Wearables
Garmin launches its first screenless fitness band
The Cirqa Smart Band will help you detox from the smartwatch life.
The world is currently on a crusade to detox itself from unbridled technology. You’ve probably noticed the renaissance of lo-fi technology, like the Kodak Charmera, or the souring perception of always-on AI. Now, a new form of wearable is unshackling us from the burden of always-on notifications and fitness tracking — the screenless fitness band. Following the lead of Fitbit and Whoop, Garmin has finally announced its own entry to the market with the Cirqa Smart Band.
As its category says, the Cirqa Smart Band is a fitness band that doesn’t have its own screen. Rather, the device sits comfortably on your wrist (or even your arm), quietly tracking your health without the bulk of its own screen. Instead, it feeds directly into the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone.
Despite not having a screen, the Cirqa Smart Band still offers much of the same functionalities as a smartwatch. It tracks over 80 workouts and a bunch of fitness metrics like blood oxygen and body battery.
However, unlike its contemporaries, Garmin’s wearable has a single button to help users cycle through the different features. Additionally, the device lasts up to ten days on a single charge.
The Garmin Cirqa Smart Band comes in a variety of subtly colored fabric bands: Citron Gray, Mauve, French Gray, Dark Olive, Captain Blue, French Blue, and Black. The wearable retails for US$ 199.99.
SEE ALSO: Strava voluntarily backs out of fight versus Garmin
Features
Spotlight: HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition
A marathon coaching system wrapped in the lightest titanium running smartwatch.
@gadgetmatchEliud Kipchoge, the world’s greatest marathon runner, helped design this watch. The HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition is the lightest titanium smartwatch built for runners, featuring the most accurate GPS in its class. It packs an AI-powered marathon coaching system alongside comprehensive health and fitness tracking built right into your wrist. #HUAWEIWATCHGTRunner2RacingLegendEdition HUAWEI Online Store – https://tinyurl.com/479ee4zk Shopee – https://tinyurl.com/yex4dvp9 Lazada – https://tinyurl.com/yu47bktt TikTok – https://tinyurl.com/yxsjsyhw♬ original sound – GadgetMatch
Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in under two hours. That’s not a marketing line. It’s one of the most significant feats in the history of human endurance.
So when Huawei says the HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition was designed with his input, that detail deserves more than a passing mention. It shapes what this watch actually is, and more importantly, what it’s trying to do.
The GT Runner 2 isn’t a smartwatch that happens to track runs. It’s a running tool built from the ground up, wrapped in titanium, and finished in a colorway that carries Kipchoge’s energy in its gradient and clean lines.
Lightest titanium watch
The first thing you notice when you put the GT Runner 2 on is how little you notice it.
At 43.5 grams for the watch body, it’s Huawei’s lightest metal running watch to date. For reference, that’s roughly the weight of a small packet of sugar.
On paper that sounds like a marketing metric. On a long run, it’s the kind of thing you actually feel — or more accurately, the kind of thing you stop feeling, which is the point.
The case is aerospace-grade titanium alloy, the same material used in aircraft construction. It’s strong without adding bulk, and at 10.7mm thick, it slides under a long sleeve without a second thought.
The display is a 1.43-inch AMOLED panel with 3,000 nits of peak brightness, enough to read clearly under direct sunlight mid-run, which is where it needs to perform.
The Racing Legend Edition colorway is the visual anchor of the whole package. It doesn’t read as a sports watch in the traditional chunky sense.
The strap situation is thoughtful, too. The in-box AirDry woven strap is designed to breathe.
There’s also a Fluororubber quick-release strap included for race days when you want something more locked in against your wrist.
Accurate GPS
This is the centerpiece of the GT Runner 2, and Huawei has invested the most engineering effort here.
To understand why the GPS on this watch is different, you need to understand a basic problem with how most GPS watches work.
Satellites broadcast signals in a circular, spiral pattern. Most smartwatches are built to receive signals linearly, meaning they’re only catching part of what’s being sent. The result is data loss, and data loss means inaccurate tracking.
The GT Runner 2 addresses this at the hardware level with what Huawei calls a 3D Floating Antenna Architecture. The titanium bezel and metal middle frame of the watch itself function as external receivers, which expands the antenna surface area significantly.
More of the watch is actively listening for satellite signals, which means it captures more of those spiral broadcasts. Huawei positions this as a 50% improvement in antenna performance.
Then there’s the software layer, which is arguably more interesting for anyone running in an urban environment.
Anyone who’s tracked a city run knows the problem: you go under an overpass, cut through a tunnel, or run between towers, and your GPS trace goes straight. The watch gives up and draws a line where your route should be.
The GT Runner 2 has an AI system — Huawei calls it the XDR Inertial Navigation AI Algorithm — that fills that gap intelligently.
It learns your movement patterns: your stride length, your arm swing, your pace. When satellite signal drops out, it uses that accumulated knowledge to estimate your route accurately. When the signal returns, it stitches the two together seamlessly.
Marathon mode
The Marathon Mode on the GT Runner 2 was co-developed with Eliud Kipchoge’s team. That partnership matters because it means the feature set was shaped by people who actually race at the highest level, not just engineers working from data.
The system covers the full race cycle. Before your event, the watch builds you a personalized training plan and tracks your lactate threshold in real time, the point at which your body starts accumulating fatigue faster than it can clear it.
Knowing where that threshold sits is how serious runners train in the right zones and avoid hitting the wall during a race. The GT Runner 2 brings that metric to your wrist without requiring a lab visit or a coach.
During a race, the pace guidance isn’t a static target you set and follow. It adjusts in real time based on how you’re actually performing. The watch also sends smart refueling alerts — not based on a generic timer, but on your personal health data and international nutrition guidelines. So when it tells you to eat or drink, it’s working from your numbers, not a one-size-fits-all schedule.
After the race, it gives you dynamic recovery guidance and exports your full session automatically to Strava and Komoot.
Health tracking that actually goes beyond the basics
The GT Runner 2 tracks your health around the clock, and a few of its features stand apart from what most smartwatches offer.
Heart rate accuracy is rated at 98%. For a wrist-worn device, that’s a serious number. The watch achieves this through Huawei’s TruSense system, which uses an upgraded NPU and advanced algorithms to pull more precise readings from the sensor.
The ECG monitoring is CE-certified, which means it meets the regulatory standard for detecting early signs of irregular heart rhythms.
More importantly, the GT Runner 2 does this in the background — passively, while you’re awake or asleep — without requiring you to manually activate a check.
Sleep tracking includes breathing awareness to flag potential signs of sleep apnea.
HRV — heart rate variability, one of the most reliable indicators of how recovered your body actually is — gets tracked across 24 hours.
There’s also a stress and emotional wellbeing tracker that categorizes your state in real time. When you’re deep in a training block and everything feels harder than it should, this is the kind of data that tells you something concrete rather than just confirming that you’re tired.
Battery life that doesn’t ask you to compromise
Running watches live or die by their battery, and the GT Runner 2 doesn’t disappoint here.
Continuous GPS tracking lasts 32 hours. To put that in running terms, that’s enough to cover five to six full marathons without stopping to charge. Enable Trail Run mode and that extends to 35 hours. Under normal daily use, you’re looking at up to 14 days on a single charge. When it does need power, it charges wirelessly.
Storage comes in at 64GB, which holds thousands of offline songs and heavy map data simultaneously. You can leave your phone behind on a long run and still have music and navigation on your wrist. It works with both Android and iOS, and syncs automatically to Strava and Komoot after every session.
For users in the Philippines, there’s one more practical addition worth calling out: GCash Watch Pay. You can pay at any GCash QR terminal directly from your wrist. For anyone who stops mid-run to refuel, this removes the friction of digging through a bag or pocket to complete a transaction.
Is the HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition your GadgetMatch?
The HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition was built around one clear premise: give runners access to the kind of data and guidance that previously lived inside expensive coaching programs and professional setups, and put it on a wrist that doesn’t feel like it’s carrying anything.
The titanium build, the GPS architecture, the Marathon Mode co-developed with the world’s greatest marathon runner — none of these are incidental features. They’re the point. And the way the watch surfaces all of that information keeps it accessible.
Every purchase comes with a complimentary three-month HUAWEI Health+ membership, which unlocks professional coaching videos, custom sleep music, and personalized nutrition and training plans.
The HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 is available at HUAWEI Experience Stores nationwide, the HUAWEI Online Store, and Huawei’s official stores on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
Purchases made from June 30 onwards come with an exclusive bundle worth up to PhP 11,384 — including a free fluoroelastomer strap, a free pair of HUAWEI FreeArc earphones (on a first-come, first-served basis), the three-month Health+ membership, and a two-year warranty with accidental damage protection.
There’s also a PhP 2,000 trade-in token for buyers coming from an older device.
This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Huawei Philippines.
Accessories
Razer launches Kraken Kitty V2 BT Cinnamoroll Edition
Razer has expanded its Cinnamoroll collection with the launch of the Kraken Kitty V2 BT Cinnamoroll Edition.
The wireless Bluetooth RGB headset features the Sanrio character’s iconic ears, and comes in a pastel blue and white colorway. The launch comes more than a year after the Kuromi Edition of the same headset.
Razer’s Krazen Kitty V2 BT Cinnamoroll Edition comes with 16.8 million colors and countless effects.
Gamers and streamers can connect via Bluetooth 5.2 with Gaming Mode for faster wireless response and a smooth, stutter-free audio experience suited for long hours.
Inside are the headset’s patented TriForce 40mm drivers with 3-part driver design to push out exceptional highs, mids, and lows.
Its omnidirectional microphone, meanwhile, is built into the earcups to provide clear comms while maintaining a seamless look. The headset can last up to 40 hours with USB-C charging.
The Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT Cinnamoroll Edition is priced at US$ 139.99.
Superfans can pair the headset with other Cinnamoroll offerings, including the Razer Iskur V2 X NewGen gaming chair and Cobra and Gigantus V2 bundle.
Sony has officially expanded its professional audio lineup with the debut of the Sony IER-M500 in-ear monitors.
These new stage-ready monitors target a specific niche of live performers — they’re built for amateur musicians, emerging artists, and professional monitor engineers.
The launch fills a critical gap in Sony’s professional audio ecosystem.
Currently, the company covers recording with its microphones and mixing with headphones like the MDR-M1. Now, Sony supports live stage monitoring with this new affordable option.
The Sony IER-M500 will be available in Singapore by August for SG$ 139. Available colors are Red, White, and Black.
Stage-tuned audio designed by experts
Sony engineered the IER-M500 monitors to handle the harsh, loud environments of live concerts.
The company collaborated closely with top industry professionals during development. This includes veteran tour monitor engineer Noel Edwards.
Edwards noted that the sound quality of the universal-fit IER-M500 comes incredibly close to expensive custom-molded monitors.
The monitors feature a fully sealed internal structure. This design isolates your ears by blocking out loud stage noise.
Consequently, the high passive isolation protects your hearing during long sets. Inside, a dynamic driver pairs with a large acoustic chamber.
This combination produces deep, controlled bass frequencies. At the same time, the optimized internal layout refines high-frequency reproduction.
The system is also fully high-resolution audio compatible. Artists can easily hear every cue, harmony, and subtle detail on stage.
Secure fit, durable build
Comfort is highly critical during extended live performances. Sony addresses this by using original fitting supporters alongside flexible ear hangers and clips.
These additions ensure the monitors stay locked in place while you move. The package includes four sizes of noise-isolating earpieces.
These earpieces utilize a thin polyurethane wall to maximize seal and wearability.
Furthermore, the design easily stands up to the physical demands of touring. The housing resists moisture, splashes, and sweat.
Performers can move freely without worrying about water damage. The monitors also feature a detachable 1.6-meter cable. This cable is thick and durable, built specifically to handle frequent plugging and unplugging.
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