Sure, reaching for your wallet may be an involuntary movement for many of us, but there’s also joy in knowing that we can pay for things without having to reach for it. You can now add Mevu’s prototype bracelet wallet to the list of ways to do just that, but the bracelet does it in a very unique fashion.
The Bluetooth bracelet lets you pay in Bitcoin by using air gestures. For example, at the flick of your wrist, you can purchase a cup of coffee at a store or pay for parking. Unfortunately, that is its massive caveat: Bitcoin isn’t widely accepted either online or at retail, making its use questionable. In addition, the bracelet uses point-of-sale technology, which is currently based on iOS. Apple hasn’t been all that warm to Bitcoin wallets on the App Store, so you’ll have to use software compatible with Android.
Even so, the most promising element of Mevu’s bracelet isn’t the product itself, but rather the platform that it’s based on: Alive OS. It’s an open-sourced platform, you can modify it anyway you like in order to take advantage of motion-equipped wearables, voice, and glanceable displays. If you’re interested, all you need to do is sign up for a developer preview.
As for the bracelet itself, pre-orders will begin within a month. No exact price or release date were given, and while it might not necessarily catch on all that much, at least Mevu is thinking ahead.