If you thought that watches have reached the zenith of their evolution, then smart watches will offer the much-needed reality check. Gone are the days when people had to settle with a basic timepiece that only showed time, date and day. With the smartwatches, you can explore new horizons. But the journey of these timepieces was not simple. Let us take a quick look at its evolution.
Smartwatch: Definition
A smartwatch is nothing but a computing gear that you can wear on your wrist. Apart from showing time, it is capable of performing tasks, which are the forte of a smartphone. It can be activated on its own or when it is linked with a smartphone. In recent times, owning a smartphone is a staple for youngsters.
Pulsar Digital watch: The first precursor
Hamilton Watch Company made headlines when it launched “Pulsar” in 1972. It was the first digital watch. People had seen nothing like this, and it became a collectible instantaneously. It became so popular that a new brand was launched under the watch name, but Seiko, another watch manufacturer, later acquired it. Pulsar has the capability to save 24 digits.
Seiko RC watches
In 1984, Seiko came up with watches, which could be linked with computers. The timepiece was capable of running with all computers. RC-20 Wrist Computer had 2 KB RAM, dot-matrix LCD screen, and 8 KB ROM.
During 1994 to 2000
A lot had happened in the world of digital and smartwatches during this period. Timex Datalink was launched in the market in 1994, and it was capable of creating and saving schedules and contacts with Microsoft Schedule+. The screen has a light that blinked when any activity was performed.
Steve Mann launched another product that took the market by storm. It was in 1998 when Linux wristwatch reached the wrists of ordinary people. Soon after, Samsung launched its SPH-WP10. It was a watch phone and had an antenna to catch signals. Its LCD screen was monochromatic, has a microphone, speaker, and has a whopping talk time support of 90 minutes. June 2000 marked the entry of IBM in this sector. They came up with their version of multi-functional watch that had fingerprint sensors and vibrating mode.
During 2003 to 2010
Fossil launched its Wrist PDA in 2003, and it looked closest to today’s smartwatches. Its processor was Palm OS, had 4MB memory, and 8MB RAM. It also came with a stylus, with which one could navigate the icons. In 2004, tech giant Microsoft finally stepped on the turf with SPOT. The full name of this watch was Smart Personal Objects Technology. But the product was a big dud. In 2006, Sony Ericson joined hands with Fossil to come up with something exciting. MBW-100 was their contribution to this sector. Linking this watch with Bluetooth was possible. In 2010, Sony independently launched Sony Ericsson LiveView.
Recent smartphone market
Amazing innovations and launched, reshaped the smartphone industry from 2012 onwards. Companies like Pebble, Omate, Motorola and finally Apple changed the scenario inside out. They took inspiration from early works, eliminated mistakes, and perfected the technology. With each innovation, the price of these is coming within the grip of commoners.
Benefits of the smartwatches
Those who like classic watches will never be fully satisfied with smartwatches. But none can escape from the allure of owning a piece of technology. Not all use these high-tech watches are status symbols. Some swear by the benefits of these timepieces. Here are some common advantages of smartwatches, which one will not get from traditional watches.
Get notifications easily
Keeping your smartphone in your palm at all times is rather uncomfortable. Those who desire to do away with this discomfort forever find smartwatches useful. All you need to do is link the watch with the cellphone. From then on, all notifications will show up on your watch screen. With this arrangement, you can keep your smartphone inside the bag when you are on the move.
Answer calls and check messages
Even people who do not have these unique timepieces are aware that one can use these to answer calls and read messages. Connect the phone with the watch and a Bluetooth earphone, and you are set to talk without using your phone.
Keeping track of fitness
Most smartwatches come equipped with fitness trackers. The watches have calorie tracker, heart-rate monitor and step counting programs. As soon as you put the watch on your wrist, it will start tracking your physical activity. You can check the amount of calories you burnt during the whole day. Tracking fitness becomes streamlines with these gears.
Helps in making an impression
Gone are the days when you could make an impact on another by flashing your smartwatch. Suppose you are on a casual dinner date or an important meeting. If you continuously keep checking your cell phone, then others will start judging you. It is a rude gesture to ignore others and give more importance to your phone. With these unique timepieces on your wrist, you can keep track of notifications, calls, and messages without using your phone at all.
Customize it as you please
Wearing the same watch day after day can become tedious. Purchasing a new watch each month can be rather expensive. With the smartwatches, you can flaunt a new watch daily, without spending a penny. Another advantage of these smartwatches is that one can customize it as he/she likes. There are several inbuilt options to choose from. Your watch will reflect your mood with just a few adjustments.
Music and navigation
Other benefits of these watches include navigation. You need not keep checking the phone for directions anymore. The watch screen will give you the directions to get to your destination. One can also carry their music with them without worrying about carrying an additional music apparatus.