More than 80 companies released smartwatches in 2014. That number is expected to jump dramatically in 2015. Not all of those companies are as well known as industry giants such as Apple, Pebble, Motorola and Samsung. Among the smaller players joining the fray is Wiko, a French smartphone company. The company unveiled the Wiko watch at Mobile World Congress.
The Wiko Watch is the outcome of a new partnership with Névo, the company behind the Névo Watch (itself expected to ship in April). At first glance, the Wiko Watch appears to be no more than an analogue watch and takes a few design cues from the Withings Activité Pop. Rather than digital subdials to provide additional information, it relies on multi-hued LEDs and vibration alerts for everything from notifications about incoming emails and texts to meeting tracking goals.
Without a touchscreen, it relies on three side buttons, two push buttons and the crown, for all controls.
All in all, it does not get much more minimal than the Wiko Watch.
It relies on a companion app (compatible with both Android and iOS) to provide more detailed information such as a calorie burned count and sleep monitoring.
The Wiko Watch will be offered in a choice of three colours, black, red and turquoise. The company has promised to offer additional straps in the future.
The Wiko Watch could be available as early as April for €129 (about CA$180). It is unlikely unfortunately to make its way to Canada.