NV CEO Anthony Cooke held up his arm and told the audience, “We’re seeing the evolution of a new generation of watches." But the more he waved his arm around and spoke into the watch, the more we couldn't stop thinking of spy comics.
A little known electronics company from Australia has unveiled six new mobile phone watches, betting that their Dicky Tracy style gizmos will usher in a new generation of mobile phone wearables.
The watchphone features:
- MP3, MP4, SMS
- Next G/3G capabilities
- FM radio
- Webcam
- Complimentary Bluetooth, second battery with each purchase
- Movie playback
Today's press launch was like something from a Bond film. CEO Anthony Cooke held up his arm and told the audience, ““We’re seeing the evolution of a new generation of watches”. Cooke flapped his arm around, positioned it so he could type on it (via touchscreen or stylus) and started speaking into his shirt cuff like a secret service agent.
This wristwatch does more than tell the time – it plays movies, captures video from its tiny pinhole camera and last but not least - makes phone calls.
We're a little unsure how practical this is: the phone’s speaker is loud and clear, but holding private conversations with your wrist seems a little impractical (perhaps embarassing?) without connecting the complimentary Bluetooth accessory or USB-enabled headset to continue a longer conversation.
"This will be an extension of your arm”, Cooke told us. But the more he waved his arm around and spoke into it, the more we couldn't stop thinking of those old spy comics. Great if you're 12 years old, but we're not and neither was anyone else in the room.
The phones looked a little too clunky to be passed off as anything other than a geek toy. The screen is tiny for dialing and SMS will be hard work for all but the most nimble of fingers.
In much the same way the humble Casio watch calculator was supposed to revolutionise the way watches could be worn, Cooke too, dreams of a era when his NV mobile watches will be the communicator tool of choice.
watches aim to cater to a wide range of people; funky pink for the discerning teenage girl, sophisticated black with embossed fake diamond setting for the consummate lady and a black sports model targeting the outdoor enthusiast.
But it's the chunky red mobile watch that takes the cake; an entry level model that appears to be designed after viewing too many Power Rangers episodes. There's a rumour going about that says if you connect all six watches in the right sequence, a giant robot warrior will form to do your bidding. Seriously, we're not making this stuff up.
To be fair, the watches are perfect for the kids, especially boys, but at $399, they're not kids prices. The premium phones go for an illustrious $999 and it's hard to imagine anyone but the illumanti having money for a gadget like that.
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The Power Rangers watch phone
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The Dick Tracy inspired range arrives complete with a wide range of features - though it's more portable media player (PMP) than wrist watch. Aside from the standard MP3, MP4 and SMS capabilities, the phones go one step further with a digital video camera and its pinhole sized to assure you won't get caught snooping.
Movie playback via the MP4 codec looked rather impressive on the demonstration model we viewed. It boasts 800 x 600 pixels of screen resolution and The Matrix film played seasmlessly on the phone - even the bullet sound effects. Great for public transport, but probably not for the poor guy sharing a seat next to you.
Unfortunately the NV mobile phone watches are not waterproof; a key functionality for a watch we would have assumed.
CEO Cooke envisages the end of mobile phones in our pockets, as the slightly chunky, brightly coloured spy watch-phones take over the world. ‘”In 10 to 20 years time”, Cooke said, thinking long term.
Developed over the last 18 months, NV Mobile also manufactures a separate range of stand-alone mobile phones with a funky twin SIM design (to use on any network) and a TV analogue tuner (digital upgrade expected shortly).
“We hope to sell 100 000 watches in our first year”, Cooke said of company forecasts, noting it was only a modest goal for the fledgling company, regardless of any perceived downturn.
Naysayers be damned, Cooke is hoping the celestial planets align and NV mobile watches become the must-have gadget of 2009. Staring failure square in the eye, Cooke stood firm in his hopes for mobile watch dominance, even as sections of the media questioned NV's economic viability for the product.
“We’re not moving beyond our means", Cooke told the audience. "We won’t fold."
I guess we’ll soon see.
NV hopes to launch the phones in the UK and US later in the year. For more info on their extensive range, go to NV Mobile.
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| CEO Anthony Cooke does his best spy impression |