The Orsto X1 smartwatch is now available for preorder on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Wearable computing has really taken off this year and everyone wants a piece of the action. Awash in a burgeoning field of smartwatch startups, the Orsto X1 attempts to set itself apart from the pack by offering 100% titanium casing and straps and a Qi wireless charging pod. Will it succeed? We will find out in 3 weeks …
The Orsto X1 smartwatch is being developed by design engineer Paul Gill, a former display technologies specialist from the Philips CRT plant. This brings us to our first issue with this offering: product marketing or lack thereof. Even if Mr. Gill is a brilliant design engineer, his Indiegogo product pitch video and web presentation are simply awful. I don’t know how many times we have to say this: If you are trying to bring a technologically sophisticated product to market, spend $1,000 and hire a marketing team to polish your presentation. Otherwise, you are shooting yourself in the foot and basically throwing away money. For more on this subject, mash the link and check out our article How To Market Your Smartwatch Via Crowd Funding Platforms.
The Orsto X1 smartwatch is intended to be a stand-alone watch, and not simply an extension of your smartphone. The specifications call for the X1 to be shipped with the Android 4.0 operating system. And, although Orsto provides no information about compatibility or interoperability with Android or iOS based smartphones on their website or in their literature, the presentation video claims that the X1 can be tethered to your Android phone, iPhone, or Blackberry … it is all a little confusing.
The specifications of the Orsto X1 are impressive when compared with other smartwatch offerings. The unit will be based upon a 1.2 GHz processor, offer 2 GB of RAM, begin with 8 GB of expandable storage, a 5 MP camera with LED flash, include a speaker, microphone, and headset out, and offer Qi wireless charging. With regard to power, the X1 claims it will have a minimum 850 mAh Li-Polymer battery … almost double that of its nearest competitor the i’m Watch. It will be interesting to see how they intend to fit that much battery into such a diminutive casing.
Well, that’s it. And, while Orsto claims to have a working prototype of the X1, no pictures or video have been provided. Unfortunately, without seeing their working prototype actually operate, it is difficult to determine whether the Orsto X1 is a smartwatch that we would like to see come to fruition. Nonetheless, the X1 intends to push the boundaries of current smartwatch technology, which is always a good thing for the smartwatch market as a whole. As of today, with three weeks to go, the Orsto X1 has achieved $22,000 of its $100,000 Indiegogo crowd funding goal.
