Montblanc's $995 luxe Summit 2 smartwatch amps up tech

By Colin Bertram A year and a half after launching its first smartwatch, Montblanc announced on Thursday an updated version dubbed the Summit 2 It runs on Google's Wear OS, making it fully compatible with Android smartphones, as well as limited use on iOS The Summit 2 will be available Oct.

15 and is priced from $995 Montblanc worked in close collaboration with Qualcomm and Google on the watch, Montblanc Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Baretzki told Bloomberg "The new chipset requires less battery and incorporates a time-only mode, with only the time displayed and all smartwatch functions turned off" The time-only mode can result in a battery life of up to one week, according to the company.

Phase TwoLike the second generation from Montblanc, the smartwatch industry is also now in phase 2, says Ramon T Llamas, research director for mobile devices and augmented reality and virtual reality at International Data Corp., an intelligence and advisory firm Phase 2 of the smartwatch industry, says Llamas, is all about taking lessons learned and refining both the hardware and software.

According to IDC research, 33.3 million smartwatch units were shipped around the world in 2017, resulting in a global market value of $12.7 billion "As a maison built on innovation, smartwatches are strategically important," says the Montblanc CEO "We want to stay connected with customers who want more from their watch than just a high-tech wearable". Source