Heena Sharma Blog

  There is no smartwatch that complements the iPhones the way Apple’s own watches do, even if they are not perfect. Therefore, even if the new models do not bring any significant upgrades over the previous-generation models, they still make a compelling buy for iPhone users looking to upgrade to a new model. A case in point is the Apple Watch Series 7 . Over the Watch Series 6 (review), the Series 7 brings a bigger display with curved edges and negligible display bezels, redesigned user interface optimised for larger display, and new watch faces to complement the curved display profile. Starting with the display, the Watch Series 7 boasts 20 per cent more screen area over the Watch Series 6. Interestingly, the bump in screen size does not translate into any significant changes in dimensions of the case. This is because the screen is stretched by narrowing the borders. That said, the Apple Watch Series 7 is just 1mm (45mm, review unit) bigger than its predecessor. The screen on th...

  Amazfit GTR 3 , the successor to the Amazfit GTR 2 , seems a promising entry in this year’s smartwatch line-up, bringing several upgrades such as a brighter screen, better battery life, and more. Amazfit has been good value for money, but the only issue, as we have seen earlier, is weak software support that spoils the experience. Has Amazfit managed to cross the barrier with GTR 3? Let’s find out this and more about in this review: Amazfit GTR 3: Build and design Amazfit GTR 3 Straight out of the box, I set my eyes on this sleek smartwatch with a large round screen curved at the edges meeting aluminum alloy case giving this watch a pristine look. The GTR 3 has a 1.39-inch AMOLED HD touch display (454x454 pixels) with 326ppi pixel density. it offers crisp and bright colorus even in direct sunlight. The display has a 1,000nits peak brightness and features tempered glass with an anti-fingerprint coating. The display feels really good in daily use and clearly, this is one ...

  The Galaxy Watch4 Classic is among the first smartwatches to come out from the partnership between South Korean electronics maker Samsung and American technology giant Google. Based on the WearOS platform, the smartwatch gains capabilities that the previous iteration of Samsung Galaxy-series smartwatches lacked simply because they were running on its proprietary operating system, Tizen. But how big are these gains and what else is new in the Galaxy Watch4 Classic? Let’s find out. Design Some radical changes in design would have been in order to mark the beginning of new era for Google WearOS platform-based Samsung Galaxy smartwatches, but Samsung chose to stick to its classic design language. That said, the Galaxy Watch4 Classic looks identical to its predecessor. The existing Galaxy Watch users might find that boring. First-time users, however, would appreciate the classic design with a rotating ring on the bezel and stainless steel case (46mm review unit). While the watch’...

  American activity tracker and sports watch maker Garmin recently launched in India its Forerunner 55 . Aimed at runners, this smartwatch is a successor to the company's budget-oriented health and fitness tracker the Forerunner 45. Priced at Rs 20,990, the Forerunner 55 brings meaningful upgrades over the predecessor with regard to design, features and utility. So does it make a good upgrade? Let’s find out: Design and build The smartwatches in the Forerunner series look identical, albeit few changes here and there. That said, the Forerunner 55 does not bring any drastic design changes. There are in total of five physical buttons familiarly placed -- three on the left side and two on the right. The Forerunner 55 has a 42mm plastic case with a 1.04-inch transflective display (208 × 208 pixels resolution) on the top, surrounded by thick bezels. The watch’s transflective display lacks the brightness, thus, suffers from sunlight legibility issues. It takes some effort to read th...

  Homegrown earwear and wearables brand boAt on Wednesday launched an affordable smartwatch called Xtend that offers seven-day battery life, over 50 Watch faces, heart rate, SPO2 and sleep monitoring. The boAt Xtend is available at an introductory price of Rs 2,999 with a one-year warranty on Amazon and boAt website, the company said in a statement.   The smartwatch comes with built-in Alexa voice assistant. "We are thrilled to introduce a smartwatch with built-in Alexa which adds a whole new dimension and capabilities to the smartwatch category as whole," said Aman Gupta, Co-Founder, boAt. The audio brand in January raised approximately $100 million (over Rs 731 crore) from an affiliate of Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity fund, towards ramping up manufacturing and go global. The significant investment will enable boAt, that has emerged as the leading brand in India's true wireless stereo (TWS) market, further fortify its leading market positio...

  Expanding its wide range of Gen 5 smartwatches, US-based fashion brand Fossil on Thursday unveiled a new smartwatch -- Gen 5E -- in India at Rs 18,495. The smartwatch features an always-on 1.19-inch AMOLED display and options for personalisation including various interchangeable straps and watch faces. "The new Fossil Gen 5E is testament to our teams' effort in creating technology that will not only look fashionable but also help augment the user's lifestyle," Johnson Verghese, Managing Director, Fossil Group, India, said in a statement. "With all the essential features of our Gen 5 smartwatch, the Gen 5E is keenly priced and will be available online for purchase on Myntra and Flipkart," Verghese added. Equipped with the new wellness enhancements that allow users to track sleep history, monitor restfulness, set activity goals and much more, its advanced sensors provide promising data to power all the health and fitness apps, the company said. Re...

  Samsung seems to be one brand in the Android ecosystem that is making true smartwatches, even as many others simply pass off wristwatch-shaped health and fitness trackers as smartwatches. Samsung’s recently launched Galaxy Watch 3 justifies its smartwatch moniker, and it works right on point. It does double up as a health and fitness tracker, too, but its overall utility goes far beyond that. Unlike smartphones, smartwatches are a lifestyle accessory, so their design plays an important role. Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm mystic black variant with leather straps) manages to impress with its classic circular design, which looks retro but premium and polished. The watch has a 1.4-inch super AMOLED touchscreen which is bright and vivid. It supports gesture-based navigation; swipe down from top to access quick settings, swipe inwards from left for notifications, and swipe inwards from right for quick-view windows. It also supports the wrist gesture for the screen ...

  Chinese electronics maker Mobvoi recently launched in India the upgraded version of its TicWatch Pro smartwatch (review). Named TicWatch Pro 2020 , the smartwatch brings some incremental upgrades with regard to design, performance and user experience. Though it looks similar to the predecessor, it has got a rugged design as part of the upgrade and that makes it look a little bit more on your wrist. The flip side is that the rugged design also adds some unnecessary bulk without adding any significant value or utility. The watch sports a 45mm case with a circular dial and 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen of 400 x 400 resolution. It is a dual-layer display, which gets you extra on-battery time but at the cost of sunlight legibility. The screen is reflective in nature that makes it impossible to read under direct sunlight. Moreover, the colours look washed out which makes on-screen content, including watch faces, look dull and boring. Speaking of watch faces, the watch supports limited...

  Chinese electronics maker Huawei’s digital brand Honor on Thursday launched in India the Honor Watch GS Pro and Honor Watch ES smartwatches. The Honor Watch GS Pro is a rugged smartwatch; passed through 14 types of MIL-STD-810G tests for durability and longevity. It boasts a battery life of up to 25 days, Bluetooth calling, and GPS Route Back features. The Honor Watch ES is a lifestyle smartwatch with focus on design and health and fitness features. It features a 1.64-inch rectangular AMOLED touch display, 95 workout modes, and 12 built-in health and fitness animated courses. The Honor Watch GS Pro, priced at Rs 17,999, will be available in midnight black colour on Flipkart from October 16.   For Flipkart early access members, the sale will start from October 15. Honor is offering no interest equated monthly instalment of up to 12 months. Additionally, consumers will get a 10 per cent instant discount on the SBI credit or debit card transactions. Read More

  From affordable fitness bands to luxury smartwatches, wearables come in all shapes and sizes for every need. Yet, the Android ecosystem had no smartwatch that could be as reliable, intriguing and feature-rich as Apple Watch for iPhones. Well, not until now. The recently launched OPPO Watch seems for the Android ecosystem a smartwatch as good as the Apple Watch. Based on Google’s WearOS platform, the OPPO Watch is compatible with most Android devices. Though the WearOS has not fundamentally improved for ages, OPPO has done a commendable job to build a smartwatch that seems married to the operating system and brings forward the OS strengths in a way not explored before. OPPO Watch: Design The OPPO Watch (46mm) seems to have taken inspiration from the Apple Watch (review) in more ways than one. Though its design seems inspired by the Apple Watch, it does not look like a cheap imitation. It looks like a new iteration that might not be unique in its own right, but is fresh non...

  Lifestyle accessories maker Fossil on Thursday announced to roll out a software update for its Fossil Gen5 smartwatch. The update is touted to improve user experience by bringing new utility tools, updated health tracker and battery optimisation features. The software update is now available for the company's Gen5 (review) smartwatch in India. Here are the new features that comes with the update: Optimised activity tracker The update brings new ‘Welness App’, which monitors health and fitness related metrics in real time and optimises battery life by shifting power consumption off the main processor. It tracks the essential health readouts like heart rate, pace, distance, steps, calories and more. Sleep tracking The is a new addition. The sleep tracking feature track sleep history, monitor restfulness and lets you set sleep goals. As for the battery optimisations, the Gen 5 supports quickly charge and features multiple battery profiles for varied usage conditions. Read ...

Casio has become a rage among youngsters and adventure seekers alike as it offers some ideal accessories for outdoorsy people. While G-shock needs no introduction, we came across Casio's Pro Trek WSD-F20 smartwatch, which takes the smart wearable game a notch higher, and used it for a few days. Here’s what we observed: Design and display A rugged look has become synonymous with Casio (Considering G-shock watches); the Pro Trek is no exception. This smartwatch is heavy on the wrist, as the dial has layers of protection to make the watch withstand extreme conditions. The casing gives it a metallic look, and the bezels are thick. The straps are thick but complement the overall look. We, however, felt that the buckle could have been of a better quality. Read More

It is widely believed that smartwatches have a future and analogue watches have little life left, unless, of course, they take on some of the features of their utility-rich ‘smart’ counterparts. The Fossil Hybrid HR is one product that bears testimony to this assumption. As the name suggests, this watch is a hybrid of analogue and smart digital wrist watches. Its analogue-like design and smartwatch-like utility justify its hybrid title. The Fossil Hybrid HR seems to be a new-age analogue watch with smartwatch-like features. But does it succeed in delivering the best of both worlds? Let’s find out: Design This is one area where the Fossil Hybrid HR exceeds your expectations. It does not have ordinary looks, thanks to its classic circular 42-mm stainless steel case of a smoked colour. On the top of the case, there is a circular digital e-Ink display (non-touch), for smartwatch-related utilities, with a physical dial at the circumference, and hands for hour and minute readings...

It has been an eventful year for fitness enthusiasts, especially those who wanted an ideal companion to track their workouts and offer insights. The year 2019 saw smartwatches becoming part of daily life for many. These devices not only help you keep track of your daily steps and heart rate but also measure other fitness metrics crucial for overall insights. What’s more, you get regular notifications on apps ranging from WhatsApp to Instagram, and you can reply to them from your watch itself. They can also store music, so you wouldn't have to carry your phone during workouts. With some smartwatches, you could even attend calls. Of the many launches this year, Business Standard lists top 5 smartwatches that stood out in 2019: Apple Watch Series 5 Apple Watch The Apple Watch Series 5 does a lot to ease your everyday life — it is not only a phenomenal lifestyle gadget but also a proactive health support. The addition to an always-on display, a compass, and an electrica...

With the new series of smartphones it introduced for India’s price-conscious buyers this year, South Korean electronics major Samsung also brought to the country its full portfolio of smart wearables. From fitness bands to smartwatches, this new range of Samsung wearables caters to users in all price bands. The latest addition to the portfolio, the Samsung Galaxy Watch LTE , a smartwatch with eSIM support, serves as a standalone device rather than a smartphone companion — just like the Apple Watch. With this device, Samsung seems to have offered Android users everything that Apple Watch offers iOS users. But does it perform equally well on all metrics? Let’s find out: Design The Samsung Galaxy Watch LTE is no design marvel. It lacks the charm of most current-generation smartwatches, even the Samsung Active (review). One culprit is its thick and bulky stainless steel case (Silver, 46mm review unit), which looks neither classic nor modern. And its black silicone strap looks r...

It has not been long since Chinese smartwatch maker Huami’s much-appreciated Amazfit GTR was launched. The company’s new offering, the Amazfit GTS, does possess an elegant look and sport one of the brightest screens in the segment. It appears to be a promising entry in the price range sitting just above the budget segment. But does it have all the makings of a great smartwatch? We used the watch for a few weeks to see if it is only looks or does it have commensurate substance, too. Here's what we discovered about this Apple Watch lookalike: Design and display Amazfit GTS smartwatch Bulky smartwatches stuffed with too much features are a turn off. Amazfit GTS doesn't follow any of it. Its square display may not be what you expect in a smartwatch, but it does enhance the overall look of the watch and the silicone strap is one of the best we have seen. Also, unlike most feature-laden smartwatches in budget and mid-range segments, this one has a great battery life. ...

The premium smartwatch segment seems empty with very few options that can take on the exalted Apple Watch or Samsung S3 gear. However, some players now want to carve a niche for themselves. We recently came across Mobvoi's TicWatch Pro, a premium smartwatch with one of the best displays and a bag full of features. We felt the watch can easy give premium smartwatches a run for their money, but does the first impression stick on after almost a month of use? Let’s find out. Design and build quality Mobvoi TicWatch Pro smartwatch Mobvoi TicWatch Pro looks like a premium smartwatch from every angle. It has hybrid leather straps on the outward side, while the inner side has a silicone layer. You can carry the watch with formals and casuals, it complements both the looks. The smartwatch has a large face (1.39-inch) with a carbon fiber case. It looks bulky but isn't heavy on the wrist. There are two buttons on the right, one for navigation and the other is dedicated to...

American fashion accessories brand Fossil on Thursday launched its " Gen 5 " smartwatch in India, priced at Rs 22,995. "There has been focus on the integration of health and wellness with wearable technology for some time now and at Fossil, we see a great opportunity to provide a smartwatch for the design conscious consumer looking for a perfect blend of style and utility," Johnson Verghese, Vice President and Managing Director Fossil India said in a statement. The Fossil Gen 5 features a 1.3-inch circular AMOLED display housed inside a 44mm dial. It is powered by the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage and offers its users the latest software - Wear OS by Google. Fossil Gen 5 comes with a Heart Rate monitor, accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter and ambient light sensor. The device comes with four different battery modes, including 'Daily', 'Custom', 'Time-only' and 'Extended'. Rea...

Wearables have seamlessly blended in our everyday life and unsurprisingly, the number of companies making them have proliferated. One of the latest in the fray is a Delhi-based tech start-up 'PLAY' who recently launched its PLAYFIT SW75 Smartwatch. We reviewed it for a few weeks and here's how it fared. Design From the get-go, you can see that the smartwatch's design is inspired by the best there is -- Apple Watch. Right from the square-shaped body to curved edges, PLAY's SW75 smartwatch is Apple Watch through and through complete with stainless-steel casing. When the screen isn't lit, it gives the look of a bezel-less watch. At 2,999, you wouldn't normally expect such a premier look. There is a metallic button on each side (left to enter an option, and right to exit it). For display, you get a 1.3-inch touch LCD panel with a resolution of 260x260 that's bright enough even in full daylight. The display is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Gla...

Smartwatches can recognise a range of hand motions and identify what the wearer is doing, scientists have found, paving the way for novel health-related apps that could monitor activities such as brushing teeth or smoking a cigarette. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in the US have used a standard smartwatch to figure out when a wearer was typing on a keyboard, washing dishes, petting a dog, pouring from a pitcher or cutting with scissors. By making a few changes to the watch's operating system, they were able to use its accelerometer to recognise hand motions and, in some cases, bio-acoustic sounds associated with 25 different hand activities at around 95 per cent accuracy. Those 25 activities are just the beginning of what might be possible to detect. "We envision smartwatches as a unique beachhead on the body for capturing rich, everyday activities," said Chris Harrison, assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon. "A wide variety of apps could...