The new flagships smartphones are increasingly having to share the spotlight with wearables. MWC 2016 is no exception with a growing number of companies unveiling their wearable devices during the event. The latest to do so is Haier, a Chinese company better known for appliances. As it promised earlier this month, it unveiled the Haier Watch.
Unlike many Chinese manufacturers which offer inexpensive wearables with less than impressive hardware, Haier’s latest smartwatch comes with some fairly high-end specifications. Rather than being powered by Android Wear, the Haier watch will be powered by a forked version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. On the hardware side, it will come with Bluetooth 4.0 LE (but no NFC or Wi-Fi), 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It will also sport an internal microphone and speaker allowing it make phone calls although a paired smartphone will still be required as it will not have cellular connectivity. Fitness and health tracking capabilities will be supported by a number of sensors including a heart rate monitor.
The Haier Watch comes with a 42mm 316L stainless case and 1.4-inch display with a resolution of 400 by 400 pixels. It carries an IP56 water resistance rating.
The Haier Watch will be available in gold, silver or black with a number of watch strap options. It is expected to launch in April and sell for about US$220 (about CA$300). It’s not clear if we will see it in North America but it is headed to the U.K.
Source : Pocket-lint