Smart watches try to be extensions of
the smartphone with apps, cameras and even full calling capabilities
In a bid to stay relevant in these
ever-changing times, the wristwatch is now reinventing itself. It is not quite
dead yet, but the clock display on phones has made many people decide not to
wear a separate watch. Hence there has been a noticeable decline in the number
of wristwatch purchases.
So Watchmakers have started wooing
customers with new features which include full connectivity and operating
systems. The concept of smart watches started way back in the 1980s when Casio
came out with calculator watches. This was followed by timepieces that could
measure altitude or pulse rate and even ones with television screens and radios.
But it was only in 2012 that we saw some real smart functionality being added.
While most of these smart watches today pair up with our smartphones, there are
some that support a SIM card and let you make calls directly.
So
Watchmakers have started wooing customers with new features which include full
connectivity and operating systems.
As expected for these watches, being smart
means being like a smartphone. So they too run the Android OS and can take apps.
But only will these devices ever go Mainstream? That is a question only time
can answer.
I’m Watch
One look at the i'm Watch and I wanted to
wrap it around my wrist. It was a head turner and that was not the only reason
why I was astonished. Yes, there was time on the watch, but it was also a phone
and could show my messages and contacts. Slide the screen left and we have the
main menu. There, four icons dominated the home screen. We could scroll further
down to check more apps. Similar to the notification bar in the Android
smartphone, there is a tab here that can be dragged down to show shortcuts for
sound, settings, sync and trash.
One
look at the i'm Watch and I wanted to wrap it around my wrist
How it works: There are pre-loaded apps for address book, alarm, appointments,
compass, I'm FB, I'm Gallery, I'm Time, I'm Tweet, etc. But none of this works
out of the box. We had to register the watch and then pair it with our Android
smartphone. After connecting the device over Bluetooth, we had to turn on Wi-Fi
hotspot to pair the watch. It took a visit to www.imdoud.it to configure the
apps followed by syncing with the I'm Cloud to install the apps and get
notifications on the watch. We could also transfer contacts and media files by
downloading more apps from www.imcloud.it.
How good is it: While everything sounds cool about this smart watch, there are a
few shortcomings as well. If you were to command it, most of the times the
screen response was lazy, sluggish, and the I'm Droid 2 OS crashed often. On
several occasions, the Facebook and Twitter apps crashed. On others, the screen
froze completely and the i'm Watch needed to be force-restarted. The Italians
definitely know what they are doing when it comes to design, but they seem to
be a long way away when it comes to ensuring good performance.
Burg phone watch
The Burg watch phone actually had us
confused and forced us to think whether this is exactly a smart watch or not.
While the other smart watches are extensions of the smartphone, the Burg 13 is
a phone in itself. Hidden below the screen is a regular SIM card slot
accompanied by a memory card slot. Once you insert a SIM card, the watch turns
into a phone.
While
the other smart watches are extensions of the smartphone, the Burg 13 is a
phone in itself.
How it works: Just like a regular phone, we could dial and answer calls in
speaker mode using the Burg 13. Though loud and clear, the speaker sounds a bit
weird, but the watch can be paired with Bluetooth headsets. Interestingly, the
watch picked up Internet settings automatically and we could do some basic
browsing over it. Like basic phones, it has features such as image viewer, file
manager, task list, organizer, alarm clock, media player etc. Plus, there is a
front facing camera which could be used for a bit of spying if needed as we
could record both audio and video using it. The Burg 13 has a resistive touch
display accompanied by a small pin stylus. Surprisingly, the touch screen works
even with your fingers. But this experience is spoiled by the small screen that
forced us to take out the stylus.
How good is it: This definitely is a much more user-friendly watch then the I'm
Watch. But it has an ordinary, boring design, which makes it look like a toy.
Also, it doesn't run on a smart operating system. Hence, one cannot install any
apps on the Burg 13. It can't replace a phone, but it sure can be an additional
device to flaunt in front of your friends.
Spotted at CES2013
The Consumer Electronics Show 2013
witnessed tech companies pushing 'smart watches'. Most of them were designed to
be an extension of the smartphones.
Top
5 Smart Watches of CES 2013
Toshiba Computer Graphic World: The prototype Computer Graphic Watch has changeable dial images.
Its high performance ARM SoC supports realistic computer graphic display. The
smart functionality includes connectivity with Android smartphones and the
iPhone. Once connected, the watch can alert of incoming calls, emails and
calendar schedules. Toshiba says the watch can be used to navigate with the
smartphone GPS or display news and weather updates. There was also an ECG
enabled sensor on the watch that recognizes the owner's unique pulse pattern.
Interestingly, smart functions are disabled if the watch fails to recognize the
pulse.
Pebble Watch: This is a customizable watch with downloadable watch faces and
Internet-connected apps. For instance, a cyclist will be able to use the watch
as a bike computer, accessing GPS through the smartphone or even display speed,
distance and pace. Capable of pairing with the iPhone and Android smartphones
over Bluetooth, the watch can alert the user with a vibration for incoming
calls, emails and messages. One can only pre-book the watch as of now as it is
not yet ready for shipping.
Cookoo: The
company is referring it as a wearable extension of the smartphone that helps
one manage their connected life. Designed considering the scenario that our
smartphone is not always in our hand, the watch will let the user know about
the happenings even when the phone is kept in the pocket. This watch can alert
for incoming calls, calendar reminders, text and email, social media and low
battery.
