All articles tagged with #wearables
Rumors suggest the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will adopt a slimmer titanium body with rugged durability, possibly add Touch ID, and feature an upgraded health sensor suite with hypertension alerts, a brighter LTPO3 display up to 3,000 nits, extended battery life (about 42 hours standard, 72 hours in low-power mode) and fast charging, all paired with AI-powered enhancements in watchOS 27.
New research shows the famous 10,000-step goal comes from a 1960s marketing campaign, not science. A 2025 Lancet Public Health review of over 160,000 adults finds most health benefits occur around 7,000 steps per day, with gains plateauing there (dementia may still improve with more steps). Increasing from 2,000 to 4,000 steps already boosts cardiovascular health, and consistency matters more than hitting a universal number. Wearables can help motivate, but sustainable habits—brisk walking, strength training, reducing sedentary time, and adequate sleep—are key. If feasible, aim for about 7,000 daily steps rather than chasing 10,000.
Engadget’s review praises the Pebble Time 2 as a retro-styled, open-source smartwatch that functions as a focused second screen for your phone, delivering excellent battery life and snappy performance while sacrificing first-party features and polish in the app UI; priced at $225 and aimed at a niche audience seeking a minimal, customizable wearable.
Garmin unveils the Fenix 9 family in five configurations (standard, Pro titanium, Pro Solar, and inReach variants) with 64GB storage, brighter AMOLED or transflective MIP displays, and optional LTE/satellite connectivity, plus new software features like Epic for bundling multi-day trips and expanded mapping enhancements.
A Lancet Public Health analysis of about 160,000 adults finds that 7,000 daily steps significantly cut risks of heart disease, dementia, cancer, diabetes, falls, and premature death versus fewer than 2,000, with benefits plateauing after ~7,000 steps; the 10,000-step target originated from a 1960s Japan marketing campaign, and while wearables can boost motivation, consistency and overall activity matter most for long-term health.
Google's Pixel Watch 5 leans into health features—Insulin Resistance Trends, Blood Pressure Trends, Breathing Emergency Detection, and Gemini-powered proactive help—marking its strongest health push yet; Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 touts a BioActive Sensor and a comprehensive Vitals dashboard; Apple's Watch Series 11 centers on Hypertension Notifications and on-device AI coaching. There’s no outright winner; the best choice depends on your phone: Pixel Watch 5 for Pixel owners, Galaxy Watch 9 for Galaxy users, and Apple Watch Series 11 for iPhone users.
Garmin is leaking a massive 18-model Fenix 9 lineup across 43/47/51mm sizes with Pro and Solar variants, some non-Pro models reportedly adding InReach LTE/satellite connectivity; European pricing hints around €1,100–€1,185 and U.S. pricing likely above $1,200, as Garmin gears up for an August 25 Play Harder event that could also hint at related Enduro 3 and Fenix E updates.
A WIRED hands-on with XREAL's tethered virtual display glasses (ROG Xreal R1 and XREAL xbx A01+) that project a huge screen in front of you from a connected device. They offer privacy and a huge viewing area for work, gaming, and media on planes or at a desk, but suffer from blurry small text, heat buildup, and a bulky look. The pricier R1 ($849) delivers a 171-inch virtual screen with a 57° field of view, while the lighter A01+ ($299) has a smaller 50° FOV and less ideal anchoring. They draw power from the connected device and aren’t perfect, but they exemplify a growing wearable-display category that IDC expects to reach millions of units in 2026, with XREAL aiming to expand toward camera-equipped XR glasses in the Aura line.
A 2025 Lancet Public Health review of ~160,000 adults finds 7,000 daily steps significantly lowers risks of heart disease, dementia, cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression and premature death, with gains tapering after 7,000. The 10,000-step target originated in a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign for the Manpo-kei, not solid science; wearables help people hit daily goals by gamifying the habit, but consistency, reducing sedentary time, brisk walking, and regular strength training are key to long-term health.
A new Lancet Public Health review of over 160,000 adults finds most health gains come from about 7,000 daily steps, with benefits beginning well before that and plateauing thereafter (except dementia, which may improve with more walking). The infamous 10,000-step target traces back to a 1960s Japan marketing campaign for the Manpo-kei, not science. Increasing activity from very low levels to around 7,000 steps substantially lowers risks of heart disease, dementia, cancer, diabetes, depression, falls, and premature death, with further gains from higher intensity and reduced sedentary time. Wearable trackers can help motivate consistent activity, but guidelines still emphasize sustainable habits, including sleep and, where possible, strength training.
A UC Davis study with 62 older adults used smartwatch prompts to rate moment-to-moment cognitive sharpness; these self-ratings tracked with brief on-device tests, suggesting real-time perceptions could help identify cognitive changes earlier and outside the clinic, though longer-term predictive value for dementia remains to be established.
A Lancet Public Health review of over 160,000 adults finds the biggest health gains come well before 10,000 steps, with meaningful benefits observed at 7,000 daily steps and diminishing returns thereafter for most outcomes (heart disease, dementia, cancer, depression, type 2 diabetes, falls, premature death). The 10,000-step goal originated in a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign for the Manpo-kei, not science. Increasing steps from 2,000 to 4,000 improves cardiovascular health, and consistency matters more than chasing a fixed number. Wearables help gamify targets, but real gains come from sustainable habits: brisk walking, strength training, reducing sedentary time, adequate sleep, and proper recovery.
Business Insider examines how stressed parents turn to AI—from calendar assistants and meal planners to wearables that track interactions and moods—for practical help, not replacement of parenting. While many see AI as additive for scheduling, homework help, and coordinating activities, experts warn about privacy and surveillance concerns and the risk of tech-driven guidance shaping parenting decisions, a tension echoed even among tech leaders who advocate cautious, non-replace-ment use.
Leaks suggest the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be thinner yet rugged (titanium with flat sapphire glass), possibly add Touch ID, and feature an expanded health sensor array (up to eight sensors) for ECG, hypertension notifications, wrist temperature, and enhanced sleep tracking, plus upgraded navigation. An always-on LTPO3 display could reach ~3,000 nits with continued durability, and chip advances may improve battery life. Watch OS 27 is expected to bring AI-powered health features. Charging performance should remain fast; non-invasive glucose monitoring is not anticipated this generation.
A California proposed class action accuses Oura of overstating the accuracy of its sleep-tracking, arguing the sleep-stage results rely on AI estimates based on finger signals rather than clinical sleep-staging sensors and that some results have little more than a coin flip’s chance of being correct. The suit cites a 2025 study showing 53.18% sleep-stage accuracy, contrasts with Oura’s prior 79% and 95% claims, and seeks to stop the misleading claims and restitution for affected customers, naming Oura Ring 5, Ring 4, and Ring 4 Ceramic.