The smartwatch is nothing new, but the concept of a wrist smart device has been the cause of much talk lately. Among the most popular is the Omate TrueSmart, which is a big deal for a small company competing against Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony and the likes. Many say this is the smartwatch to have (which one are you getting?), but there may be a small issue that could bring the launch (and maybe even the company) down.
Omate recently went to Kickstarter for support (like many small companies have). This site is great for companies to make their ideas possible by allowing customers to back the product before it goes into production. Some great devices have become possible due to Kickstarter, and Omate is all set to be the next. It seems there will be some forks in the road, though.
The Omate TrueSmart and what makes it special
Despite multiple attempts, no manufacturer has managed to solve the equation for the perfect smartwatch. There is always something missing. The Omate TrueSmart promises a whole new concept. The device can stay alive for up to 100 hours (on standby) on a single charge, it has powerful specs, it is water resistant, features 3G connectivity and more.
Omate TrueSmart specifications
- 1.3 GHz dual-core Cortex A7 processor
- Android 4.2.2
- 1.54-inch TFT display (240 x 240)
- Multi-touch Capacitive Touch Screen
- 2G/3G/WiFi/bluetooth 4.0/GPS
- 5 MP camera
- Speaker & microphone
- 512MB + 4GB of internal storage (expandable by microSD 8/16/32GB)
- Micro SIM card slot
- 600 mAh battery (up to 100 hours standby)
- Messaging Hub: SMS/MMS/Email/SNS
- G-sensor (Accelerometer), E-Compass, Gyroscope, IP67
Indeed, the Omate TrueSmart is one smartwatch to love. This is a full-featured device, and that is what makes it special. The TrueSmart can be used as a completely standalone unit, as well as a companion device to your smartphone.
The Omate TrueSmart can be completely operated without ever being connected to a smartphone. In fact, Omate promises it won’t even need a secondary device for downloading and installing apps! It is advertised to comes with the Google Play Store out of the box. And that’s where the discrepancy lies.
What is the problem with the Omate TrueSmart?
Though Omate promises full compatibility with the Google Play Store, such feat could be impossible. Kevin Barry from TeslaCoil brought to our attention that the Omate TrueSmart has a 240x240p screen (ldpi: 320x320dp). This would be below Google’s requirements for passing the Play Store’s CTS (Compatibility Test Suite).
An Android device screen must be at least 426x320dp in order to officially get support from the Google Play Store (as per Android development documents). This argument was then verified by Google Android’s very own Dianne Hackborn. Does this mean it’s impossible for the device to run the Google Play Store? Not really.
Developers can find ways and workarounds to get the Play Store to run on any device. We have seen it happen countless times – but this is done by third-party developers, unofficially and without Google’s support.
Omate could get in HUGE legal trouble for officially releasing a non-qualified device with the Google Play Store. So what’s happening here?!
Umm… what’s going on, then?
All legalities aside, Omate seems to be really sure about their promise to bring the TrueSmart with Google Play Store support. What could be happening? Here are the only possible occurrences we can think of:
- Omate knows something we don’t, and Google might be changing its rules soon.
- Omate got some kind of green light from Google?
- Omate didn’t realize this requirement exists and will not be able to move forward (compatibility, lawsuits, etc.).
We would really hate to see the third option being correct. If they go ahead and just ship the TrueSmart with the Google Play Store, they will have problems with Google. And you don’t want an Android device that Google is not happy with.
On the other hand, if Omate strips the Play Store from the TrueSmart backers and customers will not be happy. After all, it is about the biggest factor that makes the TrueSmart truly special.
What do you think?
We are not sure exactly what is going to happen. Phandroid’s very own developer Steve Albright is now in talks with the Omate team trying to figure out what is going on. You can be sure we will let you know what is going on as soon as we find out, but please let us know what you think!
Maybe Google changing its rules to support smaller screens may make sense. After all, smartwatches are becoming very popular and it would be nice to see more options like the TrueSmart coming.
Meanwhile, you can go ahead and check out everything about the Omate Truesmart in the official site, as well as the Kickstarter page. We would hold off on backing the product until more is known, though. The smartwatch is great, but having Google’s support is a big deal. Some of you might not be worried about this, though.
If the resolution continues to be a problem, the best solution I could see is to change the display to a higher-resolution one. Of course, that is easier said than done. What do you say – do you think Google will work with Omate to make this possible? Is this whole situation just a ticking bomb?
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