The continued interest in wearable technology, means fashion and stylish design is becoming more important to hardware manufacturers. The latest company to merge the two industries is Hewlett Packard, which will team up with former Menswear Designer of the Year winner Michael Bastian to produce a new smartwatch.
HP isn’t the first name we think of when discussing cool, cutting edge design work – although it does make some sleek laptops – nor is it associated much with mobile devices these days. However, it has long been keen to re-enter the market, but seemingly unsure with what product to do so. The device probably won’t be HP branded, although it has been confirmed all the internal parts will be made by the firm.
Bastian and HP aren’t the only two names involved in the project. The watch is being teased by designer fashion website gilt.com, where we’re told the watch will be exclusively on sale during the fall. It’s described as a “timepiece featuring smart technology,” but little else is revealed on the teaser page.
Design inspired by luxury cars
According to other reports, Bastian’s design has been influenced by the dashboards inside luxury cars, and the 44mm case will be made of stainless steel, while the bezel will feature distinctive bolts. We can see these on display in the teaser image, along with some chunky vent-style buttons on the side.
A choice of three straps will be provided, ensuring you can match it to your outfit, and a special limited edition model in black will also be made. On the tech side, all we know is it’ll be compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones, which means it’ll have a proprietary operating system, and not Google’s Android Wear OS. Notifications will be displayed, you’ll be able to control your music remotely, and it’ll provide weather, stocks, and sports updates too.
It’s a brave company that decides to launch a new smartwatch during the fall, particularly one not running Android Wear, which is likely to power all major challengers to Apple’s rumored iWatch. Should it arrive, of course. According to GQ, Bastian’s watch will launch at the end of October, but no-one has talked about price yet. We’re hoping it’s going to be reasonable, but are fully prepared for it not to be. We’ll keep you updated.
