Apple’s iWatch is rumored to be launching later this year (or a little over a year from now, depending on who you ask), but an Indiegogo project called the Meteor by Kreyos promises an iPhone-comptatible watch that could give Apple’s hypothetical device—as well as other existing smart watches already on the market—some intriguing competition.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/68826226]
The Meteor watch features a three-axis gyro, an accelerometer, and other internal motion sensors to detect wrist motion, allowing you to control the watch—and your phone, by proxy—using a customizable set of wrist movements. A microphone allows the user to remotely activate Siri, something that the Pebble omitted for waterproofing purposes. Interestingly, the inclusion of a microphone hasn’t stopped the Meteor from being waterproof.
Other features that have become a hallmark of the smartwatch industry are included, such as the ability to recieve push notifications, reply to text messages (and presumably iMessages), post to social media, and more.
The Meteor features software for tracking fitness goals and accomplishments, which then sync through your phone or via an independent Internet connection to the cloud. The fitness features are compatible with existing fitness gear.
The actual face of the watch pops off of the interchangable wrist band and can be inserted into a variety of other accessories, such as a lanyard or a belt clip like that found on the iPod shuffle.
A software developer kit is also in the works that will allow third-party developers to create custom software for interfacing with smartphone apps and possibly other hardware over Bluetooth. Further opening the door to smartwatch software development are the new Bluetooth APIs found in iOS 7, which allow Bluetooth LE devices better access to Notification Center and other core features of iOS.
The project is seeking $100,000, with the watch set to retail for $169 when it is released. Kreyos estimates that, should their funding be successful, they will be able to begin shipping the Meteor by the end of November 2013, with those who backed the project recieving theirs before the Christmas holiday.
