Pre-orders Begin for Olio Smartwatch
The Olio smartwatch was introduced back in March and expected to go on sale shortly thereafter but delays happen, especially when you’re trying to launch a new product. Now the San Francisco startup has finally started taking pre-orders for the “Olio Model One,” a round-faced Linux-based luxury smartwatch.
The 47mm Olio Model One features an impact- and scratch-resistant case of crystal and solid-steel that is water resistant to 50M. The dial is equipped with a 700-nits display and ambient light sensor for easy viewing. Although Olio’s own homegrown Linux-based OS powers the device, the watch has the ability to communicate with both iOS and Android products via Bluetooth and BLE. A microphone is included that allows the user to remotely control Siri or Google Now.
One of the more interesting features of the Olio Model One is the cloud-based interface that divides functions into two streams. The Earlier Stream gives updates on items the user has missed while the Later Stream shows what is coming up next. The interface also has a cloud-based assistant app that is customizable to the user’s behavior.
The Olio Model One does the usual things one expects a smartwatch to do like give access to emails, texts and messages from social media as well as notifications on news, sports, traffic, weather and business. The user can control music and screen calls from your smartphone. Also included is turn-by-turn navigation and control of automated home gadgets like lights, thermostats and locks. Somewhat surprisingly, there are no fitness apps but those are expected to show up on an upcoming model.
The Olio Model One is available in plain steel, black steel or gold, the latter in a 24-Karat “clad” mix or 18-Karat rose gold clad. List prices are $595, $745 and $1,195 but are currently discounted to $345, $495 and $945. Pre-orders are expected to ship in the fall.