Meet MICA

Intel's Smart Bracelet

By Anca Gagiuc on Nov 19, 2014 in Technology

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only,” Coco Chanel said. “Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what’s happening.”

What’s happening is that the multibillion dollar worlds of technology and fashion are colliding like never before. Fashion editors were out in force for the launch of the Apple Watch and Google has teamed up with Luxottica sunglasses brand, which makes Ray Bans and Person, to design a new range of Google Glass. And that is not all.

The latest company to attempt to connect tech and fashion is Intel. The company chose to stay away from the growing list of smart watch developers and instead  integrate technology into objects that people would wear anyway. In collaboration with fashion company Opening Ceremony, Intel is entering the fashion universe with the release of its latest wearable device, MICA, short for My Intelligent Communication Accessory.

MICA is a bracelet aimed at the women on the go, combining a technology suite and an every-day accessory; a device which is meant to be the first wearable designed with fashion as a top priority. The bangle was first announced during Fashion Week in September; it comes in two colors: black and white, both with an 18-carat gold coating. The black one has black water snake skin, Chinese pearls, and lapis stones from Madagascar, while the white one has white water snake skin, tiger’s eye stones from South Africa, and obsidian from Russia.

At this time, technical details are scarce. The 1.6-inch curved sapphire glass touchscreen display of the device is placed on the inside of the wrist, a design choice that adds to the device’s privacy. MICA will be able to connect with Facebook, Google, and Yelp via an AT&T data plan without having to carry a smartphone like the rest of the wearables out there. Incoming alerts from SMS messages, meeting alerts, and general notifications will vibrate discreetly the bracelet without making a sound. “Time to Go” alerts, which combine GPS and the user’s calendar events to estimate how long it will take to travel from one place to another, are included in Intel’s offering.

That’s pretty much it. VIP contacts can be added only via a web interface; customization such as changing the background patterns of the device’s display, loading the Gmail accounts, connecting the Google and Facebook calendars, and logging into the Yelp account, will be possible through the same web interface. There is no way to respond freely to incoming messages, neither via touch or audio. All the user can do is to select a brief, canned response from a series. This limited feature set was exactly what the two companies desired, they said. Bling or not, it gives a feeling of shortage, especially considering the price.

The price is one worthy of a luxury accessory – $495, one which doesn’t have to be connected to a smartphone to operate. In fact, it carries with it an intriguing deal: two years of data service (including international data roaming) is part of the cost of the device and when the two years have passed, the deal will have to be renewed. The company hasn’t worked out yet what exactly it would mean to the wallets of MICA owners.

The bracelet’s battery can be charged through a computer via a standard Micro-USB cord and it can last up to two days at a single charge, depending on the frequency of use. Rumor has it that the two companies are working on a bowl that charges the device.

MICA is not the only tech devices targeted towards women. Most of the smartwatches out there are big and bulky, not at all ideal for smaller wrist sizes. Apple seems to be trying to address this problem with the Apple Watch by making it available in two sizes when it launches next year.

The haute couture MICA bracelet will be available at Barneys New York and online in early December, just in time for the holidays. Will it make it on your wish or gift list?