CES 2015 – Alcatel Introduces Dual iOS / Android Smartwatch

French manufacturer Alcatel has released a smartwatch which it says will support both iOS and Android systems.

The company’s Alcatel OneTouch Watch can be controlled through a companion iOS or Android smartphone app, where the user can choose which services will be displayed on the device, much like the existing Pebble wearable device.

Android users can link any app that can send notifications to the device (although the voice commands of Google Now appear to be an exception, according to The Verge) but iOS users appear at the moment to be a little bit more limited.

So far, Apple’s messaging, health tracking and email apps have all been confirmed to work with the Watch, however whether it will support third-party apps is not yet clear.

Companion

The Watch includes a build-in heart rate monitor, accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter and e- compass to collect and analyse information, giving it a pretty comprehensive view of most services.

The companion app also allows users to choose the design scheme and colours of the Watch’s display, and will also show all the health data collected by relevant apps.

Charging is via a microUSB port built into the band, and Alcatel says the battery life of the device should be good for around two days with heavy use, and even up to five depending on how much it gets played with.

The device will go on sale via Amazon for $149 (£99) in March, and be available in a range of colour schemes and materials. This means it will be cheaper than both the Apple Watch and Motorola’s Moto 360, seen by many in the technology industry as the stand out Android Wear smartwatch, and probably the most visually similar device to the Watch.

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