The future is calling.
Sgnl, a smartwatch strap that uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone, allows wearers to take calls by placing their pointer fingers on their ears. After blowing past its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter, the strap is set to start shipping in February 2017.
Sgnl’s Body Conduction Unit transmits vibrations to your fingertip, which become amplified sounds inside of the user’s ear. The strap has an embedded microphone, which captures the caller’s voice.
Sgnl is being developed by Innomdle Lab, a company that sprung from Samsung’s C-LAB program before being spun off in 2015. Innomdle’s CEO Hyunchul Choi came up with the idea in 2014, after hearing a colleague admit embarrassment that his smart phone conversations lacked privacy. Inspired by that comment, Choi and his team proposed Sgnl to Samsung, and they were off to the races.
Aside from privacy, the major benefit of Sgnl is that the motion required to use it also blocks out a lot of background noise, making your phone conversations clearer and leading to less distraction. Another benefit is adaptability; even if you don’t have a smartwatch, the Sgnl strap’s adapter makes it compatible with plenty of classic watch styles.
Watch a video about the device and its functionality below.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
