Will.i.am Launches ‘Puls’ Smartwatch With 3G And Voice-Controlled Interface

Pop musician William Adams, also known as Will.i.am, unveiled his company's first smartwatch, dubbed the Puls, during the Saleforce's Dreamforce 2014 conference in San Francisco Wednesday. The device, which is about two inches wide and connects to a cellular network on its own, is expected to bring the award-winning performer a new identity as a tech entrepreneur.

The Puls smartwatch, which is released under the i.am+ brand, runs on a software suite that includes Facebook, Twitter and Instagram connectivity, as well as Salesforce integration. The device also features a voice control system, called “Aneeda,” which is powered by Burlington, Massachusetts-based Nuance. Aneeda, which functions like Apple’s Siri, also supports other features of the smartwatch, such as reminders, music control and alarms, 9to5Mac reported.

“The reason I started i.am+ and moved into the tech world is because of what the tech world is calling Wearables,” Adams wrote in a blog post for the Huffington Post. “Success in wearables isn’t going to be driven by the giants of yesteryear. Instead it is going to be developed and brought to market by the unlikely candidate.”

Unlike most other wearable devices, Puls is independent of any smartphone as it can connect to a cellular network automatically to make calls and send text messages.

The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and offers about five hours of battery life. Other specs and features include 16GB of storage, 1GB RAM, GSM 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, built-in speakers, a pedometer and an accelerometer.

The Puls smartwatch also comes with an app called Humin, which allows users to share contact information with other Puls users by tapping the devices together. The device’s fitness app is set to receive an update, which will let users share workout data with other users.

Adams did not reveal details about the device’s pricing and launch date, but said that it would be available through AT&T in the U.S. and O2 in the U.K. during the holidays.