UPDATE: TAG Heuer has released the full spec list for the Connected, which includes a 1.5-inch 360x360 LCD screen, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage, Bluetooth LE 4.1, 802.11 b/g/n, and a 410mAh battery that charges in an included conductive charging cradle. The case is 46mm in diameter, is IP67-rated for resistance to water splashes, and is made of titanium.
TAG Heuer has been teasing its Android Wear smartwatch for the better part of 2015, but today the company finally officially showed the device off.
The TAG Heuer Connected is an Android Wear smartwatch that’s powered by an Intel processor. Like several other recent Android Wear smartwatches, the TAG Heuer Connected has a round face, like many analog watches. The TAG Heuer Connected is the first luxury Android Wear smartwatch, though, featuring a case made of titanium. The Connected also includes a sapphire glass-covered high-resolution display and an Intel processor, which is different from most other Android Wear smartwatches that are powered by Qualcomm chips.
On the software side, the TAG Heuer Connected runs Android Wear, just like smartwatches from the likes of LG, Samsung, and others. TAG Heuer has included a few of its unique watch faces, but you can always install others from Google Play. You can also do other things that you’d expect with an Android Wear smartwatch, including install apps, get your step count, check your messages, use the “Ok Google” hotword for voice search, and so on.
Because the TAG Heuer Connected is being touted as the first luxury Android Wear smartwatch, it should come as no surprise that its price tag is a bit higher than other Android Wear devices. TAG Heuer will sell the Connected for $1,500 starting today in 20 American cities.
“But why would anyone spend $1,500 on a smartwatch that’ll be outdated in a couple of years?” you ask. TAG Heuer has a response. The company says that after 2 years, Connected owners will be able to trade in their smartwatch and, after paying another $1,500, they can get a mechanical TAG Heuer Carrera watch that looks similar to the Connected.
The TAG Heuer Connected looks like a nice smartwatch, and if you’re looking for a smartwatch that doesn’t look like a smartwatch, this one could be it. That $1,500 price tag is going to put the Connected out of reach for a lot of consumers, though, and while the trade-in program is a nice touch, you’ll have to pay another $1,500 to get a mechanical Carrera. So yeah, the Connected is definitely a luxury watch aimed at consumers that’d normally buy high-end analog watches.
What do you think of the TAG Heuer Connected?