Qualcomm Toq watch takes on Nike FuelBand with new activity tracking skills

sincity · February 11, 2014

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If you're hoping to justify splashing out a considerable chunk of change on the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch, there are now a couple more reasons to side with the fun 'pros' over the spoilsport 'cons.'

An update to the $349 (around Â£215, AU$386) wearable's Android app brings a new activity tracker tool (albeit in beta), which will track the user's movement over the course of a 24-hour period and award points.

The update, which can be downloaded from Google Play, also brings a new watchface that shows the current points tally alongside the time.

Beyond that, there's also a world clock and the opportunity to switch the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Neither of which are exactly worth writing home about, but there you go.

Wireless charging

While the Toq does do a little extra damage to the bank balance, it does promise 'days' of battery life and the option of wireless charging. Powering the watch is a modest 200MHz Cortex M3 processor.

There's a 1.6-inch always-on 'Mirasol' display, which harnesses ambient light in the natural environment rather than utilising a battery-sapping backlight.

The display will show text messages, calendar events, call notifications, weather, stocks, shares and more. It's also got a music player which links up to the Bluetooth earphones bundled in the box.

Is this update enough to push you into the 'buy' column? Would it tempt you away from dedicated wellness solutions like the Nike FuelBand SE? Let us know below.