It is fair to say that wearables were probably the stars of the show at this year‘s IFA event in Berlin. There weren‘t major smartphone announcements (they usually get their own events these days) so it was up to smartwatches to show off the latest and greatest that mobile technology firms have to offer.
Samsung, Motorola and TomTom all introduced new timepieces this week, while Huawei finally revealed pricing details for the Watch it announced earlier this year in Barcelona. The majority of the wearables revealed is powered by Android Wear (bar the TomTom and Samsung), with prices also ranging wildly. Let us take a look at our picks for the ones that stood out at this year‘s show.
Moto 360
The world‘s first round smartwatch has finally received a long overdue successor, simply called the new Moto 360. It is very similar to the previous version, with the button placement changed slightly for better use. This time around it will come in two different sizes (42mm and 46mm).
It also has improved specs compared to the previous version, with a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage for music and files. The smaller version features a 1.37-inch (360 x 325 display), while the 46mm model comes with a 1.56-inch (360 x 330) display.
Samsung Gear S2
Undoubtedly, the Gear S2 was the wearable we were most exciting about leading into the show, as it completely changed Samsung‘s approach to design when it came to (as discussed in a recent episode of our podcast). It is now finally official, running Samsung‘s proprietary Tizen software as expected.
It has a 1.2-inch circular display, but more notably a rotating bezels that is uses as input. The design is both functional and much more beautiful than anything we‘ve seen from the Korean company before. For once, I can actually say I wouldn‘t mind owning a Samsung wearable.
Huawei Watch
The Huawei Watch was actually announced quite some time ago at MWC, but not with final hardware or software. Now, however, it is official and Huawei’s finally shared the information we needed to know: availability and pricing.
Launching in about two weeks, the Huawei Watch starts at $349, which makes it quite pricey. It does have a more luxurious build than many of its counterparts, and will likely appeal to quite a few people. We think it looks great, but the price point might be its downfall.
LG Watch Urbane Luxe
LG spruced up its Urbane smartwatch with a new 23-karat gold option called the LG Watch Urbane Luxe. LG also offers new leather straps that feature the same premium clasp Cartier invented in 1910.
It‘s got all the same specs as the regular Urbane, which launched at MWC, so the design is the only new feature here. If you‘ve always wanted an even more ostentatious and premium LG Watch Urbane, then the Luxe is for you.
Priced at $1,200, the Urbane Luxe is significantly less than that 18-karat gold Apple Watch, which starts at $10,000.
TomTom Spark
Unlike modern circular watches, the Spark looks more like previous ones from Samsung and currently the Pebble Time and Apple Watch. Its targeted audience is much different than the other wearables on this list, however.
The TomTom Spark focuses on fitness features, in addition to well integrated audio features. The new version offers 3GB of internal storage, which can be used for offline music payback. Other features include an optical heart rate monitor (at extra cost).
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