Blink ‘cos you don’t want to miss this smartwatch

To keep up with the times, even time must evolve. And this was the sentiment at the launch of Witworks’ smartwatch Blink at TECHSPARKS 2016 on Friday. Bangalore-based consumer IoT firm Witworks, announced the launch of its first smart wearable device, Blink.

Blink runs on Witworks' own voice-based operating system, Marvin OS (built on top of Android); and provides an entirely re-imagined interaction (UX/Input) designed specifically for a smaller 1.4-inch screen.

Somnath Meher, Co-Founder & CEO of Witworks, said,

“As we move into a connected future, smart wearables, especially watches, are at a very interesting stage. The technology is in place, and there's enough awareness amongst consumers. But lack of relevant use-cases, ease of interaction and genuine design-empathy have prevented them from taking off. With a blend of technology and design, we are looking to solve that and make smart-wearables ubiquitous.”

In an era where millennials depend on their multi-tasking smart devices and are no longer as loyal to watches as earlier generations, it became important for the timeless accessory to smarten up.

Its Android-based operating system, Marvin, has the capability to integrate various native and third-party applications. Apart from native features like Notifications, Timeline (synced calendar, reminders, to-dos), Fitness tracking, in-built Music; Blink also has the capability to run various key third-party services (payments, commuting, navigation, local discovery) to drive adoption at scale. Its special features include:

• Music- 8GB internal storage, with the capacity to store over 1,000 songs, which can be played using the watch’s inbuilt speaker. Blink can also play songs by connecting to the Bluetooth speaker or headset.
• Timeline- Syncs your calendar, to-dos, reminders, alarms on a single screen.
• Fitness- A state-of-the-art 9-axis motion sensor allows the user to track all fitness activity with extremely high accuracy
• Notifications- The user gets relevant and contextual notifications and can read and reply to email.
• Authentication- The device generates an offline ‘time-based’ OTP valid for 60 secs; allowing users to authenticate themselves across varied services without any dependency on internet or cellular connectivity.

Marvin has been built to be cross platform, i.e it supports both iOS 8+ and Android 4.3+ devices.

Blink comes with full circular 1.39", 400 x 400 AMOLED display with 16.5 Million colors, and 1.2 Ghz processor, which is twice as efficient. Powered by a 300 mAh battery, Blink can run for upto two days in one charge. Apart from this, Blink comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage and the most advanced peripherals devices to give impeccable experience in music and its other functions. Blink has Bluetooth 4.0 with BLE for connectivity, is built with highest quality anti-corrosive Stainless Steel 316L, and has a scratch resistant, 1.5mm thick, Gorilla Glass 3 top.

For fashion-forward tech aficionados, the watch is available in three different styles – sport, classic, and steel. Blink comes in two colours, stainless steel black and stainless steel silver each available in three variants, which a user can pick to suit his/her personality.

Sport, suited for users who indulge in outdoor activities frequently, comes with silicon strap. With premium leather strap, Classic comes in black and tan, and with custom designed silver and black metal straps, Steel is best suited for a professional look. Unlike any other smartwatch, each of Sport, Classic and Steel variants comes with an additional black silicone strap. At the initial phase, Blink will be available for pre-order starting September 30, 2016 and will be shipped in November to the user.

What sets it apart is the fact that it has been designed and crafted by watchmakers with decades of experience of working with iconic Indian watch brands. These watchmakers understand what a watch should feel and look like, and Blink’s design echoes this true craftsmanship.

Starting at a price of Rs 12,999, users can start pre-booking the watch at Rs 2,500 before it stocks out. The watches are scheduled to ship out post Diwali in November '16.