For months, we've gotten a taste of the soon-to-be-released MICA bracelet from Intel and Opening Ceremony. But today is the day that we get to learn about the complete features of the feminine wearable tech device.
MICA, which stands for My Intelligent Communication Accessory, will include many of the features you would expect from a smart device today. The bracelet comes with a two-year wireless service plan from AT&T. It will send you notifications from your Google calendar as well as Facebook. You can access text messages and receive notifications from Gmail. It will also send you recommendations for local hotspots from Yelp.
While all of those features might be appealing to someone always on the go and who's really into the latest technology, what's most interesting to me about the MICA isn't what it does but who is meant to be wearing it. Unlike many high-profile wearable tech devices that are seemingly gender neutral or implicitly targeted toward men, the MICA is clearly a wearable device made for women.
Of course, there are many wearable devices that target the female population, such as the SIREN ring, which is designed to protect women from assault, or the Neatmo June, which measures your UV ray intake, but the majority of them are focused on tracking health in some way.
In fact, the wearable tech industry has previously been criticized for its lack of diversity in the design of some of the products. When the Apple Watch was revealed in September, for instance, some people claimed it looked like a device designed by men for men with the large face of the watch too large for smaller female wrists to wear, even though there appears to be a smaller size for women.
Google Glass is actually a great example of a wearable device that caters to both men and women quite nicely. The wide variety of colors and styles available, including a line designed by Diane von Furstenberg, is appealing to people of both genders. It also probably helps that the lead designer of Google Glass, Isabelle Olsson, has a team made up of a nearly equal number of men and women.
But there's no doubt that the MICA is targeted toward women. Though I'm not entirely convinced of the necessity or merits of wearable tech devices, I have to say that the MICA is one of the best-looking ones I've seen. With the backing of a high-end fashion house like Opening Ceremony and a design that includes 18-karat gold, snake skin and pearls, it's certainly as much of a fashion statement as it is a smart device.
The MICA looks like it would be a welcome addition to any woman's lifestyle. But now can it actually play the part?
