The story comes from Randy Pitchford, who posted on X that a friend found the watch while scuba diving near the island. According to the post, the device seemed to be fine, with the display showing an empty battery icon while still keeping enough reserve power to show the correct time.

That is a wonderfully odd way for an unreleased smartwatch to surface. Most leaks arrive through regulatory filings, retailer listings, app code or factory images. Not this one.

The back of the watch does the talking

The face looks very familiar, with the same rounded Pixel Watch style Google has used across the range. The real clues sit on the underside.

The rear casing appears to show “Google” and “Pixel Watch 5” branding, along with markings for SpO2, skin temperature, EDA, UWB, pressure sensor and IP68. A 45mm marking also seems to be visible, although the angle and reflections make some of the smaller text harder to read.

So based only on the visible caseback text, there is no obvious new sensor category here. Previous reports have suggested Google could move the next watch to an in-house Tensor chip, with newer CPU cores and a more efficient 3nm design.

Of course, a printed marking can mislead, images can be altered and prototype units do not always reflect final retail hardware. Still, the combination of the physical design, rear markings and the odd discovery story makes this harder to dismiss outright.

Not much design change on show

Assuming the device is real, the leak does not show a dramatic design shift. The watch looks close to the current Pixel Watch formula, with a curved circular case and a fairly clean underside layout.

The lack of visible software also limits what we can take from this. The device was not shown running Wear OS in any useful way, and the low battery screen does not tell us much about new features. So for now, this is more about existence and markings than function.

The internet enjoyed this one

The reaction has been almost as interesting as the leak itself. One widely shared reply called it “maybe the most Google thing to ever happen,” which neatly sums up the mood around the post. Google hardware has a long history of early appearances, misplaced prototypes and unusually public leaks.

Other comments have been more sceptical. Some users pointed out that the watch looks very similar to the current Pixel Watch design, while others questioned whether the “5” marking could have been altered. That is fair, because a leak this unusual needs more caution than a clean FCC filing or official support page slip.

Still, the story has the kind of weirdness that makes it hard to ignore. A possible Pixel Watch 5 turning up underwater before launch is exactly the sort of thing people remember, even if the visible hardware changes end up looking fairly modest.

Pixel Watch 5 will likely arrive in September or October if Google keeps to its usual schedule. Until then, these images give us a strange early look at what may be the next model, but not much in the way of confirmed upgrades. Oh, and if you are wondering, the watch is reportedly being returned to its owner.

The post Possible Google Pixel Watch 5 surfaces in strange underwater find appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

One minute review

RingConn Gen 3 feels like a nice step up from Gen 2, even if some of the newer ideas still need time to mature. The design is familiar, the comfort is excellent and the battery life remains one of the easiest things to like. Add in the no-subscription model and it starts to look like one of the stronger value plays in the smart ring space.

Vascular Trend gives Gen 3 its own angle, while vibration alerts make the ring feel more interactive than before. In use, the vibration feature works well when it triggers, and there is clear potential if RingConn adds silent alarms and custom timed reminders later on. The app side also feels like something RingConn can keep refining as these newer tools develop.

For everyday use, RingConn Gen 3 feels easy to live with. It handles sleep, recovery, daily trends and general activity in the background, while workout tracking is there when you need it. I would still like to see better heart rate performance at higher intensities, but that does not take away from what the ring does well. For people who want a smart ring that tracks quietly without adding another ongoing cost, it’s one of the best options around.

You can view RingConn devices on the company’s website.

Design and comfort

RingConn Gen 3 does not rewrite the company’s smart ring design, but it does move things on in a few ways. The overall shape is familiar, with the same squared-off outer profile and rounded inner surface that has become RingConn’s signature look. It is still very much a health-focused ring rather than a jewellery-first device, but this generation feels a little more polished in the hand.

The biggest design change is the new hand-brushed finish. RingConn Gen 2 had a cleaner glossy look, while Gen 3 adds more texture and a slightly more premium visual feel. It also helps reduce the appearance of fingerprints, which is useful on a ring that is constantly being touched, twisted and taken on or off.

There are five finishes this time around. Future Silver is the one I have. Beyond that, you can also get Royal Gold, Matte Black, Brushed Silver and Brushed Rose Gold.

What’s worth noting is that Gen 3 is slightly thicker than Gen 2, due to the addition of a vibration motor and larger battery. The new model measures 2.3mm thick and weighs between 2.5 and 3.5 grams, depending on size. By comparison, Gen 2 comes in at 2.0mm and weighs between 2 and 3 grams. On the finger, though, I did not find the difference noticeable.

Comfort is still very good. The inner surface is smooth, the edges do not dig into the skin and the ring is light enough to wear overnight without thinking about it. In fact, the edges feel a bit more rounded than on the previous generation, which makes the ring look more narrow.

As with any smart ring, fit is everything. Too loose and the sensors may shift around. Too tight and it becomes annoying during exercise, warmer weather or after a salty meal. Gen 3 uses a slightly different sizing system, so existing RingConn users should not assume their Gen 2 size will carry across. I chose the same size 11 for both Gen 2 and Gen 3. There is perhaps a fraction of a difference between them, with Gen 3 feeling a tad larger. But not so much that I cannot wear it on the same finger as Gen 2.

I prefer the index finger because it usually gives the most stable fit and tends to work well for sensor contact. If the fit feels slightly off during workouts, switching hands or fingers can help. That flexibility is useful, especially if your fingers change size during the day.

The orientation issue is still worth mentioning. RingConn relies on the shape and inner sensor placement to guide how the ring sits, but I would still like a clearer visual marker. In everyday use, I rarely found myself obsessing over it and it seemed to capture metrics perfectly well. But when exercising I did make sure the sensors were positioned correctly.

Water resistance remains strong. Gen 3 carries an IP68/ATM10 rating, so there is no need to remove it for hand washing, showers or swimming. That is important for a ring designed around continuous tracking. The less often you take it off, the fewer gaps you get in the data.

Overall, RingConn Gen 3 is still one of the more comfortable smart rings I have worn. It is not quite as thin as Gen 2, but the added features feel like a fair trade-off.

Hardware and battery life

RingConn Gen 3 adds a few useful hardware upgrades, but the basic idea stays the same. This is still a smart ring you put on and mostly forget about, rather than another gadget that needs constant attention.

The main hardware changes are a larger battery, a new vibration motor, new optical heart rate sensors, an upgraded temperature sensor and an upgraded 3-axis accelerometer. I’ll get into vibration, Vascular Trend and tracking performance later, but from a hardware point of view, RingConn has added more without making the ring feel overbuilt.

RingConn Gen 3*

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Offline data storage has also improved. Gen 3 can store up to 10 days of data, compared with 7 days on Gen 2. It is not the most exciting spec on the sheet, but it is useful if the ring does not sync with the phone every day.

Battery life is still one of the best things about RingConn. Gen 3 is rated for 11 to 14 days with vibration switched off, or 10.5 to 13 days with vibration switched on. That is exactly the kind of range you want from a device that is meant to stay on your finger day and night.

In practice, these figures do feel realistic. I charged the ring only once in these two weeks, so you won’t be constantly thinking about when to refuel it. That is the whole point of a smart ring. It works best when it fades into the background.

The charging case helps too. Gen 3 now uses a universal wireless charging case, so you no longer have the slightly awkward size-specific setup from Gen 2. Charge it, throw it in a bag and you are good for days.

Technical specs: RingConn Gen 3 vs Gen 2

Gen 3 is the most complete RingConn model. It adds vibration alerts, newer sensors, longer battery life and a universal wireless charging case. Gen 2 remains the slimmer titanium option, while Gen 2 Air is the cheaper entry point with stainless steel, shorter battery life and no sleep apnea pattern feature.

The trade-off is simple. Gen 3 gives you the most features, Gen 2 keeps things slimmer and Gen 2 Air keeps the price lower.

Health, alerts and tracking

RingConn is built around passive tracking, so most of the useful stuff happens quietly in the background while you sleep, work and go about your day. That is exactly what you want from a smart ring.

The core tracking mix includes sleep, heart rate, HRV, SpO2, skin temperature, respiratory rate, stress, activity, cycle tracking and sleep apnea pattern insights. That gives you a broad daily picture without needing to start and stop things constantly. It is not trying to be a sports watch, but as an always-on wellness tracker it covers everything you’d want – and more.

The app has had a recent redesign, and it feels cleaner now. There is still a lot tucked away inside, so you do need to poke around a bit. Some people might find the amount of data a little much at first, but the layout has a sensible top-down feel to it. You get the big-picture insights first, then you can dig as deep as you want.

Sleep remains one of the stronger parts of the experience. The app gives you the usual breakdown of sleep duration, stages, resting heart rate, HRV, SpO2 and breathing data, then rolls that into broader recovery-style insights. As before, the real value is not one night of data. It is seeing how your sleep and recovery shift over time.

In the morning, you could literally spend a half an hour just digging through all the different sleep data. Light exposure, circadian rhythm alignment and lots of other really interesting stuff.

Then there are the daily stress and readiness-style metrics. RingConn is best when you treat it as a trend device. If your sleep drops, resting heart rate rises or stress stays elevated, the app gives you a way to spot that pattern. It is simple enough to understand without making everything feel too crowded. I even got a headache alert which coincided with a late night out.

I like that RingConn keeps a lot of this passive. You are not constantly being asked to log how you feel or manually start every little thing. The ring collects data in the background, and the app turns it into something readable.

Of course, here is still room for polish. Some of the app language can feel a little busy, and not every insight feels equally useful.

Vascular Trend

Vascular Trend is a new feature on RingConn Gen 3, and it is the one that gives the ring a different angle from Gen 2. What’s worth noting – it is not trying to replace a cuff or act like a medical device. Think of it more as a long-term wellness feature that looks at patterns over time. The value is in seeing whether the trend changes over days, weeks and months.

RingConn Gen 3*

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Setup takes a little effort at the start. Before it starts working properly, you need to complete a short survey and enter a few cuff-based baseline values during the first 24 hours. It is not difficult, but it is not completely automatic from the first minute either.

Once set up, Gen 3 can collect automatic vascular trend samples when you are in a relaxed state, with sampling happening roughly every 15 to 20 minutes during day and night use. The app keeps historical records so you can look back at overnight and daytime trends.

The overnight side is probably where this gets most interesting. A ring is easier to sleep with than most watches, and RingConn’s long battery life means you are less likely to take it off and miss data. The app also separates daytime and night-time averages, which makes the data easier to understand at a glance.

In my testing, I was always in the stable green section. That is also where I expected to be, and the few comparisons I made with a traditional cuff gave me no reason to question the trend shown in the app. So in my case, Vascular Trend did not reveal anything surprising, but it did behave in a way that matched what I was seeing elsewhere.

You can also start an on-demand insight from the app. When you do that, it asks you to sit still and then takes about 30 seconds to complete. The app is quite sensitive during this process, so you need to stay still and keep the hand relaxed. If your finger is cold, you may need to warm it up first before trying again.

I also like that RingConn has not put this behind a subscription. Like everything else, Vascular Trend is part of the Gen 3 package, which helps the ring stand apart in a category where ongoing fees are becoming harder to avoid.

Vibration alerts

As mentioned, vibration feedback is the other new headline feature. Smart rings do not have screens, so a short buzz on the finger actually makes a lot of sense. It gives the ring a way to get your attention without turning it into a tiny smartwatch.

In the app, vibration can be switched on or off for Battery Reminder, Sedentary Reminder and Wellness Notifications. As long as you don’t close the app – and keep it minimised, it will work. The buzz itself is subtle and short. You feel it, but it does not nag you in the way a watch can.

In my testing, this still feels like a work in progress. I did get vibration alerts, but they were not always consistent across the supported reminder types I had enabled. Still, the alerts that did come through worked really well. The buzz is discreet, clear and useful, giving you a small nudge without sending you back to a screen.

The main missing piece is alarms. Gen 3 does not currently support a vibration alarm for waking up in the morning, or custom vibration reminders at specific times of day. So you cannot yet use it for a silent wake-up alarm, a breathing reminder or a timed nudge to pause during work.

That is where I can see the most potential. If RingConn lets Gen 3 buzz as a wake-up alarm, the vibration motor becomes far more useful. A silent alarm on a ring makes more sense than the same feature on a watch, especially for people who do not want to wake someone else or sleep with a screen on their wrist.

RingConn has indicated that vibration alarm features are planned through OTA updates in Q3 to Q4 2026. The exact timing still depends on the official rollout. For now, vibration is promising rather than fully finished, but it already gives Gen 3 a more interactive feel than previous RingConn models.

Accuracy of activity metrics

Accuracy has always been a strong point of RingConn devices. And Gen 3 is no different. As with the previous model, I found the step count to be consistently within a 3-4% margin of error when compared against manual counting and other reliable devices.

Exercise tracking also looks better than it did on Gen 2, although there are still limits. I compared RingConn Gen 3 against a high-end Garmin Forerunner on two outdoor runs in central London, using Garmin as the reference point.

The distance numbers were very close. RingConn came in 1.6% lower than Garmin on one run and 1.0% higher on the other, which is a good result for a smart ring. This is not a running watch, so I would not expect it to replace a Garmin, but the basic distance tracking held up well in these tests.

Heart rate tracking was more mixed. On the May 28 run, RingConn averaged 136 bpm compared to 135 bpm on Garmin, which is excellent. On the May 25 run, RingConn averaged 141 bpm compared to 134 bpm on Garmin, so it was clearly higher.

Maximum heart rate still seems to run hot. RingConn reported 156 bpm and 167 bpm across the two runs, compared to Garmin’s 147 bpm and 156 bpm. That points to the same broad limitation most smart rings face during exercise, especially when movement, grip, temperature and blood flow can interfere with finger-based optical readings.

Still, this feels like progress compared to Gen 2. RingConn Gen 3 looks dependable for daily activity and it can also give usable workout data for casual runs. But I would still reach for a dedicated sports watch or chest strap if heart rate accuracy during harder sessions is the priority.

Accuracy of recovery stats

As far as recovery stats accuracy, I looked at nightly resting heart rate, heart rate variability and sleep duration over a 14-day period. And compared this with Whoop and Garmin Forerunner data.

The results are interesting because they do not simply repeat what I found with RingConn Gen 2. In that earlier review, RingConn tracked much closer to Whoop than Garmin for resting heart rate and HRV. With Gen 3, the picture is more mixed.

Here’s the recovery data correlation.

For resting heart rate, RingConn Gen 3 correlated more strongly with Garmin than Whoop. Heart rate variability was much closer between the two comparisons, with RingConn sitting slightly nearer to Whoop by correlation, but not by enough to make a big claim.

RingConn Gen 3*

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Sleep duration was the most consistent metric. RingConn and Whoop showed the strongest correlation at 94%, while RingConn and Garmin were also close at 91%. In real use, all three landed in broadly the same place for total sleep time.

The averages back this up. RingConn measured resting heart rate at 48 bpm, sitting very close to Garmin’s 47 bpm and lower than Whoop’s 51 bpm. For HRV, RingConn averaged 36 ms, placing it between Whoop at 33 ms and Garmin at 38 ms.

So the takeaway is that RingConn Gen 3 lines up more closely with Garmin for resting heart rate, sits between Garmin and Whoop for HRV and remains very close to both for sleep duration. As always with recovery metrics, the trends are more useful than comparing absolute numbers too literally across different ecosystems.

Q&A

Is RingConn Gen 3 better than RingConn Gen 2?

Yes, but it depends on what you want from it. Gen 3 adds Vascular Trend, vibration alerts, newer sensors, longer battery life and a universal wireless charging case. Gen 2 is still thinner and remains a solid smart ring, but Gen 3 feels like the more complete device.

Does RingConn Gen 3 need a subscription?

No. RingConn Gen 3 does not need a subscription, which remains one of its biggest advantages. You buy the ring and get access to the main features without adding a monthly fee on top.

How long does the RingConn Gen 3 battery last?

RingConn Gen 3 is rated for up to 14 days with vibration switched off, or around 10.5 to 13 days with vibration switched on. That makes it one of the easier smart rings to live with, because charging is not something you need to think about every few days. 

Can RingConn Gen 3 be used as a silent alarm?

Not yet. Gen 3 has a vibration motor, but it does not currently support wake-up alarms or custom timed vibration reminders. RingConn has indicated that vibration alarm features are planned through OTA updates in Q3 to Q4 2026, so this may change later.

What is Vascular Trend on RingConn Gen 3?

Vascular Trend is RingConn’s new long-term wellness feature for Gen 3. It looks at vascular patterns over time rather than acting as a one-off reading or a replacement for a cuff. The idea is to give you another layer of context about how your body is trending across days, weeks and months.

Is RingConn Gen 3 accurate?

For passive tracking, RingConn Gen 3 performed well in my testing. Sleep, resting heart rate and longer-term wellness trends are where the ring makes the most sense. As with all smart rings, I would not treat it as a replacement for a sports watch during workouts or for dedicated medical equipment.

Who is RingConn Gen 3 for?

This smart ring is best suited to people who want long battery life, passive health tracking and full app access without a subscription, rather than those looking for a workout-first wearable.

Should Oura users switch to RingConn Gen 3?

RingConn Gen 3 makes a strong case for Oura users. You get long battery life, vibration alerts, Vascular Trend and full access to the main features without a monthly fee. Oura still has a polished app and a mature ecosystem, but RingConn is now the more tempting option if you want a capable smart ring without ongoing costs.

*We are a review site that receives a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. Purchasing items by clicking on links in this article allows us to run this website. We are independently owned and all opinions expressed here are our own. See our affiliate disclosure page for more details.

The post RingConn Gen 3 review: Subtle alerts and bigger health ambitions appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Now let’s be clear – that is not confirmed information. Not even close. There are no screenshots, app references or any documents to support it. But the idea is still worth looking at.

The claim goes beyond normal auto-detection

According to this info, CIRQA would work on its own, but its main feature would come when worn with a Garmin watch. The user would be asked to wear the band on the opposite arm, allowing the watch and CIRQA to combine 24/7 heart rate, gyroscope and accelerometer data.

Apparently, this setup would allow Garmin to identify workouts automatically, even when the user has not started an activity. It also says users would be able to edit auto-detected workouts later, with Garmin filling in the details from the background data already collected.

For outdoor activities, the claim goes further. When running, CIRQA and the watch would allegedly detect the run and automatically start an activity on the watch to enable GPS. Users would supposedly be able to choose between automatic start and stop, or a prompt to start the activity manually.

That is a very specific claim for an anonymous post. So it should not be treated as firm information. But as a product idea, it is not too far fetched.

Why the idea fits Garmin

Garmin already has Move IQ, which can recognise some activity patterns in the background. But that is not the same as a proper recorded workout. If you want the full Garmin experience, with GPS, training effect, load, recovery and sport-specific data, you still usually need to press start.

That is where CIRQA could be useful. If Garmin can use a second wearable to improve detection, it could close one of the gaps with Whoop. Whoop is strong because users do not need to think about logging every workout. Garmin is stronger once the workout has started, but it still relies more on manual recording.

A second sensor position could also help in some situations. Wearing CIRQA on the opposite arm might improve heart-rate reliability or movement classification when the watch wrist is compromised. It is easy to see why Garmin might explore this.

But the hard part is reliability

The tricky bit is not detecting a run. The tricky bit is doing this well across real life. Cycling, strength training, racket sports and mixed sessions can all create messy wrist movement. Two arms can also tell different stories, especially if one hand is holding something.

That makes the automatic GPS start claim the part to treat with the most caution. A prompt on the watch sounds believable. Silent auto-start would need to be very reliable, otherwise it could quickly become annoying.

Still, the bigger idea is interesting. CIRQA as a standalone screenless band sounds useful, but not especially different from other passive health trackers. CIRQA as a companion sensor for Garmin watches is a stronger pitch.

For now, this remains an unverified claim. But it raises the right question. If Garmin wants CIRQA to stand out, making it work with existing watches may be a smarter route than simply chasing Whoop on its own terms.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

The post Garmin CIRQA could be more than a Whoop-style band if this leak is right appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The information comes via a Weibo tipster (@FixedFocus) and should still be treated as a roadmap leak rather than a confirmed launch schedule. But if the lineup is accurate, Huawei may be lining up a packed smartwatch release cycle.

The Descente model is the wildcard

The most interesting name in the leak is not Watch GT 7 or Watch 6. It is the Huawei and Descente smartwatch, which appears to be positioned as a ski-focused model, possibly sitting under Huawei’s Ultimate Design branding.

Descente has a strong association with winter sports and Huawei already has premium outdoor watch hardware that could support a more specialised sports edition. A ski watch would also give Huawei something more distinctive than another luxury finish or strap refresh.

The useful question is what Huawei actually does with the concept. It could be a design-led collaboration with themed faces, straps and ski modes. Or Huawei could go deeper with skiing performance metrics, route tracking, altitude data and sport-specific algorithms.

GT 7 could carry the mainstream line

The Watch GT 7 series is likely to be the more important launch in volume terms. Huawei’s GT range has become the company’s mainstream fitness and battery-life line, sitting below the more expensive Watch series while still offering strong health and sports features.

No word yet on what GT 7 and GT 7 Pro would bring. Possibly long battery life, a bright display, solid sports tracking, along with a design that feels more like a proper watch than a basic tracker.

The challenge for Huawei is that this part of the market is crowded. Garmin, Zepp Health, Samsung and Apple all approach the space from different angles, so Huawei needs a clear reason for users to look at GT 7 beyond another annual upgrade.

Watch 6 may be about health sensing

The Watch 6 could be the model where Huawei pushes its health platform forward. Watch 5 introduced X-TAP, the side-mounted health sensor module that combines ECG, PPG and pressure input for faster manual readings.

That gives Huawei a useful base to work from. The first version showed the idea. A Watch 6 could show whether Huawei sees fingertip-based sensing as a headline feature or as part of a broader health platform.

The company has already been moving beyond basic heart rate, sleep and SpO2 data towards risk assessment and richer health snapshots. If Watch 6 improves how those readings are interpreted, it could become more than a premium lifestyle watch with a clever side sensor.

Watch D3 keeps the medical angle alive

The Watch D3 mention is also worth watching, even if the timing sounds less certain. Huawei’s Watch D line has always sat apart from the rest of the range because of its blood pressure focus. There has been speculation around broader metabolic health features.

If it does arrive in or after Q3, it could help Huawei keep a foothold in a category where most smartwatches still avoid proper blood pressure hardware. That remains one of the few areas where Huawei has a genuinely different proposition.

A busier roadmap than usual

Taken together, the leak suggests Huawei may be preparing a much more segmented smartwatch lineup for the second half of 2026. GT 7 would handle the mainstream fitness watch role, Watch 6 would carry the premium health-tech story and Watch D3 would continue the more specialised blood pressure line.

The Descente model adds the more unusual part. It hints at Huawei using partnerships to create watches for specific sports identities rather than just selling one premium watch in several finishes.

The post Huawei’s Q3 watch plans could be much bigger than a GT 7 refresh appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The story started with a Reddit post from a Garmin buyer who said they ordered a Fenix 8 Pro from Amazon and received an empty box. Amazon arranged a replacement, but that delivery was delayed, so the buyer placed another same-day order for the same watch.

That is where the story gets stranger. According to the buyer, the second package was opened in front of the delivery driver and the Garmin box was empty again. After that, they ordered directly from Garmin instead.

The post has since been picked up by a local news report, which has pushed the story beyond a normal Reddit complaint. It has also started a wider discussion among Garmin users about whether Amazon is still a safe place to buy expensive wearables.

This does not look like a Garmin issue

The important point here is that the complaint is not really about Garmin. The watch itself is not the problem, and there is nothing to suggest Garmin shipped an empty retail box.

This is about the delivery chain around high-value electronics. A Fenix 8 Pro is expensive, compact and easy to remove from its packaging. That makes it exactly the kind of product where a missing item can turn into a painful dispute between buyer, seller and delivery network.

The original buyer’s account also lines up with the concern many people already have about ordering small premium electronics online. Watches, phones, earbuds, cameras and computer parts are valuable enough to attract problems, but small enough to disappear without much effort.

For Garmin users, the awkward part is that Amazon is often the most convenient route. It may offer fast delivery, easy ordering and good stock availability. But if something goes wrong, the refund process can become far more stressful than the purchase itself.

Other Garmin users report similar experiences

The newer discussion around the news report includes several users sharing similar stories. One person said they ordered a Forerunner 955 Solar from Amazon UK to New Zealand and received an empty box. Another said they bought a high-end Garmin, only to find that the retail box inside the sealed Amazon parcel had already been opened and was empty.

That does not prove a widespread issue. It does, however, show that this is not the kind of story Garmin buyers immediately dismiss as impossible. Enough people have had odd experiences with expensive Amazon deliveries that the thread turned into a broader warning.

Some commenters suggested the problem could involve returns being placed back into stock without proper checks. Others speculated about theft somewhere in the warehouse or delivery process. The honest answer is that nobody really can prove exactly where the watches went missing.

Buying direct may feel safer for expensive watches

The obvious advice is to consider buying directly from Garmin or from a trusted physical retailer when the device costs hundreds or even thousands. That will not eliminate every possible problem, but it may reduce the number of parties involved if something goes wrong.

There is also a simple practical step for buyers. If you are receiving an expensive watch from Amazon, it may be worth recording the unboxing, checking the package weight and opening it as soon as possible. That might feel excessive, but empty-box disputes can become messy very quickly!

An Amazon Spokesperson has reached out to us with the following statement:

“We’ve apologized to Mr. Lapworth and have resolved this directly with him as we continue to look into the matter.”

The post Garmin shoppers question Amazon deliveries after empty-box reports appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The test was simple enough. I wore Fitbit Air for a 5K run and compared the results against a high-end Garmin Forerunner, using the same route around central London in warm conditions. This was not a lab test and I would not pretend otherwise, but it was a useful real-world check of how close the two platforms come when you head outside for a normal run.

The Garmin recorded 4.96km, with an average pace of 6:01/km. Fitbit Air logged 4.92km, with a listed pace of 6:00/km. That is close enough to be encouraging, particularly given that Fitbit Air relies on Connected GPS rather than built-in GPS.

The heart rate result was the part that stood out most. Garmin showed an average heart rate of 135 bpm and a maximum of 147 bpm. Fitbit Air also showed an average of 135 bpm, with a maximum of 146 bpm. For a small, lightweight screenless device, that is a very solid match.

Running without a screen feels odd

The biggest difference is not the numbers. It is the feel of the run. Fitbit Air has no screen, so you do not get that glance-at-the-wrist habit that comes naturally with a Garmin.

You need to start the run from the smartphone app. In theory, you can still look at your phone during the session for live stats, but that changes the rhythm of the run. It makes the Fitbit Air feel less like a sports watch alternative and more like a passive tracker that happens to handle workouts.

That can be good or bad, depending on what you want. I found it slightly strange at first, because I am used to checking pace, heart rate and distance mid-run. After a while, though, it was also quite freeing. There is something clean about just running without a small dashboard on your wrist nagging for attention.

Still, anyone training to a pace target will feel the limitation quickly. A screenless device can work nicely for casual runs and background tracking, but it is less useful when you want to adjust effort in real time. Garmin wins that part before the run even starts.

The Fitbit Air is almost forgettable on the wrist

The upside of the Fitbit Air design is comfort. It is very light on the wrist and almost disappears once you start moving. That is not a small thing for people who dislike wearing larger watches while running.

Garmin gives you more data and more control, but it also feels like a watch. Fitbit Air feels closer to a simple band or pod. That makes it easier to imagine wearing it all day and all night, which is clearly the broader idea behind the device.

On this run, the lack of bulk was noticeable in a good way. I did not think about it once after starting. For a device built around passive health and fitness tracking, that is probably the point.

The core stats were surprisingly close

The headline comparison is tighter than I expected. Fitbit Air came in 40 metres shorter than Garmin, which is a small difference over a 5K effort. An identical 135 bpm average and only a 1 bpm difference in max heart rate is about as close as you could reasonably hope for in a casual field test.

That is a solid result for a small, screenless tracker using Connected GPS. For the basics most people check after a run, namely distance, pace, heart rate and calories, Fitbit Air held up well.

The gap appears when you look beyond those headline numbers. Garmin gives much more training context, including training effect, exercise load, stamina, power, cadence, stride length and running dynamics.

Fitbit Air keeps things much simpler. The stats don’t go as deep – and in a sense the smartphone app feels like it is still work in progress. This is where Google has some work to do. Fitbit Air can collect useful data, and this run suggests the core tracking is better than some might expect. The bigger question is whether the app can turn that data into something more useful without making the device feel overcomplicated.

The takeaway

I came away more impressed with Fitbit Air than I expected. Against Garmin, it was close on distance and heart rate, which are the numbers most people will care about after a normal 5K run.

It is not a Garmin replacement for runners who want on-wrist stats, built-in GPS and detailed training analysis. But that is probably not the right way to look at it. Fitbit Air feels more like a light, low-friction tracker that can handle a run well enough while staying out of the way the rest of the time.

That screenless design will divide people. Some runners will hate giving up live wrist stats. Others may enjoy the simplicity, especially if they mostly run by feel and check the results afterward.

For me, the surprise was not that Garmin gave the richer experience. That was expected. The surprise was that Fitbit Air got the basic run data this close while feeling almost invisible on the wrist.

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A smaller ring with a practical reason behind it

Oura is calling Ring 5 the world’s smallest smart ring. That is a big claim, but the company says the new model is 40 percent smaller than Oura Ring 4, with comfort now pushed much harder as a reason to upgrade. The reduction in size should make the ring easier to wear for sleep, workouts and long stretches when users might otherwise notice bulk.

The company also points specifically to high-grip activities such as golf and tennis. Smart rings can become awkward when the hand is wrapped tightly around a club, racket, barbell or handlebar. A thinner ring does not solve every limitation of the category, but it does move in the right direction.

Sensors have been rebuilt

Oura also says the sensing system has been re-engineered and reconfigured from the ground up. The company mentions larger and smarter sensors, with the aim of delivering more precise personal health data.

That is the part existing Oura users will want to watch most closely. A smaller body usually raises questions about whether anything has been compromised internally. Oura’s answer appears to be that the internal sensor layout has changed rather than simply being squeezed into a smaller shell.

The company also uses the phrase research-grade accuracy. That is a strong line, though the real test will come from independent testing and longer-term user feedback. Smart ring accuracy depends on hardware, fit, algorithms and consistency over time, so the rebuilt sensing system will need to prove itself outside launch material.

Better durability and a deeper water rating

Beyond that, Oura Ring 5 uses aerospace-grade titanium and carries 100m water resistance alongside an IP68 rating. The company also says it is more durable than previous generations and has improved scratch resistance.

Battery life is listed at up to a week on a charge, though real-world runtime will likely vary by ring size, settings and feature use. Oura is also introducing a portable Oura Ring 5 Charging Case, sold separately, which can provide up to one month of extra battery life.

New software features arrive alongside Ring 5

The hardware is only part of the Ring 5 launch. Oura is also rolling out a batch of software features, and many of them are not limited to the new ring. Oura Ring 3 and later users on iOS and Android will get several of these additions in the coming weeks, although some features have regional or language limits.

Live activity tracking arrives on June 4 and lets users start a workout in the Oura app and view pace and distance from the phone. Heart rate can also appear there if a third-party heart rate monitor is connected. Widgets will show these metrics even when the phone is locked, which makes the feature feel closer to a proper workout companion setup rather than a post-workout summary tool.

Oura is also expanding its background health monitoring with Health Radar. The feature launches in June with nighttime breathing and blood pressure signals for members in the US, India and the United Arab Emirates using the app in English. It is designed to look for longer-term patterns in the background and alert users when their data suggests something may need attention, such as increasing blood pressure signals or changes in nighttime breathing.

Another new area is clinical data. From June, US members in 43 states will be able to connect eligible providers to the Oura app and upload lab results, medications, allergies and diagnosed conditions into a personal health record. Oura is also testing a connection between Oura Advisor and Counsel Health through Oura Labs, giving users access to medical AI and the option to connect with a licensed doctor.

GLP-1 tracking is also being added. From June 4, members in the US, India and the United Arab Emirates using the app in English will be able to bring medication schedules, dosing, side effects, weight changes and Oura health data into one view. Oura is also adding the ability to upload lab results globally in English from June 30.

There are a few other smaller additions. A new time-based data deletion feature arrives on June 4 for all Oura members, allowing users to delete app data from a chosen period without wiping the full account history. The Locate feature is also being expanded for Ring 2 and later users, with support for finding multiple misplaced rings and charging cases, plus an in-app search mode for narrowing down a specific device.

Oura Labs is also adding a brain health study for eligible US iOS members with Ring 3 or later. The study pairs Oura sleep, activity and psychological data with Cambridge Cognition’s in-app cognitive assessments, with the aim of looking at how stress, rest and behaviour patterns relate to cognitive function over time.

New finishes and wider retail availability

All things considered, current Oura Ring 4 owners may not see an obvious reason to upgrade straight away. Ring 5 is clearly smaller and lighter, and the rebuilt sensing system sounds promising, but it will need to prove itself in real-world use. Many of the new software features also appear to be rolling out to older models, which makes the hardware decision less urgent. For anyone still using an Oura Ring Gen 3 or earlier, though, Ring 5 looks like a more convincing step up.

Pre-orders for Oura Ring 5 start today at ouraring.com. Two new finishes have been added to the core lineup. Gold has been redesigned with what the company describes as a more natural and modern shade, while Deep Rose is a new copper-rose finish.

The post Oura Ring 5 is official with a smaller design and rebuilt sensors appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Navigation gets clearer prompts

The first item in the release notes is improved navigation vibration and voice alerts. The wording says these should now give clearer turn and distance prompts, which is useful on a watch built with running and route guidance in mind.

The update does not appear to add a new mapping feature, at least from the visible release notes. It looks more like Zepp Health has worked on the delivery of existing navigation guidance, which is often where sports watches either feel polished or slightly unfinished.

Lactate threshold gets another polish

The other fitness-focused change is an enhanced lactate threshold function and algorithm. Zepp Health has been pushing lactate threshold more visibly across its recent Amazfit software updates, so it is not surprising to see the Cheetah 2 Pro getting more work in this area.

The release notes do not say exactly what changed. That means it is best to read this as refinement rather than a new lactate threshold feature. Still, it is a relevant update for the Cheetah 2 Pro because the watch sits in Amazfit’s performance running line, where these metrics carry more weight than they would on a basic lifestyle model.

Music and Launcher 2.0 also get attention

The update optimises the sports music experience. Users should now get quick access to third-party music from the music card, which should make audio switching easier during workouts.

Zepp Health has also refined Launcher 2.0 interactions. The change-log mentions the control centre, display interactions and transition animations, which suggests the watch interface should feel a little smoother after the update.

Workout screens should be easier to read on the move

Another useful line in the update notes mentions an updated workout screen layout for viewing key data quickly during high-speed movement. That sounds aimed at runners, cyclists and anyone using the watch while moving fast enough that small interface problems become obvious.

The interesting part here is not the layout change itself. It is the reason given. Zepp Health appears to be thinking about glanceability under movement, which is exactly where many sports watches can still fall short.

All things considered, version 3.13.0.2 looks like a maintenance update. No big new features but it’s still a fairly useful bundle for a 15.74MB update.

You can see the full change-log in the screenshots below.

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Zepp Health has already said that it is working on next-generation Helio hardware for the second half of 2026. This filing now gives us the first real regulatory clue that something in that line is moving through the pipeline.

The filing points to a screenless sensor

The documents describe the product as a Smart sensor rather than a smartwatch, which is the first important clue. The device uses Bluetooth Low Energy in the 2.4GHz band, with no sign of GPS, Wi-Fi, LTE, NFC or any other wireless system in the visible documents.

The external drawing is more interesting than the radio details. It shows a small rectangular module with rounded corners, a large circular sensor area on the back and two charging contacts below it. That layout pretty much matches the exact shape of the first generation Helio Strap

The model numbers are also worth noting. A2671 and A2672 do not match the current Helio Strap model references we have seen before, which suggests this is not simply the same device being copied across another document. It’s also noteworthy that two variants of the same underlying sensor module are listed. That could mean regional versions, different bundles or a standalone core and strap package.

Visible upgrades are limited for now

The interesting part is that the visible specs do not scream major hardware overhaul. The battery is listed at 230mAh, which is very close to the current Helio Core’s listed capacity. The label still shows 5 ATM water resistance and the filing focuses on basic BLE connectivity.

That does not mean upgrades are absent. FCC documents are useful for radio, battery and external design clues, but they don’t tell the full product story. Improvements to optical sensor layout, algorithms, strap design, app integration, recovery metrics or training guidance could easily sit outside the visible filing.

This is where the Helio Strap 2 story becomes more nuanced. The documents suggest continuity rather than a dramatic redesign, but they also suggest Zepp Health is preparing fresh hardware.

A stronger signal than roadmap talk

Until now, Helio Strap 2 sat mostly in roadmap territory. Zepp Health had already hinted that more Helio hardware was coming, but there was little to point to beyond that. This FCC filing changes the picture because it gives us a model number, a physical outline, wireless details and an Amazfit-branded smart sensor label.

The confidentiality request is also useful. Zepp Health asked for the external photos, internal photos, test setup photos and user manual to stay hidden until the device is marketed, or for 180 days from the FCC grant date, whichever comes first. The request itself is dated May 12th, 2026, so if the grant date sits around the same period, the withheld material would likely become public around early to mid November 2026 unless the product launches before then.

That lines up with the company’s earlier second-half 2026 comments around next-generation Helio hardware. It is not the same as a launch confirmation, but this is the kind of regulatory breadcrumb that usually appears when hardware is moving closer to release.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: FCC

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The Google Health switch was always going to annoy some long-time Fitbit users. The old Fitbit app had its problems, but people knew where things lived and had built routines around it. Google Health changes the layout, adds an AI Coach layer and removes or moves a number of familiar Fitbit-era features.

The latest roadmap is Google’s attempt to show that the app is not standing still. Some fixes are arriving as soon as this week, while other changes are set to land later.

Workout tracking gets early fixes

The most immediate fix is around exercise tracking. Google says runs that were incorrectly labelled as general workouts will be corrected, with that change rolling out this week. Run summaries are also getting splits.

There are changes planned for maps in exercise summaries, TCX exports and cases where people track exercise with more than one device or app connected to Google Health. Fitbit Air gets specific attention too, including better behaviour when live tracking loses connectivity and continued improvements to automatic exercise detection.

Food logging is being rebuilt piece by piece

Nutrition and calorie tracking also gets a sizeable chunk of the roadmap. Google plans to add custom food viewing, creation and logging, which addresses one of the more obvious gaps for people who used Fitbit as a daily food diary.

The app will also deal with duplicate logs when Health Connect and Google Health both pull from the same third-party app. MyFitnessPal, Cronometer and LoseIt logs should get proper meal types instead of being dumped into “Other”, while Pixel Watch users should see a fix for over-reported energy burned.

Sleep and dashboards are getting cleaner

Sleep changes include a fix for missing Sleep Scores in parts of the app, a 24-hour total sleep view and easier access to naps. Google also plans to update the Restlessness bar and add deletion options for sleep sessions, which should help clean up bad or unwanted logs.

The Today and Health tabs will get more customisation too. Google says users will be able to rearrange metrics and add or remove them more easily. Hourly step goal charts are also coming to both tabs.

Coach is getting less chatty

Beyond that, Google Health Coach is being tuned. Google says messages in the Today tab will become more concise, more visual and less eager to comment on minor activity.

Ask Coach should also improve. Google plans better recall of user instructions, fewer irrelevant references, fewer unnecessary non-answers and support for deleting logs. It will also add support for logging core body temperature and more food detail through Coach.

The bigger question is whether users want this much AI sitting between them and their data. Some will. Others just want clean charts, fast logging and reliable sync. Google seems to be learning that Health Coach needs to sit behind the experience, not constantly jump in front of it.

This is a roadmap, not a fix yet

The roadmap is useful, but it also confirms how much still needs work. Google Health is not just a rebrand of Fitbit. It is a major rebuild with new priorities, and that means some users are being asked to tolerate missing polish while Google catches up.

The encouraging bit is that Google is naming specific problems rather than offering vague reassurance. Apple Health sharing, Smart Health Links, dashboard customisation, structured schedules and a June fix for family-account migration issues all suggest the app will keep moving quickly.

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