Ever look at your Apple Watch and think: “Damn, I wish this thing could take photos and videos with this thing?”
No? Me either. But a company called WristCam thinks otherwise, because it launched an Apple Watch band complete with two built-in cameras and … it’s kind of ugly.
For $299, WristCam features an 8-megapixel rear camera (that can shoot up to 1080p video) and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies, along with a microphone. Additionally, you can use it for video calls through the compatible app.
Using the dedicated button, you can snap photos with a single press and start recording video with a long press. You also have the ability to switch back and forth between cameras with a double tap. And, with 8GB of internal storage, it can hold up to 2,000 photos or 1 hour of video — all of which sync directly to your iPhone.
That sounds like a lot packed into an Apple Watch band that you’re supposed to wear on your wrist all day. Surprisingly, the WristCam band only weighs 23 grams so it’s not super heavy. The company also claims “all-day” battery life, but of course, that’s all dependent on usage.
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Now, if your Apple Watch has LTE connectivity built in and your cellular plan is activated, then the addition of cameras makes a lot of sense. That way, everything you need is on your wrist, no smartphone required.
But if having easy access to all those features requires wearing an accessory like WristCam, I’m content with my standard Apple Watch band and iPhone. Sure, it comes in some nice colors like gray, black, and pink, but it’s an eyesore with its chunky shape and distracting sensors.
If I’m spending $300 on an Apple Watch accessory, I’d like to know that it’s something I’m going to wear almost everyday. But this is certainly something I’d save for days I really don’t want to take my phone out with me — which is a very rare occurrence. I mean, this thing has been in development for four years (after originally starting out as a crowdfunding campaign) and it looks like an early prototype.
If you are interested in attaching one of these bad boys to your Apple Watch, then you can place your order on WristCam’s site. But with December deliveries sold out, you’ll have to wait until January to receive it.
As for me, I think I’ll just wait until Apple decides to finally build a camera into its own smartwatch.