Wearables and fitness technology to expect at CES 2024
The countdown to the biggest tech show on earth is on. Scheduled to take place in Las Vegas in a few weeks time, CES 2024 is the place to be if you are interested in next-generation innovations.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
They say “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”- but not in this case. CES, which stands for the Consumer Electronics Show, first took place in 1967. In the 50+ years since, thousands of products have been announced, including many that have transformed the lives of people around the world.
In 2024 the show will run between January 9th and 12th, with press conferences set to start a day or two earlier. Over 100,000 people are expected to descend on the city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment and nightlife.
The 2.75 million-square-foot convention will host over 2,000 exhibiting companies, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware and content. This will be accompanied by a conference program featuring more than 1,000 speakers. We expect the 2024 event to be the largest since the pandemic.
Expect to see everything from self-driving technology and wireless to drones, to sleep technology, artificial intelligence and robotics. If you can imagine it, there is a good probability someone exhibiting at CES 2024 is already working on it. Most big wearable tech companies will be there. Apart from Apple, of course. They prefer to organize their own launch events.
Here’s is a selection of some of the tech that may see the light of day in early January.
Fitbit
Fitbit never fails to make a showing at CES. Unfortunately, last time around it didn’t have much to show. In fact, the only new wearable from the outfit in the past 12 months was Charge 6. Its owner Google has also released the Pixel Watch 2 in October.
One device that could realistically make a showing is Luxe 2. No leaks so far but the fitness band is nearly three years old now and CES 2024 would be a good launch platform for that one. If we don’t see it in January, expect for it to land in the Spring.
We did see a IMDA regulatory clearance back in September, and prior to that with the FCC. The accompanying paperwork hints that this could be Luxe 2 or Ace 4. It doesn’t mention either device by name, but the specs that are mentioned imply it could be one of these two.
There is always the possibility we may not get a hardware announcement at the next CES. It could always be the case that Fitbit uses the event to reveal news on the software front.
Garmin
Garmin is another wearable tech giant that is a regular at the gathering. But just like Fitbit, last year it didn’t make any big revelations. In fact, in the last two years we got more news from Garmin in the weeks immediately following CES. So don’t be surprised if we see a repeat of that in 2024.
The company has had a very busy year. A plethora of devices were released including the Forerunner 265, Forerunner 965, Venu 3, Vivoactive 5 and much more.
A couple of new wearables from Garmin might make a showing in the near future. This includes Lily 2 and HRM FIT. The first will be a new iteration of Garmin’s smartwatch for women. The second is a mystery heart rate monitor that may offer functionality not seen in other such devices in Garmin’s range. We’ve had leaks on both of these, as well as some regulatory and patent filings for HRM FIT.
Interestingly, Garmin recently snagged six Wearable Tech CES 2024 Innovation awards. The star performer was Venu 3.
Fossil
Fossil will also be at CES 2024, but don’t expect anything on the smartwatch front. Despite the fact that Gen 7 watches are long overdue. The word on the street is that the outfit is looking to leave the wearable space. It will sell stocks of the current range of devices, and that’s about it.
At CES 2023, we saw the unveiling of Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition. It offers is a unique blend of traditional and modern watch features, sporting a 1.1-inch grayscale E Ink display. The device has classic physical watch hands layered above the screen. This design choice means the watch does not have an OLED display, and instead of wearOS, it operates on a proprietary system that is more efficient in conserving battery life.
We’re not hopeful we will see a new smartwatch from Fossil at CES in January. Having said that, the company has not confirmed or denied the above rumours. So it’s anyone’s guess as to the true state of things.
Withings
Withings is another regular at the event. And it always had something new to show in Las Vegas. We hope 2024 follows this trend.
Last year the news came in the form of Withings U-Scan. This gadget is designed to be placed in your toilet, where it analyzes the chemical makeup of urine and sends the data wirelessly to a mobile application. Comprising a reader and a changeable cartridge, it gathers health-related information from daily urine samples. The device is capable of differentiating between urine and toilet water, and it can identify individual users through its Stream ID technology. The accompanying app enables users to examine their health data and facilitates the sharing of this information with healthcare professionals and others.
Huami (Zepp Health)
We also expect Zepp Health to make a showing. No teasers or statements so far, and no hints as to what could arrive.
This is another company that has had a busy 2023. We saw a few new launches including Amazfit Balance, Edge and Edge Active, Cheetah range and more.
One possibility for an upcoming device is Amazfit T-Rex 3. There was an interim edition called Ultra which landed last spring, but it could very well be that we get the next geration in Q1 2024. So don’t be surprised if it makes an appearance in Las Vegas.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi will be there although we have no insight at the moment on any new wearables it might reveal. However, what is fairly certain is that we will get the global launch of Mi Smart Band 8 Pro in the weeks ahead. A plethora of regulatory filings for the device were made public in the last few weeks. So far, only the Chinese version has been available for sale. CES 2024 might make a great opportunity to publicise the global launch of the fitness band.
CES never disappoints so look forward to a surprise or two. Announcements over the next month will set the tone on what wearable tech we can expect for the entire 2024. We will be covering all the news that matters as and when it happens.
Samsung
Finally, we get to Samsung. On the wearable from the one device we are expecting in the near future is Fit3. Quote a few leaks on that one have dropped and regulatory filings. The upcoming gizmo is expected to pack a massive 1.61 inch display and 21 days of battery life.
Ahead of the event, the Samsung Health app garnered the Honoree Award in the Mobile Devices, Accessories & Apps category at the CES Innovation Awards. Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 6 Series was acclaimed for its stylish design, health monitoring, and connectivity, while the Galaxy Buds FE received praise in the Headphones & Personal Audio category for their sound quality, active noise cancellation, and ambient sound features.
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