The History of the SmartWatch

A smartwatch is a computerized wristwatch with functionality that is enhanced beyond timekeeping. While early models can perform basic tasks, such as calculations, translations, and game-playing, modern smartwatches are effectively wearable computers. Many smartwatches run mobile apps, while a smaller number of models run a mobile operating system and function as portable media players, offering playback of FM radio, audio, and video files to the user via a Bluetooth headset. Some smartwatches models, also called watch phones, feature full mobile phone capability, and can make or answer phone calls.

Before the present smartwatch have been popular in our present technology, there many kinds of smartwatches before from different manufacturers. Those are:

Pulsar NL C01 (1982)

Pulsar NL C01 was introduced by Seiko in 1982. It can hold up to 24 characters of information. It was hardly impressive by today's standard. The NL C01 and its immediate successors failed to grab anything more than a highly tech-focused customer base.

Seiko RC-1000 (1984) 

With the quick innovation of technology, Seiko RC-1000 was created in 1984. It uses cable to be compatible with various computers.

Seiko Receptor (1990)

The next big shift of smartwatches was introduced after a decade, the Seiko Receptor. This began the advancement of watches being wirelessly connected. It is reliable, high quality personal messaging unit that fits inside a precision Seiko wristwatch.

Seiko Ruputer (1998)

The 1998 Ruputer was more of a computer than a watch, boasting a 16-bit processor and 128KB of RAM. It offers a full graphic display, a GUI and a small joystick for user interactions. Although it was said at the time that the watch was "PC compatible", it's architecture and OS are actually too far from regular PCs to be actually compatible. The watch, however, will communicate with PCs via a provided interface, has a complete filesystem, and handle files like ".bmp" and ".txt". Executable files have a ".EXF" extension.

Linux WatchPad (2002)

IBM and Citizen tried a Linux smart watch, the WatchPad, but it was short lived. Fossil lasted longer, having found a way to cram the Palm OS into a much smaller screen, it launched multiple models from 2002 to 2005.

Microsoft SPOT (2004)

The years of the 2000s were important as smart watches advanced. In 2004, Microsoft entered the smart watch scene, their platform Smart Personal Object Technology, also known as SPOT, used FM broadcast.

Samsung S9110 Watch Phone (2009)

The future of the smart watch was wireless, but the wireless wasn't FM: it was Bluetooth. By the beginning of this decade, firm after firm had seen the potential. Samsung had its S9110 Watch Phone. The S9110 was larger, thicker and weighed more - it also had a slightly larger, but lower resolution TFT display. Given the advances in display technology over the past four years, the differences here aren't unexpected at all.

 

Sony Ericsson LiveView (2010)

Sony Ericsson launched its LiveView to pull data from Android phones, and Allerta's InPulse did the same for BlackBerries. It is a wearable device that connects to an Android phone and can display Twitter feeds, RSS feeds, SMS, control the phone's media player, and is capable of running third party plugins obtainable from Google's Play Store. It is compatible with most Android phones.

Pebbles and fitness kit (2012)

By the end of 2012 we were up to our wrists in wearables: Nike+ Fuelbands and Jawbone Ups, the epaper-screened Pebble and the cute Cuckoo, the Sony Smartwatch and all kinds of GPS trackers and exercise monitors. It is a smartwatch that can display and interact with apps on Android and iPhone smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy Gear (2013)

Samsung has been extremely busy in the smartwatch market, releasing no less than six devices since the original Samsung Galaxy Gear back in September 2013. The Galaxy Gear was released to a generally negative reception; it was criticized for the lackluster design of its interface, the inadequate implementation of some of its software, the few apps available, its poor battery life, and its dependency on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets.

Android Wear (2014)

Last year, Google went big with smartwatches, announcing Android Wear its watch-centric OS that makes use of things such as Google Now and allows developers to create smartwatches with either a round, square or rectangle face. Android Wear will have us talking to our watches. You'll be able to speak to request information as well as reply to information you've already received.

Apple Watch (2015)

It's not coming out until 2015 but Apple showed off the Apple Watch in September, presumably with the hope that anyone looking to buy a smartwatch this Christmas would have second thoughts. Apple Watch may well have been one of the most anticipated products of recent years. It's made its presence known for months, and a software development kit has been released so that developers can create Apple Watch apps.