LG Unveils Urbane Smartwatch in Official Announcement Video

LG has an entry level Android Wear watch with the G Watch, and the G Watch R was nicely positioned at the higher end of the smartwatch market.

It looks like LG is pushing into a more fashionable tier with the Urbane. Using the same tech internals and the gorgeous circular P-OLED display, Urbane streamlines the form factor and introduces gold and silver metal linings for a more upscale look.

We’re awaiting pricing info and shipping dates, but it would seem the Apple Watch has even more competition in the upscale “premium” smartwatch category.  Catch the teaser video below!

Smartwatch Review: Asus ZenWatch Running Android Wear 5.0 Lollipop

Continuing our run of reviews through the Android Wear ecosystem, Asus has delivered one of the more attractive offerings with the ZenWatch. As a fashion piece it looks like it could go toe to toe with the upcoming Apple Watch, but how does it perform? Let’s take a look…

Asus ZenWatch on Google Play.
Shop Smartwatches on Amazon.

Review: Moto 360
Review: LG G Watch
Review: LG G Watch R

Android Wear: What is Sync Loop? How to Unlock Developer Options, Take Screen Shots!

I’m just starting to find my sea legs on Android Wear, and one of the things that puzzled me was the persistent notification on my phone. What the hell does “Connected, running sync loop” mean? Here’s the answer!

Shop Android Wear on Amazon.
Shop Android Wear on Google Play.

Review: Asus ZenWatch
Review: LG G Watch
Review: Moto 360
Review: LG G Watch R

The Long Awaited Moto 360 Smartwatch Review – It’s Just OK…

One of the most popular posts we published last year was the announcement for Motorola’s boundary breaking watch the Moto 360.

Now that we’ve spent some time playing with it, has it lived up to the hype? No. It has not, and here’s why…

Shop the Moto 360 on Amazon.
Shop the Moto 360 on Google Play.

Smartwatch Review: Martian Notifier – Notifications on an Analog Watch

The smartwatch market is still wide open, with a spectrum of options for what you can wear. While some watches focus on strapping a phone to your arm, Martian’s approach is far more conservative. Let’s see how it holds up in a growing wearable market.

Shop the Martian Notifier on Amazon.
More info on Martian Products.

SomeGadgetGuy’s Favorite Finds from CES 2015

CES this year saw a tremendous number of “evolution” announcements. There weren’t any mind-blowing reveals, but we saw an entire industry looking to iterate and improve on products far faster than previous entries into new territory. Where wearable tech and home automation were buzzwords last year, we saw real practical application this year.

Every show, my goal is to find something I think is cool. It might not be the most practical, or revolutionary, but I want to see a company try something different, something novel. Here are a few of my favorite finds from this year’s show floor!

Click on ANY of the pics below to watch our video coverage from the show floor!

Continue reading “SomeGadgetGuy’s Favorite Finds from CES 2015”

Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Hits AT&T Nov. 7 for $199 on 2-Year Contract

samsung_gear_s_image_storypage.jpg.thumb.432.946The Gear S is blurring the lines between wearable and phone. Featuring a curved AMOLED display, 4GB of storage, and a 4G radio, it’s the most connected device we’ll see people strapping to their wrist.

It’s an interesting commentary, introducing products for specific use cases which can act independently of our phones when we need them to, especially targeting the growing fitness market.

AT&T has confirmed that the Gear S will be available November 7th for $199 on a two year contract, and the Gear S should be priced like a mid-range phone for those folks who want to buy one off contract. I’m expecting it to be under $400, but probably not by much. While that might seem “spendy” for a watch, it’s still in the Apple Watch ballpark, and this will be Samsung’s third iteration of the Gear, hopefully bringing continued refinement to the Tizen OS.

You can read AT&T’s press release below for the full scoop. Continue reading “Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Hits AT&T Nov. 7 for $199 on 2-Year Contract”

Microsoft Unveils Health App and $199 Band Smart Fitness Tracker

microsoft band smartwatch fitness trackerThe rumors of a Microsoft smartwatch are true!

Taking the wraps off of a new app and new hardware, the Microsoft Band will retail for $199. It features a 320×106 pixel capacitive touchscreen, built in GPS, a heart rate sensor, skin temperature sensor, Galvanic skin monitor, UV and Ambient light sensors, and a microphone. They’re only rating it as dust and splash resistant, so it might not be a good option for swimmers.

microsoft band smartwatch fitness tracker exploded view disassemblyInterestingly enough, there are two 100 mAh batteries, about half the capacity of the new LG G Watch R, but Microsoft is estimating 48 hour battery life.

While it’s built around fitness tracking, it will also pair with phones over Bluetooth for the standard collection of notifications and alerts. Happily, Microsoft is making this watch cross platform, so it will work with Windows Phone, iOS, and Android, though only Windows Phone users will have access to Cortana from their wrist.

microsoft band smartwatch fitness tracker heart rate monitorThe Band is being launch alongside a new Health app, which is also cross platform for Windows Phone, iOS, and Android. While Health is designed to be a fitness tracking service, both the Band and the app will leverage cloud services and will work with other fitness services like RunKeeper and UP by Jawbone.

Are these the features you’ve been looking for in a smartwatch? Leave us a comment below!