
New Wearable Can Call and Text Without a Phone - pjl
http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/15/will-i-ams-new-wearable-can-call-and-text-without-a-phone/
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chambo622
Will.i.am is an interesting guy. This looks much more refined than the weird
iPhone camera accessories he launched a year or two ago.

I still believe that smartwatch ecosystems outside of Android Wear and Apple's
Watch are unlikely to thrive.

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ck2
Android powered?

Certainly they didn't make their own OS, if it is hackable it will survive.

Wristband is way too thick though, are there components in there?

Like every portable device, battery life is going to be the huge problem, we
just do not have sufficiently advanced battery tech yet.

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jMyles
No description whatsoever of the technology.

Is this device a wifi device that makes calls and texts over wifi? What is a
"built-in mirrored sim"? This is not typical terminology (a google search
brings up only this article as a result). Is it a GSM / CDMA device? Which
carriers will support it? Will it be unlocked? Does it run Android or some
other OS?

The line at the end, "This is the first device to ever offer a phone free
calling feature" seems patently false for most common-sense definitions of
"calling feature."

This is just atrocious journalism.

~~~
Evolved
_Is this device a wifi device that makes calls and texts over wifi? Is it a
GSM / CDMA device? Which carriers will support it?_

The article states "Those in the U.S. will need to purchase a data plan
through AT&T and those in the U.K. will go through O2."

 _The line at the end, "This is the first device to ever offer a phone free
calling feature" seems patently false for most common-sense definitions of
"calling feature."_

I believe their intent when they say "phone-free" is to say that it stands on
its own and doesn't need to be paired with a phone in order to make/receive
calls.

~~~
jMyles
> The article states "Those in the U.S. will need to purchase a data plan
> through AT&T and those in the U.K. will go through O2."

The article did not say that at the time that I made my comment.

I see the paragraph in question has been changed substantially. The sentence
preceding the part that you quote now reads:

''' We don’t know exactly what the retail price will be but will.i.am did say
it was less than the cost of an iPhone without a plan and that it was
“affordable.” '''

If memory serves, when I read it, it simply said:

''' We don’t know exactly what the retail price will be but will.i.am did say
that it was “affordable.” '''

> I believe their intent when they say "phone-free" is to say that it stands
> on its own and doesn't need to be paired with a phone in order to
> make/receive calls.

But I mean, isn't any computer with google voice already this?

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chrissyb
Even if it has a "built-in mirrored sim" ... doesnt that just make it ummmmmm
a phone?

~~~
Evolved
Yes it is a phone in that it allows 2 or more parties to conduct a voice
conversation utilizing technology over some kind of network. Fortunately, the
article doesn't state that it is not a phone. It states that it doesn't
require a phone in the sense that it doesn't need to connect to your phone in
your pocket (most likely via bluetooth) to make/receive a call.

It has a built-in SIM so it stands on its own without needing to be paired to
a phone. However, they refer to it as a mirrored SIM which means it can have
the same phone number as your phone.

I fail to see the difference between a mirrored SIM and a cloned SIM (illegal
in the U.S. as far as I know).

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owenwil
As much as I admire Will.i.am for trying in this space, this thing will be
dead on arrival

