Archive

I'm Watching you: the future of the smartphone?

2012-01-03 17:00

What: i'mWatch
Where: Available from imwatch.it
Cost: from €299 to €11999

These days, when someone asks you the time, do you glance at the precision timepiece on your wrist, or do you tend to reach for your handbag or suit-pocket to locate your iPhone? The sad fact is that increasing numbers of us have almost completely abandoned wearing a watch, one reason being that although they feel more natural and much more convenient to wear, watches have limited functionality when compared with today's app-laden smartphones. So the obvious question to ask is why the two can't be combined. And that's exactly what Vicenza-based Italian entrepreneurs Manuel Zanella and Massimiliano Bertolini did, when they came up with the concept of i’mWatch.



The world's first fully-functional smartwatch, i'mWatch combines Italian design with a high resolution multitouch screen and the latest Android operating system, resulting in a object that combines phone, watch, and music-player - and which can also communicate wirelessly with the phone in your pocket. These highly desirable objects represent a new level in miniaturization, with the sapphire-glass and aluminium case weighing in at just 70 grammes. More than that, a great deal of thought has gone into the aesthetic pleasure of the final product - and it seems to be paying off.  

“We are amazed at the number of online pre-orders received and that we continue to receive day after day for i’mWatch," say Zanella and Bertollini. "In only a few months since the official presentation of our smartwatch, we have exceeded five thousand online orders, with over 200 thousand visits to the i'mWatch website".

While the software and basic technology remain the same across the product range, i'mWatch is available in a number of different case-and-strap combinations, including the basic 'i'mColor' (in seven trendy shades, starting at €299), and the mid-range 'i'mTech' line in titanium or carbonium from €599. At the luxury end of the market, i'mWatch are offering their exquisite and highly desirable 'I'mJewel' variations in yellow, pink or black gold (€9999) or - top of the range - a white gold and diamond version for €11999.

The i'mWatch is a clever amalgamation of existing technologies and cutting-edge design. The Android-based operating system performs most of the basic timekeeping functions along with the ability to send and receive text messages and other notifications. But wireless communication with a tethered internet connection (for example with your smartphone) also means access to a complete world of apps and cloud-based tools specially customized for the miniature 1.54 inch screen. The speakerphone/headphone combination allows not only handsfree calling but also the ability to listen to a library of music from the bespoke 'I'mMusic store, subscriptions to which can be purchased along with the watch.



There have been many recent attempts to combine the various functions of watches and smart devices - for example a strap that allows you to carry the Apple iPod Nano on your wrist, effectively combining music player and timepiece.  But the i'mWatch is a step up from here, allowing full telephony and internet services as well.  Whether you're in the market for one of these beautifully-crafted devices or are just 'windows-shopping', this product is definitely one to watch in the coming year.

As a postscript we ought to add that although the watch will grace any Monte Carlo wrist, and will surely be the talk of the town at any glamorous shoreside events, this is not a watch to take yachting. The manufacturers tell us that - like other smartphones - it will tolerate a few drops of rain, but is certainly not waterproof!

Statistics

Dimensions:
Height: 52,60 mm
Width: 40 mm
Depth: 10 mm
Weight: 70 gr

Memory and processor:
CPU: IMX233
Flash Drive: 4GB
RAM: 128 MB

Display:
1.54" (diagonal) colour TFT display
240x240 pixel resolution
220 ppi (pixel per inch)

Operating System:
Android 1.6

Power and battery:
Built-in rechargeable Li-Po 450 mA battery (USB via computer or mains)
Standby time without Bluetooth® connection: up to 48 hours
Standby time with Bluetooth® connection: up to 24 hours
Talk time with speakerphone: up to 3 hours
Time for other uses: up to 5 hours