Wristwatch phone to finally arrive

[Chevron]

TALK ABOUT a long time coming. The INQ first mentioned an Australia company ? SMS Developments - offering a wristwatch GSM mobile phone nearly a year ago.

Now they say it will launch globally on September 10th 2007 in conjunction with Vodacom and Blue Square in South Africa.

That's following the start of production in Hong Kong on August 31st 2007. Apparently it had to go through three final weeks of antenna testing before rolling off the production lines.

Improvements over the original specifications for the M500 ? we can assume the M300 never materialised ? include support for POP3 mail and IM [Instant Messaging].

Impressively the company says that, "Current manufacturing levels are running at 250,000 units a month." Which kind of puts paid to assumptions that it is just vapourware.



The company's web site carries news of a major falling out with one of its intended distributors ? Goip Global. This company was supposed to push the watch into the North American market.

So as it stands at present, the M500 still doesn't appear to have official distribution in the UK or the USA. Better get your skates on then.

The official web site for this beast is mymobilewatch.com rather than SMS Tech or other SMS sites. ?

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=41627

[Miktar]

About damn time:

[Azimuth]

z0mg, this is so much cooler than a calculator watch.

[Squirly]

Pass the cheddar...

[GeometriX]

Keeping time and keeping Contact will never be the same again. The M500 takes mobile communications to a whole new level. With over 80 hours standby time, full sms functionality, Touch Screen, full blue tooth compatibility, Dial Up Networking, Games, Mp4 Player, 128 Mb Memory,USB connectivity for software uploads, downloads, 199 number memory storage, 40 embedded real tones and its sleek sophisticated design make this the world's first truly mobile wristwatch.

Nifty. That's quite a decent feature list considering its size. I want one.

[FoX]

how do u tipe a sms?

[Azimuth]

With alpha waves.

[Chevron]

how do u tipe a sms?

Maybe it'll have voice to text software, but more likely a wireless KB or pad of some kind.

[Squirly]

This is just getting better and better. :D

Hold on guys, I just need to connect this here QWERTY keyboard to my ultra-small wristwatch phone.

Somehow I don't think that that's the case...

[GeometriX]

It comes with a wee little stylus, and will have an on-screen keyboard. Bit icky, but it's the only real way it would work, aside from alpha waves - of course.

[breadfan]

maybe it flips open to reveal az regular cell phone key pad?

[Chevron]

I just need to connect this here QWERTY keyboard to my ultra-small wristwatch phone.

Ever heard of bluetooth? You're gonna use bluetooth anyway for the headset.

[Azimuth]

You missed the point entirely, Chevron. What's the point of an itty-bitty phone, if you have to lug around a ****ing keyboard?

[Gen0cyde]

If call costs come down in price you probably wouldnt have to send an sms unless one was in a meeting or something. The voice thing for sms is just stupid to me, might as well just phone the person then, it will be less hassel.
Geo's idea of the on-screen little wee keyboard is probably right.

[Squirly]

Phenomenal cosmic features!!!

Itty bitty keyboard...

Sorry, can't help myself. This thing looks like it packs a whole bunch of features considering the size, but it's the typing that I'm trying to get my head around. There's no way that it won't end up being annoying and cramped. Not on that screen.

But we'll see I guess. I'd love to be proven wrong.

[Banlam]

Charging your wristwatch just seems plain wrong. Don't know if it is just me? And if it used character recognition with its touch screen and stylus, instead of displaying a keyboard that could work, like many PDAs use.

[Plan 9]

Looks a bit strange to me. Forgive my ignorance but I assume you get a bluetooth set or some sort of such instead of having to talk into your arm wrist? Let's see how it develops.

[edg3]

Charging your wristwatch just seems plain wrong. Don't know if it is just me? And if it used character recognition with its touch screen and stylus, instead of displaying a keyboard that could work, like many PDAs use.

Agreed on both counts.

If it has bluetooth you can connect it to one of these: Projector Keyboard
Would be alot more handy and convenient than writing on your watch. :)