The best new wearables from CES 2021

There are many reasons to look forward to CES every year: the audio products, the smart home devices, the ridiculous concepts that may or never see the light of day. Wearables also play a big role at the show, and this purely virtual CES was no different.

Here you will find our selection of the best new wearables from CES 2021, from smartwatches to clip-on speakers for your sunglasses.

Fossil Gen 5 LTE

Until the TicWatch Pro 3 debuted, the Fossil Gen 5 was the best Wear OS smartwatch you could get. Nevertheless, we had some problems with the watch, including the lack of an LTE-capable variant. It wasn’t until CES 2021 that Fossil finally launched its first smartwatch with a cellular connection.

The Fossil Gen 5 LTE takes what we loved about the original Gen 5 and just adds an LTE connection. That means you can leave your smartphone at home and continue to send and receive calls and texts. While it’s a niche feature – especially given the cost of the additional monthly data plan – there are plenty of people out there who only need one connected device in their person at a time.

Elsewhere, the Gen 5 LTE is the same device we tested in 2019. It has solid specs (but no Snapdragon Wear 4100 chip), decent battery life, and a stunning design. In contrast to the new Gen 5E models from Fossil, however, the Gen 5 LTE is only available in a 45 mm case size.

Available for pre-order now, your Fossil Gen 5 LTE can be picked up this spring for $ 350 at Fossil and Verizon.

Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR

If you’ve ever used a modern smartwatch from Apple, Samsung, or even Fossil, you know that battery life leaves a lot to be desired. Why not swap the bright AMOLED display for something less power-hungry? That’s exactly what Fossil did with last year’s Fossil Hybrid HR, and now the company is bringing the same technology to the Skagen line.

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR is the Fossil Group’s latest entry into the hybrid smartwatch sector. It has a full e-ink display as well as physical pointers that are quick to get out of the way with a flick of the wrist. The complications of the display can be customized to your liking. I set mine to show me the weather, the date, my calories burned for the day, and my watch battery. Speaking of battery life, it will supposedly last around two weeks on a single charge.

The software on the device is the same as the older Fossil models, but the hardware has been improved. My test device feels better built and the buttons are more clickable.

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR retails for $ 195 this month.

Also read: The best hybrid smartwatches you can buy

Michael Kors Gen 5E: Darci and MKGO

The Fossil Group clearly had a busy CES. Next up, the Michael Kors brand dropped new Gen 5E watches in the classic Darci and MKGO variants.

Both clocks are adorned with sophisticated, sparkling bezels around the displays. The Michael Kors Gen 5E Darci model is clearly the more elegant model with its stainless steel case and seven-link bracelet, while the Michael Kors Gen 5E MKGO is a little sportier with its aluminum case and silicone strap.

What does the “E” stand for? Essential. You can expect a slightly reduced data sheet for both watches, but there aren’t any omissions to be concerned about. Instead of built-in GPS, you get connected GPS. Both can continue to track basic activity stats as well as your cardio fitness level. Both also have other 5th generation extras like a built-in speaker for receiving Bluetooth calls, custom battery modes, and NFC for Google Pay.

You can pick up both watches this spring. The Gen 5E Darci will be available in three colors and cost $ 350 while the MKGO will be available in four colors and cost $ 250.

Huami Amazfit GTS 2e and GTR 2e

Okay, the Amazfit GTS 2e and GTR 2e are not debuting at CES 2021. They were launched in China last December. However, at the virtual show, Huami announced that the new smartwatches will be launched in North America.

The versions coming to North America are likely to be very similar to the models launched in China, only without the XiaoAI voice assistant. However, you will still be started with the handy offline voice assistant that allows you to open apps, start workouts and much more without having to say a hotword first.

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We reviewed their counterparts, the Amazfit GTS 2 and GTR 2, in November. Overall, we liked the budget-friendly smartwatches, but we’ve found that they can benefit from an improved app and fitness tracking experience. The GTS 2e and GTR 2e offer almost the same experience, except that they no longer require the Wi-Fi support, stand-alone music player, and built-in speaker.

The Amazfit GTS 2e and GTR 2e are available now on Amazon for $ 139.99.

Honor ribbon 6

Fitness bands are useful, but their small screens make some users trade them in for larger wearables with larger displays. What if you could get the best of both worlds? That’s what Huawei said when it launched the Huawei Watch Fit last year. At CES 2021, Honor takes over its former parent company with the Honor Band 6.

This fitness tracker has a large 1.47-inch AMOLED display that gives you plenty of space to read notifications. This larger case size also offers plenty of space for other health and fitness tracking technologies such as a heart rate monitor, water resistance of 5 ATM and a battery life of up to two weeks.

The Honor Band 6 also records all of the basics including your steps, sleep, stress levels, and even your menstrual cycles. It also supports 10 training modes and auto-detection for six of them.

The Honor Band 6 will “soon” hit the market for around 35 US dollars. We believe the price alone makes this product one of the best new wearables at the show.

Quantum Operations Inc .. portable glucose monitor.

It’s not the sexiest product from CES 2021, but the next one is too important Not appear on our list. Tokyo-based startup Quantum Operations has developed a working prototype of a non-invasive portable glucose monitor that does not require a needle to be inserted into the skin.

“Non-invasive” is the key here. Currently, diabetics check their blood sugar levels either manually with fingerprints during the day or with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). While CGMs may be less painful than daily fingerprints, they can be less accurate due to delays for on-demand measurements. However, both fingertips and CGMs still require a needle to penetrate the skin.

Quantum Operations wearable uses proprietary spectroscopy technology to measure blood sugar levels from sensors built into the bracelet. All users have to do is put on the wearable, wait a few seconds, and their blood sugar level will be displayed.

The caveat is that this portable glucose monitor is not yet a fully molded product. Quantum Operations is still working on the concept and hopes to eventually sell the hardware to healthcare providers. Also, we’re not physically at CES this year so we can’t see how exactly this wearable is in person.

But if all goes well, this will be absolutely huge for the diabetic community.

Mudra tape

“If you can think it, you can do it.” This is probably what the team that formed the Mudra Band should adopt as the next tagline.

The Mudra Band is an Apple Watch band that allows you to control your smartwatch with the hand that is wearing it. The Bluetooth connected bracelet uses proprietary sensors to read biopotential activity from the surface of your wrist and transfer it to your watch to perform certain functions. In the company’s words: “It listens to the conversation between the brain, nervous system and wrist and translates it into a language we can understand.” Read more about how it works here.

In even simpler terms, you can program your mudra band to perform certain functions when you perform a certain gesture. For example, you can turn off an alarm with your index finger and thumb or twist your wrist to decline a call. Outside of typical use cases, the company behind the Belt, Wearable Devices, has been working on accessibility use cases to help ALS patients and injured IDF veterans perform actions that we normally take for granted, such as: B. typing on a virtual keyboard or playing the piano (via Engadget).

The Mudra Band is in the final stages of production and should be delivered in March 2021. You can pre-order one now for $ 179.

That’s it for the best new wearables from CES 2021. Would you like to find out more about our favorites at the show? See below.