A messaging software startup company called Glide has introduced an Apple Watch strap with two built-in cameras.
Glide’s Apple Watch strap has been named CMRA. It features a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for FaceTime video calling or selfies, as well as an 8-megapixel outward-facing camera for shooting subjects in front of you. There is a single button on the band that with a double-tap switches between the two cameras, an LED indicator and a microphone.
“The camera is only valuable when it is out and ready to take a photo or video,” Glide CEO, Ari Roisman told Recode. “Our phones live in our pockets.”
The CMRA smartwatch band can seamlessly connect and integrate with Apple Watch, and pictures or videos taken with the band get stored in stock Photos app. The CMRA essentially uses Apple Watch as a viewfinder, but the cameras also work without the watch or work even when the watch is off. The strap has 8GB of internal storage, which can store photos and videos when it’s working standalone.
The CMRA is expected to ship in spring 2017. It will sell for $249, but pre-order price is $199 and the earliest orders will be getting it for $149. Consumers pre-ordering the device will also get a custom dual-charging dock that charges both the Apple Watch and CMRA together. The dock itself includes a battery pack, which can recharge the device twice.