This Electric Skateboard Can be Controlled by Your iPhone

Could this be a better alternative to the controversial hoverboard?

The makers of RocketSkates are on to something. This time, it's an electric skateboard that can be controlled by an Apple smartphone.

"The company's new Blink-Board, which it unveiled here at CES 2016, is far smaller than many of the electric skateboards on the market today," Mashable said. "While they're modeled on so-called long boards, Acton's Blink-Board, which is just 26.5 inches long, is designed to be more like tiny 'Penny Boards.'"

According to Acton CTO Peter Treadway, the skateboard is small and light enough - at 10 pounds - for a user to "take it anywhere you want to go." The product comes with a carrying strap that allows the owner to sling the board over a shoulder when not using it.

The Verge had noted that the said board is considerably "much more manageable than the 16-pound ZBoard 2 or even the 13.5- to 15-pound weight of the Boosted Boards."

The Blink-Board is also reportedly designed for longer commutes, which probably puts one over the hoverboard, some of which have been known to overheat or go up in flames.

"We wanted to get more people to ride the short distance who wouldn't normally be doing it," Treadway told Mashable.

The company also made it easier for the user to manage the board as it made it capable of being controlled by an iPhone despite it having its own remote control. That's so that if the remote is left behind, the user has the smartphone as a back up, provided the Acton app had already been downloaded on the handset.

"The gadget features a 1500W motor which allows speeds of up to 15 mph and the board weighs around 10 pounds (4.5kg)," Trusted Reviews noted. "According to the Acton website, the device can travel for approximately 45 minutes (about 6.5 miles) on a full charge and will support both Android and iOS devices."

The Blink-Board will be available for purchase by the end of January and will retail at about $500.

This is not the first iPhone-controlled skateboard ever made. Last year, one such kind was unveiled - the Inboard M1. Although still a prototype, it has been "pitched as the world's first skateboard that features motors inside the wheels," AppleInsider said.

However, it sells at a higher price point. In October 2015, pre-orders were at $1,399, with a February to March 2016 shipping date.

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