INTEL REVEALS ‘MICA,’ A LUXURY SMART BRACELET WITH A 1.6-INCH TOUCHSCREEN

Intel continued its push into the wearables space Wednesday with the announcement of MICA, described by the company as "a feminine fashion accessory with communications capabilities." For the sake of of simplicity, let's call it a smart bracelet.

Conceived and designed in collaboration with New York City-based fashion house Opening Ceremony, MICA, which stands for 'My Intelligent Communication Accessory,' features a 1.6-inch curved sapphire glass touchscreen.

Intel hasn't offered up a great deal of information on its new product, though it confirms what you'd expect, that MICA will provide wearers with information such as messages, reminders and alerts, with the incorporation of a 3G radio doing away with the need for smartphone tethering. More features and functionality will be revealed "at a later date," the company said, so hopefully we'll learn more about it when it's officially introduced on September 7 at the Opening Ceremony Spring/Summer 2015 fashion show in New York City.

Design-wise, the smart bracelet comprises "semi-precious gems and watersnake skin," and will launch with two designs. The first will feature black watersnake skin, pearls from China, and lapis stones from Madagascar, while the second incorporates white watersnake skin, a tiger's eye gemstone from South Africa, and obsidian (volcanic glass) from Russia.

Related: Smart jewelry is proving wearable tech doesn't have to be hideous

Intel's new wearable tech will be available by the holidays at select Barneys and Opening Ceremony stores, though we're still awaiting pricing information. One thing's obvious, though – it won't come cheap.

While Intel made a name for itself in the PC chip business, it was slow to respond when the smartphone market took off. Eager to avoid repeating its mistake, the company is attempting to establish itself early on in the fast-expanding wearables space.

It's already partnered with 50 Cent's headphone company SMS Audio to launch the SMS Audio BioSport Headphones, which can monitor your heart rate, sync with fitness app RunKeeper, and keep you motivated throughout your workout.

While smartwatches (and Glass) gain most attention in the wearables market, an increasing number of tech companies are beginning to explore the potential of smart jewelry. Besides Intel's smart bracelet, recent additions to the market from other firms include smart pendants, brooches, and even rings.

[Source: Intel]
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