Huami gets FCC certification for Timex-branded smartwatch
Huami has received the stamp of approval from the FCC for a Timex-branded smartwatch. The two companies entered into a strategic partnership just over a year ago.
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The certification was published yesterday on fccid.io. What can be gathered from this is that there will be two models of a Timex smartwatch, going under monikers M04F and M04J.
The watch will have 5 ATM water resistance, but that’s pretty much all that can be deduced from the published info. Apart from the shape of the two iterations which look identical. The difference will probably be in internal specs or quality of build material.
The collaboration between Huami and Timex certainly makes sense. The Chinese-based company was only established in 2013, but has since become one of the biggest names in the wearables space. It is behind a number of popular smartwatches and fitness trackers under the Amazfit brand. It is also a partner of Xiaomi for wearable products such as the best selling Mi Band.
Timex, on the other hand, has a presence in watchmaking that dates all the way back to 1854. What it lacks, though, is expertise and presence in the wearable tech space. Many traditional watchmakers are recognising the importance of this market and Timex seems to finally be making a move in this direction.
“We are excited about the opportunities this Agreement provides, especially the ability to leverage Timex’s developed channels to gain deeper access to the U.S. and other mature markets,” said Wang Huang, Chairman and CEO of Huami Corporation when the collaboration was announced in December 2018.
“Together, we will work to develop business models to promote, market and distribute smart watches to our combined customer base, and expect to leverage each company’s distribution strengths across the global market while benefiting from established online and offline channels. This is an important strategic alliance, which will further allow us to provide products and cloud based services to our global users.”
The duo is pairing Huami’s expertise in app design, AI technology, cloud platform and manufacturing capabilities with Timex’s globally recognized brand, customer base, marketing and distribution channels. The companies are working on the next generation range of smartwatches for sale both in mature and emerging markets.
We are perhaps seeing the first result of this collaboration. Actual external photos of the device are embargoed on the FCC website until July. This probably means a summer release date is on the cards.
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