Google is of course a US-based company, and so it’s unsurprising that their products launch in their home nation before they end up heading to other markets. Even so, across the pond the UK has often been pretty quick to catch on when it comes to new Google products, and when Android Wear was first launched it launched in the UK at the same time as it did in the US – as well as elsewhere. Since then, practically every model of Android Wear watch has been available in the UK, but one of the latest – and perhaps most intriguing for some wearers – Android Wear watches; the Casio WSD-F10.
Charming model number aside, Casio’s first Android Wear watch sets itself apart from the rest of the options out there by not only being rugged and adhering to military standards, but by offering a different look altogether. One of the first watches to launch in an orange hue, as well as featuring mil-spec waterproofing, the Casio WSD-F10 is a fairly unique entry into the world of smartwatches. It might not stay like that for long however, as Nixon and Qualcomm have partnered up to launch the Mission, a watch that features many of the features of the new Casio, but with a little more of a modern twist to it.
Speaking to Wareable, a Casio representative is quoted as saying that “there are only plans for the WSD-F10 to be stocked in the US and Japan, with no confirmed date for UK release”. Of course, this is partnered with the all too familiar “at the moment” which means this is ‘subject to change’ no doubt. Not releasing such a watch outside of Japan or the US seems like a poor idea on Casio’s part, as there’s a market in the UK as well as parts of Europe for these watches, if sales of the Apple Watch and Samsung’s Gear devices are anything to go by. Not to mention that Casio is a watch brand people will know and trust throughout Europe, and consumers are perhaps more likely to purchase a smartwatch from a watch brand more than just another gadget brand. Regardless, as of right now, it appears as though Casio’s first foray in Android Wear is going to be an exclusive one for those in the US and Japan.