Kairos T-Band Marries Analog And Smartwatch Differently
One of the debates surrounding the new smartwatch trend is the one about classical, analog watches and sophisticated, but sometimes inelegant smartwatches. Some people see a watch as more than just a timepiece but also as a form of expression, a part of personality. These types of people would probably never wear a smartwatch even if they see the utility in it. Until now. Kairos is back in trying to mix analog and digital, and this time it is doing things differently with the T-band, which is basically a "smart watch strap".
No, it isn't a smartwatch. In fact, it isn't a watch at all. T-band, is just that, a band. Except it happens to have some degree of smartness in it, depending on which type you go for. The theory is that you can keep your favorite analog (or otherwise) watch and swap out the straps for this one instead. You get the best of both worlds, at least in theory. You'll also have to get used to looking at a display underneath your wrist and touching that instead of the watch's display, if you're actually going for that model.
See, the T-band comes in three kinds, all of which try to appease one segment of the market. The T-band ND has No Display. In essence, it acts just like a fitness band (without a display). It has a couple of sensors, including a Galvanic Skin Sensor for measuring skin temperature and sweat. It does have a vibrator for alerting you to notifications as well as a discreet LED indicator. This band tries to cater to those who are willing to trade features for longer battery life, more than 7 days to be precise.
The T-band HD has a Hidden Display (you can see where this is going). It will be able to display text and numbers on its LED screen for more information but that's just about it. The purpose of this is be a more discreet smartband, which "blends" into the strap when the display is turned off. It's a sort of compromise between the total absence of a display in the T-band ND and the full color display of the next variant.
The T-band OD makes use of an OLED display to give you all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a smartwatch, except that it's not a smartwatch. The curved PMOLED display has a rather low 170 dpi. It is driven by an ARM Cortex-M4 processor hidden inside the strap. This strap also has a built-in mic for voice control, provided that third party apps actually support it. These smart straps run a proprietary Kairos OS real-time operating system (RTOS) that is promised to be compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
On IndieGoGo, where Kairos' T-bands currently reside, a pledge of $149 will get you a T-band ND, while a $179 commitment gets you an HD variant, and $199 will go for the OLED display model. Do note that these are only bands and do not come with a watch., as they can be used for any watch you may desire. But those who want a complete package, Kairos is also throwing in different models of mechanical watches, by themselves or with a T-band to go along with it.
SOURCE: IndieGoGo