As we power through the holiday season and finish up the rest of the year, it’s time to start thinking of the future. More specifically, it’s time to start thinking about all the great smartwatches, wearables and fitness trackers that will be launching soon. Of course, the Apple Watch needs no introduction – by now pretty much everyone knows it’s coming. That said, there are dozens — if not hundreds — of more devices preparing to launch, it makes sense that we’d at least be anticipating one or two.
So, before the year comes to close and before we have time to look ahead, we felt it would be a great idea to discuss some of the more promising devices headed to market next year in 2015. Keep in mind, not all of these devices are officially confirmed, some may even be the subject of a very loose rumor. However, they are all certainly worth waiting for.
The Top Smartwatches to Look Forward to in 2015
Naturally, we’ll start this list out with some of the more popular devices and work our way down. This next one, you’ve definitely heard of.
Apple Watch
Apple’s premiere entry into the world of smartwatches, the Apple Watch has been turning heads since it was first unveiled earlier this year. It meshes the same attractive design elements and functional convenience we’ve come to know in all of Apple’s devices. Apple’s rendition of the smartwatch will even introduce some unique and fresh ideas into the world of smartwatches, some of which may even be copied by other manufacturers for years to come.
The dial on the side of the Apple Watch — usually meant to change the time on traditional watches — has been dubbed the Digital Crown. Apple understands that incredibly small displays are difficult to navigate through touch and gestures alone, and so they’ve incorporated the Digital Crown as a scroll button of sorts. Users will be able to move around the screen and interact with various elements through just the crown alone.
In addition, the Apple Watch has been outfitted with a whole slew of sensors including a heart-rate monitor, accelerometer, and NFC functionality for use with Apple Pay. Depending on the model you choose, the Watch will include either crystal and sapphire, or Ion-X glass. Both types of material are scratch and shatter resistant and should allow the device to withstand a great deal of wear and tear.
Prices for the basic models start at $349 and climb all the way up to $5,000 for a limited 18-karat gold edition.
Unfortunately, we don’t know an exact release date or even period for the Apple Watch. They’ve only announced a vague “sometime in 2015” release line. Many rumors point to a launch at the start of the next financial year, which indicates sometime in April, 2015.
Sony FES Watch
It has been rumored for some time now that Sony is working on an e-ink display watch for launch in 2015, similar to the Pebble. This is a huge step in the opposite direction for Sony, which has recently produced the SmartWatch 3 and its ilk.
An e-ink display would allow Sony to produce a device that lasts for much longer periods of time when it comes to power consumption. However, the sacrifice will be that the display is not generally as brilliant — forsaking vivid colors and sometimes even touch support. It also means that some functionality may be missing from the device. Although, one could argue the Pebble line has support for more features than most watches available today.
Tag Heuer Smartwatch
We received confirmation earlier this year that renowned time-maker Tag Heuer would soon be entering the smartwatch market. Sources from Business Insider have claimed that company would finally be unveiled the fruits of their labor at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held in Las Vegas on January 5, 2015.
We don’t know much about it, at least on an official capacity but we have pieced together all the rumors. It looks like the Tag Heuer smartwatch will be powered by an Intel processor, and it should include an emphasis on style and appearance as much as it does on functionality.
It should track fitness information such as steps taken, calories burned, and sleep patterns. It will also allow for notifications on a smaller level through minor dials that display extra data. We do not know if it will be powered by a smartwatch OS, such as Android Wear although that’s highly unlikely. Especially, since the Tag Heuer watch is said to resemble a more traditional wristwatch instead of a smartwatch.
There’s no word on release date or price, though we suspect if it is unveiled at CES we’ll know more by January.
Microsoft Smartwatch
For years it seems, Microsoft has been rumored to have a smartwatch in production. Waves of rumors have been unveiled, and yet no smartwatch has arrived or been unveiled. The Microsoft Band, is nothing like the watch that was long rumored and is devoid of many features one would expect – instead it’s a basic smartwatch and fitness tracker mashup.
That said, with Apple diligently working on their own smartwatch it’s not a stretch to believe Microsoft is still doing the same. Many seem to think that Microsoft has been able to produce a smartwatch capable of two full days of battery life, something only LG has been able to manage so far with the G Watch R.
We’ll know more about Microsoft’s plans sometime next year, so stay tuned.
Moto 360 Successor
The Moto 360 was highly anticipated and for good reason too. When it finally hit the market it wowed many with it’s decidely fresh round-face design. Several manufacturers followed suit, like LG with the G Watch R, but the Moto 360 was one of the first smartwatches to use the more traditional design. It’s a great device, aside from the minimal battery life and you’d do well to own one yourself.
That said, the Moto 360’s eventual successor will surely be coming sometime in 2015. It would be silly of Motorola not to cash-in on the success and hype of the original model, let’s just hope the second generation Moto 360 improves on a lot of the original’s flaws.
Personally, I’m hoping they improve battery life or stick a larger sized battery in the device altogether. Although, time will tell.
LG G Watch R Successor
LG’s first foray into the world of smartwatches with the G Watch was rather mediocre. Don’t get us wrong, it was an acceptable device and it was capable of a lot more than most other watches at the time, primarily thanks to Android Wear. Then, they did a complete revamp and launched the G Watch R which has a much better design, thanks to the round display.
The LG G Watch R successor is rumored to include 4GB mobile connectivity, which would make it the first of its kind. Samsung’s Gear S includes mobile connectivity support but only for 3G networks. The G Watch R successor would be much more powerful and offer mobile network support for a great deal more wireless providers.
This would essentially dismiss the need for a smartphone entirely, as one could carry the G Watch R successor and have access to the internet from anywhere. Messages, texts, emails and even calls could come in to the device no matter where you are. It will surely have a significant impact on battery life though, so don’t expect the G Watch R to last for days, if it even makes it for a full one.
There are Many More Smartwatches on the Way
This is by no means a comprehensive list, there are tons of smartwatches headed to market next year. Now that you’ve seen our list of some of the most promising devices set to launch in 2015, do you feel there are any we missed? Are there any smartwatches that you’re anticipating that you’d like to share? Feel free to discuss all that below.
For now, Happy Holidays to everyone and Happy New Year, it will be here before you know it!