You've never seen a smartwatch like the Cross Country (pictures)

It's massive, it's thick, and it does almost everything your Android phone does.

Jessica Dolcourt

Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).

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Jessica Dolcourt

Sept. 11, 2014 6:00 a.m. PT

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Hulktastic

The Cross Country smartwatch isn't for the faint of heart. It's big --really big. But it's the hardware and software combo that make this an interesting experiment in wearable tech.

For instance, it runs the full Android OS, Google Play Store included.

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Buttons a'plenty

The top button sleeps and wakes the screen; the bottom takes you back a level, and that aperture in the middle? That's your camera, which also records video and lets you edit both.

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SIM and storage

Not too many smartwatches have their own SIM card and microSD storage slots, but this one does.

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Camera in action

Using the camera to take photos is awkward, and the image quality is pretty poor, but it's a fun spy move for a minute.

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Lego?

Most of the watch's hardware components are made by Lego, which is likely separate from the toy company. Cross Country provides the metaphorical glue that holds the software and hardware together.

Catch our hands-on video and even more Cross Country pros and cons here.

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