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Once upon a time, for a wide audience, smartphones replaced cameras, players, e-books, and combined almost all possible functions. Today, we see how gradually most of these functions appear on smart watches, and we can assume that very soon they will take the place of the most common devices.

Now the situation is such that most people either use a smart watch as an addition to a smartphone, or do not find the device necessary for themselves. But this does not mean at all that the watches are going to stop at the conquered market segment and in 2018 we still have many models that will be interesting to look at.

Among our expectations are both established representatives and new ones. Well, let’s not delay.

Microsoft Surface Watch

Microsoft is undoubtedly a major player in the market and a manufacturer of many devices. It must be said that Microsoft Surface devices are in high demand and very popular. However, despite this fact, the company is practically absent from the smartphone market. Every year we hope to see a Surface Phone and every year it doesn’t launch, but now the rumors have spread to the watch, and many are seriously talking about the possibility of Microsoft finally launching its own smartwatch in 2018.

If, after all, both the watch and the smartphone appear this year, then most likely it will happen at the same time. It is also rumored that the development of the watch is already at the prototype stage, which is awaiting approval.

From what we know, it is likely that the watch will be made with an aluminum case, and the display design will be more square than round.

It should be noted that the Microsoft watch will have to compete directly with the Apple Watch to enter the market, and this will not be easy, with three existing generations of Apple watches and a fairly strong fan base. Therefore, Microsoft Surface Watch simply has no right to disappoint fans.

HTC Halfbreak

At the beginning of 2017, leaked photos already appeared on the Internet, which were called watches from HTC. Of course, among fans of mobile technology, this has generated a lot of talk about the fact that most likely, we will actually see the launch of this watch soon. In 2017, this did not happen, but this does not mean at all that the company has completely abandoned this idea. Despite the fact that official confirmation from HTC has not yet been received, many prefer to believe that the watch will still appear.

In those same photos, it has a round OLED display, runs on Android, and combines a retro watch look with a number of specific features.

In addition to the HTC logo, the Armor logo was also noted, and the watch, according to information, is called Halfbreak.

Again, according to as yet unconfirmed information, the watch will be available in two colors – black and red, and will be equipped with a heart rate sensor.

As for the rest of the specifications, most likely they will combine the functions of a smartwatch and a fitness tracker, and are aimed at fans of the HTC brand.

Google smart watch

Google is trying to keep up with competitors in the mobile industry and now the Google Pixel 2 smartphone is very popular. Therefore, it is quite expected that sooner or later, the company will still please fans with smartwatches of its own production. Moreover, we have repeatedly heard that Google is working on the creation of two models at once, the names of which, according to rumors, will sound like Angelfish and Swordfish. It’s hard to say why the names turned out to be so “fishy”, but they definitely arouse interest.

The first model, the Angelfish, will appear in 42mm and 46mm. In other words, Google will use the same tactics that we have seen from Apple. But as for the second watch model, nothing specific is known about them yet.

All we can say is that both models will most likely run Android Wear 2.0 (or later if it comes first).

The specs and pricing of both models are still a mystery, but there are rumors that Google will try to fill two niches at once: a premium smartwatch and a budget option. In other words, the Swordfish model will be the cheaper of the two.

Apple Watch Series 4

Of course, after the big and bright introduction of the Apple Watch 3 in 2017, we almost immediately began to wonder in what direction the brand will take next. So far, there is talk that the company will launch a completely new line of watches.

The design of these watches will be very different, and perhaps the watch will even get a round retro display, instead of the usual square one. Since the current Apple Watch devices do an excellent job with all the tasks, we can safely say that the 4th generation will receive a new chip for work and more RAM. There are also rumors that Apple wants to focus on the fitness component of the smartwatch concept. This is quite reasonable, considering that now this part remains somewhat secondary.

Apple Watch Series 4, again, according to unconfirmed information, will track sleep phases, heart rate, calorie burn, number of steps taken, and so on. That is, we can assume that it will be a little more of a fitness device and a little less of a communication and entertainment device.

In terms of other features, the Apple Watch already has everything it needs to work offline from a smartphone, so it’s reasonable to assume that the next device will continue the same trend. Water-resistance and a durable case are a must. But an interesting addition is that the company may try to get rid of the excess screen bezel, just like it did in the iPhone X.

Motorola Moto 360 3

Another interesting device that could get a continuation of its history is a smart watch from Motorola. Excellent reviews have already received both the first generation of these watches and the second. So, not far off and the third.

Previously, conventional wisdom claimed that the watch would be launched in 2017, but for unclear reasons, the launch of the model was delayed, and it is likely that it will be until 2018. There is no information on the timing yet, but there are certain specifications that are expected from the Motorola Moto 360 3.

First of all, the watch will work on Android Wear 2.0, and the display will have a diagonal of 1.40 inches and a resolution of 420x360p. Glass will be reliably protected with the help of the notorious Gorilla Glass. Also, according to the information, the clock will receive a gigabyte of RAM and 4 gigabytes of built-in. And they will work on Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100.

In terms of sensors, there will be a heart rate sensor, temperature sensor, magnetometer, and more.

The battery will also not disappoint – 630 mAh at a very low power consumption of the device, and the performance is higher than that of previous models by as much as 25%. Of course, for synchronization and other things, the watch will receive GPS, NFC, Bluetooth v4.1, etc. Plus, they’ll get wireless charging.

We can already say that this watch from Motorola will receive no less recognition than its predecessors, so it will probably be very interesting to take a look at it.

One Plus Watch

One watch model that has not yet appeared, but is of particular interest to everyone who is more or less following the latest in the industry, is the watch from OnePlus. Given the success and high quality of OnePlus smartphones, from the very first to the fifth model, everyone is extremely interested to know what the company will be able to surprise fans in 2018. It is clear that many people are envisioning the launch of their own watches in 2018. At least for this reason, that all major competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Sony, etc. have already made their mark in this market. And today, OnePlus really has such an opportunity.

What attracts this idea is the fact that OnePlus always has an attractive price with very high device characteristics.

So far, there has been no official confirmation from OnePlus representatives, but many assume that the OnePlus watch will receive a round case, a heart rate sensor, a pedometer and certain fitness functions. Most likely, the watch will have protection against water and dust, and of course, a metal case. Well, it remains to wait and see with your own eyes.

Sony Smartwatch 4

Back to the big names, remember that Sony only recently launched the Smartwatch 3 in 2017, but everyone is already looking forward to the next step. Watches from Sony are popular all over the world, and receive very positive reviews, but very little is known about the 4th generation.

The design will most likely remain unchanged, and the watch will still be equipped with a square display.

The sensors, of course, will remain in place and it will be possible to measure the heartbeat, steps, sleep and much more. Perhaps this time the protection will be IP67, that is, we will get an extremely durable and hardy device.

Most likely, the metal design will continue to exist and NFC, GPS, etc. profiles. will also remain in place.

Let nothing revolutionary be expected from these watches yet, most likely, they will rely on the improvement of already familiar and beloved characteristics more than on innovations. But then again, we’ll all see as soon as the official announcement comes out.

Here are perhaps the biggest names in the smartwatch industry worth talking about. It can be noted that the trend of expectations is leaning towards the appearance of round displays on devices. Apparently, the external design, initially rejected by many manufacturers, nevertheless proved to be convenient, which is why it is of interest.

More and more watches are seeking independence from smartphones, and as many functions as possible. Therefore, it can be assumed that watches do have a much brighter future as standalone devices.

It remains only to cross our fingers and wait for official confirmations, which will only further fuel interest in the novelties awaiting us in the smartwatch market.