Processor-maker Qualcomm has announced the arrival of its own smartwatch, on the same day Samsung took the wrapper off its long-awaited Galaxy Gear wrist accessory.
Like the Galaxy Gear, the Qualcomm Toq (as it has been dubbed) has been billed as a smartphone companion and will allow users to view texts, phone calls, emails and other notifications from the comfort of their wrist via a Bluetooth connection.
However, that’s more or less where the similarities with the Galaxy Gear and the Sony Smartwatch 2 end.
The Toq comes with a low-powered, 2.1-inch, full-colour, Qualcomm Mirasol display, which is always on and doesn’t require a backlight. It runs off a meagre 200MHz Cortex M3 processor, with just 512GB RAM on board.
That efficiency will allow the Toq’s battery (which is housed in the wist clasp) will last for five days during periods moderate use and three days of heavy use on a single charge.
The device runs on Qualcomm’s custom operating system, but will still sync nicely with Android smartphones. The company said it is working on an option to bring iOS devices into play too.
The Qualcomm Toq is as much a statement on how the company thinks the wearable tech sector should develop over the coming years as it is a commercial proposition. Nevertheless, the smartwatch will go on sale in the United States on October 10 with a price point of $300 (around £191). Are you interested? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Via SlashGear
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.