Intel gives details on high tech MICA fashion bracelet

NEW YORK—An obvious fact that's not always borne out in some of the early wearable devices hitting the market is that these bands and bracelets have to look good as well as provide functionality that would appeal to potential buyers. These are called wearables for a reason.

Chip giant Intel had previously taken the wraps off the stylish MICA bracelet it is bringing out in partnership with fashion house Opening Ceremony.

But Intel revealed very little details about pricing, its carrier relationship or specifically what MICA can do.

That changed Monday with Intel's announcement that MICA will cost $495 in the U.S. (the only place it will be sold), a sum that includes two-years of wireless data service with AT&T, with no extra charge for international data roaming. It's unclear what you'll pay for data after two years.

Short for My Intelligent Communication Accessory and pronounced (ME-ka), the bracelet is designed for females on the go. A woman wearing it can receive notifications of texts, Google email (up to two accounts), and Facebook and Google event notifications. Via Yelp, you'll also get notifications of nearby stores, restaurants and points of interest—the bracelet has GPS. A "Time To Go" feature that is powered by TomTom and Intel will remind you when to leave for your next appointment.

You can also prioritize the notifications that buzz you by making some of your contacts VIPs. You can configure the bracelet through a portal on the Web.

Since it has its own data plan, MICA does not pair with a phone. But that also means that for now anyway you cannot get notifications from your wrist of who might be calling you on the phone in your pocket. And MICA does not deliver tweets, respond to your voice (there's no microphone) or let you control music as is possible with some other wearables.

The bracelet is designed with an 18K gold coating that has a curved sapphire glass touch screen display. It comes in two styles: one with black water snake skin, pearls from China and lapis stones from Madagascar, the other with white water snake skin, tiger's eye from South Africa and obsidian from Russia. One size—medium—is meant to fit all.

Intel says MICA will provide two days of battery life—charging is done through microUSB connector that is cleverly hidden when the bracelet is clasped closed. .

It will be exclusively available at Opening Ceremony in New York and Los Angeles, as well as select Barneys New York locations, and online at OpeningCeremony.us and Barneys.com. You'll find it in the jewelry case at retail.

Fashion is in the eyes of the beholder of course, and it is inevitable that more and more companies will attempt to flaunt high tech jewelry. At the same time, other wearable devices will practically disappear altogether, as tiny earrings say, or as items that are embedded into clothing. Moreover, an item that might look good today may not be in vogue two years from now. That's a challenge for both fashion and tech.