Will.i.am Announces Puls Smartwatch With 3G and GPS Connectivity

Adding to the wide-range of smartwatches released globally this year, Will.i.am, the frontman of popular music band Black Eyed Peas, has announced a new smartwatch called Puls.

Revealed at the Dreamforce 2014 event, the smartwatch unlike most of the recently announced ones, doesn't need to be tethered with smartphones to receive texts, messages, emails and calls. Following on the footsteps of Samsung Gear S, the Puls smartwatch comes with SIM card support (2G and 3G) and can make voice calls. Notably, the Gear S, which also features similar standalone connectivity, requires a Samsung smartphone for initial setup and to install apps.

Apart from 3G connectivity, the Puls smartwatch features Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity. The device has been announced to launch with carrier partners AT&T in US and O2 in the UK, reports Engadget.

The cuff-like wristgear made by the singer's own tech firm, i.am+, features a speaker and a touchscreen display that curves along with the band. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon (unspecified) processor and is based on the Android OS platform (no word on if it is Android Wear). 16GB of inbuilt storage, 1GB of RAM, pedometer, accelerometer are some other features included in the Puls smartwatch. Social websites including Twitter and Facebook are also accessible.

In addition, the smartwatch boasts on its own voice-based assistant that acts as a reminder, alarm and more, apart from a music streaming service. The i.am+ team also unveiled other accessories for Puls that includes a jacket with battery pack, a backpack with speakers, and shoes that weighs users and gives feedback on how many steps they have walked and how many calories they have burnt.

The celebrity singer has not disclosed the retail price of the wearable device. However, the smartwatch is expected to this holiday season at select AT&T stores.