Archos, the company better known for inexpensive tablets, is also looking to get into the market of similarly inexpensive smartwatches. At CES this year, the company unveiled three smartwatch models, one of which will be priced as low as $50.
Archos is dialing back on features, compared to competitors like Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, though luckily it doesn’t seem to be sacrificing quality to achieve a lower price point. Apple Insider got to spend some time with the new watches, and they actually look quite nice. Physically (and somewhat functionally, it seems) I’m reminded of Pebble. The watches are fairly minimalist, and will work with both Android and iOS devices. The idea here is that the watch will be a companion to your device, rather than a substitute. You get a standard watch screen, but you’ll also be able be able to view phone messages and notifications, and control music playback. Some models will have additional features like stopwatch functionality and weather forecasts, but there’s no plans for an app store like you’ll find with the Pebble or Galaxy Gear.
The biggest thing Archos has going for it is price. The highest-end model costs $129 (a basic Pebble, — For more information read the original article here.
