We already heard that Qualcomm’s Toq smartwatch would be available around December 2, but it’s possible some could wear one before then. The Toq is now available to pre-order for $349 directly from Qualcomm in black, and there’s mention of a white edition coming soon as well. Qualcomm says the watch orders will be delivered in one to three weeks.
At $349, I don’t expect the Toq to compete with more readily available, less expensive alternatives. You can buy two Pebble smartwatches and still have $50 left over, for example. But Qualcomm isn’t looking to get a Toq on every wrist; at least not directly.
The Toq is more proof-of-concept to showcase Qualcomm’s technologies: Its low-powered but capable chips and the unique Mirasol display. Mirasol is interesting because it’s a color screen that uses little energy. As I noted earlier this year:
“Mirasol uses reflective light and microscopic MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) to create small airgaps in the display; as the airgap size changes, the light color passing through it is manipulated. As a result, the screens are very power efficient, up to six times more than today’s LCD and OLED screens.”
The hope here is that with a limited production run, Qualcomm can show device makers how Mirasol technology can benefit future devices.
That doesn’t mean the watch is a beta product, however. Your $349 gets a fully functional Android-compatible smartwatch for text, email and incoming call notifications. And it comes with an integrated wireless charger, which just happens to be built on Qualcomm’s tech as well.


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