Hey guys, Qualcomm wants some attention, too. The company announced today that it, also, is launching a smartwatch, despite the huge hype around Samsung’s similar announcement this morning.
The chip maker says it will be releasing a smartwatch sometime during the fourth quarter of 2013, and it will cost $300. It is called Toq (pronounced “talk”) and has an always-on, low-power screen; can charge wirelessly; and connects to Bluetooth.
Qualcomm says it’ll act as a supplement to your smartphone and can do a lot of the things your phone can already do. As an extension of that phone, it can receive calls, texts, calendar reminders, and other kinds of notifications. The company plans to deliver more features through future software updates.
Of course, the watch comes the same day as Samsung’s major watch reveal and IFA in Berlin. The smartphone company launched it’s Samsung Galaxy Gear, which comes packed with an accelerometer, gyroscope, pedometer, camera, 70 launch apps, and more.
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VentureBeat’s mobile reporter Devindra Hardawar doesn’t believe the Samsung watch is going to be the device that makes it big, but it is a great jumping off point for the smartwatch industry. This first release is still fairly large, though a little sleeker looking than Qualcomm’s square-faced Toq.
Alongside the watch, Qualcomm is also delivering a pair of “truly wireless earphones” that can connect to Toq. The whole package connects to Android 4.0.3 or higher.
