Intel Debuts The MICA, A Fashionable Smart Bracelet Designed By Opening Ceremonies

Intel is super excited about the idea of making computers that don’t look like computers, namely in the wearables space. Instead of latching a mini smartphone screen onto a wrist band, the technology company wants to be the brains behind the operation, not the looks. That said, Intel has partnered with Opening Ceremonies to bring a new female-oriented wearable to the market.

They haven’t been super forth coming about the software or its capabilities/features, but we do know a bit about the hardware. For one, it will be called MICA (my intelligent communications accessory) and it will debut at the Opening Ceremonies runway show at New York Fashion Week.

Unlike most of the wearables on the market, it looks more like a bracelet than a smart watch, built with premium materials like semi-precious gems, snakeskin, pearls, tiger’s eye and obsidian. The Mica will feature a 1.6-inch curved Sapphire touchscreen OLED display. It has a 256 x 160 resolution. That said, the touchscreen will be worn on the inside of the wrist as opposed to on the outside like a smart watch, letting the fashion-centric part of the design shine.

The company is calling it a notifications device, hinting that it will probably keep users in the know with their social media updates, calendar reminders, text messages, and other inbound content. We’ve also learned that it will have its own 3G radio, offering connectivity without having to pair the bracelet to a smartphone.

The bracelet has a clasp near the touchscreen to get it on and off, an dcomes with wireless charging or the option to charge via USB.

Intel worked with both Opening Ceremonies and the CFDA to ensure that this wearable focuses on fashion and not necessarily tech specs. We’ve seen this approach before from smaller startups, like Memi, but this is the first time that a major tech player has genuinely approached design this way.

That said, the MICA will probably cost $300 at the very least, as Intel and Opening Ceremonies expect it to retail at around the same price as other jewelry in Opening Ceremonies portofolio.

It will be available before the holidays at both Opening Ceremonies and Barney’s.

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