Hewlett-Packard is about to jump into the smartwatch business but it will do so in a somewhat different fashion than its competitors. The company will partner with U.S. designer Michael Bastian and online flash sale retailer Gilt to offer a device that blends the features of a smartwatch with the looks of a luxury timepiece. As you would expect, HP was responsible […]
Smartwatches
ASUS Robin to be thinnest Android Wear smartwatch yet?
Google announced in March that a number of partners were getting behind its new Android Wear extension. Three now got devices coming soon or already available. The LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live are now available through Google Play while the Moto 360 is set to launch later this summer. A fourth partner may now be ready to jump […]
Samsung and Pebble dominate U.S. smartwatch sales
Given Samsung’s dominance of the nascent global smartmwatch market, it should come as no surprise that it dominates the U.S. market as well. Nearly half a million smartwatches have been sold in the U.S. since October 2013 with Samsung and Pebble the clear U.S. smartwatch sales leaders according to market research firm NPD. Revenues for the U.S. smartwatch market hit US$96 […]
Poll: Could a watchphone replace your smartphone as your go-to device?
Both LG and Samsung could both unveil a smartwatch capable of making and receiving phone calls without relying on a connected smartphone as early as later this year. With their own built-in cellular connectivity, these phonewatches will be able to not only manage your communications but are likely to also be able to download and run their own apps. While […]
Samsung dominates nascent smartwatch market
Confirming wide interest in wearables, the global smartwatch market is growing quickly. Shipments in Q1 2014 grew 250% year over year according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. In all, some 700,000 smartwatches were shipped during the quarter. Samsung, which dominates the smartphone market, shipped about 500,000 of those, giving it a 71% market share. In comparison, it shipped 1 […]
Martian Notifier Smartwatch to be available in U.S. on June 1 (Updated)
The smartwatch market continues to grow at a fast pace. One more option will be available in the U.S. by June 1, 2014. Martian, which already offers a number of smartwatches under its Voice Command line, today announced its new Martian Notifier line of smartwatches will be available in major retail outlets across the U.S. starting June 1. Aimed at […]
Sony to skip Android Wear and stick with own SmartWatch platform
When Google unveiled its new Android Wear platform for wearable devices last week, it also announced that a number of hardware partners would be using the new platform for future smartwatches. Among them were ASUS, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung and noticeably absent was Sony Mobile which currently offers the SmartWatch 2. Ravi Nookala, President, Sony Mobile Communications (USA) confirmed […]
Concept Sunday: Traditional design smartwatch by Gábor Balogh
The traditional watch market is a multi-billion industry that includes more than its fair share of elegant watches that can be considered fashion accessories or pieces of jewelry rather than utilitarian time-telling devices. The budding smartwatch market falls into the latter utilitarian category rather than the former, something that is likely impeding faster adoption. What if there was a smartwatch […]