HP partners with established watchmakers Titan, Movado for wearable iOS-connected devices
In its bid to take on the Apple Watch, HP has forged partnerships with established traditional watchmakers Titan and Movado, for forthcoming devices that will be compatible with Apple's iPhone.
HP announced on Monday its new partnership with Titan, which is the fifth-largest watchmaker in the world. Under the "Engineered by HP" program, the joint venture will see HP develop hardware modules, software, user interface, and cloud services for wearable smart devices made by Titan.
The announcement comes just a week after HP announced a similar agreement with Movado, which resulted in a new smartwatch called the bold Motion. Unlike the Titan announcement, which did not disclose any concrete products, the Movado Bold Motion is currently available to reserve, priced at $695 and compatible with iOS 8 and later.
Rather than using a touchscreen like many modern smartwatches, the Bold Motion has an analog dial watch face. Without a screen, users can't receive details on notifications --?instead, an LED ring lights up with appropriate colors to simply tell the user the type of notification they have received. It also alerts users with haptic feedback and features step counting.
While the Bold Motion serves as a somewhat basic smartwatch, HP's program suggests that its wearable devices will come in a wide variety of styles and capabilities.
"Engineered by HP is reinventing the experience consumers have with everyday accessories by making existing objects smarter through innovative materials, design and technology, to keep people connected to the way they live today," said Sridhar Solur, General Manager, Wearables and Smart Platforms at HP Inc.
HP's first partnership was announced last year when it unveiled the Chronowing, designed in partnership with Michael Bastian and Gilt. That device was unveiled last August, before Apple even made the Apple Watch official in September of 2014.
HP announced on Monday its new partnership with Titan, which is the fifth-largest watchmaker in the world. Under the "Engineered by HP" program, the joint venture will see HP develop hardware modules, software, user interface, and cloud services for wearable smart devices made by Titan.
The announcement comes just a week after HP announced a similar agreement with Movado, which resulted in a new smartwatch called the bold Motion. Unlike the Titan announcement, which did not disclose any concrete products, the Movado Bold Motion is currently available to reserve, priced at $695 and compatible with iOS 8 and later.
Rather than using a touchscreen like many modern smartwatches, the Bold Motion has an analog dial watch face. Without a screen, users can't receive details on notifications --?instead, an LED ring lights up with appropriate colors to simply tell the user the type of notification they have received. It also alerts users with haptic feedback and features step counting.
While the Bold Motion serves as a somewhat basic smartwatch, HP's program suggests that its wearable devices will come in a wide variety of styles and capabilities.
"Engineered by HP is reinventing the experience consumers have with everyday accessories by making existing objects smarter through innovative materials, design and technology, to keep people connected to the way they live today," said Sridhar Solur, General Manager, Wearables and Smart Platforms at HP Inc.
HP's first partnership was announced last year when it unveiled the Chronowing, designed in partnership with Michael Bastian and Gilt. That device was unveiled last August, before Apple even made the Apple Watch official in September of 2014.
Comments
Good lawd...
... at $695 a piece. And people think the Apple Watch is expensive. Crazy world.
Nothing says success like a committee-made watch led by Hewlett Packard.
This gave me a good laugh. So true.
Cue HP's successor to the Touch Pad flop.
At this price point and do nothing feature set, this thing is DOA.
(Apple should take great comfort that the competition has no idea and no tech with which to respond to the ?Watch and where they do, they are compelled to make it compatible with the iPhone.)
The very concept of anyone 'taking on' Apple by 'partnering' with random manufacturers is a non starter right from the off because what makes an Apple product what it is, is the fact that it is the only completely integrated software and hardware package from a manufacture that is expert in both these disciplines. It's like two drowning people holding on to each other for support.
LLOOOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLLOOLLOLOL.
This is like McDonalds partnering with Whole Foods to create a more healthy burger.
Weird analogy. Sounds pretty sensible to me.
So the certain failure of this venture must be obvious to the partners themselves. Which makes me wonder: Is there some benefit to "being seen to be competing" in this industry? I just can't understand such a move otherwise. HP hasn't been great since the 15c calculator (and now there's an app for that).
"forthcoming" ... "will be" ........ Apple must be terrified !
...that sentence is why the company and its products are crap. all biz speak, no clarity.
fail.
This so reminds me of the iPod+HP.
Wow, that was a mouthful of nothing. HP hasn't "reinvented" a thing. Their logan ought to me, "Chasing markets; catching none."
"At HP we're wondering what's happening. Before we can get our donkey harnessed to the cart, everyone's on to something else...??"
I give this product group the possibility of succeeding on par with the HP smart phones for emerging markets. That idea hardly made a blip on the HP profit/loss chart.
so much hype about nothing