Will Will.i.am's 'The Puls' replace the smart watch?

Will.i.am has created that  a “wearable”, not to be confused with a smartwatch. The Black Eyed Peas frontman unveiled the Puls, a new voice-enabled cuff that can make phone calls but doesn’t require a smartphone to use, at an event in San Francisco Wednesday.

The Puls will be available from AT&T in the U.S and O2 in the U.K, with Will.i.am promising that the wearable would go on sale in time for Christmas.

Mashable got some time with the wristband after the event Wednesday, and shared a few first impressions: Apparently the size is huge (it’s a “cuff” not a “watch”), but it doesn’t feel heavy. The device itself is housed in a plastic casing with a magnetic closure and has charging pins on the back side. Specs for the battery life and charging time have not yet been revealed but the company promises the battery will last a full day with typical use and that charging time will be on par with smartphones. The small touchscreen display is bright and crisp, though specifics about the resolution and display itself have yet to be revealed. The wearable is equipped with a 3G radio and has a slot for the SIM on the side. Though it’s meant to function as a standalone device, it will be able to use the same phone number as your existing phone.

Predicting the future of the new device is impossible – we’ll keep you updated.