The Instinct 3 is Garmin’s latest watch to transition to an AMOLED display. Though it’s the brand’s most outdoorsy-looking device, it follows the Fenix 8 and current-gen Forerunner devices in offering this more colorful and vibrant screen type.

However, this doesn’t entirely spell the end of the more classic Instinct style. As with the latest Fenix, Garmin has kept the old-style solar-powered display option around for this generation. The Instinct E has also been introduced, providing an even cheaper route for those seeking the latest features.

Display types aside, Garmin has a few more notable upgrades through the Instinct 3. It’s gained improved GNSS and better training features, also ensuring the battery life remains long-lasting for those outdoor adventures.

Is it an upgrade that Instinct fans should be excited about? We’ve been wearing the Instinct 3 AMOLED to find out.

• The best Garmin watches we’ve reviewed

Price and competition

Pricing for the Instinct 3 is a complicated beast, thanks to Garmin’s decision to offer the Instinct 3 in different sizes (and a choice of two display designs).

If you prefer AMOLED, the 45mm Instinct 3 edition starts at $449.99, with the 50mm model costing an additional $50. Essentially, AMOLED is a $50 premium, and the 45mm Instinct 3 is the move if you want the cheapest model.

If you opt for the 45mm Instinct 3 Solar, it’ll set you back $399.99. Go for the larger 50mm Instinct 3 Solar, and the price jumps to $449.99.

If you’re considering it against Garmin’s other outdoor watch, the Fenix 8, you’ll likely already know there’s a huge price difference. The latest Fenix starts at $999, and even the Fenix E (a device we don’t tend to recommend) isn’t much cheaper at $799.99. 

Outside of Garmin’s watches, other outdoor watches are in and around the Instinct 3’s price point. The key competitor is the Amazfit T-Rex 3. It’s cheaper ($279) and includes an AMOLED screen, full mapping support, and up to 27 days battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ($649), Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799), and Polar Grit X2 Pro ($750) are also options. However, these sit closer to the Fenix range than the Instinct 3 series.

Design and display 

The Instinct series has been a welcome addition to the Garmin family, offering a distinctly different design to its siblings.

Like most other Garmin watches and previous Instinct generations, it’s still mainly constructed from polymer. The removable strap also still uses the brand’s fiddly QuickFit bands, which aren’t as quick to remove as Garmin’s other strap options.

There are two sizes again, too. This time, the Instinct 2 and 2X become the Instinct 3 in either 45mm or 50mm options. While the smaller version we had to test has a smaller, lower resolution AMOLED display than its twin, the case around it adds to its stature. It doesn’t live discreetly on the wrist.

The Instinct 3’s look won’t be for everyone, but we’re fans. And we think it looks especially good in the ‘Neotropic’ limited edition shown throughout this review, which channels the more eye-catching designs offered on the Instinct 2 surf edition.

The AMOLED screen is the big story here, though. It’s not the biggest or best color screen you can find on a Garmin watch, but it’s still excellent.

Surprisingly, however, it isn’t a touchscreen. Given the Instinct’s iconic sub-display has been replaced by a digital equivalent, this decision baffled us a bit. After all, every other AMOLED Garmin lets you tap and prod to navigate.

Presenting the sub-display within the user interface feels odd. It simply doesn’t add anything useful to the experience. Yet, all’s not lost if you crave this feature, since it’s still available via the Instinct 3 Solar.

One of the other key differences between the Instinct and Fenix lines is the level of ruggedness and protection.

On the plus side, the Instinct 3 is waterproof up to 100 meters. But, on the negative side, it doesn’t offer the best scratch protection, nor is it suitable to go diving with like the new Fenix. It does feel rugged enough to go on some adventures, isn’t too heavy to wear, and does give you a bright vibrant display.

We also have to mention the LED flashlight, which sits at the top of the watch case. It can be activated by double-tapping the ‘CTRL’ button and the light is surprisingly handy at night and when you would otherwise use your smartphone.

Battery life 

AMOLED screens hit battery life harder than memory-in-pixel (MIP) displays, so you do have to accept the Instinct 3 Solar will last longer than the Instinct 3 AMOLED. If you’re comfortable with an outdoor smartwatch that can last a week and go longer if you’re more selective with the features you use, the Instinct 3 AMOLED should give you what you want.

Garmin quotes up to 18 days of battery life in smartwatch mode for the Instinct 3 AMOLED, with this dropping to seven days if the screen is kept on at all times. When you do the latter, we found the battery lasted five days before being prompted to move to the more basic battery-saver mode. Could you get over two weeks of battery life? Possibly, if you weren’t tracking everything available and used the most battery-friendly GPS modes.

In general, GPS battery life performed well. Garmin’s Multi-Band GNSS mode inevitably has a bigger impact on the battery than using its All Systems GPS or dropping down to the max battery or expedition modes. Over an hour of Multi-Band with the AOD enabled saw battery drop by 6-7%, which works out to about 17 hours of battery life. Garmin says that top GPS accuracy should get up to 23 hours.

We didn’t feel massively shortchanged on battery. It’s just not going to last longer than most Fenix 8 AMOLED models in similar testing scenarios. If you want something that can get through a few days when you don’t have access to a plug or a charging outlet, Instinct 3 isn’t going to let you down. It also offers lots of options to keep things running longer when the battery starts getting low.

Training features

Everything we get on the training and analysis front in the Instinct 2 is here again. That includes downloadable training plans, recovery time advice, and classic Garmin insights like Training Load, Training Readiness, and HRV Status.

The new features it gains include Garmin’s more advanced interval training mode and the ability to display metrics like Training Load Focus and Load Ratio. Garmin also adds muscle maps and workout animations to give the Instinct 3 added appeal for the gym and strength training.

Compared to the Fenix 8, the more outdoor-centric stats Endurance Score and Hill Score are scarce. Those glanceable stats will likely be missed by those turning to the Instinct for event training, but less so for those who just want something to take out on hikes and adventures.

The Instinct 3 is still perfectly capable of guiding you through a race plan, though. It can deliver useful metrics, gauge training volume, and advise when to rest and recover. There’s also a host of metrics that, in true Garmin fashion, you’ll probably never look at or need to delve into.

Mapping and navigation 

Garmin has again opted not to include the ability to view maps on the Instinct, which is disappointing on two fronts.

It was generally assumed that Instinct 2’s secondary display was the main obstacle to making full maps easily viewable. Yet, though this has now gone (at least on the AMOLED version), full mapping still hasn’t been included.

The fact that cheaper outdoor smartwatches have full mapping support makes this even more disappointing. Granted, they might not match Garmin’s level of customization and settings offers with its mapping support, but you can still get it for less.

Still, the point-to-point navigation and breadcrumb trails offer a strong experience and can generate elevation profiles, provide storm alerts, and feature intuitive back-to-start and trackback modes. Additional outdoor data from the altimeter, barometer, and compass is always a button press away, too.

The Instinct 3’s lack of full maps doesn’t make it entirely useless from a navigation point of view. It just feels that now would’ve been a good time to offer this level of mapping support with the AMOLED screen now in play.

GPS and heart rate accuracy

Garmin has upgraded the Instinct 3 with its Multi-Band GNSS, which grants the users access to its most accurate GPS tracking. The brand’s SatIQ technology also allows the watch to automatically select the GPS mode best suited to the environment.

The optical sensor used to track heart rate and metrics like blood oxygen levels is Garmin’s older Gen 4 sensor, which means you miss out on the new ECG features (and slightly more accurate tracking) offered on watches with the newer Elevate sensor.

On the whole, GPS performance has been solid. We’ve not had to wait achingly long to lock onto a signal in a range of environments, and using it alongside another Garmin with Multi-Band, the GPS tracks are very close to each other.

Dig a little deeper and there are some slightly more wobbly moments, with distance recorded typically a touch longer on the Instinct 3. Metrics like average pace and splits told a similar story.

The heart rate sensor falls into the good category of optical sensors. It handles steady-paced and stationary workouts reasonably well, and data didn’t ever feel wildly out compared to a heart rate monitor chest strap. Unsurprisingly, it suffered more problems in higher-intensity work, but it was never a disaster.

Like many other Garmin watches, continuous monitoring felt perfectly in tune with other watches we’d used to track heart rate. Like Instinct 2, you can also still pair up an external heart rate monitor—and you should do that if you’re following a heart rate-based training plan.

Smartwatch features

If you want top Garmin smartwatch features, the Instinct 3 probably isn’t the watch for you. It still doesn’t have a music player, nor is the microphone/speaker featured on the Fenix 8.

What you get in upgrades compared to Instinct 2 is a boost in overall storage (32GB), and the ability to access the Connect IQ Store from the watch. Adding in the AMOLED makes doing things like reading notifications, scrolling through screens, and widgets a little nicer, but the lack of touchscreen support – again – is a puzzling move.

We’ve been using it with an iPhone and a Samsung Android phone, and the experience across both has been pretty consistent.

Setup and pairing weren’t a problem, the Garmin Connect companion app remained stable, and the on-watch software was relatively easy to get to grips with.

If you’re an Instinct 2 owner, it doesn’t feel like there’s much added in this area besides things being more neatly presented on the AMOLED display.

The post Garmin Instinct 3 review appeared first on Wareable.

CES 2025 was insanely busy this year, and you can see our extensive hands-ons, reporting and analysis from the show.

But as we made our way around there were scores of wearable devices that we couldn’t get to write about individually.

Read on for our quick-fire round-up of wearables you might have missed at CES, and we’ll be closely following through 2025.

• CES 2025 Best in Show awards

Peri (formerly IdentifyHer)

We reported on IdentifyHer at last year’s CES, and the company is back again, ready to launch in 2025. Now called Peri, it’s set to land in the US and offers women insights into perimenopause. The skin-worn biosensor can track the frequency of hot flashes, stress, sleep, and other metrics. The idea is to integrate this data with treatments or medications, offering women clarity on the efficacy of their treatments over the medium term. Both the app and hardware have been overhauled since last year. Founder Heidi Davies told me the company is launching in the US partially because the conversation around menopause is far more advanced there compared to other parts of the world.

AntShrike App

Forget sleep apnea or blood pressure—how about an Apple Watch app that can predict a heart attack? AntShrike uses AI to analyze biometric data and calculate the percentage likelihood of a heart attack occurring within the next 72 hours. For those at serious risk of a cardiac event, this could be incredibly useful, though admittedly a little intimidating. The company says it’s currently working on FDA approval. One to watch.

Lotus

We covered this smart ring start-up in PULSE by Wareable last year so it was good to see it exhibited at CES. Lotus is designed for people with limb differences, who struggle with the mobility to control their home. The ring connects to controllers that control light switches and power outlets. Point the ring at the plug and press the button, and it will toggle that device on/off using a relatively low-tech IR connection. I’d just use Alexa integrations, but there’s something wonderfully low-fi about it, where a loss of internet connectivity isn’t going to bring the house to its knees, and there’s zero set-up or pairing required.

Even Realities

The Even Realities smart glasses are easily the most wearable specs we’ve tried at this CES — and it’s the smart glasses I’ve heard most about from non-wearables obsessed colleagues. The AR element is fairly basic, with simple messages, notifications, time, and other data displayed in plain green text. Unlike rivals, you need to look up to see the data, which is designed to be less intrusive and keep you in the moment.

This is certainly a less-is-more approach, but perhaps that’s exactly what’s needed to bring AR into the mainstream. The glasses themselves are insanely light and thin. These have the potential to become a cult hit, similar to what Pebble was for smartwatches—before Apple disrupted the market.

RayNeo AR Glasses

Unfortunately, the RayNeo AR glasses provided one of our least favorite AR experiences at CES 2025. The field of view was narrow, the interface was chaotic, and navigating the menus was nearly impossible. Live translation also lagged behind competitors like Rokid, so there’s still significant work to be done. On the plus side, the glasses were light and wearable.

Chamelo

Chamelo takes a very different approach to smart glasses with its novel liquid crystal coating on standard lenses, allowing users to control the tint. For CES 2025, it has introduced the Aura Rx glasses, which enables wearers to swap between four tints using a toggle on the glasses themselves. The Rx technology means that Chamelo can switch tint in just 0.1 seconds.

Chamelo launched last year, and also features sports glasses with swipe-to-control tint, as well as auto-controlled specs using ambient light sensors. Some of its sport models also feature audio playback in the stems.

Chamelo will now work with prescription lenses, too. It will take a traditional lens and add the LCD tinting tech afterward.

SleepWaves

We must admit we overlooked SleepWaves last year – but we got the chance to chat with this Scotland-based smart sleep wearable at Pepcom. Unlike sleep headbands worn throughout the night, SleepWaves requires you to use the device just once, which we MUCH prefer over wearable solutions that ask you to wear something every night.

It records your brainwaves and analyzes the patterns to create a unique MP3 with sounds based on your personal EEG. The company claims that listening to this MP3 for just 30 minutes while falling asleep can significantly boost REM sleep—and it has clinical studies to back up these claims.

SleepWaves is also working on additional products, including a small puck speaker for use on your pillow. However, the founder noted that any decent-quality speaker can deliver the benefits. The SleepWaves package includes extra sensors so you can run the scan a few times a year to ensure you’re still receiving the full effect.

Fall-Detecting Smart Ring

I love discovering novel ideas at CES, and a smart ring for seniors caught my eye at the Digital Health Expo. The company, KamiVision, already sells cameras capable of detecting falls for seniors living independently at home.

Now, it offers a smart ring with similar functionality, claiming over 98% accuracy in fall detection. The ring closely resembles a standard consumer ring because it’s based on a retooled off-the-shelf Chinese white-label product that also tracks sleep and other vitals.

More importantly, the ring is less cumbersome and more discreet for seniors compared to larger devices like smartwatches, increasing the likelihood of it actually being worn. However, it does require charging every few days.

The post 8 wearables you might have missed at CES 2025 appeared first on Wareable.

CES 2025 has drawn to a close after another year of brands showcasing innovations and chaos in equal supply.

This year, we’ve been hands-on with a mountain of exciting wearables set to land in 2025, with smart rings, AR spectacles, and smart headphones taking center stage.

Below are the wearables that stood out from our time scouring the latest tech in Las Vegas.

Garmin Instinct 3

After plenty of rumors over the last few months, Garmin officially launched the Instinct 3.

The latest iteration of its most rugged, Casio-like smartwatch now comes with an AMOLED (from $449) or solar-charging display (from $399) and is available in either 45mm or 50mm case sizes.

The case on all models has been upgraded for this generation. It’s reinforced with metal, a MIL-STD 810 toughness rating, and 10ATM water resistance, while also borrowing the much-loved built-in LED flashlight that’s appeared on recent Fenix/Epix devices.

The Instinct 3 range was also joined by a new HRM-200 (which comes with a detachable battery compartment, huzzah!) and an Insinct E.

• Full first impressions of the Garmin Instinct 3 and Instinct E

Withings Omnia

Withings is always good for a few wacky CES innovations. After last year’s Withings BeamO, the French brand this year unveiled Omnia, a conceptual smart mirror designed to provide comprehensive health monitoring.

Omnia integrates data from various Withings devices, such as smartwatches and scales, to track over 60 health metrics, including weight, heart health, metabolic health, and sleep quality.

Equipped with an AI voice assistant, it offers real-time feedback, personalized advice, and can facilitate telehealth consultations. While Omnia remains in development with no specified release date or price, Withings told us it plans to incorporate some of its features into its app later this year.

• Full first impressions of the Withings Omnia smart mirror

Hormometer

Eli Health used the Vegas show floor to unveil the Hormometer, an at-home device that analyzes hormone levels using saliva and a smartphone.

Users place a cartridge in their mouth for 60 seconds; after 20 minutes, the Eli app scans the cartridge to provide real-time results.

Initially, the Hormometer will measure cortisol and progesterone, though the company has plans to add testosterone and estradiol. This technology offers a convenient alternative to traditional lab tests, delivering results with over 90% accuracy.

Subscription plans start at $8 per test, making hormone monitoring accessible for daily health optimization.

• Read the full details on Eli Health’s Hormometer

Xreal One Pro AR

Xreal has leveled up the AR experience yet again with the One Pro. This was the best of the bunch we tried at CES 2025, just like Xreal’s AR Ultra specs were last year.

The One Pro builds on the previous model with a 57-degree field of view and a virtual 171-inch display. The integrated X1 chip ensures low latency, while Bose-tuned audio provides an immersive experience.

We found the quality of the visuals was fantastic in our quick hands-on playing with the Nintendo Switch. Resolution and smoothness were on point, and we were able to move around without any stunting.

An optional 12MP camera attachment enables first-person photos and videos. Weighing 87 grams, the One Pro is priced at $599, with availability expected in March 2025.

• Full first impressions of the Xreal One Pro AR

Shokz OpenFit 2

Shokz may be the undisputed champion of bone-conduction workout headphones, but the brand instead came to Vegas with a timely update to its open-ear, TWS buds.

The OpenFit 2 replaces the OGs that arrived in 2023, featuring a redesigned, thinner hook that ensures compatibility with glasses and dual speakers in each earbud. The earbuds also offer up to 11 hours of battery life, physical buttons replace touch controls for easier operation, and four EQ presets allow for personalized audio settings.

They’re available now in the US for $179.95, but there was no information available when we asked about a release date (or pricing) for the UK/Europe.

Still, it wasn’t the only impressive headphones at the show. Suunto’s Aqua earbuds also look seriously promising for swimmers and triathletes.

Circular Ring 2

We also got our hands on the Circular Ring 2, with the French startup unveiling its titanium, ECG-capable smart ring that’s just been cleared to detect atrial fibrillation.

We had a bit of a mixed time with the Circular Ring Slim during testing, though it remains one of the better options out there in a sea of smart rings that have emerged in the last year or so.

The Ring 2 is available in four finishes and features an upgraded EKG sensor and additional PPG sensors for enhanced health tracking. Other improvements include better connectivity, extended battery life (up to four days in performance mode and eight days in battery-saving mode), and a new charging dock.

The AI chatbot Kira has also been revamped for quicker, more accurate recommendations, and a digital sizing feature simplifies the fitting process. Priced at $380, the Circular Ring 2 is expected to launch in February or March 2025.

• Full first impressions of the Circular Ring 2

Vuzix Ultralite Pro

Vuzix is one of the OGs of the AR industry, but it’s mostly stuck to enterprise – until now.

At this year’s show, the brand provided a huge update to the Ultralite reference platform we tried (and were left cold by) at last year’s show. This year, Ultralite Pro was a big winner.

The Ultralite Pro in itself isn’t a consumer-ready product (as you can tell from the laughably chunky design), but the glasses we tried this time around serve to demonstrate the kind of AR experience this tech is capable of.

It uses the Snapdragon AR1, dual full-color Avegant LCoS projectors on a designed waveguide, and boasts a field of view of up to 40 degrees.

The quality of the visuals proved impressive: bold and vibrant while offering 3D effects overlaid onto the world around us with a huge-feeling field of view. All we need now is for the design to match the experience.

• Full first impressions of the Vuzix Ultralite Pro

Rokid Glasses

Rokid also introduced its latest AR glasses at this year’s show. The broad field of view and low latency in real-time experiences (like live language translation, turn-by-turn navigation, and notifications) beamed directly in the user’s line of sight all stood out to us.

They’re not too different from others we tested at the show, yet were probably the best of the thick-style AR specs. It could still benefit from being slimmer and closer in style to a true pair of Meta Ray-Bans, but it represents solid progress toward a consumer AR future.

• Full first impressions of the Rokid Glasses

Noise Luna 2.0

Indian startup Noise used the CES 2025 show floor to shout about the Luna 2.0, its latest smart ring crafted from jet-grade titanium and 30-day battery life.

It’s certainly no household name in the US or Europe, but the brand – like many native startups in India – has had huge success with its RTOS smartwatches over the last couple of years. Noise co-founder Amit Khatri told Wareable that they currently have 20 million users, which is seriously impressive.

Interestingly, Luna 2.0’s accuracy is validated by Philips Biosensing, with the company claiming to achieve 98.2% precision. Like seemingly every other product at this year’s show, it also integrates an AI assistant, offering personalized health insights and recommendations.

It’s not currently planned for Western markets, but Noise is certainly one to keep an eye on.

• Full first impressions of Noise Luna 2.0

Halliday Glasses

Named after the iconic creator from ‘Ready Player One’, the Halliday Glasses offer a glimpse into the future of augmented reality.

Instead of the typical waveguide etched onto the glass to create the visual experience, these glasses project visuals directly onto the user’s eyeball. This allows for a lightweight (40g), prescription-friendly design that can be controlled via voice or trackpad.

On the stand at Unveiled, we didn’t get too much AI experience. However, it can summarize meetings, deliver context-aware information, offer translations, and provide turn-by-turn navigation via the digital alarm clock-style – but very clear – visuals.

Halliday Glasses are available for pre-order at $489, with an early bird offer of $369 for customers placing a $9.99 deposit. Shipping is expected by the end of Q1 2025.

• Full first impressions of the Halliday Glasses

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There’s been a bunch of AR glasses start-ups at CES 2025, and the segment is certainly gaining traction. If in five years’ time we’re all wearing excellent AR specs, it’s likely we’ll look back on this CES and say, “This is where it started.”

Vuzix has been in the AR game since the beginning but has smartly stuck to enterprise, where warehouse workers and oil rig technicians use bulky smart glasses to get tasks done.

The company announced it’s entering the consumer market at CES 2025, so I was keen to head over and see what was new.

• Best smartglasses reviewed

Last year, I checked out the company’s Ultralite platform, which was a pair of fairly fashionable specs that showed a basic green-text heads-up display. It’s designed for OEMs rather than for Vuzix to break into the consumer world themselves. The form factor was good (although there are scores of similarly designed glasses here at CES 2025), but the user experience was really underwhelming.

This year, however, they showcased a new reference platform — the Ultralite Pro. And the quality of the AR on display here kind of blew me away.

The Ultralite Pro is not a consumer-ready product. It’s a reference platform with huge stems and chunky frames. They’re not ready for consumer prime time but serve to demonstrate an AR experience.

It uses the Snapdragon AR1, dual full-color Avegant LCoS projectors on a designed waveguide, and boasts a field of view of up to 40 degrees.

Once donned, the quality of the visuals was impressive. No green The Matrix-looking text to squint at—just bold, vibrant visuals, 3D effects, and a huge field of view, overlaid on the world around me.

The demo unit cycled through visuals, including a 3D-rendered beating heart that tracked around the room in front of my eyes.

The hardware is still a long way off, but for the first time, I can kind of imagine smart glasses offering something people would actually want to use. This is closer to the experience people crave from AR.

I also tried a new translation feature on the standard Ultralite platform. To use it, the user must have their smartphone with them, but the translation is done instantaneously, with local processing to ensure low latency.

Wareable says

All around the show are smart glasses that look the part but don’t deliver what we imagine AR to be. No one is really talking about the mismatch between consumer expectations and the reality of AR glasses right now.

The Vuzix Ultralite Pro does not look the part—not even close. But it delivers something akin to a user experience that people would enjoy.

Now we just need form factor and function to meld together, and we might have lift-off for AR.

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Among the scores of AR smart glasses at CES 2025, most brands seem to be neck and neck in terms of their AR experiences. There are huge, chunky reference designs, such as the Vuzix Ultralite Pro, that offer a vision of what AR could look like.

And then there’s the plethora of (mostly) good-looking glasses from brands like Halliday, Rokid, RayNeo, Open Realities, and many others we tested. All of these brands are trying to recreate the wearability of Ray-Ban Meta, which has ignited the smart glasses industry—but with an AR element.

• Best smartglasses reviewed

Different approaches are being taken to achieve this, whether through waveguides etched onto glass or by projecting directly into the eye. However, most have delivered a similarly basic experience: green text overlaid onto the world, reminiscent of The Matrix.

The Rokid glasses are perhaps the best example we’ve seen of this kind of design.

They use the Snapdragon AR1 to power a visual experience, feature open-ear speakers, and weigh just 49g. They also include a 12MP camera capable of capturing video and still images, activated via a button on the stem.

The user interface is well-designed, with a generous field of view (FOV) and large, easily readable text. The swipe controls on the stem were far superior to those of the RayNeo glasses we tested, making them intuitive and user-friendly.

In China, the Rokid glasses can also handle payments, which is a neat addition.

Most of these early-stage smart glasses have focused on the same core features: live translation, turn-by-turn navigation, and notifications, all powered by an AI assistant. We were treated to a live translation demo at the Rokid stand and were impressed by the low latency.

During the demo, a representative spoke to me in Chinese, and the translation was displayed quickly on the screen—taking just a couple of seconds. While the accuracy wasn’t perfect, the noisy environment of the LVCC Central Hall likely played a role, so we can cut it some slack.

The display overlaid the real world but automatically turned off after about five seconds, ensuring it didn’t interfere with conversations.

You could also take pictures and videos using a button on the stem, much like the Ray-Ban Meta. However, the AR element in the Rokid glasses helped frame the shot, addressing one of the challenges of photography with the Ray-Bans.

Wareable says

While not a million miles apart from other smart glasses we tested, Rokid’s easy-to-use interface and solid, locally performed translation set it apart from other demos. It could benefit from being slimmer and closer in style to a true pair of Ray-Bans, but it represents solid progress toward a consumer AR future.

The post Rokid Glasses hands on: Definite progress to an AR future appeared first on Wareable.

I’ve worn a lot of underwhelming smartglasses at CES 2025. While there’s a slow march toward consumer-ready experiences, most still feel far from reality. That’s why the Xreal One Pro AR glasses are a breath of fresh air.

It’s important to note that these glasses are viewer-style specs designed for watching content or working in a spatial environment, rather than smartglasses meant for wearing out and about.

I’ve never been a fan of watching content on glasses that place a small screen uncomfortably close to your face and claim it’s “cinema-sized.” But just like last year, when I was blown away by the quality of the company’s Xreal AR Ultra specs, Xreal has done it again with the Xreal One Pro AR.

The new X1 chip handles processing, and you can switch to an ultra-wide-screen mode for spatial computing (essentially, having a Windows 11 desktop just inches from your face). The glasses feature a 120Hz refresh rate and now come equipped with Bose audio.

The quality of the visuals was absolutely fantastic, not just in terms of sharpness. I was able to move my head around and play Mario without any juddering or jankiness—issues that seem to plague every other smartglasses experience.

It’s genuinely a brilliant visual experience, all packed into a pair of fairly normal-sized specs. You’re not being asked to wear something akin to a snorkel just to enjoy a quick gaming session.

While I personally wouldn’t part with the required $599 for the experience, this is a smartglasses product you can hang your hat on and say, “This could be something good.”

The Xreal One Pro AR glasses are set to go on sale in March 2025.

The post Xreal One Pro AR glasses: Hands on with the impressive spatial glasses appeared first on Wareable.

Noise might not be a household name in the US or UK, but it has amassed a huge market share in India with its RTOS smartwatches, which it sells at incredibly low prices.

The company has raised the stakes in recent years and is now breaking out of its native market. The Luna 2.0 smart ring boasts features that are sure to grab the attention of its rivals.

• Best smart rings 2025

The Luna Ring Gen 2.0 is constructed using fighter jet-grade titanium. It monitors stress, sleep, heart health, blood oxygen levels, and women’s health. Its accuracy is validated by Philips Biosensing, achieving 98.2% precision, according to Noise.

The real standout is its claim of up to 30 days of battery life on a single charge, with the added convenience of getting five charges from its nifty case.

Noise is also integrating an AI assistant (who isn’t these days). You can see that in action in the picture above. On the CES floor, I spoke with Noise co-founder Amit Khatri, who shared that the company’s 20 million users (yes, they’re that big) have enabled them to make some compelling AI-driven insights. I remain skeptical until I see AI offering tangible value.

While this device isn’t slated for Western markets, I was thrilled to explore Noise’s products firsthand at their booth. Indian tech is currently driving significant innovation, leveraging massive domestic user bases, abundant engineering talent, and a global outlook.

Keep Noise on your radar.

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Withings has unveiled a concept smart body mirror that consolidates all its wearable and connected health markers into one (very large) device.

The Omnia is like a giant set of scales with a smart mirror feature that displays wellness information on the screen.

It uses built-in sensors to track weight, body mass, and all the other metrics from its scales. It also integrates heart rate and lung function information, combining this data with inputs from its wearables and sleep monitors. Altogether, Withings claims that Omnia can parse, analyze, and track over 60 metrics and biomarkers—making it a potentially impressive piece of technology.

When standing on the Omnia, users see useful tidbits of information displayed on the mirrored screen.

The company also highlights its tracking of metabolic health, which includes features from its scales, such as muscle-to-fat ratio, water mass, bone mass, visceral fat, and weight trends.

Withings has added AI voice functionality to the Omnia, enabling users to ask questions about their health status and receive personalized feedback and advice. Withings describes this as fostering “proactive” health management—helping users address potential issues before they escalate, rather than simply reacting to metrics like poor sleep.

CES is always a showcase for such concepts, though many never make it to production.

However, some parts of Omnia are set to land in the Withings app. The company is launching the AI assistant that powers Omnia into its Withings Health app in the coming months.

Connected body mirrors aren’t entirely new products from brands like Tonal and Lululemon have offered similar features, often focused on tracking workouts. However, Lululemon recently canceled its mirror project, suggesting this might be a niche market.

And that’s perhaps what makes the Omnia unlikely to progress beyond a concept. Its size alone raises questions—who has room for something this large in their home?

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The previous generation, the Circular Ring Slim, didn’t impress us too much in our review testing process.

But the company has been hard at work righting some of those wrongs. It updated the Ring Slim with a new scratch-resistant coating and fixed up some accuracy issues — but it’s gone even further with the Ring 2.

First up is a design overhaul, with premium materials that help it stand up to the Oura Ring 4, Ultrahuman, and Samsung Galaxy Ring. It comes in gold, silver, black, and rose gold — and as you can see below, is a big step up on the bland design of the Ring Slim.

• Best smart rings 2025

The headline feature is that the Ring 2 will pack ECG out of the box. Only Ultrahuman has offered Afib detection on a smart ring thus far, and that’s via a PowerPlug which costs around $4 per month.

Circular’s Afib detection is part of the Ring’s subscription-free set of features — and it’s FDA-cleared thanks to a partnership with B-Heart, which is handling the algorithms. On the inside of the ring are two small electrodes, which enable the watch to take the reading.

Circular is also busting out some big battery life numbers. It claims eight days between charges, the same as Oura Ring 4 (although we rarely get Oura past five days).

The Circular Ring Slim will cost $380 in February or March 2025, after a crowdfunding campaign launching in January.

Clever new ring sizer app

If there’s one aspect we’re looking forward to trying out, it’s the innovative-sounding digital sizing kit. As anyone who’s used a smart ring will know, getting the right fit is essential, and that usually means the manufacturer sending a sizing kit with 10 different 3D printed rings for you to wear and try. It’s a complete waste of time and plastic — and a buzzkill that delays people getting the ring they bought.

The test works by placing your hand next to a credit card. It then uses AI to measure your fingers next to that known item. It’s a really clever idea, and it works. I tried it on the Circular stand at CES Unveiled, and as shown below, the app recommended a size 10 ring. Clever stuff.

Wareable says

The Circular Ring 2 is a big step up on the Ring Slim, and the company is back on track after settling its dispute with Oura. That sucked up a lot of time and energy, and it’s good to see it challenging the big guns of the smart ring world again. It’s fallen behind, but adding ECG is a strong message that it means business for 2025 — and enhances the burgeoning smart ring space.

The post Circular Ring 2: Hands on with the ECG smart ring appeared first on Wareable.

Smartglasses are a big deal at this year’s CES, and the Halliday Glasses have a unique take.

The AR startup is talking up its “proactive AI” eyewear which features an invisible lens-free display. It uses “DigiWindow technology” to project information within a user’s field of vision.

• Best AR smartglasses

Many smart glasses, such as the Vuzix Z100, use a waveguide etched onto the glass to create the visual experience. But that is *really* expensive and means that anyone with a prescription will need to have a waveguide added…and that is fairly unrealistic.

Halliday gets around this by projecting the visuals straight into the eyeball (ick) using a kind of mini projector LED on the inside of the frame. Excuse the press picture below but it does a better job of explaining how it works.

I gave it a try and the visuals were super clear – more so than with many waveguide glasses I’ve tried. However, if you think this kind of experience is going to be epic full HD visuals think again. It’s like looking at an 80s radio alarm clock close up.

The glasses are controlled via a trackpad or voice commands. And the proactive AI anticipates user needs, providing real-time solutions without waiting for prompts. It can summarize meetings and supposedly deliver context-aware information. It can also offer translations and turn-by-turn navigation.

On the stand at Unveiled we didn’t get too much AI experience. But while the glasses were thin and light (at under 40g) the only issue from my short trial was getting the positioning of the visuals right. You need to put the glasses on slowly to get the positioning right. The projector element can be moved left and right and angled up and down to get the position right.

Once set, it should mean you can pop the glasses on and off with ease. In reality, on the stand at CES Unveiled, I found this a little agricultural to use and knocked it a fair few times and lost my eye position. It would be much smarter if the projector could position itself onto your gaze, but granted, this would be technologically much more challenging. 

Halliday Glasses are available for pre-order at $489, with an early bird offer of $369 for customers placing a $9.99 deposit. Shipping is expected by the end of Q1 2025.

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