Our Kickstarter campaign is now over, but you can still pre order HOT Smart watch at www.hotsmartwatch.com
We did our media launch in New York last week. Media reporters actually got to use the HOT Watch and test the call quality and other features. Some of the following quotes are from people who actually used the watch and reviewed it on their sites.
“The new Hot Watch created by PHTL is an extremely innovative product that boasts exciting new features I've never seen before” – Brian Bennet, Cnet
“The watch is impressively thin and light....the sound quality is surprisingly clear." Dana Wallman, Engadget
“The Holy Grail of wearable devices?” Kevin Toffel, CNN Money
“PH Technical labs is using Kickstarter to beat tech heavy weight Samsung and Apple” – FOX Business News
“We heard our caller loud and clear despite the boisterous crowd” – Lisa Eadicicco, LaptopMag
“We might finally have a smartwatch worth owning at last” – Dvice
“HOT Watch is a would-be Pebble killer” - Jamie Hinks, IT Portal
“The device packs a near-endless list of features” - Cult of Mac
“The Hot Watch has already blown through its minimum funding goal of $150,000” - money.cnn
“Dick Tracy eat your heart out” - canadianreviewer.com
“This is definitely a HOT launch to keep an eye on” -thesmartwatchreview.com
“Another Smartwatch Joins The Fight And This One’s “Hot”” - Jordan Crook, Techcrunch
"You'd look like a secret agent listening to their earpiece!” - MobileSyrup.com
“It’s getting hot in here, so put down all your phones.” - Techcrunch
“HOT Smart Watch from PH Technical Labs kicks the eccentricity factor up a notch by turning your hand into a phone receiver” - Fast Company
Smart phones are essential these days, but are expensive and getting more bulky. Every time you take one out is a hassle, while presenting a risk for breakage, loss or theft. Holding the phone near your head during a call is also suspected to cause radiation-related health risks.
Meanwhile, the current crop of smart watches still requires your phone for basic functions like texting or making and receiving a call. Enter HOT Watch™ with Patent Pending Hands on Talk Technology that redefines what you can do with a watch, enabling you to send and receive messages while allowing you to make private calls without touching your phone.
HOT Watch™ comes bundled with Call Features (Private call, speakerphone, contact download and caller ID), Messaging Features (text, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Text Reply), Smart Phone Apps (weather, stocks, calendar, news, music control, phone finder), Watch Apps (Pedometer, note capture, fall detection, calculator), Time Features (alarm, timer, stopwatch, multi city time) and SDK for custom apps.
For all the above features to work, your smart phone just needs to be in close proximity of your HOT Watch™. The Typical Bluetooth connection range is 20-30 feet. You will still require your phone for more advanced functions like, GPS, internet browsing, camera or other smart features not listed above as supported by HOT Watch™.
HOT Watch™ is the first watch to support all the call features and limited Messaging features with any Bluetooth enabled phones. More advanced features are supported with iOS and Android devices.
All these features come attractively packaged in a slim (only 8mm), sleek design with bright E-Paper display and a timeless look for any occasion.
HOT Watch™ is the first to design an innovative, bio-mechanical solution enabling private calls, amplified by the palm of your hand.
HOT Gestures™ let you control many common functions with a wave or movement of the hand.
HOT Proximity Alerts let you know when your phone is being stolen or you are leaving it behind.
HOT Fall Detection uses the built-in accelerometer with gyroscope to detect a fall of a person and can text an emergency number of your choice.
Since filing an initial patent in 2010, we have poured countless hours of passionate work into a fully functional prototype with all the features tested and working. We need your help with tooling costs, final design, and mass production.
New Pictures
Private Call Experience
The above illustration depicts sound being generated by a directional speaker that resides at the bottom of the wrist. It is then projected to the palm, which reflects and amplifies it to the user’s ear for a private, crystal-clear phone call. The microphone is located on the same module, opposite of the speaker, for echo-free, clear sound. Essentially your hand/palm acts like a phone receiver.
This elegant, bio-mechanical solution empowers private calls like never before, imparting a similar experience to placing a phone to your ear. The beauty and potential of this patent pending idea, evolving how humans communicate, inspired us to make this watch a reality.
FEATURES
Private calls amplified by the palm of your hand
Speakerphone
Voice activated calling and other phone control using your phone’s native voice recognition such as iPhone SIRI
Receive and reply to Messages (SMS, Email, Facebook and Twitter)
Music player remote control (for your phone’s native player)
Multiple dial faces
Automatic fast contacts sync
Caller ID
Audible and silent vibrating alarms and alerts
Pedometer: Record running, walking, steps climbed, calories burned
Fall detection with automatic text to emergency number (unless cancelled in 30 seconds)
LED illumination
Note capture: captures your handwriting on the watch face
Tactile vibration feedback
HOT Proximity Alerts: Never leave your phone behind and prevent theft
Find your phone with remote beep
Built-in LED Flashlight (ONLY in Curve)
Water Resistant
Multi-touch projected capacitive screen (Skim finger above glass to change screens)
EASE OF USE
HOT GESTURES™
Handle functions of the watch with quick gestures(can be optionally turned off). Default gestures are:
Answer Call: Move hand to ear during incoming call
Dial Out Menu: Move hand to ear when there is no incoming call
Reject Call: Shake hand during incoming call
Mute Call: Drop hand during conversation
End Call: Wave goodbye during conversation
Dial Favorite Number: Knock twice
LED Backlight: Twist hand to “read” position
Fall Down: Automatically text emergency number (you can cancel within 30 seconds)
HOT GESTURES™ - TOUCH
Unlock and Menu: Write “ U ” on screen
Unlock and Dial: Write “ D ” on screen
Unlock and SMS: Write “ S ” on screen
Unlock and Clock: Write “C” on screen
Unlock and Apps: Write “A” on screen
SHORTCUTS
5 shortcuts to app screens with one easy touch. Fully customizable, but by default:
Press icon 1 for local weather, stock update, and a second city time.
Press icon 2 for next meeting or alarm, number of calories burned today and distance walked.
Press icon 3 for text messages and Facebook notifications.
Press icon 4 for a customized news feed.
Press Power button for dial face.
TECH SPECS
Energy Efficient Cortex M3 processor
Secondary DSP processor for Bluetooth, Call control and Audio Enhancements
SHARP 1.26” E-paper display for power saving and high-contrast display
Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth Dual Mode) for energy conservation
6-Axis Accelerometer and Gyroscope
Multi-touch projected capacitive Screen with proximity detection of up to 1 cm
Vibration motor with tactile touch function
Bright Flash light with 2200mcd white LED (Curve Model only)
Anti-reflective glass with optical bonded display for high contrast sunlight readability
Smudge-proof touch glass
Water Resistant (ATMs: TBD)
SDK for custom 3rd party applications
Over the air firmware update
Simulator Based PC Development
HOT Watch comes with SDK and Windows simulator for custom app development. Using Windows simulator, developers can create applications on a PC environment (using Visual Studio or any windows compiler) and port it in an easy, one-step compilation. This unique tool can greatly enhance the power and speed of app development for the watch.
People without programming experience can develop custom watch faces and simple apps by downloading jpg/bmp images into provided tool. More powerful control is provided for programmers via SDK with ‘C’ language support. Control will be provided to access watch hardware (Display, Accel, Touch etc) and communication to smart phone.
Progression of HOT Smart Watch
The photos illustrated above are prototype watches. The production version of the watches will have a higher quality finish with the machine molded plastics, final material selection for metal (such as titanium for curve), gaskets for waterproofing and audio modules, better-shaped audio firing tube and production-quality straps, with buckle.
DIMENSIONS
HOT Watch Basic, Classic & Edge: 34mm x 42mm x 8mm
HOT Watch Curve: 38mm x 35mm x 9mm
What's next
The watches illustrated are fully working prototypes with the majority of hardware and software functionality completed. We are further enhancing our mechanical design details and material selections to deliver the best experience on your wrist. Most of the components used in the watch are from the market leaders in their respective fields. Key components such as Sharp E-paper display and the world’s most advanced Bluetooth chip have been planned and reserved to ensure timed delivery.
The experience gained with our current products (that are similar in the areas of electronics and plastic manufacturing) has helped us establish reputable manufacturing and assembly partners. Our key partner is also a leading component supplier and watch assembler for a renowned watch brand and has decades of experience in the watch industry. For the future, we are laying foundations with industry-leading ODMs to plan for high volume production when the time comes.
Our current Plan for shipments include:
August 2013: Finish final design details and package design
September 2013: Start tooling for plastic, rubber and metal parts
October 2013: Procure reserved components and molded parts, Pilot production.
November 2013: Finish certifications, volume production
December 2013: Start shipping
Risks and challenges
After years of research and development, we now have fully functional prototypes in-hand. This is the result of meticulous care in design, development and in selecting the highest caliber components and manufacturing partners. However, as with any product, supply chain logistics can potentially impact parts delivery. Additionally, delays may result from final detailing and testing lab procedures and certifications.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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Siri and Google Now support is developed for the watch. When connected to basic phones, the default Bluetooth-headset dialer action will function.
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Private Calls are a bio-mechanical, patent pending technology. For private calls, sound gets generated by a directional speaker that resides at the bottom of the wrist. It is then projected to the palm, which reflects and amplifies it to the user’s ear for a private, crystal-clear phone call. The microphone is located on the same module, opposite of the speaker, for echo-free, clear sound. Essentially your hand/palm acts like a phone receiver. The speaker phone resides in the same area but is just that: a speaker for driving, etc.
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You should hold your hand so the ring/middle finger is slightly above your ear canal. Your hand should be positioned so the wrist is close to your mouth for a crystal clear private call. Essentially it is just like holding a phone to your ear without a phone.
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Replying to text messages is easy with the HOT Watch, either through the dial/key pad on the watch or using the predetermined replies which can be configured on the HOT Watch app on your smart phone.
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All call features are available with any Bluetooth capable phone. For other advance feature you will need IOS 5.0 or higher and Android 2.3 or higher. We have tentative plans to work on a Windows Phone application after launch. If you are interested in Windows Phone support, stay tuned for updates.
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You can disable gestures, if desired. All gesture actions can be accomplished through use of the touchscreen.
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When the watch is not connected to a phone via Bluetooth, the pedometer and watch will still function. However, advanced features that need the phone will not function. That includes calling, lost phone, messaging, and other activities that require phone functionality.
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HOT Watch comes with a one year limited warranty covering manufacturing faults.
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You can use your HOT Watch and smartphone separately at the same time. Note that you can only take a phone call on one device.
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Typical Bluetooth connectivity range is 20-30 feet (10 meters). This range is affected by conditions such as physical obstructions like walls. When a connection is lost, your HOT Watch can notify you that your phone is not with you!
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The watch, using regular features, lasts for around 3 days in standby. With call features and gestures disabled, battery life is extended to around 7 days standby. Under heavy usage; like using the touchscreen, gestures, and making calls; the battery will last a day.
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The watchband comes in a small size and a regular size. Each size will also be adjustable with a buckle. Final length specifications will be released later.
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HOT Watch can pair with up to 8 phones. Last four phone connection shows on the screen for easy switching.
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Basic/Edge/Classic = All same functions, slight variations on materials/design
Curve = All same functions as Basic/Edge/Classic only with additional flashlight
Basic = All Black bezels with Black Polyurethane straps
Edge = Black Leather/PU straps with chrome or gold bezels
Classic = Brown or Black Leather/PU straps with chrome or gold bezels
Curve = Black Textured Polyurethane straps with titanium bezels -
We have a proprietary magnetic tip USB cable for charging so we can maintain water resistance. It takes only 30-40 minutes for a full charge thanks to our rapid-charge battery.
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We have a rapid charge battery and it can be fully charged in 30-40 minutes.
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The HOT Watch has been developed in English only. We use ASCII characters, though, so it is possible for more languages to be supported in the future. No plans at the moment.
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In order for Hands On Talk feature to work correctly, left-handed users must wear the watch upside-down so that the microphone still faces the palm. There is a software option to flip the display. Our final logo will also be reversible. Additionally, speakerphone and the LED on the Curve model will also work on either arm.
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The HOT Watch straps are not user removable. This is due to integrated wiring for the Hands On Talk private calling speaker and microphone.
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We’d love to add “x cool piece of hardware” to our watch, but any modifications will require time that we don’t have. Our hardware choices are therefore frozen. You can still submit ideas to info@hotsmartwatch.com. Maybe we’ll make version 2.0!
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Backers waiting for pictures in better lighting just need to wait for our new prototypes to be unveiled at the event and more pictures will be posted on Aug 21st.
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Multiple orders are not allowed on kickstarter. Thanks for your support and sorry for the inconvenience. This is a Kickstarter policy. You can send email to info@hotsmartwatch.com for further inquiries.
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You will need to follow your local laws regarding customs. We will mark the package as a gift for supporting our project. We will also correctly declare the value of the watch when shipping. Customs charges may incur depending on your locale. PHTL will not refund those costs. We are working to be CE certified for shipping time.
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All parts are reserved already. We have prior experience with manufacturing and sincerely believe that a December ship date is likely. Of course there can always be hiccups, but we will do all that is in our power to get you this in a timely manner. We realize that our reputation is at stake. We can only hope that we make you proud.
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Your model choice, color choices, and shipping information will be collected in a survey when the funding period is over
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We care a lot about what you think. We’re constantly providing answers to all sorts of questions. Give us a shout on the comments page or email us at info@hotsmartwatch.com
Support this project
Funding period
- (37 days)