AT&T Expands Line of Wearable Smartwatches
AT&T and FiLIP Technologies have partnered up to announce their new line of smartwatches. After releasing the FiLIP child tracker wristwatch last January, AT&T has decided to expand its reach in the wearable products market.
The FiLIP child tracker wristwatch allows a parent to call his/her child over AT&T’s network. The wristwatch was developed after a father lost his son in a mall for 30 minutes. He decided to invent the FiLIP watch, which also includes a GPS system allowing parents to locate their child.
The watch is built to withstand the average child’s lifestyle. It’s waterproof, sand, and dirt proof and its over-sized design helps kids navigate the gadget. It is a fully-functioning watch that includes a smart locator and phone.
Once purchased, parents have to download the free FiLIP app from the Apple App Store. After creating an account, the watch is ready for use. In the case of an emergency, the watch is programmed to dial every contact until someone answers.
Regarding AT&T’s expansion, the company hopes to develop a product with LTE capabilities. According to Glenn Lurie, president of emerging devices at AT&T, “A majority of stuff you’re going to see today that’s truly wearable is going to be in a watch form factor to start.”
AT&T is also developing a line of smartglasses, similar to Google’s new Google Glass product. Google Glass allows users to connect to the internet, but won’t be adding cellular capabilities because of battery use. AT&T hasn’t confirmed if the smartglasses will be connected to the company’s LTE network, but it plans to experiment with devices to determine where cellular capabilities would work.
AT&T’s smartwatches will be available later this year.
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