NEC M155 Messenger watch phone for healthcare, hospitality, and those without shame

The less we say about this one the better, we're afraid. Billed as "the ultimate messaging device for healthcare and hospitality," the M155 Messenger functions as a speaker phone, a wireless messaging device (presumably SMS), an alarm clock, and boasts a whopping three-line display. And we wouldn't be caught dead wearing it. Not as a watch or, as NEC-Philips recommends, a necklace. Of course, these things are meant to be purchased in bulk for use by hospitals and such, but don't you think those who are entrusted with our health deserve something a little less... insanely ugly? No price or release date -- but does that really matter? Suddenly, the LG watch phone looks pretty good. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

[Alex @ Jan 14th 2009 10:52AM]

The return of the beeper?

[Like_A_Glove @ Jan 14th 2009 11:03AM]

The Lord of The Watches: The Return of The Beeper

[telepheedian @ Jan 14th 2009 12:25PM]

One watch to rule them all...

[Alex @ Jan 14th 2009 12:52PM]

Know that it was not my intention to start an exchange of LOTR title parodies.

[404 @ Jan 14th 2009 10:59AM]

'but don't you think those who are entrusted with our health deserve something a little less... insanely ugly?'

I don't think that's the point. Functional, reliable and battery-life were probably the aims of the game.

Plus if it's ugly then staff/pickpockets/that guy in A&E for an overdose are less likely to try pinching them.

[J.P. @ Jan 14th 2009 11:00AM]

Actually, I think the healthcare industry still uses beepers, mostly because they're passive and don't interfere with equipment as much.

-- J.P.

[Bender123 @ Jan 14th 2009 11:38AM]

Indeed you are right. But pagers also work at a much better frequency than cell phones. I have to carry a pager and it will function in the concrete bunker of my hospital, where my cell signal dies upon entering. Compared to the pagers we currently use, this is like going from a Palm 3c to a Pre.

[dajimmers @ Jan 14th 2009 9:07PM]

And the battery lasts much longer. If I had to charge my pager every day in addition to all my other crap, life would suck. My pager is on continuously for several weeks before changing batteries.

[Bomchickawahwah @ Jan 14th 2009 11:10AM]

You guys obviously don't work in a hospital. Yes, many people still use beepers, but in many hospital campuses, employees use a thing called Vocera. These are MUCH less hideous and more useful than those. The Vocera hangs from your neck and is like 4 inches long and about an inch wide. And they only function as a speaker phone. These would be MUCH better.

[1p5v @ Jan 14th 2009 11:29AM]

Oh awesome. Thanks for replying, so I don't have to. This is eight billlllllion times prettier than Vocera.

[eggothewaffle @ Jan 14th 2009 12:45PM]

http://www.tpchealthcare.com/wp-content/themes/tpc-new/images/doctor_newbadge.jpg

I don't know, I'd tap that.

[Bomchickawahwah @ Jan 14th 2009 11:11AM]

Uhhh these are meant for the healthcare professionals, not the patients.

[Jordan Lee @ Jan 14th 2009 11:11AM]

Those entrusted with our health need devices that work reliably. If this falls into that category, which it seems to do quite well, then every health care worker should have one.

[giuliop @ Jan 14th 2009 11:13AM]

The above should read "you care about the personnel watch".

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Jan 14th 2009 11:14AM]

Great, I look forward to taking one of these home in me when I get my appendix removed. That, maybe a surgical sponge or two, and perhaps some forceps if I'm lucky.

[404 @ Jan 14th 2009 11:23AM]

*Ring ring! Ring ring!*

'Err.....Hello?'

'Hi, I'm calling from the hospital, and we think we've sewn up some equipment under your incision...'

'Well, that would explain why I'm talking to my abdomen...'

[giuliop @ Jan 14th 2009 11:16AM]

Wow, I didn't even have time to re-read it and Mr. "Fail" Tarnation is already making *his* assumptions. You know what they say...

[Tarnation @ Jan 14th 2009 12:57PM]

I apowogize if I hurtted your feewings Mr. Engadget editor man.

I seriously hope for their sake that this is the comment system at work and not communistic squelching of free speech. I wish we could go back to where the term unbiased actually had meaning to the journalistic community. I was simply referring to the fact that Engadget seems to think we care if this looks pretty, can we not just get a review based on this a functional device and compare it to the devices it is competing with. Clearly as stated it is more for the medical field as the LG watch phone is for the consumer. This competes with a pager, The LG watch phone competes for that elusive designer phone space. That is why I say fail.

[Joylove @ Jan 14th 2009 11:20AM]

Except in the UK at least, you can't wear a wrist watch in medicine because of the germs that get under them.

So it has to be a necklace, lapel or waist mounted device.

NECFail.

[sam @ Jan 14th 2009 11:53AM]

Er, reading comprehension skills fail?

(From original post: 'wearing it as a necklace, as [they] suggest'.)

As far as design goes, I think this actually looks rather better than LG's boxy monsterphone - or at least, it looks smaller, which amounts to the same thing. They haven't provided an actual wrist for size comparison, though, so who knows.

BTW I didn't know NEC and Philips had a joint venture...

[Ameya @ Jan 14th 2009 3:07PM]

You are absolutely right on that.... All time keeping devices are to be worn on the scrubs or labcoat. So it seems like NEC didnt think that one through..... or may be they dont want to market it in UK.....

[absinthe party @ Jan 14th 2009 11:21AM]

Wait a minute. When did the LG watch phone _not_ look good!?

[superhobo @ Jan 14th 2009 11:39AM]

Good old engadget, deleting comments again :)

[superhobo @ Jan 14th 2009 11:43AM]

Or maybe it's just the amazing comment system at work.

[John Upton @ Jan 14th 2009 11:52AM]

I've seen much worse things than this!

[Hackettman @ Jan 14th 2009 11:56AM]

You know it aint so bad for what it does..... It probably gets great battery time...... Makes me miss my old Nokia phone which I rarely had to charge everyday..... Hell I rarely had to charge every three days....

[Talon Trax @ Jan 14th 2009 12:24PM]

I don't have a problem with the way it looks. If it tells time too, then I'd wear it.

[Jason @ Jan 14th 2009 2:02PM]

but does it have a calculator?

[Wolfticket @ Jan 14th 2009 3:33PM]

I will stick my neck out and say this is cooler than the LG watch phone.

[saif @ Jan 14th 2009 11:30PM]

I like the Larry David reference at the end of that article...

[phail @ Jan 18th 2009 3:48PM]

it's not that ugly. and it seems pretty useful. just chillax guys, it's not competing with the iphone.