From Smartwatches to Smart Hearing Aids, Wearables Impress at CES

by Nathan Eddy

A stainless steel bezel and sunlight-readable high-resolution color display speak to the smartwatch’s mix of sturdy form and sleek functionality. It boasts 20 hours of battery life in GPS mode, 50 hours in UltraTrac mode and six weeks in watch mode. The watch also boasts training features to improve users’ form and fitness and reports on biking, swimming, skiing and snowboarding, as well as daily activity tracking.

The Activité Pop analog watch features two hand dials, one showing the time and a sub-dial showing percentage progress of specific activity goals. The objective (say, 10,000 steps) is set within the application and, throughout the day, users know where they stand. As with all Withings devices, Activité Pop syncs automatically with the free Withings Health Mate application. Plus, and a single standard watch battery powers it—and lasts up to eight months.

Garmin’s latest iteration of the daily activity tracker includes a line of interchangeable accessory bands, features one-year battery life and is water-resistant to 150 feet. Throughout the day, the device automatically syncs with paired mobile devices through the Connect mobile app, so users can see a complete picture of daily activities. In Connect, a free online fitness community, users can track sleep patterns and trends, join online challenges and earn virtual badges for extra motivation.

Healbe bills its “body manager” as a wearable device that can automatically measure a user’s calorie intake through his or her skin—a claim that has aroused some skepticism in the press. With GoBe, users can theoretically view calories consumed, calories burned, activity level, heart rate, blood pressure, stress level, hydration level and quality of sleep. The device combines data collected from an accelerometer, a piezo pressure sensor and an impedance sensor with an algorithm to get results.

A lightweight and ultra-thin GPS smartwatch with built-in sports and activity tracking apps, this device features up to three weeks of battery life. The running app displays pace, time and distance using GPS, and the watch’s built-in accelerometer tracks speed and distance when GPS is unavailable, such as when running indoors. Other app features include Auto Lap, Auto Pause, and vibration alerts for heart rate, pace and run/walk intervals.

The SmartWatch 3 features a 1.6-inch, 320-by-320 thin-film-transistor (TFT) transflective liquid-crystal display for visibility in bright sunlight. It is also water-protected, rated IP68, and charges through a standard microUSB port. In addition, the stainless steel smartwatch features native music playback, intelligent sensor technology and an inbuilt GPS sensor.

Featuring a 1.4-inch high-resolution color touch screen, the tracker comes preloaded with a worldwide shaded relief basemap, a free one-year subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery and 8GB of built-in memory for additional maps. Epix also boasts an omnidirectional EXO steel antenna with GPS support for an accurate position, as well as traditional altimeter/barometer/compass functionality. In addition to the navigation features, Epix is a full-featured fitness training watch.

Designed for kids age three and up, the hereO watch works in sync with a mobile app to provide real-time location sharing, safe-zone alerts and group messaging, allowing parents to monitor their children’s safety and whereabouts on their mobile phones or desktop computers. In case of an emergency, children can use their watch to send a panic alert that immediately notifies family members of their location.

Smart home and wearables manufacturer Misfit is bringing some serious bling to the market thanks to a collaboration with jewelry specialist Swarovski. Two fully waterproof wearables compose the core of the collection, including a clear Swarovski Shine with a crystal face and a violet model, which uses patented technology for solar charging. The latter is a wireless activity and sleep tracker that uses an energy harvesting technology to eliminate the need for charging or replaceable batteries.

While not the most glamorous of accessories, Siemens’ hearing aid reaches new levels of sophistication—it automatically detects and adapts to the environment, so no manual adjustments are required, and it works with both iOS and Android devices. When the hearing aids are paired with Siemens’ easyTek and easyTek App, a wearer can control the direction of their microphones—front, left, right or behind—to simultaneously enhance speech and suppress background noise.