Beam Me Up, Scotty! Real Life Star Trek Communicator Pairs With Your Smartphone

If you’re a fan of Star Trek (and what true techie isn’t?), The Wand Company has just announced what could possibly be one of the greatest smartphone accessories that we’ve seen in quite some time. The company has built a true-to-life Communicator — yes, that Communicator which we saw Captain Kirk whip out on numerous occasions when leading his away team on the surface of uncharted planets.

Part of what makes the Communicator so special is that it acts as a Bluetooth handset that connects to your smartphone (hands-free calling and music streaming is supported). So even though the Communicator is after all a prop modeled after an object from a nearly 50-year-old television sci-fi series, it at least is actually useful for something. The Wand Company says that its Communicator is “the most accurate replica ever made” and was carefully designed using “structured-light 3D scans” of an actual prop used in the Star Trek: The Original Series.

The production device is constructed of a mixture of machined aluminum, die cast metal, and textured ABS plastic, making it a dead ringer for the original. And it’s not just enough to look like the original, the Communicator should also sound like the original. So it should come as no surprise that The Wand Company’s Communicator can playback a number of authentic sound effects and even “conversation fragments” from the Star Trek universe (hold on to your butts, Trekkies!).

The Communicator features a built-in lithium-ion battery and even supports wireless (inductive) charging via its included magnetic stand. The company is even throwing in a foam-lined case for you to safely transport your Communicator for those frequent trips to Comic-Con and Star Trek conventions.

Now for the more sobering aspects of the Communicator: pricing and availability. The device will cost a wallet-draining $149.95 and it won’t actually be available until January 2016.