An Open Source Smart Watch Youd Actually Wear
We've looked at a number of open source smartwatches over the years, and while they're impressive from a technical standpoint, they often fall short when it comes to fit and finish. Open circuit boards and monochrome OLED screens may be great for hacking into space, but they're not our top picks for formal wear.
Enter [pauls_3d_things] Open the SmartWatch. This ESP32 features an impressive 240x240 TFT spherical display, DS323M RTC, BMA400 3-accelerator, and 450mAh battery in a 3D-printed case that can be viewed on a regular desktop computer. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are offered with the ESP32, but there's also an upgraded version of the board that adds an additional 4MB of RAM, a micro SD slot, and a Quectel L96 GPS receiver.
Since this is an open source project, you can download the PCB design files for free and build your own boards, but [pauls_3d_things] has already teamed up with LILYGO to create the open electronic SmartWatch series. You can now shop on AliExpress for just $24. . You still have to order the battery separately and 3D print your own case, but that still looks pretty good to us.
As far as software goes, it's pretty basic at this point. The clock can update the time via NTP over a pre-configured WiFi network, and a Bluetooth media controller and stopwatch are also included. Of course, as more people pick up devices (or wear them on their wrist), more features will be added to mainstream operating systems.
While it promises to run our code on a smartwatch, the Open SmartWatch is arguably the best of both worlds. Partnership with LILYGO provides professional production to unlock hardware projects, GPLv3 licensed firmware ready to be hacked. We're excited to see where the community takes this project and look forward to seeing this watch out in the wild once we can save the right negatives.
