The smartwatch revolution is predicated on the fact that the device strapped to your wrist serves as a companion to the phone you carry in your pocket.
But Timex shuns that idea with its new no-phone-required Ironman One GPS+ "smartwatch."
"Let's face it. There are times when we want to travel light, carry the bare minimum, hit the road and go," the product page said. "What if you could leave your phone behind and stay truly mobile?"
With the One GPS+, users can listen to music and send and receive text messages without being tethered to a cell phone. There's also real-time pace and distance tracking, 4GB of music storage, and live tracking—all viewable on the Mirasol touch-screen display from Qualcomm, which was originally highlighted in the Toq smartwatch.
Geared toward athletes, the One GPS+ boasts a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, which will run for 72 hours in standby mode. Constant GPS and cellular connections will drain the battery in eight hours, and if you're a music lover, expect only four hours of use between charges.
Compatible with the MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, and Strava mobile apps, the watch auto syncs data with a computer, and comes with customizable screens, interval timers, an Indiglo night light, and Bluetooth compatibility for a heart rate monitor and wireless headphones or speakers.
Timex has partnered with AT&T to offer one year of free 3G service on the One+ GPS. It will be available for purchase this fall, but you can pre-order now on timex.com for $399.95. A version with a heart rate monitor is also available for $450.