Casio’s New G-SHOCK Connects To Smartphones, Shows Incoming Calls, Emails, SMS

Casio Japan is planning [JP ] to roll out

the G-SHOCK GB-6900 on March 16

next year, a wristwatch that connects

to certain smartphones via Bluetooth

LE (LE=low -energy, a standard that’s

baked into Bluetooth 4.0) . The device

will be compatible with the Medias LTE

N-04 D Android phone from NEC (to

be released next year) and

NEC’s Medias PP N-01 D.

Casio says that the G- SHOCK not only

synchronizes the time with the phones

but also shows incoming calls, emails,

or SMS on its display. Users can also

switch their handsets to vibration

mode by pushing a button on the

watch or set alarms.

The watch isn’t the first that connects

to phones, but the main selling point

here is the Bluetooth LE feature (in

fact, it’s the first watch with Bluetooth

4.0 on board): Bluetooth LE consumes

a fraction of the energy of other

Bluetooth versions. In the case of the

G-SHOCK GB-6900, Casio says users

can expect a battery life of about 2 years with one

conventional CR 2032 button battery.

The company initially planned to start

selling the watch in December but had

to push back the release date to

March 16 because of the floods in

Thailand (which dampened

production). It will cost 18,000 Yen (US

$231 ).

Rudz