When we received the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch, we wasted no time in taking it for a spin. Here's a look at its box cover. Nothing fancy, standard stuff all around.
The box contains four guides – how to customize the strap of the Qualcomm Toq, how to use the smartwatch, getting started and a general user guide. Everything is neatly explained here, leaving no room for doubt or confusion.
Removing the Qualcomm Toq from its box, your eyes are immediately drawn to the smartwatch's dial / display. However, its strap buckle seems very well built and is all metal.
Unlocking the strap buckle is explained thoroughly in one of the user guides, in case you fumble at first go. It's easy to customize to your wrist size. Nothing appears to be flimsy here, and all credit to the Toq for its solid build quality.
The belt is touch-enabled just below and above the screen dial on the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch. Getting used to it is an absolute child's play, no learning curve at all. Light-press on top to turn on backlight, press below the dial to lock / unlock.
One thing we would've liked on the Toq is replaceable strap – to help customize the smartwatch even more – but sadly that option isn't available. Is that a dealbreaker? Perhaps. But only if you're focused on its looks.
The wireless charging dock that comes with the Qualcomm Toq. It isn't larger than a Nexus 4, and charges via a microUSB cable (that's bundled within). The white indicator light means it's ready to go.
Press the button on top to eject the charging pod in a vertical orientation. The Qualcomm Toq smartwatch needs to be placed around it for the charging to begin.
Here you see the Toq smartwatch charging off the wireless pod. Notice the front light changing to red? That means the watch is charging. Takes about 3 hours to charge from 0 to 100 per cent.
The Toq smartwatch is only supported on Android. Download its app from the Google Play Store, turn on Bluetooth, and pair it with your device (the Nexus 4 in this case) within seconds. It checks for firmware update.
After the firmware update, the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch is ready to be a handy companion device to your smartphone, apart from being a mundane watch, of course. It has a Mirasol display which looks dull indoors, but works very well in direct sunlight.
You can configure notifications and app permissions through the Android app. Here you can see an email hitting the Toq smartwatch's screen. You can respond with preconfigured standard short messages, obviously.
Here you see a 2x2 grid and icons displaying features: Receive and respond to calls and texts, get calendar updates, remote play your music, get weather updates, and a lot more on the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch.
Here you can see how multiple SMSes can be scrolled vertically. The white horizontal strip with a Q in it is touch-enabled, and it helps save battery when the rest of the display is locked from touch input on the Toq smartwatch. This is pretty cool.
I can click on a message and up pop three options – to respond with a short message, send a voice message or call back that contact. All of this works pretty well as long as your phone's hanging about within range of the Toq smartwatch.
Incoming call window looks like this on the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch. Press green to pickup the call (without touching your phone) or red to cut it instantaneously.
The Qualcomm Toq smartwatch also comes with a fitness / activity tracker that tracks your footstep count and rewards you every time you hit the 10k mark. Rudimentary stuff, definitely not for fitness freak, but enough for a makeshift solution.
You can also play your Google Play Music collection through the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch. Volume is also adjustable. No perceptible lag in the audio despite playing it through Bluetooth which is good.
Here we've turned on the backlight of the Mirasol display on the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch by lightly tapping on its top strap. The touch-enabled straps are a great addition to the Toq's end user experience. Quite innovative and they work well.
Pictured alongside are the various options available in the Qualcomm Toq app installed on your Android device. You can change clock and icon style and check the smartwatch's activity status on your phone, too.
Here we've shown the applet launcher screen, how to add or remove quick replies, and enabling notifications for various apps supported by the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch.