We may still not have flying cars or jet packs but my first “living in the future” milestone — wrist-borne communications — has just been made real. An Italian watchmaker firm unveiled the “i’m Watch” today and it is awesome.
Though it does offer many of the same functions, the i’m Watch from Buongiorno-DadaEnt is more than just a fancy iPod nano on a strap. It boasts a 1.55-inch multitouch TFT display (240×240), 4GB of storage and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows the watch to be tethered to a smartphone and used to pick up incoming calls while an included speaker lets you talk just like the yellow-coated detective. It’s compatible with Android, iOS, and WP7 tethering, though the watch itself runs on the Android OS.
Users will also be able to tap into over a million radio stations with the i’music app and listen through the included 3.5mm audio jack. A number of apps, including Facebook and Twitter, will also be available in the i’market (starting to see the naming scheme?).
The i’m Watch will be available in three varieties; the introductory i’m Color that range from $US250 to $US300, the i’m Tech that run from $US500 to $US600; and the high-end i’m Jewel series that starts at $US1100 but tops out at a whopping $US20,000 for a white gold and diamond encrusted edition. The first sets will hit market in February. [i’m Watch via Chip Chick]