The Omate TrueSmart came under fire recently following a post on Google Plus that explained problems with the form factor of the device and promises the device’s manufacturers had made regarding the inclusion of the Google Play store.
The TrueSmart has a week left until its successful Kickstarter campaign comes to a close. The campaign has already raised almost $750,000 on a goal of just $100,000. The device just recently began production in anticipation of the campaign’s end.
I reached out to Nick Yap, who is Head of Media & Community for the Omate TrueSmart. He explained that Omate is in negotiations with Google to make the TrueSmart the first Google-certified smartwatch. He explains that the nascent smartwatch territory comes with a lot of unforseen hurdles. “We didn’t get here on a straight road, and we are also willing to move forward and talking to everyone from industry leaders, community leaders, users, developers to encourage everyone to move forward with us in Smartwatch 2.0,” Yap told Crowdfund Insider.
Yap continued by saying that if the negotiations aren’t completed in time for shipment, the Omate team still plans on providing access to the Play Store somehow and some way. He quipped that 95% of the apps are working on their small form factor without any heavy reworking. Device compatibility is one of the main drivers behind Google’s insistence on limiting use to devices that conform to their specs.
We’ll have more information if and when it becomes available. For now, like backers, we’re forced to wait and see.
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