CES 2011: Casio Showcases Bluetooth Watch-Phone Prototype

Casio’s latest innovation may look like any other digital watch, but it’s actually a phone too; well kind of. This device comes as some sort of experiment from Casio, and its as if they want to show the world what they can do. Well, good for them I say. Casio’s new prototype communicates with BLE-equipped smartphones, which will be available in the ’near future’ and will connect to networks of various kinds of devices.

Is it a watch? Is it a phone? No, it’s both

Main features:

• Wireless communication is powered by the button-cell battery used in small devices and watches
• Battery life with the communication functions is the same as previously released watches
• The watch case measures a comfortable 53.4 (D) x 44.4 (W) x 12.8 (T) millimeters

Main functions:

• The alert signal notifies the wearer of calls and e-mail messages arriving on the networked smartphone
• Alarm and vibration functions of a smartphone can be activated using a watch button
• A smartphone’s ring and vibration alerts can be stopped by tapping the watch
• Accurate time information can be transmitted from a smartphone to the watch to ensure correct time

Here are the specs:

Communication Specifications
Data Transfer Rate - 1 Mbps
Signal Strength - 0 dBm (1mW)
Signal Range - 2–5 m (may differ depending on surrounding conditions)
Encryption Method - 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

Communication Functions
Time Correction - The watch can be synchronized with time information transmitted from a smartphone
Incoming Call and E-mail Alert - The watch alerts users of incoming calls and e-mail messages sent to a smartphone
Finder Function - Alarm and vibration functions of a smartphone can be activated using a watch button

Watch Functions
Alarm - 5 independent daily alarms; hourly time signal; vibration function
Stopwatch - 1/100-second; measuring capacity: 23:59’59.99”; split time
Countdown Timer - Measuring unit: 1 second; Input range: 1 minute to 24 hours
World Time - 100 cities (35 time zones, daylight saving on/off) and Coordinated Universal Time
Light - Electro-luminescent backlight with afterglow
Other - Full auto-calendar, 12/24-hour format; sleep mode

Power Source - CR2032

Approx. Battery Life (Based on the Prototype Model) - Approx. 2 years (assuming the communication function is used for 12 hours per day)

Size of Case - 53.4