What would the ideal smartwatch look like?

Apple did the same thing what Captain James T. Kirk did back in 1966 on Star Trek – made the tablet a desirable gadget. It’s only a matter of time till we get a 21st century version of Dick Tracy’s watch or summon Giant Robot. Ok, so the latter is just something from my fantasy and if anyone can make that happen, it’s Andy Ruben. Last year, Samsung actually managed to deliver our 21st century Dick Tracy watch, even though it was a commercial disaster. But at least they had the right idea, well almost. There isn’t going to be the perfect smart watch, just like there isn’t such a thing as the perfect smartphone or the perfect blend of coffee or the right way to say tomato. Just like smartphones, we’ll begin to see new segments being created with the smart watch genre depending on what you want to do. We could have one for communication or one which simply helps you keep in shape or even one for shutter bugs (a Pureview smart watch anyone?).   Another cool thing about smart watches is that you don’t need a lot of convincing to get someone to buy it. With the right set of features and price, I believe they will sell like hot cakes. I’m still not convinced that I need a tablet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have around the house and I’ll gladly accept it as a gift, but I wouldn’t buy one. However, after the using the Galaxy Gear for a week, I’m completely sold on the idea of the smart watch. The Gear has its share of issues which I’ll point out in its upcoming review, but the idea of not having to revert to your phone for every little thing and yet, be connected is very enticing.   If I had a wish list for my ideal smart watch, then here’s what it looks like:   Google Now integration Google Now is a powerful tool and is highly intuitive, alerting you of flight schedules, weather, traffic and whole lot more, when needed. Now add Google Search support as well and you have a killer combination. The best part is that this would work across Android and iOS devices and we all know Google’s voice recognition is among the best in the biz. Android Wear fulfils this wish.  

  Calling functionality  This is an extremely useful feature and is more essential than a gimmick. I found myself using this all the time on the gear, even if the phone was right next to me. Sure, there are privacy concerns as you don’t want any sensitive conversations broadcasting to the entire office. If you’re a biker, then you’ll really appreciate this feature a lot.

Compatibility across devices This is probably a make or break feature for many. Given the rate at which people change their phones these days, no one wants to be tied down to one device. Locking down a watch to a small set of phones automatically narrows your target audience, which is what happened to the Gear. Most devices have Bluetooth v4.0 these days and the upcoming ones will surely be on Android 4.3 at the very least so there’s no reason for locking it to a specific brand or series of phones.   Water proof and dust proof Sony is the only one who has a truly water proof smart watch out in the market and I sincerely hope they have something even better lined up for CES. At the end of the day, the smart watch should behave like, well, a watch and by that I mean completely water proof. This makes a lot of sense as you can then go for swim without missing a mail or message, which is a lot more realistic that taking your phone for a swim.

Waterproofing is a must

  Relatively inexpensive It’s difficult to ask for a cheap smart watch during such nascent stages but I guess that’s why we need more types of smart watches across price segments. This way, you’ll be able to pick and choose the watch that suits your need. Watches that can makes calls and shoot selfies, will probably cost a lot more (initially at least) than say, something that just gives you alerts.   The bottom line While I’m staying positive and hoping someone out there is designing my dream smart watch, I don’t think that will happen till Apple or Google come up with something of their own. While it’s nice to see Samsung and Sony taking initiative, what we really need is a Nexus-like smart watch from Google to get the momentum going. Google’s already using a variation of Android for Glass so they’re half way there. It shouldn’t be long before they announce their own creation. I would love to see what Apple comes up with as well but straight away, you know it’s only going to be compatible with iOS devices, so that’s that. Smartphones have gotten to a point where there’s very little left to get excited about. Smart watches? Now that’s a whole new ball game and I frankly can’t wait for what’s on the horizon.