i’mWatch: per che?

Okay, there are a lot of issues with this new smart watch made by the Italians. First of all, the name: “i’mWatch.” I know some people still think the lowercase letter “i” makes everything cool, and maybe it if were iWatch, it wouldn’t be so bad (though still dumb). But “I’m” has nothing about it that’s fresh or interesting or cool. It’s just a contraction. Plus, omitting the article makes the whole thing seem strange and Engrish-y. “I’m a Watch” makes no sense either for a product, but at least it’s technically correct. “i’mWatch” is nonsensical and wrong.

Enough!, you say. Who cares about the name? What about the product? Well, I’m confused by the product as well, though given the endless appetite for superfluous technology, I’m sure it’ll sell briskly. The i’mWatch is basically an Android smartphone on your wrist except without the phone function. The company says it’s “the ultimate way to connect with your smartphone.” I don’t know about you, but I connect with my smartphone pretty easily; I reach into my pocket and get it. Usually I’m tethered to it anyway by my earbuds. But maybe something’s getting lost in translation. At least, I think that’s what’s happening on the i’mWatch About page:

About.

“We are convinced that man has something inborn, intangible but truly unique and grand: creativity, fantasy, capability of conceiving brilliant ideas and the drive of wanting to realise them.

We did it and tried to do it in the best of ways. That is to say, we have extrapolated an innovative and high-tech idea and aroused in ourselves a fundamental that excels in the Italian spirit: creative design.

Our philosophy is to make what surrounds us not only more useful but even more beautiful. What we were waiting for is now here: i’mWatch”

May 2011 – Manuel Zanella and Massimiliano Bertolini – inventors of i’mWatch

The watch, like a smartphone, with have a dedicated app store where you can download stuff to your watch. You can also get i’Music (another great name), which syncs with the watch.

As for the design, I hope your wrist is pretty big because this watch is a clunker. It’s a very pretty clunker, though, and it comes in two versions: plastic bands in different colors (i’mColor) and leather with metal accents (i’mJewel). If you get the latter version, you apparently will be able to travel to specific destinations:

To preorder your own i’mWatch, go here.