If you have never heard of Neptune Computer Inc., they are a Canadian corporation that designs, develops, and sells wearable computers. They will also go down in history as the creators of the world’s first independent smartwatch, the Pine.
You heard me correctly. I think it is odd, considering all of the Galaxy Gear ads that show communicator watches from old TV shows, then with the screen that says “It’s Finally Real”. From these ads, Samsung seems to imply that they are the first to perfect this smartwatch technology, but you still need a smartphone to make the smartwatch work. Sounds like someone beat Samsung to the punch, really.
The Pine can make and receive phone calls, send and receive email (through WiFi or 3G), browse the Internet, and has GPS navigation.
As I have said before, all of those features do not require a smartphone to work, unlike other smartwatches. In addition to these “no phone required” features, the Pine can also be used to play music and video with a 3.2 Megapixel Recondite camera. The user can also monitor his or her heart rate, like all those fitness bands that have flooded the market.
The Neptune Pine has a 2.5 inch capacitive touchscreen display and runs a highly modified version of Android 4.0. It can connect to a computer via USB 2.0 connect at one end of the watch bracelet.
According to the Press Release, “a full QWERTY virtual keyboard has been designed to fit the Pine’s screen so that individual keys have the same dimensions as those found on the Apple iPhone”. This means that you can text on the smartwatch like you would a smartphone.
You should be able to purchase the Neptune Pine for a price of £185/$335 Canadian dollars.
