The BLOCKS modular smartwatch is customizable to fit your needs
There are times when we pick up a clothing item that’s labeled “one size fits all,” and it ends up being a little loose or too baggy. No item can really be universal, and that’s the idea behind a startup that believes smartwatches should be customized to each person’s needs.
BLOCKS smartwatch just wrapped up its Kickstarter campaign Thursday, pooling in $1,613,874. It’s a modular watch, so you can decide which features are available.
There are two parts. There’s the watch face, known as the Core, which is a fully functioning smartwatch on its own. It has phone notifications, activity tracking, voice control, a color touch screen, 1.5 days of battery life, bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity and haptic feedback.
Then there are the modules that make up the strap. Each module is a different feature, and in LEGO fashion, you can swap out and connect different modules depending on which features you want. You don’t have to restart the watch when you connect a module. It works immediately. Running low on power? Swap in a battery module. Heading to the gym? Connect a heart rate module.
The modules that are currently available are extra battery, heart rate, GPS, NFC contactless, and adventure (live readings of temperature, pressure and altitude estimates).
Now that the Kickstarter is over, the company will roll out more modules. They’ve already started planning designs or working with partners to create modules such as a SIM card module so you can leave your phone at home and still get texts and emails, a fingerprint module to authenticate different actions, LED lights for nighttime or notifications and a programmable button to trigger actions on your phone or watch.
Even more in the future, BLOCKS wants to create modules such as a camera feature, a body temperature tracker and a stress level monitor.
The smartwatch’s operating system is based on the latest version of Android, and it’s an open platform. That way other companies and individuals can develop modules for an even greater variety of choices.
BLOCKS will be compatible with iPhone and Android. It works with iOS 8 and above, on iPhone 4S and above. It also works with all Android 4.0+ phones including those from LG, Motorola, Sony, Samsung, HTC, Xiaomi and more.
The watch will be available in sunrise red, onyx black, marble white and metallic and made in high-quality polycarbonate. It will also be water resistant, withstanding up to 1 meter for certain periods of time.
One downsize to the modular watch is that if you have a small wrist, you might only be able to attach three or four modules together before the strap becomes too big for your wrist. The company is looking to make the modules smaller so that people with smaller wrists can add more modules. Still, the watch is pretty wide and might look bulky and unflattering on thin wrists.
You can pre-order a BLOCKS smartwatch here for $330, plus shipping. It comes with four modules, and extra modules are $35 each. It’s an extra $35 for the metallic color. The company’s estimated shipping date is June 2016.
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