BLOCKS is a modular take on the Android smartwatch

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The Android smartwatch has been envisioned and made in different forms from Samsung’s Gear to ASUS’ Zenwatch. BLOCKS is a new Kickstarter that has raised $1.6USD Million for a brand new take on the Android smartwatch. Imagine a modular Android smartwatch that you can create to your liking — that’s what BLOCKS is. The idea of a modular system for a smartwatch is different but modular systems for smart products isn’t. Project Ara is a good example of a modular smartphone system that really hasn’t caught on but might have potential. The same goes for a modular Android smartwatch, this may or may not be a great idea, only early adopters will be able to tell us.

https://youtu.be/KTR3gnaciIM

Seven months after its successful $1.6 Million Kickstarter campaign, BLOCKS showcases its first factory-ready devices with a fully operational Android based OS. The device, with its new form factor, is currently undergoing final testing prior to mass production.

The design of the watch was recently refined from its previous iteration to host a brand new processor, a fully round AMOLED display in a new stainless steel casing. The individual modules that make up the strap of the device were decreased in size to provide more wrist comfort, and now include a new plug-n-play connector. The mechanism allows users to quickly connect and disconnect modules with a single action, while still providing as much strength as a classic watch-strap.

The announcement comes shortly after Google announced the developer preview launch of its modular smartphone, Project Ara, also in Fall 2016.

BLOCKS has been working in partnership with one of the world’s leading manufacturers, Compal Electronics, with support from ARM & Qualcomm, to deliver this first device of its kind. The company recently expanded its operations from London, England to new offices in Sunnyvale, California and Taipei, Taiwan.

Serge Didenko, co-founder, explains: “Smartwatches will become the ultimate input devices to control our lives as soon as voice recognition reaches 99% effectiveness. With the rise of IoT and new sensors smartwatches will become capable of so much more. BLOCKS is building a smartwatch for the future – the ultimate plug-and-play platform for wearable technology”

Alireza Tahmaseb, co-founder, adds: “BLOCKS is extending the concept of the App Store to the physical world. With limited wrist space, smartwatches can only have a few features and are useful only in a handful of situations. At BLOCKS we believe that modularity will give choice back to the users, to select the features that are important to them for their unique needs every day.”

BLOCKS is available for pre-order now at $330 for a Blocks Core and a selection of 4 modules.

What do you think of BLOCKS? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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[button link=”https://www.chooseblocks.com/discover/overview” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: BLOCKS[/button]

Last Updated on January 23, 2017.

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