Latest from Android Central in Wearables

A 'Nothing Watch' has been alleged, and I really don't know if I'm excited or not

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:11:00 +0000

What you need to know

Rumors on X claim Nothing is working on its first smartwatch with a starting price "under" $300.
A tipster suggests the watch could feature Nothing's typical DNA (likely in design), but it might only launch in "limited markets."
Nothing has technically made watches before, but under CMF with the Watch 3 Pro and other predecessors that use RTOS, not WearOS.

Rumors have started on social media about a new Nothing product. The company is allegedly working on its first smartwatch outside of its CMF brand.

Tipster Yogesh Brar on X claims that Nothing is developing its first smartwatch (via GSMArena). There aren't a ton of details we can sink our teeth into, but Brar claims the watch will rock "typical Nothing DNA." This is likely referring to its design. The watch is supposedly eyeing a release in "limited markets" at a starting price that's under $300.

This is a price that would put the watch a bit under others, like the Galaxy Watch 9, which starts at $379. Brar suggests that there's more to come, with alleged details forthcoming. Rumors end by purporting a September launch for this Nothing Watch (or whatever it'll be called). Many users are reacting to this rumor on X, much like we are. A major concern that we've seen mentioned is the watch's software.

Users wonder if the device will sport Google's WearOS software, or if the watch will settle for a proprietary RTOS.

Is this where we're headed?

(Image credit: CMF by Nothing)

Android Central's Take

This has me a little concerned. I generally like Nothing's phones. I think they're really cool, and their features and UI look so nice. But a watch seems strange to me. I think about its "flagship" phone, which doesn't feature a true flagship chip. Its phones are nice, but lack true power for gaming. What chip would a Nothing Watch feature? Will it have features that could contend with a Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch 9? Perhaps it doesn't have to, but it needs something.

Smartwatches aren't technically a "new thing" for Nothing. What's been alleged now would be new, as Nothing hasn't released a watch from its main portfolio. Instead, what we've gotten are devices from CMF, its sub-brand that generates devices for affordability. CMF launched the Watch 3 Pro last summer, which offered a few noteworthy upgrades. CMF improved its heart sensor and sports modes, rolling out 131 supported activities.

The watch features a 1.43-inch AMOLED display, 120 customizable watch faces, and dual-band GPS. What's more, CMF states users can get ~13 days out of its battery for "typical use." That'll look more like 10 days with "heavy use." These specs are fine, especially considering the market CMF is in. But what's always stuck out is its software. CMF's Watch 3 Pro doesn't use WearOS; it uses an RTOS. While this hasn't always sat well with people, the device isn't that bad.

CMF's watch lacks depth. Depth that you would receive from a fully connected device running WearOS from Google, Samsung, or Garmin. Considering the rumor, if Nothing is working on a "flagship" watch, there are expectations.

Pixel Watch 5 shows up again before launch, this time in one of Google's own apps

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:48:48 +0000

What you need to know

The Pixel Watch 5 has appeared again ahead of launch, this time inside Google's official Google Health app.
The listing appeared for setup for one user, suggesting Google has quietly added pairing support.
The setup screens still use Pixel Watch 4 artwork, likely because Google hasn't updated the images yet

The Google Pixel Watch 5 has surfaced once again ahead of its expected launch next month.

If you remember, the Pixel Watch 5 made headlines earlier this year after a unit was reportedly found on the ocean floor by a scuba diver in St. Martin, giving us our first real-world look at the smartwatch.

Since then, we've seen several more leaks confirming its sizes and expected pricing. Now, with the Pixel 11 series launch just around the corner, the Pixel Watch 5 has shown up in one of Google's own apps.

Another Pixel Watch 5 leak before launch

(Image credit: @sameera_s_w on Telegram / Android Authority)

As spotted by a user on Telegram (via Android Authority), the Pixel Watch 5 appeared briefly towards the top of the device list when pairing a new wearable through the Google Health app. In the screenshot shared, the "Google Pixel Watch 5" is listed above the Fitbit Air in the device selection menu.

Tapping on it even takes the user through the next setup screens, suggesting Google has already added support for the upcoming smartwatch.

That said, the setup process doesn't reveal anything new about the watch's design. The artwork shown in the app is still identical to the Pixel Watch 4, which could simply be a placeholder since the two watches are expected to look very similar. It's also possible that Google just hasn't updated the artwork yet.

Either way, this is another appearance of the Pixel Watch 5 ahead of its expected debut next month. With Google's Pixel 11 launch event now only a couple of weeks away, we're likely to see even more leaks surface.

So far, though, everything points to the Pixel Watch 5 being a fairly iterative upgrade, albeit one that may come with a slightly higher price tag than its predecessor.

T-Mobile is giving away the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 for free with new deal — here's how to grab yours

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:27:49 +0000

If you've been on the fence about preordering the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, T-Mobile just shared a deal that might encourage you to take the leap.

From now through the wearable's August 7th release date, you can get the Galaxy Watch 9 for FREE when you add a line with T-Mobile's Watch Plan Plus. That's $430 of promo credits over 24 months, no trade-in required and no additional eligibility requirements to worry about — just good old-fashioned savings on a device that's almost certain to rank among the best Android smartwatches of 2026.

Get a FREE Galaxy Watch 9 with this new T-Mobile deal

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (LTE) 40mm: ~~$430~~ FREE with watch line at T-Mobile

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 doesn't officially hit store shelves until August 7th, but you can already preorder the highly-anticipated wearable for free by adding a line with Watch Plan Plus at T-Mobile. The savings appear in the form of $430 in promo credits over 24 months, no trade-in required!

Watch Plan Plus costs $15 per month and comes with unlimited talk, text, and data for your wearable, plus unlimited texting and up to 5GB of data in over 200 countries around the globe. View Deal

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 may look almost identical to its predecessor, but there are a few notable improvements under the hood. The 2026 watch features upgraded battery life (up to 40 hours) and the incorporation of the new Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset without adding any extra weight to the frame. You also get all of the latest on-device Galaxy AI software features and some improved health and fitness tracking capabilities.

Just like last year's version, the Galaxy Watch 9 also boasts a vibrant AMOLED display and "squircle"-style design with 32GB of onboard storage, dual-band GPS, and IP68/5ATM durability.

The new chipset and upgraded battery are enough reason to call the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 one of the best smartwatches of the year, but last year's Galaxy Watch 8 is no slouch either. If you prefer Bluetooth and can find a good deal on the last-gen model, go for it. But if you want to use a 2026 smartwatch on your cellular network, T-Mobile's preorder deal is one of the most cost-effective ways to do so. This offer ends on August 7th, however, so don't wait too long to make your move.

Samsung drops a hint about its Android XR smart glasses pricing

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:27:41 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung says its Galaxy Glasses will be priced at a "reasonable" premium, likely above the $300 Meta Ray-Bans.
The glasses are designed to work as an extension of Galaxy phones rather than as a standalone smart device.
Samsung is adding Galaxy-exclusive features like Watch gesture controls and instant photo syncing to your phone.

Samsung may not have revealed much about its Galaxy Glasses during Galaxy Unpacked in London, but the company has now shared a few more details about what we can expect to pay for its first Android XR smart glasses.

Samsung is gearing up to launch its first pair of Android XR glasses later this year. The company has already confirmed that the glasses are being developed in partnership with eyewear brands like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. We've even had some hands-on time with the device, but until now, Samsung hadn't said anything about pricing.

Speaking with The Korea Times, Samsung has now shed a little more light on that (via 9to5Google). The company says it plans to price the Galaxy Glasses "at a reasonable level," while still positioning them in the premium segment.

That doesn't give us an exact price, but it does suggest Samsung's glasses could cost a little more than the Meta Ray-Bans, which currently start at $300 in the U.S.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Samsung also believes its biggest advantage isn't just the hardware, but the ecosystem around it. Unlike Meta's smart glasses, which are largely designed as a standalone accessory, Samsung says its glasses are being built by a smartphone company first. The idea is for the Galaxy Glasses to feel like a natural extension of your Galaxy phone, rather than a separate device.

The company has already teased a few of those integrations. For example, you'll be able to control the glasses using gestures on compatible Galaxy Watches, while photos captured on the glasses can instantly appear as notifications on your Galaxy phone for quick viewing and sharing.

Privacy is another area Samsung says it's taking seriously. The company confirmed that the glasses will automatically disable recording if the privacy LED is covered or if the glasses aren't being worn.

That's an interesting move, especially since Meta recently rolled out a mandatory update for its smart glasses that disables the camera if the recording LED appears to have been tampered with.

Samsung still hasn't announced an exact launch date for the Galaxy Glasses, but we at least have a better idea of where they'll sit in the market.

Google's next Pixel Watch update could fix the one thing that annoys me daily

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 06:58:45 +0000

What you need to know

Google is developing a new "Phone to Watch Unlock" feature that automatically unlocks your Pixel Watch with your Pixel phone.
The feature works in reverse of today's Watch Unlock, eliminating the need to enter your watch PIN repeatedly.
Code strings suggest the feature will be exclusive to the Pixel Watch and Pixel phone ecosystem through Connected Services.

Google could finally fix the one thing that's been annoying me about using a passcode on my Pixel Watch.

For quite some time now, Google has offered a feature called Watch Unlock that lets your Pixel Watch unlock your Pixel phone. If your Pixel Watch is already unlocked and on your wrist, your phone automatically unlocks without asking for your passcode. The problem is that it doesn't work the other way around.

Thankfully, that could finally be changing.

As spotted by Android Authority, Google is working on a new feature called Phone to Watch Unlock that would automatically unlock your Pixel Watch whenever you unlock your paired Pixel phone.

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

Unlike the current implementation, where an unlocked Pixel Watch can unlock your phone, this feature would work in reverse. Once you unlock your Pixel phone, your Pixel Watch will automatically unlock as well. It's something that's been bugging me for a long time, so I'm glad to see Google finally working on a fix.

Unfortunately, it looks like this feature will be exclusive to the Pixel ecosystem. The code strings were discovered in Google's Connected Phone and Watch Services app, suggesting it will only work between Pixel phones and Pixel Watches.

From what it appears, Google will prompt users to enable the feature during setup. You'll first need to enter your current watch PIN as a one-time verification, after which your Pixel Watch will automatically unlock whenever you unlock your Pixel phone.

There's currently no word on when the feature will roll out. However, since it's already been spotted in the app's code, there's a good chance Google is preparing to launch it sooner rather than later.

Android 17's first major Feature Drop is expected next month, so it's possible this feature could arrive as part of that update.

Fitbit Air’s newest update brings nothing new except invisible bug fixes

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 15:05:00 +0000

What you need to know

Google is rolling out Fitbit Air firmware version 253.2, but don't expect new features.
This update focuses entirely on reliability and minor bug fixes.
Google advises installing the update during the day or evening, as updating around midnight can temporarily throw off your daily step count.

Google has begun rolling out a new software update for the Fitbit Air. However, this release is solely focused on reliability and not on new features.

The company officially describes the update as containing only “minor bug fixes,” but it does not say what those fixes are. This is the second firmware release for the wearable, following the initial update last month. In its community post, Google says firmware version 253.2 is being rolled out to devices over the next few days.

Before you begin the installation process, Google says to make sure your Fitbit Air is charged or plugged into its charger and has at least 50% battery. You also have to keep the wearable connected to a phone or tablet via Bluetooth and have the latest version of the Google Health app on your device.

It also matters when you install. Google recommends updating your device during the day or in the evening, not at midnight, as updating late at night could make that day’s step count appear inaccurate temporarily.

Installation takes about 10 minutes to complete. First, open the Google Health app with your Fitbit Air nearby and tap Update on the Today tab. You can also tap on Update in the top left corner under Connections and then tap on your device.

Just keep the Google Health app open and keep your Fitbit close to your phone or tablet until the progress bar is complete.

Android Central's Take

I get that Google is finally shipping an update instead of leaving early buyers hanging, but “bug fixes and general improvements” has become one of the most overused phrases in tech. If this update really helps with automatic workout detection, Google should just say so. People don't buy fitness trackers so they can decipher vague changelogs. They buy them because they want reliable health tracking without babysitting it.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 10: Everything we know so far and want to see

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:09:32 +0000

The Galaxy Watch 9 is now on sale globally, and while it has a slightly bigger battery and runs Qualcomm's silicon, the design is identical to last year. Samsung didn't change too much with the smartwatch, and it's the software where the brand focused most of its attention.

If anything, it's the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 that got most of the upgrades this time, and that's also understandable — last year's model missed out on any new changes. By that logic, Samsung should offer meaningful upgrades with the Galaxy Watch 10 next year, and while there isn't much in the way of information about the smartwatch at this moment in time, that will change over the coming months. In the meantime, I'm listing a few features that I want to see in next year's smartwatch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 10: Pricing and availability

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Samsung increased prices across the board this year, with the 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 starting at $379 (a $30 increase from last year), and the 44mm starting at $409 (also $30 higher than last year). The LTE models got the same $30 price hike, and while smartwatches aren't quite as affected by the RAM and storage crisis, it is entirely likely that the Galaxy Watch 10 will see a similar uptick in pricing.

That's just the way the industry is going, and with the RAM shortage set to continue well into 2027 and beyond, we could see brands raise prices next year as well. Obviously, it's too early to talk about what the Galaxy Watch 10 could cost, but I'm predicting a $399 starting price.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 10: What I want to see

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The one upgrade I want on the Galaxy Watch 10 is improved battery life. Samsung put a massive battery in the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 while somehow making it thinner, so it shouldn't be difficult to do the same with the Galaxy Watch 10. While the Galaxy Watch 9 lasts two days, I want to see at least three days before needing to charge the smartwatch, and this is something Samsung needs to address next year.

In a similar vein, I want charging to be faster; Samsung doesn't quite do enough in this area, and that needs to change in 2027. I also want Samsung to increase durability to 10ATM, just like the Watch Ultra 2. A better selection of colors would be nice, as Samsung doesn't make all color variants available in all regions.

Also, we need a model with a rotating bezel. I still don't get why Samsung doesn't offer this as standard on one of the Galaxy Watch 9 models, and there isn't a Classic option this time either. Samsung must've noticed that the rotating bezel is an oft-requested feature from long-time users, so it isn't quite clear why the brand doesn't prioritize it.

Where Samsung has an advantage is with the software, and this year saw an influx of AI-assisted features. Of course, this isn't just with the smartwatches, with Samsung heavily pushing Galaxy AI on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Fold 8. It is likely that Samsung will continue to lean into AI with next year's devices as well.

There's higher-than-usual interest in the Galaxy Watch 10 given that this year's model didn't have many upgrades, and I will update this post as soon as we have any tangible information around the 2027 model. In the meantime, if you need a smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 9 is the best bet.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch 9

The Galaxy Watch 9 doesn't do too many things differently, but it is still the best smartwatch choice if you're a Samsung user.

Samsung forgot to mention one of the Galaxy Watch 9's biggest upgrades

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:51:21 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung has extended the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 to five major Wear OS upgrades.
The new watches launch with Wear OS 7 and One UI 9, meaning software support should continue through 2031.
Samsung likely enabled the longer support thanks to the new 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite chip.

Samsung has expanded the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2's Wear OS software support to five years.

Samsung announced the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 alongside its new Galaxy Z Fold 8 series at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22. While the new foldable phones grabbed most of the attention, Samsung's latest smartwatches also bring some meaningful upgrades, including larger batteries across both models.

But there are even more improvements that Samsung didn't spend much time talking about during the keynote, and one of them is the software update policy.

Samsung has already been one of the best Android smartwatch makers when it comes to software support. Until now, the company promised four major Wear OS upgrades and five years of security updates for its Galaxy Watches.

For comparison, Google currently offers only three years of software updates for the Pixel Watch lineup, so Samsung was already ahead on that front.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

With the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Samsung has taken things a step further. As first spotted by SamMobile, the company has expanded the update policy to five major Wear OS upgrades, while continuing to offer five years of security updates.

That's one additional major OS upgrade over previous Galaxy Watches. It's also worth noting that both watches ship with One UI 9 based on Wear OS 7 out of the box. Assuming Samsung sticks to its promise, these watches should continue receiving major Wear OS updates through 2031, which would presumably take them to Wear OS 12.

Samsung didn't really highlight this during the launch event, but it's likely that the new Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset is one of the reasons behind the extended support. The new chip is built on a 3nm process and is claimed to deliver up to 32% better performance than the previous generation.

For anyone considering a new smartwatch, that's one more reason to look at Samsung's latest lineup. The Galaxy Watch 9 starts at $380 in the U.S., while the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $700. Both smartwatches will be available starting August 7.

Ultrahuman Emerald update is massive: UltraSphere 'decision engine' is the star for us

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:22:51 +0000

What you need to know

Ultrahuman announced the Emerald update for its app, which brings a "decision engine," known as UltraSphere.
UltraSphere can deliver over 60 "Next Best Action" suggestions to users based on their location, weather, profile, and biomarkers (sleep, HRV, recovery, etc.).
Other updates involve VO2 Max algorithm updates, heart rate accuracy improvements, and enhanced workout detection.
The Emerald update is rolling out today (July 23) globally.

Ultrahuman pushes its smart rings and users to be better in health and fitness. But the company isn't done, and its major app overhaul today (July 23) is the largest in its history.

The Emerald update is rolling out for the Ultrahuman app late this week. The company highlights "15 new and overhauled features" in this patch, but the star is the "decision engine," UltraSphere. The app sports several UI refinements in this patch. The company states it redesigned its UI for clarity for "health data and to promote better decisions." Users receive light and dark modes, a Jade AI tab, and "timely" information in the Ring tab.

UltraSphere is the centerpiece of the Emerald update and the app's homescreen. Ultrahuman says this is a "decision engine that generates 60+ Next Best Actions, such as boosting energy and alertness, winding down, and promoting more restful, restorative sleep." UltraSphere doesn't do it alone, as the press release states it leverages Jade AI to draw on your markers from sleep, recovery, HRV, cycle phase, and more.

Mohit Kumar, Ultrahuman's CEO, states, "All wearable trackers generate data. Data is empowering, but people do need something more than a number – they want to know what to do." In that spirit, UltraSphere delivers its suggestions based on your location and weather, circadian rhythm, and profile.

If you're a parent or someone working the night shift, UltraSphere would tailor its suggestions to fit that lifestyle. A "Next Best Action" suggestion might include "Get Light," which would tell the user to "Step outside for a few minutes soon after waking. Morning light sets the body clock so users feel alert today and fall asleep more easily."

Your heart and VO2 Max

Ultrahuman

The Emerald update makes two important changes to the app's tracking and accuracy. Ultrahuman says its Ring runs all of its processes on your device. This was done to keep your insights available without a connection.

The latter focuses on workout analysis and heart-rate accuracy with the Ring Pro and Air. Automatic workout detection and tagging have been improved. Heart rate details take a few steps up in this update, too. The Ultrahuman app also welcomes third-party devices for workout tracking. It highlights many GPS sports watches like the Apple Watch, Garmin, WHOOP, and others.

Ultrahuman is putting its VO2 Max capabilities in the spotlight, boasting a 21% increase in accuracy. The company credits a major algorithm, which has been "validated" against gold-standard CPET lab tests. The Emerald update for the Ultrahuman app is rolling out globally today (July 23). While we've covered a few important updates here, there are several more you'll also find: Sleep Screener, Longevity tab, Connections, Windows, Live View, Today's Activity, Today's Activity, Contextual Content, Goals, and PowerPlugs.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 isn't even out yet, and Amazon already wants to pay you $50 to try it

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:05:00 +0000

Considering that we called the Galaxy Watch 8 the 'best Android smartwatch of 2025', it's no surprise that we've been eagerly awaiting the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 9. Now the big day has arrived, and Samsung's newest flagship wearable doesn't disappoint.

The only problem is that the new smartwatch is a bit more expensive than its predecessor, which is why I was excited to see Amazon offer a free $50 gift card when you preorder the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 ahead of its August 7th release date.

Preorder the Galaxy Watch 9 and Amazon will give you a $50 gift card

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm) BT: $379.99, plus free $50 gift card at Amazon

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 has landed, and Amazon will already give you a free $50 gift card when you preorder the smartwatch through its site. No trade-in required, no strings attached: just $50 of free cash for buying a smartwatch that you were probably going to order anyway.View Deal

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 may not look that different from its predecessor at first glance, but there are some significant improvements when you dig in a bit deeper. The 2026 watch is driven by the new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, offering a notable performance boost when compared to the Galaxy Watch 8's Exynos processor. Battery capacity has also been upgraded, plus the Galaxy Watch 9 features all of the latest Galaxy AI features with some expanded health and fitness tracking capabilities.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 sports the exact same weight and dimensions as last year's model, which, considering how much we loved the Galaxy Watch 8, is a good thing in our eyes. The new wearable also features the same vibrant AMOLED display, 32GB of onboard storage, and dual-band GPS.

Does upgraded battery life and a new chip justify the higher price on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9? It's not for me to say. If you can find a good deal on the Galaxy Watch 8 and you don't mind using a last-gen watch, go for it. But if you want the latest and greatest model from Samsung, I can pretty much guarantee that the Galaxy Watch 9 won't disappoint. The free $50 gift card from Amazon is simply the cherry on top.

This is huge—Samsung Galaxy Ring will offer FDA-cleared Sleep Apnea detection

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:24:38 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung announced during Galaxy Unpacked that the Galaxy Ring will receive Sleep Apnea detection "this fall."
The company states that the Galaxy Ring will be the "first and only" smart ring that's available over-the-counter to receive FDA clearance for such detection.
Samsung first cleared its Sleep Apnea detection for the Galaxy Watch in Korea in 2023 before rolling it out globally (after the FDA gave the go-ahead) in 2025.

Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked is just wrapping up in London, but the company snuck in a surprise: the Galaxy Ring is getting major sleep health clearance.

During the keynote, Samsung was covering its summer releases, and this particular section involved the Galaxy Watch 9. The company's newest "all-day, always-on for health" smartwatch has been cleared by the FDA for Sleep Apnea detection; however, Samsung says so will the Galaxy Ring. The company states, "this fall," its Galaxy Ring will be the "first and only FDA-cleared, over-the-counter ring device for Sleep Apnea risk protection."

As previously mentioned, the Galaxy Watch 9 features Sleep Apnea detection. Samsung revealed everything about the device and its Ultra 2 partner this morning (July 22). The watch's Sleep Apnea detection goes further than letting the user know a disruption took place overnight. According to Samsung, its Sleep Apnea detection features AI algorithms for "deeper insights into breathing disruptions during sleep."

This is an important highlight Samsung discussed during its Unpacked keynote, too.

Huge for the Galaxy Ring

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung has been down a long road for Sleep Apnea detection on its wearables. In 2023, the company's Galaxy Watch received approval from South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for Sleep Apnea detection, as well as blood pressure monitoring. Consumers in the U.S., and many of us here at Android Central, were eagerly awaiting (and hoping) for FDA approval, too. We had to wait until February 2024 before the FDA gave the all-clear for Samsung's Galaxy Watch detection.

While approval is all well and good, Sleep Apnea detection didn't hit our devices until 2025. The feature leverages the watch's BioActive sensor to alert the user to potential disruptions. Sleep Apnea is a serious medical condition that Samsung is trying to give users better insight into. If left unchecked, it can cause an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, and more.

Now that Samsung has worked in more of its AI algorithms, we can likely expect more detailed round-ups once this hits the Galaxy Ring. For now, we have the Galaxy Watch 9 to use and see how it works before the fall.

Android Central's Take

This stunned us during Unpacked. It's not something we were expecting, and I'm sure all eyes are on Samsung's smart ring competitors. Sleep Apnea, as I mentioned already, is a serious medical issue. If left unchecked, like anything else, it can worsen. Health awareness is never a bad thing, and for a device (a smart ring) that's already hard-focused on health, it sounds like a no-brainer.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025: This is the upgrade you want

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:33:22 +0000

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

The definitive smartwatch

With the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Samsung has delivered a ton of upgrades. The biggest is the OLED panel, which now goes up to 5,000 nits. You also get a thinner titanium case with a unique squircle design, much bigger battery, and IP69K ingress protection. The best part is that the Watch Ultra 2 isn't any heavier in spite of all the bigger battery.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025

Still good - with a caveat

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 is identical to the 2024 model, and the only difference is the increase in storage — that's it. Samsung didn't make any changes between the two, and as a result, it's chunky, doesn't have as big a battery, and misses out on the new Qualcomm silicon. If you don't mind the omissions and are able to get it on sale, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 is still a good choice, but I'd suggest getting the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 instead.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025: Pricing and availability

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 made its debut at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked launch event in London on July 22, 2026, and it is now on sale globally. The smartwatch retails for $699, and that's pretty decent when you consider you're getting 64GB of storage and a ton of new features.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 launched at $649, the same as its predecessor. Which is understandable as the smartwatch didn't actually bring any new features, and other than double the amount of onboard storage, it was identical to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2024. Thankfully, that's not the case this year.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025: Design and features

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Samsung is changing the design of the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 a little bit; the smartwatch has a squircle case that's made out of titanium, and the design looks a lot cleaner than the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025. Samsung is offering the smartwatch in Titanium Silver and Titanium Gray, and we'll need to wait and see if both models are available in all global regions.

What I like the most is that the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is significantly thinner at 10mm (versus 12.1mm); this was a big pain point with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2024 and 2025 models, and it's good to see Samsung addressing it. Another change has to do with durability; the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 gets IP69K ingress protection, giving it added resilience against dust and water ingress.

You still get a massive 47mm case, and I like that Samsung didn't change this. The display is slightly bigger at 1.52 inches thanks to thinner bezels, and the resolution is also a little higher at 498x498 (Ultra 2025 has 480x480). But where the Watch Ultra 2 stands out the most is the overall brightness; Samsung is somehow touting brightness of up to 5,000 nits, and that's a significant boost from the 3,000-nit Watch Ultra 2025.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025: Hardware and specs

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

If I had to point to a single upgrade that makes the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 truly stand out, it would be the battery. The smartwatch comes with an 800mAh battery, and this is an area where Samsung absolutely did the right thing. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025's 590mAh battery is decent enough, but the much bigger battery should allow the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 to last even longer.

Powering the smartwatch is the latest Snapdragon Wear Elite, and this again is a big change; last year's model had the Exynos W1000, and the switch to Qualcomm should deliver better efficiency, boosting battery life even more. The smartwatch gets 2GB of memory and 64GB of storage as standard, and it retains similar connectivity as last year's model, including NFC.

Category	Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2	Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025
Display	47mm 1.52-inch AMOLED, 498x498, 5,000 nits max	47mm 1.5-inch AMOLED, 480x480, 3,000 nits max
OS	Wear OS 7 Powered by Samsung, One UI 9 Watch	Wear OS 5, Powered by Samsung, One UI 8 Watch
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite, 3nm	Samsung Exynos W1000, 3nm
Memory & Storage	2GB/64GB	2GB/32GB, 2GB/64GB
Connectivity	Bluetooth + LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, dual-band GPS	Bluetooth + LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, dual-band GPS
Durability	10ATM, IP69K water resistance, MIL-STD-810H durability	10ATM, IP68 water resistance, MIL-STD-810H durability
Battery	800mAh, 100% charge in 90 min (40% in 30 min)	590mAh, 100% charge in 120 min
Dimensions	47.4 x 47.1 x 10mm	47.4 x 47.4 x 12.1mm
Weight	61.5g	60.5g
Colors	Titanium Silver, Titanium Gray	Titanium Sliver, Titanium Gray, Titanium White, Titanium Blue
Sensors	Samsung BioActive, SpO2, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyro, barometer, altimeter	Samsung BioActive, SpO2, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyro, barometer, altimeter

Coming to fitness and health monitoring, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 gets Samsung's BioActive Sensor, and it includes all the hardware needed to monitor vitals and daily activity. You get Samsung's Wear OS 7 out of the box with One UI 9 Watch, and there's a lot to like with the software in general. Samsung is the way to go if you want the best Android smartwatch, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 continues that momentum on the software front.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025: Which should you buy?

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

There's no doubt in my mind: if you're ready to upgrade to a bigger smartwatch, you need to buy the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. It has exciting upgrades across the board, and the thinner design combined with a bigger battery and brighter AMOLED panel make it a much better choice.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 is still a decent choice if you're able to get a sizeable discount, but of the two, I'd suggest getting the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 — it's just a better all-round smartwatch.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

The definitive smartwatch

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 comes with all the upgrades that matter. The bigger battery combined with better internals should allow it to last a lot longer, it gets much brighter, and the design itself is thinner and much more durable.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025

Still good - with a caveat

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 is still a great smartwatch, but it doesn't quite measure up against the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. But if you're able to get a decent discount, the smartwatch is worthy of consideration.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch 9: It's an easy choice

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:01:42 +0000

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Living up to its name

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has all the upgrades you want in 2026. It has a bigger battery, brighter AMOLED, faster internals, and it is somehow thinner than its predecessor. The 47mm case is on the bigger end of the scale, but it is made out of titanium, and looks exquisite. If you're ready to switch to a bigger smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the obvious choice.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch 9

A great all-rounder

The Galaxy Watch 9 isn't too different to what we got last year, but the biggest positive is that it uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite platform as the Ultra 2. You get a slightly bigger battery, and while the overall design hasn't changed — it's still available in 44mm and 40mm variants — it is just as thin and light as the Galaxy Watch 8. Samsung is instead focusing heavily on the software, rolling out a new health dashboard and fitness metrics — which you get on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 as well.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch 9: Pricing and availability

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Galaxy Watch 9 at a launch event in London on June 22, 2026. Both smartwatches are now on pre-order globally, with sales starting shortly.

Like previous years, Samsung has two models of the Galaxy Watch 9: 40mm and 40mm. The 40mm model with Bluetooth costs $379, and if you need LTE, you'll need to pay $429. The 44mm Bluetooth variant is $409, and the LTE model is $459. There's a modest increase from last year, but the Galaxy Watch 9 is still an affordable choice.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, on the other hand, retails for $699, a $50 increase. You are getting an extensive feature-set, bigger battery, and titanium chassis, and that's reflected in the cost.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch 9: Design and display

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Galaxy Watch 9 looks identical to its predecessor, and that's a good thing. You still get a smartwatch that looks great, and it's just as thin (8.6mm) and light (34g) as the Galaxy Watch 8.

Samsung didn't change its choice of materials either, so you get an aluminum case with a plastic housing on the underside to accommodate the BioActive module. Like last year, the Galaxy Watch 9 is sold in 40mm and 44mm variants, and Samsung is even selling the same color models. There's no rotating bezel on either device, but you get side-mounted buttons.

If you're looking to get a watch that looks different to last year, you'll need to pick up the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. It has a significantly thinner design that looks much better this time, and the 47mm case gives it a dominating presence that you just don't get with the 44mm Galaxy Watch 9. It's made out of titanium, and has better durability as well — 10ATM and IP69K versus 5ATM and IP68 of the Galaxy Watch 9.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Coming to the display, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 gets a 1.52-inch AMOLED that goes up to a ridiculous 5,000 nits. The 44mm Galaxy Watch 9 has the same 1.47-inch panel as last year, and the 40mm model retains the 1.34-inch screen, with both going up to 3,000 nits. Outside of that, you don't see much of a difference between the two smartwatches.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch 9: Features and specs

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

What's good to see is that both smartwatches use the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite. Ahead of launch, it was unclear if the Galaxy Watch 9 would come with last year's Exynos W100 instead of the new Qualcomm silicon, and Samsung did the right thing by using Qualcomm across the board.

Category	Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2	Samsung Galaxy Watch 9
Display	47mm: 1.52-inch AMOLED, 498x498, 5,000 nits max	44mm: 1.47-inch AMOLED, 480x480, 3,000 nits max 40mm: 1.34-inch AMOLED, 438x438, 3,000 nits max
OS	Wear OS 7 Powered by Samsung, One UI 9 Watch	Wear OS 7 Powered by Samsung, One UI 9 Watch
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite, 3nm	Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite, 3nm
Memory & Storage	2GB/64GB	2GB/32GB
Connectivity	Bluetooth + LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, dual-band GPS	Bluetooth + LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, dual-band GPS
Durability	10ATM, IP69K water resistance, MIL-STD-810H durability	5ATM, IP68 water resistance, MIL-STD-810H durability
Battery	800mAh, 100% in 90 min (40% in 30 min)	44mm : 445mAh, 100% in 90 min (45% in 30 min) 40mm: 390mAh, 100% in 80 min (50% in 30 min)
Dimensions	47.4 x 47.1 x 10mm	44mm: 46.0 x 43.7x 8.6mm 40mm: 42.7 x 40.4x 8.6mm
Weight	61.5g	44mm: 34.0g 40mm: 31.5g
Colors	Titanium Silver, Titanium Gray	44mm: Silver, Grey 40mm: Cream, Grey
Sensors	Samsung BioActive, SpO2, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyro, barometer, altimeter	Samsung BioActive, SpO2, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyro, barometer, altimeter

While the hardware itself is exciting, Samsung turned its attention to the software this year, and both smartwatches have a ton of new health and fitness features. There's Energy Tracking, Sleep Apnea Detection, a new running-focused feature, and Vitals, a dashboard that gives you a broad overview of your vitals in one area.

You also get a new Nutrition Alert feature alongside Trail Run that measures detailed elevation changes and climbing progress. And as for the software, both smartwatches run the latest Wear OS 7 with Samsung's One UI 9 Watch. Samsung does a great job with the software in general, and One UI 9 Watch has the best feature-set of any Android smartwatch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch 9: Which should you buy?

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Choosing between the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Galaxy Watch 9 is entirely down to what you need in a smartwatch. If you need a smaller watch that nails the basics and looks stylish, just get the Galaxy Watch 9. You're not missing out on the essentials, and this is a proven design that has worked really well for Samsung in the last two years.

But if you want a bigger smartwatch that grabs attention, you should get the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Yes, it costs a lot more, but you also get a bigger screen that gets much brighter, much bigger battery that lasts nearly twice as long, better durability, and a titanium design that looks exquisite. If I had to choose a model between these two, I'm getting the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 anytime — it's much more exciting.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Living up to its name

Samsung outdid itself with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, delivering what is possibly one of the best smartwatches ever made.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch 9

A great all-rounder

The Galaxy Watch 9 may not have as many upgrades as the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, but it still nails the basics. You're getting a stylish smartwatch with standout software and health monitoring features, and it doesn't cost as much.

I went hands-on with Samsung's new game-changing AI smartglasses and Samsung is committed to thwarting public opinion of them

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:47 +0000

Samsung is set to fully launch its "Intelligent Eyewear" this fall, and at Unpacked, the company gave us a look at its designs from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. I've already played with prototype Android XR glasses a few times, but this is my first time getting hands-on time with production design models, and I feel like it's finally starting to come together.

However, given how long it's taking Google and Samsung to bring these to market, I'm wondering if this new effort can survive the hurdles of a shifting public opinion on smart glasses.

AI meets style

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The models I got to handle were not functioning products, but just something to give us a peek at what we're getting ahead of the actual launch. So while I couldn't actually use the glasses or even put them on my face, I at least got to hold them and get a feel for them, and I was quite impressed.

Of the new designs I got to see, the Gentle Monster model caught my eye, as I prefer its more classic style, which is closer to the kinds of glasses I wear. However, the Warby Parker glasses looked more stylish, so I'm sure there will still be plenty of appeal for these.

This is why Samsung's partnerships with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are so important, as highlighted by James Choi, corporate EVP and head of XR R&D at Samsung.

"They must first be something people really want to wear every day. After all, this is eyewear. People want a natural, stylish fashion item, not a piece of technology on their face," he said during a round table briefing.

Derrek Lee / Android Central

Not only did the glasses look relatively thin; they also felt surprisingly light. Weight is generally a major hurdle when it comes to smart glasses, so lighter glasses mean less chance of fatigue. Furthermore, the relatively thin design helps them look less like tech and blend in as glasses.

Despite their thin, lightweight design, the glasses are still quite durable, and Samsung has ensured "mobile-grade quality assurance," so they should be able to withstand a fall.

Choi also highlighted something called Power Camp, a joint effort between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm to optimize battery life and tune software and data streamlining.

Derrek Lee / Android Central

And while the glasses are powered by the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1, they will leverage the phone's memory and compute to provide faster responses and relevant data protections.

As a result, the glasses can get up to an estimated nine hours of mixed-use battery life using the camera, listening to music, and triggering Gemini (and/or Bixby), with an additional seven full charges with the case. You'll also be able to control them with Wear OS watches and connect with apps like Maps, Interpreter, and Samsung Notes through the glasses.

The elephant in the room...

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Public opinion around smart glasses has taken a bit of a turn lately. Despite Ray-Ban Meta glasses being available for years, consumers are starting to turn on them, especially after a few missteps, reports of always-on glasses, and the current smear campaign against the glasses. So how is Samsung approaching the market given the shifting tides?

Choi says privacy is not an afterthought but the core of how Samsung is developing these new glasses. That means including things like the LED indicator light to show when the camera is in use, as well as wear detection to disable the camera if the user takes off the glasses or even covers the LED.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

But there is a concern that perhaps more needs to be done. Choi makes it clear that navigating public perception is not easy, especially in different cultures, and recognizes that it's a shared industry problem. He notes that Samsung is constantly in communication with governments to ensure they're meeting regulations, and the hope is that they are able to come to some sort of solution while still fostering the development of new technologies such as these.

For now, it sounds like Samsung and Google are doing their part, but the onus is on governing bodies to instill regulations that make everyone happy. I just hope this doesn't sully the launch of a product I'm genuinely interested in. After all, Google already had its Glasshole moment; it would be a shame for Android XR to also be relegated as just another pair of "pervert glasses."

Galaxy Watch 9, Watch Ultra 2 are here: Samsung's health partners bring soft comfort and more

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked in London is underway, and the company has revealed the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2.
The Galaxy Watch 9 is lighter with a more comfortable fit on the wrist, delivering major health features like Vitals and Heart Health Score.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 continues its rugged focus for users who dive, run, swim, and more with new Trail Run and Diver-focused automatic tracking.
Samsung has started pre-orders: the Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, 44mm) starts at $379 for Bluetooth, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 begins at $699.

The moment we've been waiting for is here: Samsung's Unpacked revealed its next-gen smartwatches, and this is everything you need to know.

Today (July 22), Samsung held its Galaxy Unpacked event in London, U.K., to discuss what's next for its portfolio. Headlining the event are the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the Galaxy Watch 9. The latter is where we're beginning this early morning. Samsung stressed during its keynote that the Galaxy Watch 9 is the "ultimate everyday companion." The watch has been upgraded for consumers who take their health seriously and are looking to "build healthy habits."

The Galaxy Watch 9's design sticks close to what we received with the Galaxy Watch 8. The device offers that squircle design: a circular watch face atop a square frame. However, Samsung states the Watch 9 has been equipped with a "lightweight, yet durable chassis." The watch has been refined for a closer fit against your wrist that is intended to feel more natural, enhancing comfort.

Internally, Samsung revealed that the Galaxy Watch 9 features Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. The SoC's major highlights include improvements to the device's speed and efficiency, reducing the lag users might experience when swiping through the watch's UI. It also goes without saying that the Wear Elite SoC will help the Watch 9's 390mAh battery, too.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Unpacking Samsung's health features, the company states the Galaxy Watch 9 features a BioActive sensor, which captures "continuous biometric data about a user’s lifestyle habits to develop a deep understanding of their wellness." Users will find features like Sleep Apnea (FDA clearance-backed), Daily Cardio Score, Fitness Index, and Hearing, helping to protect their ear health.

What's more, Samsung reminds us of Vitals and Heart Health Score. Many might remember these two (the Hearing feature, too) from the Health app's huge update in June. Vitals will "proactively" watch the user's health baseline while they sleep to provide alerts about deviations. The Heart Health Score focuses on your cardiovascular wellness with a simple score that helps users understand if they should "take action."

If you're looking at the Galaxy Watch 9, Samsung says you'll find an assortment of new bands. Consumers can pick from Sports, Misty, and Fabric bands. Each offers a different experience, ranging from the thin, soft all-rounder Sports band to the soft silicone Misty band for a stable, bounce-free fit.

The Galaxy Watch 9 comes in 40mm and 44mm variants, starting at $379 for its Bluetooth model and $429 for its LTE version. Pre-orders begin July 22 before its full market launch on August 7. Samsung Care Plus is available to help protect your watch from damage, but there are extra goodies for consumers. A 60-day trial for Strava and a two-month iFIT free trial are available for the Galaxy Watch 9 after purchase.

Galaxy is going Ultra (2)

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The bigger, rugged-oriented Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is finally here. Samsung is calling the Watch Ultra 2 its "most powerful and advanced Galaxy Watch ever." Extreme outdoor shenanigans and users who live for high-performance activities are who the Watch Ultra 2 is designed for. While the device sticks to a familiar squircle design, the company states it has achieved a "thinner, innovative" build. The Watch Ultra 2 is thinner by ~12% compared to the first version. There have also been improvements to make it lighter, too.

Runners and climbers might also benefit from the watch's shock-resistant titanium casing.

Inside, the wearable features Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite SoC and a huge 800mAh battery (a 35% boost over the first version). There are several activities the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 supports, but this update has divers in mind. To aid professional divers, Samsung says the watch is rated IP69K, 10 ATM, and EN13319 certified. The Watch Ultra 2 will track your diving data (depth, time, water temp) from the moment you enter the water.

Samsung has created an Ultra-exclusive Diving app that users can lean on for advanced features. The company states the app will be available later in 2026. For all the landlubbers, Trail Run is a Watch Ultra 2 feature that "tracks detailed elevation, climbing progress, and terrain impact..." Real-time hydration guidance is provided via Nutrition Alert, pairing nicely with Sweat Loss.

Like the Galaxy Watch 9, the Watch Ultra 2 features an assortment of new bands: Marine, PeakForm, and Trail. Samsung Care Plus and the free trials for Strava and iFIT are also available for purchased Galaxy Watch Ultra 2s. Consumers will find the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for $699 for its 47mm size. You will also be able to choose between Titanium Silver and Titanium Gray colorways.

Pre-orders begin July 22 ahead of a full release on August 7.

Gemini at Unpacked: Google announces major AI updates for foldables, glasses

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

What you need to know

Google shared details about a few Gemini updates, which coincide with Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked reveals.
Google reiterates Gemini's presence on Intelligent Eyewear (Samsung collab); however, Galaxy Watch 9 users can raise their wrist to activate the AI, all without saying a word.
Gemini Notebook is pre-installed on Samsung's new foldables, but Galaxy Z Fold 8 users can take full advantage of their multitasking capabilities, dragging and dropping content from other apps into the AI notebook.

It's Samsung's day, but Google has a few updates to offer users interested in everything revealed at Galaxy Unpacked.

Google shared a press release this morning (July 22), reiterating its recent collaboration with Samsung for Intelligent Eyewear. While the two have joined hands before (primarily for phones), these smart glasses are the next step. Google reminds us that Gemini on Intelligent Eyewear provides helpfulness in a way beyond phones. However, Google's bringing a little more to Samsung's new watch. Intelligent Eyewear is also receiving two new frames following Unpacked, which you can view below.

The Galaxy Watch 9 is receiving a little Gemini update for convenience. Google says users need only "raise their wrist," and the AI will activate. Users don't have to say "Hey Google" or "Hey Gemini." Raising your wrist opens its digital ears for your questions or tasks.

Gemini Intelligence continues its round of Galaxy Unpacked updates, as Google introduced a "task automation" expansion. This feature lets users give Gemini tasks that are rather mundane. Tasks like ordering food or items from your favorite online store. Google states task automation is expanding to more than 40 apps. What's more, this expansion gives Gemini the ability to understand what's on your screen.

If there's an item you've found, you can ask Gemini to find "something similar" on Etsy or another store, and order it for you. Users can track Gemini's progress in completing the task you've given it, as well. Google says this gives users the chance to cut in and correct anything before handing the task back to Gemini. Of course, any transactions fall solely on the user to complete.

With the Galaxy Z Flip 8's launch today, users can begin task automation on its Flex Window by long-pressing the power button.

Unpacking Gemini updates

Samsung

Google

On-device AI continues to advance with an interest in remaining useful. Google announced that Gemini Notebook (previously NotebookLM) is pre-installed on the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8. However, it's the larger sibling—the Galaxy Z Fold 8—that lets users take full advantage of the multitasking. Gemini Notebook can hold pages, videos, and more that you've found from other apps while you're searching.

Google highlights that users can have Chrome open on one side of the Fold 8 and Gemini Notebook on the other. This lets you easily drag and drop before handing off itinerary generation to Gemini. There is a chat function available. Users can chat with Gemini, asking questions about sources and more to create "high-quality" slide decks, videos, quizzes, and more.

One more thing: Samsung and Google introduced a new "native migration experience built directly into Android 17." The blog post states this lets users "transfer even more data types from an iPhone wirelessly—without downloading a separate app." Users can transfer photos, videos, contacts, messages, and calendar info. New supported data now includes your Google Account, passwords, Wi-Fi details, and eSIM. Much of this data was mentioned previously by Google's product lead for Android Onboarding and Android Settings, Paul Dunlop, when discussing what Android 17 would change for Android Switch.

Intelligent Eyewear debuted during Google I/O in May. The glasses, with frames from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, merged style with technology. Users could talk to Gemini for navigational purposes, order pickups, and photo capture. Samsung joined the discussion, stating users could pair Intelligent Eyewear with their phones for hands-free assistance.

Android Central's Take

Task automation was already an eye-catching addition when the Galaxy S26 series debuted. To see it now begin expanding to more apps is another thumbs up from me. I like when AI is useful. It's nice that it continues to walk you through its progress via on-screen notifications (even on your lock screen).

Samsung's new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a beast, but I think the Galaxy Watch 9 is the one to get

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

After spending some time with the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, it's clear that this is a year of refinement for Samsung. These watches are essentially upgraded versions of their predecessors, and while there may not be many differences on the outside, one major upgrade on the inside makes all the difference.

The same but different

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

In terms of design, Samsung didn't change much about the latest watches. That said, once you hold them or put them next to their predecessors, you might be able to spot the changes. The Watch Ultra 2, for example, is noticeably thinner than its predecessor, shaving off roughly 2mm despite its massive 800mAh battery; a 210mAh increase.

This means it feels a bit better on your wrist, which is also aided by the new watch bands. They're thinner and more malleable, allowing the watch to sit flatter on surfaces and provide a better fit on your wrist. That said, the Watch Ultra 2 is still quite heavy, and I can't imagine wearing it throughout its roughly 60-hour battery life estimate (with AOD on).

Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (right) with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 (left). (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

As for the Galaxy Watch 9, the dimensions are roughly the same as the Watch 8, but Samsung managed to increase the battery a bit. Thickness is the same too, making the Watch 9 much more comfortable to wear than the Ultra 2 and probably something I can see myself rocking throughout the day.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

That said, the Ultra 2 is built to appeal to outdoorsy types and anyone with a more rugged lifestyle, and some new features are clear indications of such. Trail Run, for example, is an Ultra 2-exclusive feature that will track a run on a trail while monitoring elevation, total climb, and total descent.

And for serious runners, Samsung is upgrading the Sweat Loss estimation with a Nutrition Alert to help you stay adequately hydrated.

Derrek Lee / Android Central

That extra-rugged design also means professional divers can use the Watch Ultra 2 to track their dives with a new Diving app coming later this year. I didn't get to see this during my hands-on, but Samsung says the Mares-developed app will track real-time diving metrics.

Oh, and the screen is apparently really bright, reaching a 5,000 nits peak. I couldn't test this out in my enclosed environment, but the brighter screen will definitely help with outdoor visibility.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The upgrade I'm most excited about in both watches is the new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. It's Samsung's first time using a Snapdragon chip in its smartwatches, and it promises better performance, longer battery life, and better GPS tracking.

Qualcomm highlights improved AI capabilities thanks to the built-in NPU, meaning some AI tasks won't have to be routed to the phone. You can tell Gemini something like "what's my sleep score," and it will take you directly to the metric you're looking for in Samsung Health.

The new chip also enhances the capabilities of the BioActive sensor for enhanced accuracy and new features. Sleep Apnea insights, Heart Health, Daily Cardio Load, Hearing, and Fitness Index are all available on both watches to provide a more comprehensive look at your health.

Derrek Lee / Android Central

Even without a Classic model, the Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 feel like they have something for everyone. The Ultra 2 feels like more of an upgrade, but the Watch 9 feels like the watch for most people and will still get many of the same features as the Ultra 2.

My hands-on time wasn't too in-depth, but we'll be reviewing both watches soon, so you can look forward to our coverage as we test these watches and pit them against some of our favorite fitness watches.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch 9

The everyday watch

The Galaxy Watch 9 adds the latest health and fitness tracking features from Samsung Health, while bringing the added power and accuracy of the Snapdragon Wear Elite to a sleek wearable device.

Samsung

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Dive deeper into your health

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a serious watch for serious adventurers. It features an ultra-durable design that makes it the perfect companion for dives and trail runs, with a battery that will keep going as you do.

Garmin's turn: the CIRQA is a screenless band, and you get all-day help without a subscription

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:22:38 +0000

What you need to know

Garmin announced the CIRQA, its take on the screenless fitness band, which delivers a wealth of health and fitness insights without a subscription.
The CIRQA can track more than 80 activities, while also focusing on women's health, sleep score, HRV, skin temperature, and much more.
Garmin's store listing says the CIRQA is available for $199; however, consumers can purchase it from its storefront on July 24.

Garmin is getting in on the screenless fitness band trend this week. The company highlights its strong wellness capabilities, and they're all possible without a subscription.

Early this morning (July 21), Garmin announced in a press release that its first screenless fitness band, the CIRQA, is available now for $199. As we've already said, the CIRQA is screenless, and Garmin says it's the device's "inconspicuous design" that helps "minimize distractions while tracking important health and performance metrics." The band will automatically detect and record a multitude of activities.

While the expected metrics will be recorded (steps, calories burned, etc.), Garmin says the CIRQA can track more than 80 activities, such as running, walking, and yoga. What's more, users can "select a favorite activity to track by simply tapping the single side button." Garmin is giving the CIRQA band additional strength to handle "advanced training." The band will help inform users if they should push themselves or take a rest day.

It will provide HRV status, VO2 Max, and more for insights about your training effectiveness. Understanding your recovery time is another aspect of the band's fitness assistance. For users going on runs or long walks, the CIRQA supports GPS when connected to a compatible Android or iPhone.

All about your health

(Image credit: Garmin)

Health monitoring—all-day, especially—is where Garmin takes us next. Important metrics, such as "wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery energy monitoring, Pulse Ox², stress, and skin temperature," are available with the CIRQA. For women's health, Garmin says users will find menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking. Each provides enhanced insight into period predictions and past ovulation estimates by using skin temperature readings while sleeping.

For all users, sleep data the fitness band has captured provides a detailed look into their sleep stages, sleep score, heart rate variability, respiration, and nap detection. Every captured statistic is available to users to view in the Garmin Connect app.

We mentioned this before, but the health and fitness features the CIRQA can provide are available to consumers without a subscription. Garmin's vice president of consumer sales and marketing, Susan Lyman, said, "Plus, with no subscription required, CIRQA Smart Band helps you stay on top of your health and fitness goals—and makes a thoughtful gift for others who want to do the same."

The CIRQA fitness band has been designed with all-day comfort in mind. Garmin highlights its fabric material and "fun, neutral colors." The band is available in Citron Gray, Mauve, French Gray, Dark Olive, Captain Blue, French Blue, and black. Consumers can wear the CIRQA on their wrist or as an armband.

Once again, Garmin states the CIRQA fitness band is available for $199. Its store listing says consumers can begin purchasing it on July 24.

Halliday’s smart glasses want to fix your meetings before they go off the rails

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

What you need to know

Halliday G2 uses the company's new Meeting Flow feature to provide real-time prompts and context as conversations happen.
Meeting Flow helps you stay engaged without reaching for your phone, offering live captions, translations, instant recaps, contextual research, and confidence-rated answers through the glasses.
The AI spots topic drift, flags unclear decisions, identifies incomplete action items, and generates structured summaries with transcripts after meetings.

Most AI meeting assistants have become pretty good at telling you what already happened. Halliday thinks that is solving the wrong problem and has unveiled the Halliday G2, a new breed of AI smart glasses based on a feature called Meeting Flow, which gives you live prompts and contextual information during a conversation rather than producing notes after everyone’s left the room.

The new glasses are available for pre-order starting today with a $10 deposit, shaving $100 off the expected retail price of $599 before shipments are scheduled for September 2026.

Halliday’s pitch is that the glasses’ Meeting Flow listens to the conversation in real time and presents bite-sized insights directly through the glasses’ waveguide display rather than having users type prompts into an AI chatbot. That includes live captions and translation, instant recaps if you lose track of the discussion, and contextual research that can answer questions without having to explain the whole situation to an AI first. The answers also include confidence ratings, and the full source material is still available in the companion app.

Meeting Flow can spot off-topic conversations, alert you to ambiguous decisions before they become the default, identify commitments missing an owner or due date, and maintain a running checklist of open items so they don’t disappear once everyone says goodbye. When the meeting is over, the companion app will generate a structured summary of the meeting, including confirmed decisions, assigned tasks, open items, and transcripts.

Halliday

The hardware is just as workplace-oriented. The previous generation’s display has been replaced by binocular waveguide optics powered by dual micro-LED projectors capable of up to 1,600 nits of brightness and 600 x 300 resolution per eye in the Halliday G2. The four-microphone array can pick up voice from a distance of up to two meters, while Halliday is aiming for more than 12 hours of typical battery life and a weight of less than 50 grams.

Android Central's Take

There are clear benefits to having the ability to instantly pull up action items and keep meetings on track without having to check a phone, but I remain fiercely skeptical. I’m all for a camera-free design, but strapping an always-on microphone to my face that feeds every boardroom whisper into an AI feels like a data privacy nightmare.

Importantly, there is no camera, which could make the glasses more acceptable in meetings, secure workplaces, and other privacy-sensitive environments, while also helping reduce weight and extend battery life.

Outside the office, the glasses also let you get notifications, take phone calls, control music, see dashboard cards, translate in real time in over 45 languages, deploy a built-in AI assistant, and access a teleprompter-style Cheatsheet mode for notes and reminders.

Halliday says future updates to Meeting Flow through 2026 will add deeper contextual awareness, enabling AI to better understand ongoing projects, people, and previous conversations.

The main course: Google Health app focuses on Nutrition Logging in another Android update

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:19:00 +0000

What you need to know

Google Health app is rolling out v5.04, which focuses on Nutrition Logging.
Users are introduced to "custom foods," which brings a more seamless and personalized touch to logging what you've eaten, alongside more freedom with entries.
The Health app is also adding Quick Logging for food, refining Cycle trends, and more.

We've just gotten comfortable with Google Health's last update, and now the company is rolling out another. This time, your daily food intake is taking center stage.

Late this week, Google announced v5.04 of its Health app is rolling out on Android and iOS. This update "builds on improvements" it's made in recent history, but the main highlight is its Nutrition Update. Google is introducing "custom foods" with v5.04. The goal is to make logging seamless and personalized. With custom foods, users can "create, edit, and delete" their entries with more freedom.

A search function for custom foods is included, making it easier to log what you've eaten throughout the day. Joining this are Quick Logging "calories and macro estimates." This is an alternative route to logging what you've eaten. Google says users don't have to "search or add" the specific name of what they've eaten. Users can "log an entry by just adding calories and macronutrients." Rounding out the Nutrition Update is a fix for macronutrient percentages.

Cycle Health is getting refined this week. Google is making it easier for users to view trends in chronological order (designed for long-term viewing).

Naps head to the Today tab, while Google rolls out a fix for "incomplete heart rate charts and maps that did not represent the full duration of the exercise." This final fix concerns iOS users. Google states users with an iPhone can now properly invite friends.

Continuing the trend

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Since introducing Google Health, the company's been fairly consistent in fixing problems and introducing new features. The last update, v5.03 of the Health app, only rolled out a week ago. Health metrics were where Google placed its focus. A huge selection of metrics via tiles was added to the app. Tiles for "heart rate variability, breathing rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), resting heart rate, skin temperature variation, blood glucose, mindful days, mindful minutes, resilience, protein intake, fat intake, carbohydrate intake, and your friend leaderboard" were added.

On the other hand, what we're seeing for naps in this week's version builds on what we received last week. The Google Health app will include any naps you've taken (20 mins or more) in your main sleep session stats.

Android Central's Take

Nutrition is a huge part of our everyday lives. They always say "breakfast is the most important meal of the day," yet many of us skip it. For multiple reasons, I'm sure. What we eat matters. Getting enough calories, protein, carbs, what-have-you. Keeping track of that, if you're working out or managing your diet, is also important. I like that the Health app is taking this seriously since it matters to so many of us.

Google knows AI glasses won't take off without trust — so it's building anti-tampering protections into Android XR from day one

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:26:25 +0000

What you need to know

Google says AI glasses will only succeed if people feel comfortable wearing them, making privacy its top priority.
Its Intelligent Eyewear will use a reliable recording LED, plus hardware that detects any attempt at tampering.
Google admits the original Glass was ahead of its time, but says Android XR and Gemini finally fill those gaps.
Audio-only Android XR glasses launch later this year with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster as partners.

Google believes its Android XR-powered AI glasses won't take off until they earn users' trust, which is why the company says it's putting privacy ahead of everything else.

Samsung has already confirmed that its first Android XR-powered smart glasses are arriving later this year, and ahead of their launch, Google has shared more about its vision for "Intelligent Eyewear" and what it believes will ultimately determine whether AI glasses succeed or fail.

In an exclusive interview with Tom's Guide, Google's XR product management lead, Juston Payne, said the biggest hurdle isn't the technology itself, but convincing people they'll actually feel comfortable wearing smart glasses in public.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Payne put it plainly, saying that if people don't feel comfortable wearing the glasses, and privacy is a big part of that, they simply won't wear them at all.

We all recently saw how Meta had to push out a mandatory software update to make sure the camera on its Ray-Ban Meta and first-party AI glasses gets disabled the moment someone tampers with it or covers the LED. It seems Google wants to avoid making that mistake from the outset with Android XR.

Google has revealed that its Intelligent Eyewear will signal to people nearby when they're being recorded, and that the LED indicator will be reliable. Payne added that the company is also investing in hardware that can detect if someone attempts to tamper with the device, though he stopped short of explaining exactly how those protections work.

The company also plans to lean on Android's existing permission framework alongside additional security measures already found on Android phones.

(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)

Payne also shared how Google learned several lessons from the original Google Glass, admitting the product was simply ahead of its time.

According to him, the hardware wasn't ready, and AI wasn't capable enough to deliver the experience Google had envisioned. This time, with Android XR and Gemini, Google believes those missing pieces are finally in place, giving its latest attempt at smart glasses a much stronger foundation.

The executive also revealed that Google is putting design front and center. He said the company wants its smart glasses to look and feel like regular eyewear rather than a gadget, believing people are far more likely to wear them if they don't stand out.

The first set of audio-only Android XR glasses is set to launch later this year in partnership with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster. Display glasses haven't been revealed yet, though Payne did confirm that Google will kick off a trusted tester program for display-based Android XR glasses later this year.

Samsung teases what's new and fresh for the Galaxy Watch 9 before Unpacked

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:42:00 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung teased what consumers can expect from the Galaxy Watch 8 a week before Galaxy Unpacked.
The device is positioned as a health-first, always-on gateway for users, delivering heart insights, "all-new internal components, and enhanced battery."
Samsung confirmed its Galaxy Unpacked will take place on July 22 in London, U.K., at 9 am ET/6 am PT.

Galaxy Unpacked is a little over a week away, and Samsung is starting to step up its teasers. The company's come forward with what consumers can expect from the Galaxy Watch 9.

In a blog post, Samsung neatly packaged what we can find from its next-gen "AI-powered health companion." Again, the company is trying to nail home how AI can become "meaningfully integrated into everyday life." Samsung wants to offer true support with the Galaxy Watch 9's AI, turning it into a health-first, always-on gateway. Such a gateway would open up new insights into your heart health.

Samsung's first teaser video opens with an electrocardiogram, beginning at a resting heart rate before quickening. The post highlights aspects of the watch we're familiar with: constant background activity and detailed insights. However, Samsung adds that the Galaxy Watch 9 has received "all-new internal components and enhanced battery life," as well as "increased accuracy" for its metrics.

While this will likely benefit its heart analytics, Samsung teases its Activity stats, too. The Galaxy Watch 9 will continue to track the user's rest, movement, and sleep with enhanced "AI-driven insights" for better real-time understanding. The final teaser is a tiny font blurb about the Galaxy Watch 9 before a magnifying glass slides into place over "All-new inside."

The folks at 9to5Google enhanced the image and found a couple of worthy highlights: a titanium build, a "personal health coach," and Gemini raise-to-talk, likely along the same lines as the Pixel Watch.

All will be revealed soon

Samsung

We've known that Samsung had a few updates up its sleeve for the Galaxy Watch 9 after its Health app updated. The company announced that the Galaxy Watch 9 will come equipped with Vitals, a feature that combines five key metrics: heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen. Vitals is also going to improve the daily energy score users receive by comparing it to their baseline to highlight changes.

Heart Health Score is another emerging feature for the Health app. This will observe a user's sleep, stress, activity, and body composition data to identify negative impacts.

All we have left to do is wait another week for Galaxy Unpacked. Samsung confirmed that its event will take place on July 22 in London, U.K., at 9 am ET/6 am PT. Reservations have also begun for the company's next wave of watches and foldables.

Android Central's Take

Focusing on health has been Samsung's M.O. with its smartwatches for a while now. I remember one of my colleagues' reviews of the Galaxy Watch 8, and he enjoyed it for the most part. One area that he felt could've been better was its battery life, and I'd have to agree with him. The good news is Samsung teased that the Watch 9 has better battery life. The thing is: how much better?

X by Xreal is the first affordable pair of smart glasses that don't feel like a compromise

Nicholas Sutrich — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

There's no doubt that people buying electronics in 2026 will face sticker shock. Consoles, phones, and components are substantially more expensive than they were even a year ago, and the pain in the wallet isn't ending any time soon. That is, of course, unless you're in the market for a new pair of smart display glasses.

X by Xreal (XBX) is a new offering from the world's biggest wearable display manufacturer, and at just $299, it's ironically the antithesis of the $849 Xreal Asus ROG R1 glasses I just reviewed. These are smaller, lighter, and more eye-friendly than anything in the segment to date, and they offer a compelling reason to choose XBX over another more expensive pair of smart display glasses this year.

Smart display glasses like XBX are designed to plug into an existing device and give you a giant, brilliant virtual display to ease neck pain and make portable gaming or productivity the best it can be. These won't work with a Switch 2 since that requires a special adapter (that's not compatible with XBX yet), but essentially anything else that outputs video via a USB-C connection should be plug-and-play with these

X by Xreal: Price, availability, and specs

(Image credit: Nichoals Sutrich / Android Central)

X by Xreal ships in an impressively unique rocket-ship package and includes a hardshell fabric carrying case, a rather loud-looking yellow USB-C cable, three sets of nose pad sizes, and a microfiber cleaning cloth, all for just $299 at xreal.com, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, and Micro Center.

X by Xreal specs
Category	X by Xreal
Display	SeeYa micro-OLED
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Refresh rate	120Hz
Brightness	1600-nit peak
Eye care	3840Hz PWM dimming, low blue light, TÜV Rheinland 5-Star
Color support	10-bit, 145% sRGB, realtime SDR-to-HDR conversion
FoV	50-degrees
IPD	54.5mm–74.5mm
Spatial tracking	Smooth follow, 0DoF
Electrochromic dimming	No
3D support	Side-by-side
Audio	Dual stereo 9x20mm drivers
Temple adjustment	3 angles, spring hinge with 20-degree flexible arms
Weight	62g with frames, 56g without

More than just cheaper glasses

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Centarl)

The obvious reason to choose X by Xreal (XBX) this year is the price. At $299, these directly compete with the RayNeo Air 4s Pro, and RayNeo has historically dominated this price category. Xreal isn't just delivering lighter frames (14g lighter!), but it's also introducing smooth follow spatial tracking for the first time ever in this price category, as well as an impressive modular frame design.

The weight difference alone is reason enough to choose XBX, and the interchangeable frames are more than just the cherry on top. Xreal shipped me a completely different-looking frame that fully replaces the standard Ray-Ban-style look with a smaller, dark-tinted visor style, and that's just one of many styles Xreal offers.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

To sweeten the deal, Xreal has provided MakerWorld 3D printing params so the community can create quite literally anything it wants. The frames even pop off by hand, no tools required, and while I was worried I was going to break them on my first few attempts, my Xreal rep reassured me that I'd seriously have to manhandle the glasses to break them.

XBX also includes the springiest temple arms to date. These new hinges bend back up to 20 degrees, offering substantial comfort across multiple head sizes. The same three different sizes and shapes of nose pads included with more expensive Xreal glasses are included here, as well, and work wonders for different nose shapes and sizes.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

And what good are all these comfort features if the display is just going to give you a headache? As a wearable display, XBX uses the most comfortable micro-OLED panels on the market. These panels are made by SeeYa, the same company that supplies RayNeo's panels, and while they look similar on paper, they offer substantial advantages over all other smart glasses displays to date. Yes, even over Sony panels.

To begin, they use 3840Hz PWM dimming at all brightness levels and during both 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rates. RayNeo Air 4s Pro uses only 3840Hz PWM dimming at 60Hz and switches to roughly half that rate at 120Hz. They also output 1600 nits of brightness, enough to overcome the lack of electrochromic dimming on the lenses.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

XBX are also using SeeYa's (and the industry's) first native 10-bit micro-OLED panels. That means you can enjoy 8-bit and 10-bit content without using temporal dithering, another tactic that can cause debilitating headaches for some people.

In addition, Xreal's real-time SDR-to-HDR conversion on XBX looks absolutely stellar and adds a notable amount of contrast and dynamic range to all the content I tested it on. I particularly enjoyed this while playing 007 First Light on my Steam Deck, which looked even better than on my TV thanks to the HDR conversion.

On top of all that, XBX offers the first smooth-follow spatial tracking mode on any pair of sub-$400 glasses, a monumental innovation that keeps the display jitter-free, even during airline turbulence. The downside is that, since this isn't powered by Xreal's X1 chip, you can only use smooth follow with the SDR/8-bit display mode. HDR and 10-bit modes are only available with 0DoF tracking, so you'll have to choose between image quality and stability, depending on the situation.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

The display sits at a 4m focal length, so I didn't need prescription reading glasses to view it comfortably. Xreal is also boasting its TÜV Rheinland 5-Star comfort rating, including 415-455nm blue-light-blocking material on the displays, plus three different color modes for enhanced comfort.

My one complaint about the hardware is that the speakers aren't particularly loud. They're just fine when playing my Steam Deck at home or watching a YouTube video at my desk, but there's no chance you'll be able to hear things well in any public spaces. Best stick to wearing earbuds for that.

All display and audio options are easily adjusted via the OSD menu, accessed by pressing the X button on the underside of the right temple arm. This menu is quite basic compared to Xreal One or Xreal ROG glasses, but that makes sense given the reduced feature set of this more affordable pair.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

All in all, this is the best pair of smart glasses you can buy in 2026 simply because of the incredible value they bring. Xreal offers more features in its more expensive glasses, which I also love a lot, but this is the first time I feel like I can confidently recommend a pair of $299 glasses and that the person buying them won't have to accept some kind of deep concession.

Just as with Xreal One's release in early 2025, X by Xreal is redefining an entire product category by offering better hardware, better software, and features you wouldn't expect to get at this price. If you're on the fence about smart glasses this year, don't bother spending more. Just get XBX.

Focus on key stats in Google Health: July update drops tiles and more on Android

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:57:00 +0000

What you need to know

Google Health app is rolling out an update this week on Android and iOS that brings a massive selection of metrics to the Today tab from the Health tab.
Main sleep session stats will now include naps (20 mins or more), alongside fixes for swimming data.
The previous Google Health app update returned Hourly Activity to the app and kicked off Nap Recording for users.

Wearables can help users keep tabs on their health, but sometimes, our focus is narrow. Google's rolling out an update that delivers more stats for better customization.

Google Health posted its patch notes for an early July update for v5.03 on Android and iOS. The Today tab is receiving a major selection of metric tiles that users can begin sifting through once the update arrives. Google says users can add tiles for "heart rate variability, breathing rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), resting heart rate, skin temperature variation, blood glucose, mindful days, mindful minutes, resilience, protein intake, fat intake, carbohydrate intake, and your friend leaderboard.

Android Central's Take

Quick stats at a glance seem like Google's M.O., don't they? Recent update for Google Health have been returning features users enjoy, while also fixing early problems. Google's juggling responsibilities right now, and I don't think it's doing too bad.

The point of this is convenience. Google reminds users that every new metric tile for the Today tab is also available in the app's Health tab. Adding them to the former only serves to give users a glanceable spotlight into the metrics that matter and to track goals, milestones, etc.

In a similar vein, Google Health is fixing an issue for swimmers seeing incorrect "distances and units" during exercises. Sleep tracking welcomes naps taken. Google says, "Naps (>20 mins) will now count toward your 24-hour total sleep duration." Users can find this statistic in the Sleep tab, which will display trends for their main sleep session.

While naps find their way into your Total Sleep Tracking, the app's Today tab will only display your main sleep session data. The update wraps up with a fix for elevation discrepancies with Strava.

Getting iOS caught up

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

With v5.03 of Google Health, the company says iOS devices are catching up to a few features Android received in June. In that patch, Google returned Hourly Activity to the app. What's more, Android users saw customization tools to "re-order Key Metrics." This gave users the ability to long-press and drag their stats anywhere they wanted to. In short, it was a reorganization update.

Naps were the other side of this patch. Google delivered Nap Recording capabilities in its Health app, which is why we're seeing this key update in July. Google said naps would be highlighted in a separate tab in the user's Daily Sleep Score. These updates, including food search, are now arriving on iOS with everything else in this July patch.

The best Garmin watch deals of July 2026 — up to 44% off epix, Vivoactive, and beyond

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:58:50 +0000

Call off the search: I've tracked down the best Garmin deals of July 2026 so you don't have to go searching. Sure, the offers in this guide aren't as good as the discounts we saw during Prime Day last month, but there are a few price drops that might surprise you. These include major discounts on the Vivoactive 5, Forerunner, and beyond.

Garmin has been producing some of the world's best fitness watches for years, with a bounty of options for every budget and skill level under the sun. These picks range from rugged wearables with military-grade durability to stylish devices that could easily be mistaken for a traditional smartwatch. Keep reading for all of my favorite discounts available right now, and don't forget to check back later to see what's new: I'll be updating this guide with new Garmin deals on a regular basis.

Looking for more? Check out our guide to the best Garmin watches that money can buy.

Most stylish

Garmin Vívoactive 5

Best entry-level

Garmin

Forerunner 55

Best last-gen

Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)

Best affordable

Garmin Forerunner 165

Best premium

Garmin Fenix 8

Best battery life

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar

Best for kids

Garmin Bounce 2

Best for hikers

Garmin Instinct 3

Best lightweight hybrid

Garmin Venu 3S

What is the best Garmin watch to buy?

We consider the Venu 4 to be the best overall Garmin watch, largely because it has something for everyone without costing an exorbitant amount of cash. You get all of the latest health and fitness tracking technology, of course, but there's also support for voice commands, a built-in flashlight, an AMOLED display, and dual-band GPS. The Garmin Venu 4 also features a more smartwatch-esque design, which is nice for users who prefer something discreet over a bulky fitness watch.

That being said, despite its versatility, the Venu 4 is not necessarily the most powerful or feature-packed watch by Garmin. If you can afford it, the Garmin Fenix 8 is the best model for serious athletes, boasting fantastic battery life with an ultra-durable build and a comprehensive suite of accurate health and fitness tracking features.

Smartwatch deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon | Samsung | Dell

Why Meta's new smart AI glasses might not be for everyone, and why I still recommend them

Nicholas Sutrich — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:31:45 +0000

AC thVRsday

In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.

Meta is the undisputed king of smart glasses right now, and it's making a big bet on its own brand to lead the way after years of successful partnerships with names like Ray-Ban and Oakley.

I'm talking about the new Meta Glasses, which are still made by EssilorLuxottica, but don't sport any of the brand's well-known names. Instead, these glasses all feature original names — Fury, Adventurer, and Kylie — and debut custom Meta design upgrades you won't find on other Meta AI Glasses.

At $299, it's easy to think that these glasses would be worse than the $400+ name-brand pairs, but, like your favorite store-brand Oreos or knockoff potato chips, the changes made here not only save you money but give you an identical look and feel without the extra price that comes with a brand name.

Meta Glasses 2026: price, availability, and specs

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Meta Glasses 2026 became available on June 23, 2026, at Meta.com, LensCrafters, Sunglasses Hut, Best Buy, and Amazon. Meta Fury and Meta Adventurer glasses start at $299, while Meta Starfire by Kylie starts at $399. Differing lens and frame options change the price, sometimes quite a bit.

All three pairs of Meta Glasses offer prescription options that can be combined with any of the four lens types (sun, polarized, Transitions, or clear). Because of this, some insurance plans may cover a portion (or all) of your Meta Glasses purchase.

Meta Glasses 2026 specs
Specs	Meta Fury	Meta Adventurer	Meta Starfire by Kylie
Price	Starting at $299	Starting at $299	Starting at $399
Lenses	Sun, polarized, Transitions	Sun, polarized, Transitions	Sun, polarized, Transitions
Lens colors	Brown Gradient, Green, Light Blue Atlantic, Grey, Dark Amber, Clear to Gray Transitions	Clear, Brown, Grey, Clear to Gray Transitions, Clear to Ruby Transitions, Clear to Sapphire Transitions	Black, Chocolate, Clear to Gray Transitions
Frame colors	Mahogany, Classic Black, Sandstone, Classic Black, Racing Green	Linen, Merlot, Classic Black, Classic Tortoise	Classic Black, Dark Tortoise
Sizes	One size	Standard, Large	One size
Prescription	-6.00 to +2.25	-6.00 to +2.25	-6.00 to +2.25
Weight	59.9g	53.8g (Standard) 54.8g (Large)	54.6g
Camera	12MP with 100-degree FoV	12MP with 100-degree FoV	12MP with 100-degree FoV
Video recording	3K Ultra HD @ 30fps 1080p+ @ 30fps / 60fps 720p+ @ 120fps	3K Ultra HD @ 30fps 1080p+ @ 30fps / 60fps 720p+ @ 120fps
Battery life	8 hours	8 hours	8 hours
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and BLE	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and BLE	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and BLE
RAM/Storage	2GB LPDDR4x / 32GB	2GB LPDDR4x / 32GB	2GB LPDDR4x / 32GB
Speaker max volume	77.55dB	76.1dB	76.1dB
Extras	N/A	N/A	Gem detail, mirror in case, custom Kylie Jenner Meta AI voice

What makes them different

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

When choosing between Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, or Meta Glasses, price is just one of the many reasons to choose Meta's self-branded AI glasses. All three new models sport a new 3-way adjustable nose pad design, flexible temple tips, and over-extension hinges that bend back farther than those on Ray-Ban or Oakley glasses.

And while these new options feature unique styles, colors, and lens options, all three of them offer a narrower prescription range. Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) and Oakley Meta HSTN glasses offer a prescription range of -6.00 to +6.00, while Meta Fury, Adventurer, and Kylie glasses only support -6.00 to +2.25.

So while Meta's 2026 glasses offer a wider comfort range than its previous AI glasses, they don't support the same level of prescription options. They also don't have interchangeable nose pads, unlike the Ray-Ban Meta Optics line, so sticking with Ray-Ban Meta Optics is the best bet if you're an all-day prescription glasses wearer.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

But for casual glasses wearers like me, that new 3-way adjustable nose pad is an excellent addition to an already great design. In the future, I'd love to see Meta include a way to add soft padding to these, but third-party vendors on Amazon have long offered plenty of padding options, so this isn't strictly necessary.

The adjustable temple tips and over-extension hinges are also an excellent design choice, borrowed from the Ray-Ban Meta Optics line, enhancing daily wear comfort compared to Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) and Oakley Meta glasses.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

The other design advantage is the new action button on the top of the right temple, which gives you one more voice-free way of quickly activating several glasses features. I love this button and am happy with any additional customization options companies offer for tech products, but I think it might be better suited to the opposite temple rather than alongside the camera capture button. It's just too easy to press the wrong button.

The new charging case, adopted from Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, is a substantial design upgrade over any previous Meta glasses. It not only looks better but also features customizable shells and a new design that folds up to fit in a bag or pocket for on-the-go charging.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

The only problem remains the weight of these glasses, which start to feel heavy after about half an hour. Adding padding to the temples and nosepieces greatly improves long-term comfort, but they're still heavier than I'd like.

The comfort level of these glasses compared to ones like the Even Realities G2, which weigh just 37g, is pretty stark. Even spec-for-spec-comparable AI glasses, like Rokid AI Glasses, weigh just 46g and have cushy nose pads for extra comfort.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

But Meta often has features other companies lack. The recent integration of golf with 18Birdies and Arccos is wholly unique and likely won't be adopted by other eyewear companies. Meta also offers unique integrations of ideas like Conversation Focus, which helps isolate a specific person in a noisy environment to enhance understanding, but this feature will cost you extra if you use it too often.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Meta Glasses also support real-time translation in 20 languages, while most other companies support around half a dozen. Meta also has a nifty food logging feature that's currently in beta testing for some users, allowing them to use their glasses to estimate the caloric content of food with a quick photo.

Meta is also somewhere in the middle regarding camera privacy. An early July software update for all Meta glasses will now permanently disable the camera if the LED is tampered with, but companies like Solos offer a physical camera cover for enhanced privacy.

Everything else is the same

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

While Meta's 2026 glasses sport better designs (and worse prescription support), there are no differences in features between them and the company's 2025 offerings. Meta Glasses use a slightly better chipset than Ray-Ban Meta or Oakley Meta glasses, but this doesn't have any tangible real-world advantage in my testing. Some Meta AI conversations are marginally faster, but I don't think anyone will notice unless they're counting the milliseconds.

Unlike the 2025 launch, which featured better video recording stability, higher-resolution capture, and new software features compared to the Gen 1 Ray-Ban Metas, Meta's 2026 glasses don't have an exclusive software feature set. The only exception to this is Meta Starfire by Kylie Glasses, which has a custom Kylie Jenner voice for Meta AI, custom sounds, and a handy mirror built into the charging case.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

There's no difference in battery life, photo or video quality, recording length, or even the volume and audio quality of the open-ear speakers on the new glasses compared to the 2025 models. Considering these are at least $100 less than comparable Oakley- or Ray-Ban-branded Meta glasses, I'd personally forego the branding and save some money.

If you need wider prescription support or just prefer a specific Oakley or Ray-Ban style or lens type, it makes sense to spend the extra cash, but I have a feeling most people won't care enough about those things, and that's a huge win for Meta (and your wallet).

The Pixel Watch 5 could come with an unwelcome surprise for buyers

sanujb6@gmail.com (Sanuj Bhatia) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:05:40 +0000

What you need to know

Google is raising Pixel Watch 5 prices by $50, with the 41mm starting at $399 and the 45mm at $429 in the US.
LTE variants will cost $100 more than the non-cellular versions.
The Pixel Watch 5 comes in four colors, though the polished Warm Gold is exclusive to the smaller 41mm model.

Just a day after we learned that Google is planning to raise prices for the Pixel 11 series, the same leaker has now revealed that Google is also increasing prices for the Pixel Watch 5 models.

Google confirmed yesterday that it'll be hosting a launch event on August 12 at 6:00 PM ET. The company is widely expected to introduce both the Pixel 11 series and the Pixel Watch 5 models at the event, and now we have a few more details about the latter.

According to Dealabs, the Pixel Watch 5 series will stick with the same sizes we've seen before, in 41mm and 45mm. However, it looks like Google is set to raise prices by $50. That means the 41mm Pixel Watch 5 would start at $399 in the U.S., while the 45mm model is expected to start at $429.

You can expect the LTE variants to cost $100 more than the non-cellular versions.

Pixel Watch 5 leaked prices
	Pixel Watch 5 (41mm)	Pixel Watch 5 (45mm)
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi	$399 / €419 / £369	$429 / €449 / £399
LTE	$499 / €519 / £469	$529 / €549 / £499

It's not too hard to see why Google is raising prices, given the rising cost of memory components. Budget gadgets are being hit the hardest, and unfortunately, the Pixel Watch 5 falls into that category. It's also worth noting that this is the first price increase since the Pixel Watch series first launched.

On top of the pricing, a new report from Nieuwe Mobiel claims the Pixel Watch 5 series will come in four colors this year: Natural Silver, Dark Anthracite, Warm Gold, and Pyrite.

(Image credit: Nieuwe Mobiel)

It's worth noting that the leak claims that the silver and gold options will come in polished finishes, while the anthracite and pyrite will have a matte finish. According to the leak, the gold color will only be available on the smaller 41mm model, not the 45mm version.

We all saw Google's teaser yesterday confirming that the Pixel 11 series will come in a gold finish, so this new gold Pixel Watch option seems designed to complement it. That said, I'm not entirely sold on the direction here, since a polished gold finish could end up being a real scratch magnet.

Either way, everything should become clearer over the coming days, with Google set to announce the new Pixel lineup just over a month from now.

Solos’ new smart glasses come with a literal plastic shield to block the camera

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:06:48 +0000

What you need to know

Solos' new AirGo A6 ditches the camera, prioritizing comfort, privacy, and an everyday glasses-like design.
Despite losing the camera, the A6 still packs AI features like live translation, voice commands, messaging, reminders, and open-ear audio.
The AirGo V2 is now available globally from $299, offering a 16MP camera, 2K video, modular frames, and up to 12 hours of battery life.
Solos' new Privacy Kit physically blocks the AirGo V2's camera instead of relying on software indicators alone.

Smart glasses are quickly becoming one of tech’s biggest battlegrounds, but one hurdle remains: convincing people to actually wear them. According to Solos, the answer isn’t to cram in more hardware but to make smart glasses look and feel like regular glasses while giving users more control over their privacy.

That’s precisely what the company is promising with its latest announcements at the AI Smartglasses Symposium 2026 in Hong Kong. Solos has launched the AirGo A6 and a new Privacy Kit for its camera-enabled glasses and officially launched the AirGo V2 around the world.

AirGo A6 puts comfort before cameras

(Image credit: Solos)

The AirGo A6 takes a different approach rather than chasing bigger specs. It skips the built-in camera entirely, making it a better fit for users who want AI features without constantly wearing a visible camera on their face.

The company claims that the glasses weigh around 19 grams without lenses, making them one of the lightest AI smart glasses announced to date. They are also fully compatible with prescription lenses.

While the design is minimal, there are still a lot of AI-powered features here. The AirGo A6 has hands-free SolosChat, wake-word activation, automatic power management, voice memos, live translation, messaging, a calendar, reminders, and open-ear audio for calls and music. Solos also says the glasses run on an open AI platform that will continue to evolve with future software updates, SDK integrations, and additional AI assistants.

A physical solution to a privacy problem

Camera-equipped smart glasses have been dogged by privacy concerns, and Solos is doing something refreshingly simple. Instead of software indicators, the company has launched a new Privacy Kit that physically blocks the camera when you don’t want it available.

The kit comes with a transparent ClearView Temple and a Clip-On Privacy Shield that completely covers the camera. A clip-on polarized sun lens is also included so users can easily add UV protection when swapping accessories.

The AirGo V2 is now available globally

(Image credit: Solos)

While the A6 is still on the horizon, you can purchase the AirGo V2 now. The company’s flagship smart glasses, priced from $299, feature a lightweight prescription-ready frame and a 16MP camera capable of taking photos and recording 2K video at 30fps with electronic image stabilization. Solos also notes YouTube livestreaming support is on the roadmap.

You also get the company’s modular SmartHinge design, which allows you to swap out different front frame faces depending on style or privacy needs.

The AirGo V2 also boasts software features like hands-free voice controls with SolosChat 4.0. Users can take photos, record video, control music, ask AI questions, and get live translation via the wake phrase “Hey Solos.” Open-ear speakers allow you to listen to music, calls, and AI responses while still listening to the world around you. Solos says the glasses will last 10 to 12 hours with everyday use. Optional swappable battery temples can extend that runtime for longer trips or events.

The glasses also support a variety of prescription lens types, including progressive, transition, polarized, and blue-light filtering lenses, and customers can upload their prescriptions at checkout.

Looking ahead, Solos is planning a dedicated charging case for August 2026. The case will recharge the swappable battery temples through USB-C and protect the glasses while traveling, although pricing has not been revealed yet. The AirGo A6’s launch date and pricing are still under wraps too. The new Privacy Kit starts at $39, and the full bundle is $79.

Android Central's Take

The upside here is obvious: you get the slick hands-free translation and wearable assistant without broadcasting your entire life to the cloud—assuming you actually remember to snap on that $49 plastic Privacy Shield. But selling a literal piece of plastic as an “innovative privacy kit” to combat the surveillance creep of their own camera-packed smart glasses is a pretty bold PR spin. We’ll see if the AirGo V2 really respects our boundaries or if it’s just a placebo clip-on to make us feel better about wearing a wire to the grocery store.

The 'most stylish' Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is STILL selling at a record low price after Prime Day

patrick.farmer@futurenet.com (Patrick Farmer) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 17:58:20 +0000

Prime Day has come and gone, but apparently Amazon missed the memo: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, one of the best smartwatches on the market today, is still selling with a 33% discount on the retailer's site. That discount knocks the price of the 46mm watch down to its lowest price ever recorded, no strings attached.

This leftover Prime Day deal comes just weeks before the presumed unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series later this month, but that doesn't mean it's not a great deal in its own right. For $335, you're getting one of the best-looking Android smartwatches ever built, with a rotating bezel, 64GB of onboard storage, and all of the latest One UI Watch software.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (2025) 46mm: ~~$499.99~~ $334.99 at Amazon

Did you miss all of the action during Prime Day? Amazon has you covered with a leftover deal that's dropping 33% off the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. This smartwatch may not get as much attention as the base model Galaxy Watch 8 or Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it's an ideal choice for someone who wants the smarts of a Samsung watch without sacrificing traditional design. View Deal

✅Recommended if: you want the features of a Samsung smartwatch with the look of a traditional timepiece; you like wearables with tactile features like a rotating bezel and physical buttons.

❌Skip this deal if: you want to wait for the launch of the Galaxy Watch 9 on July 22nd (most likely); you have thin wrists or you want a wearable with a more sleek design.

Don't let the hybrid design fool you: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is all power under the hood. The hybrid watch boasts an efficient Exynos processor straight out of the box, plus you get 64GB of onboard storage, a fast-charging battery, and all of the latest health and fitness tracking features from Samsung Health. The 3,000-nit display is bright and easy on the eyes, while the rotating bezel and Quick Buttons are great for users who like precise controls on their watches.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic does have a pretty bulky construction that may not work for all users, and others may simply not enjoy the "squircle" design or 1.34-inch display. Aside from those nitpicks, the only real issue we found with the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic was its steep $500 price tag at launch. Thanks to this Amazon deal, however, that's no longer a problem.

Samsung's Wearables app leaks with an all-new look to get ready for new watches

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:58:50 +0000

What you need to know

Rumors claim Samsung is working on reworking its Wearables app with a redesign that's much cleaner and fits its current One UI aesthetic.
The app reportedly revamps the home screen with a large rendering of the user's connected Galaxy Watch, minimizing the tab's options into containers.
The Wearables app leak also highlighted new Health features, which Samsung discussed previously before rolling out to Galaxy devices in June.

There's a lot of buzz surrounding Samsung's upcoming products since we entered June (and now July). A new rumor now claims there's a Wearable app rework on the way for your Galaxy Watch.

Over the weekend, SammyGuru reportedly discovered an "early look" at what Samsung is working on for the Wearable app. Supposedly, the company is preparing to give the app a face-lift with a new design that matches its current One UI design. The publication states the Home tab could feature a much larger rendering of your Galaxy Watch.

Your watch image will take up most of your display, while other options are scaled down and placed in containers. Watch Face previews are said to benefit from this more immersive Galaxy Watch rendering. While the app's settings get a visual refresher that will likely adhere to One UI 9's upcoming themes, SammyGuru says it found some hidden features, too.

Samsung is reportedly working on a way for users to "raise their wrist" to talk to Gemini, instead of long-pressing their side button. What's more, Galaxy AI could generate "custom tiles" for the user's watch "based on their interests." The post adds that the app's early code suggests tiles for sports, headlines, and more. For the outdoor, rugged users (Galaxy Watch Ultra), rumors claim it could pick up real-time elevation info for Trail Run, companion controls for the Depth app, and more.

There's a lot on the way

SammyGuru

The rumors mention new health features on the way to Samsung's next Galaxy Watches. The company already gave us a rundown of what we should expect from its Health app ahead of its next reveal. Aside from a major redesign (which has already rolled out to users), Samsung introduced new wellness features, such as Vitals. It states this will combine five crucial health metrics its watches capture about users. Vitals focuses on your heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen.

Vitals will enhance the app's pre-existing Energy Score by comparing these metrics to the user's "resting baseline" to highlight any important changes. Heart Rate Score is another new feature that will be available with One UI 9 Watch and its next watches. Your sleep, stress, activity, and body composition data all matter, as Heart Rate Score highlights changes that could negatively impact your heart.

We don't have a beta yet for Samsung's One UI 9 Watch software, but rumors claim it could have health reports waiting when we get it.

Android Central's Take

I know these are just rumors, but the Gemini change is a little strange. I'm sure this will be an option we'll be able to toggle. But to automatically have Gemini called forth by simply raising my wrist, an action taken when I want to see the time, sounds weird. I'm fine with long-pressing the side button (if I were to ever use Gemini on my watch). The redesign looks nice, too, I suppose. It brings the app closer to the way Samsung's OS has been moving recently. In that regard, it's not bad.

Is the Oura membership worth it? 5 reasons why I think it is

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 06:11:00 +0000

The new Oura Ring 5 is out, and its smaller profile is definitely turning heads among current Oura users and prospective ones, myself included. However, in addition to the $50 price increase over the Oura Ring 4, there's another cost to consider: the Oura Membership.

The Oura Membership isn't required to use the Oura Ring, but the companion app's functionality will be quite limited without it. The $5.99 membership brings a host of features to the app and unlocks a bevy of capabilities that you wouldn't otherwise get.

If you don't subscribe, you won't get all the insights that come along with it. You open the Oura app and see only three things: your readiness score, sleep score, and activity score.

For some people, this may be adequate. I don't fully utilize all the perks of the membership, and the additional insights and features that come with the Oura membership may not be worth the extra cost on top of the one-time hardware cost. That said, there are still some major reasons why I remain subscribed to Oura.

What you get with the membership

For $5.99 a month, the Oura membership provides a ton of features and additional information that you won't get without it. The features include the following, per Oura:

Detailed sleep analysis
24/7 heart rate tracking (Daytime, Nighttime, Activity)
Integration with third-party health and wellness apps like Strava
Advanced temperature monitoring
Blood Oxygen Sensing (SpO2)
Daytime Stress
Dynamic activity goals with Automatic Activity Detection
Heart Health (Cardiovascular Age, Cardio Capacity (VO2 Max))
Metabolic Health (Glucose Tracking, Meals)
Oura Labs
Resilience
Weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and anniversary reports
Women's Health (Cycle Insights, Pregnancy Insights)

1. Take full advantage of your ring

(Image credit: Android Central)

It's silly to expect every Oura Ring owner to utilize every feature included in the membership, and I definitely don't. For example, none of the Women's Health features are useful for me, but I do use a number of the other features on a near-daily basis.

As someone who absolutely loathes wearing smartwatches to sleep, I've found the Oura Ring to be a vital part of my sleep routine. While you can get your sleep score without the membership, the subscription provides a deeper look into my sleep, including my sleep efficiency, restlessness, and how long it took for me to fall asleep. As someone who struggles with sleep, I find this information very useful in pinpointing ways I can improve.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

But beyond sleep alone, a combination of these features provides you with a comprehensive view of your overall health and wellness. The Oura Ring is so easy to wear throughout the day that it makes it easy to measure all-day heart rate, automatically track activities, and monitor potential symptoms that may indicate illness or strain on your body.

What's more, you get to try features that Oura is testing before they become fully baked into the Oura experience. The AI Advisor was one such feature that I tested before it rolled out, and it has become a core part of the Oura app.

2. Automatic activity detection is actually pretty great

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Automatic activity detection is perhaps one of my favorite Oura Ring features and one of the most impressive. While I prefer to manually track workouts, the Oura Ring is actually very good at detecting various activities, both in and out of exercise.

As a member, you will be able to use the ring to detect and analyze various activities, such as workouts and walks. The more you manually track workouts, the more accurate the Oura Ring gets, to the point where it's pretty good at recognizing when I'm doing HIIT or Pilates.

Even better, the Oura Ring can detect more day-to-day activities and even random things like dancing and yard work — something my other wearables, such as my Garmin Venu 4 (my preferred fitness wearable), can't do. Every time I go out, I'm always surprised to see the Oura Ring detect when I was dancing and for how long.

Furthermore, when the ring detects activity, it can include heart rate data and calorie calculations, making automatic tracking a valuable asset for your daily activity and health assessment.

3. Oura Advisor check-ins

(Image credit: Android Central)

Pretty much every tech company is diving into AI in some shape or form, and before Google introduced its Personal Health Coach, Oura launched the Advisor. With Oura Advisor, you're able to chat with the AI about your health and goals, and the AI will take what it knows about you into consideration.

What I like is that the Advisor checks in on you every so often, based on your daily activity and other metrics, to ensure you're on track. And you can even change the frequency of the Advisor's check-ins so it'll ping you weekly, daily, or somewhere in between. Furthermore, you can choose the Advisor's tone, which can be either more direct or more conversational.

Oura highlights that the Advisor is powered by a state-of-the-art large language model (LLM) and was recently enhanced with a new proprietary LLM designed for women's health. This gives Oura extensive knowledge of medical standards, research, and more, ensuring it's uniquely positioned to answer questions about your health and provide recommendations, especially with the additional context of your in-app data.

Of course, you should always take anything Oura Advisor says with a grain of salt, as it's not a medical product designed to diagnose or treat you, but I've found it gives some pretty sound advice in an easy-to-understand way.

4. Sync with third-party apps

(Image credit: Android Central)

Oura is great, but the ring doesn't always get all the information. Furthermore, not everyone likes wearing the ring while lifting weights, and I often track my workouts on a smartwatch. That's where third-party app integrations come in.

By connecting with Health Connect, the Oura app can pull workout data from my smartwatches and even weight data from my Withings scale to give me a full look at my day. The timeline feature helps me see my day in moments, including when I wake up, work out, and go to sleep.

Oura is basically a one-stop shop where you can get a pretty comprehensive view of your daily health and wellness, and it all contributes to your long-term health outlook.

And when I do track activities using the ring, the Oura app can send workouts to the Strava app, including location data (from the phone).

5. Oura puts its money where its products are

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Considering the benefits, I think $5.99 per month is a pretty reasonable price to pay, especially given that Oura is still a relatively new and small company. We've consistently asked why Oura has retained its subscription model when other smart ring companies have gone subscription-free, and the answer is always the same: Oura uses the membership to help improve the product.

There's a reason why Oura continues to produce the best smart rings on the market, even as the competition heats up with new players and advancements. Even Samsung felt compelled to enter the smart ring market, only to seemingly fall short of Oura, despite not charging a subscription fee.

"We really, actually feel pressure from our members to continually drive research and pioneer what the smart ring can be and invest that back into our product," Oura told us after launching the Oura Ring 4.

After seeing the growth from Oura Ring Gen 3 to Oura Ring 5, it's clear to me that Oura is doing exactly that, expanding on the value of each model by continuously adding new features throughout its lifecycle. To me, that seems well worth the $6 a month.

An alternative way to pay for the Oura Membership

If you're hesitating on buying both an Oura Ring and the membership, it may help you to know that you can purchase both using your FSA or HSA. For many, that money is just sitting there, unused, so this could give you a reason to dip into those funds.

I tested the Oura Ring 5 for a month, and it's exactly what other smart rings should aspire to be

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 14:52:00 +0000

It's been less than two years since I reviewed the Oura Ring 4, so I was surprised to learn that the Oura Ring 5 was coming so soon. After all, we went roughly three years between the launch of the Oura Ring Gen 3 and the Oura Ring 4.

But while I expected the Oura Ring 5 to simply be a refresh, the updated design really proves it's something of a generational leap over the Oura Ring 4. In fact, with the smaller profile, long battery life, and other notable upgrades, the Oura Ring 5 feels like the smart ring that all other rings should strive to be.

Category	Oura Ring 5
Materials	High-performance titanium exterior, titanium interior
Protection	IP68 Water resistant at a depth of 100m/328ft
Sensors	Red, green, and infrared LEDs (heart rate, blood oxygen) Digital temperature sensor Accelerometer
Battery	6-9 days, up to 80-minute charge time
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Platform support	iOS (Apple Health), Android (Health Connect)
Dimensions	Width: 6.09mm Thickness: 2.28mm
Weight	2g+ (depending on size)
Sizes	6-13
Colors	Silver, Black, Stealth, Brushed Silver, Gold, Deep Rose

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

At first glance, the Oura Ring 5 looks a bit smaller than the Oura Ring 4, but you don't really get the full effect until you hold it in your hand. At just over 2 grams for my size 11, the Oura Ring 5 is surprisingly light. It honestly feels like a regular ring in the hand, unlike previous generations, which had a little heft.

Not only that, but the ring is surprisingly small, and if you're coming from the Oura Ring 4 (and especially the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic), then you'll definitely notice the difference. The narrower width helps the Oura Ring 5 blend in with the rest of your jewelry, making it look like a regular ring rather than a smart tracker.

I can see this going a long way towards popularizing wearable tech, as a major problem users had with previous Oura smart rings was their size. I didn't mind the size of the previous models, but now that I've used the Oura Ring 5, I can't imagine going back to anything bigger.

Oura Ring 5 (right) on top of the Oura Ring 4 (left). (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The ring is also thinner than previous models, and that's great for multiple reasons. Firstly, it makes it less noticeable in general, especially when carrying things or lifting weights. That last part is especially important because the ring doesn't protrude as much, so there's less concern about scuffing it against items like dumbbells in your hands.

Secondly, the thinner profile makes it even better to throw on a cover without worrying about adding too much thickness. Oura still doesn't make first-party cases, so I continue to use third-party covers I find on Amazon when I work out. I notice that the ring doesn't appear to scuff and scratch as easily as previous models, but it's not immune, so a cover helps keep it as pristine as possible.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

One thing that surprises me about the Oura Ring 5 is the battery life. Despite being 40% smaller than the Oura Ring 4, the latest model offers better battery life. Oura says it should last from six to nine days per charge, which is in line with my use.

When I began tracking the battery life, the Oura Ring 5 was at full charge on Monday morning, and I didn't need to charge it until the following Wednesday. This included several days of manual and automatic workout tracking, as well as daily sleep tracking, with 8% battery life left to spare.

Oura Ring 5 (right) next to the Oura Ring 4 (left) and Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (top). (Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Speaking of tracking, the Oura Ring 5 still provides detailed health monitoring, especially for sleep. I've noticed that the heart rate data is much more consistent when tracking things like sleep or activities, whereas previous models would often have many gaps or fail to gather heart rate data altogether, particularly during workouts.

That said, workouts are the only area where the Oura Ring 5 falls a bit short. When tracking high-intensity exercise, I notice that the Oura Ring 5's heart rate data is often much lower than that of other wearables I've used, such as the Garmin Venu 4 and Fitbit Air. I don't notice this same deviation when at rest, as the live heart rate data lines up with the Garmin Venu 4 and Fitbit Air, but the Oura Ring 5, like its predecessors, shouldn't be relied on as a workout device.

(Image credit: Android Central)

That's actually not too surprising to me; the Oura Ring is more of a passive health tracker than an active fitness monitor. Fortunately, Oura has added the ability to connect another device to the app as a live heart rate source. You can use a dedicated heart rate monitor or even a smartwatch to see live heart rate data during your exercise, along with distance and pace (via location data from your phone).

Fortunately, the step count seems improved, despite this being an area that smart rings struggle with. I tracked a 5,000-step walk between the Oura Ring 5, Garmin Venu 4, and Fitbit Air, and while the ring had the largest deviation, it was only 15 steps off, which is pretty good.

Device	Step count
Oura Ring 5	4,985
Garmin Venu 4	4,996
Fitbit Air	5,004

One area where the Oura Ring 5 excels is automatic activity tracking. The ring can pretty accurately determine when I'm doing certain activities without me having to manually track them. That includes walks, runs, and even more varied activities, like yard work and dancing. I continue to be impressed every time I check my phone after a night out and see the ring asking me to confirm I was dancing.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

As for the app experience itself, it's very visual, with a customizable set of focus metrics at the top. These shortcuts make it easy to dig into your sleep, activities, stress, and more. You can even track your weight either via manual logging or syncing to third-party apps like Withings, and the app will show your weekly, monthly, and yearly trends.

The Today view dynamically changes, showing the most important metrics at the top, such as your sleep score when you wake up and your steps toward the end of the day. You can also view a timeline of your activities toward the bottom, which also shows tracked activities or synced workouts from other apps.

The Vitals tab shows daily measurements, while the Health tab gives you a more long-term look at your health trends. From the + button, you can access quick actions, where you can start an activity, begin an unguided meditation session, or even log meals. The meal-logging tool is actually pretty neat, as Oura can fairly accurately analyze what you're eating from a photo and provide nutritional and meal-timing insights to help with things like regulating hunger and cutting down on snacking.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Throughout the app, Oura Members also have access to the Oura Advisor, an AI chatbot that focuses on health and wellness. You can trigger it using the + button for general questions, or within each major metric, like sleep and activity, for more specific conversations about recent changes and updates.

Unlike Google's new AI-focused Google Health app, which often feels like an overload of information, Oura's insights are light throughout the app, allowing users to tap Advisor to learn more. When chatting with the Advisor, you can ask it about your metrics or general health questions, and it will tap into its health-focused large language model (LLM), which "draws from a broad foundation of established medical standards, research, and knowledge sources," to provide relevant and contextual responses.

One of my favorite aspects of the Advisor is how it checks in with me every so often, based on recent activities and more. You can even change the tone of the Advisor's responses and how often it checks in, which adds a nice bit of customization.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

One new feature for Android phones is Locate, which I've been asking for for years. With it, Oura Ring 5 owners can know where their ring was when it last connected to their phone, which can provide a good starting place for where to search. If you're within range, the app will let you know when you're getting close to the ring.

Since the ring doesn't have built-in GPS, ultra-wideband (UWB), or Bluetooth 6, the app won't give you precise tracking, so you'll have to rely on the app's proximity clues and do a bit of the work yourself. Still, it's a lot better than nothing, and will hopefully keep me from losing a third Oura Ring model.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Of course, nearly all of these features are available only via the Oura Membership, a monthly (or yearly, if you prefer) subscription that provides access to the ring's most useful features and insights. Many people are still unhappy to learn that the Oura app basically requires a subscription to be truly useful, but I do think it's well worth the cost, especially given how Oura has continuously improved its products over the years and consistently produces the best smart ring on the market.

And that's exactly what the Oura Ring 5 is. The Oura Ring 5 is what other smart rings should strive to be: slim, light, and practically invisible while keeping your health and wellness in check. Starting at $399, it's not cheap, and the membership is still a point of contention for some, but Oura proves that smart wearable tech can truly blend in.

Oura

Ring 5

Put a ring on it

The Oura Ring 5 is the latest smart ring from Oura, featuring a much smaller and lighter design but with longer battery life and better sensing.

Samsung's Galaxy Glasses leak reveals how the whole Galaxy ecosystem comes together

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:10:00 +0000

What you need to know

A couple of Galaxy Glasses leaks reveal the companion app, touch controls, and deep integration with the wider Galaxy ecosystem.
You'll presumably be able to pair the glasses, install updates, tweak settings, check battery life, and automatically sync captured photos and videos to your Galaxy phone.
Dual LED recording indicators are said to alert both the wearer and people nearby whenever the camera is in use.

Samsung has already confirmed it’s joining the smart glasses race, but until now we haven’t really had an idea of what it’d be like to use its forthcoming wearable. Now, a couple of fresh leaks have not only revealed the companion app for the Galaxy Glasses but also how Samsung plans to integrate the device into the rest of its Galaxy ecosystem.

Thanks to SammyGuru, the newly leaked Galaxy Glasses Manager app offers us the clearest look yet at the software on which users will rely once the glasses arrive later this year. During setup, the app guides users through the process of granting permissions and putting the glasses into pairing mode before connecting the glasses to a phone. The onboarding screens also show Samsung’s Warby Parker-branded model, one of the two eyewear partnerships Samsung announced in conjunction with Gentle Monster.

Once paired, the app is the hub of control for the glasses. You will be able to install firmware updates, change the settings, and switch different features on or off. The main page also seems to show battery status and has a setting to automatically send photos and videos taken with the glasses directly to your Galaxy phone.

SammyGuru

The software also hints at a number of native features, including camera controls, AI assistants, notification readouts, accessibility options, advanced features, and a Find my glasses tool to find lost frames. SammyGuru couldn't see every menu, as it didn't have a working pair of glasses connected, so there's still more under the surface.

Android Central's Take

Smart glasses won’t go mainstream just because they’re smart; they have to fit in naturally with the devices people are already using every day. It just makes more sense to be able to control them with a Galaxy Watch or even a Galaxy Ring, rather than shouting voice commands in public. That said, Samsung has to make sure all of this works seamlessly rather than being another ecosystem perk that's only useful if you've gone all-in on Galaxy hardware.

The leak also confirms what Samsung had teased about its software platform. The Galaxy Glasses run One UI XR, Samsung’s interface, which is based on Google’s Android XR platform and is the same software that will be found on Samsung’s upcoming XR headset.

In addition to the companion app, another report from the same source gives us some insight into how you'll actually control the glasses. Samsung appears to be combining physical buttons with touch gestures instead of going fully on voice commands. A touch-sensitive panel is said to be located in the right temple. To move to the next song, swipe forward with one finger, or swipe backward to go to the previous track. Use two fingers to adjust the volume and tap to pause/resume playback. The same tap gesture can also be used to answer incoming calls.

There’s also a dedicated camera button near the hinge. A single press captures a photo, while pressing and holding starts video recording. Pressing again terminates the recording session. Also rumored to be included are two LED indicators to make recording more obvious, one facing outward to let people around you know the camera is active, and another facing the wearer to serve as a personal recording indicator.

Samsung's software experience could also be a good place to stash captured media. The leak says that newly captured photos and videos may show up in the Now Bar on supported Galaxy phones so that users can preview or reframe their shots. A connected Galaxy Watch may also show previews of similar things. But perhaps the most interesting discovery is how much Samsung wants these glasses to integrate with its other wearables.

The companion app’s code also makes references to a standalone Galaxy Glasses Controller app that could be pre-installed on Galaxy Watches. Other code strings reference gesture actions tied to the Galaxy Ring, suggesting that users could eventually control certain Glasses functions with hand or finger gestures detected by the ring. Samsung has not said how these gestures would work, but the references suggest that the company is actively developing tighter cross-device controls.

Of course, none of these features are official until Samsung introduces the product. Even if the Galaxy Glasses’ full release does come later this fall, the tech giant is expected to tease more of its Android XR plans in the coming weeks.

Your Galaxy Watch will lose Vascular Load, switches to blood pressure 'trends'

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:58:22 +0000

What you need to know

Samsung Health app has posted a notice, informing Galaxy Watch users in the U.S. that Vascular Load will disappear with v7.0 of the app and One UI 9 Watch in July.
The company says it will replace this with "Blood Pressure Trends," which "periodically" checks your blood pressure to show your (potentially) changing trends.
Vascular Load was a part of the Galaxy Watch 8's Preventative Care features and would measure your blood flow and vascular stiffness while you slept.

Samsung is reportedly informing Galaxy Watch users that they will lose a heart wellness feature in the next major update.

Samsung rolled out a notice in its Health app this week titled "Vascular Load labs feature to be discontinued." A user on Reddit brought awareness to this notification as it's likely to affect Galaxy Watch users soon (via 9to5Google). The company states that, starting with v7.0 of the Samsung Health app and One UI 9 Watch, Vascular Load will disappear for U.S. users.

Samsung states One UI 9 Watch is expected to debut this month (July). Users have started wondering when older devices (Watch 8, Watch 7, etc.) could see this patch. There hasn't been a beta for the watch software yet, despite Samsung's confirmed July release for One UI 9 Watch.

Replacing Vascular Load will be Samsung's "Blood Pressure Trends" feature. The notice says this feature will "check your blood pressure periodically to show you a trend over time. It will also give you tips to help support healthy habits." Samsung adds that these trends will be available on the next series, the Galaxy Watch 9. It stresses, as always, that Blood Pressure Trends is simply a "wellness-only" feature, and any concerns should be discussed with your doctor.

Preventative Care

(Image credit: Samsung)

Vascular Load was one of Samsung's Preventative Care features it highlighted for the Galaxy Watch 8. Many features under this umbrella focused mainly on the user's heart, and Vascular Load was no different. Its focus was to help highlight the strain on your heart. Samsung said the Galaxy Watch 8 used PPG waveforms to measure "your blood flow and vascular stiffness throughout the night."

A person's stress, diet, and sleep primarily affect this statistic. It states that, if left unchecked, consistent "high" Vascular Load could lead to more severe health problems. It's unfortunate to see this go; however, Blood Pressure Trends seems to piggyback off the main Blood Pressure monitoring feature. After months of talking about it and working to clear regulatory hurdles, Samsung rolled out Blood Pressure monitoring in March.

Users are required to use an upper arm cuff to calibrate their Galaxy Watch for the first time and then every 28 days after.

Android Central's Take

It's a shame this feature is leaving. Seeing a metric about the strain on your heart gives users another keyhole into their overall health. It's another piece of information to make you wonder if there's anything you should change, like your food or how much sleep you're getting. Understanding your blood pressure is as equally important. Who knows, maybe we won't miss this.

Xreal ROG R1 is crazy expensive, but it's easily the best wearable monitor I've ever used

Nicholas Sutrich — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:52:20 +0000

AC thVRsday

In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.

I've spent the past five weeks with Xreal ROG R1 glasses, a cutting-edge pair developed jointly by Xreal and Asus. As with all ROG-branded products, these glasses (also known as a wearable monitor) have a very specific design language, a near-ridiculous number of features, and a price tag that puts them squarely in "enthusiast" territory.

They also pose a rather interesting alternative to traditional monitors that I'm not sure smart glasses are quite ready to bridge yet: replacing a gaming monitor with a virtual one. That's not to say the picture quality, resolution, or even features aren't there — it's top-notch in these categories among any comparable pair, after all. Rather, I'm just not sure how many people are ready to make smart glasses a proper replacement for monitors.

But if you're seriously considering clearing off your desk or you just want a robust on-the-go virtual monitor solution, Xreal ROG R1 is the best pair of smart display glasses money can buy. It's the ideal combination of the Xreal One Pro's ease and the robust feature set of a ROG device. Here's everything you need to know before buying.

What is Xreal ROG R1?

Xreal ROG R1 is a pair of smart glasses jointly designed by Xreal and Asus, featuring industry-leading 240Hz micro-OLED displays and a unique desktop dock with multiple input options. ROG R1 also supports the Xreal Eye camera and prescription glasses inserts.

ROG R1 can be used independently of this dock, which is how I used them the vast majority of the time during my five weeks of use, including a week's vacation away from home and one particularly long travel day spent in airports and on planes with the glasses.

Xreal Rog R1 retails for $849.99 and can be purchased at Best Buy, Xreal's website, or Asus' website. The box includes the glasses, a USB-C cable for the glasses, a microfiber cleaning cloth, a manual, three total nosepiece shapes/sizes, a prescription glasses adapter, the desktop dock, plus two USB-A to USB-C cables for the dock.

Xreal ROG R1 specs
Display	Sony micro-OLED
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Refresh rate	120Hz standalone, 240Hz when docked
Brightness	700-nit peak
Color support	8-bit, 106% sRGB. Dock supports HDR10
FoV	57-degrees
IPD	Narrow size: 57-66mm Broad size: 66-75mm
Spatial tracking	3DoF native, 6DoF with optional Xreal Eye
Electrochromic dimming	Yes, 3 levels
3D support	Side-by-side, automatic AI-converted
Audio	Bose speakers
Temple adjustment	3 angles, spring hinge with flexible arms
Dimensions	153mm x 4.9m x 166mm
Weight	90g
Control dock	1x USB-C power, 1x USB-C data and power, 1x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI

Displays aren't the only headliner feature

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The ROG R1's displays have a clear advantage, as they're the only pair of smart display glasses with a 240Hz display. That pair of micro-OLEDs runs at 120Hz when connected directly to any device, but connecting the glasses to the included ROG R1 dock unlocks 240Hz mode.

This is achieved through a special chip inside the R1 dock, which provides the extra horsepower needed to run at 240Hz. You'll need a device that can natively push 240Hz to take advantage, however, as the only interpolation mode supported on these glasses is upscaling 60Hz signals to 120Hz. There's no native way to scale 120Hz to 240Hz, which I was disappointed by, but I understand why it's a limitation.

Outside of 240Hz, the optics component of ROG R1 is essentially the same as in Xreal One Pro. When not plugged into the dock, it supports the same color and brightness output, plus the same 57-degree FoV via prism lenses. So, if you're not particularly interested in the 240Hz or dock functions, is there still a reason to choose these over Xreal One Pro? Yes, but only if you enjoy tweaking every last aspect of a device.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Xreal ROG R1 sports the most detailed OSD menu I've ever seen on a pair of smart glasses. There are very few glasses that offer a proper OSD menu — Xreal One was the first — and while I thought Xreal's previous efforts felt like a monitor, ROG R1 takes those options to the next level.

Honestly, the number of features available for both the glasses and the dock is borderline overwhelming. You'll easily spend 30 minutes just scrolling through everything to test them out and, undoubtedly, much longer figuring out your favorite settings.

ROG R1 supports several different presets, too, including custom ones you can save for later use. While I love all the additional (optional) settings, I really enjoyed the refreshed quick settings menu, which lets you instantly adjust brightness, lens tinting, speaker volume, screen size, and screen distance without having to dive through a bunch of annoying menus. Just click the minus button to open this menu.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

The temples offer three angle adjustment options, and the left and right temples are independent, so you can find the display angle that best matches your face shape. The three different nose pads further enhance comfort, and the arms all use spring hinges, so they bend backward quite a bit to accommodate different head sizes.

Both Anchor and Smooth Follow modes use low-persistence black frame insertion to eliminate motion blur that can occur with spatially tracked virtual screens, and both 3DoF and 6DoF modes use PWM dimming at all levels. The 0DoF mode uses DC dimming at brightness levels 3-10, while levels 1 and 2 use PWM dimming.

These are 8-bit displays with no 10-bit support, so there should be no dithering at all. Despite the PWM dimming, I found these glasses quite comfortable with the prescription inserts. Normally, low-frequency PWM dimming (240-1000Hz) hurts my eyes and gives me a headache, but Xreal appears to be following the refresh rate here (120Hz), which typically doesn't bother me.

The dock changes everything

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

No other pair of smart display glasses to date ships with a dock like ROG R1. This dock sports two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and two USB-C ports on the back (one is power), plus a USB-C port on the front for your glasses. This means you can easily connect multiple computers or consoles to the dock and switch between them using the buttons on top of the dock, similar to a KVM switch.

Better yet, each button and joystick direction can be customized to perform virtually any feature or function toggle supported by the dock, so you can truly nail down your ideal configs and have them ready with a single press.

Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central

While the dock is phenomenal for providing 240Hz support and expanding preset and monitor parameter adjustment options, it's also a weird downgrade for spatial tracking and quick settings.

While the glasses alone support five quick settings for adjustment, plugging them into the dock removes the audio adjustment option. It's also cumbersome to switch between spatially-tracked modes and 0DoF mode, as you either have to set it to one of the quick buttons on top or dig through a few menus. Note that 6DoF requires the Xreal Eye attachment for the glasses, which can't be used with prescription lenses.

I also find it irritating that all the buttons on the glasses are disabled when plugging them into the dock. I understand that Asus/Xreal wants the dock to be the primary option, but it's still annoying for someone who switches between using the dock and plugging the glasses directly into portable devices.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Xreal should be able to address those issues in a firmware update, though, so while this is certainly annoying in its current state, there's no reason it needs to stay that way. Overall, the ROG R1 is an incredible pair of glasses that offers higher-quality imagery and more options than any other pair of smart glasses on the market.

If you're looking for an ultra-clean desk setup with no monitors, this is truly an incredible solution, especially given how well Xreal's spatial tracking system works. I'd still recommend the $450 Xreal 1S for most people, but the ROG R1 is an impressive enthusiast option for gamers seeking the highest-end solution.

Does the Fitbit Air support automatic activity detection?

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:50:00 +0000

Does the Fitbit Air support automatic activity detection?

Best answer: Yes, the Google Fitbit Air automatically detects and saves activities in the background. These activities later appear in the Google Health app, where you can confirm, change, or delete them. The Fitbit Air's algorithm will adapt based on how you use the tracker, eventually giving preference to the activity types you track most.

Fitbit Air automatically detects activities in the Google Health app

The Google Fitbit Air is a screenless fitness tracker that monitors your health and activity data in the background. Without a screen onboard, there's no way to manually start tracking a workout directly on the Fitbit Air. Instead, users need to pull out their phone and open the Google Health app to manually track a workout with the Fitbit Air.

The alternative is to use the Fitbit Air's automatic activity detection feature. The fitness tracker monitors health metrics in the background, including your heart rate, steps, and cardio load. These metrics give your Fitbit Air an idea of when you're being physically active. After finishing, you can open the Google Health app to view automatically detected workouts or edit the details.

Google's automatic activity detection might not always get it right, and confirming or modifying the activity in the Google Health app helps improve the results. You can view activities recorded on the same day in the Today tab of the Health app, while older activities appear in the Fitness tab. From there, you can view workout recaps and tap a suggested activity type, or pick other options from the list to confirm.

Brady Snyder / Android Central

Google says that "activity detection gets smarter the more you use it," and adds that you can choose from 150 activity types. You can customize activity types and minimum durations for automatically recorded activities in the app. For example, you might not want your 15-minute walk to work to count as an activity, so you could set a 20-minute minimum duration for walks that your Fitbit Air automatically detects.

To improve the accuracy of your Fitbit Air's automatic activity detection, manually start a 10-minute outdoor walking workout using your phone and the Google Health app. Keep your phone on you as you complete the workout. This will calibrate your Fitbit Air, making automatically detected activity data more accurate.

In short, your Fitbit Air can automatically detect activities. However, you may want to confirm or edit activities later in the Google Health app for the best results.

Google

Fitbit Air

Automatic activity detection

The Google Fitbit Air is a passive fitness tracker that can automatically detect activities in the background. It lasts a week before needing a recharge, and users can view tracked activities in the Google Health companion app.

This Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 leak could be the upgrade we've been waiting for

techkritiko@gmail.com (Jay Bonggolto) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:51:39 +0000

What you need to know

A new leak claims the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could pack a blazing 5,000-nit display.
Samsung is also rumored to boost battery capacity from 590mAh to 800mAh.
The next Ultra may get an IP69K durability rating, offering stronger protection against high-pressure, high-temperature water than the current IP68 certification.

Samsung is gearing up for the release of the next generation of its flagship smartwatch, and if a new leak is to be believed, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is coming in hot. Or, more exactly, bright.

Tipster Ice Universe, who has a good track record with Samsung leaks, revealed on Weibo that the company is working on a significant hardware upgrade for its next-gen wearable. The leak suggests the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could be up to 5,000 nits bright at its peak. That's a massive jump from the current Galaxy Watch Ultra, which maxes out at 3,000 nits.

If it's true, it could make a real difference. More brightness means less squinting and fewer moments hiding the screen with your hand.

Battery life also looks to receive an upgrade. The leak says Samsung will pack the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with an 800mAh battery, up from the 590mAh cell in the current model. This corroborates an earlier report, and it's a big jump in capacity and could translate into longer time between charges if Samsung backs it up with efficient software and hardware optimizations.

Samsung might be making the watch even more rugged as well. The Galaxy Watch Ultra already aims at those with active lifestyles, but the new leak suggests the sequel will get an IP69K rating. It is a more robust standard than the existing IP68 certification that covers high-pressure, high-temperature jets of water.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed any of these details, so take the leak with the usual dose of skepticism. But with the company’s next Galaxy Unpacked event looming on the horizon, we probably won’t have to wait long to find out how much of this report rings true.

Android Central's Take

Personally, I’d take these types of upgrades over another AI-powered smartwatch gimmick any day. I want to see a screen that’s actually readable in bright midday sun, battery life that makes me stress less about charging, and tougher protection long after launch day. My only worry is that Samsung can't count on incremental hardware improvements forever. There comes a point where brighter screens and bigger batteries aren’t enough, and the company will need to show why upgrading from the first Galaxy Watch Ultra is worth the investment.

My favorite Garmin watch is on sale right now, but there's an even better deal if you're trying to stay active this summer

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:38:17 +0000

Prime Day is almost over, but there are still plenty of deals available right now. While scouring the web for products I like, I came across a Garmin Venu 4 deal that I was tempted to highlight. However, I found an even better deal on the Garmin Forerunner 570, which I think is more worth your time (and money).

The Garmin Forerunner 570 launched last year for $550, but this 18% discount shaves $100 off, bringing the price to $450. That's around $50 cheaper than the Garmin Venu 4 with its current discount, which is why I think the Forerunner 570 deserves your attention.

The Forerunner 570 already feels like a bargain compared to its more expensive 970 sibling, but a $100 disocunt is a pretty good deal if you ask me, especially since it makes it cheaper than the also-excellent Venu 4.View Deal

✅Recommended if: You're someone who enjoys running and wants a watch that can coach them as well as track their activities.

❌Skip this deal if: You're not a big runner and watch a more all-purpose smartwatch with access to your favorite apps.

Garmin makes watches for all kinds of fitness enthusiasts, and the Forerunner 570 is an ideal watch for runners. It's similar to the Forerunner 970, which is also on sale right now, but it's more affordable at the expense of some features. That said, after testing the Forerunner 570 myself, I must say that it's an incredible fitness watch if you're into running or even if you want to get into it (like me).

The watch is great at fitness tracking, and the OLED display is vibrant and highly visible outdoors. The Garmin UI is also much easier to navigate, with quick access to your most important metrics and activities. There are also plenty of external buttons for shortcuts and navigation, making it easy to use the watch even while on a run.

The Garmin Venu 4 is still a great watch, and the $50 discount may be tempting for someone who just wants an all-around fitness watch with a streamlined design and experience. You can also check out deals on the tech devices I used to lose weight in time for the summer.

Don't miss out on this insane Oura Ring 4 deal that practically comes with up to 3 years of its membership FOR FREE

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:06:35 +0000

We clearly love Oura here at Android Central, and even with the new Oura Ring 5 available now, we would still recommend buying the Oura Ring 4, especially if you can find a good discount. Right now, the Oura Ring 4 just hit its lowest price for Prime Day, but you'll have to act fast because color options are falling out of stock.

The cheapest Oura Ring 4 starts at $349, but you're saving roughly $135 by opting for the Silver colorway, bringing it down to just $214. Plus, you can save even more at Best Buy when you buy pricier color options. As great as this ring is, that's more than worth it. And the great thing about this Prime Day deal is that with the money you're saving, you can basically cover the cost of the Oura Membership (which I'll break down further below), so it works out!

Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

This incredible Oura Ring 4 deal from Amazon saves you over $130, which is an incredible value if you don't mind sticking with Silver.

Alternative deal: If you want more expensive colors, this Best Buy deal on Gold and even Ceramic finishes saves you up to $220, so instead of $499, you only pay $279.View Deal

✅Recommended if: You want a low-key health and fitness wearable to help you track sleep, activities, and give you a comprehensive view of your health.

❌Skip this deal if: You prefer the newer and smaller Oura Ring 5 or you're really against paying for a monthly or yearly membership to access it's most useful features.

Oura is interesting because it's probably the only smart ring on the market that uses a subscription model. However, that membership gives you full access to the Oura Ring 4's features and helps Oura build on and improve its products, including the Oura Ring 4.

On the plus side, the subscription is only $6 a month (or $70 annually), which actually feels pretty reasonable. And you can pay for both the Oura Ring and the membership using your FSA or HSA, which is also a plus.

But as I mentioned before, you're saving a ton of money on the Oura Ring 4. For the Silver variant above, you're saving about $135, and when you divide that by the membership cost, it comes out to roughly two years' worth.

And when you factor in the $220 savings from the Best Buy deal, that's about three years of Oura Membership that you can use that extra money for. I don't know about you, but the math is mathing here.

Fitbit Air gets its first update, which we hope fixes a bunch of early problems

nickodiaz@sbcglobal.net (Nickolas Diaz) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:56:50 +0000

What you need to know

Google is reportedly rolling out its first update for the Fitbit Air to Android and iOS users late this week.
The company didn't state much aside from "bug fixes" in its patch notes, drumming up hope that many early Fitbit Air issues are getting fixed.
Shortly after the device launched, Google highlighted its commitment to fix issues, such as those for its automatic workout detection, and more for the Health app.

The Google Fitbit Air is the latest device on consumers' minds for its screen-less appeal, like Whoop. The wearable is getting its first software patch in June, which is not as detailed as we would like.

Late this week, Google started rolling out an update to the Fitbit Air, its first since its launch in late May. The folks at 9to5Google spotted the update, noting it's slowly rolling out to Android devices as v67.20001.253.2. The post adds that the update isn't as widespread yet, meaning most Androids are likely still waiting for the patch to arrive. When it does, Google's kept its changelog pretty light.

Android Central's Take

Seeing some of these issues affecting the Fitbit Air and the Google Health app make it feel like things were a little rushed. I can understand Google's hype and interest about getting these two major pieces out into the world, but there are issues. The only good thing is that it's committed to working out these issues, and it shows.

The publication says the company only lists "bug fixes and general improvements" as the core of this first patch. While Google hasn't highlighted much, there's a lot it's been working on behind-the-scenes. The Fitbit Air and the updated (rebranded) Google Health app debuted as a duo. However, early impressions of the Health app left users feeling like it was a bit unfinished.

Android Central's Sanuj Bhatia reported on this, highlighting several missing features from the Health app. The Fitbit Air wasn't excluded from scrutiny, either, but Google has come forward with a commitment to fixing both sides.

Light as air

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Shortly after everything debuted, Google brought attention to its faults and errors in the Health app and the Fitbit Air. The app was receiving fixes for workout tracking and sleep scores. It also rolled out fixes for the app's connectivity with the Fitbit Air. What's more, the company said users would soon get an option to customize the Health dashboards and rearrange their metrics.

Google claims that it's working on better automatic workout detection, as well as "inconsistencies" with workout data. The only issue is that, if Google had fixed these glaring Fitbit issues, surely it would've been highlighted in this week's patch. That's not to say it's not worked these improvements into its new update, though. We'll have to wait and see the overall user sentiments after the majority receive it.

Early Fitbit Air users were struggling with the device since a Health update wasn't available after pre-orders. That's since been patched (or, at least, should've been), seeing as we're late in June now.

The Fitbit Ace LTE hits an all-time low price, making your kid the coolest on the playground when they go back to school

namerah.saud-fatmi@futurenet.com (Namerah Saud Fatmi) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:36:52 +0000

As our reviewer Nick Sutrich put it, the Fitbit Ace LTE redefines what I thought a smartwatch for kids could be. It is one of the most fun pieces of modern tech for children, almost making me wish my grown-up Pixel Watch was this fun! The UI is very colorful and full of cute characters, exciting animations, and dynamic game-based prompts, tools, and activities.

Google did an outstanding job with the Fitbit Ace LTE, equipping it with bare necessities like health and fitness tracking, GPS tracking, LTE connectivity, and quick charging, as well as some incredibly exciting extras.

For more than half off during Prime Day, this Fitbit Ace LTE deal is only good until the end of the day today. So if your child has been begging you for a cool new smartwatch, you better run to buy it at this bottom-of-the-barrel price.

Prime Day June 23-26: see the full list of deals

Enjoy a spectacular $63 off the best fitness watch for kids only while this Prime Day deal lasts. The Fitbit Ace LTE is jam-packed with fun features, games, emoji, and avatars. It helps motivate your kids to keep moving with fun games and daily activities, virtual pets, and more.View Deal

✅Recommended if: You want a premium-grade smartwatch with fitness and tracking features especially designed to engage kids.

❌Skip this deal if: You want a kids' smartwatch with sleep tracking.

The Fitbit Ace LTE is the perfect starter "smartphone" for children. It gives them access to important features like calls, texts, and GPS tracking, but at the same time, it also limits their access to the internet in a key way: it doesn't have social media or internet browsers.

This mix of crucial features and restricted access is what makes the Google Fitbit Ace a fantastic smartwatch for children and one of the best ways to start them out on phones and internet access.

Your children can learn how to manage money and how to stay fit in a fun, gamified way using the Fitbit Ace. The watch has "Daily Quests" for healthier living, a point-based activity system, and six games preloaded onto the watch that require them to move about and engage in physical activity.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What I love is that Google regularly drops new updates for the Fitbit Ace, with new games added seasonally, as well as features like "Family Chat" and "School Time". Children can even have virtual pets within the watch called Eejies. Here's how Nick Sutrich, our reviewer, described Eejies:

"Eejies feel a bit like a cross between Tamagotchi and Animal Crossing. Daily activity will grant rewards in the form of outfits and furniture for their Eejie's rooms, and new watchbands from Fitbit unlock exclusive outfits that match the bands. It's an incredible experience that's unlike any other smartwatch on the market, and it's made just for kids!"

Sutrich's kid adored the Fitbit Ace LTE so much, he went on to say that it has become their favorite smartwatch. At 51% off, this is an epic deal for a really well built kids' smartwatch.

Run don't walk for this Garmin deal because if you're training for your first marathon, there's only one watch you should get

shruti.shekar@futurenet.com (Shruti Shekar) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:20:33 +0000

If I were to start running from scratch, there’s only one watch I would get to help me track my progress.

Oh, wait, I have started running, haha, and I did end up getting a watch that is actually the greatest invention ever; the Garmin Forerunner 970. And lucky for you, it’s on sale right now for Prime Day.

All color variants were 749.99, but now they're 649.99 and are selling out fast. If you were thinking of getting one of the best watches to train for a marathon, then this is the watch you need to get.

Prime Day ends TONIGHT: see the full list of deals

🏃🏽🏃🏽🏃🏽 A premium, multi-sport powerhouse that doesn't sacrifice style. It combines top-tier triathlon features, a brilliant AMOLED screen, an elegant soft-gold titanium case, and a unique French gray/indigo band. Plus, it has a built-in flashlight for whenever your training takes you past sunset.View Deal

But let me backtrack, about a month ago, I decided on the crazy idea of running my first half-marathon, and who knows, maybe by the end of my training, it will become a full marathon. But running isn’t a joke. It’s hard, even if I’ve been working out my whole life.

I did what anyone did: I went online and did a whole bunch of research, and you know where that landed me? Confused, overwhelmed, and right back where I started, not knowing how to start my training.

What helped me was reading what Android Central has written about Garmin. I learned that while other watches can track pace and distance and monitor heart rate, one watch delivered the ultimate performance. It’s why I got the Garmin Forerunner 970.

And from the fitness test we did, “it’s the running watch you buy when you don’t want compromises.”

The watch has many features that are great for runners who aren’t just running as a hobby but want to track every specific detail of their training.

I will add that if the watch is a bit out of your budget, then you can also get the Forerunner 570, which is also on sale. While it is much less premium and lacks some of the features that the 970 has, it is still a stellar device. And I think the Forerunner 570 is a great watch for those considering taking up running as a hobby but who still want to track progress, might consider running a marathon, and want a few more features than a simple smartwatch.

All color variants of the Forerunner 570 are on sale on Amazon for $449.99, down from $549.99.

Light up your training and your wrist. This advanced, compact running and triathlon watch features a brilliant, full-color AMOLED display that brings your stats to life. Packed with smart tools to guide your training and speed up your recovery, it’s wrapped in an eye-catching raspberry aluminum case with a bold bone and translucent mango band.View Deal

Do I need to be a Prime member to shop during Amazon Prime Day?

Although select discounts may be available to the general public, the vast majority of deals during Prime Day are exclusive to Amazon Prime members. Haven't joined yet? Sign up for Amazon's 30-day free trial to enjoy all of the benefits of a Prime membership without paying a cent. The cost of a membership is $14.99 per month once the trial period is up, but you can cancel at any time with zero hassle.

I beat the summer heatwave with this wearable AC, and it just went on sale

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:45:19 +0000

As someone who lives in India, I know a thing (or ten) about intense heat. This summer is proving to be particularly hot, going up to 107 degrees F (42 degrees Celsius) in my city. Other parts of the world are also experiencing heatwaves, and if you're going out on vacation or just need a way to stay cool while outdoors, there's a product for you.

Accessory brand Torras makes wearable air conditioners, and the Coolify Cyber Fold does a great job controlling your microclimate — the immediate vicinity around you. It's designed to cool up to 50 degrees F and provides cool airflow of 3m/s, and you know what? It actually works. I tested it for the last two months, and even on days when it was 104 degrees out (40 deg C), it made a legitimate difference. The Cyber Fold is the costliest model in the Coolify range, and it's now down to $226. If you need an affordable alternative, the Coolify 2S Pro is a good option at $161, and the Coolify Air is just $89 right now.

The Cyber Fold is the best product in the Coolify range, and it is the one I used the most. If you just need a wearable AC that's a little more affordable, you should consider the 2S Pro. View Deal

✅Recommended if: You need an easy way to stay cool outdoors. The Cyber Fold uses innovative cooling tech that immediately makes a difference, and it's effective even in extreme heat.

❌Skip this deal if: You want something that isn't conspicuous. You will get plenty of attention while wearing this.

The Coolify Cyber Fold has much better build quality than other wearable ACs, and it uses Peltier cooling tech in conjunction with fans to ensure you stay cool outdoors. There are eight vents around the product that blow air, and you get decent coverage around your face and neck.

Obviously, the design means it will stand out when you're wearing it in public — there's no getting around that. But I will admit that it isn't as bulky or unwieldy as it looks, and I didn't notice the heft after a day or two of regular use. The best part about the Cyber Fold is that it's effective even on days where it's over 100 degrees F, and the cooling pads around your neck make a huge difference.

The built-in battery doesn't quite last all day, but it's good enough for a few hours of use on full blast. You can eke out better battery life by switching to efficient cooling, and unless it's over 100 degrees outside, you won't need to crank up the cooling all the way.

It is a niche product, but it's one that made a decent amount of difference in the summer months, and if you're interested in trying out a wearable AC, the Cyber Fold is the one I'd recommend — get it while it's still down to $226.

The Galaxy Watch 8 helped me sleep better, and it's 38% off for Prime Day

bradypsnyder@gmail.com (Brady Snyder) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:38:57 +0000

When smartwatches are brought up, the Google Pixel Watch is the first topic of conversation. It shouldn't be, because Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 is the all-around best Wear OS smartwatch around. I reviewed it last year, and spent my own money on one. The selling point for me was its size — it's only 8.6mm thick and sits comfortably on my wrist.

That meant I could take it more places and wear it more consistently, using the extra data to power my workouts and get better sleep. The price is surprisingly the best part. You can get a Galaxy Watch 8 for just $218 during Prime Day, down from the usual $350 sticker price.

That's about what I paid for my Galaxy Watch 8 at launch, and I had to trade in another smartwatch to get that price. You can get it with no strings attached.

Prime Day 2026 is LIVE June 23-26: see the full list of deals

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the sleekest Wear OS smartwatch on the market, with a slim profile that helps it stay comfortable for workouts and sleep tracking. It has a gorgeous screen, robust health sensors, and superb software. View Deal

✅ Recommended if: You use Samsung Galaxy devices and need a Wear OS smartwatch; you need a thin and lightweight watch for fitness and health monitoring; you want longtime Wear OS update support.

❌ Skip this deal if: You need a smartwatch with the longest battery life; you want to wait for the Galaxy Watch 9, even though it'll cost much more.

I've tested many smartwatches, and I learned one thing along the way: the best smartwatch is the one you'll actually wear. Every other smartwatch felt too thick for me to wear for sleep tracking, and even some strenuous workouts. When I took them off, I missed out on data. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8's slim profile makes it ideal for your vacation getaways, summer workouts, or nightly sleep tracking.

It runs Wear OS 6 out of the box, and it's guaranteed to get four years of software updates. So, you can buy this watch for 38% off and it'll be updated to Wear OS 7 in a few months' time. A capable chip, Samsung's Exynos W1000, powers the entire experience.

On the inside, a Samsung BioActive sensor capable of handling optical and electrical heart-rate sensing monitors your underlying health metrics. There are also BIA and temperature sensors that help give you a complete picture of your health.

My one gripe with the Galaxy Watch 8 is that you need to charge it daily, but a quick recharge while showering should be all it takes. Aside from that, this is a current-gen smartwatch that'll stay up to date for years to come available for just over $200. I've used one for nearly a year, and I can't recommend it enough.

All Prime Day 2026 - quick links

Phones: major savings on Pixel, Samsung, and beyond
Wearables: up to 50% off Garmin, Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit
Headphones/earbuds: huge discounts on Beats, Sony, and more
Smart Home: up to 60% off Alexa devices
Tablets: Galaxy Tab, Kindle, and Amazon tablets from $50
Smart TVs: cheap smart TVs from $69.99
Chromebooks: discounts on ASUS, HP, and Lenovo

The best budget smartwatch is somehow just $61 for Prime Day — but you need to act now

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:48:02 +0000

Looking to get a smartwatch just to mirror notifications to your wrist, measure daily activity, and monitor vitals? There's no reason to shell out hundreds of dollars towards a Wear OS smartwatch; there are dozens of great budget smartwatches that do a lot of the same tasks for a lot less cash.

My favorite is the CMF Watch 3 Pro. The Nothing-owned sub-brand is doing incredible things with its products lately, and the Watch 3 Pro has all the things you need in a smartwatch: it's stylish, has a bright AMOLED panel, tracks 130 workouts, and you'll only need to charge it once a week. In short, if you need a full-fledged smartwatch in under $100, this is the only one to get — and it's selling for just $61 as part of Prime Day.

There's no doubt that the CMF Watch 3 Pro is the best budget smartwatch today. There really isn't anything missing on this model, and if you want a full-fledged smartwatch that doesn't look like a budget model, this is the obvious choice. View Deal

✅Recommended if: You need the best smartwatch under $100.

❌Skip this deal if: You want Wear OS. Honestly, I don't see the utility of Wear OS when you need to shell out at least thrice as much to get a decent smartwatch.

I don't have any negatives to point out with the CMF Watch 3 Pro. I used the smartwatch when it launched, and it has a stylish design that belies its price tag. You even get good color options, and that just adds to its uniqueness.

The best part is that it runs RTOS, a lightweight OS that does a good job with the basics: mirroring notifications, monitoring activity, and so on. You don't get Spotify integration or Google Wallet, but if you just want a good-looking smartwatch that excels at the essentials, the Watch 3 Pro is more than good enough.

I also like that the smartwatch lasts over a week on average, and this is a huge plus point over my Pixel Watch 4. On the whole, I think the Watch 3 Pro is the best sub-$100 smartwatch available today, and it's selling for just $61 as part of Prime Day.

Get a hot summer bod at an even hotter price with these Garmin, Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch, and Amazfit deals

namerah.saud-fatmi@futurenet.com (Namerah Saud Fatmi) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:14:03 +0000

Prime Day 2026 is the gift that keeps on giving. Many of the most incredible flagship Android smartwatches are currently on sale, with some hitting record low prices. Wear OS watches with fantastic fitness features like the Google Pixel Watch 4 are priced at an all-time low.

It doesn't end there, because two of the greatest wearables made by Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), are also on sale, with up to 38% off. Samsung is well known for its advanced health tracking sensors, especially the BioActive Sensor found in its flagship wearables. Prices are changing every day, and tomorrow is the last day of the four-day Prime Day festivities.

If you want to reach your fitness goals and get your summer bod in order, you don't want to miss these awesome fitness smartwatch discounts!

Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

Google Pixel Watch 4

The Google Pixel Watch 4 come sin 41mm and 45mm size options, and you can choose between Wi-Fi and LTE variants. It has the most gorgeous UI and runs Wear OS 6 out of the box, with plenty of Gemini-based goodies baked in. The Watch 4 just received the Wear OS 7 update and is guaranteed to get Wear OS 8 as well.

And now that Google has revamped the Fitbit app to make it into the new and improved Google Health app, the Pixel Watch 4 is easily one of the best fitness tracking watches out there.

What I love about the Pixel Watch 4 is the unique pebble-like shape, fluid transitions, and that pure Made by Google quality that every Pixel smartwatch and phone carries. It is a powerful watch with snappy performance and loads of excellent fitness and health features.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 sports a charming curved display and delivers powerful performance thanks to the latest Snapdragon chipset. It is jam-packed with rich features like on-device Gemini responses, dual-frequency GPS, blazing charging speeds, and improved battery efficiency.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

Samsung redesigned the Galaxy Watch 8 to sport a striking "squoval" shape. Not only is this a very elegant and sleek smartwatch, but the Galaxy Watch 8 is also incredibly powerful thanks to the Samsung Exynos W1000 processor. It also runs One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6 out of the box and is slated to get Wear OS 7 any day. Samsung promises 4 major OS updates.

The Galaxy Watch 8 has a fantastic AMOLED display that gets super bright, up to 3000 nits of peak brightness in fact. Health and fitness wise, Samsung has some of the best sensors in the biz and AI-powered features like Running Coach and Energy Scores. The Watch 8 also collects a ton of useful data during sleep, from Vascular Load and sleep apnea detection to your energy score as well as circadian rhythm.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is a lightweight Wear OS smartwatch with a lot of muscle under the hood. You get on-wrist AI, fitness and health tools, a unique design with functional benefits, and excellent software support.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025)

Samsung updated the beefy Galaxy Watch Ultra with its successor, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), last year. Just like the previous iteration, you get some beastly specs on your wrist. The latest Watch Ultra (2025) still has the same 1.5-inch AMOLED display and squircle titanium case.

It's a very heavy-duty smartwatch, sporting a 10ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H waterproof ratings and a tough Sapphire Glass on top. The insides are just as impressive, packing the Samsung BioActive Sensor, the Exynos W1000 chipset, and AI-powered health and fitness features.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) has amazingly helpful health features like the Antioxidant Index, Running Coach, Bedtime Guidance, and Vascular Load. These features will do everything from judge the carotene levels in your body from fruits and veggies to warn you how much stress your heart is under or create a running training plan based on your abilities. Perfect for sticking to your diet and ensuring you get your workouts in!

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) delivers plenty of incredible health and fitness tracking sensors and software features, as well as many other perks like a Quick Button, a durable titanium build, and a bright and crispy 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display.View Deal

Garmin Venu 4

There are plenty of amazing Garmin deals ongoing, but the Garmin Venu 4 is the best of the lot. If you are a fitness-focused individual, this smartwatch is a must have. It has many sensors for measurement including ECG, HRV, breathing rate, and skin temperature, and the Health Status establishes your body's baseline health and then warns you of "outliers" that signal potential health issues.

The Garmin Venu 4 has a really bright OLED display, a flashlight, dual-band GPS, and is built to last, bearing a 5ATM waterproof rating. The battery life is insanely good, as is connectivity — Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi, NFC, the works. You know you can rely on this watch when you're outdoors, doing a grueling run or hiking through rough terrain.

The Garmin Venu 4 has the full suite of Garmin Coaching and workout features as well as accurate HR, HRV, Sleep Coach with skin temp and nap detection, continuous SpO2, ECG, and Health Status. It is one of the best fitness smartwatches that money can buy. Get $50 while this deal lasts!View Deal

Amazfit Balance 2

Amazfit is everyone's go-to brand for affordable fitness wearables. The spectacular Amazfit Balance 2 has a 1.5-inch AMOLED display reinforced by hardy Sapphire Glass. From the polished design to the accurate tracking, it pretty much checks every box.

For a large 47mm case, the smartwatch is surprisingly lightweight. This is thanks to the aluminum build. The Amazfit Balance 2 touts 10ATM water-proofing and has useful features like advanced Zepp Coaching and training insights. You even get an excellent LLM-based food logging feature. Battery life is stellar too, easily lasting a full week on a single charge.

The Amazfit Balance 2 is the king of the hill when it comes to affordable smartwatches with nearly flagship-level features. It has a premium aluminium body and Sapphire Glass display, combining style with durability. With up to 21 days of battery life and advanced GPS, it's built for performance without sacrificing everyday comfort.View Deal

The only Switch 2-compatible smart glasses are finally on sale, and they're going to transform your summer entertainment

Nicholas Sutrich — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:08:40 +0000

Viture's smart display glasses, also known as a wearable TV, are the only brand compatible with the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and they're finally on sale for Prime Day! Get a cool $120 off Viture Luma Pro XR glasses, then pair it with the 23% off Viture Pro Mobile Dock and enjoy the most comfortable portable Switch 2 gaming ever!

That Pro Mobile Dock comes with a free Switch 2 mount for Prime Day, and the Luma glasses all come with a free Pro-style controller, sweetening the deal even further. The Pro Mobile Dock attaches to your Switch 2 like the TV dock, but it's designed to be fully portable, so it's got a built-in battery to keep the play going longer and give you full Switch 2 docked power on the go.

You could also choose to pick up a pair of Viture Beast XR glasses, which add native 3DoF spatial tracking to the mix, but those aren't on sale for Prime Day despite what Amazon shows. They're the usual $549 price.

One of my least favorite things about modern mobile gaming systems is the weight. At over 530g, the Switch 2 is pretty heavy, and the Steam Deck makes that even worse with its 640g weight, making it uncomfortable to hold up for long gaming sessions. But what if you could play handheld without having to hold up the console at all? That's the joy of using a pair of smart glasses like Viture Luma with your system.

Prime Day 2026 is LIVE June 23-26: see the full list of deals

Viture Luma: ~~$399~~ $339 at Amazon

Viture Luma Pro: ~~$499~~ $379 at Amazon

Viture Luma Ultra: ~~$599~~ $499 at Amazon

Viture Pro Mobile Dock: ~~$129~~ $99 at Amazon

Grab any pair of Viture Luma glasses and pair it with a Viture Pro Mobile Dock to play Switch 2 games on a glorious 200-inch virtual display, powered by fantastic micro-OLED panels inside the glasses. It's going to change how you play!

🚨🚨Price Comparison🚨🚨

Viture Luma: $399 $339 at Viture

Viture Luma Pro: $499 $379 at Best Buy

Viture Luma Ultra: $599 $499 at Best Buy

Viture Pro Mobile Dock: $129 $99 at Best BuyView Deal

✅Recommended if: You're tired of neck and arm pain from looking down at or holding up your Switch 2 for a long time, want an OLED display for your Switch 2, or want a private display that no one else around you can see (unlike the system's screen).

❌Skip this deal if: You don't like the idea of toting around more equipment for portable travel play.

Attaching more things to your Switch 2 might sound like the opposite of lowering the weight, but you don't hold a Switch 2 once it's docked since the controllers don't allow it to operate like that. Instead, you'll click the Viture Pro Mobile Dock together with the Switch 2, then set it down in your lap or somewhere else next to you and hold your controllers as if you were playing on a TV.

This is the only way to use smart glasses with a Switch or Switch 2, as Nintendo has specially coded the USB-C port on the system to only operate with authorized docks. That's a pain for other smart glasses, but a great thing for Viture, and the rewards don't stop there, either!

Viture's Pro Mobile Dock lets you connect two Viture glasses to it so you can play split-screen multiplayer games on your Switch 2 while sitting at the airport, on an airplane, or anywhere else you might want to set up a portable gaming throwdown. It's a way better alternative to trying to play split screen with the Switch 2 using the tabletop mode with the kickstand!

I also use Viture glasses with my laptop when I'm traveling for work, and it gives me the same advantages as with the Switch. Getting sweet neck relief by using a pair of smart glasses to look forward at the display instead of down at the laptop is a game-changer, and all you'll need to do is plug the glasses' USB-C cable into your laptop like a monitor.

If you're like me and still looking for a (late) Father's Day gift, this is my Prime Day pick for a dad who likes tech but likes to keep it classy (and classic)

derrek.lee@futurenet.com (Derrek Lee) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:34:53 +0000

My father is notoriously difficult to shop for. He likes tech, but he likes to stick with the classics. He rarely buys the latest and greatest devices, but he at least knows about them, and he's still young enough to keep up with today's tech. He also loves Samsung (like father, like son). So, when the time came to look for a Father's Day gift, two things came to mind: Prime Day and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.

Of course, I'm late to Father's Day, but that's what happens when Prime Day begins days later. I'm glad I waited, though, because the Galaxy Watch 8 is currently on sale with a 33% discount, shaving $165 off the price.

Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is hard to recommend at its regular $500 price, but when you're getting more than $150 off, the watch becomes much more enticing of a buy.

Price comparison: Best Buy - $349.99 | Samsung - $349.99 View Deal

✅Recommended if: You want a powerful smartwatch with good battery life, tons of health and fitness features, and a classic design with a rotating bezel for navigation.

❌Skip this deal if: You don't want a heavy smartwatch, you own a Pixel (get a Pixel Watch), or you want a smartwatch that lasts for more than a couple of days per charge.

Samsung has on-and-off years with the Classic series of Galaxy Watches, and last year's Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is the best one we've gotten. It has a very fast, high-performance processor, so navigation is smooth as ever. It also runs Wear OS 6 with Samsung's UI on top, and we can expect Wear OS 7 to bring even more goodies.

But I think my dad (and dads like mine) will love it because of the design. Samsung tried something new by giving it a squircle shape, but the round watch face and metal chassis still give a classic style. And the best part is that you can rotate the bezel for easy navigation (or just to fiddle with).

Our reviewer said that he liked the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic's bezel "because its ridged design is more striking than past models; the 6 Classic's bezel is easier on the fingers but almost too subtle for anyone to see, especially with my Black model. This version's bezel is rougher to the touch, but still easy to turn."

I also think it will be good for my dad to have something to monitor his health and, hopefully, motivate him to get serious about exercising, as my favorite fitness tech products have for me.

Don't get the Ray-Ban Meta — these smart glasses are just as good, and they're just $249 now

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 02:16:21 +0000

Smart glasses are everywhere these days, and while Meta has an early lead in this category, Chinese brands like Rokid are making heady inroads. Rokid's AI Glasses Style goes up against the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, and you get a similar set of features: onboard cameras to take photos and videos, Gemini integration, and great battery life.

These glasses are particularly great to use while traveling; you don't have to take out your phone everywhere, and still take photos of landmarks and monuments. Where the AI Glasses Style stand out is the value; they debuted at $299, and they're now down to just $249 for Prime Day. By contrast, Meta's glasses start at $349.

The AI Glasses Style aren't as stylish as Meta's alternative, and the case doesn't charge the glasses. If that isn't an issue, there are decent savings to be had with Rokid's smart glasses. View Deal

✅Recommended if: You want value-focused smart glasses with Gemini integration, decent photo and video quality, good onboard sound, and reliable battery life.

❌Skip this deal if: You need a stylish design and ease-of-use. Meta still leads the way in both areas.

I like what Rokid did with the AI Glasses Style; the design of these smart glasses isn't going to turn heads, but that isn't the point. If you want attention-grabbing smart glasses, you should just get the Oakley Meta Vanguard anyway.

While the AI Glasses Style look a little generic, the build quality is decent, and you get good battery life. The built-in 12MP camera takes good photos and videos, and while it won't rival the images you get out of your phone, it's a good choice if you need a point-of-view lens that records daily activities.

Outside of that, Rokid's software has a lot to offer, with the glasses integrating Gemini. That's a big deal in and of itself, and Rokid is building an ecosystem around its glasses that gives you a decent level of choice around features.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

Battery life is good too, and I didn't see many issues in this area. The only annoyance is that the case doesn't automatically charge the glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta. You instead get a dedicated cable that you need to connect to charge the glasses, and it's cumbersome to do so. Rokid says it wanted to make the AI Glasses Style affordable, so it chose not to bundle a charging case with the glasses, and that leads to an added hassle in regular use.

Outside of that though, there are no problems with the AI Glasses Style. The fact that they're now available for just $249 makes these a great choice if you want to try out smart glasses and don't want to use Meta.

The Pixel Watch 4 just hit its lowest price ever, so it looks like I'll finally be upgrading

Nicholas Sutrich — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:29:26 +0000

Google's Pixel Watch has long been my favorite smartwatch design. It's not only uniquely beautiful with the curved, circular glass that looks like a perfect watch design, but the curved back is by far the most comfortable design of any smartwatch I've ever worn. That watch will look just as good on your budget as on your wrist, too, thanks to this incredible Prime Day deal!

Add the Pixel Watch 4 to your cart today and get an instant $60 off the 41mm version, or grab the larger display version with better battery life and get $80 off the 45mm version.

For me, this is a no-brainer upgrade. Google's been substantially improving Wear OS over the years, and the Wear OS 7 upgrade just rolled out last week, delivering even more improvements to Google's best smartwatch yet.

Google Pixel Watch 4 (41mm): ~~$349.99~~ $289.99 at Amazon

Google Pixel Watch 4 (45mm): ~~$399.99~~ $319.99 at Amazon

No matter which size you choose, the Pixel Watch 4 is at its lowest price ever this Prime Day! Save up to $80 on Google's best smartwatch yet, including the new Gemini-powered Google Health app and a refined design that includes a better, faster charger.

Price Comparison: Best Buy - $309.99 (41mm) | Best Buy - $339.99 (45mm)View Deal

✅Recommended if: You're looking for one of the best Wear OS watches available, including a gorgeous, unique design and a great new charger.

❌Skip this deal if: Garmin and Amazfit watches have better battery life and track more workout activities, so check to make sure your favorite activities are supported before you choose.

In our Pixel Watch 4 review last year, we noted that "Google has been building toward a water-droplet smartwatch for years, and the Pixel Watch 4 has reached the finish line." This includes an improved design that's now user-replaceable — something most smartwatches don't even seem to bother with — as well as a brand new UI, deeper Gemini integration, and the new Google health app.

Fitbit users were largely unhappy with the changeover from Fitbit to Google Health when it launched in May, but Google has taken feedback and improved several pain points since then. We even published a guide for how to make the most of the new Google health app, including how to deeply customize your experience.

Before you order, we've also assembled a list of the best Pixel Watch 4 bands on sale for Prime Day, so you can get the look you want and make that gorgeous watch shine even brighter!