Will.i.am is set to launch his smartwatch, which can make calls


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Smartwatches are coming in many shapes and sizes but only a few - such as Samsung's Gear S and the forthcoming Apple Watch - allow people to make calls.

Now musician and technology entrepreneur  will.i.am is set to reveal a rival which will let people to use the gadget like a phone, by making calls, using apps and playing music.

The watch was due to launch in July, but is now set to make its debut tomorrow in San Francisco, during Salesforce.com's Dreamforce event.

A rival for Apple Watch? will.i.am is set to reveal  his own smartwatch, which will allow people to use the gadget like a phone, by making calls, using apps and listen to music

A rival for Apple Watch? will.i.am is set to reveal his own smartwatch, which will allow people to use the gadget like a phone, by making calls, using apps and listen to music

Will.i.am was recently seen wearing his creation during a DJ set, where he phoned a friend and told the audience: 'Just to let you know, this is not tethered to a phone, or nothing like that,' before seemingly using it to control the music playing.

In April, he claimed in an interview with Alan Carr, that the gadget has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and apps including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, all of which will.i.am uses frequently.

The device has a reflective dark grey finish and rectangular design, which is 'a product living at the intersection of fashion, science, technology and pop culture,' according to Salesforce.

It 'allows for a sixth sense mentality and represents a new way of being connected,' it said.

 will.i.am was seen using his watch at a DJ set (pictured) three weeks ago

In April, will.i.am claimed that the gadget has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and apps including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, in an interview with Alan Carr (pictured)

In April, will.i.am claimed that the gadget has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and apps including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, in an interview with Alan Carr (pictured)

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM WILL.I.AM'S SMARTWATCH 

Will.i.am's watch appears to have a curved display.

He hasn't revealed what operating system his device runs on, but the fact it features established apps including Instagram and Twitter,suggests it could run on Android.

The presence of Instagram also hints that the device will have a camera.

As the watch doesn't link with a phone, but stores music, it suggests the watch will have a substantial amount of storage - which will need to be a minimum of 4GB to be useful.

If the watch has Bluetooth connectivity, it's likely to also have Wi-Fi capabilities and may even add NFC.

Due to the fact it can make calls, the watch is also likely to have a SIM card and may additionally support 3G, or even 4G.

If it does come with a data plan, the storage may be reduced if music can be streamed from the cloud.

The device, which is expected to run Android, has a curved screen and can store music locally, as well as coming with a digital music service from a British company called 7digital,The Telegraph reported. 

Will.i.am and 7digital are thought to have struck deals with large and small record labels to cover most musical tastes, which could give the wearable an edge over those with other music services.

Will.i.am, the director of creative innovation at Intel showed off his smartwatch for the first time on Channel 4's Alan Carr: Chatty Man, as well as using it during The Voice.

During the show, will.i.am told Alan Carr: 'I don't carry my phone anymore, this is my phone.

'A lot of these smartwatches need phones - mine doesn't need a phone.

'I started the company myself, I funded it, I used my own money to develop it.

'So, it's a phone. It has all my music in it so I can work out with it, without wires using Bluetooth headphones. It's got Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.'

The following night, will.i.am used the watch to call Cheryl Cole during the final of talent show The Voice - although the call quality was poor and cut out shortly afterwards.

The presence of Instagram hints that the device will have a camera.

As the watch doesn't link with a phone, but stores music, it will probably come with a substantial amount of storage, perhaps at least 4GB.

Music to consumers' ears? The device, which is expected to run on Android, has a curved screen and can store music locally, as well as coming with a digital music service from a British company called 7digital

Music to consumers' ears? The device, which is expected to run on Android, has a curved screen and can store music locally, as well as coming with a digital music service from a British company called 7digital

The wrapper and entrepreneur was recently seen wearing his creation during a DJ set, where he phoned a friend and told the audience: 'Just to let you know, this is not tethered to a phone, or nothing like that. He also used it to call Cheryl Cole in the last series of The Voice (pictured)

The wrapper and entrepreneur was recently seen wearing his creation during a DJ set, where he phoned a friend and told the audience: 'Just to let you know, this is not tethered to a phone, or nothing like that. He also used it to call Cheryl Cole in the last series of The Voice (pictured)

If the watch has Bluetooth connectivity, it's likely to also have Wi-Fi capabilities and may even add NFC.

Due to the fact it can make calls, the watch will probably feature a SIM card and may additionally support 3G, or even 4G.

It has not yet been revealed how much will.i.am's smartwatch will cost, or when it will launch.

But it will be going head-to-head with Apple's highly-anticipated wearable, which will probably not be launched until February and will cost from $349 (£216).

While it is among the few wearables that will be able to be used to make phone calls, the battery is thought to be the Apple Watch's Achilles heel, with reports that it will have to be charged daily. There is no news about will.i.am's device's battery life as yet.

 Here, will.i.am showcases his watch for the first time in April on Alan Carr's talk show

The company's chief executive added that the Apple Watch 'can be worn all day, for any occasion,' but hourly figures were notably absent
The product costs $349 (£216) and is now not expected to launch until at least February next year

will.i.am's device will go head-to head with the Apple Watch (pictured left and right). It is not known whether the two products will be similarly priced, with an Apple Watch costing  $349 (£216). There is no launch date for either of the watches, with rumours suggesting the Apple Watch will not be released until February

Aside from music, Will.i.am has a strong background in science and technology.

In 2011, Intel named will.i.am as director of creative innovation and his role was to help develop the firm's range of phones, tablets and laptops.

A year later he made history by streaming a song from the surface of Mars in conjunction with Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The song was called Reaching for the Stars.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE APPLE WATCH

The watch has a completely new user interface, different from the iPhone, and the 'crown' on the Apple Watch is a dial called the 'digital crown.'

Users can turn the crown to zoom in and out on a map, or scroll a list. The crown can also be pressed to take the user back to the home screen.

Different areas on the watch face can be customised with taps and swipes, and force touches.

The Glances feature shows info users would like to see, similar to Google Now, and is accessed by swiping the screen up from the bottom.

Music can also be controlled on an iPhone through the Apple Watch.

Built-in is a 'taptic engine' that responds to a subtle vibrations users feel on their wrist for notifications.

It understands questions in messages and then offers pre-selected answers, and messages can be dictated to the iPhone.

Users can also talk to the watch and send a voice reply, or have it transcribed to them.

There is no keyboard on the watch, and messages can only be sent through dictation, or emoji.

Siri also is built into the Apple Watch. 

 



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