Computex 2015: Again Fight Of Wearables as Apple Watch Raises Bar

Watch Apple raises the bar for mobile technology when it was launched in April, but smaller brands are seeking their own niche in the battle for the wrist space. New kids on the block technology Computex Taiwan insisted that the style and simplicity were more important than the many features on the face of the daunting range of Apple.

Smart watch compatible with the Apple iPhone allows users to answer calls, check emails and access applications without having their phones out of their pockets.

It also keeps track of fitness, playing music, offers customizable watch faces and comes in different colors and styles. "In consumer technology, smart watches are a major new category from tablets," said Daniel Mate, an analyst with US-based research firm by Canalys. "The clock Apple has largely defined the category and set the benchmark for other manufacturers to follow."

Canalys predicted 20 million Apple View shipments by 2015. "Vendors that are not Apple are improving their designs to be more fashionable and higher quality, but the clock Apple still has a significant design advantage," said Mate .

A lot of smart watches are in the market for major players, including Samsung, Sony, LG and Motorola, Asus Taiwan with the launch of its new Android Wear ZenWatch 2 clock at Computex.

But less known names are also taking a cue from Apple and try to forge their own direction.

"The clock is Apple's free advertising for less famous brands like us, because it makes people more interested in smart watches," said Christophe Arathoon watch brand based in US Omate, which launched its first smart watch in 2013, crowdfunded by Kickstarter.

Their watches are focused on fashion, says Arathoon, with the last "Racer", a sports accident black and red pattern on black, gray. Links to iOS and Android, with users able to choose which notifications they receive. It also includes a music player and pedometer.

"Apple watches are a good thing, but they are too complicated," said Arathoon. "We've simplified our watches and have fashionable and affordable."

The Racer costs $ 149, less than half the price of the cheapest model of Apple Watch.

'Zero has'

Taiwanese smart watch "Noodoe" also markets outside its simplicity - with its founder boasting has "zero character". The simple black band is considered the "front of Apple Watch", but promises to help carriers to channel their self-expression as it can copy your own images drawn by hand in his face black and white clock through a camera application.

Due to launch later this year for less than $ 100, which connects to smartphones for notifications, but no gym crawler.

"Most of wearables for the last two years are increasingly function-centered" said founder John Wang, a former executive of HTC. "What we're trying to do is recognize that wristwear has always been about self-expression.

"In a way, Noodoe is much closer to Swatch that most wearables in the market today."

Other wearable exposed at Computex ranged from mind-reading headset rings that could save your life. NeuroSky headset Silicon Valley - using EEG sensors to read brain activity - already on the market and used in the new game Star Wars The Force Trainer II, released in September, where members can imagine and control a hologram.

A less annoying laptop Taiwan Keydex NFC Ring - a ceramic ring which stores data - introduced its new "SOS" model, which stores medical information of the user and can be accessed in an emergency with the touch of a smartphone .

And the firm homegrown ChipSip showed the latest version of its intelligent glasses, which are being used in art galleries in Taiwan and Europe.

Carriers look at a painting and, through image recognition, explanatory text will appear on the glass. The glasses can also be connected to headphones users can see and hear movies and videos.