Will.I.Am's Smartwatch Makes Calls, Plays Music
Will.I.Am's smartwatch can make calls, play music and access Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It will launch in July.
Google received a lot of attention when it announced its Android Wear operating system last month, but perhaps Will.I.Am is the man to get it started in here for smartwatches. In an appearance on UK TV program "Alan Carr: Chatty Man," the tech-savvy musician showed off his as-yet-unnamed wrist companion, which makes calls, plays music and syncs with Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Responding to tweets from Engadget and Alan Carr, Will.I.Am revealed that the watch is "really real," and that it will launch "in July." He said on the show that the watch is being built by a company he started and funded. Whether the product will hit the U.S. isn't clear at the moment, and no price has been announced just yet.
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Will.I.Am told host Alan Carr, "I don't carry my phone anymore," relying on his smart wristbands (he wore one on each wrist during the TV appearance) for communications and music. With a few taps and swipes on the wrist-mounted glass display, the musician dialed a phone number and played music. During the demo, the sound that filtered out of Will.I.Am's smartwatch was distinct and clear, without any of the tinny quality we expect from such a device.
The Black Eyed Pea singer did not disclose whether his smartwatch will be running Android Wear, Tizen OS or a proprietary operating system, but we are excited to see what his device will do for the smartwatch industry.
Follow Cherlynn Low at @CherlynnLow and on Google+. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.
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Cherlynn is Deputy Editor, Reviews at Engadget and also leads the site's Google reporting. She graduated with a Master’s in Journalism from Columbia University before joining Tom's Guide and its sister site LaptopMag as a staff writer, where she covered wearables, cameras, laptops, computers and smartphones, among many other subjects.