Blocks Wearables taps Qualcomm for its modular smartwatch

Blocks Wearables, the UK-based company which is developing the world's first modular smartwatch dubbed Blocks, has announced a partnership with chip giant Qualcomm. The wearable, whose early prototypes were first shown off by the company at this year's CES in Las Vegas, will be powered by the Snapdragon 400 SoC. Another important point worth noting is that the device will run Android Lollipop, instead of Android Wear, and will be able to work with both Android and iOS devices. If you aren't in the know, the key selling point of Blocks is that you can customize it the way you want, much like Google's Project Ara smartphone. True to its name, the smartwatch's strap is made up of a series of links or blocks that contain swappable components. For example, you can use the links to add additional sensors like GPS or heart-rate monitor, as well as components related to cellular connectivity, extended batteries, or contact-less payment. Not only this, you can even swap the face of the smartwatch, switching from a round form factor to a square one. The company plans to launch a crowd-funding campaign in late summer this year. Via 1 | Via...