What happened on September 29?
Do you use a smartwatch? I do, and there’s a higher-than-normal percent chance that you do, too, if you’re reading this. But do your friends and family members adorn Moto 360s, Gear S2s or Pebbles? Perhaps some wear an Apple Watch? The more likely answer is that they wear a Fitbit, if anything at all. I still know some folks who wear the same Casio calculator watch they graduated high school with 20 years ago. Man, I’m getting old.
With the new that Android Wear 2.0 is getting pushed to early 2017, it occurs to me that the smartwatch wave rose and fell more quickly than even tablets, settling into the steady pace of iteration we see today. It helped that companies already had a pretty good playbook to work from, but it also speaks to the fact that, being accessories, they don’t need to be overly complicated. But with Google bringing elements of the Play Store to Android Wear devices, it appears the company is readying itself for the swift proliferation of 3G and LTE-connected watches. Will they catch on? Will people even want to leave their phones at home?
I doubt it, but what do I know? I’m just a blogger.
Android Wear reboot has been delayed until next year
It was never realistic to expect Android Wear 2.0 to debut in 2016, given the state it was in back at Google I/O. But alongside the penultimate developer preview, which introduced a number of great new features to the next version of Google’s wearables platform, the company announced it was pushing back its public release until “early 2017.” Still worth the wait. More
Google Maps gets safer with new hands-free voice support
Using your phone in the car is a bad thing. We can all agree on that, right? But it’s inevitable sometimes, especially when navigating. Now, Google Maps has added “OK Google” support for those times you just need to know where the closest sushi joint is while on your way to visit grandma. More
Huawei Mate 9 launch event set for Nov. 3 in Munich
Expect a big screen, crazy specs (up to 6GB of RAM, 256GB of storage) from the new Huawei flagship, which should run a new, cleaner EMUI interface based on Android 7.0 Nougat. More
LeEco is jumping headfirst into to the U.S. next month
LeEco, the huge Chinese company that sells everything from TVs to smartphones to self-driving cars is throwing itself a housewarming party of sorts to celebrate its entry into the U.S. The company is holding an event on October 19 in San Francisco to show off its “ecosystem model that integrates platform, content, devices and applications for a truly connected experience.” OK, then. More
Google Apps for Work is now G Suite
Google has rebranded their business offerings with a new name — G Suite. Formerly known as Google Apps for Your Domain and then just Google Apps, the new handle still encompasses the same core applications many businesses use every day: Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, Hangouts, and more. Google says the new name will help promote their original goal to help people work and innovate together.
LG V20 pre-orders begin October 17 in the U.S.
Mark Monday, October 17 on your calendar as the day the LG V20 goes up for pre-order in the States. While earlier reports indicated the phone would be available sooner, it seems more likely that the original shipping date of October 21 is accurate. Oh, well.
Samsung expects Korean Note 7 return rate to hit 80% by Oct. 1 restart date
According to Reuters, the company has restarted TV commercials for the beleaguered phone, and is offering 50% off repairs for Korean customers buying in the month of October. More
Sony Xperia XZ Dual coming to India Oct. 1
The dual-SIM version of a phone we’re already familiar with will be available in India in blue, black and grey. Sony promises a free Smartband Talk SWR30 for pre-order customers, as well as free paid app content.
Samsung says 1 million users around the world have Note 7 with safe battery
The news comes as Samsung looks to wrap up its global recall and recommence sales of the phone around the world. Reuters reports that the company also apologized to Chinese consumers for not adequately explaining that Note 7s sold in China were safe, as they used a battery from another supplier.
OnePlus 3 in Soft Gold coming to India Oct. 1
The phone will be sold exclusively on Amazon India for ₹27,999 ($420). More
Lyrics are coming to Spotify on Android
Starting with a rollout in Japan, lyrics support is coming to Spotify users on Android, after rolling out to desktop listeners earlier this year.
Rogers really, really wants you to buy a Moto Z from them
Rogers is giving away a Moto Insta-Share Projector with each pre-order of the Moto Z until October 4. Valued at $399 the pico projector is one of the more intriguing Moto Mods available for the Moto Z line — though the JBL SoundBoost speaker may have been more useful, just saying. More
Many Android Wear watches don’t work with the iPhone 7
It took nearly two weeks for anyone to notice.
