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Groovy Wristomo Cell Phone Announced 171

Posted by chrisd from the does-it-tell-time dept.
i4u writes "NTT DoCoMo announced WRISTOMO a new Wrist Phone built by Seiko. Recently Samsung announced the availability of their Wrist Phone at the CeBit 2003. The Wristomo Wrist Phone unique design lets users transform it into a handset. The phone supports web browsing with up to 64kbps. Wristomo can receive and transmit Emails with maximum size of 3,000 characters. The Watch can synchronize with MS Outlook via a data cable. The size of the Wrist Phone is 171.5x40.4x18.5mm, and it's weight is 113g. It is even water-proof. It supports continous talk-time for 120min. and 200 min. standby. It is even water-proof! Price expected to be 50,000yen."
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Groovy Wristomo Cell Phone Announced More

Groovy Wristomo Cell Phone Announced

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  • Seriously, this thing is waterproof.

  • don't forget, it's even waterproof! (Score:4, Funny)

    by VudooCrush ( 220143 ) <draino@@@echo...kirenet...com> on Thursday March 27, 2003 @10:00AM (#5606419)
    We have to hear it twice because I know I'll definitely be using my cellphone underwater.
    • We have to hear it twice because I know I'll definitely be using my cellphone underwater.

      Yeah, but all the Slashdot readers at Bikini Bottom [nick.com] might like that feature. After all, they are the secret power behind Slashdot. :)
    • The waterproof comment demonstrates the increased efficiency brough to /. by the hard working editors. Rather than taking two separate articles to duplicate the same information, they can now repeat themselves in a single posting!
    • So now that I've been thinking about this waterproof thing, maybe it isn't really about being used underwater. Since this expensive little piece of electronics sits on your wrist instead of on your hip, it is subject to a whole different sort of danger than a normal cellphone. Perhaps "water proof" is just the nicer way of saying it is really "sneeze proof".
      • Perhaps "water proof" is just the nicer way of saying it is really "sneeze proof".

        ...or, taking into account the stereotypical /.er, it's the nicer way of saying the wrist-phone is pr0n surfing proof. Brings a whole new meaning to "WAP" phone.

        Soko
  • I've been using my cellphone as my clock for over a year now, since my "normal" watch died. I guess this could be the solution to my problem.

    Next problem is some cash I guess :P
  • It is even water-proof!
  • And a daughter-in-law with antennae.

    Garg
    • C'mon! Remember Dick Tracy? The ORIGINAL wristwatch (vid)phones?? Magnetic Hovercars?? Sam Ketcham?

      NO?!?

      How 'bout the later-model Beatty/Pacino/Madonna movie, does THAT ring any bells?

      ZD even led with a Tracy reference when it reported this same story [com.com]

      Jeez, yet another reason for SlashDot to institute age filters; I guess it would be pointless for me to make a joke about "Opening Channel 'D'" ...
  • sort of limits how deep your desk can be.
  • I've been wondering how long it would take them to get one of these. Since it might be harder for me to lose, this is an actual incentive for me to pony up the cash to pay for a cell phone that's decent, rather than just sticking with the one my cell service gave me for two dollars.
  • At this rate, in a few more years such technology will be so common that you'll be able to buy real working dick tracy watches from the gumball machine!
  • I can't read the link 'cause it's slashdoted. But do you mean it has a 200 hour standby instead of a 200 minute one?
    • I would have thought so - my phone is 2 years old but it can still do a week between charges (depending on how much I use it for calls of course). That's 168 hours, and I know more recent models are a lot better, so 200 is no problem.

      A phone with 200 minute battery life would be completely useless!

    • Re:standby? (Score:3, Informative)

      by Yokaze ( 70883 )
      The NTT Docomo site is not slashdotted, but I fear that won't help you much either :).

      In the left column, the units are noted in brackets. The sign in brackets before 120 means minutes and the two before 200 stand for hours.
      • No, here's the quote from the site quote [i4u.com]

        <quote>It supports continous talk-time for 120min. and 200 min. standby.</quote>

        - Cut and pasted from the site, so either it's a typo, in which case they really need to proof-read, or it's accurate, in which case it's pretty useless.

  • Maybe tiney isn't so good anymore (Score:5, Funny)

    by TheLoneCabbage ( 323135 ) on Thursday March 27, 2003 @10:04AM (#5606453) Homepage

    My cell phone is 1"x3"x.5" and It's already tough enough to dial without a tooth pick. Soon /. articles will read "Sony debuts new HANDS, for smaller portable Devieces" Ahhh... the price we'll pay for convience. I long for the days when a cell phone was so big it could be used for self defense (swing that battery and become: Connan the Early Adopter!)
    • Agreed, really really small devices can be extremely hard to use. How many people still have a wrist-watch calculator?

      I've seen the remote-control on a watch thing (a guy in the office has one) - and it's a good idea because it has so few buttons.

      In the absence of an un-slashdotted web-page I'll have to assume it's not fully voice activated (you go girl, if it is). Web-browsing may also be a little - small :)

      Still, I'll be waiting until they get the 21" screen version :)
    • It probably will support voice recongnition dialing.
  • WTF? Its a clever device, but if they can't give me at least 24 hours standby then its fairly useless in practical situations.

    These days I'm used to several days standby from my mobile phone; a wristwatch that needs to spend half its life tethered to a mains supply is daft.

  • Rates of conversion... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Jooly Rodney ( 100912 ) on Thursday March 27, 2003 @10:06AM (#5606471)
    I was initially surprised at the price -- 50,000 yen didn't used to be worth terribly much -- but given current exchange rates, this thing is going for about $420 USD.
    • I was initially surprised at the price -- 50,000 yen didn't used to be worth terribly much -- but given current exchange rates, this thing is going for about $420 USD.

      Mod parent down, obviously no knowledge of Japanese currency charted over time.

      A month ago the yen was at 117, and a year ago was at 130. 5 years ago it was about 100 and before that it was at 80.
  • It may be difficult to get your hands on one though, since the Department of Redundancy Department is interested in acquiring all of them for their amazing water proofing. ... And they're water proof!
  • Imagine a......world closer to "Calling Dick Tracy".

  • Cable?! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Malachi ( 5716 ) <andy@ciordia.inPOLLOCKfo minus painter> on Thursday March 27, 2003 @10:13AM (#5606526) Homepage Journal

    Blueeetoothhh.. BTH.. Common.. Down with the cables!
    • Couldn;t they make it so that all youd have to do is set the watch near the power station? sorta like in the electric toothbrushes? then all you would have to do is at night set the watch on the pad and in the morning its all charged up
      • "Couldn;t they make it so that all youd have to do is set the watch near the power station?"

        You mean, Tesla coils and stuff like that? Because a charger base won't help very much if the battery only lasts 3 1/2 hours.
        • Magnetic induction. Like the SoniCare toothbrush, or any number of other devices. Dunno what that has to do with a tesla coil.
          • That'd be a great idea. I never knew that the cooktop I use is the same idea that powers the toothbrush I use.

            magnetic induction rox ;)

            -M-
  • So I'd have to recharge this thing, at best, every 3 hours? Nuts to that.

  • Not actually cellular (Score:3, Informative)

    by 3liter914-6 ( 625799 ) on Thursday March 27, 2003 @10:16AM (#5606550)
    In fact the phone is a PHS (Personal Handyphone System), and while in many ways it is similar to cellular technology, it is different in a lot of ways. It has pretty abysmal range, requiring a bunch of transceivers in a relatively small geographic area to get signal. It also cannot hand off to other cells, so kind of limits your ability to use it in a car, or on a train, etc. Still, a pretty neat device. They demonstrated it on the news last night, 2 girls talking to each other. One wearing the phone speaking at her wrist, the other using the phone unfolded as a handset. Reportedly a ring-type is also in development.
    • It looks pretty cool, but I know that I hit my watch on stuff as I'm walking, working on computers, etc. So how durable is it? Will it ignite my gas as I'm filling my gas tank? What about static discharge? As I'm working on my computer to upgrade to the latest ram that just came out, will it fry the whole thing? Will I get wrist cancer? What if I'm writing an important paper and the vibrate feature goes off, utterly destroying the precious document?
      But seriously, I don't think this will be as useful as it
    • It rocks.
      I get sound quality indistinguishable from a land line, days of use on a charge and "pretty good" coverage, including just about everywhere I happen to go around Tokyo, including underground train stations and the top of Mt. Fuji.
      Plus, it's way cheaper.

      It has pretty abysmal range, requiring a bunch of transceivers in a relatively small geographic area to get signal.

      That pretty much describes Tokyo.

      For 95% of when I need it, it works.
      Cheers,
      Jim
  • The Wristomo Wrist Phone unique design lets users transform it into a handset.

    Uhh, Wristomo? What kind of name is that for a Decepticon? I am not afraid. Now Soundwave, that was a cool transforming audio device.

  • Nice but... (Score:2, Funny)

    by dfn5 ( 524972 )
    I'll wait until I can get a cell phone in a shoe. And I don't want one of those fancy touch tone phones either. Rotary all the way!
  • is it waterproof?

  • Wristomo (Score:5, Informative)

    by 3liter914-6 ( 625799 ) on Thursday March 27, 2003 @10:21AM (#5606599)
    Just as another note, Wristomo is composed of the words "Wrist" (naturally) and "Tomo"dachi meaning friend. So it's your wrist friend....how cute.

  • 200min... (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    It's 200 Jikan that means 200 hours long and not 200 min. long of course!

    Hontou ni.

    Julien

  • Those times when cell phones were useful, and not only trendy gadgets.

    Hmmm.

    Ok, I lied. Mod me down.

  • Talk-time of 120min, with a stand-by of only 200?
    The relation seems strange, and a stand-by of 200 is not worth much to me.

    And it's waterproof! Surely there's something fishy going on...
  • Sice NTT DoCoMo announced it, does it mean it will only work on the Japanese phonesystem? Or will there be a version that is compatible with the GSM systems used in other parts of the world?

  • Great... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Mabidex ( 204038 )

    I hope we actually see this one.

    Samsung released showed their wrist phone in 1999 [businessweek.com], and never released it.

    2-3 others have had a try on the same concept but never have released them.

    The reason I would buy one immediatly, (I actually was looking for the smallest cell phone I could find last night...) is because sometimes, all I want is a cellphone that is completely unobtrusive, and can't be lost easily. During the day, I wear a cellphone with everything under the sun in it (camera, email, IM, calendar,

  • Hmm, 17x4cm makes a somewhat LARGE wristwatch.
  • Does it sync my mail, calender etc. I'ld really hate not being able to check that while swimming ;-)
  • Does it support viruses too? Or will they only work in later versions?
  • Why is it that both these debut outside the US?
    One is in Japan the other in Korea
    t68i came out in Asia and Europe.
    Is US not gadget crazy enough? Or is it the service provider monopolies in US affetcting manufacturers?
    • The US may be gadget crazy, but Japan and Korea are even crazier. They could probably sell more of these in a single day in Japan than they could in a month in the US.
    • Did something happen that requires everything to start in the USA? Gosh, maybe once in a while, something could start somewhere else.

      Ya think?

      Obviously not.
      • ... which is that -nothing- ever starts in the USA. All the cool stuff always gets started in Japan first and then maybe, if we're lucky, they'll give us a dumbed-down version of it later for much more money.

        This is the reason why places like Dynamism (http://www.dynamism.com/) exist.

        The question is, why? Am I stupid for thinking that if you release something tremendously cool for a decent price in the US that lots of people will buy it?
        • which is that -nothing- ever starts in the USA

          Cell phones started in the USA.

          The Internet started in the USA.

          PDAs started in the USA.

          Flight started in the USA.

          Telephones started in the USA.

          You can find more examples if you, too, think for a spell. It's not hard.
    • The US now specialises in renaming junk food and having marines shoot each other in Iraq.

      Japan took over the gadgets LOOOOOOOOOONG ago. All the US has to show for itself in that department recently is the iPod (wich is, admitedly, freakin' kewl).

      Other areas in wich the US has taken the lead are obesity, childish behaviour of elected official (freedom toast? For real???), and unmanned air vehicles (wich are gadgets of a sort, I guess).

      See, its all about priorities: Japan has gadgets and hummanois robots,

  • I need a phone without a UI (Score:3, Interesting)

    by javatips ( 66293 ) on Thursday March 27, 2003 @10:38AM (#5606758) Homepage
    I just can't wait for someone to release a GSM phone that has no (or a minimal - keypad and one-line LCD) User Interface.

    A cell that has bluetooth and that is very small. I don't need a large screen, my Palm Tungtsen T already has one. I don't need to play games on the phone, My Palm TT does it better. I just need a phone that can initiate the calls.

    A phone like that would not cost a lot and battery life would probably be a lot better that current phone.

    My ideal setup would be:
    - A UI-less bluetooth phone,
    - A Palm TT or any other small Bluetooth PDA,
    - A Bluetooth headset.

  • It's water-proof! Call now and we'll throw in an extra coat of water-proofing. Be Dialing!
  • The link seems to be slashdotted. Here's a link [impress.co.jp] to another site with images of the unit. It's in Japanese, but the pictures speak for themselves.
  • Other than the "Dick Tracy" factor, I don't see the point of the watch-cell phone combo.

    The only way I see this as a valid product is bluetooth connectivity with a bluetooth earbud/mic combo. Now, if they figured out how to add all that and include the ear bud into the watch, I think it would be worth considering.

    Still, though, not as easy as picking up a phone and answering it.

    IMHO.
  • So it's definitely waterproof? ;)
  • I like the concept. However, the band doesn't look very sturdy. How much you want to bet the hinges on this thing won't hold up?

    I also wonder what the likelihood would be to make this thing be Kinetic, if its even possible.

    And how much is 50K yen in dollars anyway?
  • because I know I would be tempted to make calls from the shower, just to tell people it is waterproof.
  • it wasnt posted in the article, and i havent seen it in any of the comments, so here [wristomo.com] is the official link for the watch.
  • Am I missing something here or does that make it all but useless?
  • 113 grams! That's way too much for a watch!
  • Some of the earlier posters are getting at the problem, here. This phone is basically the same as any other mobile phone device, it just wraps around your wrist a little better. Waterproof? It had better be, since your wrist goes near a faucet much more often than a mobile phone normally would. I have a Sony radio [sonystyle.com] that fits on an armband or on a belt clip. That seems like a much better form factor than the wrist.
  • but u failed to notice it doesnt actualy give the time.
  • I find it interesting that science fiction suggests some new technologies long, long before they are possible, but completely misses others.

    As people have mentioned, Dick Tracy had a wrist-phone, but none of the "golden era" (30's-60's) science fiction that I read ever predicted the cell phone as a commonplace, walking-down-the-street, standing-in-line-at-starbucks, chatting-with-your-friend devices that every student would have.

    Also, whatever happened to the videophone? We've had the technology for a whi
  • It will be so small (and waterproof) that it will be placed in your nose. Version 2's name?

    Nostromo.
    (Don't mod me down just because you don't get the reference.)
  • The pictures aren't great but from the looks of it this thing has absolutely no clasp. I can already see it snapping itself open and setting a direct course for the nearest and deepest puddle.

    Why is it that companies seem obsessed with trying to actually create technology that someone thought up years ago and most people have already decided was lame? I already get strange enough looks when I talk on my bluetooth headset. I imagine it would only take about 10 minutes for the padded bus to arive if a ya

  • It seems the main link's server is going quite slow so here's another link b4 the site goes down. http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/342/C1560/
  • it's even water-proof!
  • I mean, really, did I read that right? You charge your watch and it's good to take incoming calls for a little over three hours?

  • But this watch is wicked waterproof.

    It's so waterproof that if you were to throw it into the Great Salt Lake, it would within seconds sit atop an enormous salt crystal pyramid in the middle of the Great Freshwater Donut.

  • Bulk (Score:1)

    by SuDZ ( 450180 )
    The look of it is kind of cool but I wonder if it would feel kind of bulky? I mean sometimes just a regular watch gets in the way of doing other things.So I am curious how this would go.

    SuDZ

  • BUT, (Score:1)

    by brakk ( 93385 )
    Is is waterproof?
  • There's only one thing that keeps me from buying one - I don't think they're waterproof.
  • ...doctors began seeing a baffling increase in cases of "wrist cancer"
  • If this thing is really waterproof, or even highly water resistant, that would be a first, AFAIK. I've been looking for a waterproof phone for years, and I'm awfully surprised no one has offered it.

    I think of all those surfers in southern CA who would love to be able to call home and ask when dinner will be ready. Sony sports phone anyone? Talk about untapped potential...

    No one but a fashion fiend needs a wrist phone, but a waterproof Star-tac that fits in a pocket would be a boon to many.

    Seriously, m

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