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These days manufacturers are upbeat about the ever growing popularity of the wearable tech trend. Although the acceptance level of the tech in countries like India is pretty low; still leading players in this segment have been trying to change the mindset of consumers.

There are a couple of competitors out there, notably the Samsung Gear 2 and Sony SmartWatch 2, but even today the market for wearable devices is heading nowhere. No one really is interested in marketing their respective wearable devices on a big scale. Therefore, the visibility of such devices is negligible compared to popular smartphones.

And on top of it the current limitations of modern day smart watches have been the principle factor why consumers aren't interested in these wearable gadgets. Due to their size and power limitations, today's smart watch is designed to work with a companion smart phone. Without a Bluetooth connection to a main device - they are pretty dumb. Another drawback is the retail price. The current limitations of smart watches might decline once manufacturers start taking pro-active role in churning user-friendly devices without making a dent in consumers' pocket.

In the midst of wearable tech revolution, India-based Spice Mobility has revealed the country's first smart watch with SIM- functionality. Notably, the smart watch has standalone phone functionality with dual-SIM support, plus it can be paired with any Android smart phone. It simply means that you don't have to own a specific Spice phone for it to work. At Rs. 3,999, the Spice Smart Pulse could help the wearable market to flourish, at least, in India. Here's an extended look at the Spice Smart Pulse smart watch.

Spice Smart Pulse - Form Factor, Design and Operating System

So far smart watches have been tagged as "geeky toy", Spice has made the Smart Pulse really sturdy. Measuring at 41.8 x 53.7 x 13.2mm, it isn't particularly slim. In fact, it is quite chunky. However, when you wear it on your wrist it is way comfortable and feels just right. The great deal about the Spice Smart Pulse smart watch is that the device weighs in at only 52.5g, which actually made it lighter than any modern day smart watch we've seen so far.

In the looks department, the device isn't that bad at all. The Smart Pulse has a modern design, but at the same time it will remind you of the original Samsung Galaxy Gear. The Spice-made smart watch is completely made out of plastic (it's understood). To give a contemporary feel, the makers have added an illusionary metallic finish. A power button on the right-hand side is easy to use. Also, there's the Micro-USB port for charging. A single speaker built elegantly just above the display, while a noise cancellation microphone in at the beneath the display. It's easily - adjustable rubber strap is an added plus point, all you need to manually remove links with a tool. Spice has also bundled two free rubbers straps.

From the design perspective, the Spice Smart Pulse is quite flexible. You can remove the rear-back side of the device, plus it also houses a removable battery. The supplied Bluetooth headset is pathetic, and one should rely on some other decent headset.

The 4cm (1.6-inch) color touch display has a resolution of 320 x 240-pixels, which feels quite refreshing. The 250PPI (pixels per inch) can match a mid-range smartphone. The Spice Smart Pulse's screen offers bright colours but slightly weak contrast ratios. Considering its price tag the Smart Pulse is a winner.

At a first glance, you may think that it runs Google's Android OS, thanks to the regular capacitive buttons beneath the display. Actually, the intelligent watch runs on Java OS, which means the device is not powered by the Android operating system. Yes, its 100 % true. However, the watch is compatible with any Android smartphone available in the market. We even tried to pair with the watch with the Oppo Find 7, and it instantly recognized. We are also told that the Spice Smart Pulse is also compatible (technically) with the Windows Phone OS; though the company is still not ready to make it official just yet.

The intelligent watch has four icons on the home screen for contact list, dialer, multimedia and camera. The touch enabled UI is smooth and user friendly in nature. The Smart Pulse smart watch is beyond camera and torch; you can make / reject calls, write/send messages, view phonebook, gallery, video player, games, browse web, and much more. You can control music, images and video on any Android smartphone via a stable Bluetooth connection. One area where the Spice Smart Pulse does not shine - is the lack of apps. We'll talk more about missing apps in our detailed review.

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