While Samsung’s Galaxy Gear announcement was no surprise after all the leaks and rumours that preceded it, Qualcomm managed to surprise most of us with its own Toq smartwatch announcement yesterday. The announcement was short on details such as availability and price but these have now come to light.
CNET has learned that the Qualcomm Toq will launch in early next month for about US$300. At this point, Qualcomm is aiming for an October 10th launch. Qualcomm only plans to sell “tens of thousands” of the device. We’ll let you know when Qualcomm starts to take pre-orders.
Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Gear, the Toq comes with a reflective Mirasol display which not only uses little battery power but, much like e-ink displays, remains readable in direct sunlight. It will allow users to manage a number of smartphone functions right from their wrist, including controlling music playback and managing smartphone calls, text messages, meeting reminders and other notifications. It will also support wireless charging. Unlike the Galaxy Gear, it does not have a camera.
It is primarily designed to work while connected to an Android smartphone but can run its own apps as well. Qualcomm currently has no plans to offer an iOS version.
Qualcomm sees the Toq as a proof-of-concept device meant to inspire its partners to come up with their own designs.
Source : CNET