Motorola has even more tricks up its sleeve for the Moto X.
Today the company announced Motorola Skip, a small gadget that Moto X owners can use to securely unlock their phones — no more pecking in passcodes or swiping authentication gestures. You can simply tap the Motorola Skip and get to business.
“Our smartphones are central to our digital lives … the keys to our friends, our finances, and a lot of our personal information,” Motorola wrote in a blog post today. “Security is increasingly important, but it shouldn’t be irritating.”
Motorola Skip brings the advantages of wearable computing to smartphone authentication. The device is small enough to clip onto your clothing (it’s launching in gray and black, with more colors to come for coordination later this year). Every Skip also comes with three Skip dots, which you can place around your house or car to unlock your Moto X.
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Skip is yet another example of how Motorola is trying to step beyond current smartphone conventions with the Moto X, which also sports features like the ability to accept voice commands while the phone is asleep. Motorola didn’t divulge the technology behind Skip, but it’s most likely relying on near-field communication (NFC), which Samsung used for its similar TecTiles product.
Motorola hasn’t revealed pricing for the Skip, though it was briefly seen on the company’s site for $20. Ideally, it should be cheap enough that Moto X owners can buy multiple Skips. Motorola says the Skip will be available for purchase from its website once the Moto X launches and that the company will include a free unit with every customized Moto X purchase online.
