Neptune Unveils the Neptune Pine Full-Feature Smartwatch

I’m torn about this product, I’m not sure whether to like it or not? I haven’t worn a watch for years, I did all the time long ago, but I stopped and just never put one on again. The Neptune Pine is n Android based Smartwatch and it’s not what you think when you think Android, but it’s still cool nonetheless. It’s a watch, and it’s a phone, and a a smartphone or smartwatch, it has a 2.5” capacitive touchscreen and it runs Android 4.0, well at least a very modified version of it.

Neptune Computer Inc., a Canadian corporation that designs, develops and sells wearable computers, today announced the world’s first full-feature smartwatch: the Neptune Pine. The powerful device can make and receive phone calls, shoot video and take pictures with its 3.2-megapixel Recondite camera, send and receive email through WiFi or 3G, monitor the user’s heart rate, browse the Internet, play music and video, provide GPS navigation, and much more; all independently without the presence of a smartphone. Open today for pre-orders, the Pine will ship to consumers in late Q3 of 2013 at the introductory price of $395.

Smartwatches have been a topic of interest lately, with products such as the Pebble and the i’m Watch appearing on the market. However, none of these products can operate independently as a smartphone; they all require a Bluetooth connection to a nearby smartphone in order to function.

The Neptune Pine is the first device of its kind to have nearly all the capabilities of a modern high-end smartphone. In terms of connectivity, it supports quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G, 802.11 WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0. It can connect directly to a computer using a USB 2.0 connector at one end of the watch’s bracelet. It also boasts an internal GPS, a digital compass, a heart rate monitor, and a 3.2-megapixel Recondite camera. It runs a highly-modified version of Android 4.0, which is designed and tailored by Neptune to seamlessly fit and work on the 2.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display.

Furthermore, a full QWERTY virtual keyboard has been designed to fit the Pine’s screen so that individual keys have the same dimensions as those found on the Apple iPhone; therefore making it possible for users to input considerable amounts of text on the smartwatch.

“This is really the smartwatch everyone’s been waiting for,” says Simon Tian, co-founder and CEO of Neptune Computer.

The Neptune Pine will be widely available in Canada and the United States in late Q3 of 2013 at a suggested retail price of CAD$395. A limited number are available for pre-order at neptunepine.com.