Middlebury, Conn. — Timex, which has diversified from watches into fitness watches and bands, is further expanding its lineup with the industry’s first cellular-equipped smart watch.
The $399 Timex Iron Man One GPS+ is equipped with built-in GPS and cellular radio, which receives text messages and email via AT&T’s 3G HSPA network. Users must sign up for a Timex email account.
The touchscreen-equipped watch, available in November, also incorporates a built-in 4GB MP3 player and stereo Bluetooth for listening to music over Bluetooth headphones without carrying a music-laden smartphone. Fitness- and running-related apps are also included and connect to fitness sensors via Bluetooth. No smartphone is required.
The watch lacks cellular voice capability, and to get text messages, it requires a phone number separate from a user’s main phone, AT&T told TWICE.
The Timex Iron Man One GPS+ will be available with one free year of AT&T service. The product will be sold through timex.com, att.com, AT&T stores, att.com, sports specialty stores, and electronic stores. Bundled with a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor, it will be priced at $450.
The device isn’t Timex’s first venture into wireless, having teamed up with Motorola in the 1990s to offer a pager-equipped watch.
“By enabling an independent connection to the device, AT&T and Timex are pushing the industry forward, making a future we’ve talked about a reality, and removing the need for runners to take a smartphone plus a watch out for a run,” an AT&T spokesperson said.
Said Timex Group chairman Anette S. Olsen, “Our collaboration with industry stalwarts Qualcomm and AT&T has enabled us to introduce the first smartwatch that offers standalone wireless connectivity without a phone and has great appeal to a broad range of fitness enthusiasts as well as tech-savvy individuals and those who simply wish to make a statement.”
The watch features an always-on Qualcomm Mirasol display that’s readable in sunlight. A Find Me mode lets users send an alert with exact location in case of an emergency, while a tracking capability communicates the user’s location to friends and family anytime.
The watch also tracks speed, distance and pace in real-time and instantaneously shares performance metrics through social-media and online fitness platforms. It’s also water-resistant up to 50 meters in depth.
Other key features include Bluetooth connections to heart-rate monitors and foot pods, customizable interval timers, audible and vibrating pace and heart rate alerts, and notifications when the user achieved a personal record.
Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery delivers eight hours of use with GPS and cellular on. Battery life drops to four hours when the MP3 player is also running.
