Apple Watch outsells all other smartwatches combined in 2017

According to a recent survey by IDC, the Apple Watch was the highest selling smartwatch in the last quarter and the entire year of 2017. Apple shipped an estimated 8 million units in Q4 of 2017 compared to 5.1 million in the same quarter in 2016. Overall market share in Q4 went from 14.4% behind Fitbit and Xiaomi in 2016 to 21% in 2017, ahead of everybody else.

As for the whole year, Apple shipped 17.7 million units in 2017 versus 11.3 million in 2016. Total market share went from 10.8% in 2016 to 15.3% in 2017.

But here's the real kicker; the numbers you just read were for the entire wearable category. For Apple, this just means the Apple Watch, which starts at $249. For other companies, it means every type of wearable they sell, which for someone like Xiaomi also includes the $28 Mi Band 2. Seen in that context, Apple's numbers look even more impressive.

For a more apples-to-apples comparison, MacRumors got data specific to smartwatches from IDC and here's it's not even close. Apple sold 8 million units in Q4 2017, more than all others combined. Same for 17.7 million units sold in the entire 2017. Basically, one in every two smartwatches is now an Apple Watch.

Looking at other smartwatch numbers it's easy to see why many of the companies like Motorola decided to drop out of the smartwatch business. While the wearable business is still growing due to the advent of inexpensive fitness bands, the only smartwatch anybody seems to want is the Apple Watch, a device that is fairly expensive and only works with one brand of smartphones.

While the Apple Watch's popularity doesn't spell success for smartwatches in general, it does for the Apple Watch itself, which many doubted at launch. However, it hasn't quite spelled the doom for regular watches as many predicted, so turns out there is market for both, regular watches and smartwatches, as long as the smartwatch is an Apple Watch.

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Apple sets record for most wearables sold in a single quarter

Apple has shipped a record 18 million smartwatches in 2017 and almost half of those came in Q4 - 8 million. Coincidentally, that's also a record for most shipped smart wearables for a single quarter, by any maker.

Out of the total 18 million shipped Apple Watches, close to 9 million were the latest Series 3. According to Canalys data the LTE-powered Apple Watch Series 3 is the fastest-selling LTE wearable on the market, totaling 1.6 million units shipped.

Apple's Q4 numbers were a solid 32% higher year over year than Q4 of 2016 while 2017 as a whole saw 54% more shipped Apple Watches than 2016.

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Garmin vivofit 4 activity tracker features always-on color display, over 1 year battery life

Garmin has launched a new activity tracker. Dubbed vivofit 4, the main selling points for the wearable include an always-on color display and over 1 year battery life. The device is also swim- and shower-safe.

In addition to basic activity tracking, the vivofit 4 can also track your sleep and intensity minutes. Other features include a countdown timer, stopwatch, alarms, weather info, and the Find My Phone functionality.

Available color options for the activity tracker include White, Limegreen Speckled, and Black. As for price, the device carries a tag of $80, and is available for purchase through Amazon. There are also interchangeable accessory bands available, but those are sold separately for $20 each.

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New Samsung Gear S2 update brings battery life-related optimizations

Samsung has started pushing out a new update to its Gear S2 smartwatch. Arriving as build number XXU2EQJ2 and weighing in at 22MB, it's not a big update, but does bring along some optimizations aimed at increasing the battery life.

In addition, the update also includes some security enhancements. Currently, units in Europe (the Netherlands to be specific) are getting the update, although other regions should get it soon as well.

As is usually the case with OTA updates, it may take time for the update notification to pop up on your device's screen, so be patient.

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Nokia relaunches the Steel HR, now on pre-order

If you missed out on the Withings Steel HR, you’ll be pleased to hear that the watch just relaunched under the Nokia brand. It’s available for pre-order now and should arrive before the holidays.

The classic-looking watch gets its name from the heart rate sensor, but it also features a step/calorie tracker. If you connect it to your phone over Bluetooth, you’ll also get notifications for calls, texts and events.

The Nokia Steel HR is waterproof up to 50m (5 ATM) and features automatic swimming detection (it tracks duration and calories).

   
Nokia Steel HR is a classic watch and fitness tracker combo

The body comes in 36mm and 40mm sizes and is made of steel. You can have it in Black or White with a selection of leather, silicone and woven wristbands. The battery is good for 25 days of normal use, 5 days in workout mode. Power reserve mode adds 20 additional days of endurance.

The Steel HR will set you back $180 / €190 / £170. Hit the Source link if you want to pre-order one. Note that there’s a warning of limited quantities on the site.

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Apple Watch Series 3 brings LTE and faster chipset

The Apple Watch has grown quickly – so fast in fact that it is now the #1 watch in the world, topping the former leader Rolex. The Watch has a 97% customer satisfaction, but it’s time for a new model.

Meet the Apple Watch Series 3. It features cellular connectivity via an eSIM, sharing your phone number with your iPhone. This means you can receive calls even if you left your phone at home. The display of the watch is the antenna for 4G LTE and 3G.

 
Calling from the Apple Watch Series 3

And you don’t have to leave Apple Music at home either, the Series 3 can stream on the go. A new chip (the W2) enables 85% better Wi-Fi performance with lower power usage (down to half!). The new watch is powered by a new dual core processor that is 70% faster than the one it replaces. It's now fast enough to allow Siri to talk!

But not all new models will have wireless connectivity. The Series 3 with cellular will cost you $399, without is $329. The Series 1 remains available at a lower cost at $249.

The new watch also features a barometer to count the flights of stairs you’ve climbed during your day. With all these new features, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the same size as the Series 2.

  
New Gold color option • Black ceramic

Two new color options are available: gold aluminum and a special Black ceramic. There's a new band to look forward to as well.

   
New watch bands

They will be available 9 markets initially (with multiple carriers supported). Pre-orders start on September 15 and sales begin on the September 22. A wider selection of markets will get the non-cellular model.

   
Apple Watch Series 3 prices • Initial availability • Availability for the model without cellular

Alongside the new watch, Apple is releasing a new version of Watch OS 4. Coming out on September 19, it features smart coaching with high intensity interval training and automatic swim sets counting (obviously, the watch is swim-proof).

It also features much more extensive heart care. You heart statistics are now more visible and include resting heart rate and recovery heart rate. And if the watch detects a high heart rate and you’re not moving, it can sound an alarm.

 
Advanced heart tracking features

New report says LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 coming this September

There have already been reports suggesting the next Apple Watch - likely to be called Apple Watch Series 3 - will be officially unveiled alongside the iPhone 8 in September. And now, a new report from CNBC is also supporting the September launch time-frame for the wearable.

While we already know that this year's Apple Watch will be LTE-enabled - meaning the wearable won't require tethering to an iPhone for features like calls and texts - the report says the device will likely feature an embedded SIM rather than physical SIM card.

Previous info claims Apple has roped in Intel for LTE modem chips, and all of the Big Four US carriers will be offering the wearable, something which this new CNBC report corroborated. Analysts believe an LTE-enabled Apple Watch will be a hot seller.

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Analysts: Xiaomi tops Q2 smart wearable shipments, Apple is in third

The smart wearables market has been growing at a leisurely pace – it rose 8% year on year for a total of 21.6 million units shipped in the second quarter of 2017, both Canalys and Strategy Analyitcs claim.

Xiaomi beat out the competition to claim the top spot for the first time with 3.5-3.7 million units (Canalys) shipped. Fitbit experienced a significant 34% year-on-year slump to 3.3-3.4 million (SA) units. Fitbit’s market share fell nearly in half.

Apple, which held close to 50% of the market in 2016, is in third position with 2.7-2.8 million units shipped. Of course, Apple is focused on the premium Watch while both Xiaomi and Fitbit rely heavily on affordable fitness bands to reach those numbers. Apple’s numbers are almost double compared to the same quarter last year.

	Strategy Analytics		Canalys
Global Wearables Vendor Shipments (Millions of Units)	Q2 '16	Q2 '17	Q2 '17
Xiaomi	3.0	3.7	3.5
Fitbit	5.7	3.4	3.3
Apple	1.8	2.8	2.7
Others	9.5	11.7
Total	20.0	21.6
Global Wearables Vendor Marketshare %	Q2 '16	Q2 '17
Xiaomi	15.0%	17.1%
Fitbit	28.5%	15.7%
Apple	9.0%	13.0%
Others	47.5%	54.2%
Total	100.0%	100.0%
Total Growth YoY (%)	21.2%	8.0%	8.0%

Canalys analysts believe Apple will extend its lead thanks to smartwatches with built-in mobile connectivity. Cupertino is yet to release such a smartwatch, but the analysts think that the company’s strong ties with carriers will help push the next Apple Watch ahead of Android and Tizen watches that already have LTE connectivity. Strategy Analytics adds that enhanced health tracking will be another boon for the Watch Series 3.

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Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro leaked training materials reveal swim tracking, a better clasp

Following the confirmation of its existence on Samsung's own website, the upcoming Gear Fit2 Pro just keeps on leaking. Today some promotional materials showing it have been outed, as you can see below. Alongside these we get a few details about the wearable's main differentiating features.

It will come with 5 ATM water resistance, which means you'll be able to swim with it worry-free. Naturally, that means it will track your swimming workouts, and it will even sync with the Speedo On app for swimmers.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro will also have support for offline music playback, from Spotify to be precise. The wearable comes with a GPS too, like the Gear Fit2. Unlike that model, however, the Pro device has a watch-style clasp which should ensure it stays on your wrist no matter what.

The Gear Fit2 Pro will be compatible, for syncing purposes, with Android and iOS handsets, and will include one year's subscription to Under Armour's various fitness apps. It's not clear if the new fitness band will be sold alongside the older Gear Fit2. And while a release date isn't known at the moment, the Fit2 Pro should become official at Samsung's special event taking place on August 23, which is where the Galaxy Note8 will see the light of day too.

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LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 said to debut by the end of the year

A report from Bloomberg cited ”person/persons familiar with the matter” four times, so we will approach this story with the deserved amount of skepticism.

According to the report, Apple could be releasing an LTE-enabled Apple Watch alongside the iPhone 8 or toward the end of the year. But according to “another person familiar with the matter” (from the same report, mind you) it could be delayed well into 2018”. Do you see where the skepticism comes in?

Anyhow, Apple had reportedly delayed an LTE-enabled version of the Watch before the Series 2 launched but had to put it off because it needed more time to improve overall battery life over an LTE connection, which is limited by the battery’s relatively smaller size compared to a smartphone. Speaking of LTE, Intel is slated to provide the modem chips for LTE. Qualcomm was Apple’s main modem supplier but the two companies are in a bit of a legal bind at the moment.

Back to the report, Apple was said to have already been talking to US carriers about its connected wearable. Carrier support would be limited at launch, though the four major US carriers are all said to plan to sell the new Watch.

1st-gen Apple Watch

Here’s why we think it’s still too early for Apple to release a new watch: Apple’s first watch was released in April of 2015 and the new Series 2 came out alongside the iPhone 7 in September of 2016, about 1.5 years later. Following this timeframe (because this is all we have to go off of) it’s more likely that Apple would launch a Series 3 Watch in Q2 of 2018 to offset the launch of its iPhone 8, which is supposed to start at $850. Furthermore, Tim Cook said that the Apple Watch’s sales have grown 50% year over year and is the #1 selling smartwatch “by a very wide margin”.

If you had a product and it was selling increasingly well, you’d want to ride the wave as long as possible, right? Apple would be jumping the gun if it released the Series 3 next to the iPhone 8 in September. We are just speculating here since, for all we know, Apple could even release a new Apple Watch next to every iPhone from here on out. A more likely scenario is Apple releasing an LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 2 next to the iPhone 8.

This report is definitely one of the more obscure ones. So we personally won’t be holding our breaths for a new Apple Watch this September.

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Samsung Gear S3 Tumi edition now available

Tumi has collaborated with Samsung to release a Tumi edition of the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. The most notable differences are: a custom-made Tumi watchface that is preloaded on the wearable, and a TUMI watch band made from Italian canvas.

While not the most elegant material out there, the canvas watch band changes the overall look and feel of the smartwatch. The band is earl grey-colored which matches the tone of the Fronteir pretty nicely.

The band also has a stainless steel fastening buckle. Samsung also says the canvas band is also resilient against the elements, so feel free to use it while hiking through the dirt or biking through the desert.

The Gear S3 Frontier Tumi edition is $449 in stores, $100 more than the standard Frontier version. Though, Best Buy is currently selling the Frontier for $299.

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Some Android Wear 2.0 keyboards have missing characters, fix coming

Google has officially acknowledged a bug in Android Wear 2.0 where-in keyboards for some languages have missing characters. Specifically, users of Russian and Hungarian keyboards have been noticing this problem for a few months.

Characters 'Х' 'Ъ' 'Э,' and 'Ё' are missing from the Russian keyboard, and the Hungarian keyboard is also reportedly incomplete.

Affected wearables include watches with round screens (LG Watch Urbane and Huawei Watch). Following is the statement from a Google community manager:

"Hi, Just wanted to update this thread to say that this has carefully been considered and will be coming in a future update. Thanks everyone for your feedback!"

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Android Wear 2.0 update starts hitting smaller ZenWatch 2 units as well

Just a few days after the ZenWatch 2 (1.63")started getting the Android Wear 2.0 update, the smaller variant (1.45") has also begun receiving it.

A quick look at the Android Wear 2.0 FAQ thread on official Google Forums reveals that the ZenWatch 2 (1.45") is now in the list of wearables that the company says have already received the update.

The following screenshot shows the complete list:

So now, the only wearables that are compatible, but haven't received the Android Wear 2.0 update yet are the Moto 360 Sport and LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE. There's, however, currently no information on exactly when the update will arrive for these watches.

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Apple topped global wearable market in Q1, Samsung claimed second spot

According to data released by market research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple claimed over 50% - 53% to be precise - of the global wearable market in the first quarter of the ongoing year, retaining its top position.

The second spot was bagged by Samsung, which claimed 12.8% share of the market. The South Korean tech giant overtook Fitbit, which came in at number three with 12.2% market share. The report attributed Samsung's improvement in rankings to the success of its Gear S3 smartwatch.

As far as total product shipments are concerned, Apple again topped the list with 16% share, while the second and third spots were claimed by Xiaomi and Fitbit with 15.5% and 12.3% market share, respectively.

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