Nixon Debuts Android Smartwatch With 100-Meter Water Resistance

Another traditional analog watch maker is trying their hand at the smartwatch game. This time it's Nixon, paring their sport watch designs with Android Wear tech into the ultra rugged Mission wearable. But the tough looks aren't just for appearances, as the Mission is primarily aimed at snowboarders and surfers, activities that involve, well, water. To combat this, Nixon has made its smartwatch water-resistant up to 100 meters (330 feet).

Nixon has outfitted the Mission with a 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, pairing it with Gorilla Glass, while the watch itself is made from polycarbonate and stainless steel. It's also the first smartwatch to be powered by the new Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip from Qualcomm.

Stealing a page from the Motorola Moto 360's book, the Mission allows user customization in the form of the finish, bezel, and silicone band colors, in addition to choosing from several digital displays that take on the appearance of Nixon's other watches.

Along with general sports tracking features, the Mission includes a flagship app for surfers, snowboarders, and skiers. Collecting data from Surfline, Snocountry, and Trace, the app displays real-time info on snow and surf conditions around the world. Other features include the standard array of sensor, including GPS, thermometer, altimeter, gyrometer, accelerometer, e-compass, and humidity. It also has 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a full day of use on a charged battery.

Nixon says the Mission boasts of the highest waterproof rating of any smartwatch currently available, something to note when hearing it will be priced at $400. That's cheaper than Casio's Smart Outdoor Watch for $500, which is water-resistant up to just 50 meters (164 feet). Surf and snow athletes will be able to get their hands on the Mission starting in October.

SOURCE Nixon