CES 2018: It's been a long time coming...
Remember Blocks? Having finally let backers get hold of the modular smartwatch that raised $1.6 million on Kickstarter and suffered numerous delays, it’s finally letting anyone buy the wearable.
If you need a reminder of how it all works, at the heart is the Blocks Core module that’s available in black or a silver stainless steel casing and now runs on Android Oreo 8.0. It’s compatible with both Android smartphones and iPhones, packing in a 1.4-inch colour 400 x 400 AMOLED display, with a MediaTek MTK6580M quad core processor powering performance alongside 512MB of RAM.
Hands on: Block smartwatch review
Staple features of the Core include fitness tracking, 2-day battery life, music control, the ability to deal with calls and messages and now there’s Alexa support to tap into the smart assistant from your wrist.
Where things are supposed to get interesting (and smarter) is with the clip-on modules that add a host of additional features including GPS/GLONASS, a heart rate sensor, environmental sensors, an LED flashlight, a smart button to launch apps and an extra battery. The idea was that developers would help create modules for the watch, but these are the only modules currently listed on the Blocks website.
Blocks does also mention phases when it will launch new modules. During these phases we can expect to see modules that can measure stress levels and monitor body temperature. There’s also apparently a bone conduction speaker, ECG heart rate monitor and a camera on the way too.
If you’ve not been put off by the delays and still think a modular smartwatch is a good idea, then you can buy pre-order the Core watch in either colour for $259. Adding on a single module will cost you an extra $35. If you go for all six available modules, then it’ll set you back a total of $469. Shipping is expected in Q1 2018, so it should land on your doorstep early this year (fingers crossed).
