Type | Standalone smartwatch |
---|---|
Availability by region | January, 2014 |
Compatible networks | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900, UMTS/HSPA+/WCDMA 850, 1700, 1900, 2100 |
Dimensions | 66.0 x 53.5 x 14.2 mm |
Weight | 60.8 grams / 2.14 ounces |
Operating system | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8225 (1.2GHz Dual- Core ARM Cortex-A5) |
Memory | 512MB RAM |
Removable storage | internal, non removable 16 or 32GB mass storage |
Battery | 810 mAh lithium-ion battery Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter |
Rear camera | 5.0 MP rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera, LED flash (Front & Rear) |
Display | 2.4" inch, TFT |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 (voice, stereo), USB 2.0, Micro-SIM |
Data inputs | Capacitive Touchscreen |
The Neptune Pine is an unlocked GSM standalone, [1] [2] full featured smartwatch developed by Canadian consumer electronics and wearable technology company Neptune. [3] It was announced in January 2013 by Simon Tian and launched in November 2013 on Kickstarter. Within 27 hours, the campaign had reached its funding goal of $100,000, and ultimately went on to raise more than $800,000 in 30 days, becoming the highest-funded Canadian Kickstarter campaign at the time.
The device started shipping in August 2014, and eventually became widely available through Best Buy and Amazon. It was featured in the 2017 film The Fate of the Furious, the CBS TV series Extant starring Halle Berry and the music video for Smartphones by Trey Songz. The Pine received mixed reviews from the press, generally praising its extensive set of features, while criticizing its large size. [4] [5]
After a successful campaign on Kickstarter Neptune managed to raise over $800,000 out of a goal of $100,000. [6]
It uses Google Android version 4.1 but is not a Google-licensed device and therefore does not include Google apps or the Google Play store. These apps can be manually added by the user.
The Pine has a Snapdragon S4 system on a chip (SoC) by Qualcomm that has a Cortex-A5 Dual-Core ARM processor running at 1.2 GHz.
The smartwatch has a capacitive touch screen, a Wi-Fi web browser, a 5.0 MP rear-facing camera and a VGA front-facing camera, both of them with LED flash, a multimedia player and recorder for music (mp3) and video (mp4), a 3.5 mm headphone jack and an internal GPS antenna that supports satellite navigation. Other data inputs are an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a pedometer, and a digital compass. [7]
The Pine smartwatch can be released from the wrist strap by pressing a button on the strap for a better audio signal during a phone call or to take photos with the 5 MP rear-facing camera which is otherwise blocked by the strap.
A Micro B USB to USB cable is required to charge the smartwatch. It can also connect to a computer so that the internal SD card can be recognized as a mass storage device for file management. [7]
As a phone, it can be used in conjunction with a Bluetooth headset and can operate in a hands-free manner with its built-in microphone and speakers, also its Bluetooth functionality supports Stereo Bluetooth for wireless music playback and making calls. It offers a talk time of up to 8 hours on 2G and six hours on 3G. Internet usage time is up to seven hours and music playback is up to 10 hours. [8]
The watch was initially designed to be waterproof, but it was found that the manufacturer was unable to apply the desired treatment. While this option is not available at retail, Kickstarter backers who wanted waterproofing could have their products transported to a third party, opened, and treated with the aftermarket HzO spray before delivery. [9]
A smartphone is a mobile device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multimedia playback and streaming. Smartphones have built-in cameras, GPS navigation, and support for various communication methods, including voice calls, text messaging, and internet-based messaging apps.
Mobile accessories include any hardware that is not integral to the operation of a mobile smartphone as designed by the manufacturer, and adds utility to the mobile phone.
A smartwatch is a portable wearable computer that resembles a wristwatch. Most modern smartwatches are operated via a touchscreen, and rely on mobile apps that run on a connected device in order to provide core functions.
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The Acer Iconia is a range of tablet computers from Acer Inc. of Taiwan.
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Pebble is a discontinued smartwatch developed by Pebble Technology Corporation based in Palo Alto, California that shipped from 2013 to 2016. A brainchild of Eric Migicovsky, funding was conducted through a Kickstarter campaign in 2012. It was the most funded project in Kickstarter history at the time, raising $10.3 million. Pebble watches can be connected to Android and iOS devices to show notifications and messages. An online app store distributed Pebble-compatible apps from many developers including ESPN, Uber, Runkeeper, and GoPro.
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The Omate TrueSmart is a smartwatch designed by Omate, a Chinese company based in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It has been funded by crowd funding via Kickstarter. The funding period was from August 21, 2013 until September 20, 2013. The funding goal of $100,000 was reached within 12 hours, with more than $1,032,000 raised by the end of the campaign. In contrast to other smartwatches, the Omate is a complete standalone telecom mobile device that can be used to make calls, navigate and use Android apps independent of the user's smartphone.
The Samsung Gear 2 and Samsung Gear 2 Neo are smartwatches produced by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on February 22, 2014 at Mobile World Congress, the Gear 2 line is a successor to the Samsung Galaxy Gear.
Wear OS is a closed-source Android distribution designed for smartwatches and other wearable computers, developed by Google. WearOS is designed to pair with mobile phones running Android or iOS, providing mobile notifications into a smartwatch form factor and integration with the Google Assistant technology.
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The LG Watch Urbane is a smartwatch released by LG Corporation on April 27, 2015. There are gold and silver models, each with a 22mm-wide interchangeable strap. The watch has IP67 dust and water resistance.
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Simon Tian is a Canadian businessman, inventor, entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Fonus and Neptune. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Tian dropped out of pre-university college at the age of 17 to start Neptune, and, as of late 2017, has raised around $7 million from private investors as well as a total of more than $2 million from crowdfunding sources alone. Tian is a 2015 Thiel Fellow, having been awarded $100,000 by PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist Peter Thiel through the Thiel Foundation, and was named one of the top 30 Quebecers under 30 by Les Affaires in 2014.
Neptune Computer Inc., commonly known as Neptune, is a Canadian privately held consumer electronics and wearable technology company, founded in 2013 by Simon Tian in Montreal, Quebec, and currently based in Toronto. The company has raised around $7 million from private investors, and over $2 million from crowdfunding sources like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
Pine Store Limited, doing business as Pine64, is a Hong Kong-based organization that designs, manufactures, and sells single-board computers, notebook computers, as well as smartwatch/smartphones. Its name was inspired by the mathematical constants π and e with a reference to 64-bit computing power.
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