Most companies offering so-called smartwatches are really offering watches that serve as companions to your existing smartphone. The Omate TrueSmart is designed to work as a standalone device: You can even use it to make phone calls.
Or you can use it to view notifications from your phone if that’s what you’d prefer.
A lot of folks seem to like the concept: The makers of the Omate TrueSmart took to Kickstarter a month ago in hopes of raising $100,000 to turn their idea into a real product. Now the campaign has ended, and the project has raised more than 10 times that much money.
The final tally is $1,032,352 from 4,378 backers — with most people pledging $179 or more to reserve one of the first watches scheduled to ship in November.
As the campaign racked up dollars, the developers added stretch goals, so now the watch is expected to ship with sapphire crystal glass, a camera that can record 720p video, an improved virtual keyboard, and more.
The entry-level watch is powered by a 1.3 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 dual-core processor, features a 1.54 inch, 240 x 240 pixel TFT display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a 600mAh battery, a microSIM card, a 5MP camera, and WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 2G and 3G capabilities.
There’s also an option for a model with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.
It’s also a waterproof device, and since it’s basically a phone in the shape of a watch, it can run any Android app. The Omate TrueSmart will even ship with the Google Play Store pre-loaded.
Update: Nope. It’ll actually ship with its own app store instead.Â
While the Kickstarter campaign has ended, Omate hopes to begin shipping watches in November and December. So it might not be long before you have a chance to pick one up at retail pricing.
Or you could buy a so-called smartwatch from Samsung or Sony and have a watch that’s an extension of your phone rather than a replacement for it.
Lots of ignorant retarded comments on here. Before commenting please actually read up the device before slating it.
After seeing how effective the Pebble is (a non-standalone approach) and the drawbacks of a standalone approach being so obvious, I feel I can comfortably say that the standalone approach is just wrong.
It uses the phone’s processor, mobile operating system. The same configuration of mobile phone costs less than $ 70, he sells for $ 300. Omate agent UMEOX product, the product is designed for children in China, market price $ 50.
Then please provide a list of $50 dual core Android based smartwatches. I’ll even accept single core.
If this is for children in China then why no children in China wearing it? Or even similar specs watch? Could you find $50 watch that have the same specs?
https://technode.com/2013/11/08/smartphone-maker-umeox-unveiled-smartwatch-omate/
I’m not seeing it as cheap as $50, but it does show that the omate was already built prior to the kickstarter (makes sense given the quick turn around), and the kickstarter was used to make a “techie” version of the product.
Don’t see it. It is too small to make a good phone or smartphone. And there ain’t room for much battery. Yet as a watch it is already far too big. By the time you put enough battery and display in it you will end up looking like Leela.
As a typical smartwatch it gets 12hrs use and 400hrs standby, as a phone it gets 4hrs talktime and this is all on beta firmware. “Too big” is subjective, it’s already smaller (45x45x14mm) than most of the Casio G-Shock line. Omate is already working with independent developers and probably get updates faster than anything short of an Oppo5.
It Is about the size of a small garmin gps watch which isn’t too bulky. Granted I personally wouldn’t wear it 24/7. Will use this for running so I don’t have to carry a cell phone strapped to my arm for music/podcasts or for emergency calls.
This watch is not for everyone but it have 10x more funding. This would be the most advance at this time period with more features. Communities very supportive and I am sure it will bring more features to the watch.