Omate TrueSmart Smartwatch 2.0 puts full Android phone on your wrist (pictures)
How do you shrink a whole phone into a tiny watch? Take a look for yourself.
Scott Stein
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
The 1.54-inch IPS display on the Omate TrueSmart shows off a variety of nice-looking watch faces. Yes, it's a watch...but that only scratches the surface of what this wrist-phone can do.
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Apps in a grid, plus they can be put in folders. The TrueSmart Smartwatch 2.0 runs Android 4.2.2, and promises to run Google Play. Apps can be side-loaded just like on a full Android phone, too.
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Two side buttons turn on the watch and act as a "home" button. In the middle, the lens for the 5 megapixel / 720p camera. Stealthy.
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Android notifications pull down from the top just like you'd expect, but a lot of this watch's interface deviates from the Android norm.
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The sapphire crystal-covered IPS display looks crisp, but even at 240x240 resolution text can get awfully small to see. The dense metal body of the watch feels solid, and it's sealed to be water-resistant.
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A look at the camera lens. A rubber watchband with standard-style buckle attaches cleanly.
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Another neat watch face Brian Bennett side-loaded from a supported Omate app: Pong.
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Making a phone call once you pop in a SIM card: there's a built-in dialer and an address book. The speaker was loud, but the onboard microphone wasn't transmitting voice very well on our unit.
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Sending a tweet and a snapshot on the TrueSmart via an installed full Twitter app. It takes an awful lot of patient hunt-and-pecking.
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Typing is accomplished via an on-screen keyboard from Fleksy. It works, somewhat, but it seriously tried my patience. Big surprise, on a 1.5-inch screen. Alternative: you can actually pair a Bluetooth keyboard, like I did, and use it instead. Weird as heck, but effective.
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The back of the watch: it feels snug.
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The watch has no external ports: the SIM card slot is behind a screwed-in metal plate, and it charges via a external cradle with its own Micro USB port. The watch came with its own mini-screwdriver and extra screws.
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There's not a lot of free storage space on my test unit, it seems.
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At $249/$299 for versions with 4GB/8GB of storage, the Omate TrueSmart Smartwatch 2.0 is actually less expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Gear, and theoretically does a lot more as a stand-alone device. Even if impractical, it shows what wearable tech is capable of.
