New startup Q Designs seeks to help solve a problem that many people have: we sometimes need to power our mobile electronic devices, but we don’t want to carry external battery packs or bulky charging cases. Q Designs’ solution, the QBracelet, looks like an ordinary bracelet, but it is actually a high-tech charger that can juice up your electronic device discreetly.
The QBracelet will work with iOS and Android devices at launch. No cord is needed, since inside the bracelet’s clasp there is a lightning adapter for Apple products and a micro-USB port for Android devices.
The QBracelet has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that will recharge most smart phones up to about 60%. Depending on the battery level of the phone it can take up to 60 minutes to fully recharge your device. The battery has a standby life of 30 days. Recharging the bracelet takes about 90 minutes with LEDs located above the connector to indicate the current charge level.
The QBracelet has the fashionable look and feel of a jewelry piece before anything else – even if it didn’t charge your phone, it stands as a fashion accessory based on its style and design alone. We conceptualized the QBracelet based on the idea that every useful object should also be a beautiful object, and we believe that merging technology with fashion in smart ways will push the fashion industry forward. — Q Designs co-founder and COO Alessandro Libani
The bracelet’s exterior is made out of high-grade aluminum with an interior of polycarbonate plastic. This makes the bracelet very lightweight and durable. The bracelet is designed for men and women and comes in several finishes: brushed and matte black, polished and matte silver, and polished gold. It comes in three sizes small, medium and large.
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- Brushed Black
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- Polished Black
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- Brushed Silver
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- Polished Silver
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- Gold
The QBracelet provides a very sexy solution to a truly ubiquitous problem. Every smartphone owner worries about battery loss, and we endeavored to create a product that simply takes that worry away, effortlessly and with style. In our research, we found existing external battery solutions to be clunky, unappealing and frustrating to use, and so we set out to build a simple, beautiful alternative. — Q Designs co-founder and CEO James Kernan
Today the QBracelet is available for pre-order for $79. It will retail for $99 once it launches. Pre-orders will ship in time for the winter holidays.
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This is the only thing I dread about the iWatch….Apple taking this same ‘fashion’ approach…..with a device that does NOT look like any other piece of jewelry.
This thing is hideous.
You said mini usb, should be micro usb
Hmmm… Not Sure about this one
Why not just move up to the ball & chain design that gives you 10 extra hours of battery life, or the Padaung Tribe edition with 11 hours!
This thing looks awful! It’s chunky and not that attractive. It looks like a handcuff. They could have at least made it tell the time. I don’t like bulky cases, but I would use a Mophie over this any day.
Wow, we have very different definitions of the word “ordinary.”
If the bracelet changed from your movement like kinetic watches then this might be worth it, but if the bracelet only will keep its charge for 30 days it’s self the likelihood of it being dead that one time you need use it would be pretty high, kinetic energy may actually not ever be enough to power a full smart watch, but to give you a little power to make a call would be useful.
Getting close to your own personal set of handcuffs.
Smart idea. I like it much more than bulky external batteries. My Mophie case annoys me too because of the added size and weight to the iPhone. I feel that this could do really well.
why didn’t they make it wireless charging. now that would have been awesome….
oh yea cause iphones don’t do wireless charging. but my note3 does.
Hideous.
I wonder what wearing this electrical device does to your body.