Matrix has unveiled a new smartwatch, called the PowerWatch 2, which is loaded with features like step count, heart rate monitor, notification and GPS, and needs only body heat and solar power to run.
Launched at the CES 2019, the PowerWatch 2 is a follow-up to last year’s PowerWatch X that was powered entirely by the body heat emitted from your wrist. However, the watch was missing features like GPS and a heart rate sensor that had become commonplace on most smartwatches. PowerWatch X was left with only step counter.
The PowerWatch 2 is less bulky than its predecessor and will offer a wider variety of color and strap combinations than the original, which had a mostly black look.
The improved power enables a full-color LCD screen on the PowerWatch 2. It also has Android and iOS companion apps, and third-party functionality with services like Google Fit and Apple HealthKit. The device features GPS and a built-in heart monitor as well. The hope is that all of this makes the PowerWatch 2 on par with any other smartwatch on the market, but with the added benefit of never needing to charge it.
To make sure that you’ll never need to charge it, Matrix added a secondary charging system: a solar strip in a ring along the outer edge of the display, reports TechRadar.
The PowerWatch 2 has been slimmed down to 42mm wide, down from 50mm of the PowerWatch X, but it still has the same rugged look and feel of PowerWatch X: metal black casing, texture-patterned buttons and red trim.
The PowerWatch 2 also has gesture control and audio/haptic feedback, features that are common on today’s smartwatches. The company included always-on GPS and a heart rate monitor this time, which were sorely missed by adopters of the first watches.
At $499, the PowerWatch 2 falls in the high-end category, but it is available for pre-order now, with a special early price of $200.
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