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Aloysius Low/CNET
SHANGHAI — Among the products making an appearance here at the CES Asia tradeshow is a Kickstarter project called the Rockioo Watch.
The titanium-clad smartwatch comes powered by Android 4.4 and feels pretty premium, though it won’t be cheap. When and if it does go on sale, expect to pay $199 or $259 depending on the model. That converts to around £130 or £170 and AU$257 or AU$335.
Unlike the usual Chinese model of competing with price, the Rockioo Watch aims to go high-end, but it does seem like it has the chops to do so. Unlike other smart watches, the Watch is a standalone device that doesn’t require a phone to do its magic.
Rockioo aims to join a wearables market poised for rapid growth. Total worldwide wearable shipments will reach 45.7 million this year, up from 19.6 million last year, IDC reported in March. Nearly 90 percent of that will be in the form of wristwear, at 40.7 million units.
The smartwatch has a square 1.63-inch OLED display with a 320×320-pixel resolution and comes loaded with 3G cellular connectivity, Wi-FI and Bluetooth. It also has a digital compass and GPS built-in. Because it’s running on Android 4.4 (though a modified version called Rockioo OS), it’s able to send text messages and make calls through its micro-SIM card.
Powered by a 500mAh battery, the watch has a claimed standby time of four days, which is pretty impressive if true since most watches only get by on a day’s usage at best.
For sporting enthusiasts, you’ll be glad to know that it’s water resistant up to 50m, and comes with a running app that lets you compete with other watch users.
I tried the watch out briefly, and unlike some other China-made no-brand watches, the Rockioo was smooth and the OS seemed pretty intuitive to use. My only complain about the watch is that the screen is a tad too large, and looks odd next to the smaller strap. If you have small arms, the watch is going to look positively gargantuan.
There’s still about 11 days left before the Kickstarter campaign ends, so if you’re keen on getting one, be sure to hop on by. Be advised though, the campaign is far from its funding goal.
