By It seems we can’t go a week without a new smart watch popping up on any number of crowd-sourced funding sites. This time, a new Android-powered smart watch — dubbed the A.I Watch — is looking for dollars on IndieGoGo to help bring it to life.
Based on Android 4.0.4, the open-sourced A.I Watch aims to provide some unique features that not many others can claim. One big thing is a 3G radio embedded for independent data on the go, meaning you’d be able to get updates on email, social networks and more without even having to have it connected to your phone via Bluetooth.
More than just data, the makers call this a fully functioning smartphone, with the ability to place calls using nothing but your wrist (though we imagine most people would look to hook the watch up to a Bluetooth headset). The device is also promising Google Play Store support, something you can see proof of in the video sitting above.
One of the biggest features being touted is the personal assistant. It allows you to do things like launch apps, set appointments and more. The developers are also promising that you’ll even be able to configure the personal assistant to do what you want it to do, though we’re not given any indication as to just how deep this functionality truly will be.
The watch is made out of an aluminum alloy build and will be water resistant, something most people will require out of any watch. Specs include a 1.2GHz dual core processor, NFC, RFID, 100 hours of battery life on standby mode, and more.
The cheapest option to get one as of the time of this writing is $179, though that’s an early bird special and you’ll need to be one of the first 500 people to buy one if you want it for that price. The campaign’s going through September 25th, which gives the team about 40 days to reach their goal of $100,000. They currently sit at $7,000 after about a week’s worth of pledges, so it’ll take them a bit more momentum if they want to reach that goal. Be sure to head to IndieGoGo and check it out for yourself.
Companies just wanna say we have one to. But they see no real success. Is it worth making? Are we just doing the same? Is it any different? How will it innovate or actually be useful? They need to ask questions like these before actually making anything. Like these huge screen phones but no hybrid features. It’s just an oversized phone. Samsung packs it to the rim with features but at least they’re doing it right. Android needs quality control and not a me or us too. There are only about 3 or 4 handsets yearly that come from 3 or 4 companies that make android worthwhile.
Thus far their campaign has been very weak. The A. I. is a re-brand and most likely doesn’t truly support NFC. There’s been a bit of a hubub about this watch recently due to them using a picture of the Omate TrueSmart on their campaign and badly photoshopped pictures of the device on stock photos. I’ll try to find the original device that’s being re-branded and post a link to it.
Not sure about NFC support as I have yet to hear back from the OEM/ODM (which I have been in contact with since early/mid August). The shopped images can be found here http://imgur.com/a/P5aIE
There’s nothing they claim to provide that the Omate TrueSmart doesn’t also do (and, in a better way IMO), aside from *possibly* NFC (though there’s a lot of questions about the type and support of said NFC). Glad my TrueSmart will be here soon.
Ingress Anyone?
“Fake”, they are just reselling Vapirius AX2 type of watch.
That’s what I was looking for but got distracted by xbox.
I think I’m about to delete you guys for a blog source,your almost no different than bgr, late and slow. I use to like coming to phandroid,but they just don’t seem to have that hustle like Android authority,android police, or android community. Heck The Verge sometimes is better on reporting Android. Probably the only entertaining person on this blog is Chris Chavez Lolz The Bhaveesh guy is cool too, y’all should probably move on to a new blog to contribute to… just my two cents.
The way I see it, if you don’t like it move on to another site. Last thing we need is someone bitching and moaning for attention.
Its not a subscription site, so you complaining for a free news service is pretty lame.
You a bit@# lolz Last time I checked all those sites are free and their on their grind,not trolling just hopefully motivating for journalism’s sake.
Feedback is feedback, good or bad. Don’t be upset when you see negative feedback.
You obviously have good feedback to give; or at least I presume. CuriousFox has negative feedback. It’s just as important as the positive.
I have no clue what I just saw… But I’m pretty sure I don’t want it.
I maintain that any smart watch worth it’s weight in salt will probably have to be e-ink.
September 25 has already passed…
I got my old Motorola OG Droid and thought about hooking a strap to it and then strapping it onto my wrist. Think it would be a good smart watch.
What is this ?
1980s censored commercial.
Smartwatches need to look fashionable and wearable. NO ONE want’s a TV on their watch. I had an MP4 watch before. Yea, I guess it was pretty cool. I was also seen as like the BIGGEST nerd in high school. =.3
I didn’t really like it. It kept hitting my wrist and when I would put my hand under the table it would get caught on the desk. I was like “NO”. Glad it was just $40 and not $179.
seems this might be a rip-off from a china-made phone. check out:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/29/ai-android-smartwatch-indiegogo/
http://www.watchmobilephone.com/vapirius_ax2.htm
*************************************************************************************************
Update (09/30/2013): So, a lot of you have pointed out that the A.I watch is a dead-ringer for Vapirius’ AX2 smartwatch. We don’t know for sure if A.I watch is merely a copy, but we’ve reached out to its developers for comment — we’ll update this post once we hear back. Meanwhile, the AX2 is available in Europe for €299 ($400), so you can probably bypass this Indiegogo campaign and go straight to Vapirius’ website… although seeing as A.I has only raised a miserable $3,677 of its $100,000 goal, it seems like plenty of you weren’t that excited to begin with.
Update #2 (09/30/2013): Thanks to a helpful tipster, we’ve tracked the likely source of the A.I. smartwatch to a Chinese manufacturer known as Shenzhen Hop Industrial, which markets the device as the EC309 (shown after the break). These watches are sold individually at $229, or as little as $158 with bulk discounts. Needless to say, if you’d like to buy an A.I. smartwatch today — and for a lot less — you might look to an importer for the hookup. [Thanks, Lokifish Marz]
Globle GPS. Hot dog!
@lokifishmarz:disqus ..Do you have an email i can contact you at regarding development on whats the best approach to integrating NFC to a mobile device? my email is [email protected]. –Robb
Hello to all,
Further to our last comments, here bellow, posted on October 01 (second update): http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-i-watch-smartwatch-the-new-intelligence-life-is-here/x/4886567?c=activity
We would like here to call your attention that our A.I Watch campaign is diverted by a third parties under ID: “Vapirius” selling a smart watch AX2 (having only some basics functions) misleading and cheating interested internets followers.
We hereby confirm that this product has nothing to do with our A.I Watch, a very complex concept development based on different working prototypes as explained on Indiegogo crown funding platform… http://igg.me/at/aiwatchsmartwatch/x/4886567
After long investigation those last days, we have taken all necessaries actions against those parties. We summon them to remove all our artworks and photos that they diverted from our website and Indiegogo campaign as they are our property.
In addition we summon them to remove and to stop all offensive and insulting words that they propagate against us trough different website and blogs who published articles that were concerning A.I Watch.
We want to thank particularly to all of you for a huge number of questions and emails that we are trying to answer. As well as worldwide well-known companies interested in our project.
Thanks to continue supporting us to achieve our goals.
Damien DOUK / A.I Watch