Smartwatches to fitness trackers, augmented reality glasses to universal communicators – our look at 2019 in wearable tech.
The world of wearables continues to grow and improve as smartwatches get smarter, fitness trackers track even more and augmented and virtual reality headsets blur the lines between fantasy and real life even further.
So what can we expect for 2019? Predictions suggest over 245 million wearables will be sold next year.
Judging by the trends of 2018 there should be a continued push by companies to create the best possible smartwatch experience that crams more onto your wrist. That means more wearables that let you go out for a run without your phone but while keeping GPS and heart rate tracking along with music onboard. But expect deeper tracking too as ECG monitors become more prevalent.
As smartphones become more powerful and Google keeps making software smarter, both virtual and augmented reality are due to get even more awesome headsets. The price should start to drop too. Here are some of the exciting wearable tech innovations we may see appear in 2019.
The new Apple Watch 5 could be the ultimate wearable as the company continues to refine its smartwatch. But with the Apple Watch Series 4 already offering ECG and GPS, plus locally stored music already onboard, what more can be added?
One of the most sought after features would be a longer battery life. While wireless charging makes keeping it topped up effortless, more juice can’t hurt. That combined with a thinner form factor would be ideal, making it more comfortable for running and slipping under sleeves.
Apple also needs to add deeper music streaming integration for offline music storage on the watch for Spotify, Tidal and more. Finally a game changer would be great, something like a blood sugar measure for people with diabetes. We can but hope. Expect the Apple Watch 5 to be launched by Apple around the usual September reveal time.
The officially branded Google Pixel Watch didn’t appear alongside the Pixel 3 in 2018 so we’re pinning our hopes on a 2019 release with the Pixel 4. This could take the Wear OS to a new level with hardware integration offering a faster performance and more battery efficiency.
This is thanks to a power management system rumored to be called Blackghost, which is able to offer longer battery life while listening out for voice commands without impacting on how much charge is left.
