Skip to main content

Hurray! There’s another Will.i.am-designed smartwatch to not buy

will i am dial smartwatch news watch
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Not put off by no-one wanting to wear the Puls smart “cuff;” musician, television personality, tech visionary, and entrepreneur Will.i.am is back with another wearable device. It’s called the i.am+ Dial, and so far it’s an exclusive to the U.K. phone network Three, and it works completely independently of your phone, because it has its own SIM card.

Due to its independence, the Dial has its own operating system, rather than using something sensible like Android Wear. However, Will.i.am doesn’t want you touching the 1.63-inch AMOLED screen, he wants you to talk to the Dial. AneedA is the name of the voice-activated operating system installed on the watch, and you must bark orders at your wrist like a mad person to get it doing what you want.

For example, saying “dial,” and the name of the person you’d like to contact will start a phone call, while adding “play” before the song or artist of your choice will start the music app. There’s 32GB of internal storage to fill, but more interestingly, the Dial includes access to an i.am+-backed ad-free music streaming service with no additional cost. A pair of Will.i.am’s EP Bluetooth earphones will be packed with the Dial, for easy hands-free listening.

The Dial also has GPS for navigation, a Snapdragon 400 processor with 2GB of RAM, an IP54 water resistance rating, plus a 2-megapixel camera. Yes, you can even tell AneedA to take a selfie. An 800mAh battery will keep the Dial operational, but it’s not mentioned for how long. With GPS, an always-listening assistant, and 3G connectivity, more than a day may be very optimistic.

How much is the Dial? It’s quite a lot, thanks to that SIM card inside. Three’s only offering it with a contract, therefore pushing it as a phone replacement rather than an accessory. It’s £50 (about $73) with a two-year plan that varies from £24 ($35) to £50 ($73) each month, depending on your data needs. That means the Dial may end up costing £1,250, or approximately $1,820 in total.

It’s up for pre-order now with a delivery date of May 13, if square, expensive wearables with proprietary software that you’ll look stupid using is your thing.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatch after several burn reports
best walmart deals on apple watch garmin and fitbit ionic smartwatch adidas edition ice gray silver

Fitbit Ionic smartwatch users need to stop using their devices right now. The company has recalled its Ionic wearable after over 150 reports of the watch’s lithium-ion battery overheating, and 78 reports of burn injuries to the users. It will offer a refund of $299 to the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch users who return the device.

Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States and over 50 reports internationally about the Ionic smartwatch's battery overheating. It is recalling the device as there are two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns out of the 78 total burn injuries report.

Read more
Razer Anzu smart glasses deal knocks $140 off the price tag
The Razer Anzu smart glasses placed on top of an open book.

While smartwatch deals have slowly claimed their place in the mainstream, smart glasses haven't turned out to be as popular. Gaming-focused brand Razer, however, is trying to renew interest in smart glasses with the Razer Anzu, which you can currently purchase from Best Buy at $140 off. If you'd like to give them a try, they're available for just $60, less than half their original price of $200.

There have been failures like the Google Glass and Snap Spectacles, and hopeful attempts like Oppo's Air Glass and Apple's secretive project, but the Razer Anzu smart glasses take a different spin on the wearable device by designing them for indoors. While they come with polarized sunglass lenses, their clear lenses are more useful with their blue light filter, which protects your eyes from screen glare to prevent discomfort even after hours of playing video games or working from home. The smart glasses, which also have a built-in omnidirectional microphone and speakers, may also be more comfortable to wear for an extended period of time compared to headsets and headphones. You'll enjoy smooth, stutter-free sound with the Razer Anzu's low latency audio with a 60ms Bluetooth connection.

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors
Person holding skateboard while wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

A new, sleek design and digital bezel help the Galaxy Watch 4 stand out in the crowd and set it apart from the traditional style of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Whether you've picked up a 40mm model with a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen or opted for more screen real estate with the 44mm model, that stand-out design needs protecting from scratches and knocks. That means it's time for our picks of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors, with something to suit all budgets.

These screen protectors will all fit the 40mm or 44mm models of the Galaxy Watch 4. If you've got a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, these won't fit.
Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Screen Protector

Read more