Unless you have been living under a rock these past few months, you probably know there is a battle going on in the new “wearable” mobile devices category- from eyewear to wristwear. Although not the first, Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch rekindled the interest to get a smartwatch out to market, as LG, Sony, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Qualcomm, etc. race to release a better device than what is already available…and let us not forget our friends at Pebble, who also have a smartwatch out.
It looks like some fellows on Kickstarter have come up with their own version of a “watch” that you wear on your wrist, called Smartlet, and their solution for “syncing” to your smartphone – bypass the watch and simply wear your smartphone directly on your wrist – the heck with the “middle-person,” go straight to the smartphone. I have to laugh, and I do apologize, but the Smartlet was designed by a self-proclaimed iPhone user that said:
“Ever since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, it has been our go-to device–always in our hands and on our minds. But, while over time the iPhone has evolved to become lighter and faster, nothing was being done to make it more integrated, useful, or wearable. The future wasn’t coming fast enough, so we sought to create it.”
I never knew that a smartphone was supposed to ever be a “wearable” device other than in my pocket or in a clip-on case. However, these guys felt that a wearable smartphone is cool – I sure wish I could wear my Galaxy Note 3 on my wrist. The pictures below will give you an idea how Smartlet works to hold your iPhone in place – either under or over top of your coat sleeve. It is a very simple device that allows you to easily remove your device so you can text message with two hands or make a private phone call, however, when you are done, you can quickly slide it back in place for that “on your wrist” experience. They said that, “the design was driven by three core goals: convenience, style, and security.”
So far, there are less than 100 backers and they have raised less than $3,000 of the $30,000 goal with only 19 days to go. The estimated delivery date, if all goes well, is May 2014. For a $5 pledge you will get a “high-five,” and for $29 or more you can get a “first-production-run” Smartlet in the color of your choice. For $39 or more, you get a “first-production-run” Smartlet, as well as one additional band in the color of your choice. It appears that it comes in black, white, and red to compliment your attire.
Let us know on our Google+ Page what you think about this concept – if one was ever made for your Android device would you consider purchasing one? Maybe I will have to purchase an iPhone just to use as my smartwatch.