Voice control smartwatch AI is not a gimmick—it is the future of wearable interaction, according to COROS CEO Lewis Wu. In a recent interview with TechRadar, Wu laid out why the company is betting heavily on conversational interfaces and AI-powered coaching as the primary way users will interact with their watches and training apps as large language models mature.
Key Takeaways
- COROS is rolling out voice control features in beta on select smartwatches with built-in microphones.
- Voice commands work both outside workouts (reminders, find phone) and during training (adjust treadmill speed, track lane changes).
- CEO Lewis Wu believes voice will become the dominant interface as AI integration deepens in wearables.
- The feature is positioned as a competitive differentiator against Apple Watch and Garmin’s existing voice capabilities.
- COROS sees conversational AI as more natural than traditional touchscreen menu navigation for training data and device control.
Why COROS is Betting on Voice Over Hardware Specs
Most smartwatch makers compete on processor power, battery life, and screen quality. COROS is taking a different angle. Wu argues that as AI becomes embedded in wearables, the interface—not the silicon—will determine which watches win. Voice is more intuitive than swiping through menus or tapping tiny buttons, especially when you are mid-workout or hands are wet. This is not about gimmicks; it is about usability at scale.
The company is testing this theory with its new voice control beta, which is available on select COROS models equipped with microphones. Users can press and hold an action button to activate voice commands. Outside of workouts, voice can handle everyday tasks: setting reminders, finding a lost phone, or starting a quick timer. During active training, voice becomes a coaching tool—adjust treadmill speed, mark lane changes, or log splits without breaking stride.
Voice Control Smartwatch AI: The Competitive Angle
Apple Watch has offered Siri for years. Garmin has its own voice integration. So why does COROS believe it can compete on this front? The answer lies in how COROS plans to layer AI on top of voice. Wu’s comments suggest the company sees voice not as a single feature, but as the foundation for a more conversational training experience. As AI tools mature, watches will move from executing one-off commands to having natural back-and-forth dialogue with users about their workouts, recovery, and goals.
This is a significant strategic pivot. Traditional smartwatch interfaces—menus, icons, swipes—were designed for single-tap interactions. They do not scale well to the kind of nuanced, context-aware coaching that AI can provide. Voice, combined with large language models, allows watches to understand intent, not just keywords. A user might say, “I felt sluggish today—adjust my next workout,” and the watch could respond with a tailored suggestion rather than just executing a preset command.
The AI Era Demands a New Interface Model
Wu’s core argument is simple: when AI becomes central to wearables, the interaction model has to change. Touchscreen navigation works fine for basic fitness tracking, but it breaks down when you need to have a conversation with an AI coach. Voice is the bridge between traditional smartwatch functionality and the next generation of AI-powered training tools. The company believes this shift will reshape how watches and training apps communicate with users as LLMs mature.
This philosophy extends beyond just voice commands. COROS is signaling that it sees the smartwatch ecosystem as ripe for a fundamental rethink. Apple and Garmin have spent years optimizing their existing interfaces. COROS, as a smaller player, is positioning itself as the company willing to rebuild the interaction model from scratch around voice and conversational AI. It is a bold bet, but it also reflects a genuine insight: most smartwatch UX today feels dated when compared to what AI could enable.
Execution Challenges and Market Reality
Betting on voice is not without risk. Voice recognition in noisy environments remains imperfect. Training in rain, on a crowded track, or in a busy gym presents real challenges. COROS has limited the feature to select models with microphones, which restricts its reach. The beta status also suggests the company is still refining accuracy and reliability before rolling it out more broadly.
Comparing COROS’s approach to Apple and Garmin reveals different philosophies. Apple leans on ecosystem lock-in and brand loyalty. Garmin dominates through specialized training features and ruggedness. COROS is trying to win through interface innovation and the promise of AI-first design. Whether users actually prefer voice to traditional controls remains an open question, but the company’s willingness to experiment is noteworthy in a market where most competitors iterate incrementally.
What Changes When Voice Becomes the Default?
If Wu is right, the entire smartwatch category could shift. Smaller screens become less of a limitation if voice handles most interactions. Battery life pressure eases if the watch is not constantly lighting up for menu navigation. App design changes fundamentally—instead of cramming features into nested menus, developers build conversational flows. Training apps become more like coaching partners and less like data dashboards.
This is not a near-term transformation. Voice control is in beta. It is available on a limited set of watches. The AI layer that Wu describes is still being developed. But the direction is clear: COROS is placing a bet that the next five years of smartwatch evolution will be defined by how naturally a watch can talk to you, not by how fast its processor is or how long its battery lasts.
Will Voice Control Actually Beat Apple and Garmin?
COROS faces an uphill battle. Apple’s ecosystem and Garmin‘s training credibility are formidable advantages. Voice control alone will not dethrone either competitor. However, if COROS executes well on AI integration and voice becomes genuinely useful during training—not just a novelty—the company could carve out a loyal niche among users who value conversational interaction over traditional menu navigation. The smartwatch market has room for differentiation, and interface innovation is one of the few areas where a smaller player can compete on equal footing.
Is voice control available on all COROS watches?
No. Voice control is available only on select COROS smartwatch models equipped with microphones. The feature is currently in beta, so not all watches in the lineup support it yet. Check COROS’s official product pages to see which models have the microphone hardware required for voice commands.
Can I use voice commands during a workout?
Yes. Voice control works both outside and during workouts. During active training, you can use voice to adjust settings like treadmill speed, mark lane changes, or log splits without stopping or removing your watch from your wrist. Outside workouts, voice can handle reminders, find-my-phone features, and other everyday tasks.
How does COROS’s voice strategy compare to Apple Watch?
Apple Watch has offered Siri voice control for years, but COROS is positioning voice differently—as the foundation for conversational AI coaching rather than just command execution. As AI tools mature, COROS believes voice will enable more natural, context-aware interactions between watch and user. Apple’s approach remains more transactional, while COROS is betting on dialogue-based training experiences.
COROS CEO Lewis Wu is making a bold claim: voice and AI will define the next era of smartwatches, not raw hardware specs or ecosystem size. Whether the company can execute on that vision remains to be seen, but the strategic clarity is refreshing in a market often driven by incremental updates and spec-sheet one-upmanship. If voice control actually works during real workouts and AI integration delivers genuine coaching value, COROS could genuinely challenge Apple and Garmin on the one front where they have not yet dominated—the interface itself.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: TechRadar
