A small hardware startup called iMCO Technology displays big ambitions with the launch of its first smartwatch, called CoWatch. It’s the first device of its kind to integrate Amazon’s Alexa voice recognition — the same artificial intelligence agent that powers the Amazon Echo line of products. Although the watch, which is initially being distributed via an Indiegogo campaign, does not run Android Wear, it does contain some Google DNA, courtesy of the ex-Google employees who founded the company that built its Alexa-equipped operating system, Cronologics.
Available in either black or silver, and with a choice of bands, the 1.72-inch by 0.48-inch timepiece features a 1.39-inch, 400 x 400 pixel Super AMOLED display. At its heart are a dual-core MIPS processor whose high- and low-power cores run at 1.2GHz and 300MHz respectively, plus 1GB of RAM and 8GB of flash storage. Built-in sensors include an accelerometer, gyrometer, and magnetometer, along with a heart rate sensor and vibrating motor. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compose the connectivity options.
A magnetic charging cradle is said to take an hour to deliver a 70 percent charge to the battery, whose 300mAh capacity promises 32 hours of life in an always-on mode. Its casing, meanwhile, is made up of stainless steel and ceramic zirconia composite, and boasts IP67 certification for water and dust resistance.
The Cronologics platform offers a number of native apps, in such categories as communication, fitness tracking, and entertainment, and will soon open up to third-party developers. Both iOS 9 and Android 5.0 Lollipop-and-above companion devices are supported.
iMCO, whose barren website does not do much to instill confidence in the product, is offering CoWatch to Indiegogo supporters for either $159 or $179, depending on how early one is ordered [Update: the watch itself has a much more professional-looking site]. The first batch of 800 have an estimated delivery window of June, while watches ordered afterwards — at the regular price of $369 — will require 90 days for delivery.