Music producer Will.i.am has returned to the world of wearable technology with another smartwatch: a voice-activated device named Dial that runs on a bespoke operating system called AneedA.

The device – launched during this season's London Fashion Week – is the American musician's second wearable technology product, following the Puls cuff released in 2014.

Unlike its competitors, Dial has a built-in 4G mobile telecommunications system and uses its own SIM card, so doesn't need to be synced to a phone or another device.

"We've been working on a vision, a product and a platform that we believe will move the needle in popular culture," said Will.i.am. "It is not tethered to a device, it is the device."

Along with its two-megapixel front-facing camera, the smartwatch can make and receive calls, send emails and texts, play music, and also allows users to track their fitness.

The wearer navigates and controls the device mostly by speaking into it, activating its own AneedA operating system.

"People do the darnedest things now," the Black Eyed Peas frontman told the Telegraph. "They are already talking in public out loud, hands free. Saying the weirdest thing out loud. And I've seen people with their speakerphone on as they speak to other people."

As there is no integrated search engine, so answers to users' questions are supplied via a number of third-party partners including Yelp and Wolfram Alpha.

Dial's design bears a striking resemblance to its predecessor's cuff band, but features a slightly wider screen that measures 1.63 inches (4.14 centimetres) across.

The device has been created by Will.i.am's technology company i.am+, and – according to Telegraph – was partly funded by the windfall he received when headphone brand Beats was sold to Apple for $3 billion (£2.1 billion).

The Dial will go on sale exclusively with mobile provider Three in the UK from early April 2016.

Prices are not yet available, but Telegraph reports that the device will only be available on a two-year contract. It is likely to cost about £20 to £25 up front, with monthly costs of around £20.

Will.i.am has previously launched a series of design and tech-focused projects, including an eyewear range with designer George Gorrow, and a collection of products for Coca Cola made with sustainable materials.

In an interview with Dezeen last year, he called for "new morals, new laws and new codes" for 3D printing – a technology he says is evolving so rapidly that we will soon be able to print humans.