A Harry Potter smartwatch is coming: here's 5 more watch crossovers we'd like to see
Hot on the heels of a Cyberpunk 2077-themed smartwatch, OnePlus has decided to release another branded version of its OnePlus Watch; this one ties it into a property that's not brand-new, but almost faded from popularity: Harry Potter.
On Twitter, OnePlus India shared a teaser image saying "After all this time? Always", referencing a popular dialogue exchange from the series, alongside an outline of the watch bathed in shadow. While the Harry Potter name isn't written anywhere, the Hogwarts logo on the watch band gives the game away.
OnePlus actually teased this a few months back, but we haven't heard any more information on the device since. The fact that OnePlus India is sharing this, instead of the brand's global Twitter account, is very curious, and does suggest the watch might not release globally.
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For a generation that still remembers magic.Experience more and get notified to win big. Know more: https://ift.tt/3DIv2n8 pic.twitter.com/QiMvKXgV1ZOctober 13, 2021
We'll have to wait for more information on the watch, with the website saying it's "coming soon". Generally, a themed smartwatch just has a few visual differences from a standard watch, and sometimes comes with bespoke faces too, but this could be a fun gift for a Harry Potter fan.
This isn't the only branded smartwatch we've ever seen, and we're not just talking about the aforementioned Cyberpunk 2077 one - Garmin has its Legacy Hero line of watches which includes Star Wars and Avengers-branded ones too.
So with more companies evidently embracing the branded smartwatch game, TechRadar's greatest minds came together to think up some other franchises that could do with the smartwatch treatment.
1. James Bond smartwatch
This is the biggest no-brainer tech crossover - we see plenty of Bond-branded products around the release of new films, and not only does Bond use his fair share of watches (both classic and techy ones), he literally has a gadget-packed watch in the recent No Time To Die.
Of course, in the design sector, this wouldn't be a particularly fancy watch - Bond's products are meant to be suave and subtle, not peppered with logos - but a software makeover could give standard smartwatch features like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and workout measuring a spy-themed twist.
2. Fortnite watch
Basically every popular franchise in existence has already shown its head in Fortnite, and there already plenty of real-world Fortnite products you can buy, so why not a smartwatch that literally helps you in the game?
A Fortnite watch could give you in-game information, perhaps showing you the map or other HUD information, to clear your in-game display so you can see enemies. Maybe it could shudder when you're being shot at, to give you a more immersive gaming experience, and give you alerts if something else is happening on the map.
Moreover, a Fortnite smartwatch could remind you to get up and stretch your legs before games, to stop you getting cramp (or something worse), and help you in other ways to keep you healthy despite a busy gaming schedule.
3. Aquaman swimming watch
We've already seen quite a few superhero-flavored watches, but they're usually from Marvel; a Batman smartwatch would be a very easy choice, but we decided to think outside the box with this.
There are a few great swimming watches on the market already, which can track your laps and cadence while in the water, but maybe it'd be interesting to see a crossover with everyone's favorite swimmy boy: Aquaman.
In the movies, Aquaman is a super-fast swimmer - it's in the name. Perhaps a smartwatch with swimming modes that egged you on to be more like him, would be some fun positive reinforcement.
4. Star Trek Communicator
Admittedly we're turning the 'smartwatch' part of this brief into 'wearables' in general, but in Star Trek, communicators are the person-to-person tools characters use to communicate. Originally they look a lot like flip phones, but in later series, people have them embedded in badges that they can tap to talk.
So why can't we have that functionality brought into a smartwatch? Perhaps a Star Trek branded watch could have an easy person-to-person radio communication feature that'd mimic how it works in the popular TV show and movie franchise.
Admittedly, this is quite a small feature to make a branded smartwatch for, but Star Trek is popular enough that lots of fans would still want a wearable with the Starfleet Insignia. Although they probably shouldn't make a red version, as no-one would buy it.
Wildcard: Chris Pratt smartwatch
We decided to think outside the box for this one, but we've landed on a million-dollar idea: a Chris Pratt-themed smartwatch.
Chris Pratt is basically everyone these days. He's Mario. He's Emmet from the Lego films. He's dinosaur man from the Jurassic World movies (did that character have a name?). He's red-coat-guy from the Guardians of the Galaxy pictures (did that character have a name?). He's Andy from Parks and Rec. He's also a cowboy and a time-traveling army guy and a spaceship-confined creep in various other things I think I've seen him in.
So here's my pitch for the Chris Pratt smartwatch: every new day, it's themed after a different movie or character of his. One day: "it's-a me, your alarm clock!". The next "get up, we need to guard the galaxy!" (I clearly don't remember those films very well). What about for workouts? "Run, there's a dinosaur behind you!"
Every day you'll wake up to a smartwatch with different-looking UI, with virtual assistants based on the various Pratt characters (and all voiced by him, of course), and it'd be a wild and weird experience. Maybe you could even throw in some of the characters from things IMDb tells me he was in before he was popular - is there a Zero Dark Thirty feature we could steal? Everwood? Bride Wars? This joke's running out of steam.
source https://www.techradar.com/news/a-harry-potter-smartwatch-is-coming-heres-5-more-watch-crossovers-wed-like-to-see/
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