Timex launches Ironman One GPS+ smartwatch with tracking features, Qualcomm chipset

Timex is launching a smartwatch with cellular connectivity and a high-visibility display from Qualcomm. The Dutch watchmaker said in a news release that the smartwatch, called Ironman One GPS+, includes tracking features that can communicate the wearer's location to friends as well as report speed and distance traveled. Timex's move into smartwatches is among the first by traditional watchmakers and follows products from electronics companies including Samsung and Sony that have failed to make major inroads with consumers. Unlike earlier smartwatches, Timex's watch has its own cellular connection to AT&T's network, letting it transmit data without having to be connected to a smartphone. The device, due out later this year, is made with a chipset from Qualcomm as well as Qualcomm's Mirasol low-power display technology, which can easily be viewed in direct sunlight. Last year, Qualcomm launched its own Toq smartwatch to showcase Mirasol, which in the past has faced production problems and has not caught on widely among device makers. A huge competition already awaits the Toq smartwatch including a slew of Google Android Wear-based smartwatches and the current crop of smartwatches from Samsung, Pebble and Sony.  Both Apple’s iWatch and Microsoft’s smartwatch are likely to launch soon. Google’s first batch of Android Wear based smartwatches were announced at I/O –  LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live. Besides, Motorola will also launch the Moto 360 with aggressive pricing and Acer has already given us a glimpse of its upcoming smart band. Samsung is also believed to be working on a standalone watch-phone. Reuters