Blocks, World's First Modular Smartwatch, to Launch on Kickstarter Next Week (VIDEO)
Blocks Wearables is launching the first ever modular smartwatch at a Kickstarter campaign next week.
UK-based Blocks Wearables, a tech company developing a modular smartwatch, showed a prototype of its modular timepiece during the January CES in Las Vegas which has just exited its prototyping stage in June and is due to hit Kickstarter in a week.
Blocks has recently announced its partnership with semiconductor company Qualcomm, including its plan to unveil its modular Blocks wearable with a Snapdragon 400 SoC next Tuesday.
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Similar in concept to Google's Project Ara, a modular smartphone design that has since been put on hold, the Blocks smartwatch will be made up of a number of blocks and links users will be able to customize according to their required style and function. The blocks and links contain a variety of components, including a GPS sensor and a heart rate monitor.
The wearable is geared to work with either iOS or Android and users will be able to choose which options suit their lifestyle, including blocks for extra storage or batteries, blocks for mobile payments, a requisite block that houses the SIM card, and a host of other sensor links they can add on.
Users can also opt to upgrade their components, like an Adreno card for better graphics capabilities, a video card to get 4K video recording, or even add more memory when they need it by simply purchasing the required blocks or links to add to their Blocks wearable.
The customization concept may prove to be a big hit with smartwatch owners who can opt to mix and match only the components they find useful.
Based on an open platform design, users have the opportunity to assemble their own Blocks smartwatch, with their choice of cameras, fingerprint scanners, and even kinetic chargers.
The project will be launched on Kickstarter on October 13, and while there is no guarantee the project will hit its goals and find the right amount of backers, it may still end up becoming a successful product, as the end results of the campaign remain to be seen.
