14 DAY TRIAL // Tired of wearables that look the same and feel like a cheap plastic band strapped to your wrist? Intel is one of the companies that have been trying to do justice to you and your fashion sense.
The chip giant rolled out its luxury MICA bracelet back in September, complete with a promotional campaign that made it look pretty high-fashion.
A few months ago we told you the wearable wouldn't come cheap, and back then the estimated price was said to be around $1000 / €761.
Surprise, Intel MICA will sell for a lot less than previously expected
Intel had reportedly partnered up with Barneys New York to sell this piece of technology exclusively through its retail chain.
Fast forward to the present as we find out that the bracelet will go on sale in December for half the originally announced priced. This means you’ll be able to pick up MICA for $495 / €396, which is still a lot of money to pay mostly for looks and not functionality.
We’re saying this because as the launch date is drawing near, we’re offered some additional details on how MICA works and behaves, which reveal that the bracelet is not all that intelligent.
The bracelet features 18K gold trim, snake skin, gems and other premium materials, which granted, make the wearable look pretty gorgeous. On the back, hidden from view lies a curved sapphire glass touchscreen display.
MICA has a SIM card that can be used to connect to the Internet without syncing it to a phone. So users will be able to see their text messages, appointments and other alerts on the screen.
But the problem is there is no voice control or virtual keyboard onscreen, so you’ll probably have a hard time responding to messages. To do so, you’ll have to choose from a list of 50 pre-selected responses.
The bracelet can handle notifications but nothing more
The bracelet will also relay notifications coming from Facebook, Gmail and Google Calendar plus a “personal concierge” service from TomTom and Intel that relays relevant info such as an important appointment coming up.
MICA also supports Yelp integration so that you can view restaurant ratings and reviews, before going in for a bite.
The wearable should be able to sustain up to 2 days of battery life and is chargeable via microUSB cable. Those of you purchasing it will also receive 2 years of AT&T data service without an extra fee.
However, the MICA does not run third-party apps and will not pair up with your fancy smartphone. It is meant more as a piece of jewelry with the added bonus of receiving notifications.
