Okay, let’s clear the confusion. The NoWatch is in fact supposed to be spoken out as the “now-watch”. It comes from the Netherlands and its manufacturer describes it as the world’s first “awarewatch”, even though it doesn’t tell the time.
As such, saying “device” feels more proper than describing it as a smartwatch. The goal here is for it to remove distractions and give you time, instead of telling it. And what would the easiest way to achieve that goal be? Well, removing the screen and replacing it with a stylish — and expensive — gemstone, of course!
Despite that, It's still a smart-accessory, equipped with all sorts of sensors to help you track your biometrics. It does the usual tricks like reading blood oxygen, heart rate, sleep and the sort, but it also uses a Philips-developed technology to track electrodermal levels and gauge your stress based on that. Neat!
The NoWatch has a ton of customization options on offer.
But what does it do with all that data? It sends it to its own dedicated app, where it breaks it down into ideas about how to improve your life balance. For example, it will be able to let you know when you are at peak-focus levels, so you can get more done, or notify you when you are burned out when it's time to take a break.
Another unique feature of the app is that it comes with its own, or rather — your own, personal visualization of your overall condition called MomentumVisual. Imagine something akin to a Winamp visualization, but based on your biometric readings. We can’t comment on usefulness without trying it out, but it certainly sounds like a fun gimmick.
But hold on for a moment, let’s talk tech and specs!
The body of the device is primarily built out of stainless steel. It’s 37mm in diameter and it's around 10mm thick, and water-resistant up to 5ATM. The NoWatch also has a battery life of 10 days, which seems rather short, considering it doesn’t have a screen. Guess that Phillips-developed skin-conduction tracker is really draining.
Remember those gemstones we mentioned at the start? Well, there's a slew of them that you can choose from, and you can even get multiple ones if you feel like changing things up. The magnetic charger has a strong magnet built-in, which owners can utilize to replace their NoWatch face.
We can observe a physical button on the left, but as of now its function is a mystery.
Okay, so what about pricing? Here’s the fun part — that boils down to a unique result from something reminiscent of a choose-your-own-adventure style game. The store guides you through four stages of building your own NoWatch, so the cost is kind of, sort of up to you.
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For starters, you can pick a gold, silver or rose-tinted body. You can have it equipped with a woven or bio-leather strap, and then you’d have to pick out 8 gemstones to latch on to it. And this is the important part! Because while rose quartz will cost you around $26, lapis lazuli will bump that price up to north of $200. So make wise choices, lest your adventure becomes a costly one. Or you can just go for an option without a gemstone.
Lastly, there is some sort of subscription mentioned on the website, but it is unclear as to what it offers. As of now, seemingly everyone who pre-orders a NoWatch gets a free lifetime membership, but no one knows how and if things will change when units start shipping out.
And that’s about everything we know about the NoWatch — a unique smart-accessory that chooses to abide by wellness and style, instead of beefed-up capabilities. And it still offers some interesting tech under the hood! The awareable is in pre-sale until February, and it will start shipping out units by the end of 2023.
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Stan, also known as Stako, is a smartphone enthusiast who loves exploring the limits of Android customization. His journey with mobile tech began with the Nokia 5110 and evolved with devices like the BlackBerry 9350 Curve and Samsung Galaxy A4. Despite his love for Android, he holds equal respect for Apple, considering the iPhone 4s as a significant milestone in mobile tech. Stan started his writing career early, contributing to MetalWorld, and harbors a passion for creative writing. Beyond smartphones, he's interested in photography, design, composition, and gaming, often preferring solo projects to hone his objective thinking. He's also an avid student of open-source technology and consoles, with a special fondness for the Pebble Watch, Arduboy, and Playdate.
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