CES hasn’t been the rip-roaring rollercoaster of wearable tech launches we’d hoped for, and with the show itself heavily reduced thanks to the never-ending pandemic, it’s been a muted affair.
But we’ve still seen the launch of some interesting new wearables, with a mix of returning favourites and interesting new launches.
Read on for our top picks of CES 2022.
Skagen Falster Gen 6
The Skagen Falster has long been our favorite Wear OS smartwatch – all the way back to the original in 2018.
And finally, the Falster Gen 6 has launched, which brings the smartwatch onto the latest Snapdragon 4100+ architecture and shrinks the case to a more unisex 41mm.
But the launch of the Gen 6 is more than just about new processors, and a handful of new features. It will be upgraded to the sunlit uplands of Wear 3.0 in 2022 (at some point), the improved version of Google’s OS that should mean better apps and better health features.
It comes with a 1.28-inch AMOLED display, 8GB of storage and 3ATM water resistance. And it arrives in six styles, with silver, charcoal, rose gold and black all available, with metal mesh strap options.
In terms of core functionality, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a Fossil Wear OS device.
There’s health and fitness tracking, a heart rate monitor with SpO2 capabilities, and there’s a GPS chip. All that is enabled by Fossil’s own wellness suite of apps, that builds on the sparse Wear OS core functionality.
It could be the most stylish Wear OS 3.0 watch when the time comes – whenever that is.
Read our full guide to the Skagen Falster Gen 6.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Garmin has given its Venu 2 smartwatch an update at CES, with some extra smartwatch features added to the ensemble.
The headline features are the ability to make and take calls from the wrist, and the Venu 2 Plus can summon your smartphone’s voice assistant. It’s compatible with Siri, Google Assistant and Bixby – acting as a conduit so you don’t have to pull your phone out.
Interestingly, the Venu 2 Plus also shrinks the case size over the standard Venu, and it measures in at 43mm, down from 45mm. That will make it more unisex, showing that the Venu 2 Plus does offer more than just some niche features.
Elsewhere, it’s the same powerful sporty smartwatch as the standard Venu 2, with 25 tracked sport modes, GPS and the heart rate monitor with SpO2 sensor. It also boasts 9 day battery life and offline music storage, including Spotify playlists.
Read all about the Garmin Venu 2 Plus.
Garmin Vivomove Sport
The Vivomove Sport revives Garmin’s interest in the hybrid smartwatch form factor, bringing health tracking smarts into an analogue watch at a lower price. The Vivomove Sport costs $179.99, making it the most affordable Garmin Vivomove to date.
The Vivomove Sport adds new colorways, with green added to the mix, and packs in some serious health features.
Tracking of respiratory rate, heart rate, Body Battery (energy levels) and blood oxygen saturation join more core metrics such as steps and activity for an overview of health.
There are sports mode tracking but no GPS – although you can piggyback off your phone for outdoor runs.
The screen embedded into the dial will show details of calls, messages and other notifications, such as calendar alerts. Android users can also send message replies.
Find out more about the Vivomove Sport.
Fossil Gen 6 X Razer
This special edition Fossil gen 6 is a collaboration with gaming giant Razer, with the smartwatch styled to appeal to gamers.
The strap and case take on Razer’s iconic branding, and there are three unique watch faces. And it's a true limited edition, given there will only be 1,337 models of the X Razer made available.
The stock features are the same as the standard Fossil Gen 6, with sleep tracking, activity monitoring and GPS on-board.
It will have a 44mm case, 1.28-inch AMOLED display, Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and 8GB of storage.
It's certainly one for gamers, and will be available for $329.
Movano Smart Ring
Oura currently has the consumer smart ring market to itself, but new entrant Movano is looking to change that.
Refreshingly, the Movano Ring is aimed at women, and it’s way more stylish that anything we’ve seen before in the smart ring space.
The Movano Ring will measure heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, respiration rate, temperature and blood oxygen.
That will put it head-to-head with the Oura Ring, although some elements might need FDA approval.
The device will get properly unveiled at CES 2022, but won’t be released until the second half of the year. As we’ve seen many times, a lot can go wrong between CES and release dates, so we’re not betting the house the Movano ring will come through unscathed.
Withings Body Scale
Withings has unveiled a new smart scale – the Withings Body Scan – and it’s supercharged with body sensors including ECG and nervous system analysis.
The first thing you’ll notice is the about the Withings Body Scan is the protruding stem, which is a handle on a cord, used for the body composition analysis.
You hold the handle with your feet on the scale, and the Body Scan can estimate the composition of fat, muscle and water in individual segments of the body – namely arms, legs and torso.
The Body Scan can assess sweat secretion in the feet to monitor sudomotor function, which is computed into a single score of your nervous system health. Healthy living increases sudomotor function, which in turn shows your nervous system is fighting fit.
And the 6-lead ECG sensor that can also check heart rate rhythms, and warn you of signs of atrial fibrillation.
And you’ll be relieved to know the Body Scan will also track how much you weigh, and log it in the Withings app, which is now bulked out with content and programs on achieving health goals.
It's a mighty smart scale that's truly pushed the segment forward.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.