2017 is set to be a big year for smartwatches. Android Wear 2.0 is finally set to land, we’re expecting to see even more hybrid smartwatches and you can bet your money we’ll be seeing follow-ups to the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Samsung Gear S3. Hey, we might even finally see a Fitbit smartwatch.
Essential reading: The best smartwatches currently on sale
Some companies have already laid out their plans while others are just hoping to get those MIA devices out after delaying them in 2016. We’ve updated our watchlist of the smartwatches that are set to land this year and when we can expect to be wearing them.
Here’s the state of smartwatch play for 2017.
Blocks: ETA January/February 2017
One of the watches we most want to get our hands on is the Blocks modular smartwatch. It was set to start shipping in May 2016 to backers of its Kickstarter campaign, then the date slipped to December and now it’s moved to early 2017.
Hands-on: Blocks smartwatch review
The core Blocks smartwatch module runs Android Marshmallow and features a 1.4-inch 400 x 400 AMOLED display. Qualcomm’s low power Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor is on board and there’s 4GB of memory plus 512MB of RAM, as well as Bluetooth 4.1 LE, Wi-Fi and sensors for activity tracking.
The extra Blocks modules are made from polycarbonate and their maximum dimensions are 25 x 31 x 8mm. It costs $330 with four modules of your choice. Extra modules are $35.
New Balance Run IQ: February 2017
A year after the sports giant announced it was making an Android Wear smartwatch, we finally got to see it up close CES 2017 in the shape of the New Balance RunIQ.
Like the Polar M600 and Moto 360 Sport, this is a Wear watch designed for runners. It’s powered by Intel and features built-in GPS, an optical heart rate monitor and a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen.
It also has 4GB of storage to download music from Google Play and Strava integration to track running and cycling sessions then share them quickly to the third party fitness app.
Read our New Balance Run IQ hands-on, to find out if the Android Wear smartwatch makes a good first impression.
Swarvoski Android Wear: ETA March 2017
Yes, we are set to see an Android Wear smartwatch for women this year after Qualcomm announced it’ll be powering the device.
The cut crystal specialist is no stranger to the world of wearables having already partnered with Misfit for the Swarovski Shine fitness tracker and teamed up with Samsung, Polar and Huawei in the past for special editions of its wearables.
We have no idea what the Swarovski Android Wear smartwatch is going to look like, but we’ll find out more in March 2017 when a big reveal is scheduled for the Baselworld watch and jewellery show.
Casio WSD-F20: April 2017
Casio’s second generation Android Wear smartwatch is still a rugged, connected timepiece but now it’s a much better fit for outdoor adventurers.
Read this: Casio WSD-F20 first look
That’s because it finally includes built-in GPS, which let’s you track routes sans smartphone. It also unlocks new features including GPS-enabled watch faces and the ability to lay markers if you want to revisit a memorable spot on your travels.
It crams in all of the same sensors found in the original, but in a slimmer body and now supports colour maps, even in offline mode. It’s set to cost $500 making it by far the most expensive Android Wear smartwatch you can wrap around your wrist.
Misfit Vapor: ETA 2017
After launching the Misfit Phase hybrid smartwatch, the Fossil-owned company has turned its attention to a genuine Apple Watch and Samsung Gear rival with the Vapor.
The circular smartwatch features a vibrant 1.39-inch OLED display with a barely visible touch bezel to navigate Misfit’s proprietary operating system. There’s built-in GPS, an optical heart rate monitor and it’s waterproof so you can take it for a dip in the pool. Unlike Misfit’s fitness trackers though, battery life is just a couple of days.
Misfit is still refining the Vapor’s OS, so you can expect the $199 smartwatch to launch later in 2017.
Have a read of our Misfit Vapor hands on to see what we make of the sporty smartwatch so far.
Google Android Wear watches: ETA 2017
Android Wear product manager Jeff Chang has confirmed that Google is set to launch two of its own Android Wear smartwatches with both set to land alongside Android Wear 2.0.
They won’t be branded as Pixel smartwatches as had previously been rumoured, but it’s expected that they’ll feature circular displays and are likely to include GPS and LTE connectivity support. You can expect Google Assistant integration as well to deliver contextual alerts.
When will the land? It’s likely to be around Spring time, which is around the time we’re expecting to see new Android Wear 2.0-running watches from Casio and New Balance.
ZTE Android Wear: ETA 2017
Who said Android Wear was dead? ZTE USA CEO Lixin Cheng has confirmed that the company is planning to launch its first Android Wear smartwatch in 2017.
We don’t have a lot of specifics of what to expect, but it’s likely to have LTE connectivity support to work as a standalone device. So you can leave that smartphone behind.
Cheng has also hinted that battery life will exceed what is currently on offer by the current crop of Android Wear watches. If it looks anything like the ZTE Axon watch (above) and can deliver great battery life, then this could definitely be one to keep an eye on.
HTC/Under Armour: ETA who knows?
It’s the rumour that won’t die. Talk of a HTC smartwatch have rumbled on for a few years now and the latest murmurs pointed towards an Android Wear device, dubbed the HTC One Watch, that was supposed to launch in June 2016. But it looks as if that date has slipped… again. According to @evleaks, it was originally going to launch in April.
The rumour mill is cooking up murmurs of an all-round display, as per the Huawei Watch, with a 360 x 360 resolution. Still, that’s pretty much all we know, leaving this one a bit more of a mystery.
Let us know what smartwatch you are most excited about over on the Wareable Forum.
SOURCE:http://www.wareable.com/smartwatches/next-gen-smartwatches-coming-2015-2016
