We might have plenty of watches on the market already and even more on the way, but we’re still waiting for the big ones. Namely the Google watch and Apple’s iWatch whatever they end up being. There are tons of rumors floating around about both devices, but very few of the details are concrete.
The specs, stats and features are always great to hear after all they give you some indication of what the finished product is going to be like. Concept images however, those are the real treat. The finished product hardly ever looks like the same as the concept images, but that doesn’t make them any less interesting.
To bring in the new year, we thought it would be a great time to take a look at some of the best smartwatch concepts out there. We scoured the internet for some of the best videos, images and samples of upcoming products. Without further ado here is the absolute best of what we found.
The Apple iWatch
Let’s start with the cream of the crop, which happens to be one of the most anticipated releases in the smartwatch world: Apple’s upcoming smartwatch. Seeing as Apple has a penchant for devices with an “i” in the name it will probably be called something similar to “iWatch”. Of course, Apple could surprise everyone and come up with a different name entirely.
Out of all the concept renders out there, this one is perhaps the most appealing. It depicts a curved, bracelet-type device running what looks to be a full unhindered version of iOS 7.
On the front of the watchband you can see a small camera, perfect for taking selfies! The body design and structure actually looks a lot like an existing device, the EmoPulse Smile. Admittedly, the concept design in the video above looks much more seamless and attractive. The EmoPulse is an actual product hitting the market soon, so there’s also that.
I don’t think the iWatch is going to look anything like this, but it’s still a cool design. The real iWatch will probably include more of a traditional watch design, with a style that compliments the existing iDevices. We’ll have to wait and see because it may be some time before Apple unveils anything.
The Google Watch
As an Android fan, I really think Google is going to be the one to get the smartwatch right. They’ve continuously updated the Android OS, improving the platform with each new software version. There’s a reason Android is currently dominating the smartphone market. That being said, Google could just as easily botch the job as any other manufacturer out there.
Currently, nothing is known about the Google watch. In fact, we don’t even know if it really exists at all. The Verge reported back in October of 2013 that a Google smartwatch was entering production soon, but we have yet to see any official confirmation of that news.
Regardless, T3 has put together a concept model of the rumored watch and the design is fantastic. It features a pretty chic black, white, purple or red wrist band seated below a large HD resolution display- likely HD quality. First and foremost, it features Google Sync so that you can sign in with your Google account and recieve all the related messages, alerts and even contacts. It also makes use of Google Now so that you can receive recommendations and help while you’re on-the-go. In the video we can see the watch taking calls too.
Google Now support is highly likely for a Google branded smartwatch, but the other features mentioned are not expected.
HTC Smartwatch
HTC may or may not be working on a smartwatch. If they are indeed working on one then there are very few rumors floating around about it.
A smartwatch from HTC would most certainly be attractive, especially if it used the same type of aluminum and metal design as the HTC One series. Hasan Kaymak has a beautiful concept model of a potential HTC smartwatch that actually makes use of the same aluminum design I spoke of. You can check out the video below to see what he envisions the smartwatch to be.
In the video, we can see a large high-resolution display, made with curved materials. Below the screen is a physical button, though it could easily be touch sensitive. A row of speaker holes can be seen across the top of the watchface, and they look remarkably similar to the same speaker holes in the HTC One. The watchband is the most interesting thing about the concept as it includes a seamless metal design throughout. The red line crossing through the bottom of the band looks to be some type of unique clasp, that allows you to unfasten the watch and remove it or place it on your wrist.
Nissan Nismo Smartwatch
This smartwatch from motor company Nissan is a bit different than some of the others on the market, especially when you factor in the audience it’s designed for. Instead of appealing to tech enthusiasts and gadget lovers Nissan is going after racers, or more specifically Nismo Motorsport owners. Their watch would be paired with a vehicle and a smartphone, so that it could deliver relevant information pertaining to driving performance and more.
The Nismo smartwatch will monitor vehicle performance, the driver’s heart rate and even social media presence (alerts too). It connects via Bluetooth to a proprietary smartphone app to pull the necessary information, and likely to a computer inside the automotive (for vehicle stats).
Don’t expect to see this bad boy on store shelves anytime soon, because it’s still just a concept. Be sure to check out the video below if you want to see some pretty cool tech in action.
Nokia Smartwatch
There are no videos of this concept, but that’s alright because images will do just fine.
This Nokia smartwatch concept features a single, seamless design devoid of any physical buttons. As you can see from the images there’s a touchscreen interface with simple notification support. What’s particularly interesting about this watch is that you can customize the color of the displayed notifications.
The concept was put together by designer Jonas Dae, and you can see more images on his Facebook page.
The Real Nokia Smartwatch Concept
Apparently, a concept from the Nokia Research Center leaked. The idea is pretty neat, as it uses a unique “facet” concept, which sees different displays positioned all around the watchband. The idea is that each display is used for a specific purpose and you can twist the watch around your wrist to interact with various displays.
The concept video below shows off the watch and various features. This is probably closer to production than a lot of watches listed here, as it came from the Nokia team.
Which One Do You Like Best?
What do you think of all the concept designs listed? Which one is your favorite? Which one would you actually spend money on if it made it to production? My personal favorite is the Google Watch concept, though I’m sure a real smartwatch from Google would look nothing like it. Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments.