11 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Smartwatch

Where to preorder the Google Pixel Watch 2Where to preorder the Google Pixel Watch 2
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Freediving comes to the Apple Watch Ultra’s Oceanic Plus app.

Huish Outdoors announced a ton of updates to its Oceanic Plus app for the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2. That includes a new freediving mode that allows divers to receive custom alarms for target depth, max dive time, sequential depth, surface time, and max session time. It supports freedives up to 130 feet.

There’s also a new stealth mode that dims the display so you don’t scare the fishies. That’s only scratching the surface, but you can find the full list of features here. And while you’re at it, check out the diving section of our Ultra video review.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Got any questions about the Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2?

My review of the latest Apple Watches is here. I’ll be here live from 12:30-1:30PM ET today answering any lingering questions about the new double tap gesture, S9 SiP, Siri, Precision Finding — you name it.

Just drop any questions you have in the comments of this post. See ya in a bit!

The Apple Watch Series 9 on top of the Ultra 2
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 review: small but smart improvements
Play

Iterative updates aren’t flashy, but these smartwatches are mainly for folks who don’t have Apple Watches yet.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Garmin’s back with yet another smartwatch.

This time, it’s the Vivoactive 5. It’s been roughly four years since this smartwatch has been updated and it’ll now sport a shiny new OLED display and many of the new features introduced with the Garmin Venu 3 like nap detection and wheelchair mode. It’s actually kind of difficult to tell these two watches apart, now that the Vivoactive 5 no longer has an MIP display. (Though, as always, DC Rainmaker has an extensive list spelling that out.)

To be fair, that happens when you have this many smartwatch lines.

The new Garmin Vivoactive 5
The Garmin Vivoactive 4
list of all the available Garmin watch lineups
1/3
The new Garmin Vivoactive 5
Victoria Song
Victoria Song
The new Fitbit app is here.

Earlier this year, Fitbit said the app would get a refresh this fall. Well, that refresh is rolling out starting today and simplifies the app down to three tabs — Today, Coach, and You. In a Keyword blog, Google notes you can now track workouts without a device and customize which metrics you see based on your goals.

The timing isn’t at all surprising either. We’ve seen FCC filings for a new Fitbit, and the Pixel Watch 2 will be launching aside the Pixel 8 in October. Makes sense there’d be a new Fitbit app to along with them.

How to install watchOS 10How to install watchOS 10
Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Apple has a new head for its blood glucose tracking team.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Tim Millet has taken over Apple’s secretive division exploring noninvasive blood glucose monitoring. Millet is currently Apple’s VP of platform architecture and was an important figure in transitioning from Intel chips to Apple Silicon.

That said, I would take any news of progress toward noninvasive blood glucose monitoring on the Apple Watch (or any wearable!) with several grains of salt. I did a deep dive into this topic earlier this year and after speaking with a few experts in the field, this tech is still quite a ways off from ever reaching consumers.

Ruben Salvadori
Ruben Salvadori
The $30,000 Apple Watch Apple didn’t make.

Have you ever wished your Apple Watch did absolutely nothing other than tell you the time and lasted 96 hours without charging? Then let me remind you of this $30,000 mechanical watch that came out a few Apple Watches ago. The high-horology world can be snobby, so it’s refreshing to see a brand be playful (price-tag aside) and troll a huge cultural moment.

Hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9Hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9
Play
Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Google’s adding voice memos to the Wear OS Messages app.

The future where you speak into a wrist communicator is getting closer. While many smartwatches allow you to dictate texts on your wrist, Google says it’s rolling out voice memos on the Wear OS Messages app over the next few weeks. As noted by 9to5 Google, it’s not clear whether you’ll be able to play back any messages on the wrist.

There are a few more minor Wear OS updates as well, which you can check out here.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Garmin’s fall software update is here.

One of the best things about Garmin is it often brings newer features to older models for free. Starting today, owners of the second-gen Epix, Fenix 7 series, Forerunner series, and Venu series can get some of the cool stuff introduced earlier this spring on the Epix Pro and Fenix 7 Pro. That includes the new Endurance and Hill Scores, muscle maps, weather map overlays, and... a fish forecast. You can check out the full list at the link below.

Personally, I don’t need a Hill Score to tell me I stink at uphill running but hey, it might be more helpful for you!