It seems as though we’ve seen more smartwatches than any other new product this year. Practically everyone from traditional watch makers to veteran tech companies have tried their hands at crafting a smart timepiece. This hasn’t stopped Haikara, a recently unveiled smartwatch that focuses its design on more fashion-based elements and customization, all without compromising on functionality.
From the mind of award-winning Finnish designer Harri Koshinen, Haikara is a smartwatch designed to use technology as a form of self-expression. By combining elegant hardware materials with mindful features, Koshinen has sought to create a watch that is as intuitive as it is stylishly designed.
Haikara is based around the realization that the right material is just as important decision as any other in creating a great product. The watch’s body is composed of a high quality stainless steel that is both lightweight and durable. Don’t think that Haikara is lacking in the aesthetic department though. The smartwatch comes in four different finishes, so you can choose from Matte Black, Polished Steel, Rose Gold, or Gold to match your personal style.
The customization doesn’t end there by any means. Haikara sports a variety of interchangeable bands to match the situation, mood or your attire. As of now, there are three styles of premium leather bands to choose from, like Vintage, Embossed or Perorated. Each is available in several colors, further adding to the different options.
Haikara also contends that at just under 10mm thick, it is the thinnest smartwatch on the market. This is somehow achieved while still packing in a 400 x 400 px AMOLED display, seven days of battery life and water resistance under 20 meters.
The company realized that regardless of how great a product’s hardware may be, it still needs software which is equally as elegant. That’s why Haikara’s OS and features are as well thought out as the device’s materials. Continuing the theme of customization, Haikara allows you to switch between 20 different faces designed with Scandinavian and Japanese design elements.
The watch also sports many of the features found in other devices like gesture control, the ability to remotely locate your phone and device silencing. Notifications are another large area of focus for Haikara. Through the companion iOS and Android app, users can tweak which types of notification are important enough for your wrist to alert you about.
Haikara is currently seeking funding over on Indiegogo, where it has raised an impressive 167% of the original $75,000 campaign goal. Starting at the early bird price of $199, you can preorder a watch in your choice of finishes and premium leather bands, which saves you $130 off the eventual retail rate. Haikara still has 18 days left in its campaign, and if all goes well in the following months, should be shipping devices to backers in December.
Enhance and re-invent the concept of a wristwatch. That was my initial idea behind Haikara. A desire to create something simple, yet subtle and above all uniquely self-expressive. Is it about design or technology? That’s irrelevant. Haikara is more about YOU and your personality than any other watch before. At Haikara we were unsatisfied with most smartwatches. They duplicate our phones, distract us with notifications and need daily charging. And the biggest crime of all – they look boring. We’ve created the Haikara designer smartwatch for people who care about style and simplicity. Haikara is the world’s thinnest smartwatch that lasts for up to a week on one charge. It changes beautiful watch faces to match your outfit or mood. Most importantly, it looks great on your wrist.
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