Motiif "M" Smart Trench Coat Offers Integrated 4G LTE And Smartphone Charger

Wearable technology is mostly limited to smartwatches and smart glasses, though other types have been — and actively are — being developed. A particularly unique type is clothing, of which we've seen samples in the past. The latest to surface is the "M" from Motiif, a so-called smart trench coat that features an integrated 4G LTE connection and a smartphone charger.

The coat is meant to be as stylish as it is functional, and for anyone who has suffered the process of hunting down an outlet for a quick cell phone charge on a night out, the M's appeal is easy to see. The concept is unfamiliar to most, however, and so the maker aims to reassure potential buyers that despite harboring a charger, the design is meant to keep it just about invisible, without bulk.

The charger is located in the coat's breast pocket, and is compatible with the iPhone 4 and 5s, and the Samsung GALAXY S 3 and the GALAXY S 4. The charging, then, is completed by putting the smartphone in the pocket and sliding it into the charger. The smartphone can be charged up to three times before the coat needs to be recharged, something accomplished by hanging it up on a wireless charger.

The wireless network, on the other hand, is delivered up via Karma using Sprint's network, operating as a pay-as-you-go and offering 1GB of data per month for free for the first three months. After this, the rate is $14 per gigabyte. Speeds are about what you'd expect — 3 to 6Mbps on average, with upload speeds hitting up to 1.5MBps. There's no word on pricing, but the maker plans to roll it out in February 2014.

SOURCE: Laptop Magazine