Some fashion and tech pundits have written that the Apple Watch is a little industrial looking or too geeky to appeal to women. Why can’t a woman be connected in feminine style?
A startup company says she absolutely can with a smart necklace that looks like a stunning piece of jewelry while equipped with a tiny projector that displays texts and calls onto the hand.
The Miragii, a ceramic pendant created by a company with the same name, also holds a Bluetooth earpiece that syncs with smartphones for calls that do not require the wearer to pull out their phone.
Photo: Miraggi
Women make up about half of the world’s population, but reports show more than 60 percent of the buyers of smart watches are men. Apple Watch has tried to bridge the gap with a smaller watch face, a variety of bands and apps that appeal to women, but some in the fashion industry see the first Apple Watches as masculine.
Some companies tailor products for women. Fitbit recently commissioned fashion designer Tory Burch to produce a leaf-shaped pendant that connects to the Fitbit Flix.
Still, experts say wearables have to do more than just look pretty.
Miragii’s functions come alive with hand gestures. Wave the hand in front of the projector’s lens and then place out front to read messages on your palm. An incoming call can also be sent straight to voicemail with a simple hand wave.
Miragii is trying to raise $75,000 on Kickstarter to produce in volume. Don’t need to read your messages on your hand? For a $139 pledge, you can get a necklace without the projector. For $299, about $100 less than what it is expected to retail for, a backer can get the projector version.
Photo: Miragii
“Wearable technology has become the hottest trend in the jewelry world, but it has to be done right and be practical to want to wear it every day,” Miragii founder Zhan Li said in a written statement. “The person that wears Miragii is elegant, smart and in tune with today’s business reality.”
The Miragii comes in white or black on the low end or Lorenzo-designed pendants in yellow gold, silver and rose gold that eventually will retail for more than $1,000.
Photo: Miragii
The pendant is made with a zirconia ceramic which maintains a gloss but keeps the device cool enough to stay against the skin. The necklace recharges the Bluetooth earpiece, which also lets you listen to music,
Miragii will have to download a mobile app to their phones. The necklace works with both Android and iPhone.
