Omate TrueSmart Watch Stands Alone — No Phone Required 167
jarold writes to point out an intriguing entry in the expanding smart-watch field: the Omate TrueSmart watch. Production of samples is about start on the watch after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Unlike some of the smart watches now out (or promised for soon), the TrueSmart is capable of making voice calls, sending texts, and using social media messaging without a separate smartphone or tablet. The specs are impressive, for something you wear on your wrist: Android 4.2.2 running on a dual core Cortex A7 and half a gig of RAM, 4GB of storage (expandable via micro-SD slot).
Watch phones are nothing new. (Score:2)
The only special thing about this one is the specs and it's running Android.
Is this commercial break almost over?
Re: (Score:2)
Several Android smart watches already exist.
This is nothing new.
Re: (Score:1)
Several Android smart watches already exist.
This is nothing new.
Where are they?
Re: (Score:2)
The reviews are not flattering.
Re: (Score:1, Informative)
Several Android smart watches already exist.
This is nothing new.
Where are they?
http://www.imsmart.com/en [imsmart.com]
The reviews are not flattering.
Nope. That's just another watch that connects to your actual smartphone via bluetooth... It's not an actual smartphone IN a watch. Still waiting for proof of "Several Android smart watches already exist. This is nothing new." being a relevant statement for this article.
Re: (Score:1)
It very clearly is a relevant statement for this article. The question is whether it is a true statement.
Re: (Score:2)
Actually I was just looking for a Bluetooth waterproof watch that would vibrate or something for when I am riding my jetski, because I do not want to drop my expensive phone in the water when I need to make a call or take a call.
So I did a search on Amazon and found nothing but non Bluetooth cell phone watches just a couple days ago.
I do not know why someone would want a cell phone in a watch its not going to be as nice as current phones are, and you would have to pay for a another carrier contract and sepa
Re: (Score:2)
BTW, I have seen the Pebble and Sony watches that are just Bluetooth extensions like I want, but they do not seem to be able to actually take a call on the watch, they just let you get messages/email or apps on the watch.
It would be nice to be able to use a small speaker phone on the watch even if I had to hold it to me ear, nothing expensive Bluetooth devices like this that just go in your ear are pretty cheap, but I wear glasses and wearing one on my ear the whole time would suck. I just want a cheap Blue
Re: (Score:3)
There's a specialised market for phones of this size in the UK - if they make a version without the strap lugs, they could be on to a winner!:
http://gizmodo.com/uk-moves-to-ban-phones-designed-to-fit-up-prisoner-butt-1178815285 [gizmodo.com]
Re: (Score:2)
That.. adds a whole new facet to the concept of "phone sex" :p what's even more ludicrous is the linked story where people were smuggling in normal smartphones.. ouchhhh.. :s
Re: (Score:3)
Does it come with a 'vibrate' ringer option?
Re: (Score:3)
Hell, when I was in the joint, there were guys who could have fit an LG Optimus up there and still have room for an ounce of weed and a Dremel tool.
We used to joke, "...help me find my keys and we'll drive out of here."
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I've only seen one phone that boasted an 'always on' time display, and that was my old Nokia N8 with an AMOLED screen (very low power). This thing needs to work as a watch first and foremost! TIA
I know it's not what you're asking, but the N9 also has the same "always on" display feature with current time. Technically, it's not always on. It's dark when the proximity sensor is covered, as it would be if it were in a pocket, purse, holster, fanny pack, etc.
But you're right that this would be an essential feature of wrist-mounted device. I'm old enough to have had an LED watch, and the need to push a button to display the time was the worst thing about it. Worse than the horrible battery life and the
Re: (Score:3)
Undoing mod points to ask: Does the screen permanently display the time - as a normal watch does - or do you need to 'wake' the watch up?
I've only seen one phone that boasted an 'always on' time display, and that was my old Nokia N8 with an AMOLED screen (very low power). This thing needs to work as a watch first and foremost! TIA
I don't know about this particular device, but it got me thinking that, at least in similar devices, I can't imagine it would be too difficult to include an accelerometer and have it wait for a gesture to wake up the display. For example, a quick flick of the wrist through 120 degrees and back again would be sufficiently unusual to not be done accidentally, not so odd that you'd look conspicuous doing it, and very easy to remember. Yeah, you wouldn't wanna try it with a Starbucks soy chai latte in your ha
Re: (Score:2)
Refreshing (Score:5, Interesting)
Nothing like having the refreshing backplate of a smoldering hot CPU tied around your wrist.
I hope it comes with a quick release mechanism.
Re: (Score:3)
It looks low end enough not to get particularly warm. Dual core A7 and 512MB RAM are not a lot.
Battery life looks like more of an issue. The advantage of smart watches without their own phone functionality is that they can run for a week on a charge (the good ones anyway).
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
It looks low end enough not to get particularly warm. Dual core A7 and 512MB RAM are not a lot.
Battery life looks like more of an issue. The advantage of smart watches without their own phone functionality is that they can run for a week on a charge (the good ones anyway).
Someone will figure a way to adapt the old "self winding" eccentric weight system to a charging component like a spring driven micro generator. The old self winding watches went to great lengths to prevent over-winding, and the amount of energy the watch collected and used was a lot less than what was actually available by collecting momentum from the users movements.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_watch [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I hear Seiko are working on something called a kinetic. I can't give any more details as I'm off to a Duran Duran concert.
Re: (Score:3)
A pocket watch would dissipate heat better and the chain could work as usb cable.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
Lighten up, Francis.
Re: (Score:2)
For Christ's sake, if you want someone to take you seriously, never use the words "lololol" ever, ever. Ever.
AC is right. If people online don't take you seriously, then... um... hmm...
What's the advantage of slashdotters taking someone seriously? The article states that they have had a successful kickstarter, so they have convinced people to give money to them. Between people "taking me seriously" and people giving me money, I'd prefer the second. I don't take myself very seriously, nor does my ego depend on people (especially ones who have never met me thinking I'm not "a forty year old, divorced single m
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe it was supposed to be a "lol" with a tiny watchband around it?
Old Technology (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Old Technology - Michael Knight (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I always did prefer my carr watch, o wait i mean KITT watch
Re: (Score:2)
Anonymous Cowards are only pretend...
Heat (Score:4, Interesting)
I have what is now a quite low end phone, Galaxy Ace.
That thing gets warm if you use it "intensively", i.e. play a game that maxes it out. It has a considerably larger area over which to dissipate heat. I wonder how this one does.
Though I'm struggling to think of what would max out such a tiny device anyway. I can't see it running games or sitting there headless running a folding client.
Re:Heat (Score:5, Informative)
The idea is probably that this watch device uses a newer SoC that requires less power.
Your Galaxy Ace has a 65nm CPU. I dare say a brand new dual core Cortex A7 is built on something a little smaller. All of MediaTek's Cortex A7's with 3G support appear to be 28nm.
Re: (Score:1, Redundant)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
On a tiny screen.
Re: (Score:2)
Technology gets more power efficient. Something as computationally powerful as your Galaxy Ace these days uses a lot less power and generates less heat.
Re: (Score:2)
I want one (Score:2)
That's all I've got. A standalone device,,, very interesting. Depending on price and availability, I'd like one.
Back in the nineties there was a watch that was a pager, and you could also get news headlines and stock reports on it. I wore mine 24 hours a day and got a skin infection... wait, too much information. Suffice it to say, I really liked that product and this one looks very interesting.
Re: (Score:2)
I wore mine 24 hours a day and got a skin infection... wait, too much information.
You got a skin infection from too much information? Hmm. Maybe that crusty orange lump isn't a cheeto...
Re: (Score:2)
I wore mine 24 hours a day and got a skin infection... wait, too much information.
You got a skin infection from too much information? Hmm. Maybe that crusty orange lump isn't a cheeto...
Cute. Dermatophytosis, if you must know. It happens sometimes when sweaty skin is kept covered for too long by something that doesn't breathe. The moral being, rubber watch straps aren't a good idea, and "take off your watch once in awhile".
What's the use of putting the phone inside? (Score:1)
What if I want a smart watch but no phone? Putting the phone inside the watch isn't going to help. I value my privacy, and don't want to walk around with an effective radiolocation beacon.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Is there an easy way to completely remove the radio circuits, or physically disconnect them from any power leads?
Re: (Score:2)
This is a smartphone and a watch.
It you don't want the smartphone part, then don't buy it. Buy something else (like a watch).
(OTOH, you could try hitting it with a hammer or putting it in the microwave but these are not very precise methods and may not produce the intended results.)
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I've wanted something like this since I was a kid. Something incredibly useful, portable, does many functions, even phone calls, from a watch? Hell yeah I'll buy one.
Someone mentioned heat and games. I don't want to play games on it.
I want to text, make phone calls, maybe pictures / video, and get information on it. Like news or directions. It shouldn't heat up too much with that barring the
video.
Technology has been useful, and it has been convenient for the task it's replacing/performing. However it is rarely convenient to carry with you all the time.
Priceless.
Seriously? Remember texting on the old dumb phones? The ones with the small screens? Ya, you get the small screens with these "smart watches" . Hope the texting works for you, using 1 hand (after all, you aren't going to take the watch off to hold it in two hands to text, right?) on that small screen. Not even sure how you want to use it as a phone, hold it up to your ear? bluetooth headset? Did you even think this thru?
I know this sound cool when we were kids (not sure when you were a kid,
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I only use 1 hand to write text messages (the other is holding the phone) Swype is very effective at this. If the device is strapped to my arm, it's being held, and my other hand does the Swyping. There is one issue though, and it's something that nothing really can be done about it. It suffers the same issues that plague so many pieces of equipment, not left-hand friendly. I guess it can be overcome by wearing the watch on the right arm, but that feels unnatural.
Either way, I'm certain it takes voice comma
Re: (Score:2)
I only use 1 hand to write text messages (the other is holding the phone) Swype is very effective at this. If the device is strapped to my arm, it's being held, and my other hand does the Swyping. There is one issue though, and it's something that nothing really can be done about it. It suffers the same issues that plague so many pieces of equipment, not left-hand friendly. I guess it can be overcome by wearing the watch on the right arm, but that feels unnatural.
Either way, I'm certain it takes voice commands so you can dictate messages to it.
MessagEase [exideas.com] might be better, considering the limited space.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
You won't text on it, that's so last century. You'll talk to it, and it will send text. Standard Android speech-to-text is very good these days.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
How about strapping a normal smartphone to your wrist? I tried it with elastic bands just for a laugh.
Knight Rider (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I also want to get a new one after each jump! :D
Instant 3D printing on the spot! No need to get out!
Question: (Score:2)
Is it James Bond or Dick Tracy like, with my left arm riased & talking to watch & looking as if in some sort of conspiration?
Well, I still might like it. Pondering whether to order one or not...
Re: (Score:2)
Bluetooth earpiece or similar.
Re: (Score:2)
From the Article:
600mAH battery
Multi-touch Capacitive Touch Screen at 1.54 inches
Color display of 240×240 resolution
Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
3G WCDMA : HSPA 7.2Mbps / 5.76Mbps
I'm guessing a bluetooth headset
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
What can you tell about battery life & daily usage & charging? 100hr is a mere 4 days.
How is it supposed to work on day to day: whenever I get home, I take off the watch, put it on my desk and connect to the charger?
What if I want to spend 2 weeks in mountains?
Can I charge in a car [wikipedia.org]?
What about travelling & battery consumption - I discovered that while in my current (crappy) phone battery lasts about 3 days, it
Re: (Score:2)
Very good questions. In my experience, smartphones cope very poorly in areas that lack dense cellular coverage (ie rural areas - most of the US and most of the world.) It seems the people designing them simply cannot get their heads around the fact that people exist outside of built up urban areas.
So you get a device designed with just adequate battery life, but also designed around assumptions that do not actually hold true in the environment as well - so the thing wastes power constantly seeking and losi
Re: (Score:2)
If there's no tower coverage period, airplane mode is 2 clicks away.
Re: (Score:2)
Airplane mode is indeed the only solution, but it's a procrustean solution at best because it turns off wifi and bluetooth as well. It's quite annoying to be sitting here with a fairly decent fibre connection and a perfectly good wireless router but unable to use them without also enabling the pointless waste of battery power called a CDMA transceiver.
The cellphone towers here provide reasonable coverage for old dumb phones with large antennas, with a smartphone you tend to find areas where you have 3 or 4
Re: (Score:2)
Battery life in general is much poorer on a smartphone but even with spotty coverage (1-2 bars) my phone is good for a day of heavy usage. If I use it like a dumb phone, several days. This shouldn't surprise you, fancy processors and giant screens use battery. If
Re: (Score:2)
The older cellphones often have no better antenna, this is true, but certain models did and people in this area learned quickly to favor them. I dont see any newer smart phones coming out with this feature.
It makes no sense to add an extended battery to keep driving hardware that I dont want turned on in the first place. I am waiting for a device that isnt so poorly designed in the first place - I wasted enough money on this crap already so if they want my money at this point the onus is on them. I doubt th
Battery... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I sometimes wonder why they are putting high-end hardware in these watches when there isn't enough space for a large battery. This has 600mAH, not much for an Android phone. Something like the Nokia 100 can run for a month on 800mAH by omitting all the bells and whistles I think you would rarely use on a keyboard-less 1.54'' screen watch phone anyway, and just being a phone.
Re: (Score:2)
Well most people don't need more than 1 day worth of battery, when you go to bed you take the device off and attach it to a charger next to your bed...
Re: (Score:2)
Most of the battery drain in a smartphone comes from the display back light and the fact that this has a very small display (about 2.3 sq.in.compared to about 8 sq. in. for many smartphones) should mean that there will be a very small battery drain for the display.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
1) How is it supposed to work on day to day: whenever I get home, I take off the watch, put it on my desk and connect to the charger?
2) What if I want to spend 2 weeks in mountains?
3) Can I charge in a car [wikipedia.org]?
4) What about travelling & battery consumption - I discovered that while in my current (crappy) phone battery lasts about 3 days, it lasts only 6 to 8 hours while I am travelling by car across my countr
Re: (Score:2)
Or how about maybe an old-school low-power always-on grey-scale reflective LCD, sunlight readable - like digital watches have been using forever.
Rather useless (Score:2)
Pro's:
1) Its small size can be convenient in an era of bulky phones.
2) Attached to your body, it will theoretically be harder to lose it or let it get stolen.
Con's:
1) The screen is going to be too small to be very usable.
2) Battery life will likely suck since it is also too small.
3) With such a small screen, will be difficult to use, and you won't get many buttons, if any.
4) You can only use it one-handed.
5) The screen will probably get scratched to fuck since it sticks out from your wrist, and will probabl
Pocket version, please (Score:1)
Too ugly (Score:2, Insightful)
...like all digital watches without hands. Sorry, 'smart watches' will never be relevant for anyone but a few geeks without taste.
The right direction (Score:3)
Since 'smart watches' were introduced I've personally believed that they were doing it the wrong way around. I'd rather have a watch that has radio and can do the basics (call/text) and have a mini tablet that tethers with the watch for it's connection.
Now for me for this to become really interesting they'd have to:
- waterproof them
- partner with the better watch maker brands to make the watches look like 'normal watches' (for texting they could use the divers ring as an input device, just turn to right letter and press)
- include car opening remote control (why not)
- include a mini Bluetooth receiver that you can 'un-click' from the watch and hold close to your ear to make the calls less ''knight rider calls kitt'
Great for going to the beach. No longer have to worry about your keys, phone when taking a swim. And no longer a need to carry your phone around all the time as it is around your wrist. There are many occasions I'd rather leave my smartphone at home or in my desk as long as I still can be reached
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Nice :-) I'll be following this
Meh (Score:2)
The smart wearable device fad will come and go, like it has in the past. I don't see much point in trying to cram technology into something with a small screen, it just not practical for much more than telling time and wireless communication to a headset. And do I need to start wearing smart glasses to pair with my smartwatch and then wave my hands in the air or talk to myself like a crazy person to get things done.
The Smart Watch and Glasses fad will probably be the most annoying technical meme in the hi
useless (Score:2)
Unless it's tethered to a battery in your pocket that is ;-) Because otherwise battery life is going to make this useless as a phone.
interesting (Score:3)
It's been almost 20 years since I last wore a wrist-watch. This or something like it might actually make me do it again. I find it increasingly irritating to dig out my iPhone just to check the time.
surely the only TRUE Smart phone would be... (Score:2)
The shoe phone as used by Maxwell Smart...
I'm waiting... (Score:2)
So how precise will it be? (Score:2)
Because if it's as imprecise as phones then it's useless as a watch.
Re: (Score:2)
Placing the charging position in the high corrosion area against the skin seems like a bad idea.
Good point. I notice that the charging pins are indented to avoid direct contact with the skin, though whether that is enough to reduce corrosion I can not say. Arm hairs can still deposit corrosive oils.
This would be great if it could use inductive charging instead. Coils in the wrist strap maybe?
Re: (Score:2)
Corrosion, I think, would be less of a problem than the accumulated skin/gunk which will clog up the charging slot.
Re:Charging position (Score:5, Informative)
Re: the crucial problem with this product (Score:4, Funny)
any consumer foolish enough to bring attention to their âoecool watchâ is immediately singled out as a dork, nerd, geek, or generally friendless loner/brainiac type.
Fortunately, anyone who can afford this watch has left school and is now in the "real world". At that point you can cease to care, tell the other person to fuck off, or call the police if they get violent.
Re: (Score:2)
p>Fortunately, anyone who can afford this watch has left school and is now in the "real world". At that point you can cease to care, tell the other person to fuck off, or call the police if they get violent.
WTH are you doing with your "cool" watch that gets the man on the street to assault you?
Re: (Score:2)
WTH are you doing with your "cool" watch that gets the man on the street to assault you?
Nothing. But if you read the GP's post he seemed to be assuming that real life was like high school. It isn't in many ways, not limited to that people who assult for things like wearing a techy wacth wind up in prison, rather than on a sports team or whatever.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I do remember a time too when using a mobile phone in public was considered "rude" and frowned upon.
It is still rude, and frowned upon in many places. I don't care if you talk on your phone while walking down the street, but in a restaurant, movie theater, waiting room, airplane, elevator, while in the grocery checkout line, and other places, I will consider you to be rather uncouth.
Re: (Score:2)
I think the developer and many others are missing the crucial problem with this product and with this type of idea in general: interacting with a watch that does anything more than tell the time and date makes the wearer appear to be a giant dork. This has not changed since the days of the early 80s calculator watch; any consumer foolish enough to bring attention to their “cool watch” is immediately singled out as a dork, nerd, geek, or generally friendless loner/brainiac type. Don’t even get me started on TALKING into your watch.
Dick Tracy talked to his watch, and I am pretty sure that James Bond and Maxwell Smart both had talking watches. But my memory could be misinforming me this morning. Not that I would get one. I love analog watches.
Re: (Score:2)