You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
Bracelite For Apple Watch Seeks Kickstarter Funding

Bracelite For Apple Watch Seeks Kickstarter Funding

December 7, 2015

Here’s an odd accessory making the rounds today from Italian fashion startup Texturization: the Bracelite.

Essentially, this thing is a fat e-paper display bracelet that mates with Apple Watch via a pair of special Band connectors (which can be removed for “bracelet-only” mode). The most unique aspect of this particular device is that, per the creators, Bracelite offers

No notifications, no extra information: Bracelite is pure aesthetics.

Weird. Indeed, all Bracelite does is provide a “texture” — or, more accurately, a “pattern” — display that changes based on things like time of day, calendar events, your mood (whatever that means), and so on. You can even take pictures of a pattern with the iPhone or Android app and have it show up around your wrist.

8ca532f4b25cd7f50fa55da703068949_original

I suppose there’s a certain grace in this single-dimensional aspect of the Bracelite, but the digital bracelet seems to have a few drawbacks. First, by their very nature, rigid bangles are floppy: they move around as you do. This renders the best features of Apple Watch — heart rate monitoring and fitness tracking — completely useless. Second, Bracelite’s EPD seems to be non-backlit, meaning that the “lite” part of the product’s name is a bit misleading. (It’s probably not all that lightweight, either, considering the girth of the cuff.)

Anyways, I’m not sure there’s a real market for this kind of thing, albeit I’d reckon that there’d be more of one if it did more than just display fashion patterns. A news or sports or stock ticker or something might be apt, or a split-screen option with such info on the close (body) side and eye-catching patterns on the other for all the world to see.

If the Bracelite interests you, be sure to head over to Kickstarter and support them. $53 will get you a “Princess GIF,” and $265 will get you the product itself. Normal MSRP is set at around $318.

Good luck.