s targeted directly to athletes, and it already looks primed to be one of the best sports watches on the market for the near future. The new Polar Elixir biosensing suite includes an improved OHR (Optical Heart Rate) tracking sensor, wrist-ECG, skin temperature sensor to track body temperature throughout the day, and oxygen saturation monitor. All of these components are meant to combine in order to deliver pristine biometric reads, giving you the most up-to-date information about how your body and your fitness plan interact with one another.

Boosted biometrics and swanky casing aren’t the only improvements the Vantage V3 brings to the table over its predecessor; the new watch features an AMOLED touch display with 462 ppi resolution protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The V3’s internal CPU, which is rated for a 129% speed boost over the CPU that shipped in the Vantage V2, is now able to power a large collection of apps, including built-in GPS apps that utilize the new smartwatch’s dual-frequency L1/L5 satellite GPS chip.

The whole thing is also better suited for swimmers. It’s rated for WR50 water resistance, meaning you can dive about 50 meters underwater with it on your wrist before there’s any danger of it breaking. Better underwater biometric tracking make it a competitive diving and swimming watch.

You can now pre-order the Polar Vantage V3 in Sky Blue, Night Black, or (the appropriately fruity-colored) Sunrise Apricot directly from the Polar store for $599.95. Deliveries are set to begin on October 25.

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Google Is Copying Apple with Its Pixel Watch 2… But It’s Doing a Better Job

It’s well known that the Apple Watch isn’t a watch – it’s a cutting-edge medical and fitness wearable that also tells the time. Every September, Tim Cook relays stories from regular consumers of how the Apple Watch saved their lives, and it seems like Google’s borrowing a page from its biggest rival. The Pixel Watch 2 made its official debut today and the one thing that stood out was how Google was integrating FitBit into the Pixel Watch to make it an effective health wearable… but that wasn’t all. Aside from just being a flagship fitness and health-monitoring watch, Google also leaned heavily into its AI expertise to make the Pixel Watch 2 a powerful smart wearable. In a rare first, Apple may have pioneered the health wearable… but thanks to its AI abilities, Google is perfecting it.

Google’s parent company Alphabet announced its bid to acquire FitBit in 2019 – a process that was finally completed in 2021. At the time, it seemed odd, given that Google didn’t have a single fitness wearable or smartwatch of its own… but nearly 4 years after its initial announcement, the Pixel Watch 2 is revealing the payoffs of that collaboration.

The Pixel Watch 2 boasts the same teardrop design as its predecessor, but with new hardware and software upgrades. On the software front, the Watch 2 has support for new apps like Gmail and Calendar along with improvements to YouTube Music, Google Assistant, and third-party apps like WhatsApp, Audible, etc. It now also sports the Safety Check feature that Google introduced last year with the Pixel 7 smartphone, allowing your watch to notify your emergency contacts if you don’t respond within a certain time frame – perfect for students, commuters, or anyone who needs a guardian/friend/family member to check in on them.

The hardware upgrade involves an improved heart-rate monitor that is 10x more efficient and accurate than the one on the 1st Gen Pixel Watch, thanks to Google opting for a multi-path sensor that works in tandem with an improved ML algorithm. The watch also has a skin temperature sensor and a continuous electrodermal activity sensor for measuring sleep quality as well as detecting changes in emotion like the feeling of stress.

Where the Pixel Watch 2 really begins overtaking the Apple Watch is in how it deals with the data it gathers from its hardware and sensors. A new and improved AI Assistant now offers a much more intuitive approach to tracking your health. Fitness data gets logged into the Watch 2’s new Fitbit app, with a redesigned interface for the smartphone… but what’s really impressive is the AI’s ability to parse that data in much more meaningful ways. You can now ask the Fitbit app whether there was any improvement between yesterday’s and today’s exercise routine, or if it notices any anomalies in your fitness based on your performance. This new AI-driven approach offers much better insights into your fitness in ways that the Apple Watch probably can’t. Sure, the Watch and Watch Ultra can gather your health and exercise data in expert ways, but what they truly lack is that layer of AI that lets you ‘talk to your data’ to learn things that you probably wouldn’t by simply looking at a chart, graph, or app.

The Watch 2 comes made using recycled aluminum (yet another page from the Carbon Neutral Apple playbook), and sports a 24-hour battery life despite its always-on display. It has the same strap attachment system, so you can use existing straps from the previous model with your new wearable. Each Pixel Watch 2 comes with 6 months of Fitbit Premium, and a month of YouTube Music Premium free, and sports a $349 price tag.

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In a world saturated with flashy smartwatches, this one stands apart with its retro-futuristic design and smart features

Even when technology is evolving at a rapid pace, there’s something captivating about the fusion of old and new. Simply put, it’s a symphony of nostalgia and a celebration of timeless design. And at the heart of this intriguing blend is the remarkable smartwatch, purposely known as JUSTWATCH because, it is what it is.

A design meant for the discerning individual who appreciates style and function for futuristic design, this retro-futuristic watch is only an amalgamation of elegance and intelligence. The smartwatch exterior exudes a sense of classic beauty defined by clean lines and a sleek profile. While the dial is a timeless facade aligned with smart features waiting to be explored.

Designer: Jacek Janiczak

The JUSTWATCH draws its inspiration from the icons of the past, infusing a subtle vintage vibe into its modern functionality. It’s like a trip down memory lane, where the beauty of yesteryears meets the convenience of today on the analog dial complemented with a monochrome display.

The watch’s body is crafted from premium plastic, ensuring a comfortable fit for all-day wear. But it’s not just about comfort – it’s also about style. Subtle metallic details adorn this masterpiece, elevating its aesthetic appeal to new highs. And to add a touch of modern sophistication, fiber elements have been seamlessly incorporated into the watchband.

Its rectangular dial within the comfortable plastic casing enchants with its functionality. Three circular functions grace the top half of the dial, two dedicated to analog watch time and one serving as a trusty compass. The bottom half of the dial features a rectangular digital watch display, effortlessly merging the past with the present.

For those who appreciate tactile controls, the right side of the dial offers a delightful surprise. A roller wheel for the analog section and a crown wheel for the digital section stand as a testament to the watch’s dedication to user-friendly design. In that, JUSTWATCH is not just a watch; it’s an intuitive companion that helps you navigate through life with ease, and connects to your mobile device to present notifications and alerts. In a world saturated with flashy smartwatches, this one stands apart as a statement of retro-futuristic design!

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CMF by Nothing debuts affordable TWS Earbuds, Smartwatch and a Utilitarian 65W GaN charger

Nothing started its maiden journey with a pair of earbuds, followed by the radical phone design, backed by loads of hype and anticipation. Carl Pie’s brand has since then consolidated with stellar second-generation products. Now Carl wants to cater to the more affordable section of the market with the newly launched CMF by Nothing.

Abbreviated Color, Material, Finish – the brand is a direct aspiration of the parent company to bring great accessible design to the masses. The budget-friendly brand announced today has three products in its kitty – smartphone, earbuds and charger. According to Carl, CMF is, “here to question the world.” By our understanding that statement is clearly focused on the high price tags of some of the gadgets out there.

Designer: CMF by Nothing

Keeping with the trend of revealing earbuds as the first product, CMF by Nothing has the $49 Buds Pro earbuds to offer. At that price tag, the active noise cancellation, 11 hours of standalone battery in the buds and 39 hours of battery in the charging case are worth the deal. Compared to the now premium Nothing Ear (2) earbuds, the sub-brand’s buds have a more contoured look.

There’s no transparent aesthetic, normally associated with the Nothing products. Also, the case design is different from the Big Brother as they are stored in a circular puck case. The Buds Pro features like equalizer, ANC settings and more can be toggled via the Nothing X app earbuds. For now, the earbuds will be available in grey, black, and vibrant orange colors.

Next, there is the CMF Watch Pro which is a reflection of the brand’s ‘accessible’ motto. The price tag of $54 will shake up the smartwatch market. There are clear traces of the unannounced Apple Watch design and the Watch Ultra’s orange strap here. At one-tenth the price of Apple’s wearable, the 1.96-inch AMOLED display smartwatch touches important bases with a dedicated heart rate sensor, blood oxygen saturation sensor and multi-system GPS. Also, it comes with a claimed battery life of 13 days and 110 sports activities for fitness tracking to choose from.

The most interesting product in the line-up from the perspective of utility is the CMF Power 65W Charger. The GaN (Gallium Nitride) charger juices up most of your gadgets including phones, earbuds, smartwatches, or portable speakers. With the inclusion of three ports, two USB Type-C and a USB Type-A, the branded accessory is cheaper than most other brands at $39.

The wide range of compatibility for  PD3.0, QC4.0+/3.0/2.0, SCP, FCP, PPS, AFC, Samsung 9V2A, DCP, and Apple 2.4A protocols will make it a value-for-money proposition for users buying new flagships or products that don’t have the charger included in the package.

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Nothing launches ultra-affordable $54 Watch Pro with Bluetooth Calling and Heart Monitoring

It’s about 80% cheaper than Apple’s Watch SE, but has all the features you’d expect from a good budget smartwatch.

Pretty much following exactly what the leaked images said, Nothing’s sub-brand CMF has announced its first three products, the Buds Pro TWS earbuds, the Power 65W GaN charger, and the Watch Pro, an affordable but mighty smartwatch that hopes to bring the Nothing experience to even more users with its pocket-friendly price tag. At just Rs. 4,499 INR (or $54 USD converted), the Watch Pro shouldn’t really come with any expectations, but it exceeds whatever I have with a feature-packed design. It sports a “mighty” 1.96-inch AMOLED always-on display accompanied by a single hardware button. The watch lets you answer calls via Bluetooth (with an AI noise reduction algorithm), tracks as many as 110 sports/activities, has a comprehensive heart monitor, a built-in GPS, IP68 dust and water resistance, and a whopping 13-day battery life. Did I mention it costs just $54 bucks?

Designer: CMF by Nothing

What immediately stands out with the Watch Pro is the fact that it’s nothing like Nothing. There’s no transparency, no fanfare, not even as much as an online event or even a video. The reason lies in Nothing’s underlying strategy to pretty much conquer the budget market with well-made gadgets that are recognizable, but don’t affect Nothing’s own brand positioning. The CMF devices aren’t transparent because that’s the Nothing visual DNA. Instead, they come with opaque designs that are punctuated by the use of a bright orange, either in the hardware, or in the software. The name CMF stands for Color, Material, Finish – a reference to the abbreviated term used by designers and engineers.

While the design isn’t overtly revolutionary or innovative, the watch does deliver quite the bang for its buck. On the hardware front, there’s a whole lot to write home about. The watch obviously tells the time, lets you monitor the weather, has GPS tracking, and even has Bluetooth support so you can answer phone calls without taking your phone out. The folks at Nothing say their AI noise reduction algorithm was trained on over 100,000 noise models, allowing it to work remarkably well at isolating your voice when you’re in a crowded or noisy space.

It even supports up to 110 sports modes, letting you track all your sports and activities right on the watch, with a comprehensive breakdown of your reps duration, calories, heart rate, pace, steps, and distance. The comprehensive health monitor tracks your heart rate, blood SpO2, sleep, stress levels, etc. to enhance your health journey. There’s even a water reminder thrown in there so that the Watch Pro constantly ensures you stay hydrated.

What really does set the Watch Pro apart from any other smartwatch we’ve seen, however, is the OS. Most smartwatches distil down their respective smartphone OS or rely entirely on Android Wear to power their experience, but the Watch Pro is an entirely different experience. The smartwatch’s UI quite literally uses just a combination of 4 colors – black, white, grey, and orange, but achieves so much with its limited palette. The interface is this minimalist Bauhaus-inspired work of art that practically uplifts every screen, from the multiple watch faces to the functions/features within the watch. It might be a $54 smartwatch, but it feels nothing like one, with a kind of cleanliness that’s only reserved for flagships.

The Watch Pro comes with a respectable 13 days of battery life with moderate use, going down to 11 days with heavy use. This includes the fact that the Watch Pro has an always-on display that’s ever ready to give you the time of the day, the date, the weather forecast, or any notification you may need to see. Partnering with your smartphone, the Watch Pro has Find My features to help locate both your phone as well as your watch. There’s also a built-in Voice AI as well as music control for playback on your phone or your TWS earbuds.

For now, the Watch Pro along with other CMF products are just limited to an India launch. It makes sense, given Nothing’s flagship production center is in India too, as is a majority of its audience.

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Besides calfskin leather, Hermès releases four new Apple Watch bands in knitted materials and attractive colors

Hermès, renowned for its luxurious leather bands designed exclusively for the Apple Watch, has been an embodiment of sophistication and style for years. But with Hermès taking down all Apple Watch bands from its website, ahead of Apple’s iPhone 15 and Watch Series 9 launch event on September 12, the question on everyone’s mind was whether the partnership with Apple was coming to an end.

Long-time Apple Watch partner removed all mentions from its website as information of Apple planning to effectively phase out the use of leather from its watch bands – because of its climate impact – started doing the rounds. Now that Apple has launched the new iteration of its Watches, the tech giant’s move seems little of a dealbreaker for Hermès, as iconic calfskin Apple Watch bands are back up on the marque’s website.

Designer: Hermès

Along with roughly 20 leather band variants for the newly released Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2, Hermès has released a variety of other designs, colors, and materials, promising a quick style update for your wrist. These include four entirely new styles inspired by luxurious textiles paired with the elegant Hermès Radial face, aimed at elevating the Apple Watch’s aesthetics for you.

Among these new Hermès Single Tour and Double Tour bands are options made of knitted nylon and woven nylon, as well as several color choices made of calfskin, as mentioned before. Bridled style Apple Watch band, Bridon, showcases a continuous knit hand-braided into a 3D chevron pattern, available in the option to loop around the wrist once or twice.

For those who appreciate heritage, Toile H is a sturdy yet lightweight band inspired by Hermès’ cotton canvas introduced in 1930. Twill Jump on the other hand features a colorful contrasting border. If you’re feeling adventurous, the Kilim band – a sport band in signature Hermès orange – designed in waterproof soft rubber with a quick-release buckle and interlocking “H” motif is especially for you.

Hermès Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 bands range between $349 to $589, while Hermès also offers watch and band combos ranging between $1,249 and $1,539. All the bands are now available for pre-order and are likely to ship starting September 22.

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Starfield Constellation Edition boasts a smartwatch that doubles as a functional gaming memorabilia

Most of the gamers I know (and apparently, I realized I know a lot) are not always the ones that you will associate with other gadgets like smartwatches. Well, at least, they will be interested if it’s connected to the game that they’re playing now. One of them said that they don’t want to be conscious about time or anything else while they’re playing so they most likely will not wear a watch. So the fact that the newest collection edition from Bethesda games costs $300 and comes with a smartwatch has given pause to some gamers eager to get their hands on the latest game from the company.

Designer: Bethesda Games

The Starfield Constellation Edition is a special bundle available for those who have been waiting for the Starfield RPG for so long. It’s a mix of physical and digital items with some you can use in-game and some are just some game memorabilia. That includes the smartwatch with a pretty nifty-looking watch case made from aluminum and plastic and with a metal latch. It looks like something an astronaut would carry on board a ship in the game. The highlight of the special edition though is the Chronofield smartwatch, which may be the most expensive part of the package.

It is made from plastic, metal, and rubber, with an option for a NATO strap in case you don’t want the rubber strap. It’s not a touch screen device but it has a glass screen and four physical buttons. It seems to have all the usual features like Bluetooth connectivity, weather updates, music control, moon phase display, notification alerts, etc. You can connect it to your smartphone app as well for other controls. It doesn’t seem to be connected to the game itself for now but future updates may eventually do so.

Aside from the watch and the watch case, the Starfield Constellation Edition also includes a Steelbook Display Case, constellation patch, and of course the Starfield Base game itself. There are other things like skin packs, in-game bonus items, access to the digital artbook and original soundtrack, etc. This should appeal to fans of the game and those who enjoy Bethesda games but if it’s just the watch you’re after, there will probably be better alternatives out there.

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Google teases the contoured Pixel Watch 2 ahead of Apple’s September Wonderlust event

While Apple fans are eagerly waiting for the next suite of products from the Cupertino giant, Android users have also got the premium Pixel launches to look up to at the Made By Google event in October. Apple’s event is happening next week, and Google obviously wants to build anticipation of its flagship phone and smartwatch to spice up things.

To the same accord, Google has given a sneak peek of its second-generation smartwatch almost a month ahead of the official launch on October 4, which is kind of strange but most probably triggered by Apple’s upcoming event. In a short video released by Google, the Pixel Watch 2 looks eerily similar to its predecessor with some little differences.

Designer: Google

Some of these variations include a new crown design, the inclusion of an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and a radical-looking sensor array. If you already own the Pixel Watch, playing the video a couple of times will reveal the rectangular optical sensors inside the pill-shaped array, compared to the EKG electrodes housing on the original smartwatch that came last year.

The second generation Pixel Watch has a more contoured form factor with a bit smaller LEDs. If we take into consideration all the rumors and leaks that have surrounded the upcoming Pixel line-up, then the sensors mentioned above should be the Sense 2 continuous electrodermal activity sensor. That should explain the circular design of the watch. Also, if we go by the leaks, then the EDA sensor for stress monitoring should be a certainty.

Coming on to the crown, it is now more coherent with the display screen, compared to the Pixel Watch which had a clear distinction in the form of a cut-out. What will come loaded on the inside is anybody’s guess at this point in time but the smartwatch is expected to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Plus mated to the Samsung’s Exynos chipset.

If the Pixel Watch 2 teaser already tickles your fancy then the New York event followed by pre-orders for the smartwatch should be marked on your calendar already!

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ScanWatch 2 with temperature tracking tools has got your health covered courtesy an arsenal of precise metrics

In a world where smartwatches continue to push boundaries, the ScanWatch 2 emerges as a beacon of innovation at IFA 2023. Boasting continuous body temperature variation tracking with an extraordinary 30-day battery life, this smartwatch has your health and well-being covered around the clock.

The smartwatch not only tracks your workouts and sleep, it also keeps a vigilant eye on your body temperature throughout the day and night. The ScanWatch 2 serves as an early warning system, flagging unusual temperature fluctuations that may indicate the onset of an illness or a health condition. It’s like having a personal health detective on your wrist.

Designer: Withings

One of the most impressive aspects of the classy hybrid smartwatch, the ScanWatch 2, is its exceptional battery life. With a long-lasting rechargeable battery that can keep up with you for 30 days, you can confidently track your health without the constant worry of recharging.

For fitness enthusiasts, the ScanWatch 2 offers a unique advantage. In addition to monitoring and providing baseline temperatures, that could be indicative of an illness onset, the watch can manage performance and recovery through temperature variation zones during exercise. It therefore provides a complete health view, and helps the wearer avoid potential issues like heat exhaustion.

Equipped with advanced sensors and regulatory-compliant health metrics, the ScanWatch 2 also boasts a sleek design. Appearing in a choice of either a 38mm or 42mm case size, the watch is water-resistant up to 5ATM and runs HealthSense OS 3. The dial is topped with a grayscale OLED screen and durable sapphire glass, to ensure it can handle the rigors of daily life.

At the core of the ScanWatch 2’s capabilities is its heat-flux sensor, working in tandem with a temperature sensor, heart rate monitor, and accelerometer input calibration. Along with the array of such extensive health-tracking features, there are options for basic activities like sleep tracking, ECG, SpO2, and menstrual cycle tracking.

At a price tag of $349.95, the ScanWatch 2 delivers exceptional value for those seeking a cutting-edge hybrid smartwatch that goes beyond the ordinary.  Withings has also developed a low-key model of the ScanWatch dubbed the ScanWatch Light, which shaves off some features like the temperature-tracking, ECG, and SpO2 from the ScanWatch 2, to trim the pricing down by 100 bucks.

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BREAKING: Carl Pei’s Latest Brand “CMF” is launching a Smartwatch, TWS Earbuds, and GaN Charger

Earlier this year, Nothing teased a sub-brand by the name of CMF with nothing more than just a logo reveal. Today, leaked images obtained by Twitter-user @techleakszone show three CMF products in the works. We upscaled these low-res images to get a clearer picture of the three products – a smartwatch, a pair of TWS earbuds, and a 65W GaN charging brick, all scheduled for an end-September release in India. All products have one thing in common – the use of a vibrant orange that draws instant attention to them, in a way contrasting Nothing’s transparent approach to design rather wonderfully!

This is an AI-upscaled Image (Ignore warped graphics on product)

The most prominent of the products is the smartwatch, which is priced at a budget-friendly ₹4499 ($54.48 USD) and comes with a 1.96″ AMOLED always-on display. Styled to somewhat lock horns with other budget watches/wearables like the Fitbit, the CMF smartwatch comes with an aluminum alloy case and a silicone band. A 330mAh battery gives it up to 13 days of use on a single charge, and the wearable works as a comprehensive fitness/sports tracker with support for 110 sports, along with features like heart-rate monitoring, blood-oxygen monitoring, stress monitoring, sleep tracking, etc. The spec sheet below compares the watch with other budget smartwatches on the Indian market, comparing features along with an incredibly competitive price tag.

This is an AI-upscaled Image (Ignore warped graphics on product)

The second product (code-named Corsola) is a ₹3499 ($42.3 USD) pair of TWS earbuds designed to compete with other brands in the low-budget segment. CMF’s earbuds are significantly different in appearance from the Nothing Ear (2) earbuds. They aren’t transparent, and they come in a circular case instead of a square one. The earbuds have up to 45dB of active noise cancellation and an impressive 37-hour battery life with the charging case. Just like the Ear (2), they are IP54-rated as well, although at half the price.

This is an AI-upscaled Image (Ignore warped graphics on product)

The third is probably the most interesting product of the lot – a GaN charger designed to compete in the accessories market and probably bring in the green for CMF by selling to both Android and iOS users alike. In a world where phone makers are increasingly deciding to ditch the idea of packaging chargers along with their phones, CMF’s 65W GaN charger makes quite an impact. With three ports (two USB-C and one USB-A), the charger can simultaneously power three devices, giving you a multifunctional power brick that takes care of your phone, tablet, and earbuds or power bank. The GaN semiconductor keeps the charging brick’s size extremely compact, and that bright orange color means you’ll never misplace it! The charging brick is expected to have a ₹2499 ($30.2 USD) price tag at launch a month from now.

Images via @techleakszone

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