As far as smartwatches go, we've seen a whole host of devices from both small and big manufacturers and all of them have one thing in common – you need to be able to see the smartwatches to use them. But, not the Dot smartwatch. This timepiece is especially designed to aid the visually challenged user and features a braille interface.
The Watch has been designed by a startup called Dot, in collaboration with SK Telecom. The aptly named Dot smartwatch features 30 raised pins, which display notifications in braille. The best part about braille notifications for the blind is that they no longer need to worry about the privacy issues that surface from the usual text-to-speech approach. The watch also comes with a 7 day battery life, allowing for extended periods of use without the hassle of constant charging.
As far as usage is concerned, even though this is a niche category, the Dot watch may just be the first smartwatch which has real-world functionality. The likes of an Apple Watch or a Samsung Gear S2 are devices that most of us desire, but don't neccessarily need. Also, a typical smartwatch mostly serves as an add-on to one's smartphone, but because of it's braille notification feature, the Dot watch is a device that, if priced correctly, can make an actual difference.
The Dot smartwatch is currently priced at $290, which is a little on the expensive side. For now, the watch is in prototype phase and the startup plans to go into mass production mode by October this year.