14 DAY TRIAL // Last weekend HP and Glit Groupe finally announced the MB Chronowing luxury smartwatch, which has been designed by a prestigious designer.
Back then we told you the device will be more of a watch and less of a “smart” product. Basically, you shouldn't be expecting the Chronowing to be as advanced as the Moto 360 or Samsung Gear S, but the device will bring some intelligent functions to the table.
First promo of the HP Chronowing gets posted
What those were exactly we weren't told. But now Gilt has posted a video hosted by fashion designer Michael Bastian, who was in charge of designing the whole thing. It also gives us a sneak peek into the watch’s functions.
Bastian asks you why you haven’t purchased a smartwatch until now, but he already has the answer ready for you. It’s because you haven’t found a product that actually looked and felt like a watch. That’s why our designer took it into his own hands to create a product with direct focus on the aesthetic.
The HP watch doesn't have a touchscreen like the Apple Watch and the Android Wear slew, nor does it take advantage of a color screen, but the video makes it look pretty attractive nevertheless.
It is mentioned in the presentation that the watch is water resistant, so it will be able to handle a few splashes. However, you won’t be able to take it out swimming or anything like that.
For those of you wondering how the device will be able to handle notifications, we’re given a front view at what it looks like when you get a Facebook notification, sport scores, weather alerts and email messages.
Will you pay $350 / €279 for it?
If we are to look at all smartwatches available today, the HP Chronowing seems to be the most similar to the Pebble smartwatch, probably because it sports a monochrome LCD.
Sure, it will remain to be seen if customers are willing to pay the equivalent of the Apple Watch or Samsung Gear S for smartwatch, which tends to lean towards the more traditional side of things.
However, the first video detailing the first HP smartwatch looks quite compelling and inviting and certainly arouses our curiosity. But will this be enough for people to pull $350 / €279 out of their wallets?
Another aspect to be considered is battery life, said to amount to merely 7 hours. The Apple Watch was highly criticized when it became apparent that the device will be requiring a daily charging cycle. However, this aspect indicates it can last up to 24 hours, so 7 hours seems highly insufficient at this point in time.