Charging an Apple Watch can be delightful and fun, thanks to the WatchMe. Just crown your Apple Watch onto the charging stand’s head and you have yourself an endearing creature wearing your smartwatch as its one-eyed goggle. However, the stand’s cute factor may ultimately depend on clearing two big obstacles.
The WatchMe, which may be the cutest charging stand for the Apple Watch out there right now, comes from Vivien Muller, a freelance designer based in Paris. It’s a two-part stand that measures 3.56 inches tall and has a hole where the round magnetic Apple Watch charger can be placed. Place an Apple Watch onto the head of the “Watchus cyclopus” and you have a Minion-like charging stand.
The recyclable charging stand comes in three colors: white, black, and yellow. Owners can mix and match colors to create two-color stands. Stickers are also available to give the WatchMe mustaches, a tie, or bowtie.
Muller plans to release a WatchMe app to accompany the charging stand so owners can play animations (e.g., a roaming eyeball) on their charging Apple Watches. However, he notes that there’s currently no way to override the automatic standby mode and that “Apple may reject the app because it’s too simple.” If neither hurdle is overcome, the charging stand would lose a lot of cute points.
The WatchMe has a Kickstarter campaign, which has raised more than $7,600 of its $21,984 goal (20,000 euros) at the moment. The project closes August 20 at 6 a.m. EDT. Estimated global deliveries are expected to begin in December.
Apple may soon allow manufacturers in its Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program to embed Apple Watch charging pads directly into the accessories they build, according to 9to5Mac. This would mean products like the WatchMe could be manufactured with a built-in charging pad rather than a gaping hole where a buyer must place their own charging pad, for instance.
