The Smart Watch Revolution : Dick Tracy was a popular comic book character way back in the 1940s. One thing which made the detective apart from the other comic book characters of his time was his sound knowledge in technology. The two-way communicative watch phone was one of the gadgets which were a recurring feature in all of his comics. Probably the Dick Tracy comic book was the precursor to what we know as the smart watch today. The Smart Watch Revolution
Smart Watches: Treading through Time
We belong at the juncture where the thin line between science fiction and science is getting blurred. We are expecting the smart watches or the watch phone to become a reality within a few days. There has been instances of the prototype of these watch phones way back in the 1970s by Japanese watch brands like the Seiko. These prototypes could compute but at a very superficial level.
These watches have made its dominance mainly in the spy movies as an imperative tool for espionage. But these concepts with evolving technology became buried under the sands of time. There were flickers about this technology at the beginning of this millennium when IBM came up with a Linux-based prototype for this kind of watches collaborating with the Citizen Watch Company. But the idea was taken-off from the drawing tables until today.
Today in 2013 we see a completely different picture. The mobile phone giants are bent on giving the concept of watch phone a big makeover this year. Be it Apple, Google, Samsung or Sony, they are coming up with their own brand of smart watches which can take a market share from the already established tablets. This article will focus on the variety of avatars of smart watches from different. Technology giants such as Apple, Samsung and Sony The Smart Watch Revolution
Smart Watches: What to expect from them
Samsung Galaxy Gear
Priced at a hefty $299, the Samsung Galaxy Gear has a number of features which would definitely attract both Android user and non users alike. Packed with a 1.6 inches image viewer which can produce resolutions 320 x 320 pixels, this smart watch has several things to offer to the users. The watch displays vivid colors and high contrast. With built-in microphone and speakers, the users would be able to talk directly with the help of the watch. Armed with a 1.9 Megapixel camera and 720p HD video recorder would be necessary for the photography enthusiast.
With inbuilt 4GB memory storage space, this watch can easily run small local apps which are necessary for the moment. With inbuilt Intelligent Personal Assistance such as S Voice, the user can easily give voice commands on the go. This contraption would definitely give mobile application developers the opportunity to build more apps specifically catering to the watch.
But one of the biggest drawbacks of the smart watch is that it’s pairing can only be done with Galaxy Note 3, which is a new entrant to the Samsung Galaxy Family.
Sony Smart Watch 2
As a smart watch, the Sony’s Smart Watch 2 is far less expensive than the Samsung’s counterpart. With the 1.63 inch viewer, the Sony smart watch comes with a resolution of 220X176 pixels. The LCD screen of the watch prevents user’s view to be washed out in the daylight.
With the first iteration of the Sony Smart Watch been a failure. But this time Sony has packed the phone with several goodies. Touch screen UI, sliding widgets for viewing weather, Facebook, Twitter as well as Phone alerts are all rolled into one. This watch is compatible with other Android handsets. But one of the biggest drawbacks of Sony Smart watch is that it does not have the microphone and speaker compatibility. In this case users have to take out the phone to use it.
Sony has incorporated the NFC technology with the smart watch. With NFC or the Near Field Technology, you would be able to find your phone in a jiffy if you misplace it.
One of the biggest advantages of this watch is that it is dust or water-resistant similar to Sony’s flagship mobile phone Xperia Z.
iWatch Or the Apple’s Smart Watch
Apple’s version of the smart watch is still in the rumor stage. There has been a talk about a device being produced in the Apple labs which looks like a wristband and it runs on the iOS software. The device is rumored to be compatible with not only our personal desktops but other devices which are yet to come. But one thing is certain that the watch would be running on iOS7 or a higher version of Apple OS.
As it is still in its pre-natal stage, it is much to be expected from Apple technologies. Hypothetically speaking, Apple would be incorporating several of its flagship products into the watch. Till now nothing has been revealed.
Pebble
Coming with a 1.26 inch e-paper display, Pebble is considered as one of the biggest contenders against the smart phone giants such as Sony, Samsung and probably, Apple. The Pebble is a package which comprises email and message notifications, SMS and incoming calls, calendar reminders, Facebook, Whatsappas well as Google Voice to name a few. One of the biggest advantages of this smart device is that, it can get acclimatized with both Android and Apple.
Users have the prerogative of installing third-party Android or iOS applications into their pebbles. Though it does not have a fixed microphone attached to it. It acts more like a notification terminal. With a built pedometer this is definitely a must-have for fitness enthusiasts.
With so many smart watches on the role, the traditional watchmakers are also taking a plunge into this changing trend. They are getting over the marketing myopia inculcated by traditional watch-making and taking the bandwagon along with the modern watch makers. So as for few last words before finishing-only time will tell the tale.
