Motorola Skip for Moto X is a $20 clip that tries to do passwords better

When the Moto X was revealed earlier this month, one thing CEO Dennis Woodside was effusive about was a comprehensive and growing ecosystem of accessories for the flagship handset.

Now that it’s close to launching, Motorola is unveiling a few interesting additions to a list that includes SOL REPUBLIC headphones, Bluetooth speakers and cases from Incase and others.

But Skip is a bit different. It’s a small clip that attaches to your clothing — a shirt, belt or pocket, for example — and allows you to unlock your Moto X without entering a number code or pattern. It may sound trivial, but the average user unlocks his or her phone upwards of 100 times a day. While it’s not clear that briefly aligning your phone to your shirt or belt loop is actually faster than just turning on and entering a PIN code, it may give the impression of convenience, which is what Motorola is hoping.

Skip also comes bundled with three Dots — NFC-capable tags that maintain a Trusted Device status when paired with the phone. Moto X has a convenient feature that allows it to stay unlocked when paired to a trusted Bluetooth device, and the Dots emulate that with NFC — as long as the device is in contact with it. This will help get around the limitation of not being able to use the “OK, Google Now” command when the phone is locked, but it still seems a little ham-fisted.

Skip will retail for $20, though it’s not known whether it will be available in Canada, at least in the short-term. Still, it’s an interesting idea that speaks to Motorola’s willingness to experiment with user behaviour. And, after spending only $550 on the phone, you’re going to have a few dollars to spare, anyway.

[source]Motorola[/source]