Last week we looked back at the history of time, but for the rest of January we are going to focus on the future. All the talk of the future of wrist watches has been focused on the so-called smartwatch revolution. This revolution has been predicted to happen many, many times – and it finally did happen when Apple joined the smartwatch scene in 2015.
Since the announcement of the first Apple Watch many watch manufacturers have jumped on board with their own smartwatches. TAG Hauer, Casio, Citizen and Mondaine have all released their own take on the smartwatch. They joined electronics manufacturers Samsung, Sony, LG and Pebble who had already released their own smartwatches.
This year there are another series of exciting smartwatches set for release. Today we’ll check out the big smartwatch releases to come in 2017.
Apple Watch Series 3
While it’s not certain that Apple will release a smartwatch this year but if they do then it will undoubtedly be the biggest of the big smartwatch releases this year! One indication that Apple are gearing up for the next Apple Watch is one of the new patents they recently filed.
The patent is titled “Electronic Device Having Display With Curved Edges” – and it shows a circular watch face with tech elements driving a round screen. This patent indicates that the next Apple Watch will have a very different style to the two previous Apple Watches which sported a rectangular shape.
There is little known about the specs of a potential Apple Watch Series 3, but if it is released this year it will certainly cause a lot of excitement for smartwatch lovers.
Google Angelfish and Swordfish
Google are expected to release Android Wear 2.0 this February and, with it, two very exciting new smartwatch devices. The devices are codenamed Angelfish and Swordfish – the specs of both devices were leaked last year.
It has now been confirmed that both devices have been developed by LG and will be released under the names LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style. Both devices will feature a circular screen with WiFI and Bluetooth connectivity. While the Sport variant will also feature cellular connectivity, a heart rate sensor, GPS and NFC.
The release date is rumoured to be the 10th of February, although nothing has yet been confirmed. There is no doubt that this release is going to be one of the big smartwatch releases of this year.
TAG Hauer Connected 2
TAG Hauer were one of the first luxury watch brands to jump on board the smartwatch bandwagon. The first TAG Hauer Connected was announced at Baselworld 2015 and was naturally greeted with a lot of excitement. The follow up should certainly generate similar levels of excitement.
TAG Hauer CEO Jean-Claude Biver has announced that the new iteration of the TAG Hauer Connected will be released in May 2017. The new watch is unlikely to have a wide variety of new features but it is known that the new device will feature a payment function and longer battery life. It is also expected that a smaller model will be released alongside the TAG Hauer connected 2.
Garmin Fenix 5
One manufacturer who really took the smartwatch world by storm is Garmin. Garman have recently become one of the top smartwatch manufacturers, but just a few short years ago many would have been shocked to hear that one of the big smartwatch releases was a Garman smartwatch!
The Garmin Fenix was announced at CES 2017 and comes in three different models. The Fenix 5, Fenix 5S and Fenix 5X. All three models come with a 3-axis compass, gyroscope and barometric altimeter for measuring altitude and movement. It also comes with accurate location tracking with GPS and GLONASS. You can expect to see the Garmin Fenix 5 series released at some point in Q1 2017.
Casio WSD-F20
Casio were quick to jump on the Android Wear bandwagon and Casio’s first Android Wear smartwatch was such a success that they are releasing its successor in 2017! The newest model sticks with the same design and adds water resistance to 50 meters, built in GPS and support for offline maps.
The Casio WSD-F20 will be one of the first devices to sport the brand new Android Wear 2.0 when it hits shelves on the 21st of April 2017.
Guess Connect
The Guess Connect has been a popular watch since it was originally released back in 2015. It was expected that an upgraded model would be added to the Guess Connect range in 2016 but nothing was released. It’s looking very likely that a new Guess Connect model will be hitting shelves in the next year.
In 2017 a range of new styles of the original Guess Connect watch will be released along with a very exciting upgraded model. The newest model will once again be powered by Martian and will look just like a normal watch with a small LED notifier light hidden in the watch housing. The new Guest Connect designs should be announced over the next few months.
Sony Wena
Sony have used the First Flight crowdfunding platform to great effect in recent years. The Sony Wena was developed in conjunction with Citizen and is one of the most exciting devices they have crowdfunded on this platform. It was released in Japan in March 2016 and it’s expected that the device will be released worldwide during 2017.
The Sony Wena looks just like a standard wristwatch with the smart functions appearing in the bracelet instead of the watch face. The bracelet features sensors to monitor activity, delivers notifications through LED lights and vibrations as well as allowing for contactless payments. There’s no doubt that this smartwatch will be one of the most exciting releases this year when it finally reaches our shores.
Conclusion
2017 is set to be a big year for smartwatches with releases from a wide range of different manufacturers. There’s certainly something for everyone this year – from the fully featured Apple Watch to the more basic (but no less stylish) Guess Connect. Which of these big smartwatch releases are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
Images: LoKan Sardari,
