Topic: Wearables

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    Apple Issues Software Update to Fix WiFi/LTE Bug in Apple Watch (Oct 4, 2017)

    Apple has issued watchOS 4.0.1 for Apple Watches, which fixes the WiFi/LTE bug that caused problems for some Apple Watch reviewers (and presumably some early regular users as well). That’s a pretty quick turnaround but a critical bug fix given how the issue impacted reviews from at least a couple of outlets. I’ve been using the Apple Watch with LTE for the past week and haven’t had the issues described, which I’d guess will be typical for many users, but the bad press Apple deservedly got over the issue was utterly avoidable and a big goof for a company which should have had one of its best launch periods in years. As I mentioned when the reviews first came out, it’ll likely take some new positive coverage of how the Watch works with the fix in place to change perceptions, but I’d hope that going forward the device works well and people can use it as intended.

    via Mac Rumors

    FDA Selects Nine Companies to Test Fast-Track Approval for Health Technology (Sep 26, 2017)

    The US Food and Drug Administration has pushed forward with plans to test a fast-track process for approving technological approaches to healthcare problems, and has selected nine companies to be part of its pilot program, including Apple, Fitbit, Samsung, and Alphabet’s Verily life sciences unit. Apple has long said that the need to get FDA approval for health-related products would likely dissuade it from entering that market directly, though it’s managed to serve that market indirectly through partners taking advantage of its ResearchKit and other programs. Both Apple and Fitbit have been pursuing health-related applications for their devices, and Samsung launched a virtual doctor service as part of its Galaxy S8 launch earlier this year, so this is clearly a hot area for these consumer tech companies. The FDA deals mostly with products with diagnostic or treatment applications, which is why so much health and wellness tech tends to stop short of those categories and merely provide data and alerts. But the potential for doing more is already clear, and with faster FDA approval we could well see these companies go deeper into this field. It’s still early in this process, and there might still be other downsides including the potential for leaks while approval is being sought, which is likely to give Apple in particular pause, but this is a positive step for both the industry and for end users.

    via Bloomberg

    Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch Goes on Sale October 1st (Sep 25, 2017)

    We finally have a firm date for Fitbit’s Ionic smartwatch to go on sale, which is October 1st – this coming Sunday, an odd day for a product launch, but consistent with the previous guidance that it would be available in the month of October, while giving Fitbit a full first quarter of sales to report in the New Year. The formal reviews of the Ionic were released before the device had an app store, and so were incomplete, but there really haven’t been any more since. Indeed, the SDK for developers goes live tomorrow, just a few days before the launch of the device, meaning that the app store won’t be a feature at launch. It’s going to be available in all of Fitbit’s regional markets, and in the US will be sold through a mishmash of channels, including Amazon, Best Buy, department stores, sports and outdoor retailers, and Verizon (though apparently not other carriers). As I said when the first announcement of the device was made, I don’t expect this to be a big seller in the overall context of the smartwatch market, and it’ll sell mostly to existing Fitbit owners and owners of Android smartphones, contributing a little to Fitbit’s overall sales and boosting its ASP nicely.

    via Fitbit

    ★ Apple Watch LTE Reviews Mostly Positive But Some Note LTE/WiFi Issues (Sep 20, 2017)

    Following on the heels of yesterday’s iPhone 8 reviews, today the reviews for the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE came out, and they were rather different in tone, in at least some cases. Whereas yesterday’s reviews were largely positive with some misgivings around the edges, today’s Watch reviews were bifurcated between those that were almost entirely positive and those that noted significant connectivity issues, notably those at the Wall Street Journal and The Verge (once again, I’m linking to the Techmeme roundup here). All seemed to agree that the faster processors and watchOS 4 combine for significantly better performance across multiple areas including fitness and heart rate tracking, app use, and music, but the differences occurred around LTE/WiFI connectivity.

    It appears (there’s a good explainer here) that the Watch tends to try to hop onto so-called captive WiFi networks – those that allow devices to connect without a password but require going through an interstitial or popup before allowing internet access – but can’t progress beyond the interstitial, putting the Watch in an awkward in-between state where it’s connected to WiFi but can’t actually reach the internet. That, in turn, stops the Watch from trying to connect to LTE, which is what you really want it to do in that situation. That should be a relatively easy software fix for Apple, and it’s suggested that’s the case, but it’s baffling that this issue didn’t come up during all the testing that must have gone on over recent months, and as such is an embarrassing slip-up for Apple when the new connectivity options are the key selling point for this device.

    It is notable that not all reviewers experienced the problem, which may be indicative of either their differing use during the review period or their differing earlier use, with some perhaps more prone to hop onto captive WiFi networks with their iPhones (and thereby inadvertently setting up their Watches for failure) than others. At any rate, many regular users likely won’t see those issues either, especially if using the Watch out in the wild rather than in busy urban areas, while those who do will hopefully see the problem fixed very quickly in a software update. Regardless, this clearly wasn’t what Apple was hoping for from these reviews, and it’s likely that the glitches will color perceptions of the Watch at least until Apple does issue a fix and that gets some decent coverage.

    via Techmeme

    ★ Apple Announces Upgraded Watch and TV Devices (Sep 12, 2017)

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    IDC Wearables Report Shows Basic Trackers Striking, Watches Growing (Sep 1, 2017)

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    Apple Captured 85% of “Totally Wireless” Earbud Sales in the US Since December (Sep 1, 2017)

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    Samsung Announces Gear Fit 2 Pro and Gear Sport Wearables, IconX Bixby Earbuds (Aug 30, 2017)

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    ★ Fitbit Pre-Announces Fitbit Ionic, Its Second Smartwatch, Due in October (Aug 28, 2017)

    Fitbit has finally announced its second smartwatch, the Fitbit Ionic, following the launch of the Fitbit Blaze in May last year. At the time, Fitbit described the Blaze as a “smart fitness watch” but it seems to want everyone to forget that designation now as it launches the Ionic and wants to frame it as its first entry in this space. To be sure, when it launches, this device will have an app store, something the Blaze didn’t have, but it’s far from certain that there will be anything meaningful in it. One reason Fitbit is pre-announcing the device two months ahead of launch is to get developers going, while the other is surely to get out ahead of Apple’s third set of Watch hardware, which will be announced in a couple of weeks. Based on what we know so far, the Ionic looks very similar on paper to the Apple Watch in several respects: it has GPS, contactless payments, it’s swim proof, stores and plays music, provides personalized fitness coaching, and so on.

    But on paper is about the only place it does look like the Apple Watch – the Ionic is very much in the design tradition of Fitbit’s other devices: angular and industrial looking, with garish colors an optional extra. It hasn’t published the dimensions of the device, but at least a couple of shots in its promotional video make it look enormous, especially for wearing in bed. That’s important, because multi-day battery life and eventual ability to track sleep apnea are among the very few differentiators here against the Apple Watch, and if it’s uncomfortable to wear at night, none of that really matters.

    We’ll have to wait and see all the details in October, but based on what we’re seeing today, my guess is that the Fitbit Ionic will sell maybe a couple of million units, or roughly ten percent of Fitbit’s annual device sales, over the first year, maybe slightly more if the third party app ecosystem is stronger than I’m expecting. At those numbers, it’ll barely make a dent in the overall smartwatch market, which is dominated by Apple, with Samsung in second place and other Android devices in third, though it might provide a boost to Fitbit’s ASP, which is currently around a hundred dollars. I would guess it’ll mostly appeal to existing Fitbit users who admire its aesthetic, and will likely do better among Android users who have relatively few other compelling options than among iPhone owners. Fitbit today also announced wireless sports headphones called Flyer, which will retail for $130 and be available online right away: these are a sign that Fitbit recognizes its lack of an ecosystem is going to be an increasingly big challenge going forward given its lack of integration with either Android or iOS, and it therefore needs to build its own.

    via Fitbit

    Gartner Projects Strong Growth in Wearables, Led by Smartwatches (Aug 24, 2017)

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    Google Seems to be Working on Headphones with Google Assistant (Aug 21, 2017)

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    ★ Apple Watch with LTE May Be Coming Later This Year, Says Bloomberg (Aug 4, 2017)

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    Tablet and Wearables Numbers for Q2 Show Rise of Chinese Vendors (Aug 3, 2017)

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    Fitbit Reports More Shipment, Revenue Declines, Losses in Q2 (Aug 2, 2017)

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    Intel Shutters First Party Wearables Business (Jul 20, 2017)

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    Fitbit CEO Talks up Forthcoming Smartwatch (Jul 18, 2017)

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    Google Glass Relaunched as Enterprise and Industrial Product (Jul 18, 2017)

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    Jawbone Has Begun Liquidation Proceedings (Jul 6, 2017)

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    Fitbit Smartwatch Development Again Reported to be Struggling (Jun 30, 2017)

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    Apple Watch Tops Heart Rate and Calorie Measurement Rankings in Stanford Study (May 25, 2017)

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