Smartwatches Are About to Get More Sophisticated

The short history of the smartwatch has been uninspired at best. Given that the smartwatch is little more than a dumbed-down smartphone on the wrist, it’s not hard to see why many techies don’t feel the need to shell out a few hundred bucks for a device that’s modestly more convenient than the one already in their pocket. They’re tech toys for rich boys, and finally someone seems to be catching on.

Luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer has been courting partners to launch its own smartwatch, after months of dismissing the devices. The Swiss company is so serious about the plan, executives are now openly musing about buying other companies to incorporate existing technologies and speed up the development process. We don’t know who’s playing ball with TAG, but some reports suggest Intel has been brought in to provide the processing power.

The decision is by no means a first for the watch industry. Swatch announced earlier this year it would be launching its own line of smartwatches. But, TAG is on a completely different level in terms of quality and style. The company tries to promote an image of classy, yet rugged sportiness. It’s the kind of watch James Bond wears, and Tiger Woods hocks for. And a quick look at TAG’s website will show you that they don’t come cheap – think thousands, not hundreds of dollars.

There’s little doubt a TAG Heuer smartwatch would be one sexy high-tech timepiece, but its success may ultimately come down to its features. What few rumours there are suggest it will be pretty standard, with email, calls, texts and fitness monitoring being the go-to features. If smartwatches are, for now, really just tech toys for the wealthy, TAG’s device will at the very least give those who can afford it something a lot more stylish than today’s Casio throwbacks.

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