The weight and diameter of the Galaxy Watch Active from Samsung, compared to earlier models, have been significantly reduced. — dpa
Not all smartwatches are the same: That much was clear at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where each of the latest devices had a different audience in mind, whether children, fitness fans or nerds.
Wearable devices are gaining a foothold with consumers, with market researchers Gartner predicting that 225 million smart devices that can be worn on the body will be sold worldwide this year.
More and more top tech companies around the world are now asking themselves what consumers want in this market. Below are just three of those answers presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona:
With the presentation of Alpha, a wearable device featuring a curved, four-inch AMOLED display, Chinese manufacturer Nubia has delighted tech fans with its futuristic-looking smartwatch. Bluetooth, WiFi and eSim are all integrated, as are a selfie camera, mic and speaker.
Whether and when the still somewhat clunky-seeming timepiece will be available for purchase remains unclear.
In contrast, Samsung definitely hit the mark in terms of design with its Galaxy Watch Active, with a wearable device whose appearance falls right in the middle between a smartwatch and a fitness watch.
The weight and diameter of the watch (40mm), compared to earlier models, have been significantly reduced. With the rotating bezel done away with, the watch is controlled solely with the AMOLED touchscreen. For about US$280 (RM1,141), customers of varying fitness levels can choose a watch in one of four colours from mid-March.
The waterproof smartwatch-cellphone Xplora3S, which goes for about US$225 (RM917), is marketed towards parents and their children. Thus far, the device from Norway's Xplora is for making calls and for parents to check the exact location of their children with an app.
But what's in it for the kids? Up to autumn, the integrated pedometer should start giving the wearer games-related incentives to move – for example, making it so that physical outside activity can be turned into benefits for certain games on the PlayStation 4. The first PS4 game in which movement will be rewarded with level-ups, new powers or characters is Aces Of The Multiverse, to be released this autumn. – dpa
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