GoKawiil
Tech News
Several smart glasses manufacturers are building health-monitoring features into their devices, including eye-tracking, temperature sensors, and facial-movement detection. These capabilities extend smart glasses beyond their current camera and audio functions into continuous biometric monitoring.
A report outlines five health alert features on the Apple Watch that can benefit senior users, including fall detection, irregular heart rhythm notifications, and other health-monitoring tools. The device also supports fitness tracking, movement reminders, and location sharing through Find My, which can let family members check on elderly relatives with permission.
A comparison of Google's two new Fitbit wearables finds that the $179.99 Fitbit Edge, which includes a 1.34-inch AMOLED touchscreen and GPS, offers largely the same core health and fitness metrics as the screenless $99.99 Fitbit Air. Neither device currently supports Sleep Breathing Quality tracking, though Google says it may add that feature to the Edge in the future.
Withings has changed its policy so that new accounts must subscribe to Withings Plus to automatically sync health metrics from its devices to Apple Health and Google Health Connect. Previously this third-party syncing was available without a subscription. The change has drawn criticism from users who object to a feature once free now being locked behind a paywall.
WIRED tested the Withings BodyScan 2, a $600 body-composition scale with handlebars and a built-in color LCD screen, over several months. The device offers two scan modes, with a 30-second daily scan measuring weight, segmented muscle and fat percentages, basal metabolic rate, vascular age, and pulse wave velocity.
A review of the fourth-generation Apple Watch Ultra reports incremental upgrades over its predecessor, including more accurate health sensors and extended battery life. The reviewer notes the device doesn't introduce a radically new design or feature set but refines existing capabilities.
Android Authority's three-week test of the Galaxy Watch 9 found a comfortable design, bright display, and expanded health and fitness tracking features. The reviewer notes pricing has risen about $30 over the Watch 8 at each tier, and there is no Watch 8 Classic successor this year, leaving the rotating bezel model available only in last year's Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Battery life remains the standout weakness, requiring nightly charging to use the watch's features fully.
Counterpoint Research reports that worldwide smartwatch shipments declined 4% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, as consumers kept existing devices longer rather than upgrading. Huawei topped the market in total shipments, while Apple posted the strongest growth rate among the five leading brands. Counterpoint projects only 1% shipment growth for the full year.
Early reviews of the Apple Watch Series 12 point to roughly two-day battery life, a notable improvement over previous generations, alongside upgraded health monitoring capabilities. The source material provided limited detail beyond these headline points, but the general reception appears positive.
Reports indicate Apple's upcoming Watch Series 12 will expand beyond fitness and health monitoring to include tracking of conversations. The lineup is also expected to bring back ceramic casing options as part of its design refresh.