If you somehow require more evidence that consumers are going crazy for smart watches, you need only direct your browser to the Kickstarter campaign page for the Neptune Pine. In just a couple short days, the Neptune Pine has already secured more than half of its $100,000 CAD funding goal, currently sitting pretty with right around $65,000 CAD pledged. The Android-powered smart watch gained a lot of attention when it was first announced earlier this year, and now it’s clear that the interest hasn’t exactly died down.
It’s easy to see why people are so quick to pledge their money to this particular campaign, as the Neptune Pine comes packing 2G/3G capabilities – unquestionably one of the watch’s biggest selling points. As far as 3G is concerned, the Neptune Pine is compatible with networks on 850, 1700, 1900, and 2100 MHz bands, and by taking its Wi-Fi capabilities into account as well, this means your Pine can theoretically be connected to the Internet where ever you are, provided it’s using the appropriate micro-SIM card.
So yes, you can use the Neptune Pine to make voice calls and send text messages. This particular smart watch comes offering Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box, sports a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 display, and has a dual-core Snapdragon S4 clocked at 1.2GHz running the show. The watch also features a rear-facing 5MP camera, a front-facing VGA camera, 512MB of RAM, and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. Essentially, the Neptune Pine is a mini smartphone you wear on your wrist, so it’s no wonder all of these people have decided to shower its Kickstarter campaign in cash.
A pledge of $199 CAD will net you the 16GB version, while you’ll have to up that pledge to at least $279 if you want to secure a Neptune Pine with 32GB of storage. Keep in mind that these are discounted prices for people who pledge early, so if you wait too long, don’t be surprised to see that these particular tiers have sold out. The watches have an estimated shipping date of January 2014, but of course, those watches will only ship if the Neptune Pine meets its funding goal by December 21. Given the huge rush of pledges we’ve seen in the first few days of the campaign, however, we have a feeling it won’t be long before the Neptune Pine crosses that threshold and achieves fully funded status.