The AGENT smartwatch, currently on Kickstarter, implements some savvy design features to try and improve upon what they call the “last generation” of smartwatches. They’re looking at you, Pebble.
The biggest design improvement has to be the inclusion of a second, smaller processor for moments of low use. This allows the watch to seamlessly switch between a larger more robust processor for active use and a smaller processor that is much gentler on the watch’s battery. This means longer battery life.
The concern about battery life extends to app development. The campaign page explains the importance of battery metering in this watch…
Because watch batteries are so small, watch apps must be designed for battery efficiency. But since power metering chips consume too much power, smartwatches have lacked the tools necessary to power-optimize watch apps.
So we’ve been stuck with simple apps that get decent battery life—or more sophisticated apps that can drain battery and ruin the user’s experience.
Thankfully, recent hardware innovations in coulomb counting, combined with some really smart software, enable AGENT to provide precision power metering on demand without sacrificing battery life. This gives developers the tools they need to create sophisticated Bluetooth-connected watch apps which are also battery friendly.
The team expects 7 days of use on a charge with bluetooth on and 30 days with bluetooth off. The unit is compatible with a host of wireless charging devices from major manufacturers.
AGENT does not use an e-paper display like the Pebble, instead opting for a cutting edge 1.28″ Sharp Memory Display. This allows for fast animations that simply aren’t possible with e-paper while still maintaining low power usage.
The watch ships with a two-year limited warranty. Units can be preordered starting at $149.
Aesthetically, the design is a little chunkier than the Pebble and comes off as more militant and perhaps more durable. In general the Pebble may be more aesthetically pleasing, but will the AGENT’s feature set be enough to sway consumers?
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