Wearables

Apple Watch is headed to Paris for Fashion Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Apple has teamed up with Colette, the famous Parisian boutique, on a promotional event involving a “one day only experience” on September 30 from 11:00am to 7:00pm local time at the at fashion retailer's gallery on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, French blog Macplus reported Monday [Google Translate].

At the same time, members of the company's industrial design team are headed to Paris Fashion Week, vaguely indicating that the company's wearable device, the Apple Watch, could play a role at the semi-annual clothing trade show.

This is the Apple Watch, Apple’s first foray into wearables

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 9, 2014

In addition to the new iPhones, Apple's finally taken the wraps off its highly-anticipated wearable device during the invite-only press event held Tuesday morning at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in its hometown of Cupertino, California.

They're calling it the Apple Watch and it files as the first truly category-defining product released under Cook's leadership after Steve Jobs' passing.

iWatch parts, tech specs and design leaked by claimed schematics

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2014

With just a little more than 24 hours to go until Apple's major September 9 media event, an anonymous Reddit post on Monday shared half a dozen technical drawings seemingly revealing a plethora of iWatch parts while pointing at the device's rectangular appearance, a round sensor plate at the bottom and other design features.

While Reddit is not an accurate source of leaks, the detailed nature of the schematics (reposted on Imgur) should not be dismissed lightly even though we can't vouch for the veracity of the images nor can we confidently say the device pictured is in fact Apple's wearable gizmo.

Motorola’s Android Wear-powered $249 Moto 360 smartwatch arrives

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Having previewed it in March, handset maker Motorola today launched its Moto 360 smartwatch with wireless charging, a rounded face, optical heart rate monitor, “all-day battery” and other perks.

Starting at $249 and available through Motorola's website, Google's Play store and Best Buy, the device runs Google's Android software for wearables dubbed Android Wear and features premium materials making the circular smartwatch feel “comfortable and familiar” on your wrist.

KGI on iWatch: 2015 debut, 8GB of storage, 512MB RAM, multiple materials and screen sizes

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

According to a new report that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released to clients Thursday morning, the rumored Apple wearable device that Re/code said would get announced next Tuesday alongside the iPhone 6 will come outfitted with a whopping eight gigabytes of storage, with its yet-unknown processor thought to pack in 512 MB of RAM (of the LPDDR3 variety), like the iPhone 4/4s.

According to AppleInsider which has obtained a copy of the analyst report, the device should be available in a gold finish (”to add a luxury image to the product”) and aluminum variants (“as it has been widely used in Apple products”), as well as two sizes — one with a 1.3-inch screen and the other featuring a larger display measuring 1.5 inches diagonally — which matches up with previous reports calling for different iWatch sizes for men and woman.

Jony Ive says “Switzerland’s in trouble” ahead of expected iWatch unveiling

Cody Lee ∙ September 3, 2014

After years of speculation, it's believed that Apple is finally ready to show off its new wearable device, dubbed the 'iWatch' by much of the media. And according to the company's senior vice president of design Jony Ive, the folks over in Switzerland are in trouble.

In a recent article on tech and fashion, The New York Times' Nick Bilton mentions that he spoke with Mr. Ive about the so-called iWatch. Obviously, the designer doesn't offer up an official comment on the secret project, but it's clear that he's very confident in it.

Apple mulling $400 price point for wearable device

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Re/code journalists Dawn Chmielewski and John Paczkowski filed a report today claiming that Apple executives internally discussed a price point of $400 for a rumored wearable device, which is believed to be making its debut alongside new iPhones at Apple's upcoming media event scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino.

But cash-strapped would-be buyers needn't worry — the firm apparently has a lower-priced version of the device and consumers can expect “a range of prices for different models,” as per Re/code's unnamed sources.

Poll: is Apple wearable going to unmask itself come September 9?

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 28, 2014

With Apple's September 9 event now official, the speculation game can begin, again.

And with a rumored Apple wearable device ostensibly in tow for the big reveal alongside a pair of new iPhones — or that's at least what Re/code's John Paczkowski has learned from sources — the time is right to hear your thoughts on the matter.

So, is Apple going to announce a wearable device at the event, do you think? Context: an “Apple wearable” may not necessarily stand for a “smartwatch” per se — or denote an ”iWatch” at all, as the media has tentatively dubbed the elusive wrist-worn gizmo.

Go ahead, cast your vote after the break and then join us in comments for a healthy discussion from some wildly different perspectives, hopefully.

Apple could announce its “wrist wearable thing” next month, says Gruber [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ August 9, 2014

Apple may unveil its so-called iWatch sooner than expected, according to Daring Fireball's John Gruber. In a new blog post this afternoon, the well-connected Apple pundit casually mentions that the Cupertino company plans to announce its "wrist wearable thing" next month.

Gruber's claim contradicts previous reports from various outlets, which have all suggested that the iWatch would land in October. But given his near perfect track record in predicting Apple plans, it's certainly possible that we could see more than bigger iPhones in September...

Why iWatch may not release before Spring 2015

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 11, 2014

For the past year or so, Apple executives have been teasing new product categories coming in 2014.

“There will be new categories,” Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal back in February, for example. “We’re not ready to talk about it, but we’re working on some really great stuff.” Sadly, six months have already passed without a single major Apple product launch, let alone a new product category.

I'm referring to a mythical iWatch, of course, although Apple is rumored to enter new markets other than smartwatches, such as home automation accessories.

A report earlier today by KGI Securities' pretty reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has hinted that Apple has been forced to push mass production of the iWatch back more than a month. He now expects the device to enter production as late as November.

Assuming Kuo is right, when can we expect iWatches to hit store shelves? Read on...

Adidas adds to the fitness tracker craze with the ‘Fit Smart’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

If you were disappointed to hear that Nike was shuttering its FuelBand hardware, never fear, another major sportswear brand is picking up the baton. Adidas has unveiled its latest fitness tracking device, the miCoach Fit Smart, this week.

Revealed in San Francisco, during the Wearable Technologies Conference 2014, the device is capable of measuring your steps taken, pace, burned calories, heart rate, and more. It's also durable, lightweight, and sweatproof (not waterproof)...

Microsoft reportedly building iOS-compatible fitness band

Cody Lee ∙ July 2, 2014

Like Apple and several others, Microsoft is said to be working on a smartwatch that it plans to introduce later this year. There have been multiple reports on the project, including one from Forbes in May that described the wearable as a Samsung Gear Fit-like fitness band.

Tonight, Windows blogger Paul Thurott offered up some new details on Microsoft's wearable ambitions, reaffirming that the device will indeed be a wristband with a focus on sensors and fitness. He also notes that the gadget will be compatible with both Android and iOS...