Middlebury, Conn. – Timex launched its first cellular-equipped smart watch, which is available through AT&T stores and AT&T’s website.
The touchscreen-equipped Timex Iron Man One GPS+ was originally scheduled to be available last November, but a spokesperson said the two companies have “taken the necessary time to ensure that our customers are able to fully maximize the features” of the watch.
The timepiece company, which also markets fitness watches and bands, plans availability through additional types of outlets, including sports stores and electronics stores.
The $399 Iron Man One GPS+ is equipped with built-in GPS and cellular, which receives text messages and email via AT&T’s 3G HSPA network without the need for a companion smartphone. Users must sign up for a Timex email account. A phone number separate from a user’s main phone is required for data service.
The watch comes with one free year of AT&T service. Service costs $40 for the second year of service. The watch doesn’t support voice calling.
Fitness- and running-related apps are included and connect via Bluetooth to fitness sensors such as heart-rate monitors and foot pods. The watch also tracks speed, distance and pace in real time and instantaneously shares performance metrics through social-media and online fitness platforms.
Other key features include customizable interval timers, audible and vibrating pace and heart-rate alerts, and notifications when the user achieved a personal record.
The watch is water-resistant up to 50 meters in depth and features Qualcomm Mirasol display, which is always on and is readable in sunlight. A built-in 4GB MP3 player and stereo Bluetooth is included for listening to music over Bluetooth headphones. The watch’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery delivers eight hours of use with GPS and cellular on. Battery life drops to 4 hours when the MP3 player is also running.
The smartwatch’s tracking capabilities lets users share their location with a pre-determined list of contacts. Recipients receive an email message that contains a link to view the runner’s workout in near real-time, the company said.
In emergencies, the SOS Find Me feature sends an alert with your location to the contacts. The emergency message can be one of five user-predefined messages or a custom message defined by the user when the emergency message is sent. An “Angel” feature lets runners designate one or more contacts as authorized to request the runner’s location.
Users share their performance metrics via cellular with such fitness sites as MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, and Strava.
