Bandstand Docking Station Is ‘First Great Apple Watch Accessory,’ Its Supplier Says
Apple hasn’t announced a definitive 2015 launch date yet for the Apple Watch, but that’s not stopping a small Evansville, Indiana, supplier from laying claim to fielding what it calls "the first great Apple Watch accessory." The supplier, Standzout, is…
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using a CES exhibit in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s North Hall to demonstrate prototypes of an Apple Watch docking station it calls the Bandstand, the company said in an emailed media alert Sunday. Calling the Apple Watch "the new king of wearables," though it hasn’t yet reached the commercial market, Standzout said the Bandstand has been designed "from the ground up to make the experience of using the Apple Watch easier, more natural, and more beautiful." The Bandstand is designed to be "the nightly home" for an Apple Watch, it said. It will include integrated charging using Apple’s inductive charger, plus additional ports to allow the user to charge two other USB devices simultaneously, including an iPad, the company said. "It also features a pivoting watch platform, to adjust the angle of the watch for visibility from any angle." With the built-in charging for the Apple Watch and two additional USB devices, Standzout expects to price the Bandstand "around the $99.99 range," CEO Brandon Barnard emailed us Sunday. "We are still early in development to offer exact pricing." Availability of the Bandstand will come "within weeks of the Apple Watch release for reasons of needing to evaluate for exact fit and testing," Barnard said. Asked for his company's latest intelligence on when it thinks Apple Watch will debut, Barnard said: "We have no other information other than what is publicly available." What Apple originally touted as wireless charging technology for the Apple Watch isn't wireless at all because it uses a wire with a magnet on the end (see 1409160022). Referring in the media alert to Apple's long-term status as a CES exhibitor holdout, Standzout said: "This year's CES is jam-packed with amazing tech from hot companies around the world. You're going to be busy. But one of the year's biggest stories, the Apple Watch, isn't likely to make an appearance. "