Qualcomm said on Monday that it currently plans to launch the Toq (pronounced “talk”) smartwatch on Cyber Monday, December 2, 2013. This wearable tech, brought to the market by subsidiary Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., won't come cheap this holiday season, costing a hefty starting price of $349.99 USD, quite a big jump compared to Sony's Smartwatch 2, which costs $200.
Qualcomm designed the device to serve as a second display for an Android smartphone (v4.0.3 and above), sporting the company's Mirasol reflective, low-power display technology for always-on viewing. The wearable tech will also offer wireless charging thanks to Qualcomm WiPower LE technology, and true Bluetooth stereo.
"Like a traditional watch, Toq displays information at a glance with no on/off switch. And paired with a smartphone to receive notifications and content, it allows the watch to seamlessly merge our physical and digital lives. Leveraging these and other industry-leading technologies, we and our partners will enable new product opportunities and consumer experiences," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Qualcomm.
By using Bluetooth wireless technology, the upcoming Toq smartwatch allows consumers to accept/reject calls, view text messages and meeting alerts, and selectively receive notifications from their smartphone or AllJoyn-enabled devices directly from their wrist. Consumers will be "armed" with preloaded weather and stock applets from AccuWeather and E*TRADE, while the company will continue adding functionality to Toq through software upgrades.
Qualcomm said back in September that the smartwatch has been in development for over two years, and is the world's first smartwatch with a Mirasol capacitive touchscreen display. The screen isn't backlit, but rather consists of an interferometric modulator display that uses light around it so that users can read the information even at the beach. The screen also provides brilliant colors and a button-less, touch-based experience for managing calls, accessing music, stock prices, the calendar and more.
This smartwatch will be a limited edition, and will supposedly be accompanied by a "Premium Audio Edition" that features "the first truly" wireless stereo headphones. This special pair of Bluetooth headsets – one for each ear – will sit outside the ear canal for all-day wearability, and utilize a dedicated tweeter and subwoofer. Even more, calls can be placed with the connected smartphone using either earpiece. Qualcomm also plans to sell the headphones separately at launch.
For more information about the Qualcomm Toq, head here.
