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Qualcomm cuts the price of its Toq smartwatch to $250
As you may have noticed, the smartwatch space has been heating up -- not good news for Qualcomm, whose $350 Toq smartwatch has been one the more expensive wearables on the market. The company isn't sitting still, however, and has just revealed that it quietly dropped the Toq's price to $250 on February 21st. The chip designer didn't explain its move, although it's not hard to see the motivation when watches like the Pebble Steel sit at the same price level. Whether or not the discount helps Qualcomm's bottom line, those who couldn't justify the Toq before may want to give it a second look.
Qualcomm Toq smartwatch update brings activity tracking beta, keeps progress in plain view
If you've splurged for Qualcomm's pricey smartwatch (or may be considering it), a new update looks to expand the capabilities of the wristworn wearable. Thanks to an update to the Toq's Android app, the gadget now packs activity-tracking software in beta form. During a 24-hour time period, the feature will track your adventures and tally up point totals. In order to keep tabs on progress throughout the day, there's a new clock face that displays just that, in addition to the hours and minutes. Of course, you can open up the app on your phone in order to see that score, too. The update also adds a world clock with time and weather in cities around the globe and the ability to select either Celsius or Fahrenheit for the trusty temperature scale. If you haven't been alerted to new software just yet, scoot over to the source link to grab it.
Daily Roundup: Samsung's EMC lab, interview with Qualcomm's Raj Talluri, new Chromecast apps and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Qualcomm's Raj Talluri: wearable displays should always be on
Qualcomm isn't exactly known for launching its own consumer products, but in the case of its $350 Toq smartwatch, the move makes sense for Raj Talluri, SVP of Product Management. "Sometimes you have to build the whole thing to show what's possible," said the exec. "Qualcomm has a history of doing that." What Talluri's referring to here is how Qualcomm's once-dormant Mirasol technology enables always-on wearable displays, while maintaining a low power consumption. This contrasts with the experience on many other LCD-powered smartwatches, which have their screens turned off while idle to save power. This pain point alone is enough to deter the average consumers.
Qualcomm's Mirasol smartwatch display debuts in Appscomm Fashioncomm A1
If you walk through a Chinese electronics market, you'll find countless wearables, including a variety of smartwatches. Why, then, is this China-exclusive a significant introduction? Well, the Appscomm Fashioncomm A1 is the first smartwatch to include the Mirasol display we first saw in Qualcomm's Toq prototype, which means that 1.55-inch MEMS panel is actually coming to market. The A1 delivers much of the functionality we experienced with the device in our September hands-on, with an added GSM chipset, enabling you to make and receive calls directly from your wrist. It's not the first watchphone we've seen -- and past iterations can hardly be deemed a success -- but as the first such device to integrate Qualcomm's new Mirasol panel, it's at least worth a casual mention. With the A1, Appscomm is also bundling an integrated camera, letting you snap stills and video clips a la Samsung's Galaxy Gear. There's also Bluetooth connectivity, along with a 450mAh battery that's rated for up to 190 hours of standby time. Smartwatch enthusiasts based in China can pre-order the device for RMB 1,299 ($213) beginning today.
Qualcomm Toq Mirasol smartwatch now available for pre-order
Qualcomm's Toq smarter-than-most watch is expected to debut the first week of December, and you can set one aside for yourself starting today. The company has announced that it's now taking pre-orders for the newfangled Toq smartwatch, which, unlike many competing wearables, bases its display features on Mirasol technology. Those looking to order need to be prepared to shell out a good amount of cash -- because, as you may have heard, you'll have to pay a cool $350 to own one of these.
Qualcomm's Toq smartwatch available December 2nd for $350
Where mobile devices are concerned, Qualcomm's normally a behind-the-scenes player, but that's all set to change next month. The company has announced that its Toq smartwatch is coming to the market on December 2nd. Big Q had said that it would knock out a limited run of the hardware back in September, but unlike other next-gen wearables, this one wouldn't be limited to a select few. Packing a Mirasol display, wireless charging and stereo Bluetooth audio, the Toq will set you back $350 -- assuming that you haven't already spent that amount of cash on its most immediate rival.
Qualcomm makes a timely entrance with full-featured Toq Mirasol smartwatch (hands-on video)
Qualcomm's certainly made a name for itself in the mobile chipset space, but the company's past attempts at creating a fully baked consumer device have not been tremendously successful. Take FLO TV, for example. The pocketable television receiver had potential, but a botched execution left the firm with an embarrassing failure. It's this legacy that leaves us cautiously optimistic about today's product introduction, a full-function smartwatch called Toq. Why is Qualcomm designing, marketing and selling a smartwatch, you ask? The answer lies in a troubled display tech called Mirasol. We got our first good look at this low-power color display technology at CES back in 2010. Since then, Mirasol has had a hard time catching on, with manufacturing costs a likely culprit. We've seen new iterations each year, mostly in the form of prototype e-readers, but a decision to shutter production last summer seemingly marked the final straw for the inventive concept. Then, we regained hope following this year's SID Display Week, where two new high-res panels made their debut, including one in a smartwatch. Curiously, that wearable we saw in May bears little resemblance to the product we're meeting today, which you'll find detailed in full after the break.
