Category: Wearables

Smartwatch, Apple Watch, Moto 360 , Samsung Gear, Gear Fit, Galaxy Gear, watches smart wearables and all the latest news on iGyaan

Unboxing The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro And Gear Sport
Samsung has launched two new wearable devices in India, the Gear Fit2 Pro and the Gear Sport at a price of Rs 13590 and Rs 22990 respectively. The Gear Fit2Pro is a fitness tracking band while the Gear Sport is a smartwatch. Let’s unbox the two wearables and see what we get inside the box:

Samsung Gear Sport box:
- Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch
- Extra wrist straps
- Charging cradle
- Documentation
Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
- Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
- Charging base
- Documentation
Both the wearables are compact and have different straps depending on the size of the consumer’s wrist which makes it ideal for everyone. Both the wearables can be connected to an Android phone via bluetooth and can be customised through the Samsung Gear app. The Gear Sport has a rotating bezel to interact with the watch which is much more intuitive than tapping on the tiny display.

If you are a swimmer, then the Gear Fit2 Pro can be ideal fro you to keep a track of your swimming performance as the Gear Fit2 Pro has a lot of features for swimming. It can eventrack a user’s stroke type, stroke count, and lap count.

Samsung has launched two new wearable devices in India today. One of them is a smartwatch and the other one is a fitness tracker. The pre-bookings for both the devices will start from the 4th of December and will be available to public on the 11th of December.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is priced at Rs 13590 and will be available in Black, and Black/Red colour variants. The fitness tracker has a 1.5-inch curved display, a 5 atm water resistance rating and has features specifically made for swimmers, including ways for the wearable to track a user’s stroke type, stroke count, and lap count. It also has a continuous heart rate monitor.

The Gear Fit 2 Pro has built-in GPS, as well as an automatic workout detection feature.

Buy it here

The Samsung Gear Sport is priced at Rs 22990 and has a 1.2-inch circular screen with a 320 x 320 resolution and Gorilla Glass 3, a water resistance rating of five atmospheres, as well as a focus on nutrition, with the ability to monitor your calorie balance throughout the day. The Gear Sport has access to fitness programs, along with a way to help the user complete their weight loss goals.

The new smartwatch can also be connected to Samsung’s smart TVs via the Samsung Connect app, and will support the company’s Samsung Pay service with its NFC hardware. The Gear Sport will be available in Black and Blue and colour variants.

Buy it here
November 29, 2017
Samsung Launches Gear Fit2 Pro And Gear Sport In India

Samsung has launched two new wearable devices in India today. One of them is a smartwatch and the other one is a fitness tracker. The pre-bookings for both the devices will start from the 4th of December and will be available to public on the 11th of December.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is priced at Rs 13590 and will be available in Black, and Black/Red colour variants. The fitness tracker has a 1.5-inch curved display, a 5 atm water resistance rating and has features specifically made for swimmers, including ways for the wearable to track a user’s stroke type, stroke count, and lap count. It also has a continuous heart rate monitor.

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro

The Gear Fit 2 Pro has built-in GPS, as well as an automatic workout detection feature.

Buy it here

The Samsung Gear Sport is priced at Rs 22990 and has a 1.2-inch circular screen with a 320 x 320 resolution and Gorilla Glass 3, a water resistance rating of five atmospheres, as well as a focus on nutrition, with the ability to monitor your calorie balance throughout the day. The Gear Sport has access to fitness programs, along with a way to help the user complete their weight loss goals.

Samsung Gear Sport

The new smartwatch can also be connected to Samsung’s smart TVs via the Samsung Connect app, and will support the company’s Samsung Pay service with its NFC hardware. The Gear Sport will be available in Black and Blue and colour variants.

Buy it here

November 29, 2017
Bose QC 35 II Launched In India

Bose has launched a new iteration of its highly acclaimed QC 35 noise canceling headphones, the QC 35 II in India. Priced at Rs 29,363 the Bose QC 35 II will be sold at Bose retail stores, Boseindia.com and Amazon.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II have a battery life of up to 20 hours. Just like the QC 35, the same controls remain on the right ear-cup, audio volume, and the multi-function button for incoming calls and accessing Siri. And now, there’s a new Action Button on the left earcup to connect to your Google Assistant without having to grab your phone, unlock it, and find the app.

Like its predecessor, the QC35 II’s noise cancellation is fully activated when the headphone is on, but, the Bose Connect App now lets you choose to keep it on (high), turn it down (low), or disable it completely (off). The Connect App also lets you change the Action Button’s functionality, so you can control the noise settings from the ear-cup when you want, and switchback to your Google Assistant when you want.

November 2, 2017
Xiaomi Launches New Noise Canceling Earphones, Power Bank And VR Headset In India

Xiaomi has launched three new products in India. A new 10000 mAh power bank, Mi VR Play 2 and Mi Noise Cancelling Earphones (Type-C) and will be available via mi.com.

The Mi VR Play 2 is priced at Rs 1299 and at first glance its hard to tell if you’re looking at the Mi VR Play 2 or the Google Daydream. Apart from a new design, the Mi VR Play 2 is also lighter than its predecessor. The exterior has been covered with soft fabric, which the company claims provides greater comfort.

The Mi Noise Canceling Earphones (Type-C) are only compatible with the Mi 5 and Mi Mix 2 smartphones. The earphones feature active noise cancellation between 50 – 2000Hz, enough to cut out ambient noise above 25dB. Xiaomi uses MEMS microphones in each earpiece to detect ambient noise and counterbalance it by using opposing frequencies. The earphones are acoustically tuned by Grammy award-winning tuner Luca Bignardi. The Mi Noise Cancelling Earphones are Hi-Res Audio certified, and use patented hybrid dual dynamic and balanced armature drivers to deliver a balanced sound. The earphones are priced at Rs 2999.

The next upgraded product is the Mi Power Bank Pro with a 10000 mAh capacity. It supports two-way fast charging, taking just 3.5 hours to be fully charged. If you own a smartphone that supports quick charging, you can expect your phone to be charged in under 2 hours. A Type-C adapter comes bundled with the power bank and because of it, the Mi Power Bank Pro can be used to charge smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and other mobile devices. The Mi Power Bank Pro is priced at Rs 1599 and is 42% thinner than its predecessor.

October 25, 2017
Top Tech Lightning Deals During The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale

The Amazon Great Indian Festival is on and lightning deals are a great way to save some bank on all the important tech you would need. iGyaan brings you the top tech lightning deals on Amazon right now.

HP Odyssey 15.6 Inch Laptop Backpack

If you are on the lookout for a new laptop backpack and are bored of the monotonous laptop bags, then take a look at this HP Odyssey laptop backpack. It has a green accent and a lot of compartments for all kinds of tech that you might carry. From your earphones to big headphones, thus bag will fit them all.

Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth Speaker

Available in six different bright colours, the Sony bluetooth speaker is ideal for an apartment and people who like that extra bass in their music. If you have NFC in your phone, you won’t have to go through the hassle of Bluetooth pairing as the speaker has NFC support. It has an audio wattage of 20W and a battery back of up to 10 hours of music playback.

Fitbit Charge 2

If you are into fitness or are trying to get serious about fitness, then a fitness tracker always helps. The Fitbit Charge 2 at a price of Rs 9999 is a great deal. The Charge 2 monitors your heart rate, your calorie burn count and notifies you every time your phone rings. It is also available in 4 colours.

Toshiba 2TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive

The Toshiba Canvivo 2TB hard drive is ideal for you if you’re on the lookout for a storage expansion option which is portable. The Toshiba hard drive has high transferring speeds since it is USB 3.0 and weighs about 80 grams more than an iPhone 8 Plus making it easy to carry around.

1More Piston Earphones

The 1iMore earphones are sturdy, look premium for a price of Rs 999 and have tangle-resistant cables. The sound is bass-heavy and the fit comfortably in the ears. If you are looking for a budget-friendly pair of earphones which offer a bass-heavy sound, the 1More earphones are worth a shot.

October 17, 2017
Top Tech Under Rs 500

A new month means a new addition to our top tech series. We bring you top ten tech and accessories under Rs 500 for a budget shopping spree this festive season!

Portronics Phoni Retro Handset

The Portronics Phoni is a cool accessory to replace your traditional earphones with something more retro. The handset has a nice matte finish and a grey colour that screams old school. The inline button to end or receive calls is a nice addition and the coiled cable just adds to the whole “landline” look.

Philips ActionFit Earphones

The Philips ActionFit Earphones are an adequate replacement to the default earphones you get with your smartphone. The earphones get really loud and even at the highest volume, the sound doesn’t shriek or get tinny, which happens with a lot of earphones in the price point however, there is no inline mic for calls. There is an included carrying pouch which is a nice touch by Philips.

Kodak Power Bank

This red coloured small power bank can come in handy when your phone is at 2% and you still have a long commute left. The capacity is only 2500 mAh and that makes it possible for the power bank to be compact. The main purpose of this power bank isn’t to power your device during a long hike but, to charge it during these small commutes or when a meeting gets extended and you need to keep the battery percentage in your phone intact.

Live Technology USB Hub

The LT USB hub has 4 USB 2.0 hubs that work simultaneously. The hub is well built and is very compact. It serves its purpose well and at the price point of under Rs 500, you really can’t go wrong with this one.

Taslar cable Winder

If you hate the sight of cables dangling about on your desk, then these cable winders are an easy solution which won’t break the bank. Three wires can be organised with one winders and it retails in a pair. Simply attach it to the back of your desk or wherever your plug points are, put the cables through it and have an organised desk.

Portronics USB Speaker

If you’re on the hunt for a speaker which is better than what you get on your laptop but, won’t cost a lot as well then these USB speaker is a safe bet. The speaker gets adequately loud and the inline volume scroller controls the volume of the speaker instead of the source it’s connected to. Unlike a lot of speakers in the price, the sound reproduction isn’t tinny and the sound stage is balanced instead of being heavy bass, which a lot of times results in shaky sound.

iVoltaa Smart Car Charger

The iVoltaa car charger has two USB ports to charge your devices. The charger automatically adjusts the voltage received from the vehicle so that your connected device always charges at a constant rate.

MoArmouz AUX cable

The company claims that this 3.5mm AUX cable can take up to 10000 bends. The cable is tangle free and the 3.5mm pins are gold plated which results in better sound reproduction.

Aeoss Waterproof Sport Armband

If you work out with your headphones on, you need to carry your phone with you. Running or jogging with a phone flailing about in your pocket can be annoying and that is where this armband comes in. It is waterproof to keep your phone safe from sweat or rain. The armband is light and spacious enough to keep two phones together. The bright colours make it useful for people who like outdoor running in the dark.

Photron Universal Travel Charger

If you travel abroad a lot and struggle with the different output pins, the this one stop solution is ideal for you. The Photron Travel Charger has three detachable compartments for you to choose from and and they all attach back to form a small adaptor that is easy to carry and can be thrown into the luggage without worrying about breaking it.

October 4, 2017
Levi’s Announces Smart Jacket In Association With Google Jacquard
Levi’s has announced the Commuter Trucker Jacket with Jacquard technology that turns this denim jacket into a wearable device. Google says that at the heart of it, the Trucker Jacket is a normal jacket that can be washed and worn any time you want. It just gives you an added functionality of starting or stopping music, getting directions or reading incoming text messages—by simply swiping or tapping the jacket sleeve.

Wearable devices have mostly been confined to the wrists, with smartwatches and fitness trackers. Google Glass came on to the scene but, fizzled out as well. The Snapchat glasses are a trend nowadays but difficult to buy and if you don’t like Snapchat, then those glasses don’t make sense. But, almost everyone wears a jacket, don’t they? This collaboration between Google and Levi’s suggests that the wearable devices market is more than just the smartwatches and fitness bands.

In its blog, Google talks about the Jacquard technology

Google ATAP (Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group) developed Jacquard—a connected apparel platform that allows fashion designers and apparel manufacturers to integrate connectivity and interactivity into clothes. And the first product that incorporates Jacquard—the Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket—will go on sale Wednesday.

The gesture-sensing Jacquard Threads are woven into the cuff and wirelessly connected to your mobile phone using tiny electronics embedded inside the sleeve and a flexible snap tag. The snap tag also notifies you about incoming phone calls or text messages¹ with light and haptic feedback. The gestures on the jacket cuff are fully re-configurable, using the Jacquard app you can assign gestures to invoke different digital “abilities” :
- Play or pause your music, skip to the next track, or ask what song is playing.
- Get the next direction, ETA, or the current time.
- Receive updates on incoming call or texts with an LED light and a vibration on your sleeve, and have the text message read to you.
The smart jacket goes on sale in the United States on 27th September in select Levi’s stores and within a week, it will be available online at www.levi.com.
September 26, 2017
Unboxing The Apple Watch Series 3
On September 12th, where all the attention was on the new bezel-less iPhone X, a new product grabbed a lot of eyeballs as well. The Apple Watch Series 3 was unveiled by Tim Cook at the Steve Jobs Theatre and its celular connectivity makes it an interesting option for iPhone users. It essentially means that you can use the Apple Watch even if you forget your iPhone at home thanks to the SIM card inside the watch. Let’s quickly unbox the Apple Watch Series 3 and see what we get inside:
- Apple Watch
- Extra pair of straps
- Documentation
- Charging brick
- Magnetic charging cable
The new Apple Watch Series 3 has an improved heart rate sensor and a SIM card slot. This has resulted in a 0.2mm thickness increment which is commendable. The watch seems a little hefty but feels comfortable on the wrist. The Apple Watch we have has a gold colour accent.

The new and advanced heart rate sensor wherein the watch will notify an increased heart rate if you’re not active. In the new Apple Watch, the number will remain the same as your iPhone and you can perform tasks such as iMessage directly from your watch without having your smartphone connected to it. The Apple Watch Series 3 will also stream 40 million songs from the iTunes and the Music App. The Siri on the smartwatch will also be voice enabled for communication with the watch without looking at the screen. The display of the watch will act as an antenna and an electronic SIM card which is smaller than a nano SIM card. The smartwatch has a dual-core processor to carry out all the tasks. The smartwatch will run Apple Watch OS 4 out of the box and has a battery life of up to 18 hours, Apple claims. The new W2 chip inside delivers 85 percent faster Wi-Fi while also being 50 percent more power efficient, which will be crucial because of the cellular connectivity feature using up more battery than usual.

The Apple Watch Series 3 in India will be available in the GPS only variant and start at a price of Rs 29900.

Pre-Order here:
September 25, 2017
New Google Pixelbook, Google Home Mini And Daydream VR Leaked

After the Google Pixel, 2 XL images were leaked, new images of three new products and their details have been leaked before Google hosts a launch event n October 4th. Details about the new Google Pixelbook, Google Home Mini, and the Daydream VR headset have been revealed by Droid Life.

The Google Pixelbook succeeds last year’s Chromebook Pixel. The laptop will be another high-end offering by Google and will be the first iteration that can be folded into a tablet. the Pixelbook will be accompanied by a pressure-sensitive stylus called the Pixebook Pen. No other details about the laptop have been revealed other than the storage variants and their prices. The 128GB base variant will be priced at US$1199 (Rs. 77,200 approx.), while the 256GB and 512GB variants are expected to be priced at US$1399 (Rs. 90,000 approx.), and US$1749 (Rs. 1.12 lakhs approx.) respectively.

The Daydream VR headset will be the second iteration of the wearable product by Google. Just like the Pixebook, no specific details have been revealed by the website. The colour variants, however, have been revealed and the Daydream VR will be available in Charcoal, Fog, and Coral colours. Just like the previous generation, a remote controller can be seen alongside the new generation VR headset in leaked images. The new wearable will reportedly cost US$99 (Rs. 6,400 approx.).

The third product leaked is the Google Homi Mini. The smaller sibling of the Google Home will compete with Amazon Echo Dot and will be powered by the Google Assistant. The smart speaker will be available in Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral colours. The Home Mini will be priced at US$49 (Rs 3200 approx.).

The leaks, as we say, should be taken with a pinch of scepticism. The launch event is just a few days away and the new Pixel devices along with a host of new products will be officially launched on October 4th.

September 20, 2017
Top Tech Deals At The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale

The Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale for Amazoon Prime members is now live and we take a look at the top 10 tech deals available during the sale. People without Amazon Prime membership will be able to access these deals from September 21.

Seagate Backup 4TB Hard drive

This Seagate 4TB storage hard drive is ideal for people who hate deleting their old data and like to carry it with them wherever they go. The hard drive has USB 3.0 transfer speeds and is backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports at USB 2.0 transfer speeds. The hard drive comes with 3 years of warranty as well. It retails at a price of Rs 22,199 but, during the sale, it will be available for a price of Rs 9,499.

WD Elements 1TB Hard Drive

This WD hard drive is light, portable and gives you an extra 1TB of storage in case you run out of the onboard storage on your desktop or laptop. This hard drive also has USB 3.0 transfer speeds and a 2-year warranty.

SanDisk 64GB Class 10 Memory Card

The SanDisk 64GB Class 10 Memory Card is water, dust and shock proof. If you need more storage in your smartphone and your phone has a microSD card slot, this memory card is ideal. Even if your phone doesn’t support microSD card, yiu can store your media in this card and carry it with you along with a USB OTG card reader and consume media on the go without hampering your phone’s onboard storage.

Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch

The Samsung Gear S3 is an ideal smartwatch for you if you have an Android smartphone. The smartwatch has 1.3-inch 360×360 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ and is IP68 certified water and dust resistant. It has a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 768MB RAM, and 4GB onboard storage.

Honor Band 3

The fitness tracker is ideal for people who want to keep a track of their activity but do not necessarily need a fancy smartwatch. The Honor Band 3 tracks your steps, sleep and is water resistant up to 50m.It has a heart rate monitor and a battery life of up to 30 days. Moreover, it has smart notifications to reduce your interaction with your smartphone while you’re busy or driving.

Lenovo Yoga Tab 3

The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 has 4G LTE connectivity and an 8-inch 1280 x 800 px display. It has an 8MP primary camera with autofocus and an 8MP front-facing camera, 1.3GHz Qualcomm APQ8009/MSM8909 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 16GB onboard storage. The tablet is powered by a massive 6200 mAh battery and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

Samsung Evo Plus 32GB Memory Card

If you’re looking for a memory card with high transfer speeds and durability, the Samsung Evo Plus memory card is for you. The microSD card has a 32GB storage and fast read and write speeds up to 95mbps and 20mbps respectively. The included SD adapter makes it compatible with even more devices whilst retaining the high transfer speeds.

SoundBot Bluetooth Speaker

The Soundbot Bluetooth Speaker has 40mm premium drivers for both active outdoor and indoor use. The speaker comes equipped with Bluetooth 3.0 and has a 3.5mm AUX output as well. The speaker is shipped with 1 year of manufacturer’s warranty as well. The average battery life of the Soundbot Bluetooth Speaker is 10 hours.

Acer Switch 10.1 inch Laptop

This laptop is ideal for people who are not power users and just need a device for general media consumption and document editing. The Acer Switch has a 1.44GHz Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor, 2GB DDR3L RAM, and 32GB flash storage. The laptop runs Windows 10 Home and has a battery life of 12 hours.

Apple MacBook Air 13.3 inch

The Apple MacBook Air for people who want to be a part of the Apple ecosystem but, do not need the power of a MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air has a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB LPDDR3 RAM, 128GB Solid State hard drive and, Intel HD Graphics 6000. The MacBook Air is light, portable and efficient. It usually retails for a price of Rs 77,200 but, during the sale it will be available for Rs 55,990.

September 20, 2017
Xiaomi Launches Mi Band HRX Edition In India

The Chinese tech giant has launched the Mi Band HRX Edition in association with Bollywood actor, Hrithik Roshan. The HRX Edition is basically an adaptation of the Mi Band 2. The wearable device will be available to buy from 18th September on Xiaomi India’s official website. Subsequently, the Mi Band HRX edition will be available on Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra starting September 20.

Talking about the partnership with HRX by Hrithik Roshan, Vice President and India Managing Director of Xiaomi, Manu Jain said

Indians are becoming more fitness conscious and this category is at an extremely dynamic stage. The Mi Band is a great fit in the category as reflected by the great response received for the Mi Band 2. This is not an endorsement deal, it’s a partnership for a new device. Hrithik provided inputs on features can be incorporated to make the product more relevant.

The Mi Band has OLED display that shows the time, and also the steps you’ve taken, distance covered, and calories burnt. It has an improved pedometer over the Mi Band for more accuracy in steps and exercise measurement, and also alerts you if you have been sitting idle for too long. The fitness wearable will remind you to take short walks and water breaks at regular intervals. It also calculates your sleep, sends call and notification alerts, and unlocks your paired Android smartphone without the need to put in a passcode or fingerprint as well. The Mi Band HRX Edition is also splash resistant.

The Mi Band HRX connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and Xiaomi claims that the band will last you 23 days on a single charge. The Mi Band 2 and the HX edition look very similar except the HRX logo placed in the strap now. But, unlike the Mi Band 2, the Mi band HRX Edition does not have a heart rate monitor. The Mi band HRX Editio is priced at Rs 1299, which is less than the Rs 1999 asking price of the Mi Band 2.

Looks like the concept of tech companies teaming up with celebrities is catching on fast. Recently, Microsoft collaborated with Chainsmoker to unveil a custom Xbox One S edition as well. Would you choose a limited edition product because it is associated with your favorite celebrity? Let us know in the comments below.

September 15, 2017
Apple Launches The Apple Watch Series 3 At US$399 For The Cellular Variant

Apple has launched the Apple Watch Series 3 during the September 12 launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The new Apple Watch has LTE connectivity and can replace your iPhone if you manage to forget it at home or somewhere else.

The new Apple Watch OS 4 has an advanced heart rate sensor wherein the watch will notify an increased heart rate if you’re not active. Apple also announced that Apple Watch OS 4 will be available to all the Apple Watch owners from September 19th.

In the new Apple Watch, the number will remain the same as your iPhone and you can perform tasks such as iMessage directly from your watch without having your smartphone connected to it. The Apple Watch Series 3 will also stream 40 million songs from the iTunes and the Music App. The Siri on the smartwatch will also be voice enabled for communication with the watch without looking at the screen. The display of the watch will act as an antenna and an electronic SIM card which is smaller than a nano SIM card. The smartwatch has a dual-core processor to carry out all the tasks. The smartwatch will run Apple Watch OS 4 out of the box and has a battery life of up to 18 hours, Apple claims. The new W2 chip inside delivers 85 percent faster Wi-Fi while also being 50 percent more power efficient, which will be crucial because of the cellular connectivity feature using up more battery than usual.

Even with the cellular connectivity, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the same size as the Series 2, but the back is expanded by 2.5mm. The Apple Watch Series 3 will retail in a ceramic gray colour finish as well. The Apple Watch Series 3 will retail at a price of Rs 29,900 for the cellular variant and will be available from October 5th in India.

September 12, 2017
Apple iPhone Launch Event – Where To Watch And What To Expect

The annual iPhone launch event hosted by Apple is set to take place at the Steve Jobs Theatre in San Cupertino, California in less than 3 hours and. The event starts at 10 a.m. PDT/10:30 p.m. IST and will stream live on Apple Inc.’s website. The stream can be watched live here. It is worth noting that the live stream uses Apple’s HLS technology. HLS requires an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with Safari on iOS 9.0 or later, a Mac with Safari on macOS v10.11 or later, or a PC with Microsoft Edge on Windows 10. Streaming via Apple TV requires an Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation) with software 6.2 or later or an Apple TV (4th generation). The American tech giant is expected to unveil a host of products at the event, most notably the iPhone 8.

iPhone 8

The iPhone or the iPhone X Edition, whatever Apple decides to call it, is one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2017. Apple is expected to shed the bezels from its previous generation iPhones and present smartphone which will have a 6 inch OLED display with minimal bezels around it. The smartphone will run iOS 11 and will be powered by a 3000 mAh battery. Apple will also drop the Rose Gold colour variant and introduce the iPhone 8 in Black, White and Blush Gold colours. The cameras at the back will be vertically placed this time around also shoot 4K videos at 60 FPS. Due to the exclusion of bezels, Apple will reportedly also drop the TouchID home button and replace it with a 3D facial recognition system.

You may also like – Everything We Know About The iPhone 8 So Far

iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus

The two variants will be an upgrade over the last year’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Not a lot has been said about the two ‘S’ models because of all the hype surrounding the iPhone 8. The iPhone 7S and 7S Plus will retain the design language of the previous generation iPhones and have thick bezels around the display. A major upgrade this time around will be the wireless charging capabilities, much like the iPhone 8, meaning the phones will have a glass back instead of metal. The frame around the phone will still be metal to give it a more sturdy look. The iPhone 7S Plus will feature horizontally placed dual-cameras, much like the iPhone 7 Plus. Reports also suggest that Apple will name the two models the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus and the flagship iPhone as the iPhone X Edition.

LTE Enabled Apple Watch

The Apple Watch has dominated the wearable gadgets industry and it looks like Apple is gearing up to launch an LTE enabled Apple Watch which can replace your iPhone for a day if you manage to forget it at home or somewhere else.Intel will be the LTE chip supplier for the new smartwatch. Qualcomm has long been the chip supplier for Apple mobile devices, but since the companies are embroiled in a legal dispute, Apple has chosen Intel for the task at hand. Intel also supplied chips for some of the iPhones last year. Apple is already in talks with network carriers in the US and Europe, such AT&T, T-Mobile etc for the next gen Apple Watch.

You may also like – Apple May Launch An LTE – Enabled Apple Watch

4K Apple TV, 7th Generation iPod Touch

A recent glitch on Discover’s “Deals” website revealed a 7th generation iPod Touch which was also vaguely indicated in the recent iOS 11 GM leak. A 4K video capable Apple TV will also be unveiled on September 12.

September 12, 2017
Samsung’s Gear Sport, Gear Fit 2 Pro And Icon X 2018 Unveiled At IFA 2017
Samsung announced the Gear Sport smartwatch, the Gear Fit 2 Pro fitness band and the Icon X 2018 wireless earbuds at the IFA 2017 in Berlin. All three wearables emphasize upon fitness features like the ability to swim in salt water with the Gear Sport and Fit 2 Pro. Though the Icon X 2018 earbuds launched with the ability to interact with Bixby, Samsung skipped the voice assistant’s support in the smartwatch and the fitness band .

Samsung Gear Sport

The new Samsung Gear Sport pushes further into fitness by adding few new features like 5 ATM water resistance for swimming, capacity to store 500 Spotify songs along with the already present heart rate tracker, GPS, and a rotating control bezel. Though the pricing details are still unavailable, the Samsung Gear Sport is expected to cost between $200 and $300.

Following are the specifications of the smartwatch –
- 1.2-inch circular AMOLED
- Tizen OS
- 20mm watch straps
- 4GB storage
- Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, NFC
- GPS/GLONASS/Beidou
- 300 mAh battery
- 5 ATM water resistance, MIL-STD-810G dust, and shock resistance
- Works with Android 4.4, iOS 9.0 or later
Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro

The Gear Fit 2 pro, unlike its earlier variant, comes with a 5 ATM swim-ready water resistance. The fitness band appears to be competing with Garmin and Fitbit with features like onboard GPS, offline music storage for Spotify and improved heart rate and fitness tracking.

The tracker is priced at $200 in the US. As far as features are concerned, here’s a list of few of them –
- 1.5-inch curved Super AMOLED touch display with Gorilla Glass 3
- Tizen OS
- 4GB of onboard storage
- Support for Spotify music downloads
- 50 meter (5 ATM) water resistance, MIL STD 810G dust resistance
- Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi
- GPS/GLONASS/Beidou
- Heart rate tracking
- Barometer
- 200mAh battery
- Works with Android 4.4 or iOS 9.0 and later
Samsung Icon X 2018

Samsung unveiled an updated version of the Icon X headphones at the IFA 2017. The Icon X 2018, much like the original wireless headphones include heart rate monitoring along with the increased battery life. Instead of a 90 min battery life( in the Icon X), The new Icon X 2018 now has 5 hours of battery life when streaming audio from a phone. In addition, Samsung has made a chargeable battery case with the included USB-C cable. Other features include tapping the headphone which activates the Running Coach feature – provides aural feedback on your progress.

The new Icon X headphones also support Samsung’s voice assistant which can be accessed by tapping and holding the earbud to access voice control on your paired Galaxy phone. The Icon X 2018 headphones are designed to work only with Samsung phones running Android 4.4 and above. The headphones have internal storage of 4GB per bud. As for specifications,
- Colours available – Black, Gray, Pink
- 4GB of Onboard Storage (per earbud)
- Bluetooth v 4.2 connectivity
- Accelerometer, IR, Capacitive Touch
- OS compatibility Android 4.4 or later
- Battery – Earbud: 82mAh / Charging Case: 340mAh
Samsung usually hosts two separate events at IFA every year, one for its electronics and one for mobile. This year, the company decided to host one event combining the announcement for both smartphones and electronics. Samsung also hosted another major event in New York, where it revealed the Galaxy Note 8.
September 2, 2017
Fitbit Launches Ionic, A US $300 Smartwatch Competitor To The Apple Watch

Fitbit has officially unveiled the new ‘Ionic’ smartwatch with fitness and health tracking capabilities a price of US $299. The new smartwatch will directly compete with the Apple Watch Series 2 which starts at USD 369.

The new Ionic by Fitbit features built-in GPS for outdoor fitness tracking, water resistance up to 50 meters for swim tracking, an all-day heart rate sensor, NFC, and an app platform. The smartwatch is said to have 4+ day battery life on a single charge with sleep tracking capabilities. Fitbit says that the Ionic smartwatch has a SpO2 sensor which measures blood oxygen levels and could be used to discover sleep apnea in the future. Unlike the Apple Watch Series 2 that has a hidden mechanism to eject water, the Ionic’s unibody design prevents water from getting inside, making it water-resistant up to 50 meters.

The device has 2.5GB of onboard storage for syncing up to 300 songs for offline playback to Bluetooth headphones, and Pandora Plus or Premium subscribers can download stations for standalone playback as well. However, Fitbit has said that the battery will only last up to 10 hours during continuous music playback or GPS usage.

To stay on par with the Apple Watch, Fitbit Ionic also has contactless payment options. Fitbit Pay will work with American Express cards and select Visa and Mastercards in the US and Canada from supported banks. Ionic is also an app platform with Strava, Accuweather, Flipboard and more apps coming soon. The company has also announced a Fitbit SDK based on the company’s Pebble acquisition, so developers can create their own apps for the smartwatch. The device will feature smart notifications from popular apps like Twitter and Whatsapp as well as call and text alerts.

Both the Apple Watch Series 2 and the new Fitbit Ionic feature a touch display with a brightness of up to 1,000 nits for outdoor use, and the Ionic will let users swap bands to change the style. Similar to what Apple did with Nike and launched special edition Apple Watch Nike+, Fitbit will partner up with Adidas to launch a special edition version of Ionic next year.

There are rumours that Apple will unveil a LTE-enabled version of the Apple Watch on September 12 along with the iPhone 8. The Fitbit Ionic is up for pre-orders on the Fitbit website right now at a price of USD 299.95.

August 29, 2017