NoWatch launches its 'awareable' smartwatch that has no screen

Nowatch is a newcomer to the wearables industry, hoping to gain a portion of this growing market. The company unveiled one of its products at CES 2023, a smartwatch without a screen.

That’s right. A smartwatch without a screen might seem odd as the main application of a smartwatch is to monitor health parameters and show notifications like a smartphone. Nowatch calls its device “awareable,” and it’s now available for public sale. Applying the “awareable” name probably refers to the product’s main goal to monitor stress and anxiety.

The product is heavily focused on health-driven features, and it comes with a slew of bio-sensor like skin temperature, heart rate, electrodermal activity sensor, and SpO2. The Nowatch features Philips EDA (Electrodermal Activity) Biosensing Technology to predict stressful feelings based on the received data from skin conductance. It also tracks the user’s energy expenditure.

According to company founder Hylke Muntinga, personal incentives, such as losing six friends in one year or a rare disease called PXE, made him build Nowatch. Muntinga also says they didn’t put the option to see the time because it can cause more distractions. “Nowatch is for everybody that actually wants to embrace science and technology and who prefers to wear something that is beautiful and sustainable,” Muntinga added.

NoWatch awareable is a smartwatch without a screen

The health data are accessible through the NoWatch app, available for both Android and iOS. Instead of a rounded touchscreen, you’ll get a screen with hot-swappable gemstones that give a classy look to the watch.

“When the Nowatch wants to communicate with you, it simply vibrates twice to remind you to be mindful of yourself in the present moment.” a NoWatch spokesperson told Wareable. “Nowatch wearers can set the vibrations to occur randomly a handful of times per day. Over time, the vibrations will gradually become more driven by the wearer’s physiology.”

NoWatch is not the only wearable manufacturer swimming against the common current. Smart rings like Oura Ring 3 are also making the headlines as a cheaper and smaller alternative to smartwatches. The “awareable” price starts at £300, and the price might soar depending on the selected gemstone.