A Chinese startup called “Geak” (seriously!) has developed an Android 4.1 smartwatch with built in WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and GPS wireless communications. The China-targeted Geak Watch runs on a 1GHz MIPS architecture SoC equipped with 512MB RAM and 4GB flash, and features a 1.55-inch 240 x 240-pixel touchscreen and IPX3 water resistance.

We’re still waiting for Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch, as well as similar wristwatch computers rumored to be on the way from Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Yet over the last few years a number of Android-powered smartwatches have reached market, including the Motorola MotoACTV and the I’m Watch (pictured below, left). There have even been a few Linux models, such as the recent Leikr (pictured below, right).

I’m Watch and Leikr watch (2 each)
(click images to enlarge)

Like all these devices, the new Geak Watch duplicates much of the functionality of a smartphone — except for telephony — on the watch itself. Most other smartwatches, such as the open source MetaWatch and Pebble watches (shown below), are essentially Bluetooth accessories used for fitness monitoring and/or viewing texts and notifications, but which offer limited functionality outside of Bluetooth range of one’s smartphone.

MetaWatch and Pebble watch (2 each)
(click images to enlarge)

Others fall somewhere in between these two approaches, such as the Sony Smartwatch (pictured on the right; click to enlarge), and most of the full-featured smartwatches also sync up with nearby smartphones via Bluetooth.
 

Geak Watch features

As initially reported by Engadget via its Chinese-language site, the Geak Watch was announced by Geak, a Shanghai-based subsidiary of media giant Shanda. The Android 4.1 watch sports a relatively robust processor for a smartwatch, with a MIPS-based 1GHz Ingenic JZ4774 system-on-chip, which includes graphics and video accelerators. The Geak Watch is further equipped with 512MB RAM, 4GB flash, and a 240 x 240-pixel 1.55-inch touchscreen protected by IPX3-level water resistance and kept running by a 500mAh battery.

Geak Watch runs Android 4.2
(click images to enlarge)

The Geak Watch includes 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC radios for respective long-, medium- and short-range communications. GPS is also said to be available. Sensors include temperature sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes, as well as sensors that can detect heartbeat, blood pressure, and pulse. One nifty feature shown on the Geak Watch site is the ability to use the watch as a remote viewfinder to take pictures from a distance using a smartphone camera.

According to Engadget, the Geak Watch will be available for pre-order in China on July 3 for ¥1,999 , or about $330. More information may be found at the Geak Watch product page (Google translated).