Take off this smartwatch and it turns into an actual phone
Whip the .klatz smartwatch off your wrist and it becomes a phone -- and you can back it on Indiegogo.
Smartwatches are all the rage, but with many of them you still have to take your phone out of your pocket to take a call. That's where .klatz comes in: a stiff aluminium bracelet rather than a watch face with a flexible strap -- because when you unfasten the cuff and hold it to your ear, it's suddenly a phone.
The Ukrainian startup behind the project is seeking $140,000 funding for the device on crowdfunding site Indiegogo. As always with these kind of crowdfunding projects, there's a chance it may never come to fruition -- and of course, you could just take your phone out of your pocket to make calls. But it's certainly a novel twist on the smartwatch concept, and we always welcome those.
The fact that it's a stiff cuff might put you off -- I didn't get along with the stiff shape of the Nike+ Fuelband, for example -- but the .klatz comes in four sizes so you should be able to find one that suits your wrist. It comes in black or red, with 384 LEDs forming the screen.
Glancing at the watch activates the screen to show the time. Paired with an iPhone or Android phone -- and at some point in the future, Windows Phone too -- the watch also enables you to control your music, track your activity and receive message notifications. And when a call comes in, you flip it open and hold it to your ear to talk.
The battery is bigger than many smartwatches, .klatz claiming the 600mAh power pack gets up to 10 days of standby time compared to rivals such as the Motorola Moto 360 's 320mAh battery, the Samsung Gear 2's 300mAh battery or the LG G Watch 's 320mAh job. With its LED display it might even beat the week of battery life offered by the Pebble and its low-power e-ink screen. It also charges by sitting on a nifty little stand, turning it into a clock that won't look out of place on your desk or at your bedside.
Sadly the device isn't waterproof, but is dust and splash-proof.
Funding options start at $99 to bag yourself a .klatz device, or you can buy multiple devices. The first .klatz phones are expected to be delivered in March next year.