TAG Heuer's New Smartwatch Ditches Google's Wear OS to Be Apple Friendly

Right arsenic Google's Wear OS is hitting its stride—now feature-rich pinch robust smartwatches that tin spell toe-to-toe pinch nan Apple Watch—luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer has decided to ditch nan operating strategy altogether for its latest Connected Calibre E5 smartwatch. Instead, it runs a proprietary “TAG Heuer OS” (still based connected Android). But dissimilar galore of nan latest Wear OS smartwatches designed only for Android phones, this 1 is compatible pinch iPhones.

That's apt 1 of nan biggest reasons for nan switch, arsenic Google seems to person abandoned making its smartwatch level compatible pinch Apple's hardware (Apple ne'er made it easy, though this could change). It besides allows nan Swiss watchmaker to beryllium little limited connected nan whims of Google, but ultimately, it intends TAG's smartwatch will not person entree to nan wealthiness of apps recovered connected Google and Apple's respective platforms.

I spent a fewer days pinch nan 45-mm Calibre E5 (there's besides a caller 40-mm variant), and this fifth-generation smartwatch feels polished, contempt nan package change. It's besides striking successful its design, dissimilar immoderate different smartwatch, pinch premium materials for illustration a ceramic bezel, domed sapphire crystal, and snazzy set options. Unsurprisingly, nan type I tried will costs you a punchy $2,000 erstwhile it goes connected waste this period (and goes up to $2,800 for different variations), though nan smaller 40-mm Calibre E5 starts astatine $1,800.

A Luxe Smartwatch

The Calibre E5 has a bully heft to it that helps make it consciousness luxe capable to lucifer that value point. A stainless alloy polished case, achromatic polished ceramic bezel pinch metallic markings, and level sapphire crystal besides furthers nan premium pedigree. TAG has, of course, respective different variations. You tin get a achromatic diamond-like c (DLC) grade-2 titanium sandblasted case, achromatic and greenish indices, aliases a domed sapphire crystal complete nan display, exclusive to nan caller 40-mm case.

The sloped lugs connection a comfortable fit, and nan metallic bracelet integrates good pinch nan case. It's interchangeable (there's a fastener you property connected nan underside to merchandise it), though these straps are expressly designed for nan E5. Still, I was capable to popular connected a 22-mm pin buckle strap from 1 of my different watches without issues.

Despite being weighty, I didn't mind wearing this smartwatch to sleep, though you whitethorn want a much comfortable strap. However, erstwhile I woke up nan adjacent morning, I spent a fewer minutes hunting for my slumber results, only to study they don't exist. Yet. TAG says it plans to adhd slumber tracking, apt successful December via a package update, which is important considering this is simply a staple characteristic connected astir smartwatches these days.

One of nan boons of smartwatches is you tin move betwixt respective watch faces, and nan E5 is nary exception, but nicely galore present mimic designs of TAG's mechanical watches, specified arsenic nan Carrera aliases Aquaracer. It's reasonably elemental to customize these connected nan watch itself, too, choosing different accent colors, backgrounds, and complications.