Timex boards wearable bandwagon with smartwatch

The wearable trend continues to pick up pace with watch maker Timex claiming to be the first “authentic watch brand” to enter what it has now dubbed, the smartwatch space. The Timex Ironman One GPS+ offers stand alone wireless connectivity without needing to connect to a phone and is pitched squarely at the sports enthusiast sector.

The guts of the device are provided by Qualcomm, which has finally found a home for its innovative Mirasol display, that works very well in direct sunlight. It has an always on, touch screen display; GPS; email-based messaging and 4GB of storage for music that can be accessed with a Bluetooth headset.

It’s also water resistant to 50 metres so it can be used in the rain and water.

With sports performance in mind it can track speed, distance and pace in real-time and instantaneously share performance metrics through online fitness platforms. The software is powered by a cloud-based service delivery platform managed by Synchronoss, which is also leading the development of the product’s mobile application and web portal.

Available first in the US and Canada, the device is bundled with one year of data connectivity by AT&T. The device will retail for just shy of $400.

“Wearables, including smartwatches, is an emerging category that holds significant promise for Qualcomm,” said Derek Aberle, President of Qualcomm. “The watch combines the human wrist ergonomics expertise of Timex with proven Qualcomm technologies and will provide fitness enthusiasts with a truly unparalleled design and connected experience.”

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