Shown off at CES for the first time this year, Viawear's Tyia is a wearable device that aims to bridge the gap between technology and fashion, much like the Apple Watch. Designed for women, the Tyia is a bracelet that focuses on delivering fully customizable notifications to let users keep tabs on messages, email, and social media accounts even when their iPhones are buried in purses and pockets.

According to Tyia's creators, the company's goal with the bracelet was to follow Apple's own lead and design something "absolutely gorgeous from the inside out" by focusing on the high-fashion jewelry aspect of the device.

Though it also includes a HealthKit-compatible accelerometer that measures metrics like steps taken, Tyia's true focus is on delivering notifications. It includes both a vibration engine and an RGB LED, both of which are highly customizable to allow users to create one-of-a-kind notifications for every app and situation.

viawear1
The bracelet itself is available with gold or rhodium plating and inset with a semi-precious stone made of quartz, topaz, or another gemstone. In the first available versions, a quartz stone is fused to an 0.4mm sheet of mother-of-pearl, which serves as a light diffuser for the built-in LED. Internally, the Tyia has a 6-axis accelerometer and promises a 3-day battery life. It comes with a magnetic charger that snaps right into the bracelet to make charging a painless experience.

Tyia's notifications can be created with both custom colors and custom vibration strengths and patterns in the accompanying app, and variable vibration strength is one of the features that Viawear feels sets the bracelet apart from its competition. With different vibration strengths and patterns, an email might cause the bracelet to buzz slightly twice, while an emergency call could potentially be set to buzz much stronger for a longer period of time to let users know that it's urgent.

There's also an option to create notifications based on keywords, which is another unique feature that the Tyia boasts. For example, users can set a hashtag like #important or #emergency, and any tweet or message that includes that hashtag will set off a special notification that might flash red and white and vibrate strongly.

viawear2
Because it's designed to serve as a wearable that's both fashionable and functional, the Tyia includes interchangeable straps. Though there are only leather straps included with version available for pre-order, Viawear plans to sell a range of different straps in multiple colors and materials. One band, for example, will feature Marsala, the wine-hued Pantone color of the year, while another will be constructed of a vegan material.

The company plans to develop an open API to allow third-party apps to take advantage of its fitness tracking capabilities, and it will collaborate with various designers for custom Tyia designs. Walter Chefitz, the company's Chief Creative Officer, has already worked to create a special diamond-encrusted Tyia with a green leather band, which he will sell on his Walt Adler jewelry site. In addition to collaborating with jewelery designers, Tyia also hopes to use its platform to help other fashion companies develop smart jewelry in the future.

viawear3
Tyia is available for pre-order from the Viawear website at prices starting at $239. It will begin shipping out to buyers in the spring of 2015, which is also when the company plans to begin rolling it out to retail stores.

Top Rated Comments

saintforlife Avatar
137 months ago
Anybody get tired of the word 'wearable' yet? Seems like everything is a wearable these days and that's all companies want to make.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
qawsed27 Avatar
137 months ago
Exactly. I'm still using my horse and carriage until this silly automobile fad ends.

If by "automobile" you meant "people attaching giant feathers to their arms and flapping wildly while running toward their destination," then your quip makes some sense.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Analog Kid Avatar
137 months ago
There's a color of the year?

My color vocabulary is pretty much limited to the 16 crayon box that I've generalized through the suffix "-ish". What Pantone calls "Marsala", I would call "redish".

I'm sure it makes me sound like a boor in the fashion wearables industry, but I've gotten by...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdarling Avatar
137 months ago
Anybody get tired of the word 'wearable' yet? Seems like everything is a wearable these days and that's all companies want to make.

Better get used to it. It's only going to become more common :)

Speaking of which , I noticed this item got funded on indiegogo: a notifier ring.



Keeping your large smartphone hidden in a pocket or purse is the hot thing these days.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aniseedvan Avatar
137 months ago
Subtle notifications are a good thing but I'd forget which vibration meant what..
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...