Acer has unveiled a fitness-focused smartwatch that delivers a host of sensors for a rather reasonable $149/€139 price point.
The Acer Leap Ware avoids Android Wear and goes instead with custom software that’s paired with iOS and Android through the Acer Liquid Life app.
It looks a bit like the dearly-departed Pebble Time Round, but does include a heart rate monitor and UV ray exposure sensor.
Related: Pebble Time Round review
The firm’s MT2511 bio-sensing chip also enables it to deliver stamina, stress and fatigue levels. It’ll also deliver blood pressure readings thanks to the buttons on the side of the watch face.
Our computing editor Michael Passingham is at Acer’s press event in New York and sent the following from a brief hands-on with the Leap Ware. In short, he wasn’t too impressed.
He says: “The Ware feels very basic, partly because it’s so light, but also because it’s made mostly from plastic. It’s fairly easy to start new running and cycling sessions from the watch face, with just a couple of swipes, but it didn’t always respond when I tried it.
“The companion app looks fairly comprehensive, but it’ll also need to be compatible with third-party apps like Strava for it to be a success”
Battery level is touted as 3-5 days, while it has a 42mm watch face coated with Gorilla Glass SR+, coupled with 20mm bands. It’s also IPX7 water and dust resistant.
The Acer Leap Ware will arrive in North America in July, but won’t be available in Europe until the second half of 2017.
Is this the natural successor to the Pebble Time Round? Share your thoughts in the comments section below
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
