News

Smartwatches are doing even worse than expected

Published

December 21, 2016

Marvin Velasco

We already mentioned the current state of smartwatches as a big, fat miss in our recent year-ender compilation, but now, things are looking even bleaker for 2017.

Based on a report done by eMarketer, the research firm expected a smartwatch usage growth of more than 60 percent among adults in the US this year. Instead, the forecast has changed to only 24.7 percent, which is clearly a huge drop.

This translates to 39.5 million American adults using an internet-connected watch this year, as opposed to the original estimate of 63.7 million users. Making the situation worse is a penetration rate of just 21.1 percent by the year 2020 — not good at all.

Reasons for the slump are obvious, but still worth noting. There just isn’t enough reason to use a smartwatch on top of a smartphone, and while phones are improving in the cost-friendly segments, smartwatches are still maintaining exuberant prices.

eMarketer analyst Cathy Boyle had this to say:

They [consumer surveys] also reported high price-sensitivity. Without a clear use case for smartwatches — which have more features than fitness trackers, but significant overlap with smartphone functionality — the more sophisticated, expensive devices have not caught on as quickly as expected.

Ouch.

With news of the next generation of Android Wear being delayed until early 2017 — and the likes of Moto pulling out of the platform completely — we don’t see high-tech watches taking off, either. It doesn’t help that Samsung, who’s one of the leading brands in this category, relies on its own operating system, and not Android Wear.

Adding to the flames is Apple suspiciously hiding its latest sales numbers for both generations of the Apple Watch, as well as the well-loved Pebble brand being bought out by fitness tracker giant Fitbit for less than $40 million.

Still, there’s hope in hybrid smartwatches. With smart functionality in traditional watch designs, they last for months on battery power while retaining fitness tracking and handset connectivity features. We went as far as listing the Fossil Q Hybrid Smartwatch in our Holiday Gift Guide.

[irp posts=”8312″ name=”Here’s why you won’t see a new Moto smartwatch anytime soon”]

Sources: eMarketer, Business Insider

Related Topics:Android Wear Apple Moto Samsung

Gaming

Horizon Steel Frontiers is an MMO set in the Horizon universe

The game is built for mobile but will have cross-play gameplay with PC.

Published

November 13, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

A few months ago, Sony sued Tencent for copying design elements from the Horizon series for the latter’s upcoming game, Light of Motiram. Though the game has been relatively silent since the kerfuffle, was Tencent on to something? Today, Sony and a Korean studio named NCSoft have officially announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe.

It’s not just a simple announcement either. The title now has an official 10-minute video to preview the upcoming title. Right now, the trailer has nothing but cinematics, pre-alpha footage, and developer interviews. However, it’s a clear commitment to bringing the MMO to life.

Both the cinematics and the pre-alpha footage show off the familiar mechanical beasts of the series. The main goal of the title is to team up with other players and take down colossal beasts.

The game is set in the Deathlands, a new region inspired by Arizona and New Mexico. Players will have the entire state to play with. And, instead of Aloy, they can create their own personalized characters.

Horizon Steel Frontiers is built for smartphones. However, Sony and NCSoft are working towards cross-platform gameplay for the PC.

Right now, especially since the released footage is from pre-alpha development, we don’t know when the MMO will launch. However, it does look extremely exciting for fans of the original duology.

Gaming

Elden Ring Nightreign is getting a DLC update this December

The update introduces two new Nightfarers and bosses.

Published

November 12, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

After Shadow of the Erdtree concluded the Elden Ring saga, FromSoftware kept the fire going with Elden Ring Nightreign, a multiplayer-focused standalone roguelike set in the same universe. It was a unique experience that breathed new life into the studio’s tough-as-nails dynamic. Now, before the year ends, FromSoftware has announced The Forsaken Hollows, a new DLC coming for Nightreign.

Even from launch, it was apparent that FromSoftware had content updates in store for Nightreign. The studio promised new maps and Nightfarers for the multiplayer game.

Yesterday, an earnings report hinted that the DLC was shipping out potentially early next year. Today, the studio dispelled all speculation and said that the DLC is definitely coming before the year ends.

The announcement expands the already-meaty game with two new playable Nightfarers: the arcane-wielding Scholar and the strength-slash-faith-focused Undertaker. Both characters, featured in the trailer, will introduce their special set of skills in the continuous battle against the Nightlord.

Besides the two new characters, two new bosses are coming to Limveld. We don’t know much about the two bosses. However, knowing FromSoftware, the studio is likely keeping them under wraps, so they can stomp on us harder.

Finally, the update introduces a new Shifting Earth area called The Great Hollow. The area is filled with “exotic ruins and temples; sacred towers denoting the remains of an ancient people; and crystals that exude a cursed, life-draining miasma.”

The Forsaken Hollows is a paid DLC coming to Elden Ring Nightreign on December 3. Though the DLC can be purchased separately, it’s already included in the Deluxe Edition and the Collectors Edition. It’s also available for those who purchased the Deluxe Edition Upgrade.

News

Apple reportedly shelved the iPhone Air series indefinitely

The delay is because of low sales.

Published

November 11, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

On its own, the iPhone 17 Air is a mighty device. However, if you consider that the vastly superior iPhone 17 Pro series is only a hundred bucks away from the Air series, the thinner iPhone model becomes less attractive. Based on actual sales, it looks like Apple users think the same way. In response to low demand, Apple has reportedly shelved the next iPhone Air indefinitely.

Since the series launched a few months ago, numerous reports have speculated that the iPhone 17 Air isn’t performing as Apple expected. Given how Apple held out a lot of hope for the iPhone 17’s new designs, the Air’s failure to meet expectations is a big blow. Soon after the first reports trickled in, Apple reportedly dialed back on production to balance out the lower demand.

Now, as reported by The Information, Apple has reportedly delayed the next iPhone Air model indefinitely. Previously, the company was scheduled to release a new model next year alongside the iPhone 18 series. That’s not happening now.

Right now, there is no timeline for the next Air, if it is coming. That said, it’s still likely that Apple is still working on a new Air. It just might take some time while the company figures out how to make the next model pop.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Air Review