While the news of the iPhone begins to fade away into the space the new larger screens occupy, others phones are getting their chance to shine in the spotlight, or in the case of one, the wrist of the owners.
Yes, it’s time for news of a wearable, and while we had one earlier in the week with the Apple Watch, that was a smartwatch that required a smartphone to make calls, like most of the smartwatches out there today.
Australian healthcare provider mCareWatch has a different philosophy, with a smartwatch with a phone inside, making it a way for seniors and kids to call out to loved ones when they’re in the home, as well as out and about.
Called the SOS Mobile Watch, it’s also a little more than a phone, with the ability to connect to a web portal and mobile app for loved ones to make sure the person wearing it is fine.
Available in white, black, and burgundy, the watch phone does regular watch-like things, such as tell the time, and even does regular phone like things, such as make and answer calls with a built-in microphone and speaker, but it also does things you expect smartphones with tracking features to do, such as act as a location finder, work within geo-fences, track footsteps, and connect to the internet by way of 802.11b/g/n WiFi and a low-end mobile modem.
Like a similar though LCD-less watchphone made for kids that we checked out recently, the SOS Mobile Watch also be issued messages to control it, while a two-way communication mode will let you call in and listen to what the owner of the wristwatch is doing without them being aware.
The app also appears to be a neat inclusion, allowing relatives and healthcare workers to check up on the owner of the SOS Mobile Watch using their iPhone or Android smartphone.
It’s an interesting product, that’s for sure, and one made for an audience that may not be aware where their mobile is at all times, even if family and friends are trying to contact.
That said, it’s not without its price, with an outright price of $598 recommended retail, including of the microSIM it relies on, which mCareWatch tells us operates on Optus, but will also work with the Telstra network.
Alternatively, a monthly plan price of $49 per month for two years can also be found, with more information at the mCareWatch website.
