Michael Kors Unveils Runway Smartwatches With Wear OS

- August 14, 2018

The luxury brand Michael Kors recently announced that its Runway watch design returns as one of the company's newest smartwatch offerings. Among the key features of the Michael Kors Access Runway smartwatch include heart rate tracking, the ability to make purchases, and support for the Google Assistant. The wearable can track the heart rate of a person during workouts with the help of the Google Fit app, although consumers may also choose to use third-party fitness applications which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. People can monitor their heart rate with the help of new digital dial designs which shows the heart rate recorded by the smartwatch. In addition, the device features NFC and it supports payment technologies like Google Pay and AliPay. The Runway smartwatch also comes with the Google Assistant built-in, allowing users to ask questions and manage their tasks directly on their wearables. However, in China, the device instead ships with the Mobvoi Assistant pre-installed.

Michael Kors has also updated its My Social app, a software that permits people to use their personal photographs as a custom face for their wearables. The application now allows users to modify their custom smartwatch faces with Michael Kors-themed stickers.

The Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC from Qualcomm powers the Runway smartwatch and the device runs Wear OS from Google. The luxury brand also stated that its latest wearable comes with 3 ATM water resistance rating and untethered GPS. The latter hardware feature allows people to leave their handsets behind since their smartwatches are capable of recording the distance they have traveled using the built-in GPS module. The device also features support for Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy, and it contains a 300mAh battery, which Michael Kors claims could last for more than a day. The wearable is compatible with Android handsets that run Android 4.4 KitKat or newer, except for smartphones that run Android Go. Users can choose from three classic stainless steel platings, or they may also opt for the new silicone straps. The Runway smartwatch is expected to become available in both the brick-and-mortar and online stores of Michael Kors as well as from selected retailers within the month.