The watch industry has been underdeveloped for quite some time now, and with the advent of mobile technologies, is in desperate need of change. There are endless possibilities to having pertinent information easily accessible, and the wrist is prime real estate for viewing such information. One company looking to take advantage of mobile communications and implement them into their watches, is Casio. Casio released its first electronic wristwatch 37 years ago and hasn’t looked back, so it’s fitting to see Casio moving forward in wristwatch technology. Looking to expand on their popular G-SHOCK line of wristwatches, Casio is planning to implement Bluetooth 4.0 LE for low power consumption communication between your wristwatch and smartphone.

According to Casio, the GB series of G-Shock wristwatches will use Bluetooth 4.0 to synchronize the time with your smartphone along with showing incoming calls, emails, and SMS on its display. Users will also be able to switch their smartphones to vibrate or set alarms with a simple touch of a button. The main advantage over other watches that currently connect to phones, is of course, the Bluetooth 4.0 LE. With Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Casio says users can expect a battery life of about 2 years with one conventional CR2032 battery. The new GB series is expected to roll out sometime in March and is currently only compatible with NEC Medias devices.

While I’m excited for the expansion of wristwatch technology, Casio really should hire a new design crew, because those are about the ugliest watches I’v ever seen. You’ll have to put aside around $230 if you’re looking to purchase an ugly watch to sync with your NEC phone. Unfortunately I don’t see Casio’s first concept making it very far due to lack of support and well — its fugliness, but hey, it a tick in the right direction.

via Phandroid

• SourceCasio Japan