Prior to the start of Baselworld 2018, Swiss luxury watchmaker, Hublot, has announced a new smartwatch called the Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. With a name like this, it is probably not that surprising this is a watch that is being brought to market to commemorate the upcoming 2018 World Cup which is due to begin on June 14, 2018, in Russia.
Hublot is the official timekeeper for the event and as this is a commemorative piece, the company has confirmed that only 2,018 pieces will be available to buy. Although, that is in terms of general public availability as the watchmaker has also confirmed the Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will be the watch worn by FIFA referees during the World Cup. As a result, one of its referee-focused features is the ability to register when a goal has been scored through the use of goal-line technology. A feature that is technically extended to the consumer version with watch wearers receiving a “GOAL” notification whenever a goal is scored. Adding to that, this will only be one of the football/soccer-based notifications wearers will receive, as notifications will also be pushed each time a yellow/red card is issued or when a player substitution takes place. The watch will also provide comprehensive statistics during each game, and wearers will be notified fifteen minutes before the start of each match. While also sporting a more World Cup-customized look overall.
What is also of note, is the Big Bang Referee watch runs on Google’s Wear OS, the watch-based operating system formerly known as Android Wear. Making it the first smartwatch to be announced with Wear OS following the platform’s rebranding. Battery life is listed at “around one day” courtesy of its 410 mAh battery, and the watch includes the usual selection of sensors, as well as a 5 ATM water-resistance rating. The AMOLED display measures in at 35.4 mm (compared to the overall 49 mm diameter of the watch’s titanium case), and makes use of a 400 x 400 resolution along with a 287 ppi. Inside, the watch will be powered by 512 MB RAM and an Intel Atom Z23XX dual-core processor. For those interested, the Hublot Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia smartwatch is due to go on sale starting from May 1, 2018.
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