Timex Ironman One – the smartwatch you wouldn’t expect

The smartwatch, and generally the wearable technology market is expanding day by day, with new releases and announcements popping up offering various new or re-vamped features users can enjoy. Some offer notifications, others offer fitness tracking and others offer 3G and GPS, whilst there are smartwatches that can incorporate all the high tech features you can think about. The Timex Ironman One is almost one of those.

The Timex Ironman One is a smartwatch that benefits from various features you would not find on the Moto 360, Apple Watch, LG G Watch R, Samsung Gear S, Sony SmartBand Fit or Asus ZenWatch. Besides the fact that it’s an overly bulky device that might seem obtrusive to some, the Timex Ironman One is an exceptional smartwatch because it offers GPS and free 3G from AT&T for one whole year.

AT&T has decided earlier this month that the Timex Ironman would be the perfect device for them to partner with and offer free one-year 3G for the users. After your one year free 3G is up though, AT&T offers you the same service for just &40 a year, which is a very competitive price. The Timex Ironman is currently the only watch that offers this service and in my opinion, it’s a great bargain.

The Timex Ironman One will set you back a hefty $400, and will be up for pre-order later this year, but the smartwatch offer everything you would like on a high-tech wearable device. The Timex Ironman One looks rather futuristic, but sturdy and durable at the same time and even though it’s size is considerably larger than what you would find on the market, it still feels lightweight and comfortable. It doesn’t have the much appreciated round design of the Moto 360 or LG G Watch R, rather it sports a rectangular design that is similar to that of the Samsung Gear S, Gear Live or Gear Smart.

Timex has been in the watch business forever now (since the 19th century) and it maintains its position as one of the top watchmakers in the world, and the new smartwatch from the company doesn’t disappoint. The Timex Ironman One is not just a smartwatch or a fitness band, it’s rather closer to a miniature smartphone that you can slap on your wrist, hence the hefty price tag. The Timex Ironman provides GPS fitness tracking, a built-in music player, messaging, heart rate monitor, streaming, live tracking and pre-set messages.

The Timex Ironman One is water resistant for up to 150 feet deep, offers 4 GB music storage and it features a battery that can last up to 8 hours with GPS turned on and up to 3 days without the GPS function in use. The only drawback of the device is that you won’t have access to notifications, because the Timex Ironman syncs your data directly with the fitness website of your choice. It could have a better battery life, though.

The Timex Ironman features a Qualcomm processor, Brew platform and a 1.5 inch Mirasol touchscreen. The screen seems to be very legible even in bright sunlight, which is a nice feature to see on a watch. It can also send automated distress signals at the press of a button, which will contain your location if you’re ever in trouble. Overall, the Timex Ironman isn’t by far the most beautiful smartwatch out there and it isn’t the best you can get for your money. Nonetheless, it does offer top-notch features tailor-made for fitness or outdoors nuts who will surely feel that it will come in handy.