Intel has fully unveiled its luxury bracelet MICA at a press event today. The wearable device was developed in collaboration with fashion brand Opening Ceremony and aimed at fashion-forward women, reports TechCrunch.
Chipzilla has been teasing the device since as early as January. Now the company has announced the availability of MICA, short for "My Intelligent Communication Accessory", along with its $495 price tag. The bracelet will go on sale exclusively in the US at Barneys Department Stores in time for Christmas, and the price will get you an accompanying AT&T SIM card and a two year contract which will provide data and SMS messages that include international roaming.
With the pricing noticeably a lot higher compared to most other wearables out there, Intel unfortunately failed to clarify how much data the user would actually receive, or how much it will cost buyers to maintain a cellular subscription after the initial period expires.
Intel's MICA bracelet features a 1.6-inch OLED display placed on the intended underside of the wrist band, 3G connectivity, GPS, integration with TomTom and Yelp, and is capable of fielding a variety of notifications.
Some of the downsides of the bracelet are the lack of microphone, meaning that voice control is not an option, and also the fact that it functions independently from a smartphone so that it cannot notify the wearer of incoming calls, or be used to control music playback. However, Intel is looking to make up for the shortcomings in functionality with MICA's fashion-friendly design aimed especially at women who are looking to stay connected whilst looking good.
At $495 is it is possible that Intel's MICA could find some degree of success? That will depend upon the fickle course of fashion rather than a critical mass of technological capabilities in the bracelet.
