Keys, phone, and wallet: The three items most people need before they walk out the door. But what if you forget or misplace one? iPhone owners are covered with the “Find My Phone†app, but what about the other essentials? Well, there’s an accessory for that, enter the SmartWallit. The only drawback: it’s not available on the market–the device is currently part of a Kickstarter to get funding for development and production.
The SmartWallit has a thin design (2.4 by 1.4 by 0.2 inches) that allows it to clip to the inside of your wallet. It pairs with your phone via Bluetooth 4.0, so if your wallet and smartphone part ways the SmartWallit will start to chirp, calling out that it has been left behind. But if you do displace your wallet and its cries are inaudible to you in the moment of its abandonment, you can use the free app (available for iOS and Android) to look up the last time and place the two devices communicated (Bluetooth has a range of up to 100 feet). So, you won’t get the same GPS accuracy as “Find My Phone,†but it’s the next best thing.
One interesting feature is the app allows you to turn Bluetooth on and off—no need to dig around in the phone settings. For Android users, this integration is a great convenience, but Apple traditionally doesn’t care for third-party apps playing around with its phones’ settings. It would be nice to know if the SmartWallit app has been approved by the App Store, but for now it looks like iPhone users will just have to go on faith if their planning to invest. Worst case scenario, users will have to go to their settings in order to activate Bluetooth.
Another thing to note, is Bluetooth does drain battery. The SmartWallit will last up to 25 days on a single 2 hour charge, but pushing notifications to your phone may cut into that estimated time. Your phone, on the other hand, will see a 5% drop in day-to-day use.
The SmartWallit doesn’t stop at tracking your wallet, though. If you fork over your credit card information it will even help you keep track of payments. The app will be able breakdown your spending habits, and give some perspective on how much you spend each day and what kinds of things you’re spending your money on.
The SmartWallit comes in 3 different form factors: Wallet, card holder, and key chain attachment. Each is made from glass, stainless steel, and ABS. With less than 20 days left to reach funding, its nearly reached its $40,000 goal. If you want to pledge and get a SmartWallit in the process, you’ll have to give at least $39 to the cause.
