New crowd-funded smartwatch runs Android 4.2.2 on a 1.3GHz dual-core Cortex-A7

James Bond-esque type analogiesaside, it doesn't take a prophet to see that we're getting evercloser to a point when smartwatches couldvery well have a niche of their own secured. Of course, we are notseeing traditional watch brands panicking just yet, but that maychange as the category progresses and narrows the design gap, becauselet's face it: though smartwatches are offering an increasinglyalluring array of functionality, style iswhat sells, at least when it comes to timepieces.

The OmateTrueSmart fits that bill very well, for it is functional, but a longway from making it to the wrists of fashion gurus or corporate bigshots. What truly sets the TrueSmart apart, though, is the fact thatit is completely functional as a standalone product and works withouthaving to pair up with another smart device – think Android devicewith a custom skin on a very small display. In fact, seeing howAndroid is not at all optimized for such extremes in terms of realestate, it's probably one of the few times you'll see us saying acustom skin is a good thing (pending a review, of course). Omate'ssmartwatch will run a 1.3GHz dual-core Cortex-A7 with 3G/Wi-Fisupport, cover IP67 standards (water resistant) and feature a 5MPshooter. The best part of it all? The TrueSmart is no concept –it's a working device – the founders are simply looking for backersto help them speed things along on the way to mass production.

Regardless,the team has gotten an almost instantaneous validation – theproject started yesterday with a goal of $100,000, and as of thiswriting has raised about $150,000, with 29 days to go. The firstbatch is expected to arrive somewhere in November thisyear, and the lowest currentlyavailable pledge that will get you one in the mail in time for theholidays is $189.

Notable specsinclude:

• 1.54-inch, 240x240 TFT display by LG

• 512MB RAM, 4GB microSD-expandable internal storage

• Omate UI 1.0 on top of Android 4.2.2

• 2G/3G/Bluetooth/GPS

• Built-in speakers and a microphone

• 600mAh battery.

• Gyroscope, Compass, G-sensor

• OTA updates

source:Kickstarter