Tag: smart watch

Smartwatch from AT&T is on its way

| April 22, 2014

The telecom is the next among many companies to jump into the wearable technology market.

At a time in which it feels like every week comes with the unveiling or the launch of a new Smartwatch, AT&T also seems to be jumping on board the wearables bandwagon and will be releasing its own version of the device later on this year.

This technology news was made when an executive from the company, Glen Lurie, made the announcement.

Lurie is the AT&T president of emerging devices. He pointed out that the company would be bringing its own smartwatch into the mix and that “I think you’ll see wide-area, high-bandwidth [smart]watches this year at some point.” The telecom has a team located in Austin, Texas, that is working on thousands of different potential prototypes for wearable devices. Moreover, it is also looking into the certification of third party devices that can be used on the company’s own network, explained Lurie.

It is AT&T’s feeling that the smartwatch will be the center of all wearable technology for the first while.

Lurie stated that “a majority of stuff” that consumers will be seeing within today’s wearables marketplace will be in the form of a wristwatch. But he also pointed that this will be the start of a sector that is still very much in its infancy. He said that if the use of those devices does become popular, “and we believe it can”, then these wearables could easily become the center of all forms of wearable technology computing.Smartwatch - Wearable Technology Future

At the moment, LTE capabilities are lacking in wearable tech, which causes them to be primarily reliant on other mobile devices – mainly smartphones – in order to be able to provide notifications and download and use apps. However, when these gadgets are developed with mobile broadband connection capabilities, then it will be possible for them to become their own “independent device,” explained Lurie.

He stated that it is quite important that wearables become their own stand-alone devices in order to make them truly practical and appealing to consumers.

His company and Filip Technologies already jointly released the Filip child tracker, which is like a wristwatch and that allows the AT&T network to be used for a parent to call a child. While that product could be improved, it is just that type of idea that the telecom is hoping to bring to market in its own smartwatch models.

Smartwatch collaboration begins between Google and Fossil

| April 1, 2014

The technology giant and the designer accessory brand are coming together for wearables fashion and functionality.

As soon as the Android Wear operating system for wearables such as the smartwatch were announced, Google stated that a number of large brands such as LG, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and Asus would all be powered by the OS later on this year.

That said, Google also dropped another important name, though not of a tech brand: Fossil.

Fossil is a designer brand of accessories and clothing and will now be working with Google in the design of its smartwatch, causing its shares to rise considerably. The designer brand is based in Richardson, Texas. Its chief strategy and marketing officer, Greg McKelvey said that it is a company that is driven by design and innovation in the creation of products with which customers will simply fall in love.

Now the brand is hoping that a new kind of accessory, the smartwatch, will be something its customers love.

McKelvey released a statement in which he explained the company’s perspective on these wearables. In it, he said that “We believe we are uniquely positioned to develop and bring to market products for our fashion customers that marry the beauty of our designs, the promise of our brands and now the function of new technology.”Wearable Technology - Fossil Watch

He pointed out that this form of wearable technology is “still very much in the formative research and development stage,” but that they are actively taking part in a drive toward wearables that will bring tech and fashion together.

As it is becoming widely believed that one of the primary barriers standing in the way of the widespread adoption of wearable technology is its clunky, large, science fiction geek look, the development of a device by a fashion designer could mean that this struggle could be overcome. Many feel that companies need to work together in order to speed up the development of devices that people will actually wear, instead of releasing one generation after the next that draws curiosity but doesn’t generate the necessary sales.

It will be interesting to see what designers do to the smartwatch over the next few months, as it could change the face – so to speak – of these devices, altogether.