The big stories that went down
Are you still wearing your Snap Spectacles? If so you’re in the minority, according to a new report claiming less than half of users keep wearing them after four weeks. Oh dear.
That info came from a Business Insider report, citing a source within the company who called the number “shockingly low”, adding that a sizable percentage stop wearing them after one week. This follows a different report earlier in the week claiming Snap Inc has hundreds of thousands of unsold glasses lying about. Eesh.
So is it a flop? Yes and no. Snap proved that you could stick technology on your face and still make it look good, but it’s a one-trick pony, and not a cheap one. The problem is, now that Snap Inc is a public company it has to impress Wall Street, something it’s struggling with when it comes to hardware. The company was reportedly also working on a drone that has now fallen through. Until augmented reality glasses are feasible, Snap is going to have to find other ways to fight the rising tide of Facebook.
Suits you
It’s been a good year for hybrid smartwatches, and it’s not over yet. This week Casio announced its new connected G-Shock which switches between time zones in interesting ways, making it perfect for the frequent traveler. It’s also a very nice looking watch, with a few other smart features, but no notification support. That’s something hybrids aren’t great at, and perhaps in some cases it’s better to skip it entirely rather than try something that ends up being more confusing than useful.
Kronaby is also adding nine new models to its Sekel and Carat ranges. These do tackle notifications among other smart features including music controls. So it’s not just Fossil and its brands owning this space.
Will it be a fit?
But speaking of Fossil, one of the companies it owns, Misfit, is finally going to unleash its long-awaited smartwatch. This week it confirmed the Misfit Vapor will arrive on 31 October for $199.99. Misfit announced the Vapor back in January where it was running Misfit’s homemade operating system, but this has since been ditched in favor of Android Wear, while Misfit also ripped out the GPS. Users will need to take their phones with them if they want to track GPS while running.
What began as a promising smartwatch, we’re less sure about. It still looks good, given, but on its road to launch the Misfit Vapor has lost some of its unique identity. Without NFC or GPS, it may struggle to stand out from the crowd of Android Wear smartwatches. We’re pinning our hopes on the fitness software which Misfit is carrying over from its one-proprietary OS.
