Airtel Payments Bank on Wednesday launched a smartwatch supporting National Common Card (NCMC) technology at the Global FinTech Festival 2024 in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The Airtel Payments Bank smartwatch has an integrated RuPay chip that enables transactions from the user’s wrist. It was launched as a paid fitness solution with on-device health and fitness monitoring. The announcement comes a day after the Indian telco dropped its streaming service Wynk Music in favor of a new bundle with Apple TV+ and Apple Music.
Features of Airtel Payment Bank Smart Watch
The Airtel Payments Bank smartwatch features an integrated RuPay chip in the watch face that allows users to pay directly on the go, a company press release said. We also offer NCMC integration to enable tap and payment transaction support. With this integration, the smartwatch supports payments in high streets and Indian transport systems such as subway, bus and parking lots. Users can turn contactless payments on and off via their smartwatch.
Additionally, you can also consider transportation discounts and monthly passes if needed. Users can also pay through contactless terminals, but the limit is Rs 10,000. Up to 5000 without entering a PIN. If you want to overpay, you must enter your PIN code.
The new Airtel Payments Bank smartwatch also comes with traditional health and fitness monitoring features such as blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure measurement. It is also said to be capable of tracking 130 sport modes and users can select and customize over 150 cloud-based watch faces.
This smartwatch also supports Bluetooth calling and is IP68 dust and waterproof. Airtel claims to have a TFT LCD display with a brightness of 550 nits. Like any other smartwatch, it also displays notifications, call reminders and messages when connected to a smartphone. The Airtel Payments Bank Smartwatch promises a battery life of up to 10 days on a single charge.
The price of the Airtel Payments Bank smartwatch in India has not been announced yet, but the company says it will be available soon on the bank’s online and retail platforms.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.