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Today, the most important device in our connected life is our smartphone. It has totally changed the way we interact with each other. It is the first thing we check when we leave a place.
We may touch our pockets a few times a day just to feel safe – according to recent survey figures most US smartphone owners check their phones at...
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Earlier in the week I posted my concern at the lack of Android Wear devices which could support mobile payments in the future – due to a lack of NFC – leaving an open goal for the Apple Watch and Samsung's upcoming Tizen-based Gear S2 smartwatch.
One manufacturer which has been completely absent from the smartwatch race thus far is HTC; despite being named as an OEM for...
NFC is a technology which Android users have bragged about having access to over iOS for years – but now some manufacturers of Google-based devices have abandoned it whilst Apple has embraced it with success for mobile payments.
Google Wallet launched in May 2011 as a disjointed service which had little support due to a shaky relationship with retailers and banks after Google wanted details of transactions stored for its advertising business. Apple, meanwhile, as a hardware business...
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When it comes to design - both hardware and software - there's little dispute that Samsung's Gear S2 has upped the game with its unique rotating bezel and UX. It's even attracted legendary Italian designer Alessandro Mendini. However, it's become clear the Korean giant has some hurdles to overcome when it comes to software and services.
The issue lies...
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Most current wearable devices use Bluetooth to communicate, but this can be wasteful due to a how difficult it is for the signal to pass through a user's body. This causes an effect called "path loss" whereby a signal is weakened on the way to its destination, as well as causing security worries due to the distance the signal travels around the user being susceptible to eavesdropping.
A team led by Professor...
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Move over Xiaomi, there’s a new kid on the block. According to latest IDC industry figures, Apple had the second highest number of shipments of wearable devices in the second quarter of 2015, narrowly behind Fitbit.
The numbers, taken from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, saw Apple ship a total of 3.6 million units in Q215 representing almost 20% of shipments, while Fitbit shipped 4.4m at 24.3%. Xiaomi, which similarly announced itself in the first quarter,...
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A new wearable device for infants created by a Cambridge-California social enterprise could be the key to preventing fatal or crippling ailments such as diarrhoea & malnutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and others.
JustMilk is a device which attaches to a mother’s nipple when breastfeeding to deliver key antibiotics, antimalarials, antiretrovirals, vitamins, nutrients, and...
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Let’s face it: we’ve all moaned about our smartphone’s lack of battery. Anyone who has ever gone away on a trip and forgotten their charger knows never to do it again.
For wearables, the equation has turned on its head, and it’s a problem which many companies are trying to solve. Microsoft, in a recent post on its TechNet blog, revealed it was going about it in an innovative way: by...
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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...
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When it comes to wearables, it has always been clear that Samsung intends to be a pioneer. However, the Korean-giant received a lukewarm reception for its 'Gear' range of smartwatches and left the door open for Apple to dominate the market in two months since the launch of their...
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...
Samsung was among the first to release an Android Wear smartwatch, but the Korean giant has been focusing its efforts on a Tizen-based watch called 'Project Orbis" which is due for release later this year.
Being based on Tizen, the firm would have more control over the experience than the limited changes which can be made to Google's smartwatch OS. The upcoming device has not yet been fully-revealed, but Samsung hasn't been shy about its existence with invites teasing "Get...
As Friday’s global launch date edges ever closer, it seems the excitement surrounding the new Apple Watch has already affected smartwatch sales. A new survey shows that more than half (57%) of prospective smartwatch or fitness bands purchasers have delayed their purchases ahead of this week’s launch.
Gaining mass appeal for the smartwatch may be Apple’s greatest challenge.
Sales tracking figures from GfK show that in the first quarter of this year sales volumes of smartwatches fell 21%...
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The analysts at Juniper Research have gotten the tea leaves and crystal ball out again, and predicted annual revenues from connected healthcare and fitness services will approach $2bn by 2019, almost six times the value estimated for this year.
The findings, which appear in the report “Smart Wireless Devices: CE, Enterprise, Fitness, Healthcare, Payments 2015-2019”, examine the prevalence and market value of ‘smart wearable devices’, which Juniper defines as...
Pebble helped to kick-off the rising smartwatch market after fans contributed over $10 million via crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter. Even today it still leads powerful competitors from both the Android and Apple camps in areas such as battery life and cross-platform compatibility.
The team behind Pebble are clearly talented, and their innovation has helped them to stand-out against the goliaths of the industry. With their recently-announced Pebble Time,...
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Long-term readers of my articles will know I'm a fierce critic of Apple, but something happened during their last event and recent discussions at SXSW seem to confirm they’ve changed an industry in a way I don't think the Cupertino-based giant has since the debut of the original iPhone…
When ResearchKit was announced, I was...
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A survey from experiential agency Fizz Experience has found while almost half of UK respondents were aware of the Apple Watch, only one in five had adequate knowledge of the product.
The research, which was conducted before the (second) unveiling of the Apple Watch, found almost half of Britons were willing to spend up to £111 on wearable tech. This...
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After one previous launch, endless hype, and media keyboards being pummelled into submission, the Apple Watch has finally been fully unveiled at a press event in California.
First, what we learned (or were reminded of):
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Everyone was either showing off hardware, or discussing the future of wearable devices at Mobile World Congress this year. Smartwatches took most of the attention, but was stalked by some impressive VR headsets from a range of manufacturers...
Huawei somewhat stole the show with their smartwatch unveil. The manufacturer is often known for great smartphones which often undercut the...
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The past 12 months has proved an important period for the wearable tech market. We’ve witnessed an explosion of devices onto the market, and wearables have begun to deliver on the hype surrounding them. From smartwatches to smart wristbands, to fitness-tracking earphones, wearables have evolved quickly, and there are plenty of elegant and niftily-designed devices tempting consumers to invest. Have a quick look at your wrist. It may be hosting a traditional watch now, but Gartner...