Michael Kors just made fashion buffs very happy with the announcement of new products for its smartwatch line, called Access.
The smart wearables were teased earlier this year as being the Android Wear with the most bling, and they stand true to that promise with their two different styles. The designers crafted one smartwatch for men, dubbed "Dylan," and another one for women, called "Bradshaw."
While the first is a bit sportier, the latter features what looks like an all-metal chassis.
Taking a leaf out of Kors' analog watch catalogue, both smartwatches make no compromise when it comes to size. They are large and stand out, with price points starting at $350. It should be mentioned that the men and women's editions do not differ in size, a (lack of) difference that might confuse some potential customers.
Are you curious about what sets these designer-name watches apart from the myriad of similar Android Wear gadgets? It all comes down to their customizable watch faces.
The watch allows its owner to apply faces that mimic the analog designs belonging to Michael Kors, with the added capability to play with different colors right on the watch.
Those who switch multiple outfits throughout the day can pre-program their watch face to change, thus matching it with the new outfit. According to the OEM, the possibilities of customizing the display face, color, and sub dials are nearly endless.
In order to mimic the aspect of Kors' analog watches, the Dylan and Bradshaw are larger and heavier than most smartwatches from the Android Wear family. Looking under their hood we do find similar specs as with Fossil's Android Wear watch.
The processing power comes from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 CPU, which is backed by 512 MB of RAM and with 4 GB of storage. The time of day appears on a color touch screen capable of displaying a resolution of 320 x 290 pixels. Users get access to an activity tracker and a speaker, but you should keep in mind that no heart rate monitor is embedded in the device, making it less of a fitness companion and more of a fashion statement.
Reviewers from The Verge point out that the Dylan is "uncomfortably large and heavy."
Stronger folks could be the target audience for this type of wearable, but keep in mind that the screen features a lower resolution and lower quality than others, such as the Fossil Q Founder. You can read our piece on the Q Founder smartwatch here.
Some complaints over the Access' washed-out colors and jaggy lines already have surfaced, but on the bright side the watch is easily readable outdoors.
Another minus comes from the complicated and tiresome process required to customize watch faces, as there is no dedicated app for the smartphone to streamline switching between the different (and many) face options.
Beginning Sept. 6, users can purchase the Access smartwatches in the United Kingdom, the United States and 16 additional countries. According to the company, customers can also purchase a number of activity trackers, with price points that debut at $95.
Should you want to purchase a different strap for one of the Access smartwatches, you can browse the online store and choose one to your liking.
