- TAG Heuer has a new smartwatch with Made for iPhone certification
- The Connected Calibre E5 sees TAG Heuer abandon Wear OS
- It features a range of health features and better iOS integration
TAG Heuer’s best smartwatches have loyally stuck with Wear OS over the years, but that’s all changing with the company’s latest effort. With the release of the Connected Calibre E5, TAG Heuer has switched its focus to iOS connectivity, complete with Made for iPhone certification accompanying the watch.
The device is the successor to the Connected Calibre E4, which impressed us when we reviewed it. But in abandoning Wear OS, TAG Heuer has set its latest smartwatch on a new path, outfitting the Connected Calibre E5 with its own custom operating system, sensibly dubbed TAG Heuer OS. This comes with a new user interface, fresh animations and improved menus.
TAG Heuer says that around 70% of its users pair their watches with an iPhone, so the switch from an Android-based Wear OS smartwatch to better iPhone compatibility makes sense. Made for iPhone means that a certified device meets Apple’s standards for connectivity and software, and in practice, it ensures better integration with iOS devices.
That means faster pairing, consistent updates, and better Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. It should also improve health data synchronization, notifications, and call handling, all of which could be problematic for iPhone users in TAG Heuer’s past Wear OS watches.
An Apple Watch alternative
On the hardware side, the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 comes with an AMOLED display that measures 1.39 inches across in the 45mm model and 1.2 inches in the 40mm edition. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 5100+ chip and comes with touch controls, enhanced brightness and haptic feedback.
There are plenty of sensors, too, which enable a wide range of health and fitness features. Those sensors can monitor your blood oxygen, heart rate and heart rate variability, breathing rate, sleep quality and calories burned. There’s also an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer, plus dual-band GNSS, which improves GPS accuracy.
You’ll be able to make calls on the watch, as well as play music, receive notifications and view your health and fitness stats with a suite of tools. That said, it might not be a complete Apple Watch alternative in the strictest sense, as the Connected Calibre E5 does not support third-party apps or LTE connectivity. Like the Apple Watch, it lacks Google Pay compatibility, too.
If you’re interested in this device, its pricing starts at $1,600. That puts it on the extremely pricey side as far as smartwatches go, but there’s plenty to be said for its style and brand-new Made for iPhone certification – if it proves to be a success, it could make a name for itself as one of the best smartwatches for iPhones.
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