TAG Heuer Connected: Swiss Watchmaker Jumps Into Smartwatches, Powers First Effort With Android Wear

The smartwatch and wearable niche isn’t for the budget-conscious. The price tags are relatively steep, and the devices’ usability is generally limited or redundant, for the moment. Unless the consumer is a health buff who avidly tracks their heart rate, sleep, and other biological processes, there is generally little use for a smartwatch unless one deigns that an extension of their smartphone is a must-have. Yet, the niche continues to grow, and TAG Heuer has joined in the fray, with the TAG Heuer Connected.

The TAG Heuer Connected is a high-end smartwatch for fans of the brand, as well as those who are willing to part with $1,500 USD for a regular-looking TAG Heuer watch with smartwatch capabilities.

The TAG Heuer Connected partnered with Android Wear to power the smartwatch functions of the device. It is patterned after the brand’s classic model, Carrera. Other reports indicate that the Connected was patterned after the Carrera Calibre TAG Heuer line of watches. The initial release is a men’s watch, and the company has limited the release to just 20 stores across the US. A woman’s version is in the works, according to TAG Heuer.

According to Engadget, the TAG Heuer Connected’s unique selling proposition is that it will be “eternity in a box.” TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver assured the attendees of the event where the smartwatch was launched that they can eventually trade in the Connected with a classic Carrera model if it becomes outdated.

According to Forbes, though, a TAG Heuer Connected buyer may need to fork over an additional $1,500 if they want a regular, non-smartwatch TAG Heuer timepiece to go with their TAG Heuer Connected. In any case, Forbes’ Ariel Adams says that the TAG Heuer Connected is the first smartwatch they tried that seemed to “have a soul.” He points out that other smartwatches merely show a blank screen when not in use, whereas the TAG Heuer smartwatch shows a watch’s face the whole time, even when it’s not being used.

Specs for the TAG Heuer Connected:

Processor/Chipset: 1.6GHz dual core processor (500mHz normal operation speed) from Intel

RAM: 1GB

OS: Android Wear, compatible with Android 4.3+ and iOS 8.2+

Internal Storage: 4GB

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 B/G/N, 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth v4.0

Display: 1.5 inches fully circular transflective LTPS LCD display with a screen resolution of 360 x 360 pixels and a 240 ppi pixel density, protected by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal

Battery: 410mAh battery with a minimum 25 hours of battery life, based on typical usage

Colour Options: Vulcanized rubber strap in green, blue, orange, red, white, black, yellow, with grade 2 titanium folding clasp and safety push-buttons

The TAG Heuer Connected comes in seven strap colours, including green, blue, orange, red, white, black, and yellow.

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For more information on the TAG Heuer Connected, check out these links:

The official TAG Heuer Connected page: https://www.tagheuerconnected.com/product

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Articles about the TAG Heuer Connected, elsewhere on the Web:

From Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/arieladams/2015/11/09/tag-heuers-connected-watch-teaches-google-a-thing-or-two-about-products-with-soul/

From Engadget:

https://www.engadget.com/2015/11/09/tag-heuer-connected-watch/

https://www.engadget.com/2015/11/09/tag-heuer-connected-watch-official/

From Wired: https://www.wired.com/2015/11/tag-heuer-android-wear-smartwatch/

The Verge with a hands-on review of the TAG Heuer Connected: https://www.theverge.com/2015/11/9/9695962/tag-heuer-carrera-connected-android-wear-smartwatch-hands-on