CES 2021: Armed with the latest tech

The Consumer Electronics Show 2021 (January 11-14) turned out to be the largest digital tech industry event in history, with over 2,000 companies—including almost 700 startups from 37 countries – launching innovations that will move the world forward. In the field of wearables in particular, advances in sensor technology, smart fabrics, cloud computing, flexible membranes and more are taking fitness and wearables to the next level, helping track activity and extend connectivity.

At the all-digital CES 2021, a number of new smartwatches and wearables were showcased, and of these at least four are confirmed to be launched in India.

Michael Kors Access Gen 5E: Powered with Wear OS by Google, these have features such as health and wellness-related tracking, a built-in speaker for Bluetooth-enabled calling, and contactless NFC payment capabilities. The watches include the Gen 5E Darci (priced Rs 25,995, will be available in India March onwards), and the Access Gen 5E MKGO (will be available at select MK boutique stores worldwide, price not announced).

Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR: Fusing classic style with smart technology, the Hybrid HR smartwatches work with phones running the latest version of Android or iOS. Features include two-week battery life, e-ink display, activity and sleep tracking, custom watch faces, heart rate sensor, GPS, music control, accelerometer, rapid charging (50 minutes to 80%), and so on. The Jorn Hybrid HR smartwatch will be available in India April onwards for Rs 14,495.

Amazfit GTR 2e and GTS 2e: The two latest additions to the Amazfit GT 2 series will be launched in India this month. While the GTR 2e has a classic round design with a rotatable, 1.39-inch Amoled high-definition screen, the GTS 2e has a square design and a rotatable, 1.65-inch HD Amoled screen comparable in clarity to the latest smartphones. The brand said these will be “at affordable price points for the Indian consumers.”

Fossil Gen 5 LTE Touchscreen: It is enabled with 4G cellular connectivity powered by Verizon, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform, and Wear OS by Google, and this means Android phone users can stay connected with texting and calling abilities without needing their phone. It also has 8GB storage. It will be first launched in the US and available in India only 2022 onwards; prices haven’t been announced.