Smartwatch launched by Will.i.am

Performer Will.i.am has been teasing a smartwatch of his own design for a few weeks now, talking about how it doesn’t need to be tethered to a phone, as well as emphasizing a music controller and editor during his live performances on stage. We’ve seen that smartwatch on his wrist in various shows, and the design seemed innovative, although we couldn’t catch a glimpse of the screen. The smartwatch looked like a bracelet, similar to the .klatz bracelet we reported on earlier. We had gone as far as to think that Will.i.am was actually joking about making a smartwatch, just for the laughs and giggles, but it seems that the artists was far from that. Will.i.am has just launched the Puls smartwatch yesterday, and the timepiece actually looks promising, to be honest.

The Puls smartwatch was unveiled by Will.i.am at Dreamforce 2014 and it actually doesn’t need a smartphone to be tethered to, having its own Wi-Fi and 3G courtesy of AT&T and O2 in the UK. You will be able to use the Puls smartwatch just like you would a phone, allowing you to place calls, as well as send text messages, listen to music, set alarms, reminders and more. You can use Aneeda on the Puls smartwatch, which is a voice control system that can do all the above mentioned tasks for you. You also have the Humin app which will allow Puls users to share information from their devices by tapping the smartwatch to another.

The Puls smartwatch is based on Android, and uses a Snapdragon processor to make things work. It also features built-in GPS, accelerometer and a pedometer, as well as a fitness application that can track your workouts. The battery of the Puls smartwatch is built into the strap, so you won’t be able to switch straps. Nonetheless, the smartwatch looks more like a cuff than a watch, and it can actually be called a bracelet more than a smartwatch, but that is up to you. The smartwatch has 16 GB internal storage, 1 GB RAM and has built-in speakers and a microphone.

The software on the smartwatch includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and integration with Salesforce. The Puls will supposedly cost less than the off-contract iPhone, as per Will.i.am. Since the iPhone 6 retails for $650, we expect the Puls smartwatch price to be around $500, like the Samsung Gear S. That’s quite the hefty price for a smartwatch, but it will sport the i.am+ name, Will.i.am’s new brandname. Will.i.am said that the Puls smarwatch will be available for purchase at AT&T stores by the time the holidays hit, and will also come with a suite of accessories for those interested.

New accessories for the Puls smartwatch include a jacket with battery packs packed into its sleeves, which can charge the Puls as long as the smartwatch touches the sleeves of the jacket. A jacket can provide two and a half days of battery power for the Puls. Will.i.am will also be selling a custom backpack with speakers and smart shoes that weigh you and have pedometers built-in so that it can count your steps. There hasn’t been a price put on the accessories, but we are expecting to see hefty prices.