Add to favorites MetaWatch says there is ‘no complex interface to get lost in’.
MetaWatch, founded by former employees of watch maker Fossil, introduced Meta, a line of high-end smartwatches, at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2014.
CBR tells you five things you need to know about it.
1. Design
The Meta smartwatch is designed to provide a more comfortable and elegant fit on the wrist than MetaWatch’s previous Frame and Strata.
The firm is hoping Frank Nuovo, the former Nokia and Vertu designer, will bring the lineup more class and fashion as it looks to distance itself from the cheaper and mostly plastic smartwatches.
The theme of the watches is called ‘Art of the Glance’, which is driven by the idea that we spend too much time looking at our smartphones instead of interacting with other people, according to CEO Bill Geiser.
"It’s a perfect solution for customers personal fashion sense and a desired improvement to their digital mobile experience," he told CBR.
The watches will come in a variety of styles, colours and materials, from rubber and stainless steel bands to leather and aluminum bands, which Meta hopes will suit everyone’s taste.
The Verge said: "The [dual-hinge] strap’s pivot points have been moved closer to the centre of the body, which lets the entire watch fit your wrist more comfortably, especially for smaller wrists."
Other features include a 126 x126 LCD display from Sharp, which will be controlled by a TI MSP 430 micro controller with 64kb of RAM.
The device will also come with a new ‘charge clip’ for the battery, which users will only need to use once a week.
2. Application
Users install the MetaWatch app to their Android or iOS device and use Bluetooth 4.0 to synchronise the watch with their smartphone. This way, it can provide notifications on phone calls, emails, texts and weather reports.
There have been no further details on particular software as of yet, but Geiser told CBR there would be a new interface to complement the new hardware design.
"No complex interface to get lost in…Multiple applications on a watch create complexity and navigation issues," he said.
"We’re taking a different approach. All apps are a ‘Watch Face’ where time, date, and other information will be displayed."
